Wouldn’t it be great ... There’s a pretty big election coming up next year, and I keep thinking about how great it would be to be able to vote for the candidate of my choice when the time comes. What’s stopping me, you wonder? Well, I live in Texas, where lawmakers, in an attempt to retain power and influence, have made it extremely difficult for anyone but the entrenched establishment parties to get on the ballot.   Some states, you see, practice real democracy—their election codes make it comparatively easy to get candidates on statewide ballots. A nominal fee or a reasonable number of petition signatures will do. The last time I checked, Texas’s election laws make it the third most difficult state in America to achieve ballot access. This means that the roughly 4½ million people who typically vote in Texas almost always get at most three choices in each election (the Libertarians have managed to get on—not a big surprise considering most Texans’ political leanings). As much as we’d like to change those laws, right now the Green Party of Texas can only play by the unfair rules set long ago. To that end, we are trying to raise money to help in our 2008 Ballot Access Initiative, and you can help!! We hope to raise enough money to fully fund the effort through a large number of small donations. As little as $10 from each contributor can really add up fast. So, please consider helping us get the opportunity to vote for candidates of our choice next year. And tell all your friends to join the fight against these unfair laws. All we are asking for is democracy in Texas—you’d think that shouldn’t be too hard. Dallas Greens Support Antidiscrimination Efforts The Green Party of Dallas County is endorsing the efforts of two groups in Farmers Branch who are working to bring a decision to the voters concerning city ordinance 2892 that discriminates against undocumented workers and their families, many of whom are in the U.S. legally. The two groups, "Let the Voters Decide" and "United Farmers Branch" are meeting Saturday, January 27th at 9 a.m. at 2704 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch to begin a grass roots campaign to register voters. Volunteers are needed. This is a great opportunity for the Greens of North Texas to support a cause that touches on many of our Key Values, including Grass-Roots Democracy, Social Justice and Diversity. Go to votersdecide.org for an introduction to this issue. Dallas Greens Statement at DART Board Hearing concerning proposed price hikes. The Green Party is a grassroots political party dedicated to building a just and sustainable society and democracy of empowered citizens. We are here tonight because issues regarding the DART system touch on several of our party’s Key Values. We’d like to begin by expressing our continued support for the expansion of the DART system. Historically, public transit has been vital to empowering all citizens, allowing them to travel to and from the workplace, as well as other places necessary to conduct everyday life. Furthermore, most people understand the ecological wisdom of expanding public transit systems. It is clearly a substantially more efficient use of resources which, as we all know, is increasingly important in light of our escalating reliance on dwindling energy sources. The rewards of a successful DART not only benefit our community, but shows Dallas in a forward moving light. That being said...we vehemently oppose the proposed fare increase for a variety of reasons. First, we object to piling additional strain upon the financial resources of those least able to afford it. Twenty-five cents per ride, or 50 cents per day, may seem paltry to some of us, but a significant portion of DART ridership cannot afford even this seemingly modest increase. Moreover, those most able to absorb the increased cost often enjoy the benefit of employer-sponsored passes to ride DART. Secondly, the GPDC questions the wisdom of a 20% fare increase that is projected to cover only 2% of operational costs. So we ask you, where will the additional funds be applied? Thirdly, DART policies should be designed to increase ridership, making it easier for all to enjoy the benefits of public transit, rather than raising obstacles to its use. Not only is increased ridership a better way to improve DART funding, but it also will help the North TX region avoid stiff penalties from the EPA. It’s no secret that our air quality is suffering the results of the congested highways throughout the Metroplex. The GPDC understands the financial pressures inherent in developing and maintaining a system of appropriate scale for the local population. However, we feel alternatives should be considered before simply increasing fares. Specifically, legislators must evaluate options to redirect resources that currently go to enhancing auto capacity toward expanding transit-oriented development. In fact, all forms of transportation, both private and public, are supported by significant subsidies. We must find a balance between funding for both forms. We appreciate the opportunity to express our views tonight. We hope you will give them serious consideration before you make a decision regarding the proposed fare increase that will cause additional financial hardship for many of those who depend on the rail to reach work or school each day. We also welcome further discussion of present and future DART policies. And we look forward to your continued growth and success.   Greens on a Winning Streak in DC – Look to 2007 City Council Win. Election Day Wins In the nation's capitol, the DC Statehood Green Party won eight of 17 races on November 7—a win rate of 47%. The newly-elected and re-elected Statehood Greens will serve as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, serving about 2,000 constituents each. Nancy Shia, a 30-year resident and longtime activist in the progressive and diverse Adams Morgan neighborhood, greeted voters at her precinct from 7 am to 8 pm, as were her two competitors (the second-place finisher is a Democrat and recent graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government). "I worked harder than they did. My issues were bicycle safety and curbside recycling--those are Green issues. I tried as hard as I could to meet all the people and to make it a serious grassroots candidacy." Shia won her race with 57% of the vote. In addition to building a bench of qualified Statehood Green politicians, the Statehood Greens emerged as DC's second party in terms of electoral participation, replacing the Republicans. This was the largest slate Statehood Greens ever ran, with 18 candidates. Citywide, Joyce Robinson-Paul finished second out of two, receiving over 14,000 votes (14.7%) in her race for DC's Senate seat (usually called the "Shadow Senator," without voting privileges). Keith Ware placed second out of three in his bid for US Representative, with more than 12,500 votes (12.7%) beating the Republican candidate. Ann Wilcox (a former elected member of the Board of Education) easily secured the ballot line with 11,444 votes (7,500 were needed). Other notable races included ANC commissioner Marc Borbely's bid for School Board (he finished 2nd out of 5, with 19%), Chris Otten for Mayor (3rd out of 3, with 4%), and Laurent Ross for Board of Education President (4th out of 5, with 5%). Renee Bowser Ward 4’s Next City Councilor On Friday, November 10th Renee Bowser held a press conference at Rudolph Elementary School to declare her intention to run in the special election for DC Ward 4 City Council, a seat which will be vacated by DC’s incoming mayor Adrian Fenty. The special election provides a great opportunity for the DCSGP. Since there is no primary, Renee will compete head to head with a field of Democrat and Republican opponents. Renee Bowser, an attorney for the United Food and Commercial Workers, has already received the endorsement of UFCW Local 400, and from the president and vice-president of AFGE Local 12 officials. Renee plans to make public education, the living wage, and constituent services her top issues in office. Green Candidates Reflect The Green Party won 65 races this year. This is a remarkable achievement, given unparalleled levels of negative campaigning against Greens. Our candidates ran great campaigns. Even though many of them did not win, they all have a lot to be proud of. We want to give you a chance to hear from a few of the candidates we’ve profiled over the last few months. And; what they feel their campaigns have achieved: Rae Vogler, US Senate WI Cindy Sheehan endorses Rae, saying "We need to vote for candidates calling for peace" “Everywhere I went, I found people are ready for change. Everyday folks on the ground, those who are not necessarily politically involved or tied to a party affiliation, understand that our government is NOT representing us, but is instead representing corporate interests - the big money oil lobby, the defense contractors, the pharmaceutical industry, and the credit card companies. People know what they want - they want a government that stands up for their interests. They want candidates that speak for them. They want: The message of this campaign resonated across the state. Over and over I had people come up to me and say "I agree with you. I like what you have to say." And the very next words out of their mouth were "How come I haven't heard of you before?" I call on you to carry the torch of this campaign forward. The tide is turning for progressive change and we are a part of that tide. Please commit yourself to keep up the struggle. Together we will win! Pat LaMarche, Governor ME Roy Ulrickson spoke at the election night celebration of Pat LaMarche, "No matter what the outcome is tonight, it will still be historic. No longer can media marginalize the Green Party. No longer can Democrats continue with bad politics as usual. No longer can the Republicans continue to drive their party to the radical right. No longer can either party take your vote for granted.... Tonight will be historic because all of you have made history. Every door knocked, every street corner signed, every call made was a part of this history. You have helped Pat inspire thousand of voters and change the political landscape of Maine. You have helped Pat spread a messsage of hope and prosperity..." Despite some tough losses, the Maine Independent Green Party has a net gain of two office holders in Tuesday's elections. Greens Kevin Donaghue and David Marshall gained 2 seats on Portland's City Council. In addition Rebecca Minnick won the District 1 seat on the school committee in Portland. Malachy McCourt, Governor NY and Allison Duncan, Lieutenant Governor NY Although NY Green Governor Candidate Malachy McCourt came just shy of the 50,000 votes needed to secure ballot status, his campaign energized and inspired us all to stand up for what we believe in, and have fun doing it. Malachy’s running mate, Allison Duncan, reflected on the outcome of the election: “New Yorkers clearly choose the Green Party as New York’s third party,” said Alison Duncan, Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor. “Julia Willebrand, candidate for comptroller, was the standout with 108,030 votes, more than any Green Party candidate for statewide office in New York has ever gotten. Those votes clearly demonstrate that when voters need a choice on the ballot they choose Green. The fact that three candidates got over 50,000 votes gives the Green Party the opportunity for a legal challenge to NY’s ballot access law, which says that the 50,000 votes for ballot access must be on the Governor’s line. “When corporate and PAC money determines the outcome of elections we do not have a democracy,” said Duncan. “This government will not be a servant of the voters. We are determined to continue the fight — legally, electorally, and legislatively to put a party that is not beholden to corporate and PAC interests — the Green Party — on the ballot and into power.” Are you a blogger or webmaster? Add an anti-war banner ad to your page! The Green Party has a dynamic new WEB BANNER AD that can be placed on Green Party state/local websites, blogs, or personal homepages to point viewers to www.GP.org. The anti-war message and clean Green design appeals to a wide audience: "Americans know the war in Iraq was based on lies...Bring the troops home now! Only one U.S. political party calls for the end of military involvement in Iraq...Find out how you can get active with the nation's only true peace party." You can get the code here: http://www.gp.org/committees/outreach/materials.shtml .