Green Partyof New York Calls to Cut Funding for Afghanistan War

Green Party of New York State
www.gpny.org

For Release: May 22, 2010

Green Party Calls to Cut Funding for Afghanistan War

Colia Clark and Cecile Lawrence, the two Green Party candidates for US Senate from New York, said today that they would vote against the pending $33.5 billion supplemental budget appropriation in Congress to cover the cost of the troop increase in Afghanistan.

This is in addition to the $159.3 billion in war spending which the Obama administration has requested for fiscal year 2011.

"The end to all foreign wars is urgent" stated Ms. Clark. "The billions of dollars spent in mass murder and devastation of the nations and the planet are desperately needed to rebuild NYS and America’s infrastructure, underwrite a mass transit system, upgrade public schools, cover costs of single payer health care, underwrite failing hospitals and clinics and provide housing for all Americas citizens."

"We need to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan now and return the troops home in early 2011," added Dr. Lawrence. "The U.S. must cease its drive for empire and domination of the planet including the embeddedness of its military forces with corporations whose drive for access to the resources of other countries lead to the destruction of their environmental and socio-economic health."

The Green Party has pointed out that US funding for terrorism in Afghanistan, which began under President Carter in order to drag the Soviet Union into an intractable war on their border, led to the breakdown of government control which has allowed foreign terrorists to establish training camps in that country.


"The British and Soviet empires failed in their efforts to conquer Afghanistan, just as the United States is presently failing. "If we leave them alone, they will leave us alone. They don't hate our freedom. They hate our drones, bombs, bullets, home raids, jailings, and torture. We should remove our troops and instead invest in helping to build up the local economy and infrastructure," said Howie Hawkins, the Green Party nominee for Governor. "Cutting our wasteful military budget would enable Congress to provide fiscal relief to resolve our state budget deficit, while providing the funding needed for a massive green public works job program.," he added.

The results of the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan have so far been widespread civilian casualties from air attacks, massive physical destruction, the fracturing of the country under different ethnic and religious leaders, and the reemergence of the Taliban. Greens have repeatedly opposed the troop escalation pushed by President Obama, saying that it would very likely lead to greater anti-American sentiment and less chance for security and a better life for the Afghan people. Green Party leaders said that regional problems were more likely to be resolved through diplomacy and international cooperation, and that the 9/11 attacks required international investigation and prosecution, given numerous unanswered questions about the attacks.

Earlier this week, Dr. Lawrence joined with forty-six congressional candidates and 17 activist organizations to oppose any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Americans over $1 trillion in direct costs, and over $3 trillion altogether. At a time when our national debt exceeds $13 trillion, we can no longer afford these wars. It's time for Congress to reject any funding except to bring all our troops safely home."

Gloria Mattera - Green Party of NYS Nominee for Lt. Governor

Green Party of New York State

The Dalai Lama, speaking in New York, says he'd join the Green Party if the US had one; US Greens are ready to welcome him

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
For Immediate Release:
Friday, May 21, 2010

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org

Confidential to the Dalai Lama: Yes, Your Holiness, the US has a Green Party

• The Dalai Lama, speaking in New York, says he'd join the Green Party if the US had one; US Greens are ready to welcome him

• The Green Party's 2010 Annual National Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, June 24-27 http://greenpartymeeting2010.wordpress.com
Media credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/media
More information: 1-866-41-GREEN, office@gp.org

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders responded today to the Dalai Lama's statement on Thursday that the US has no Green Party, but he would join if one were started.

"We'd be thrilled to welcome the Dalai Lama as an honorary member of the Green Party," said Farheen Hakeem, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.

Speaking in Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Thursday, May 20, the Dalai Lama said, "America still, no Green Party. But, actually you should start one. Then, I may join."Photo: http://www.dalailama.com/

"We're honored that the Dalai Lama said he'd be willing to join us. In the context of his speech at Radio City, he clearly recognized that the Green Party is the party of nonviolence, ecology, human rights and freedoms, and basic values of social justice and economic fairness. These values include democracy and self-determination for people around the world, including Tibetans," said Mike Feinstein, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.

"The Dalai Lama apparently doesn't know that we have a growing Green Party here in the United States. And perhaps for some good reasons, such as the media's tendency to limit political coverage to the narrow choice between Democrat and Republican. Or because of the prohibitive and antidemocratic ballot access rules enacted in many states to hinder third parties and third party candidates," Mr. Feinstein added.

The Dalai Lama delivered his speech in New York, where Green candidate Howie Hawkins was nominated for Governor by the Green Party of New York State on May 15, along with a slate of other candidates for statewide office (http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=316).

"The Dalai Lama is a shining example of nonviolence, compassion, and recognition of the need of humanity to evolve and change towards a new direction as we all potentially face the abyss. He, as representative of his people, forgives attack and truly turns the other cheek. He has encouraged cooperation and collaboration on many fronts, including between the medicines of the East and West. He is the type of person we need more of right now," said Cecile Lawrence, New York Green nominee for the US Senate. Dr. Lawrence witnessed the Dalai Lama speak at Constitutional Hall in Washington, DC, at an international conference on Tibetan medicine.

The Dalai Lama's comments were made in a month of Green Party advancements around the world (http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=315).

In the UK, Caroline Lucas became the first Green Party member ever elected to Parliament, representing Brighton Pavilion. And in Colombia, Green presidential candidate Antanas Mockus holds a strong lead in polls and may become the first Green Party head of a national government. The Colombian election will take place on May 30.

The Green Party of the United States will hold its 2010 Annual National Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, from June 24 to June 27. The meeting will highlight Green candidates running for public office in 2010, including 48 candidates for Congress and 11 for Governor of their respective states.

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
• Green candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections
• Green Party Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus

Speech by Tsewang Phuntso (Tibet), the Dalai Lama’s Liaison Officer for Latin America, at the 2008 Global Greens Congress, São Paulo, Brazil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9O7HXz2q40

The Green Party's 2010 Annual National Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, June 24-27 http://greenpartymeeting2010.wordpress.com
Media credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/media
More information: 1-866-41-GREEN, office@gp.org

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States
Winter 2010 issue now online
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog

Howie Hawkins VS Andrew Cuomo

Howie Hawkins Green Party NY Governor vs Cuomo from Craig Seeman on Vimeo.

Howie Hawkins Receives Green Nomination for NY Governor, Calls for Progressive Tax Reform and Full Employment in a Green Economy.

Howie Hawkins for Governor
Green Party
www.howiehawkins.org

Howie Hawkins Receives Green Nomination for NY Governor
Calls for Progressive Tax Reform and Full Employment in a Green Economy

Gloria Mattera wins Lt. Governor nod; Clark and Lawrence Nominated for US Senate; Willibrand for State Comptroller


Albany NY—Howie Hawkins thanked the Green Party today for nominating him to be Governor of New York State at the Green Party Convention at the Women's Club in Albany.

"The people of New York need someone in Albany who will stand up for Main Street and Martin Luther King Blvd., rather than someone bought and controlled by Wall Street. A million New Yorkers need a living wage jobs now. My campaign will show how we can fast track their creation," said Hawkins, a member of the Teamsters Local 317 who unloads trailers at UPS in Syracuse.

Hawkins said that he would transform unemployment offices into employment offices, where out-of-work New Yorkers could get a living wage job in public works or services when they can't find work in the private sector.

Hawkins also congratulated the other candidates who were nominated for statewide office for the Green Party. Gloria Mattera, long-time peace activist from Brooklyn, was nominated for Lt. Governor. Mattera, who has run for Brooklyn Borough President and City Council, is a health care worker active in the single payer Medicare for All movement.

Colia Clark, a long time social justice activist from Harlem who is presently working on self-determination for the Haitian people, was nominated to run for the US Senate for the seat presently held by Schumer. Cecile Lawrence, a resident of Apalachin in Tioga County who is a leader in the movement against hydrofracking for natural gas due to concerns over water and other environmental issues, will run for the Senate seat to fill out the term of Hillary Clinton (Gillibrand was appointed). Julia Willibrand, a long time environmental leader from Manhattan, was nominated to run for State Comptroller, a position she received 117,908 votes for 4 years ago. The Green Party needs 50,000 votes for Governor to regain its status as an official ballot access qualified party.

Hawkins noted that the recession has "devastated the working poor, who face unemployment rates above 30 percent - even worse than in the Great Depression. It is even worse in our inner city communities of color where unemployment rates are above 50 percent in many census tracts."

Promising to "tax Wall Street in order to invest in Main Street,” Hawkins said, “The state fiscal crisis is contrived by the politicians of both parties to benefit their Wall Street backers. They had the money and gave it back to Wall Street. The $16 billion in stock transfer tax revenues last year would have wiped out the $9 billion deficit and left $7 billion for public schools and colleges and investing in a sustainable green economy to create new good jobs.”

Hawkins also called for restoring the kind of progressive income tax rates New York had in the 1970s and for more sharing of state revenues with local governments. He said ending the annual legislated exemption from the State Finance Law that requires the sharing of 8 percent of state revenues with local governments would increase state aid to local governments by 400 percent.

Calling “public enterprise in key areas a necessity to get the economy moving again,” Hawkins said he would campaign for single-payer health care for all, public power utilities, and a state bank to target new productive investments into a sustainable green economy based on renewable energy, mass transit, sustainable agriculture, and green industries. The state bank would also refinance mortgages on affordable terms for the tens of thousands of New York homes facing foreclosure.

Hawkins wants to ban hydrofracking for natural gas and shut down New York's aging nuclear power plants as fast as replacement power in renewable energy comes on line.

Hawkins has previously been the Green Party candidate for US Senate and State Comptroller. He has run for Congress and local offices in Syracuse, receiving 41 percent of the vote in his last race for city council in 2009. The Green Party is committed to ecology, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and social and economic justice. The Green Party has 22,939 enrolled voters in NYS.