Greater New Haven Green Party Plans for 2017

by Patricia Kane, Organizer

The Green Party of New Haven, energized by new members as a result of this year’s Presidential election, is expanding the Chapter and gearing up to recruit people searching for a new party with a progressive agenda.

The expanded party, which will partner with neighboring towns, will reach out to potential members to develop a list of local priorities, plus identify and support GP candidates for local office.

The only requirement for membership in the Green Party is acceptance of the 10 Key Values that can be found online at http://www.gp.org/ten_key_values_2016.

  1. Grassroots Democracy.
  2. Social Justice And Equal Opportunity
  3. Ecological Wisdom
  4. Non-violence
  5. Decentralization
  6. Community-Based Economics
  7. Feminism And Gender Equity
  8. Respect For Diversity
  9. Personal & Global Responsibility
  10. Future Focus And Sustainability

On the national scene, Dr. Jill Stein has twice campaigned for President, despite being excluded from the national debates and despite the dismissal of her and Bernie Sander’s campaigns as insignificant. Many Greens became Democrats to work and vote for Bernie, but returned to the GP once his candidacy ended. Now many disaffected Democrats and Independents are turning to the GP because of their disillusionment with a rigged political system.

In the past, GP members Allan Brison, Joyce Chen & John Halley were elected to the New Haven Board of Alders. GP member Ralph Ferrucci earned 20 percent of the mayoral votes the year he ran under the Guilty Party banner. CT resident and long-time Green Ralph Nader continues to be an advocate on the local and national levels.

The opening event will be on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. with the screening of Michael Moore’s film “Where to Invade Next,” a lighthearted search for new ideas abroad worth bringing back to the U.S.–followed by refreshments and discussion. Email [email protected] or go online at http://www.facebook.com/NewHavenGreenParty/?fref=ts for more information. Reservations are requested to insure seating is available.

Green Party Files Petitions, Stein on Ballot in Connecticut

by David Bedell, CT Green Party Secretary

The culmination of three months’ diligent effort, the Green Party of Connecticut has amassed 15,000 signatures of voters in order to secure Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein’s place on the Connecticut ballot.

The final batch of signatures was collected on 1,212 petition sheets, originally distributed throughout the state by over 400 party volunteers, independent activists and paid petitioners, and delivered Wednesday, August 10, to the Secretary of the State.

Current state law requires petitioners to gather 7,500 valid voter signatures in support of a third-party candidate in order to appear on the state’s presidential ballot line in November. According to GPCT co-chair Mike DeRosa, the additional names provide a safety margin against signatures disqualified by the Secretary of the State, Denise Merrill.

In a tempestuous presidential election year where the reaction of a growing number of voters to both major party candidates ranges from disappointment and fear to outrage, the necessity for real choices in the race for the Oval Office is more crucial than ever.

According to DeRosa, “We now have to wait about two weeks until we know if Stein has made it.”
Besides the presidential race, Eric Rowe of New Haven submitted a petition to run for State Senator, District 11. He is one of at least 15 GPCT candidates seeking election to federal, state, and local office in 2016. The Green Party is also recruiting candidates for appointment as local Justices of the Peace.

For more information: http://www.ctgreenparty.org, [email protected], (203) 581-3193.

About the Green Party of Connecticut and Jill Stein: A unity of local Green Party chapters, the GPCT is committed to grassroots democracy, social justice, non-violence and ecological wisdom. These are the Four Pillars of all Green parties worldwide and are the first four principles of the Ten Key Values of the Green Party (including decentralization, community-based economics, feminism and gender equity, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility, future focus and sustainability). We do not accept contributions from corporate PACs.

As the New Haven Register reports:

Stein will be listed on the November ballot along with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Also attempting to get on the Connecticut presidential ballot is Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

Green Party Fund Raising to Get on 2016 Ballot

by Barbara Barry, Secretary, Green Party of Connecticut

The next State Central Committee (SCC) meeting of the CT Green Party is Wednesday, Feb. 3. Social time is from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The SCC meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Portland Waverly Center, 7 Waverly Avenue, Portland, Conn.

Jill Stein of Massachusetts has agreed to come to the GPCT event to raise funds for whomever is selected to be the GPUS presidential candidate at the 2016 GPUS Nominating Convention (likely to be in June or July). The purpose of the GPCT fundraiser is to acquire sufficient funds to successfully petition, i.e. acquire the CT ballot line for a GPUS presidential candidate.

Another fundraiser will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Portland Waverly Center. Potluck food and beverages. Bring items for fundraising: books, etc.

William “Bill” Kreml of South Carolina is willing to be a speaker at a GPCT March 2016 fundraiser. He is one of five vetted persons seeking the nomination to be the 2016 GPUS presidential candidate. The other persons are Darryl Cherney, Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry, Kent Mesplay and Jill Stein. A specific date, time and place of this fundraiser are yet to be determined. All GPCT members are invited to the above events…and bring a friend!