Roll call from the states

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Updates from state Green Parties.

Wed 10/01/03†
GreenPages, Vol 7, No.3

Michigan

The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) expressed unanimous support for preserving the living-wage jobs of postal workers and the quality of life in small local communities across the state and the nation at the party’s membership meeting Aug. 23.†

GPMI adopted a resolution offered by Paul Felton of Detroit, a member of the American Postal Workers’ Union (APWU), opposing the recommendations of what he described as a “union-busting” Postal Commission appointed by the Bush administration.†

There was also unanimous consent for a proposal by Roger McClary of Grand Rapids to call on the state’s Congressional delegation to work for repeal of the Children’s Internet Protection Act.†

The stated aim of the act was to protect young people from “visual depictions” that are “obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors” by requiring libraries to filter content at public Internet terminals. However, no image-based filtering software is available, and the text-based programs that do exist are notorious for filtering out legitimate informational sites, including political pages.

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Dist. of Columbia

Members of the D.C. Statehood Green Party insisted that, while federal help is long overdue, the District itself has the tax base to provide for many of the basic needs of residents.

The party has urged several steps that would generate the revenue necessary to cover essential needs such as health care, education, and housing assistance.

“Our District government failed to tap our real tax base, the booming incomes of wealthy taxpayers during the 1990s,” said Michele Tingling-Clemmons. “The result is a regressive local tax structure that fails to meet the essential needs of our residents.”

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Illinois

The Green Party of Illinois has elected a new executive committee consisting of Keith Evans of Macomb, Marc Sanson of Springfield, Phil Huckelberry of Normal, Alicia Snyder of Centralia and Wes Wagar of Chicago.

The party will hold a state membership meeting Oct. 18-19 at the Illinois Youth Hostel in Chicago.