Connecticut Green Times

FYI  CT Greens:

The statement below is being considered by the IC  with the intention of GPUS supporting our Federation of Green Parties of the Americas in a joint statement of support for Hondurans and in opposition to the recent coup.

Please comment..

Justine McCabe.

—– Original Message —–

From: Tony Affigne

To: usgp-int@gp-us.org

Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 8:46 PM

Subject: USGP-INT NICARAGUAN GREENS’ PROPOSAL FOR STATEMENT ABOUT THE COUP D’ETAT IN HONDURAS (Fwd) Propuesta de Pronunciamiento sobre el Golpe de Estado en Honduras

IC Colleagues:

The Green Party of Nicaragua has proposed a joint statement by our Federation Green parties, condemning the coup in Honduras and calling for the restoration of the rule of law “in our sister nation of Honduras.”

I am inclined to respond that we enthusiastically support this statement. The Nicaraguan draft statement (see Spanish-language original, below) would do the following:

 1. Categorically condemn the attack on democracy and public

    institutions of the Republic of Honduras.
 2. Demand restoration of constitutional order and democratic

    institutions.

 3. Demand the return of the Constitutional President Manuel
    Zelaya.

 4. Demand full respect for human rights and political rights
    of citizens and people of Honduras.

 5. Encourage the United Nations, the Organization of American
    States, the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas, the Central
    American Integration System, the Group of Rio, the European
    Union, the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, the
    Global Greens and other sister nations and international
    bodies, to maintain their firm rejection of the coup in

    Honduras.

Before I respond to the Nicaraguans, please let me know your thoughts on their proposal.

For a Green future,

Tony Affigne

Green Party of Rhode Island

U.S. Delegate to the Federation

— begin forwarded text

Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:40:13 -0300
From: Edward Martin Salazar Cruz <edward.salazar.cruz@gmail.com>
To: fpva-foro@lists.globalgreens.org, Foro Verde <foroverde@intelnett.com>
Subject: [fpva-foro] Propuesta de Pronunciamiento sobre el Golpe de Estado
       en Honduras

Estimados Colegas Verdes

Es de conocimiento publico el golpe militar de estado en la hermana Republica de Honduras,

les envio con todo respeto una propuesta de carta - pronunciamiento la cual considero que

podemos juntos mejorarla y enviarla a traves de la secretaria a las organizaciones, gobiernos

e instancias nacionales e internacionales en donde los verdes podamos incidir positivamente

por el restablecimiento del Estado de Derecho en nuestra nacion hermana de Honduras.

Les envio mis saludos

Edward

COMUNICADO DE

LA FEDERACION DE PARTIDOS VERDES DE LAS AMERICAS

SOBRE  EL GOLPE MILITAR DE ESTADO EN HONDURAS

 

Managua, 29 de Junio del 2009
 

Ante el Golpe de Estado militar contra el Presidente Constitucional Manuel Zelaya en la Rep�blica de Honduras y el rompimiento del Estado de Derecho en este soberano Pa�s, la Federaci�n de Partidos Verdes de las Am�ricas y sus miembros declaran:

1.     Condenamos de forma categ�rica este  atentado contra la democracia y la institucionalidad de la Rep�blica de Honduras.

2.     Demandamos el restablecimiento del orden constitucional y la  institucionalidad democr�tica.

3.     Demandamos la restituci�n del Presidente Constitucional  Manuel Zelaya.

4.     Demandamos el irrestricto respeto a los Derechos Humanos y los Derechos Pol�ticos de los Ciudadanos y del pueblo de Honduras.

5.     Animamos a la Organizaci�n de las Naciones Unidas, la Organizaci�n de Estados Americanos, la Alianza Bolivariana de las Am�ricas, al Sistema de Integraci�n Centroamericana, al Grupo de Rio, la Uni�n Europa, los Estados Unidos de Am�rica, Canad� y M�xico, la Global Green y otras instancias internacional y naciones hermanas a mantener firme su rechazo al golpe de Estado en Honduras y al gobierno de facto nacido del golpe militar.

Nuestra solidaridad con el pueblo de Honduras y con su Presidente Legitimo Don Manuel Zelaya.

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders and health care activists called
for new federal studies on the economic feasibility and impact of a
Single-Payer (Medicare For All, HR 676) national health care program.
The study should cover overall and ongoing costs and savings, not just
government spending.

Greens cited past studies from the General Accounting Office (GAO) and
the Congressional Budget Office in the 1990s showing that Single-Payer
would reduce the cost of health care while covering every American.
The Green Party will make health care reform and the demand for
Single-Payer a major focus of the party’s 2009 Annual National Meeting
in Durham, North Carolina, July 23-26
(http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=222).

According to a 1991 GAO report, “If the US were to shift to a system
of universal coverage and a single payer, as in Canada, the savings in
administrative costs [10 percent of health spending] would be more
than enough to offset the expense of universal coverage.” (”Canadian
Health Insurance: Lessons for the United States,”
http://archive.gao.gov/d20t9/144039.pdf). More reports are archived
at pnhp.org (http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single_payer_system_cost.php?page=all).

“The overall savings we’d gain from Single-Payer will boost the ailing
economy and will cut bankruptcies by nearly two thirds,” said Jody
Grage, treasurer of the Green Party of the United States, who noted a
recent Harvard study showing that “Medical problems contributed to
nearly two-thirds (62.1 percent) of all bankruptcies in 2007″
(Physicians for a National Health Program press release, June 4, 2009,
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/june/illness_medical_bil.php).

“The ‘public health care option’ supported by Sen. Kennedy and many
other Democrats will leave the private insurance industry intact and
lead to increased health care spending, especially if mandates lead to
big taxpayer-funded subsidies for insurance and HMO companies and the
high overhead they add to health care spending. We challenge Congress
and President Obama to consult the GAO and Congressional Budget Office
on the costs and benefits of Single-Payer,” said Ms. Grage.

The Green Party has challenged Sen. Max Baucus and other Single-Payer
opponents to hold a public debate, broadcast nationally, with
Single-Payer advocates
(http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=221). Sen. Baucus has
received more campaign money from the health insurance and
pharmaceutical industries over the last four years than any other
Democrat in Congress — $413,000 since 2005, with only Republicans
John McCain and Mitch McConnell receiving more (http://www.Consumer
Watchdog.org).

Greens said that such a debate is urgently necessary because of the
lies and distortions about Single-Payer and health care reform coming
from the Wall Street Journal
(http://mediamatters.org/blog/200906160005), Conservatives for
Patients’ Rights, and other opponents of health care reform. See also
“Debunking Canadian Health Care Myths” by Rhonda Hackett, The Denver
Post, June 7 (http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_12523427).

“Apologists for profit-making insurance companies are dishonestly
trying to paint Single-Payer as expensive and radical. In fact,
Single-Payer is more fiscally conservative, because it’ll eliminate
the high overhead of private insurance. Secondly, Single-Payer allows
full choice of physician, which will restore the American tradition of
family doctors who get to know their patients’ health care needs.
Instead of an insurance company or HMO bureaucracy restricting
treatment and referrals, Single-Payer will bring back the days when
patients and physicians made decisions about medical care,” said
Justine McCabe, Connecticut Green, clinical psychologist, and
co-author of statewide Single-Payer bill, 1999-2000
(http://www.gp.org/speakers/detail.php?ID=35).

“And finally, under a Single-Payer plan, no one will suffer financial
ruin because of medical expenses,” said Dr. McCabe.

“Unfortunately, President Obama and congressional leaders insist that
we all spend more money on health care, with taxes on health-care
benefits, to pay for ‘reform’ that would still leave tens of millions
uninsured and underinsured. At the same time, they don’t want
Americans to hear about the benefits of Single-Payer — even though
they admit it would save money, cover everyone, and give us the right
to choose our doctors,” said Angel Torres, co-chair of the Maricopa
Greens (http://maricopagreens.org), which held a Single-Payer rally in
front of the office of Arizona Rep. Harry Mitchell on May 30 to
persuade him to sign on as a co-sponsor of HR 676.

From Steve Fournier, co-chair

At an executive board meeting in Hartford last week, planning for the state central committee meeting next Tuesday, we resolved to commence a Green Party petition drive in support of HR676, Medicare for all, now pending in the House of Representatives.

This was deemed follow-up to a decision made at the May state meeting to petition for universal health care. There was some discussion at the May meeting of putting together a package petitioning for a Green Party health care plan with an explanatory pamphlet for people signing the petition.

Since the May meeting, there were signs that universal health care had advanced a bit, with Max Baucus, chair of the senate committee handling health care financing, bending a bit in response to public pressure and civil disobedience and HR676 adding several co-sponsors in the House.

I mentioned these developments at the executive board meeting and moved to involve the party now, getting behind HR676 and not waiting for another state meeting to discuss it further. The word is that Congress wants to pass something by the end of July, and so I argued that we might have to dispense with further discussion.

I drafted a petition, posted it on line (www.stepfour.com/petition), and passed around a link to it. As far as I know, nobody’s picked it up, so we’ll see where discussion leads at next Tuesday’s meeting.

P.S. Send me copy to publish here. There should be at least one item every day.

A decision is long overdue in the federal court case brought on behalf of the Connecticut Green Party challenging Connecticut’s new campaign finance law.  Attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union concluded argument in March in a two-day hearing.  Arguing on behalf of the Green Party and other plaintiffs that the law generously funds Democrat and Republican candidates but unconstitutionally denies money to petitioning candidates and minor party candidates, attorneys Mark Lopez and Mark Ladov summarized their evidence on the first day of the hearing and made their final arguments on the second day.

The law allows state grants to major-party candidates who raise specified amounts in small contributions. Minor-party candidates and petitioning candidates have to collect thousands of signatures in addition to meeting the fund-raising thresholds, which range from $5,000 for House candidates to $250,000 for gubernatorial candidates. In Connecticut, only Republicans and Democrats presently meet the criteria for a major party, and the plaintiffs claim that the new law illegally increases the two parties’ advantage.

“Under this law, the Green Party stands to be outspent ten and twenty times over in any district in which it fields a candidate,” complains Greens’ state co-chair Steve Fournier. “This will make it more and more difficult to recruit candidates and almost impossible to raise money. We’re now forced to consider abandoning state electoral politics altogether.”

Green Party officials are more optimistic about their prospects in the lawsuit than their chance of ever getting a dime under the new law. Mike DeRosa, state co-chair and a key witness for the plaintiffs, has no hesitation in predicting a favorable ruling. “It’s the no-democrat-or-republican-left-behind act, and it’s clearly unconstitutional.”

Stefan Underhill, the federal judge assigned to the case, “seems poised to put politics aside,” observed Fournier, remarking on the judge’s occasional, good-natured chiding of defense counsel (from the state Attorney General’s Office and the Brennan Center, a New York think-tank).

Said Fournier, an attorney, “Judge Underhill seems to understand and sympathize with our grievances.”

A decision was expected in May.

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