Ecological Wisdom * Social Justice * Grassroots Democracy * Non-Violence
>> Green Party of Michigan <<
>>> ---------------- <<<
>>> News Release <<<
>>> ---------------- <<<
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
---------------------
May 18, 2003
For More Information Contact:
----------------------------
Marc Reichardt -- Party Chair/Treasurer, GPMI
phone: 734-668-9628
e-mail: press@migreens.org
Richard Wunsch -- Candidate, 65th District
(special State House election Tuesday, May 20)
phone: 734-769-4956 or 517-437-2228
e-mail: woodenspoon@provide.net
>>> GPMI Backs Running Presidential Ticket in 2004 <<<
>>> ============================================== <<<
> Greens Campaign Across 65th District for Richard Wunsch, <
> State House Candidate in Special Election Tuesday <
> <
> Party Supports Veterans, Environment; Opposes Exemption <
> for Military Bases from Clean-Up of Toxic Substances <
> <
> Elects Officers Using IRV, Other Reform Voting Methods <
The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) expressed unanimous support for
running Green candidates for President and Vice President in 2004 at its
quarterly membership meeting yesterday at the BLUEStage Club in Napoleon.
The meeting was hosted by the campaign of Richard Wunsch, who is
running in the special election Tuesday to fill the 65th State House
seat vacated by the death of Rep. Jerry Kratz. Before and after the
meeting, Greens handed out literature for Wunsch at shopping malls
and went door-to-door across the 65th District, which includes parts
of Jackson, Eaton, and Lenawee Counties.
GPMI members also gave unanimous consent to a proposal brought by
Candice Collins of Lapeer County, calling on that district's member of
Congress -- US Rep. Candice Miller -- to oppose the Bush administration's
"Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative". As was reported in the
Flint _Journal_ April 28, the proposal would "exempt military bases from
laws requiring cleanup of toxic substances" -- such as perchlorate, used
in missile fuel and recently found in California lettuce.
Greens agreed to have Collins draft a final statement to be presented
to Miller when she comes to Lapeer to see the traveling version of the
Vietnam Memorial wall. Vietnam veteran Art Myatt, a Green candidate for
the 27th District State House seat last year, volunteered to join the
Lapeer Greens in presenting the statement.
Sylvia Inwood of the Detroit Green Party was selected from among three
candidates to be the state's new representative on the national party's
Presidential Exploratory Committee -- in a one-step election method called
instant-runoff voting (IRV). Voters using IRV can state their preferences
in order, so if their first choice loses, their votes stay in force and go
automatically to their second choice. As its name implies, instant-runoff
voting avoids the time and effort of a second election -- but still
guarantees that the winner has a majority of the votes counted at the end.
Greens used another method to elect four representatives to the
national co-ordinating committee from among six candidates. The winners
in the Borda-count voting (which works like a sports poll -- the top
choice got six votes, the second choice five, and so on as far down as
each voter marked the ballot) were Patricia L. Smith, Marc Reichardt,
David Spitzley, and Carolyn Dulai.
Election reform continues to be one of the party's top issues.
Greens are working with other supporters of reform to encourage the
cities of Ann Arbor and Ferndale to adopt IRV for their municipal
elections. Party members are also writing letters to editors and
to the members of the state commission preparing Michigan's plan
for implementing the Federal "Help Americans Vote Act" (HAVA), urging
the adoption of equipment and software standards to make sure IRV and
other election reforms can be implemented quickly -- and cheaply, or
even at no cost.
In another coalition related to election reform, the Huron Valley
Greens local will be hosting the sixth annual national summit of the
Independent Progressive Politics Network (IPPN) July 11-13 at the
University of Michigan. The title of the event is "Building Unity
During Urgent Times", and it will feature speakers from many parties
and parts of the country.
In other business, Michigan Greens:
* Heard an update on the lawsuit filed by Michigan Citizens for
Water Conservation (MCWC) against Nestle Waters of North
America and its Ice Mountain water-extraction and bottling plant
in Mecosta County. GPMI has repeatedly backed MCWC against
the corporation, and continues to urge Governor Granholm to
say as governor what she offered as an official opinion when
she was attorney general: that the plant is a diversion of
Great Lakes water, subject to the Great Lakes Compact, and
thus could be stopped by the objection of any Great Lakes
state or provincial governor -- including Granholm herself.
* Discussed the deep involvement of the party and its members in
the peace movement in Michigan and nationwide, setting Greens
apart from other parties by their strong organizational stand
against the invasion of Iraq.
* Organized platform and fundraising efforts aimed at the 2004
elections. Particular emphasis was given to incorporating
strong social-justice positions on economic issues into next
year's state platform; co-ordinating campaign materials and
presentations; and recruiting and training more good Green
candidates to run solid campaigns in 2004.
# # #
Green Party of Michigan * 548 S. Main Street *
* Ann Arbor, MI 48104 * 734-663-3555
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The Green Party of Michigan was formed in 1987 to address environmental
issues in Michigan politics. There are Greens organized in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia. Each state Green Party sets its own goals
and creates its own structure, but US Greens agree on Ten Key Values:
Ecological Wisdom * Grassroots Democracy
Social Justice * Nonviolence
Community Economics * Decentralization
Feminism * Respect for Diversity
Personal and Global * Future Focus/
Responsibility Sustainability
created/distributed using donated labor
Other Contacts:
Green Party of Michigan
548 S Main St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-663-3555
info@migreens.org
posted to web 20 May 2003