Green News and Opinion

This came in an email from Gray Newman of North Carolina. I have moved things around a bit to make it flow better, but won't change words. I will add my comments at the end of the post. Emphasis is mine.

Please forward widely to Greens and Green lists.

Dear Greens,

I am writing to ask for your support for attaining "official" recognition for the candidates listed below.

In order to be acknowledged as a candidate by the National Committee candidates must demonstrate proof of support form 100 greens in at least 5 states. Supporters may sign a letter of support for more than one candidate so we are requesting your support to have all of the following candidates acknowledged as "official" green party candidates.

By signing this letter you are not indicating that you will vote for these candidates.

This list below includes all the candidates who have given me their permission to put their names on this message.

I have included Kat Swift and Jesse Johnson and am waiting to hear back from them, if they do not wish to be included I will remove their names prior to submitting this letter to the PSCS.

Please add your name and contact info to the list of supporters and return to:
rhannon@toast.net

I will then compile all the names together and forward this message to the Presidential Campaign Support Committee.

Thank you for you assistance in showing our support for the dedicated people who have stepped forward to represent us as our presidential candidates. This is due by Dec. 1 so please reply promptly.

Cynthia McKinney's request for support is also forwarded at the end of this message.

Thank you!
Anita Rios
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To whom it may concern at the Presidential Campaign Support Committee,

We the Greens listed below wish to express our support for the following Green Party Presidential
Candidates:
Jared Ball
Elaine Brown
Kent Mesplay
Kat Swift
Jesse Johnson

1)Sincerely,
Anita Rios
Ohio Green Party
2626 Robinwood Ave.
Toledo, Ohio
419-243-8772
rhannon@toast.net

2)Jason Nabewaniec
Green Party of New York State
50 Harwick Rd #20
Rochester, NY 14609
585-413-3478

3)Gregg Jocoy
South Carolina Green Party
203 Pond View Lane
Fort Mill, SC 29715
803-984-5414




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Subject: A Request from the Cynthia McKinney Presidential Campaign

Hello:

As you may already be aware, the National Committee of the Green Party of the United adopted a "Policy for Recognition of Declared Candidates for the Green Party Nomination for President". This Policy now governs which candidates seeking the Party's nomination may access Party resources. It is anticipated that some state Parties may use this recognition as a criteria for access to the state nominating ballots, as well.

We face a December 1st deadline for complying with the standards for such recognition, which include a provision that we receive verifiable support from 100 Green Party members, including members from at least 5 state parties, no later than December 1, 2007;

To facilitate the documentation of our compliance with this provision, last night we posted to Ms. McKinney's campaign website a form designed to accept pledges of such support.

You can find that form at:
this link

I am writing to ask you to do the following:

(1) go online and complete that form, pledging your support for national Party recognition of this campaign;

(2) consider making a financial contribution towards our Federal Matching Funds eligibility campaign while you are on our website;

(3) help this request to go viral by circulating it to Greens you know and Green Party lists you are subscribed to.

At this point we have about sixty hours left to meet this deadline. With your help we can do so.

Thank you,
-- Hugh Esco
Power to the People Committee,
Cynthia McKinney for President


My observations. Unless Kent does some traveling, he may not make the cut it would seem. That would be a pity, but at least he has had the opportunity to build supporters in various places. But for most of us, bringing party members to the polls on primary day or bringing party members to the state conventions to choose our candidates there, is the sort of activity that helps the party grow. If Kent can hook up with an energetic Green in South Carolina, he could well have some votes cast for him at the convention.

If Kent could come to York County and deliver three talks on how air quality is evaluated, what makes air quality bad, and how to improve air quality quickly, I believe that we could well have a ten person chapter in the county.

Similarly with Jared Ball, Jesse Johnson, and Kat Swift. Any of these people, if able to dedicate a full day to speaking at meetings across the county, visiting reporters at the newspaper, hitting the churches, campuses and Latino neighborhoods, could help us establish a ten to twenty person chapter.

I think that Elaine Brown has the potential to do more. With enough time to educate the Black community about her, I think that a day long visit by Ms. Brown would give us a shot at twenty to thirty possible members of the local Green Party.

But, the elephant in the room is...or is it are, Cynthia McKinney and Ralph Nader.

If Cynthia McKinney came to York County and spent the day, speaking to groups of ministers, groups of Black business owners, groups of black educators and black elected officials, as well as using her amazing ability to cut to the essence of the issues at hand, we could well wind up with fifty to sixty people signing up to be Greens. Her 90 minute visit, which suffered from our lack of experience, brought at least three new faces to the table, and we are in touch with them.

This, growing my chapter, is the only thing I care about the Presidential campaign. I understand the strategy of earning 5% and thereby winning federal matching $$, and that is great! I understand the strategy of running to secure or retain ballot access. I understand that a visit by a presidential candidate of some substance helps a local campaign, candidate or chapter do better. This is why I am backing McKinney. She has reasoned goals and is willing to help us get what we want, just as we are willing to get her whet she wants and needs.

So...I guess I would say, do the Cynthia McKinney thing, if there is a similar thing that Ralph Nader can do, be sure Elaine Brown wants to be in on the program, and run all the rest.

So, that's what I'm doing. I'm saying "Let Cynthia McKinney, Kat Swift, Jared Ball, Jessie Johnson and Kent Mesplay on the ballot, and if Nader or Brown want to be on the ballot at arm's length, so be it. I'm tending to think that Nader will seek the Green Party nomination if he does indeed run if only to secure the ballot slots, but, having run with us twice, Nader knows he's a good fit for Greens.

Not too surprisingly, McKinney is a good fit for Greens too.