Green Change News Release

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, August 10, 2010

For More Information Contact:
Gary Ruskin (415) 472-2859

Sixty-two Green Party candidates nationwide today called for a "Green New Deal," to cut military spending by at least 70%, provide single-payer universal health care, make tuition free at public universities, create millions of new green jobs, abolish corporate personhood, ban usury and legalize marijuana.

Green candidates calling for the Green New Deal include ten candidates for governor, nine for the U.S. Senate and seventeen for the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The Green New Deal is a complete break from the failed policies of the Democratic and Republican parties that have led us to economic and environmental disaster," said Gary Ruskin, co-founder of Green Change, a national political organization.

"The Greens will pick up the New Deal torch the Democrats have dropped, reclaim the goals they have abandoned, such as job creation through public investment and single-payer health care, and expand the goals to include a sustainable green economy," said Howie Hawkins, Green candidate for governor of New York.

These are the ten planks of the Green New Deal:

1. Cut military spending at least 70%
2. Create millions of green union jobs through massive public investment in renewable energy, mass transit and conservation
3. Set ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and enact a revenue-neutral carbon tax to meet them
4. Establish single-payer "Medicare for all" health care
5. Provide tuition-free public higher education
6. Change trade agreements to improve labor, environmental, consumer, health and safety standards
7. End counterproductive prohibition policies and legalize marijuana
8. Enact tough limits on credit interest and lending rates, progressive tax reform and strict financial regulation
9. Amend the U.S. Constitution to abolish corporate personhood
10. Pass sweeping electoral, campaign finance and anti-corruption reforms

Green candidates who have endorsed the Green New Deal include:

Arizona
Rebecca DeWitt, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, AZ-4
Richard Grayson, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, AZ-6
Justin Dahl, Green candidate for AZ House of Representatives, District 12
Luisa Valdez, Green candidate for AZ House of Representatives, District 15
Angel Torres, Green candidate for AZ House of Representatives District 16
Gregor Knauer, Green candidate for AZ House of Representatives, District 17 vLinda Macias, Green candidate for AZ House of Representatives, District 21

Arkansas
Jim Lendall, Green candidate for Governor of AR
Joshua Drake, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, AR-4
Conrad Harvin, Green candidate for AR House of Representatives, District 33

California
Laura Wells, Green candidate for Governor of CA
Duane Roberts, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, CA
Charles Crittenden, Green candidate for CA State Treasurer
Ross Frankel, Green candidate for CA State Controller
Ben Emery, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, CA-4
Dave Heller, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, CA-9
Jeremy Cloward, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, CA-10
Jack Lindblad, Green candidate for CA State Assembly, District 39
Linda Piera-Avila, Green candidate for CA State Assembly, District 41
Lisa Green, Green candidate for CA State Assembly, District 53
Gary Blenner, Green candidate for Center Joint Unified School Board, CA

Colorado
Bob Kinsey, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, CO

District of Columbia
David Schwartzman, Green candidate for DC City Council At-Large

Florida
Anita Stewart, Green candidate for Hillsborough County Soil & Water Conservation Board, FL

Illinois
Rich Whitney, Green candidate for Governor of IL
LeAlan Jones, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, IL
Dan Kairis, Green Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, IL-14
Laurel Lambert Schmidt, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, IL-3
Michael Smith, Green candidate for Cook County Commissioner, District 2, IL

Maine
Erin Cianchette, Green candidate for ME House of Representatives, District 108

Michigan
Charlie Shick, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, MI-3
Matthew de Heus, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, MI-5
Candace Caveny, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, MI-10
Derek Grigsby, Green candidate for MI House of Representatives, District 7
Richard Kuszmar, Green candidate for MI Senate, District 9
Lou Novak, Green candidate for Wayne County Commissioner, District 6, MI

Maryland
Maria Allwine, Green candidate for Governor of MD
Natasha Pettigrew, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, MD

Missouri 
Midge Potts, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, MO

Massachusetts
Nat Fortune, Green candidate for State Auditor, MA

Nevada
David Curtis, Green candidate for Governor of NV

New Jersey
Mark Heacock, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, NJ-1
Steve Welzer, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, NJ-4
Ed Fanning, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, NJ-5

New York
Howie Hawkins, Green candidate for Governor of NY
Cecile Lawrence, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, NY
Anthony Gronowicz, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, NY-7
Ann Roos, Green Candidate for NY State Senate, District 31
Carl Lundgren, Green Candidate for NY State Assembly, District 82

Ohio
Dennis Spisak, Green candidate for Governor of OH

Pennsylvania
Mel Packer, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, PA
Ed Bortz, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, PA-14
Rex D’Agostino, Green candidate for PA House of Representatives, District 183

South Carolina
Morgen Reeves, Green candidate for Governor of SC

Tennessee
Howard Switzer, Green candidate for Governor of TN

Texas
Deb Shafto, Green candidate for Governor of TX
Jim Howe, Green candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, TX-11
Don Cook, Green candidate for Harris County Clerk, TX

Washington
Bob Burr, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, WA

Wisconsin
Ben Manski, Green candidate for Representative in the WI State Assembly, District 77

West Virginia
Jesse Johnson, Green candidate for U.S. Senate, WV

Green Change is a national political organization based in San Rafael, California. We aim to build the Green political and cultural movement in the United States. 

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