A ‘Green Mayor’ in the 'Burg' is Demanded!

If readers are not acquainted with the Green Party of America http://www.gp.org/ it is because a national two-party structure has managed to block its existence from the time it was born in the United States, 15 years ago.

The Green Party, the party of the issues, presents to its new recruites with its 10-key values which dominates its national platform. These values are based on the needs of all the American people, specifically the poor and the working classes.

They were consistently neglected by the American two-party system (Republicans and Democrats), while the Greens recognized them, adopted them, carefully implemented and embrazed them as Green principles by its members, they are: "Grassroots Democracy , Social Justice , Ecological Wisdom , Non-violence , Decentralization , Community-based Economics , Feminism , Diversity , Responsibility , Future Focus "

Because of the credibility of its principles, the Green Party continues to attract the curiosity of non-voters, young first-timer voters, and most-likely-to-vote voters who are disenchanted by the same-‘ol-type-of-thing traditional two-party system that has nothing new to offer, but negligence to a diverse nation.

In Bangor, Maine along, the AP reported on July of this year that the number of Green Party voters there ‘grew 27 percent last year and now represents the highest percentage of Green voters in any state.’ Pennsylvania’s last year percentage was .20% and there were 16,047 registered voters whose number has more than doubled this year.

Indeed, the rise of American third parties can be observed in different areas. The Free Press from Columbus, Ohio, reported recently that in April, Warren County obtained ‘32,686 Republicans, 7,637 Democrats, 57,963 Independents and 28 that fell into other categories, a grand total of registered voters to 98,314.’ It is not a secret that Independent voters swing and are more likely to vote than Dems or Repubs, thus they are also more likely to make a difference in all elections. The Greens want now their part of the pie and offer Independents absolute commitment to issues.

What it is different about the Green Party is that it has a youthful but mature vision of how the US government should conduct to make sure all Americans are included in its progress. It offers special and close attention to social problems and has dynamic and intelligent solutions that differ from the other two parties. Its strong endorsement to end wars, poverty, and environmental dismissal are very apparent.

It is true that Pittsburgh has had a local Democratic base for decades. The statistics are showing that the demographics are changing though. In Pittsburgh itself, there is a movement of 20 somethings who are eager to start working for the Green Party and are committed to change the local governmental legislature that have gradually taken us into the bad economy and city deterioration that are currently consuming us.

As months advance and Pittsburghers get closer to the next mayoral elections in November, candidates representing the Democratic Party, Bob O’Connor, and the Republican Party, Joe Weinroth, respectively, will have to get ready to debate a brand new Green Party candidate,

*/Titus North/*.

*Titus North* Titus North http://www.northformayor.org/

Green /Candidate for Mayor/: Titus North of Squirrel Hill. Married and has a toddler. Not a career politician. He works as a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. His title is Adjunct Professor in the Political Science Department. He teaches American Foreign Policy, American Presidency, East Asian Politics, and Japanese Political Economy. He also teaches USA professional karate. His students are delighted that he is running.

Titus has a Ph.D. Advanced Certificate in Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s Degree in Foreign Language Department, Faculty of International Relations from Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan, and a B.A. in Linguistics from Hawaii Loa Collage, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

He worked as a Japanese Translator, Editor, Systems Developer for Japan Watch Product, a daily summary of the Japanese Financial Press, and as a Political and Economic Analyst/Reporter, Tokyo Bureau Chief for Thomson Financial Networks International in Tokyo. He has traveled extensively worldwide and has published analysis on International Affairs in several newspapers.

Served as an organizer for Jesse Jackson '88 Presidential Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C. and as a Delegate to the 1984 Hawaiian Democratic Party State Convention and the 1988 Virginia Democratic Party State Convention.

Professor North opposes the war in Iraq and calls for drastic reforms to fix the financial crisis in Pittsburgh; calls for an end to corporate welfare, advocates for a viable public transit system, education and policing practices improvement. He also advocates for minority groups rights, and the development of sustainable/renewable energy and a cleaner environment.

The Green Party of Allegheny County turned 1,805 signatures on Aug 1, 2005 on behalf of Titus for the seat of Mayor for Pittsburgh. The Election Office reviewed

all petitions and accepted 1,744 signatures. There were no challenges to the

petitions and the party met the Aug 8, 2005 deadline. The Green candidate Titus North is on the ballot for the position of Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh! A clean alternative to an two-party establishment that not all working and non-working ‘Burgers’ are willing to accept any longer.

Here is the best link for Green Party statistics:

http://web.greens.org/stats/

As previously mentioned, the Green Party movement in the United States has dramatically changed in the past years. In 1985, there were 3 candidates in two (2) states (NC and CT), with 2 types of offices (Mayor and Alderman) and 0 victories.

This year (2005) there are 152 candidates in 20 states, with 38 types of offices. Nineteen (19) candidates are running for city mayors.

CA: 11 total Green candidates

1 Mayor candidate: Ted Crisell – not elected

NY: 17 total Green candidates

3 Mayor candidates: Alice Green Tony Gronowicz, Howie Hawkins

CT: 14 total Green Candidates

3 Major candidates: Eric Brown, Miguel Angel Nieves

http://www.nieves.politicalgateway.com/cand.php?id=185 ,

Darek Shapiro http://www.darekshapiro.com/

Ga: 1 total Green candidate

1 Mayor candidate: Elaine Brown

http://www.elainebrown.org/

IL: 9 total Green candidates

1 Mayor candidate: Todd Kuzma – not elected

PA: 31 total Green candidates

5 Mayor candidates: Guy Anthony, Mario Fiorucci, James Jackson, Titus North

http://www.north4mayor.org/ , Susan Norten

MN: 11 total Green candidates

2 Mayor: Elizabeth Dickinson http://www.elizabethdickinson.org/ ,

Farheen Hakeem http://www.hakeemformayor.org/

MO: 1 total Green candidate

1 Mayor: Willie Marshall (1) – not elected – Not a Green

TX: 2 total Green candidates

1 Mayor candidate: David Lanman

NJ: 18 total candidates

1 Mayor: Michael Spector

More detailed information about the Green Party of Pennsylvania can be found in their website http://www.gpoac.org/. The Green Party of Pennsylvania’s mission states that they are for decentralization and grassroots democracy which encourages them to avoid a top-down organizational style and it depends on the energy and interests of its members.

http://www.greenpartypa.org/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=3

Following is a table with all Pennsylvania Green Mayoral candidates who have currently filed for the November 2005 election. Additionally, there is one candidate running in the September 13th Special Election for State Representative in the 200th District, Marlene Santoyo

http://www.gpofpa.org/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=1&pid=9 .

Adams County:

Bob Klunk – Arendstville Borough Council

Robert Lasco - Cumberland Township Supervisor

Derf Maitland - Union Township Auditor Thom Marti

http://www.greenpartypa.org/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=1&pid=6

- Menallen Township Supervisor

Marty Qually - Gettysburg Borough County

Jake Schindel - Gettysburg Borough Council

Courtney Wege- Gettysburg Area School District Director

Phil Schindel - Franklin Township Supervisor

Allegheny County:

Titus North < http://www.northformayor.org/ - Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

Berks County:

Carlos Diaz-Luna - District Justice Michael Morrill - West Reading Borough Council Jennaro Pullano http://www.greenpartypa.org/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=1&pid=5 - Reading City Council District 5 Darin Troutman - District Justice

Cambria County:

Guy Anthony - Mayor

Dauphin County:

Wanda Devita - City Council Carol Dibetto - City Council Andrea Jackson - City Council James Jackson - Mayor, City of Harrisburg Charles Lalonde - City Council Diane White - City Council

Delaware County:

Bob Small - Judge of Elections, Sam Krakow - School Board

Lebanon County

Eric Wolfe - Lebanon City Council

Luzerne County

Susan Norten - Mayor

Schuykill County:

Danelle Bowers - School Board

Westmoreland County:

Merritt W. Bailey - Southmoreland School District Director

York County:

Stephen Baker - Insp. of Elections, Springettsbury Twp.

Shawnya Calp - Insp. of Elections, Penn Twp.

C. Michael Farley - Insp. of Elections, York Twp.

Mike Mangles - Insp. of Elections, York City (campus green)

Brenda Jo Samryk - Insp. of Elections, York Twp.

http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/elect/200505pri/results.asp

As of June 6, 2005, the official Allegheny County election results for the primary election of 2005 indicated that 1,314 of 1,314 districts have been reported and indicated that there were 404 of 404 signatures in the City of Pittsburgh and 910 of 910 in the suburbs. Here are the results:

Democrat Mayor candidate: Bob O’Connor got 28,812 votes, 49%. Republican Mayor candidate: Joseph Weinroth, got 4,079, 100%.

/Democratic Candidate for Mayor/: Bob O'Connor of Squirrel Hill. Served as Director of Ed Rendell's Southwest Pennsylvania Regional Office for two years, three terms as Pittsburgh City Council and two as President. He was a V.P. of Operations for Roy Rogers restaurants.

/Republican Candidates for Mayor/: Joe Weinroth of Squirrel Hill. Lawyer. Vice Chairman of the Pittsburgh Republican Party.

The website ‘About’ http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/politics/a/mayor_race.htm provides important '05 Election Dates:

April 18 - Last day to register to vote in municipal primary May 17 - Municipal Primary Oct. 11 - Last day to register to vote in municipal election Nov. 8 - Municipal Election

Our country is extremely divided and is influenced by illogical philosophies and ideologies that are not in lane with the reality of our times. Both Republicans are divided within their perimeters and a variety of opinions about our political avenue has emerged.

Sam Smith from Progressive Review raises a very legitimate question in his website http://prorev.com/mediasin.htm: ’Which American political party best reflects the views of a majority of citizens on the Iraq war, environmental issues, health care, campaign financing, population growth, genetically modified foods, and marijuana use? The answer, based on various polls, is the /Green Party/,’ he says. Sam explains in his website that there are a series of reasons how the Green party has been cheated in the American political process as a party by American journalism and points out that ‘plagiarism, blogs, or Fox News’ are the main vehicles to sell rather than serve ordinary American citizens and to protect the elite America.

On the other hand, the ballistic Republicans are making our lives a ‘living hell.’ According to the Chairman of The Project for the New American Century, William Kristol, a well-known conservative think tank Republican, “American leadership is good both for America and for the world; and that such leadership requires military strength, diplomatic energy and commitment to moral principle.” This goal is shared by the Democratic leadership as well and that is why we are sending more troops to Iraq and an exit time table is being worked out as we speak by both parties. President Bush has requested more sacrifices from American military families. Many wonder if Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia will be the next targets.

In spite of Democrats identifying the Greens as the ‘spoilers’ in the political race; their frustration seems to be increasing against their own leadership. Dem members realize that their own establishment did not and is not advocating for them and their interests, and thus they are getting forced to seek and join third parties with better alternatives.

A curious voter or non-voter who may be thinking in changing party affiliation or simply registering to vote only needs to ask simple questions: What's the difference between the Democrat and Republican parties? And, which party represents your interests and values best? These are questions that are in agreement with http://www.therealdifference.com/ and many other Green skepticals. Voters should analyze the similarities between the two-party systems and the point where we find ourselves now. Both parties share common ground in protecting large business development and corporation interests over people’s interests.

While minority group voters have historically voted in support of their parties and have voted against their own interests, they have now the opportunity to think about how their votes or non-votes have helped and enable local and national politicians do what they do for them: nothing. There is a chance to breakthrough the two-party status quo this time. Vote Green.

The new registered voter in Pittsburgh has a newer and more powerful responsibility, one that will prepare him/her to make the right decision when voting. It involves questioning and demanding information and answers that are not easily published by the mainstream media. The following questions were compiled from different blogs for your local candidates, the answers may assist us in selecting the Mayor of Pittsburgh we want for our city.

1) Do you agree with Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel that the "Casualty of the War is the U.S. Economy? Where do you stand on the War in Iraq? What would be your exit strategy for Iraq?

2) Do you approve aggressive military recruiting of youngsters at schools or think there should be a ‘general drafting’ to bring back a fair and balanced process for all Americans.

3) Where do Dems stand on the Patriot Act? Do you think this legislation has reduced if not eliminated our rights with the appearance that is protecting us?

4) There have been many complaints and sues against the City of Pittsburgh Police, do you think there is a problem with our police force’ tactics to subdue average citizens? What measures will you take to correct the behavior?

5) What do Dems and Repubs stand on the Energy Bill that just passed overwhelmingly?

6) Where do Dems and Repubs stand on raising the CAFE standards (fuel efficiency)?

7) Where do Dems and Repubs stand on the global warming Kyoto protocol?

8) Where have the local Dems and Repubs been on air pollution issues in Allegheny

County (Shenango)? What about sprawl and gaming/racetrack land use (Hays area)?

9) Why did a great Clean Energy Bill SB962 die in the Pennsylvania legislature?

10) How do you plan to balance the city budget operations? Would you display publicly your investment operations? Do you think that the city needs to reform its tax structure to remain solvent?

11) How do you plan to bring jobs to Pittsburgh? How will you keep employers in Pittsburgh?

12) Where do Dems and Repubs stand on the Supreme Court ruling that permits local governments to seize individual property from their owners for the sake of private development?

Law manipulation:

13) What’s your opinion on corporate donations on election period?

Because of the passing of the Energy Bill gas prices are out of control, what are the consequences? They are aweful. Be assured that the high prices of gas had nothing to do with ‘Katrina’s Hurracaine on Sunday, August 29, 2005.

On Monday night, July 25th, 2005, the last version of the Energy Bill was approved by the House-Senate conference committee. On Friday, July 29, 2005, the bill was passed by the Senate without review.

The house voted on the Energy Bill as follows: Republicans 200 and Democrats 75, see statistics at

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll445.xml .

The senate results on the Energy Bill for both parties was: 74 yes, 26 nos.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00213

Action Pennsylvania www.actionpa.org predicted that the repercussions of the energy bill would be a terrible loss for the country and would: “*increase gasoline prices; *do nothing to reduce our reliance on oil imports ; do nothing to increase auto fuel efficiency; do nothing to transition our electricity sector towards clean renewable energy; inventory the U.S. coastlines for oil and gas, to make way for future drilling in our coastal waters; trample state's rights to protect their coasts from liquefied natural gas terminals (used so we can go to war for gas as well as oil, now that we're running out of natural gas in North America); require ethanol use, increasing gas prices [mention this if you're in a Western or New England state, where ethanol would need to be imported from the mid-west]; make us more vulnerable to terrorism by building more juicy terrorist targets (new nuclear reactors and a new gas pipeline from Alaska); throw many billions of tax dollars into the expensive and polluting nuclear power industry; promote nuclear proliferation by reversing long-standing U.S. policy against reprocessing waste from commercial nuclear reactors, and using plutonium to generate commercial energy; promote building more coal power plants; provide incentives to cut down our national forests for energy production.”

There are big differences among Greens, Democrats and Republicans, a detailed descriptive table enlists them at http://www.therealdifference.org/issues.html

In a letter published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Lois Drumheller of Monroeville expressed his frustration with the Democratic party in his “Save us Democrats:” ‘…We've been fighting off an ever-deepening economic slide -- so willfully put forth by "conservatives." Our children and their children will pay it off over the course of their lives. Even worse, many will pay /with/ their lives to fight an illegal war in a country without weapons of mass destruction -- Iraq…Frist and his sort of leadership are owed nothing! Senate Democrats must stand up. No compromise! This Senate has approved more than 95 percent of the Bush administration's judicial nominees.’

Another example of how the Republican party ideology may not be your ideology is by reading their opinions on taxes or the minimum wage. In August of last year, Adam B. Summers, a Policy Analyst for Reason Foundation said in his “Living Wage’ Laws Defy Basic Economics and Hurt Intended Beneficiaries:” ‘It is precisely the people who are trying to work their way up in the world that are hurt the most by minimum and "living wage" laws.’

Make no mistake, */the Green Party undeniably opposes the war in Iraq and demands a withdrawal of our troops from Iraq now. /*What did we get from this abominable war? Nothing to be laugh at. Lost of lives, funding cuts for health, safety, and economic rights; housing and veterans assistance cuts, instability and a huge debt.

What do polls show? A number of polls taken in august 2005 indicate that 61% of Americans is opposed to the war http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/13/2005/1421 . Third parties have an extensive history as anti-war advocates. The Green Party is not unfamiliar to the sensitivities and realities of Americans and the Iraqi People.

In August 25, 2005, the Green Party sent a press release demanding an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, along with an online petition against the war, and criticized the Democratic Party support for Bush’s Iraq policy, which will be sending additional troops to Iraq soon. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party leadership is maintaining its stubborn position and continues teaming up with the Iraqi invaders and is now lobbying for an exit time table strategy instead of demanding a prompt exit http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_08_25.shtml.

There is need of more principled registered Green representatives in America. In Pittsburgh, the voice of an honest and humble man can brighten the horizon of our city a it is longer overdue. Register Green and vote for Titus, he is the one now.

Green Party of Allegheny County http://www.gpoac.org (412) 231-1581 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th St., NW Washington, DC 20037 202-319-7191,866-41-GREEN

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