Ecological Wisdom * Social Justice * Grassroots Democracy * Non-Violence
>> Green Party of Michigan <<
http://www.migreens.org
>>> ---------------- <<<
>>> News Release <<<
>>> ---------------- <<<
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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August 30, 2004
>> Jim Wilber Endorsed by Kalamazoo Non-violent Opponents to War <<
>> ============================================================= <<
> County Clerk Candidate Vows to Work for Peace and Justice <
Kalamazoo Non-violent Opponents to War (KNOW) has voted unanimously
to endorse Green Party candidate Jim Wilber for the office of
Kalamazoo County Clerk.
The vote was held at KNOW's bi-monthly planning meeting earlier this
month.
According to Tom and Nancy Small, KNOW's founders, "Jim Wilber, as
Green Party candidate for Kalamazoo County Clerk, shares many values
with Kalamazoo Non-violent Opponents of War: commitments to non-
violence, to economic justice and equal rights for all people, and
to care for the environment.
"His concern for the protection of voting rights, for voter education,
and for insuring that every vote will be counted is vital to the
future of democratic governance. In these times, his strong oppo-
sition to the politics of fear and apathy and his long experience
in helping relatively powerless people to gain greater power over
their own lives make him the ideal choice to fill the office of
County Clerk, where most people have their first and perhaps their
only direct contacts with local government."
On Saturday, Wilber addressed the assembled members of KNOW as they
gathered at a send-off for their delegation to New York City, to
protest at the Republican National Convention.
At the rally, Jim Wilber said, "I am especially grateful to the
members of KNOW for their support. I sought KNOW's endorsement
because I share their commitment to non-violent solutions for
all conflicts. I also share in the belief that peace comes through
justice.
"Through my commitment to Accessibility, Voter Education/Protection,
and Marriage Rights, I hope to help create a more just society --
and bring us closer to being a community, and a nation, that follows
a path of peace."
And Wilber demonstrated those commitments last week -- speaking at
Kalamazoo's first-ever "Rock the Vote" concert at Arcadia Creek
Festival Place, and talking with many students one on one at Bronco
Bash about voting rights.
[--------------------------------------------]
Kalamazoo Non-violent Opponents to War (KNOW) is a coalition of
people and groups committed to non-violent solutions to human
problems, especially to the threats posed by international
confrontation and by religious, ethnic, and class conflicts.
Formed in summer 2002, KNOW arose in the wake of threats from the
United States to begin pre-emptive military action against Iraq.
KNOW conveners gathered together individuals and existing peace
groups to develop plans for action in support of peace and justice
locally, nationally, and internationally.
KNOW continues to "Stand for Peace" each Sunday from noon to 1pm
and each Tuesday 4:30-5:30pm at the Federal Building (Park and
Michigan in downtown Kalamazoo). The group's Web address is:
http://www.kzoo4peace.org
[--------------------------------------------]
For more information about the Wilber campaign, please contact:
Elect Jim Wilber
5498 Toms Place
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
269-998-1598
www.electjimwilber.org
kzoogreen@a...
The Green Party of Kalamazoo holds meetings open to the public the
first Thursday of every month, starting at 7pm. Meetings are held
at the Fourth Coast Cafe, 816 S. Westnedge in downtown Kalamazoo.
The next scheduled meeting is this Thursday, September 2.
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. Greens are 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
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SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
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* "Five-Point Approach for Michigan Water Policy and Law" (MCWC)
* Resolution of Support (Verified Voting)
Five-Point Approach for Michigan Water Policy and Law:
A Proposal of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation 1/23/2004
(from http://www.savemiwater.org/news/press-release-01262004.htm)
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1. Adopt a Michigan Water Protection and Conservation Act that declares
and asserts the State's common law sovereign interest in the water
as a public resource and declares it held in trust on behalf of
its people and the State's future security.
2. Adopt a Prohibition Against Water Diversions for Sale Act to
prohibit the diversion for sale of water (or, alternatively,
outside of some other defined hydrogeological unit or, in
addition, the Great Lakes basin) consistent with the Michigan
Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 52, the common law of sovereign
interests over water, and existing statutes. (The State may
decide to allow for narrow exceptions to the extent expressly
authorized by the Legislature and/or through an authorized
delegation to the appropriate administrative agency(s), such
as the Department of Natural Resources and/or Department of
Environmental Quality, but it must be done with utmost caution.)
3. Adopt a Water Resources Protection, Conservation and Withdrawal
Act that is consistent with the State's public interest in the
water, the public trust in navigable lakes and streams and their
tributary waters, and the common law regarding private rights
to use water under the riparian-groundwater law.
4. Adopt a Water Resources Planning Act to establish a framework
for the preparation of a State Water Resources Plan that
accounts for the water, its use, its scarcity or abundance,
its non-renewability if removed or diverted, its future need,
conservation and feasible and prudent alternatives, its en-
hancement, within the State and Great Lakes basin as it relates
to people, their health and safety, industry, recreation, and
the sustainability of the environment and economy, and that
accounts for its value, qualitative, quantitative, and economic.
5. Adopt a Water Resources Protection and Conflict Resolution Act
that provides for the resolution of conflicts between ground-
water users or groundwater users and the environment, health,
safety and general welfare, taking into account the standards
in Part 3, above. The resolution process would establish an
Office of Water Conflict Resolution, which would process water
conflict complaints and assign them to accredited mediators or
alternative dispute resolution persons.
==================================================================
Verified Voting -- Resolution of Support
(from http://www.verifiedvoting.org/resolution.asp)
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Computerized voting equipment is inherently subject to programming
error, equipment malfunction, and malicious tampering. It is there-
fore crucial that voting equipment provide a voter-verifiable audit
trail, by which we mean a permanent record of each vote that can be
checked for accuracy by the voter before the vote is submitted, and
is difficult or impossible to alter after it has been checked.
Many of the electronic voting machines being purchased do not sat-
isfy this requirement. Voting machines should not be purchased or
used unless they provide a voter-verifiable audit trail; when such
machines are already in use, they should be replaced or modified
to provide a voter-verifiable audit trail. Providing a voter-
verifiable audit trail should be one of the essential requirements
for certification of new voting systems.
Other Contacts:
Green Party of Michigan
548 S Main St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-663-3555
info@migreens.org
posted to web 23 Aug 2004