[statecom-discuss] A Busy Day of Action for Green-Rainbows! ACTION ALERT 1 of 2: Grace Ross Excluded from ENVIRONMENTAL DEBATE!

Tue Jul 11 12:10:02 EDT 2006

Hi Colby and all,

  I called the MLEV people and talked with their spokesperson for about 15 minutes.  The spokesperson defended the decision to exclude Grace and said that it would be difficult or impossible to change it because it was a coalition effort.  Sound familiar ?

  They said that the poll numbers for Grace were low when they made the decision 3 months ago.  I told them that the criteria that they chose to use, without consulting affected parties by the way, just goes to maintain the status quo.

  Why isn't the criteria:  
  Which groups are able to offer quality alternatives to the existing paradigm on environmental issues ? or

  Which group's participation would lead to more diverse thinking on the topic ?

  Which groups have devoted a large fraction of their organizng energy on the topic at hand, or have a history of doing so ?

  or Which parties have sponsored ballot questions on the matter ?

  or which parties have well defined statements and positions on the matter ? or

  Which parties have run a campaign in the past 8 years and been able to get percentages that have kept them on the ballot in statewide races ?

  Instead they chose the only criteria that favors the existing parties because they have all of the power becasue of thier connections to the very corporations that are responsible for the environmental issues that we are facing ?

  In addition the argument that they are making (that we are not viable) is a circular argument.  In order to become viable one needs to be able to get one's positions into the public discourse, yet they are preventing us from engaging in the public discourse ?

  Finally I indicated that by allowing only the established or monied interests to participate in the debate that they were simpply going to get teh view of those that are teh controlling interests in this country and therefore the debate will not be presenting a variety of views, and the presentation of a large variety of views should be the mission of these nonprofits. 

  They also did not feel the need to contact the candidates that they rejected even though this would have required a brief phonecall (probably all of 5 minutes worth of effort by their staff)

  Wondolowski (forgive spelling) indicated that the responses that Grace gave would be sent out in the "media packet" that they are preparing.  It is not clear to me if the members of these organizations would be informed.  She claimed 350,000 members for the organizations combined.

  She admitted that the argument about not being on the ballot for governor was irrational.

  These answers are wholly unsatisfactory and I suggest that people call and demand that these nonprofits fulfill their mission and stop taking sides by choosing criteria that excludes certain points of view- probably a violation of their own bylaws.

  Ron Francis

"Colby E.Peterson" <saphron at verizon.net> wrote:
  Dear Green-Rainbow Party members, supporters, and friends,

Just when we thought that the debate organizers had come around and
realized the value of increasing the number of voices that voters
should hear, we've been again disrespected.

This Wednesday, July 12th, we will see the 2006 Massachusetts
Environmental Gubernatorial Forum, sponsored by Massachusetts League
of Environmental Voters (MLEV), AMC, the Environmental League of
Massachusetts and the Sierra Club, at Kresge Auditorium on MIT at
7pm. This event has been promoted by the sponsors as a "chance to
find out where the gubernatorial candidates stand on conservation
issues that are important to you," but one important voice is being
excluded-

GREEN-Rainbow candidate for governor, Grace Ross.

As the Green Party at large has built itself as the expert political
wing of the modern environmental movement, this exclusion is not only
extremely insulting and disrespectful, but may do great harm to the
voters who will miss our important message in how we intend to ensure
a just and ecologically sound future.

Grace and her campaign team have discussed this with the organizers
and they are not budging- and that just won't do. This forum is too
important for us to tolerate this. A message from Ross campaign co-
chair, Melissa Harrell:

"I spoke with Lora Wondolowski this morning from the Mass League of
Environmental Voters. She informed me that there must have been some
sort of miscommunication that Grace has *NOT* been invited to the
forum. When asked about the reasoning behind not invited the
Massachusetts Green Party candidate to a forum, she explained that
the Board decided to only invite candidates that were polling at 10%
or more. I pointed out that Grace was actively pursuing support
amongst unlikely voters and that pollsters rarely poll unlikely
voters and therefore any base of support she had built up would not
register in the polls. Ms. Wondolowski then pointed out that Grace
was not on the ballot, to which I responded that no one was on the
ballot at this early date, and they had invited three democratic
candidates when only one can appear on the ballot, and that Mihos,
like Grace has not completed the signature process to gain ballot
access. I also pointed out that unlike Mihos, Grace was a member of a
party that was 11,000 voters strong and this made her poll numbers
much "harder" than Mihos.

"I'm not going to get into the outrageousness of this exclusion. I
think we're all clear that this is just not tolerable.

"After speaking with Grace about what we plan to do. We've decided
that we are going to ask party members to call as often as possible
the Board of MLEV, and other sponsors of the event. We've decided
that it's ok and desired for them to hear from the same person multiple
times. We will be asking people to try and get as many tickets as
possible, even if they do not plan on attending, so we can gain
entrance to the event.

"We are also planning on protesting and engaging in civil disobedience,
as is our right to. Grace is willing to get herself arrested if she's 
barred from entering.
We are strongly encouraging anyone willing to get arrested to attend
this protest.

"We are aware that this is a lot to ask people, but we feel that this
is critical."

So now you've seen the level of seriousness that Grace considers this
to be- risking her own freedom to make sure that the members of the
corporate parties won't be able to peaceably argue amongst themselves.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Call the Board at the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters
(MLEV) as many times as you can!

Please let me know if you contact them! My email address is
communications.director at green-rainbow.org

We are encouraging people to make the phone call, as it will have the
greatest impact, but email is fine for people if the phone is too
uncomfortable, please CC Colby (address above) if you choose this
option.

TELL THEM:

A. That their decision to exclude Grace, the only candidate from the
environmentalist Green-Rainbow Party, the party that has stood up for
the environment for decades, represents removing a candidate that
their members will regret not hearing.
B. That their argument about ballot access is ridiculous, since none
of the candidates have secured ballot access at this early date, and
all possible candidates must be invited.
C. That they are risking losing financial support from the nearly
11,000 environmentally-conscious registered Green-Rainbow voters
unless they change their decision.
D. (If you are a member or supporter,) Promise to stop donating and/
or revoke your membership unless they let all voices be heard.

IF YOU CALL MORE THAN ONCE ASK IF THEY HAVE AT THAT POINT ALLOWED
GRACE INTO THE DEBATE. IF NO, REPEAT THE ARGUMENTS ABOVE.

Contact Info:

MLEV*

PO Box 103
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: (617) 742-8822
Email: info at mlev.org
www.mlev.org

Board and Staff

*Andrew W. Savitz, President, Brookline*

*Ann Roosevelt, Secretary, Cambridge*

*Eleanor Tillinghast, Treasurer, Mt. Washington*

*George Darry, At Large, Lenox*

*Judith Eiseman, At-large, Pelham*

*Bernie McHugh, At-large, Lincoln*

Staff

*Lora Wondolowski, Executive Director*

2. RSVP to the Event! (Even if you are not planning on attending!)

You can RSVP on the web by going to this address:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/MLEV/event/ 
index.jsp?event_KEY=14711

3. ATTEND the event and plan to protest!

Grace will be doing anything and everything to ensure her
participation in this event, including getting herself arrested!
Grace is asking for anyone willing to participate in an act of civil
disobedience with her, including those that may result in their
arrest! We cannot let the corporatist Democrats pretend to care about
the environment when they are sponsored by the biggest polluters in
the world!

CONTACT Ross campaign co-chair, Melissa Harrell, if you are planning
on attending the protest, and we will give you all the details you need!

Melissa Harrell
(617) 238-5271
harrell3207 at gmail.com

We hope that you will help us stand up for democracy and the
environment and we all hope that MLEV will reverse their decision! Be
a part of this action!

Sincerely,
Colby E. Peterson
Co-Media Coordinator, Friends of Grace Ross for Governor

---------------------------------------------------------------
Colby E. Peterson
Communications Director
Green-Rainbow Party
www.green-rainbow.org
communications.director at green-rainbow.org
cell: 978.895.0650
---------------------------------------------------------------

To reply to this email, please contact Colby Peterson with the
information above. A reply to this email will not go to a human being.
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