Howie Hawkins, the Green Party of NY’ s candidate for Governor of NY State, speaking at the Albany press conference at the filing of more than 27,000 signatures to get on the ballot for November’s election. Hawkins’ challenges Andrew Cuomo on NYS’s Stock Transfer Tax of which NYS collects in excess of $16 billion annually, [Video] Continue Reading »

Howie Hawkins, the  Green Party candidate for Governor of NY State, has a new internet ”Green Hornet” video  commercial featuring his endorsement by Ralph Nader. [Video] Continue Reading »

Disgruntled California voters have blown up their election system by approving Proposition 14, which tosses out the current political party-based primary system in all but presidential races.

With 48 percent of precincts statewide reported, the measure was ahead with 57 percent of voters in favor of it and 43 percent against.

Although results were not official, California’s main and minor political parties were already talking about a strategy to file a lawsuit against Proposition 14, Cres Velluci, Green Party state press secretary, said late Tuesday night.

Backed strongly by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Proposition 14 calls for a new “open” primary, in which all candidates for an office – except those in presidential primaries – appear on a ballot given to voters regardless of party registration.

Under the system — which Washington state has already adopted — the top-two vote getters who emerge from a primary square off in a general election, even if they are from the same political party.

Top Seven Reasons to vote NO on Proposition 14

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[From: Businessweek ]

By Thomas Penny

May 7 (Bloomberg) — The Green Party won its first seat in the House of Commons as leader Caroline Lucas took Brighton Pavilion on England’s south coast from Gordon Brown’s Labour Party.

Lucas, a member of the European Parliament since 1999, won 31.3 percent of the vote, compared with 28.9 percent for Labour’s Nancy Platts and 23.7 percent for Charlotte Vere of the Conservatives. The Green Party, which came third at the 2005 election, overturned a 12-point Labour majority.

“Thank you so much for putting the politics of hope above the politics of fear,” Lucas said after the results were announced.

Britain’s first-past-the-post electoral prevented the Green Party from gaining any seats in previous domestic elections. The party won 1.1 percent of the national vote in 2005 and 8.7 percent in June’s European elections, which use proportional representation.

The party, which was founded as “People” in 1973 and became the Green Party in 1985 to link it to similar movements in Europe, advocated increased taxes for the rich, tighter financial regulation and protection of public services in its manifesto, which described it as “the party of hope and radical change.”

[From East Anglian Daily Times]

THE youngest member of Babergh district council has resigned from the Conservatives and joined the Green Party, criticising Tory attitudes to global environmental issues and inaction on local issues.

Dean Walton, who also serves on Sudbury town and Great Cornard parish councils, was elected in 2007 to represent Sudbury East ward. At Babergh, Cllr Walton is currently a member of the Scrutiny Committee, will continue to represent his constituents as an independent, and has applied to join the Independent group on the Council, which has no party in overall control.

He has led the fight against a mobile telephone phone mast beside Great Cornard middle school and opposed short stay car park ticket machines in the district.

He said today: “I have long been attracted by Green Party policies on issues such as climate change, energy efficiency, animal welfare, social equality and our natural environment.

“I have learnt a lot over the last three years and feel it’s time to move to a party that truly represents the way I feel and has a greater willingness to listen to and work with all other councillors.”