[Prairiegreens] RE: [UCprogressives-discuss] Re:[Peace-discuss]Fw: Election

[Esther Patt]

I was elected to Urbana city council as a Democrat and have worked for 
numerous candidates for Urbana city council for the last 25 years, all of 
whom ran on the Democratic ticket.  None of us were working for the man.  
And speaking only for myself, I have no interest in what it will do for ME 
in 10, 20 or 30 years. That's not why I ran.  I worked for those candidates 
and for myself so we could get:

* A tenants' rights ordinance in Urbana
* Recylcing collection in Urbana for all residents, including apartment 
dwellers
* A Human Rights Ordinance in Urbana that prohibits discrimination based on 
sexual orientation, source of income (including Section 8 housing vouchers), 
status as a student, and criminal conviction record, in addition to the 
protected classes included in federal and state law
* A visitability ordinance in Urbana requiring that all homes built with tax 
dollars be designed so that people who use wheelchairs can enter.
* Replacement housing that is truly affordable for low income residents as 
part of redevelopment of public housing.
* A resolution against the war in Iraq
* A living wage ordinance.

These are just some of the accomplishments of the progressives in Urbana 
city government.  None of these were done for the man.  None of these 
benefit the man or corporate interests.  Frankly Ken, it's arguments like 
yours that drive many people away from the Green party.  You can make a good 
pitch about why we need more than a two-party system.  Stick with that.   
Portraying your neighbors who run as Democrats as corporate agents is not 
convincing  and does not help bring progressives together.
Esther Patt

>From: "Ken Urban" <kurban at parkland.edu>
>To: <bluemoon at uiuc.edu>, <brussel at uiuc.edu>
>CC: 
prairiegreens at lists.groogroo.com,ucprogressives-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com,Regina 
Cassidy <RCassidy at parkland.edu>,peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
>Subject: Re: [Prairiegreens] RE: [UCprogressives-discuss] 
Re:[Peace-discuss]Fw: Election Commission
>Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 21:31:39 -0500
>
>Mort,
>
>You can't seem to see that the corporate parties will just continue to
>persue corporate activities. Can't you see that this is just another
>political ploy to gain power for the Democratic Party in the false name
>of progressive policies. I pity you if you can't see the difference; you
>end up another dupe to be ignored by the millionaires running the
>country.
>
>And yes, there are some quite progressive Democrats, and my question to
>them is: Why are you working for 'the man'?  What good will it do you in
>10 years, 20 year or 30 years.
>
>Ken
>
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>Ken Urban
>Assoc. Prof., Computer Science
>Parkland College
>
>Office: B129A
>            (217)-353-2246
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> >>> Morton K.Brussel <brussel at uiuc.edu> 10/27/2004 
11:54:19 AM >>>
>The Greens are being self destructive here. In some places, Greens do
>agree to join with Democrats if the "progressive cause" will 
be
>advanced in doing so. This would seem to apply here. It has applied
>elsewhere (Germany, France, e.g.). Don't hold your breath for the
>current electoral system to change while we revert to Republican
>domination of the County Board.
>
>I understand that the current candidates of the Green party feel
>undercut by Fabri's argument, and resentful, but for the voter who
>wants to see progressive policies continue on the County Board, Fabri's
>
>argument has merit. Will progressive issues advance or retrogress if
>indeed the vote is split on the Green-Democrat side of the ledger? That
>
>is the question in this particular election.
>
>mkb
>
>On Oct 27, 2004, at 11:19 AM, Dawn Owens-Nicholson wrote:
>
> > Tony Fabri wrote:
> >
> >> In my relatively short time participating in local politics 
(12
> >> years), I've come to the opinion that splitting the 
progressive vote
>
> >> between two or more parties will only improve the already 
strong
>odds
> >> of electing conservative Republicans in Champaign County.
> >
> > This is only true under the current two-party system.  But if both
> > democrats and republicans are able to get themselves elected under
> > this system, there is no incentive for them to change the 
electoral
> > structure to something more fair to other parties (instant 
runoffs,
> > proportional representation, etc.)  In every election, democrats 
are
>
> > able to discourage progressives from voting for progressive third
> > party candidates by alleging that the republican alternative is 
SOO
> > horrible that it is irresponsible to vote for the candidate you
>really
> > want.  But are democrats moving us toward alternative election
> > structures?  No.  Why should they?  They can get themselves 
elected
>by
> > scaring progressives into not voting for progressive candidates.  
It
>
> > is not in their interest to make it possible for non-democrats to 
win
>
> > races.
> > The ONLY way we will ever get instant runoff elections is if one 
of
> > the two power parties can no longer get its members elected 
because
>of
> > third party pull.  It is the democrats and republicans who would 
have
>
> > to be the ones to introduce and pass the legislation needed to 
change
>
> > the system.   To do this, they would need an incentive.  If they 
are
>
> > able to get elected under the current system, they have no 
incentive.
>
> > If democrats find it difficult to get elected because  the
>progressive
> > vote is split between the democrats and the greens and the
>socialists,
> > only then will they work toward a fairer election system--because 
it
>
> > will be in their interest to do so.
> >
> > --
> > Dawn Owens-Nicholson
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Peace-discuss mailing list
> > Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
> > http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
> >
>
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