Thursday, December 13, 2007
IL Greens issue press releases
The content is behind the "Read more!" link at the bottom of this post.
The first press release announces that IL will hold their first Green Party presidential preference primary on Feb. 5th of 2008. The second raises objections to advertising gambling on their mass transit system. The third, and oldest, announces that Cynthia McKinney will address Greens in IL as part of her quest to win the Green Party nomination.
All the details are behind the "Read more!" link at the bottom of this post.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Dec. 7, 2007
Contact:
Patrick Kelly
ILGP Media Coordinator
773-203-9631
media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry
Chair, ILGP Government & Elections Committee
309-268-9974
phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
BOARD OF ELECTIONS CLEARS WAY FOR GREEN PRIMARY ON FEB. 5
In their meeting Thursday, the Illinois Board of Elections dismissed objections to all four Green Party candidates for president: Jared Ball of Washington D.C., Howie Hawkins of New York, Kent Mesplay of California and Cynthia McKinney of California.
The decision by the board sets the stage for the state's first ever contested Green Primary.
"Because we will have four candidates on the ballot for the same office, and thus a contested primary, every voter in the state will have the chance to pull a Green ballot on Feb. 5," says Phil Huckelberry, Chair of the ILGP Government & Elections Committee.
The Illinois Green Party became an established political party in 2006, when gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney earned more than 10% of the vote. As an established party, Greens will participate in the Feb. 5 primary, name committeepeople, and can slate candidates to fill vacancies on the ticket.
"Voters in Illinois went to the polls in 2006 and demanded more options, beyond the two party system," says David Black, Secretary of the Illinois Green Party. "And we've delivered a number of excellent candidates in races all over the state."
In addition to the state board's decisions, the Cook County Board of Elections also threw out objections to the candidacy of Jerome Pohlen, a journalist and library trustee from Berwyn seeking the Green nomination for 3rd Congressional District.
Not all of the objections filed last month had favorable outcomes to the Illinois Green Party. The board voted unanimously to remove Scott Summers, attorney and McHenry Community College trustee, from the primary ballot for 16th Congressional
District, despite hearing arguments that the Board used a different formula to calculate Green signature requirements than it used to calculate Republican and Democratic requirements.
"Had the board used the same formula, I would have had more than enough signatures to get on the ballot," says Summers. "I think the political parties should be treated equally under the law."
Summers says that he may file suit in the case or will seek to be slated by the party following the primary.
Objections are still pending against congressional candidate David Kalbfleisch (10th district), as well as other candidates for state, local and committeeperson offices.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 10, 2007
CONTACTS:
Patrick Kelly
ILGP Media Coordinator
773-203-9631
media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry
Government and Elections Committee Chair
309-268-9974
phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
GREENS: USING MASS TRANSIT TO PUSH GAMBLING A BAD DEAL FOR ILLINOIS
Green Party candidates for the Illinois General Assembly have blasted the compromise pushed by state lawmakers to expand casino gambling to fund road construction projects in exchange for increased mass transit funding. Real solutions to transit funding are already on the table thanks to groups like the Transit Riders Alliance:
www.savechicagolandtransit.com.
"The conversation in Springfield is all wrong," says Rita Maniotis, Green Party candidate for 21st State Representative. "Instead of asking 'how can we use mass transit to expand gambling,' leaders should be talking about how to use mass transit to improve our environment, expand economic and education opportunities for riders,
and make Illinois a better place to live."
The Illinois Green Party is a strong supporter of mass transit, not only in Chicagoland, but in communities that rely on it across the state.
"Mass transit is vital to our health and welfare," said Kevin O'Connor, candidate for 41st State Representative. "It's a remedy to congestion on the roadways. Instead of expanding gambling to pay for new road construction, why not take care of the roads we have, and use mass transit to address the growing commuter needs." O'Conner
added, "By adding dedicated express coach lanes for mass transit in the suburbs we could cut down on commute times and take more cars off the road."
Green Party candidates, such as Tony Cox, 9th State Representative, say they would support mass transit expansion projects, such as the Metra STAR line, the CTA Circle Line, and a proposed high-speed rail corridor.
"We have some of the highest commute times in the nation, people can't get from home to work, and all Springfield can talk about is what's the best way to make Illinois a gambler's paradise," said Cox.
###
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Event Coordinator: Walt Esler, 773-637-6701, jobcity@juno.com
For the Illinois Green Party: Patrick Kelly, 773-203-9631, media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry, 309-268-9974, phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
For the Cynthia McKinney/Power to the People campaign: media-requests@runcynthiarun.org
Green Party Candidate for President to Speak in Chicago
Six-term Congresswoman, former Democrat and now Green Party member Cynthia McKinney will be speaking in Chicago on Friday, December 14, as part of her "Power to the People" tour, promoting her campaign to win the Green Party nomination for President of the United States.
Following its unprecedented electoral success in 2006, the Green Party in Illinois will have its first statewide primary on February 5, 2008. In addition to McKinney, other Green candidates appearing on the ballot will be college professor Jared Ball of the District of Columbia, New York Green Party activist Howie Hawkins, and California air quality inspector Kent Mesplay.
During her swing through Chicago, McKinney will speak at a fundraiser held a Decima Musa, 1901 South Loomis (19th & Loomis), in Chicago's historic Pilsen neighborhood. The event will be held Friday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cynthia McKinney was the first African-American woman from Georgia elected to Congress, serving six terms in the House. Prior to completing her last term, she introduced articles of impeachment against President Bush charging him with manipulating intelligence and lying to justify the war in Iraq, failing to uphold accountability and violating privacy laws with his domestic spying program. The articles also included charges against Vice President Cheney and Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.
At an event last week in Carbondale, Ill., McKinney was endorsed by 2006 Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney, who earned the support of over 10 percent of Illinois voters in that campaign.
"I have long felt that Cynthia McKinney was a Green at heart," Whitney commented recently. "Unlike most Democrats in Congress, Cynthia has long been a principled, tireless advocate for peace, civil rights, and the fundamental right of the people to vote and have their vote count – accurately. She has long been a fighter against corruption, injustice, environmental destruction, the imperial presidency and the
corporate aristocracy in this country. Her voting record was impeccable. She was, and is, a true representative of the public interest."
"I welcome Cynthia to the Green Party, where she truly belongs, joining our fight to establish genuine government of, by and for the people," Whitney added. "I am absolutely thrilled to have her as an ally in this struggle."
[Distribution of this release by the Illinois Green Party does not imply endorsement of any candidate for the presidential nomination.]
###
The first press release announces that IL will hold their first Green Party presidential preference primary on Feb. 5th of 2008. The second raises objections to advertising gambling on their mass transit system. The third, and oldest, announces that Cynthia McKinney will address Greens in IL as part of her quest to win the Green Party nomination.
All the details are behind the "Read more!" link at the bottom of this post.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Dec. 7, 2007
Contact:
Patrick Kelly
ILGP Media Coordinator
773-203-9631
media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry
Chair, ILGP Government & Elections Committee
309-268-9974
phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
BOARD OF ELECTIONS CLEARS WAY FOR GREEN PRIMARY ON FEB. 5
In their meeting Thursday, the Illinois Board of Elections dismissed objections to all four Green Party candidates for president: Jared Ball of Washington D.C., Howie Hawkins of New York, Kent Mesplay of California and Cynthia McKinney of California.
The decision by the board sets the stage for the state's first ever contested Green Primary.
"Because we will have four candidates on the ballot for the same office, and thus a contested primary, every voter in the state will have the chance to pull a Green ballot on Feb. 5," says Phil Huckelberry, Chair of the ILGP Government & Elections Committee.
The Illinois Green Party became an established political party in 2006, when gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney earned more than 10% of the vote. As an established party, Greens will participate in the Feb. 5 primary, name committeepeople, and can slate candidates to fill vacancies on the ticket.
"Voters in Illinois went to the polls in 2006 and demanded more options, beyond the two party system," says David Black, Secretary of the Illinois Green Party. "And we've delivered a number of excellent candidates in races all over the state."
In addition to the state board's decisions, the Cook County Board of Elections also threw out objections to the candidacy of Jerome Pohlen, a journalist and library trustee from Berwyn seeking the Green nomination for 3rd Congressional District.
Not all of the objections filed last month had favorable outcomes to the Illinois Green Party. The board voted unanimously to remove Scott Summers, attorney and McHenry Community College trustee, from the primary ballot for 16th Congressional
District, despite hearing arguments that the Board used a different formula to calculate Green signature requirements than it used to calculate Republican and Democratic requirements.
"Had the board used the same formula, I would have had more than enough signatures to get on the ballot," says Summers. "I think the political parties should be treated equally under the law."
Summers says that he may file suit in the case or will seek to be slated by the party following the primary.
Objections are still pending against congressional candidate David Kalbfleisch (10th district), as well as other candidates for state, local and committeeperson offices.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 10, 2007
CONTACTS:
Patrick Kelly
ILGP Media Coordinator
773-203-9631
media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry
Government and Elections Committee Chair
309-268-9974
phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
GREENS: USING MASS TRANSIT TO PUSH GAMBLING A BAD DEAL FOR ILLINOIS
Green Party candidates for the Illinois General Assembly have blasted the compromise pushed by state lawmakers to expand casino gambling to fund road construction projects in exchange for increased mass transit funding. Real solutions to transit funding are already on the table thanks to groups like the Transit Riders Alliance:
www.savechicagolandtransit.com.
"The conversation in Springfield is all wrong," says Rita Maniotis, Green Party candidate for 21st State Representative. "Instead of asking 'how can we use mass transit to expand gambling,' leaders should be talking about how to use mass transit to improve our environment, expand economic and education opportunities for riders,
and make Illinois a better place to live."
The Illinois Green Party is a strong supporter of mass transit, not only in Chicagoland, but in communities that rely on it across the state.
"Mass transit is vital to our health and welfare," said Kevin O'Connor, candidate for 41st State Representative. "It's a remedy to congestion on the roadways. Instead of expanding gambling to pay for new road construction, why not take care of the roads we have, and use mass transit to address the growing commuter needs." O'Conner
added, "By adding dedicated express coach lanes for mass transit in the suburbs we could cut down on commute times and take more cars off the road."
Green Party candidates, such as Tony Cox, 9th State Representative, say they would support mass transit expansion projects, such as the Metra STAR line, the CTA Circle Line, and a proposed high-speed rail corridor.
"We have some of the highest commute times in the nation, people can't get from home to work, and all Springfield can talk about is what's the best way to make Illinois a gambler's paradise," said Cox.
###
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Event Coordinator: Walt Esler, 773-637-6701, jobcity@juno.com
For the Illinois Green Party: Patrick Kelly, 773-203-9631, media@ilgp.org
Phil Huckelberry, 309-268-9974, phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org
For the Cynthia McKinney/Power to the People campaign: media-requests@runcynthiarun.org
Green Party Candidate for President to Speak in Chicago
Six-term Congresswoman, former Democrat and now Green Party member Cynthia McKinney will be speaking in Chicago on Friday, December 14, as part of her "Power to the People" tour, promoting her campaign to win the Green Party nomination for President of the United States.
Following its unprecedented electoral success in 2006, the Green Party in Illinois will have its first statewide primary on February 5, 2008. In addition to McKinney, other Green candidates appearing on the ballot will be college professor Jared Ball of the District of Columbia, New York Green Party activist Howie Hawkins, and California air quality inspector Kent Mesplay.
During her swing through Chicago, McKinney will speak at a fundraiser held a Decima Musa, 1901 South Loomis (19th & Loomis), in Chicago's historic Pilsen neighborhood. The event will be held Friday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cynthia McKinney was the first African-American woman from Georgia elected to Congress, serving six terms in the House. Prior to completing her last term, she introduced articles of impeachment against President Bush charging him with manipulating intelligence and lying to justify the war in Iraq, failing to uphold accountability and violating privacy laws with his domestic spying program. The articles also included charges against Vice President Cheney and Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.
At an event last week in Carbondale, Ill., McKinney was endorsed by 2006 Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney, who earned the support of over 10 percent of Illinois voters in that campaign.
"I have long felt that Cynthia McKinney was a Green at heart," Whitney commented recently. "Unlike most Democrats in Congress, Cynthia has long been a principled, tireless advocate for peace, civil rights, and the fundamental right of the people to vote and have their vote count – accurately. She has long been a fighter against corruption, injustice, environmental destruction, the imperial presidency and the
corporate aristocracy in this country. Her voting record was impeccable. She was, and is, a true representative of the public interest."
"I welcome Cynthia to the Green Party, where she truly belongs, joining our fight to establish genuine government of, by and for the people," Whitney added. "I am absolutely thrilled to have her as an ally in this struggle."
[Distribution of this release by the Illinois Green Party does not imply endorsement of any candidate for the presidential nomination.]
###
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 9:25 AM 
