GREEN PARTY OF MICHIGAN

May 22, 2002

Press contact:
Marc Reichardt, 734-635-3541
dystopia@wwnet.com

Ann Arbor, MI- The Green Party of Michigan responded strongly today to the expulsion and arrest of its declared gubernatorial candidate from the Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on the Environment at Brighton High School on Tuesday night. Ray Ziarno, declared Green candidate for secretary of state, was present at the forum, among a few dozen other supporters. "Democracy was not served tonight, obviously. There's no reason Doug should have been excluded."

The forum, hosted by the League of Conservation Voters, declared that 'all gubernatorial candidates' were invited to speak. When Douglas Campbell, the Greens' candidate pending their convention this August 3-4, asked why he had not been invited, the League informed him that only those who were participating in the upcoming primaries were actually invited.

"It is ludicrous to consider that the only party which puts ecological and environmental concerns in the forefront of its platform should be shut out of a public forum on the environment using this ridiculous standard.", said GPMI elections coordinator, Peter Schermerhorn, also citing the fact that Campbell is filed as a candidate with the secretary of state in the same manner as the rest and follows the same rules.

Green party chair Marc Reichardt concurred. "How does participation in the primary system grant special status to the views of two parties, as opposed to the other three on the ballot (Green, Libertarian, Natural Law)? How does that participation validate those two parties' plans for preserving Michigan's environment (very few of which have come to fruition in the past), and invalidate ours, which are likely far closer to LCV's image of the future? This is as much a question of basic democracy and inclusion as it is of the content of the forum."

GPMI called for Michigan citizens to demand equal representation at public events for all parties on the ballot (Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law.)

Other Contacts:

Green Party of Michigan
548 S Main St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-663-3555
info@migreens.org

last modified 23 May 2002

Some other letters on this issue:

Date: 5/22/02 11:14 AM
From: "Douglas Campbell" 

Any questions about the legitimacy of my candidacy can be put to
rest with a visit to the Michigan Secretary of State's website
at: http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/gub_search_res.cgi

To: Sandra Stewart, Michigan League of Conservation Voters

From: Marc Reichardt dystopia@wwnet.com
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 14:28:04 -0700
Subject: Gubernatorial candidate forum, Brighton high school

Ms. Stewart,

     I am writing to you on behalf of the Green Party of Michigan
to register our extreme disappointment in the actions taken last
night in removing our gubernatorial candidate, Douglas Campbell,
from the forum site.

     Despite LCV's avowed agenda which mirrors a large portion of
our own, your organization felt it necessary to deny entry to the
forum to any but those parties who are, under Michigan law,
entitled to participate in the primary system. This seems to me
to be highly disingenuous reasoning and effectively excludes the
perspective of a large portion of the voting (or non-voting)
public. While it is all well and good to hear the opinions and
stated plans of the Democratic and Republican candidates, would
it not have been even more enlightening for your audience to hear
the opinion of the one party that has put environmental issues at
the forefront since its inception?

     How does participation in the primary system grant special
status to the views of two parties, as opposed to the other three
on the ballot (Green, Libertarian, Natural Law)? How does that
participation validate those two parties' plans for preserving
Michigan's environment (very few of which have come to fruition
in the past), and invalidate ours, which are likely far closer to
LCV's image of the future?

     I would hope that future League events will serve both your
members' collective knowledge and perspective, as well as the
basic principles of democracy, and allow space and time for all
registered gubernatorial candidates from all parties, regardless
of exclusionary Michigan electoral law.

Sincerely,
Marc Reichardt, Chair
GPMI

Detroit News link & response: 
Posted: Thu. May. 23, 2002 at 1:55 PM 
From: Ben Manski 
City: Madison, WI 
Subject: Arrest of Green Candidate Shows the Establishment is Scared
Comments:I read with interest that Doug Campbell, the
Michigan Green Party candidate for Governor, was not only barred
from a recent debate, but indeed arrested for even showing up.
This arrest reflects well on Mr. Campbell and poorly on the
political establishment.  Campbell clearly has the courage of his
convictions; his opponents in government do not.

Date: 22 May 2002
To: pmaher@annarbornews.com
From: harvey@ic.net (Craig Harvey)
Subject: Gubernatorial candidate forum, Brighton high school
Cc: "Todd Mundt" , hvgreens@yahoogroups.com

Patty Maher
Ann Arbor News

Dear Ms. Maher,

I appreciate the mention of Doug Campbell and the Green Party in
your story about the environmental forum in Brighton, but from
the words you used I get the idea that maybe you don't understand
why Doug was there and why his treatment was such a slap in the
face of democracy for Michigan.  Hopefully you do understand that
only the two major parties have primaries in Michigan, and thus
it is rather misleading to have written (or for Todd Mundt to
have said) that "the forum was only for candidates who were
officially registered with the Secretary of State for the Aug 6
primary." To anyone not intimately familiar with election law, it
makes it sound like Doug was not officially registered with the
Sec of State as required by law, which he certainly is. 

Furthermore, as I stated in an email to the League of
Conservation Voters (Lisa Wozniak on 5/16/02), which doesn't seem
to have been included in others' posts/letters of outrage: 

The idea that it doesn't make sense to include Green candidates
in debates before the primary simply does not hold water,
because: 

a) The Green Party has NOT yet chosen a candidate for Governor.
The decision of which candidate (or no candidate) on the November
ballot happens on August 3 & 4 at our convention.  Michigan
citizens need to hear about their options BEFORE that time, just
like they need to hear about their major party choices. 

b) Just as Michigan primaries (at least the Rupublican) are open
to any voter of any party who wishes to participate by expressing
their interest in that party, so is the Green Party convention.
ANY Michigan citizen/voter interested in the Green Party can
choose to join the Green Party (without giving up membership in
Dems/Reps) and vote at our convention, if they do it soon enough
(and either come to the prior state meeting or get an OK from our
state meeting manager to have voting rights at the convention
despite not being at a prior meeting). 

Thus, Michigan voters need to hear from whatever potential
nominee(s) we have so they can decide whether to participate in
our selection/nomination process that determines what, if any,
candidate ends up on the November ballot.  Just like the major
parties. 

Craig Harvey 
14 Payeur Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-971-8576