Health and Diet Scottish Recipes Ferret for Ferrets


Re: Compromise [was Re: [pf] Dinner with Winona LaDuke]
by Sharon Flesher
22 November 2000 21:18 UTC

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> Jill Taylor Bussiere wrote:
>
> > First off, congratulations, Sharon!!!!!!
>
> Ditto here, Sharon. I'm so glad you and your work got recognized that way.

Thanks Betsy and Jill. It gives us extra incentive to keep it going.

Betsy wrote:
> This is also something we're discussing--not the screen, that seems like a
good
> idea--but the nitty-gritty work now before us of finding races that make
sense
> for us to run in, and finding candidates for those races. I've just agreed
to
> be treasurer for a neighbor of mind who is announcing his candidacy for
Mpls.
> city council, and we have several other Greens pondering city council,
park
> board and school board candidacies. This is where the real action will be
> happening in the next two years, IMO, nationwide--local mostly nonpartisan
> races. We got a great influx of interested people to our Minneapolis GP
> local--our meeting last weekend had more people than ever since it started
> three years ago. This was due to the Nader campaign. Yea! Lots of energy,
lots
> of enthusiasm, lots of eagerness to get into electoral politics.

I was pleased last night to meet the first Green candidate elected to office
in Michigan -- Joanne Beemon, who was just elected Drain Commissioner of
Charlevoix County. That was a nonpartisan race, and she was unopposed,
mostly due to an error on the part of the local Republican hierarchy, who
neglected to put up a candidate for the office -- they tried a write-in
candidate when they realized (too late) their mistake. Although "drain
commissioner" might sound like a joke, it's actually a fairly important job,
especially in an area with environmentally-sensitive wetlands and critical
watersheds into the Great Lakes. She can have a real impact on curtailing
nasty development.

In another local race with an unfortunate outcome, an independent candidate
(John Nelson) for township supervisor placed third. He was the
environmental, new urbanist, anti-sprawl candidate and had all the
credentials to be successful: he was born in the area (still important
here), he had elected experience as a city council member in Freeport,
Maine, where he lived and taught high school for many years before returning
to northern Michigan, he was a formal Naval officer and had that type of
bearing, and he was knowledgeable and articulate. He was running against a
guy who has held the office for 20 years and never had to campaign for
re-election since he's never opposed, while Nelson had dozens of
volunteers -- including many local environmentalists -- helping him
(unfortunately, few of them lived in his township). And many people in the
township are unhappy with the rampant sprawl taking place Yet Nelson
finished third behind the Democratic candidate-- a nutcase who had just been
arrested for assault a week before the election! I asked a friend who worked
on his campaign why John just didn't run as a Democrat, and was surprised to
learn it's because he's a Republican! I wasn't clear on why he didn't run in
the primary, which is where all local races are decided here anyway.

I also have four friends (that I know of) who voted for Bush even though
they consider themselves environmentalists. Two did it because they're
pro-life, one because she's from Texas, and the other because she "just
doesn't like Gore." It seems to me that most people just don't think!

I guess I'm wondering how the local Greens will ever make inroads into
electoral politics in an area where Democrats are considered radical. Also,
how can Greens avoid splitting the anti-GOP vote with Democrats? I don't
think the Democrats are going to fall off the face of the earth anytime
soon, and having the GOP opposition divided will just ensure their continued
domination. I know it's probably a different situation in other places,
where left-wing voters are in the majority.

Sharon