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Friend --
February 2022
Working toward a future where people and planet are
valued, and our government represents all of us.
YOUR 2022 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
BY GPPA
CO-CHAIR BETH SCOGGIN
Happy New Year, everyone! With 2021 now behind us, this is
the perfect time to look ahead and create the metaphorical trellis
upon which the rest of this year will grow vines. With your help,
those vines can bear the fruit of Greens in elected offices across the
Commonwealth. . . .
A few weeks ago, a Democratic Party candidate for Governor,
Josh Shapiro, visited West Chester, the county seat of Chester County,
where I live. Stumping for Shapiro was the current Governor Tom Wolf.
A group of people from the Uwchlan Safety Coalition,
www.uwchlansafetycoalition.org, organized a demonstration of residents
to ask Governor Wolf, in person, to pull the construction permits for
the Mariner East II pipeline. . .
While we protested, chanting "Pull the permits now!" and
holding signs, both Wolf and Shapiro noticed us but did not
acknowledge our presence. They were too busy patting themselves on the
back for not being Donald Trump, and giving speeches devoid of plans
for meaningful change. . . .
Now more than ever, we need Green solutions to the problems
plaguing us all. Climate change has already been causing violent
storms in many parts of the world, droughts and wildfires in other
parts. A lack of nationalized health care has caused many to die
needlessly because they can't afford the care they need. Hospitals are
understaffed and their workers are exhausted and underpaid. Similarly,
lack of funding for education has led to staff shortages so severe
that it's a wonder our schools can operate on a day-to-day basis. It's
been more than a decade since Occupy Wall Street, yet wealth
inequality continues to grow by the day. Mainstream politicians
continue to ignore these issues. They will continue to ignore these
issues because corporations benefit from the status quo, and those
same corporations fund electoral campaigns of the two corporate
parties. The Green Party is the ONLY party that does not accept
corporate funding, and as a result, you can count on Green candidates
to represent YOUR interests!
The Green Party is calling for YOUR help in 2022! If you care
about promoting our four pillars of nonviolence, social justice,
grassroots democracy, and ecological wisdom, please join us! Whether
you're new to politics, have plenty of experience but have taken a
break, or have been fighting the system for decades, we will welcome
you and find something important for you to do. We need candidates for
all elected offices, as well as people who will help those candidates
run their campaigns. Make one of your New Year's resolutions to get in
touch with your local Green Party, or start one of your
own!
https://www.gpofpa.org/forms/shares/new?page_id=3981
GPPA NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
edited by Chris Robinson
PA Green Party Elects 2022 Steering
Committee
 GPPA has two
co-chairs who serve for staggered two-year terms. The delegates [on
1/9/22] elected Co-chair Jay Ting Walker (Allegheny County) as leader
until the end of 2023. Walker has been a member at large of the GPPA
steering committee and an elected member of the Green Party of
Allegheny County (GPOAC, https://www.alleghenygreens.org/) steering
committee since 2017. Walker has also run twice for election as the
GPPA candidate for PA House District 23. Incumbent Co-chair Beth
Scroggin (Chester County) said, “I am so grateful to Jay Ting Walker
for joining me as co-chair! His energy, enthusiasm, and ideas are just
what the Green Party needs to move forward this year.” Referring to
other new members of the GPPA steering committee, Scroggin continued,
“David Ochmanowicz (Bucks County) brings more than a decade of
experience with the Green Party as well as his seasoning as an elected
Green official. Beth Schongar and Claire Cohen are both accomplished,
passionate women who will bring fresh perspectives to our steering
committee. Overall, we will have a great team of people!” Asked for
his political forecast, Walker said, “I predict that 2022 will be a
dazzling year for the Green Party. We have justice, climate science,
the people, and even the PA Constitution on our side. Our only
obstacles are the corporations and the politicians they have in their
pockets. The Green Party will be in the streets and on the ballot,
fighting for the future of every citizen of PA. . . .”(show all)
Green Party Opposes Fossil Fuel
Pipelines in PA
 Jocolyn
Bowser-Bostick (Delaware County), a former member of the Green Party
of Pennsylvania (GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) steering committee, pointed
out, “. . .There are numerous examples of how pipeline companies have
been allowed to grossly pollute the environment without meaningful
consequences .. . . There are many patterns of behavior we need to
stop and many actions we need to take to make sure we will have a
healthy, safe and beautiful environment in which we, our future
children, and our precious wildlife can thrive, and the Green Party
with its 10 Key Values makes sure these goals remain central to our
purpose. . . .” “My point of view,” she continued, “and that of the
Green Party of PA is that there is no sane reason to be maintaining or
adding to the pipeline infrastructure that we have in PA. In fact, on
November 14, 2021, the assembled delegates of the Green Party of
Pennsylvania voted unanimously to oppose any proposed or under
construction fossil fuel pipelines in PA and to favor the dismantling
of in-use fossil fuel pipelines as soon as possible, which will be
able to happen as we adopt more clean energy infrastructure. . . .”(show all)
Mayor Kenney: Appoint Rich Garella to
Philadelphia City Commissioners
 The Minor Party
seat will soon be open on the Philadelphia City Commissioners,
offering a good opportunity to remember that there are more than two
political parties in Philadelphia. The Green Party of Philadelphia was
founded in 2001, like all Green Parties, on our “four pillars” of
grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom and social
justice. The Green Party of Philadelphia offers up to Mayor Kenney the
perfect candidate to fill the seat vacated by Republican Commissioner
Al Schmidt: Richard Garella. Rich is a long-time advocate of fair
elections. He is a member of the Election Verification Network and a
co-founder of Protect Our Vote Philly, a “coalition of groups and
individuals, working to bring elections that are verifiably fair,
accurate, and secure to Philadelphia, at a fair cost.” Rich has spent
countless hours observing and reporting on Philadelphia elections as
an official Green Party observer and knows first-hand how to improve
our system. Through POV, he has pushed for voting machines that insure
the integrity of the vote, and other measures to guarantee that all
Philadelphians’ votes count. Rich’s values are Philadelphia’s values,
and we urge Mayor Kenney to appoint this outstanding candidate as City
Commissioner. . . .(show all)
It was a good run . . . but the race is
far from over.
 David
Ochmanowicz has been a Green Party activist since 2011.
During 2017, he ran for and won a seat as Director of the Quakertown
Community School Board in Bucks County. Ochmanowicz did not run for
re-election this year, and he has offered some thoughts about his
presence as School Director. -- By David Ochmanowicz. As my 4 years as
School Director conclude, who would have thought I would have so many
mixed feelings over these last few months. What a privilege it has
been to be the voice of a (my) community. What a responsibility it has
been to be trusted to serve. It's an end to something; an ending I
chose with my eyes wide open. You might think that would make my
transition into a more normal life much easier. But it doesn’t. . . .
What will happen next is still unwritten. “We the People” must pay
attention, get involved, and participate. Otherwise, the pages of time
will be written by private lawyers funded by corporate interests. You
should support people who choose to fight for the public good, for the
common good. You should become a person who chooses to fight for the
public good, for the common good.(show all)
Green Party Candidates Reflect On 2021
PA Election
 In the 2021
General Election, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA,
www.gpofpa.org) had 12 candidates on the ballot and several write-ins.
When the smoke cleared, the Green Party had seven candidates win the
election. Several Green Party candidates offered their thoughts on the
2021 campaign. Those thoughts are collected here to help future
candidates, especially those who are running for office in 2022. . .
. (show all)
holding signs, both Wolf and Shapiro noticed us but did not
acknowledge our presence. They were too busy patting themselves on the
back for not being Donald Trump, and giving speeches devoid of plans
for meaningful change. . . .
Now more than ever, we need Green solutions to the problems
plaguing us all. Climate change has already been causing violent
storms in many parts of the world, droughts and wildfires in other
parts. A lack of nationalized health care has caused many to die
needlessly because they can't afford the care they need. Hospitals are
understaffed and their workers are exhausted and underpaid. Similarly,
lack of funding for education has led to staff shortages so severe
that it's a wonder our schools can operate on a day-to-day basis. It's
been more than a decade since Occupy Wall Street, yet wealth
inequality continues to grow by the day. Mainstream politicians
continue to ignore these issues. They will continue to ignore these
issues because corporations benefit from the status quo, and those
same corporations fund electoral campaigns of the two corporate
parties. The Green Party is the ONLY party that does not accept
corporate funding, and as a result, you can count on Green candidates
to represent YOUR interests!
The Green Party is calling for YOUR help in 2022! If you care
about promoting our four pillars of nonviolence, social justice,
grassroots democracy, and ecological wisdom, please join us! Whether
you're new to politics, have plenty of experience but have taken a
break, or have been fighting the system for decades, we will welcome
you and find something important for you to do. We need candidates for
all elected offices, as well as people who will help those candidates
run their campaigns. Make one of your New Year's resolutions to get in
touch with your local Green Party, or start one of your
own!
https://www.gpofpa.org/forms/shares/new?page_id=3981
PA Greens Endorse Shut Down
Berks
 Meeting virtually
on November 14, elected delegates to the Green Party of Pennsylvania
(GPPA, www.gpofpa.org) unanimously endorsed the Shut Down Berks
Coalition. The coalition is a group of organizations and individuals
demanding the closure of the Berks County Family Detention Center
(BCRC) in PA and an end to the practice of imprisoning immigrant
families in the U.S. . . . “Detention is not a deterrent, and we have
seen countless studies and statistics to that effect,” explained
Secretary Jes Potts of the Green Party of Berks County. . . . (show all)
edited by Noah Alter
Biden Must Issue Executive Orders on
Climate, Halt Fossil Fuels
 The EcoAction
Committee of the Green Party of the United States (Green Party US)
condemns President Biden’s year of climate negligence and renews the
call to pressure the president to declare a climate emergency and
issue a comprehensive series of related Executive Orders, as described
on ClimatePresident.org. . . . “Biden and the Democrats have
squandered the first year of what is likely to be only a two-year
window . . . ,” [said Mark Dunlea, co-chair of the EcoAction
Committee]. “Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) issued a ‘Code Red for the planet,’ saying the pledges made by
elected officials since the Paris accords were far too little to avoid
a climate collapse. It is long past time for Senator Schumer to make
Senators take a public vote on whether they will sacrifice the
well-being of their constituents and future generations in order to
maintain the campaign donations and profits of fossil fuel companies.
. . .”(show all)
Green Party U.S. Steering Committee on
COVID-19 Vaccines and Mandates
The Green Party of the
United States Steering Committee strongly supports the use of
vaccines, vaccine mandates and quarantines as part of a comprehensive
public health effort to curb and eradicate the novel Coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic that has swept the globe since early 2020. . . .
To ensure the most vulnerable individuals and communities are
protected, and provide parents and families the economic and social
aid necessary to support collective public health policy, we support
a…(show all)
edited by Hal Brown
Rising Greens in the Philippines and
Indonesia
 The Green Party of
the Philippines (GPP) or the GGP Kalikasan Muna as they are called are
set to participate in the 2022 local and national elections. Kalikasan
Muna means ‘Nature First,’ and this motto is an apt name for a party
who wishes to reshape politics in the Philippines. The GGP are
fielding both local and national candidates, however only some local
candidates are running under the GGP party name . . . . The GGP’s
platform outlines a declaration of a national climate emergency,
moratorium on mining, food sovereignty, green education, green
communes, and renewable energy. They have a further 10-point plan on
their website . . . . The three green parties in Indonesia are the
Sarekat Hijau Indonesia (SHI), the Parti Atjeh Hijau (PAH), and the
Parti Hijau Indonesia (PHI). In such a large country they have
different influences depending on the location. The oldest and the one
with the best shot at entering the national election in 2024 is the
PHI. They have member groups in all 34 provinces. The other two
parties are more regionally focused. The SHI has 30,000 members in 10
provinces, and the PAH is the newest party with 1,200 members in 7
provinces. . . .(show all)
President of the Congolese Ecologist
Party denounces the Substantial increase in the Standard of Living of
[Government] Institutions
 The largest
country in sub-Saharan Africa, with an area equivalent to that of
Western Europe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is endowed
with exceptional natural resources. In addition to its mineral wealth
(cobalt and copper in particular), the country has great hydroelectric
potential, vast arable land, tremendous biodiversity and is home to
the second largest tropical forest in the world. However, poverty
remains widespread in the DRC. The country ranks third in the world
for the number of poor people and the situation has worsened further
following the COVID-19 pandemic . . . . For [the leader of the
Congolese Greens] Didace Pembe, the finance bill tabled by the
government in parliament is far from having a social character in many
respects . . . . He criticized the substantial increase in the
standard of living of [government] institutions at a time when the
Congolese are demanding a drop in this standard of living. “As I
looked through the different lines of credit, I noticed the existence
of several agencies and services whose usefulness in the field leaves
me perplexed. The budgetary allocations of the Presidency of the
Republic increased by 37.2% in 2022 . . . an increase of
$94,900,000!!! I would like to know for which objectives?”(show all)
Norway Greens’ Alternative
Budget
 The Green Party of
Norway or the ‘Miljøpartiet De Grønne’ (MDG) has published an
alternative budget for 2022. While the MDG is currently not holding
power in Norway’s ruling coalition they have created an example of
what the economy could look like called ‘The Good, Green Life.’ The
hope is that this budget may provide examples of what the ruling
coalition could do to better help the environment. Here are [two] of
the main points: Give a check for 4,000 kroner ($561 CAD) to each
person, so a 5 person household would receive 20,000 NOK ($2,805 CAD).
Once this is in place they will hike prices for climate threatening
activities like driving fossil fuel cars or flying regionally around
the country. This climate reward check would be financed by the taxes
on these activities . . . . Spend more money on green energy
investments such as off-shore wind, solar power, carbon capture and
storage, and increasing recycling and reusing facilities. These
investments would go hand in hand with raising the tax on oil to 43
NOK per barrel. Thus, incentivizing green energy and taxing harmful
fossil fuels . . . (show all)
Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Team &
Media Committee
Issue Credits:
EDITORS: Noah Alter, Hal Brown, and Chris Robinson, Dave
Ochmanowicz Jr
CONTRIBUTORS: Lorianne Burgess, Connor
Mulvaney, Beth Scroggin, Bob Small and Kearni
Warren
LAYOUT: Tina Olson & Sheri
Miller
GRAPHIC ARTS: Kevin Richardson
Everything we do is based on our Four Pillars and Ten Key
Values. If you find that you
share these ideals, come and join the movement.
You can support the Green Party in many
ways; however, a monthly sustaining donation helps to fund a solid
infrastructure to help local chapters coordinate candidates and
provide resources to make their campaigns
successful. As little as $3 per
month can have a significant
impact!
Sustaining Donation Single
Donation Purchase Green
Merchandise
Join
us and help bring about a
future where people and planet are valued over profits. We have a new,
tiered membership structure that allows you to determine your level of
commitment and support. And if you want to get more directly involved,
consider joining
an action team. Work with other
committed progressives and activists in activities such as planning
events, developing media content, or helping with campaigns. Let's
join together to make 2020 the year of progressives!
The Green Star is an official publication of the Green Party
of Pennsylvania Communications Team * 2021
Green Party of Pennsylvania
http://www.gpofpa.org/
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