Green News and Opinion

My city creates a twenty-year-plan, as does my county, and every five years dusts it off and spends a lot of time and money re-vamping it, then promptly drops it into a drawer and forgets it until five years hence.

Apparently John Rensenbrink thinks himself capable of five extra years of vision, and is offering a seminar on his ideas at the Reading convention. I hope someone can attend and report on it's value.

Personally, I am very doubtful. His first draft, which makes many assumptions I don't share, is behind the "Read more!" link. And, since Rensenbrink is both a well respected Green and an architect of the disastrous"Safe States" strategy which did nothing to grow the party, it may be worth an active Green's time to read it over...



Hello all,

This might interest you. Take your mind off re-hashing the past and getting into conniption fits over it. That's partly why I helped form a group in late March to do some exploring of vision and goals for our party. Instead of incessantly dwelling on the past lets look to the future.



We'll be doing a Workshop at Reading on Thursday afternoon, entitled "Green Party Vision for the Next 25 years."

It's Workshop Session #5 from 4:00 to 5:15.

John Rensenbrink



Here's what we will be discussing and taking off from:



Vision and Goals for the United States Green Party 2007-2032

A 25-Year Prospectus



The short term and long term vision of the United States Green Party during the next 25 years is to place one of its members in the Presidential Office, one of its members in the Vice Presidential Office, and a significant number of its members in the Congress of the United States. The intent of our candidates, campaign workers, and office holders is to work in cooperation with voluntary associations and the self-help projects of the people to develop and implement policies fostering quality of life and quality of place for everyone in the United States; and to foster policies and governance in the world at large to bring the peoples of the world ever closer to quality of life and quality of place.

In accordance with this vision, the Green Party of the United States works to transform the politics of our country. We insist on honesty and integrity in the political process for ourselves and others. We seek to involve everyone in our country in decision-making. We seek to work from the grass roots up to reach the ideals of democracy, civil liberty, social justice, a sustainable environment, peaceful co-existence and effective democratic governance among all nations and
peoples.


In the Short Term: Goals for 2007--2008




A. Focus energy, resources, and political enthusiasm on three winnable Congressional House Seats and one winnable Congressional Senate seat in 2008.

B. Put a strong emphasis on a presidential nominee for 2008 who most closely shares a focus on building momentum in the 2008 presidential campaign for future Green Party presidential aspirations and campaigns.

C. Begin the development and articulation of a Green Party Presidential Agenda in the fields of foreign policy, civil liberties, energy, food, health, education, taxes, and transportation. [Note: what this clearly calls for is the creation of a Green Party governance-conscious Shadow Government. Caveat: This is not the same
as a Cabinet and not the same as Dream Teams.]


D. Put energy policy at the crux of our national Green political campaigns in next year’s elections. Though climate change and the Iraq War are crucial concerns, it is Energy that encapsulates both and anchors our appeal as a Green Party in the guts of the fundamental problem facing the nation and the planet.



E. Begin laying the foundation for a vivid and intensive promotional campaign to market the Green Party and make its short term and long term 25-year goal visible to more and more of the public in general and – specifically-- to actual and potential Green Party constituencies.

F. Begin dialogue with voluntary associations and self-help projects of the people in the vital fields of peace, food, energy, health, civil liberties, human rights, democratic development, education, taxes, and transportation. Share with them the Green Party’s 25-Year Vision and Goals.


G. Appoint a special committee to examine and assess the Green Party’s national structure in the light of its ability to move the party forward towards the 25–year vision and goals; and to make recommendations to the 2008 Green Party Convention for changes in structure that are intended to enhance the Green Party’s ability to
move the party forward in the direction of the 25-year vision and goals.




In the Long Term: 2009—2032



I. Continue to focus energy, resources, and political enthusiasm
on three winnable races for the House of Representatives and one winnable Senate seat in 2010, 2012, and 2014 with the expectation that Green Party members will be elected to both Houses of Congress. With the resulting greater energy, resources and enthusiasm, the Green Party will continue to prioritize Congressional races but will
do so in many more House and Senate Districts.

II. Following from 2008, continue to put a strong emphasis on a presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016 who most closely shares a focus on building momentum for future Green Party presidential campaigns, with the expectation that the Green Party Presidential ticket will cross the threshold of 5%, thus preparing the way for the campaigns of the Green Party presidential ticket in the next election.

III. Continue the development and articulation of a Green Party Presidential Agenda in the fields of foreign policy, civil liberties, energy, food, health, education, taxes, and transportation (and others as they reach the threshold of urgency to the public). Further refine and deepen the pertinence and thrust of a Shadow Government composed of Green Party members.


IV. If public financing has been attained for the 2016 election, or if it becomes available in 2020 or 2024, choose in that year a presidential/vice presidential ticket that will most effectively win the White House and will most energetically campaign on the Green Party Presidential Agenda. The expectation is that the Green Party will win the White House not later than 2024.


V. Continue and deepen the dialogue with voluntary associations and self-help projects of the people in the vital fields of peace, food, energy, health, civil liberties, human rights, democratic development, education, taxes, and transportation – and others that may be urgently pertinent by that time.


VI. Once in office, the Green Party President and Vice President and the Green Party members of Congress will set forth on an eight-year campaign for quality of life and quality of place at home and abroad in cooperation with thousands of voluntary associations and self-help projects of the people and in coordination
with members of other political parties.