Green Party: Katko Wrong on Keystone, Urge Climate Action and Divestment from Fossil Fuels

SYRACUSE, NY – The Green Party of New York expressed disappointment with Rep. John Katko’s vote in support of the Keystone XL pipeline.

“Rep. Katko vote in support of the Keystone XL pipeline shows that he is blind to the climate crisis. It’s disgraceful that our representative in Congress would support further development of infrastructure to exploit the Canadian Tar Sands, the most intensive and dirty extractive projects on the planet.  This pipeline will further lock the world into massive carbon emissions, with inevitable spills like the one we saw last month which dumped thousand 30,000 gallons of tar sands oil into the Yellowstone River,” said Ursula Rozum, Green Party of Onondaga Secretary and a former Green candidate for Congress.

“The Keystone XL pipeline is the opposite of progress. Climate scientists tell us that to avoid catastrophic climate change, we have to ensure that 80% of the existing fossil fuel reserves remain in the ground.  We must to halt all new investments in fossil fuels infrastructure, and commit to a swift transition to renewable energy, ASAP. We should commit to 100% clean energy by 2030,” added Rozum.

The Keystone XL would carry 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada to the GulfCoast. Oil from tar sands, or bitumen, is the dirtiest kind of crude of oil. Refining tar sands oil requires four times the energy and produces 5 to 20 percent more greenhouse gases compared to light crude oil. Northern Alberta is home to indigenous populations whose cultural traditions and livelihood are coming under attack because of the tar-sands operations.

The Keystone XL pipeline would cross farms, parks, wetlands, forests, conservation lands, protected wildlife areas, as well as tribal lands. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Lakota Oyate) has called the U.S. House’s authorization of the Keystone XL pipeline an act of war (http://boldnebraska.org/rosebud-sioux-tribe-house-vote-in-favor-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-an-act-of-war/). It has the potential to contaminate over 1,000 water­ways in­cluding the Ogalala aquifer, which supplies drinking water to millions of people in the midwest and is used for irrigation of vast acres of farmland.

Recent spills are irrefutable proof that pipeline safety cannot be guaranteed. Recent examples include the July 2011 and January 2015 pipeline ruptures that dumped tens of thousands of gallons of Canadian crude oil into the Yellowstone River and the March 2013 ExxonMobil spill in Mayflower, Arkansas. The derailment of tank cars carrying crude oil in July 2013 caused an explosion that killed 47 people in Lac Megantic, Quebec.

The Green Parties of Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey have banded together against a proposed fossil-fuel pipeline through the region, calling themselves the Green Alliance to Stop the Pipelines, or GASP (https://www.facebook.com/StopThePipelines).

GASP opposes a plan by the six New England governors to spend $6 billion on the Kinder Morgan gas transmission pipeline, which would bring fracked natural gas to export terminals in Maine and Canada.

The Green Party is part of the February 13^th Global Fossil Fuel Divestment Day which in New York State is pressuring Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to divest New York’s pension fund from fossil fuel investments.

Contact Ursula Rozum, Green Party of Onondaga, Secretary, (315) 414-7720, ursula.rozum@gmail.com

An Update on Negotiations from THE General Body

On Wednesday night, 80 members of THE General Body coalition student group conducted preliminary negotiations with Chancellor Kent Syverud and Dean Bea González in Crouse-­Hinds lobby. Following the meeting, Syverud, his executive team, and González met to respond to THE General Body’s 46­-page document of grievances and demands, opening up possibilities for next steps.

However, in an e­-mail to the entire University community on Thursday evening, Dean González expressed disappointment that negotiations did not move forward in time for today’s Board of Trustees meeting, and stated that next steps are contingent on THE General Body ending the sit-­in and vacating Crouse-­Hinds Hall.

We share Dean González’s disappointment in this impasse. Although Wednesday’s meeting offered a promising and positive start in negotiations, very few of the grievances and demands were covered in the 90-­minute meeting. THE General Body is disappointed that the University expects students to acquiesce to proposals that have no guarantees or timelines.

We remain committed to improving this University and will continue to show our dedication with our sit-­in at Crouse-­Hinds Hall. Backed by extensive faculty and community support, the sit-­in has facilitated teach-­ins and dialogue about pressing issues affecting all of us. The significance of the physical space of the sit-­in cannot be minimized. This is evident in national coverage from Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Nation, Democracy Now, and local Syracuse news sources including Syracuse.com, TWC News, and the Daily Orange.

Neither González’s e-­mail nor the administration’s responses to our demands and grievances adequately address the full scope of the concerns of THE General Body, and fail to adequately respond to urgent student needs. For example, in response to our demand for emergency medical transport for students with mental health disorders, the administration simply restated their existing policy language, ignoring the fact that students are currently suffering from a lack of services despite the existing policies.

In her e-­mail to the student body, Dean Gonzales writes, “In making these many commitments, University leadership asked for only one thing from the student group in return—that they commit to depart Crouse-­Hinds Hall by tomorrow and return the building to normal operating status moving forward.” But in reality University leadership is asking much more of students. As senior Political Science/Public Policy major Ella Mendonsa remarked, “By not giving us a definitive plan of action to our demands, University leadership is asking us to give up our rights to adequate mental health services, to sexual assault advocacy services, to give up our rights to accessibility on campus for students with disabilities. These are services we shouldn’t have to fight for on this campus.”

We call on the upper ­level administration to honor their good faith and respect the negotiation process established during Wednesday’s meeting. We call on the student body, faculty, staff and community members to hold these administrators accountable.

As we stated explicitly in Wednesday’s meeting we want to reiterate that the sit­in will not end without written confirmation that the Chancellor and Dean are willing to commit to a clear timetable for moving forward with each item in our demands document.

Visit TheGeneralBody.org for more information about the sit-­in.

For More Information Contact Yanira Rodríguez,315 744 0329; yrodrigu@syr.edu; or Colton Jones,215­688­3237, cajonesj@syr.edu

Constitutional Rights Under Attack in Georgia Police Deny Street Permit for Annual Vigil at Ft. Benning

Editor’s Note: Central New York has a long relationship with supporting the School of the America’s Annual Vigil through a local chapter of the School of the America’s Watch known as “The Central New York SOA Abolitionists”.#SOAWatch

Columbus, Georgia – The Columbus Police Department, continuing its history of antagonizing the movement to close the US military training camp known as the SOA/WHINSEC (School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), has this year placed unjust, unsafe and unconstitutional restrictions on the annual SOA Watch Vigil, essentially attempting to shut down the peaceful protest at the main gates of Fort Benning.

In his letter to grassroots solidarity group SOA Watch, Police Chief Ricky Boren explained that the thousands expected at this year’s Vigil, the group’s 25th, would have to somehow limit themselves to no more than 200 and stay on sidewalks five feet back from the street. The permit for the stage and sound, which has for years lifted up the voices of those targeted by the infamous military training school, like Padre Melo from Honduras, who’s been threatened since speaking out against the SOA graduate-led coup in 2009, was also denied.

Nevertheless, SOA Watch pledges to return to Ft. Benning, hold the annual vigil, and continue its nonviolent tradition of protecting family-friendly, safe and legal protest. In response to police chief Boren, the human rights group writes, “we have responsibilities and freedoms under our constitution to peacefully assemble and to speak truth to power.”

“This year, more than any other, we are called to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Latin America, 25 years after SOA graduates committed the brutal massacre at the University of Central America,” said veteran and founder Father Roy Bourgeois. He continued, “When our military training continues to target communities, forcing the unaccompanied migration of thousands of refugee children, we must speak out. It is no surprise that when the stakes are this high, our movement is faced with political attacks on our constitutional rights.”

The Columbus Police Department has a history of active opposition to SOA Watch’s right to free speech, including harassment and intimidation by plainclothes officers, low-flying helicopters used to disrupt the solemn vigil, changing insurance requirements in a last-minute effort to target SOA Watch, and more. In 2001, the city tried to stop the protest in court; in 2002, police conducted mass warrantless searches of all participants, for which SOA Watch filed suit. In both cases, federal courts vindicated the movement’s constitutional right to free speech and assembly.

Thousands of human rights activists have gathered every November for the demonstration since the first anniversary of the 1989 SOA graduate-led massacre of 16-year-old Celina Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos and six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America in El Salvador. The November Vigil commemorates those who have been killed by SOA/WHINSEC graduates, and calls for the closure of the institute, which perpetuates coups, torture, extrajudicial killings, and human rights abuses in the face of social and political problems. The SOA/WHINSEC made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released SOA training manuals that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among its graduates are at least 11 dictators as well as leaders of infamous Central American death squads. Currently, SOA graduates are linked to the Honduran military coup and the repression campaign against social movements there, among other humanitarian crises.

Contact: Hendrik Voss, 202-425-5128, hvoss@soaw.org

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Sign the petition to Police Chief Boren urging him to reconsider his unjust denial of the right to peaceably assemble at the main gates of Fort Benning.

Another Hancock Anti-Drone Protester Convicted of a Misdemeanor

Jack Gilroy of Binghamton, NY was convicted after a two-day jury trial in DeWitt Town Court of charges stemming from his arrest during a nonviolent protest at Hancock Air National Guard Base on April 28, 2013. Jack was convicted of Trespass, a violation, and Obstructing Governmental Administration, a misdemeanor by a jury of five women and one man. He will be sentenced by Judge Robert Jokl on October 1st, a year and a half after his arrest. The sentence for the latter charge may be up to one year in jail and a fine of $1000. Jack’s Order of Protection was also reissued today as a 2 year Permanent Order protecting Commander Greg Semmel, the commanding officer at Hancock Base.

Jack testified that he joined the Army out of high school, and was stationed in Austria in the early 50s at a time when the Cold War was hot. He says that despite a climate of distrust and contempt towards Russians, when he actually had to look a young Russian soldier in the eye during a ceremonial event, he didn’t see the evil he’d been trained to expect. Since then, Jack has spent 30 years as a teacher. A member of Veterans for Peace and Peace Action New York, Jack is currently working with Peace Action at Binghamton University to convince the college to offer a Peace Studies Program.

Regarding the April 2013 protest, Jack testified that the boundaries of the base were unclear and unmarked at the time. He said his intention was to send a message to base personnel and the public, not to disrupt the operation of the base. Only one gate was affected by the symbolic die-in he participated in, which blocked the inbound lane of the access road. Jack was arrested and removed 30 seconds after lying in the road so he had little effect on potential base traffic.

Hancock Air National Guard Base, home of the 174th Attack Wing, is a domestic hub for MQ-9 Reaper drone support. It is a training site for pilots and technicians, a drone test location and an active site in the ongoing wars overseas. Heavily armed Reapers piloted at Hancock fly lethal missions over Afghanistan and possibly elsewhere. Hancock pilots also fly test flights from Fort Drum over Lake Ontario.

Upstate Drone Action has been protesting the Drones at Hancock Base since 2009 with bimonthly vigils, annual rallies and a Gandhian Wave of civil resistance. Mary Anne Grady Flores was convicted of violating an Order of Protection by standing in the road in front of Hancock Base and sentenced on July 9 to one year in prison. There are 11 trials scheduled for Hancock protesters in DeWitt between now and next July stemming from the April 28 protest. Several more trials are pending. On July 30th and 31st Russell Brown will be tried pro se, serving as his own defense council, on the same charges Jack Gilroy faced today.

For more information go to upstatedroneaction.org. PDF available at: http://upstatedroneaction.org/documents/PressReleases/Jack-Gilroy-Press-Realease.pdf

Contact:
Jack Gilroy, Binghamton NY (607) 748-8105, jgilroy1@stny.rr.com
Judy Bello, Rochester NY (585) 733-4058, jb.papillonweb@gmail.com
Ed Kinane, Syracuse NY (315) 478-4571, edkinane@verizon.net

Drone Resister Sentenced to One Year in Prison: Base’s Order of Protection Begs Judgement

On July 10, grandmother of three, Mary Anne Grady Flores was sentenced to one year in prison for being found guilty of violating an order of protection. A packed courtroom of over 100 supporters was stunned as she was led away, and vowed to continue the resistance.

These orders of protection, typically used in domestic violence situations or to protect a victim or witness to a crime, have been issued to people participating in nonviolent resistance actions at Hancock Air Base since late 2012. The base, near Syracuse NY, pilots unmanned Reaper drones over Afghanistan, and trains drone pilots, sensor operators and maintenance technicians. The orders had been issued to “protect” Colonel Earl Evans, Hancock’s mission support commander, who wanted to keep protesters “out of his driveway.”

Mary Anne began her sentencing statement with, “Your honor, a series of judicial perversions brings me here before you tonight.” She concluded that the “final perversion is the reversal of who is the real victim here: the commander of a military base whose drones kill innocent people halfway around the world, or those innocent people themselves who are the real ones in need of protection from the terror of US drone attacks?”

The orders of protection are being challenged on many legal grounds.

Mary Anne had been issued a temporary order in 2012. The next year, she photographed a nonviolent witness at the base, not participating herself because she did not want to violate the order. The irony is that those who actually participated in the action were acquitted, while Mary Anne was charged with violating the order.

Even though the pre-sentencing report recommended no jail time, Judge Gideon sentenced Mary Anne to the maximum of a year in prison. As he imposed his sentence, the judge referred to his previous Hancock decision. He had stated then and insinuated now, “This has got to stop.”

In addition, Mary Anne was fined $1000 plus a $205 court surcharge and a $50 fee to have her DNA collected.

Her verdict is being appealed.

For information on how to support Mary Anne, contact Ellen Grady at demottgrady6@gmail.com.

UPDATE: COURTROOM VIDEO AVAILABLE
From Judy Bello: Mary Anne Grady Flores was sentenced to a year in jail for standing in the highway across from the front gate of Hancock Air National Guard Base taking pictures of protesters. Below is a link to a Video of the Courtroom Drama: On July 10, Mary Anne Grady Flores was sentenced after being convicted of violating an Order of Protection protecting Col Earl Evans, Material Support Commander at Hancock Air National Guard Base. The video includes Mary Anne’s Sentencing Statement and Judge Gideon’s cynical defense of his Sentence, followed by her removal by guards to Jail.

http://upstatedroneaction.org/wordpress/2014/07/13/drone-resister-sentenced-to-one-year/

CNY-Cajibio Delegation Makes Seed Contribution for Future of Colombian Campesin@s

CAJIBIO, CAUCA, COLOMBIA – The 10th anniversary CNY-Cajibio sister-city delegation participated in a symbolic presentation of seeds at the Feria Campesina (Small Farmer’s Fair) in Cajibio on July 4, 2014. A card signed by all twelve delegates which read “The Future Is In The Seed”, accompanied the contribution. Open pollinated varieties of tomato, pepper, summer squash, and melons saved by Frosty Morning Farm in Truxton, and two heritage bean varieties of the Onondaga people were given to Marylén Serna Salinas of the Movimiento Campesinos de Cajibio (MCC) By delegate Colleen Kattau.

Kattau, said that “the seed donation symbolizes the right to save, share, and distribute seed autonomously which should be everyone’s right”.

This Feria is the second held by the MCC in support of the Campesin@’s campaign to be recognized as a distinct population with rights and responsibilities by the Colombian state government. The exchange of seeds, knowledge, flavors, and products that took place at the Feria was also a demonstration of the Campesin@’s quest for food and economic sovereignty.

Delegates also displayed and provided tastings of Finger Lakes agricultural and artistic products such as honey, maple syrup, cards designed by local artists, soap, beeswax candles and more (all donated by artists and small farmers from Central New York). Emily Bishop and Anthony Zaun-Lokos also made a statement representing the youth contingent of this delegation as to how the seed contribution represents the next generation of the sister-city relationship and the building of relationships with people abroad who share common goals and challenges.

Patricia Rodriguez, Associate Professor at Ithaca College, stated that “providing international solidarity and support for the MCC is now more important than ever as peace talks in Colombia continue after the re-election of President Juan Manuel Santos and the Campesin@’s fight for recognition, and representation at the negotiations.”

The delegates plan to organize community events in their respective communities in Central New York upon their return to share about the organizational processes and the united efforts that the MCC and other groups have engaged in at the local, regional, and national levels, to bring about social change.

Contact: Patricia Rodriguez at prodriguez@ithaca.edu or Frank Cetera at franklen9807@gmail.com.

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AS REPUBLICAN IDC COALITION FAILS TO DELIVER MANY MORE CALL ON SENATOR VALESKY TO RETURN TO THE DEMOCRATS

Jean Kessner, Syracuse Common Council, will Challenge David Valesky in a Democratic Primary if he continues to refuse to return to the Dems.   Dave Valesky is part of the IDC ( Independent Democratic  Coalition) that has been siding with the Republican minority to give them control of the Senate.  By doing so the Senate has blocked important legislation like a Moratorium on Fracking, Women’s Equality, DREAM act ect.  Please see these two Important events this Week

Tuesday June 24th at 4pm Press conference with Assembly person Sam Roberts and others supporters of Jean Kessner’s primary against Dave Valesky if he refuses to reunite with Senate Democratic Conference.

WHERE: New York State Office Building 333 E Washington St, Syracuse, NY

Thursday June 26th at 4 pm PETITIONING FOR Jean Kessner to get on the ballot.  There will be a press event with clip boards in hand at 4pm at the SEIU office in Syracuse 250 South Clinton St

Contact Larry at 917-721-5205

_______________________________

June 19th, 2014 SYRACUSE, NY – As this year’s legislative session comes to an end it is once again clear that the Republican-IDC coalition in the Senate has failed to deliver on key legislation supported by a majority of New Yorkers. Senator Valesky was among the small group of Democrats who formed the IDC and gave control of the Senate to Republicans despite the Republicans not having the majority of votes. Legislation important to people in Syracuse and the entire senate district, like a real Minimum Wage Increase, the DREAM Act, Women’s Equality Act, a ban on Fracking, and Public Funding of Elections have been blocked by the Republicans in control as a result of the Republican-IDC coalition deal. Concerned citizens, leaders and advocates responded today by calling on Senator Valesky to rejoin the Democrats and take back control of the Senate from the Republicans. Further, if Senator Valesky instead chooses to continue to support Republican control of the Senate, a growing list of organizations and local leaders are resolved to enthusiastically support Jean Kessner in her bid to defeat Senator Valesky in a Democratic primary.

The Urban Jobs Task Force Will Present and Distribute its Inner Harbor Community Benefits Agreements to COR, SIDA and the Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

When:   8:30 am Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Where:  Common Council Chambers, City Hall

What:    SIDA public hearing on COR’s Inner Harbor project

8:30 am Tuesday, June 17, 2014 in the Common Council Chambers, City Hall during the public hearing on the Inner Harbor project, the Urban Jobs Task Force (UJTF) will present and distribute its Inner Harbor Community Benefits Agreement to COR, SIDA and the media.  Following that presentation, UJTF members and the community will speak to the urgent need to establish monitored requirements for city-sponsored development.  These requirements must target city residents in need of employment and city small businesses in need of subcontracts.

Throughout the country, communities and some municipalities are working to make sure everyone benefits when public dollars are spent on a project.  Since the late nineties, CBA’s have been effective strategies for providing jobs, fair wages, contracts, housing, green space, grocery stores, community centers or whatever the community feels will foster a better quality of life in their neighborhoods affected by the project.  Two successful examples are the 1999 Hollywood and Highland CBA and 2008 Pittsburg Penguin Arena CBA.

This approach is powerful because the community speaks for itself and negotiates these legal agreements with the developer, be it a private company or a municipality.  To be effective CBAs must include compliance monitoring and enforcement.  Over the last four semesters, the Urban Jobs Task Force has worked with the Syracuse University’s Community Development Law Clinic to develop a CBA for the Inner Harbor Project.  Since this would be the first CBA in Syracuse we want it to serve as a model for how a project getting tax benefits can be more inclusive of the affected community.

Last October, COR told the UJTF it wasn’t interested in negotiating an Inner Harbor CBA because it was partnering with SUNYEOC to hire locally.  The UJTF believes SUNYEOC is a good partner of choice but if there is no targeted hiring requirement for COR to meet, such as the one in our CBA that calls for Inner Harbor contractors to hire 15 – 25% low-income city residents, history suggests that very few inner-city residents are likely to get opportunities through this development project.  At this point, the UJTF wants at least to have a conversation with COR about the community’s needs and ways in which the UJTF can partner with SUNYEOC and COR to facilitate local hiring. UJTF is a coalition of 40 community organizations and faith based groups that can add value to SUNYEOC & COR’s efforts to hire locally even if a full CBA is not enacted.  But COR has refused to even meet with us. This is why the UJTF is using this hearing to publicize its Inner Harbor CBA and the need for accountable development.  If we are ever going to tackle poverty in our city, we need to change the status quo.

The Urban Jobs Task Force (UJTF) is a coalition of 40 organizations whose mission is to advocate  “for job development, training and placement for Syracuse’s unemployed- and under-employed” and  to  “ encourage the creation of conditions and resources for local businesses under-represented regarding municipal contracts.”

Contact:  Aggie Lane, 478-4571

March Against Monsanto (Sat May 24) Syracuse NY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 24, 2014 ‘March Against Monsanto’ planned for over 50 countries

Syracuse, NY (May 24, 2014) – On May 24, activists in Syracuse, NY will join millions of activists from around the world to once again March Against Monsanto, calling for the permanent boycott of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and other harmful agro-chemicals. Currently, marches will occur on six continents, in 52 countries,with events in over 400 cities. In the US, solidarity marches are slated to occur in 47 states.  A comprehensive list of marches can be accessed at www.march-against-monsanto.com.

Locally, GMO-Free CNY – https://www.facebook.com/gmofreecny – , an affiliate of GMO-Free NY, has been the push behind planning this Spring’s event which will include a GMO labeling petition drive in Armory Square, a drumming and soapbox gathering downtown, a March from Armory Square to the NWS, ending at a work project for a new community garden being installed by The Alchemical Nursery – www.alchemicalnursery.org.

The petition drive and March will focus on bringing attention to the GMO Labeling bill#SB3835 that is moving forward in the NYS Assembly intended to require foods to be labelled as containing GMO ingredients for those who care about their right to know what is in their food.

Tami Monroe Canal, founder of March Against Monsanto (MAM), was inspired to start the movement to protect her two daughters. “Monsanto’s predatory business and corporate agricultural practices threatens their generation’s health, fertility and longevity. MAM supports a sustainable food production system. We must act now to stop GMOs and harmful pesticides.”

 

GMOs are not adequately monitored to ensure public safety. Long term, independent, peer reviewed studies were not conducted before GMOs were introduced for human or animal consumption. In the USA, the revolving door between Monsanto employees, government positions, and regulatory authorities has led to key Monsanto figures occupying positions of power at the FDA and EPA. Monsanto has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to obstruct all labeling attempts; they also suppress any research containing results not in their favor. The scientifically established health risks include, but are not limited to: organ damage, sterility, infant mortality, birth defects, auto-immune conditions, allergies and increased cancer risks. GMOs have been partially banned by Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, South America, Russia, France, Switzerland and Costa Rico, and are currently labelled in 62 countries. Despite this, factory farm animals throughout the world are still fed GMOs.

 

An “Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs),” http://www.i-sis.org.uk/list.php, signed by 828 scientists from 84 countries, detailed concern regarding GMOs coupled with a call for immediate 5 year suspension of GMO crops in order to conduct “a comprehensive public enquiry of agriculture and food security for all.”

 

For information on the event, visit the March Against Monsanto Syracuse NY FAcebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MarchAgainstMonsantoSyracuse

Contact:
Frank Cetera

franklen9807@gmail.com

315-308-1372

# # #

Howie Hawkins to Announce for Governor, Will Seek Green Party Nomination

When: Tuesday, April 9; Time: 6pm; Location: Spa 500, 500 W. Onondaga St., Syracuse NY 13204

Howie Hawkins, who finished third in the 2010 Governor’s race, will announce that he is again seeking the Green Party nomination for Governor.

The announcement will take at the Spa 500 (500 W. Onondaga St.) special events room in Syracuse on Tuesday April 10 at 6pm.  Hawkins will outline his campaign program.

Events will also take place during the week in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and NYC.

In 2010, Hawkins ran on a platform of a Green New Deal, calling for the state to invest in the transition to a carbon neutral economy as a way to provide living wage jobs to put New Yorkers back to work. His job creation program also included investments in education, infrastructure, mass transit, sustainable agriculture and public jobs. He opposed the austerity budget proposals and tax cuts for the 1% promoted by his Democrat / WFP / I and Republican / Conservative opponents. Hawkins campaigned for a ban on hydrofracking and a transition to a carbon neutral economy within 15 years. Hawkins is a strong proponent of single payer health care and an end to the war on drugs.

Hawkins has been critical of this year’s budget, with its: support for more tax cuts for the rich and charter schools; underfunding of education, mass transit, human services, jobs, environment and anti-poverty programs; and inaction to end the culture of corruption at the Capitol. Hawkins has called for a $15 an hour minimum wage and allowing local communities to set their own minimum wage and taxes.

Howie Hawkins has been an organizer for peace, justice, labor, and the environment since 1967. A former Marine, he helped organize opposition to the Vietnam War. In the 70s and 80s, he was a leader in the anti-apartheid divestment movement to end US corporate investment in the system of racist labor exploitation in South Africa. He was a co-founder of the anti-nuclear Clamshell Alliance in 1976 and the Green Party in the US in 1984. He is a member of the socialist organization, Solidarity. Howie works at UPS unloading trucks, where he is a member of Teamsters Local 317 and active in Teamsters for a Democratic Union, US Labor Against the War, and the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare. He received 40% of the vote in his recent run for Syracuse City Council.

The Green Party is committed to the principles of ecology, grassroots democracy, social and economic justice and nonviolence. Hawkins won enough votes in 2010 to restore official ballot status to the Greens. The Green Party statewide nominating convention will be held in the Capital District onMay 17.

For More Info: Howie Hawkins, hhawkins@igc.org, 315 425-1019
Ursula Rozum, ursula.rozum@gmail.com. 315 414-7720