How I Found Out About The Green Party
I have officially joined the Green Party. “How did this come about?” you ask. Well, the short of it is that I took a thorough survey during the 2012 presidential electoral cycle which was titled “I side with…?“. I knew who I was going to vote for – Obama, but I was curious as to what the survey would come up with – looking to validate/invalidate my current political label or to illuminate where I really stand even if I think I stand else where. The result for me from the I side with …? survey was a bit surprising – 98% Democrat, 92% Green Party, and 5% Republican. Agreeing with Democrats and not agreeing at all with the Republicans I understood, but I had no idea who Jill Stein or the Green Party were. I was kinda stunned. Who the hell are these people and how do I agree with them so much? This started my search into the Green Party – the Green New Deal and other Green Party related sites. Recently I quickly took the survey again and I am at 95% Green and 91% Democrat and still @ 5% Republican. =)
Joining the Green Party
A little over a month ago (29 June 2013) I attended the Wisconsin State Green Party‘s Annual Meeting @ UW Oshkosh officially joining their ranks and become an Alternate Delegate for the state of Wisconsin to the National Party, as well as joining the National Green Party Platform Committee. About 2 weeks ago (25 – 28 July 2013) I attended the 4 day Green Party Annual National Meeting (ANM) in Iowa City, Iowa, and after a day and a half of training and talks on how to run for office, and like 2.5 days of committee meetings, I also have jumped on their IT and Outreach Committees, as well as assisting their Campaign Coordination Committee.
What Appeals to Me About the Green Party
The Green New Deal really appeals to me because it provides real answers to the many issues that we are facing as a country and as a people if we are to have any hope of a future for our country and the world. I do not agree with everything in there, but all most all of it makes a lot of sense and really attacks the real problems that we face in which the Republicans and the Democrats are too spineless to tackle for fear of losing their corporate sponsorship, and their seats. They are more concerned with money and power than actually solving the problems the real problems. This saddens me greatly. Below I will highlight one of the areas that appeals to me about the Green Party and the Green New Deal, as well as add my thoughts to it:
Electoral Reform
One of the most powerful problems which truly prevents real change and real solutions to our problems is an electoral system that is rigged by the system to keep others out beside the two entrenched major parties. It is a herculean effort for a 3rd party to get on the ballot to be up for voting, especially for presidential elections. When the powers that be write the laws that keep them in power it is very, very difficult for anyone else to really participate in our “democracy”. I do not believe in any way that the Republicans and the Democrats truly represent the breadth of views that the entirety of the American people believe. Americans are not truly represented as long as there are truly only 2 parties able to run for office – the super conservative and the quite a bit less conservative. Voters are more concerned about “wasting their vote” than voting their conscience. I have been victim of that as well. I wanted to vote for Jill Stein in 2012, but did not. Below are four main reforms that need to happen to help correct this. These are not all that needs to be done, but this will go a long way towards fixing things:
- Government Paying for Elections: Elections are to be paid for by the federal/state government. This will limit the money wasted on such things, but more importantly it will get rid of corporate money from elections. This is the single most important change that can radically change the political and electoral landscape over night. Corporations will lose their power and will lose their primary method of bending the political process to their will and against the people.
- Proportional Representation: This will only really affect the senate and assembly and other seats where their is more than one person position available. In proportional representation seats are put up for vote in a block of seats. In this case let us say that their are 10 seats up for vote. Seats will be portioned out in proportion to how may votes they have received. If democrats receive 40%, Republicans receive 40%, Green Party receives 10%, and Libertarians receive 10% then they shall receive seats as follows: D – 4, R – 4, GP – 1, L – 1. This will allow for other parties to access the ballots and allow people to vote for who they really want and not fear “wasting” their vote.
- Shortened Electoral Window: The current electoral season is huge. Congress “works” for like 5 months out of the year and then they spend the rest of the time fund raising and campaigning. I am pretty sure this is not what we voted them in to do – campaign and fund raise. I think we voted them in to legislate and lead our country forward. The electoral window should be shortened to a month or so, so that time and money is not wasted on such things when people are going hungry, are without homes, and our education system is continually being cut.
Running For Office
Now, with all of that said I would like to run for office so I can be apart of bringing about that necessary change that the Republicans and Democrats do not have the resolve and caring to make it happen. I am looking at running for local offices first to get my feet wet and then hopefully run for state office. Since I work for a county government I cannot run for County Supervisor and then only spot that is interesting to me and available for this next electoral cycle is School Board, so, hopefully, things will work out so that I will have that opportunity. If I do I will definitely post that event here too.
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There is so much to than this in the Green New Deal. Please take the time to look at it and consider what it offers. We offer a real way forward to solve our countries problems.
