DarylNorthrop.com is live!

http://www.darylnorthrop.com/  has gone live!

All future posts will appear at my new site, which will have (eventually), much more content and information about me, the Green Party, and the services I hope to offer local and regional Green Party groups, along with help for candidates!

Daryl Northrop

Oil spills, oil pollution, drill baby drill - but what is the real issue? - OIL

Time to set back for a minute and think about what dependence on oil means.

Oil dependence means that our entire economy, lifestyle, and future is dependent on oil. This single commodity is not something we control, but rather something that controls us. Now, we have all seen the reports of the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. And, we have all heard both sides of the argument over whether or not we should expand or restrict offshore oil drilling. While these are all important issues, the larger issue is: Where should we get our energy? Should it be from a finite, explosive, environmentally dangerous source, like oil? Or, should we harness the vast technological potential of alternative energy souces, renewables, and zero-emission sources?

Like it or not, oil will be with us for decades to come no matter what we do. But the Green Party stands ready to help build the clean-energy economy starting today! We stand for conservation, improved energy efficiency standards, and the rapid development of robust new clean energy sources. Think about where you live - would you rather have less pollution, less environmental damage, and less vulnerability to energy supply disruptions? If you answered yes to all three questions, you are not only giving the same answers as your neighbors, but you are giving the answers that the Democrats and Republicans are ignoring.

For decades, the two major parties have mouthed platitudes about reducing dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels in general. But seriously, where is the real action? Solar panels on the White House is the energy equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Why is this so? Because the Democrats and Republicans, along with the candidates they put forward, take huge contributions from Exxon, BP, Halliburton, and countless other energy companies that depend on the ability to sell fossil fuels to make a profit. The Green Party takes ZERO dollars from these companies (or any other for that matter).

The Green Party believe that clean, sustainable energy independence is the only way forward. The next time you are at the ballot box, think about which candidate and which party will be actually able to lead our nation to energy security.

The Green Party is ready for a clean energy future. Are you? Because what we have so far, just isn't working. Lets roll the film...

It's the obligatory Earth Day post!

It's fairly unavoidable being labeled as an environmentalist if you are a Green Party member. But do I live in a solar powered tree house?

No.

I like electricity, I like cars, I like modern doo-dads made of plastic and other such high-tech space age materials.

My environmentalism goes something like this: I know that I, and every other living thing, depends on the earth for life. Period. So we shouldn't poison our earth, because we are literally poisoning ourselves and those that we know and love.

Also, many folks if you ask them "Are you an environmentalist?" reflexively answer "no" because they think of people who live in solar powered treehouses or espouse other radical views. They are not asking the right question.

The correction question is:

Do you want an environment tomorrow that is as clean, or cleaner than the environment today? If you reflexively answered "Yes, of course, that's the most sensible statement I've ever heard" then congratulations! You're an environmentalist, and may not have even noticed it!

The next big issue is, now that you have identified yourself as an environmentalist, is your political party and are your candidates in line with your environmental values? The Green Party has been environmentally conscious since day one.

Does this describe you?

ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature.  We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

 Just some things to think about. Happy Earth Day!

Post Grad School Plans

Hey all -

As grad school comes to an end, I look forward to many things:

0. Spending more time with my wife!
1. Sleeping - this has been far too rare an occurrence over the past two years
2. Reading things I actually want to read.
3. Devoting more time to Green Party activities.
4. And lets not forget....getting to start paying my student loans!

But most of all, I look forward to working with my fellow GSPM grad's as we go out into the world of politics. I really have been privileged to work and study with some amazing people. 

I have been working to change the world for the past 10 years with my activity in the Green Party, and I am just getting started!

--

Daryl Northrop

Follow me on Twitter @DarylNorthrop

Greens helping Greens

As a soon-to-be-graduating student from the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University is to help my fellow Greens and regional Green Party's (DC/VA/MD).

In the VA area, I am working with the Northern Virginia Green Party to help them get their message out. Right now, they are more focused on issue work, as opposed to electoral, which is fine. The chapter has recently started to get more active again, and it will take a bit of time to grow membership, energy, and finances to a point where supporting candidates for local office is viable. I look forward to helping them use email, twitter, facebook, youtube, and other tech tools to help them with the strategy. Helping them get control over their message and get the message out the community and press is something I think is vital!

Over in Maryland, the U.S. Senate race to unseat Senator Mikulski is heating up! Natasha Pettigrew, a Maryland native, and law school student at University of Miami has decided that it is time for Marylander's to stand up against the two party system - she is currently meeting with local Green Party's across the state, and working to earn their ballot. Today, she was in Baltimore, meeting with the Baltimore Green Party, and she will address other party groups in the near future. Natasha's energy, drive, and respect for the citizens of Maryland will make her a great candidate, and I look forward to assisting in her campaign!

2010 will be a busy year for me and my involvement with the area's Green Party groups!

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Daryl Northrop

2010 Green Party Annual Meeting: Detroit June 24-27

Hello everyone! The Green Party Annual Meeting is set to be held in Detroit, MI on June 24-27! Delegates from across the nation will gather to decide  Green Party policy, ideas, strategies, along with having a great time. Democracy is the order of the day, and delegates from our 45 state chapters will be working hard to give Americans more (and better) choices at the ballot box!

Plus, if that does not satisfy your need for democracy and social justice, the US Social Forum is going on at the same time! Visit this link for more info on that event.

More info on the Green Party Annual Meeting:

The National Committee of the Green Party of the United States will meet from June 24-27, 2010, in Detroit, Michigan.  The first three days of the 2010 Green Party Annual National Meeting will run concurrently with the U.S. Social Forum, a gathering of thousands of activists organizing people’s solutions to economic and ecological crisis.  When you register for the 2010 Green Party meeting, you will automatically be registered for the U.S. Social Forum.
You can register for the meeting here, reserve lodging here, and see the schedule of events here.
As the event gets closer, news and updates will be posted to this page, which you can find on the front page of the Green Party’s website, www.gp.org.
E-mail office@gp.org or call 1-866-41-GREEN with any further questions.  Please come back and visit often!

The Green Party is hard at work for Democracy in the United States. Remember, Greens serve only one special interest group: Citizens!

--

Daryl Northrop

Why support a third party? Reasons and barriers...

This article by Great Browne, member of the Northampton Green Party, goes into great detail about the barriers that third parties face in the United States, specifically in her area of Pennsylvania.

But what is most important to realize is that the barriers aren't stopping third parties from participating, they are stopping YOU, the voter, from participating, from having more choices at the ballot box, and from having representation that works for you.

These two paragraphs sum up the article quite well:

It's no wonder. Election laws like those in Pennsylvania make it difficult for independent candidates to get on the ballot. Once on, a strong third-party candidate must endure undemocratic accusations of being a ''spoiler'' in a winner-take-all system. This sense of entitlement by the two major parties breeds complacency and undeserved long-term incumbency. Reforms -- such as ranked voting (used in the Academy Awards) and open primaries (in Washington state and on the ballot this year in California) -- would allow third parties to garner the votes that represent the true popularity of their positions.

For example, the Green Party has always rejected the war efforts of the U.S. military, believing that our incursions into Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, represent imperialistic intentions rather than promotion of democracy. Greens unequivocally support universal single-payer health care and denounce the profit modality of the new health care bill. Greens in Pennsylvania support true clean energy, not ''clean coal'' or the chemical-and-water injecting extraction promoted by the state for our fossil gas deposits in deep shale beds. We believe that protecting our water table and our forest lands trumps temporary economic gain."

 "Complacency and undeserved long-term incumbency" nearty summarizes the problem. When the same two parties exchange power every election cycle, should we really be so surprised that change does not come, or when it does, it comes by the terms of the special interests that fund the two major parties?

The Green Party is striving to change that. All across the country, regular citizens are deciding they have had enough of their votes being held hostage, and their voices being drowned out by special interest.

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Daryl Northrop

The Green Party Twitterverse!

Hello citizens- If you have a Green Party related tweet and want other political supporters to know about it, here are the #hashtags to use:

#Greens
#gp
#greenparty
#gpus

Also, don't forget to follow the Green Party at http://twitter.com/gpus !

For those who are wonder, the hashtag #green seems to be primarily used for eco-news, green-living ideas, green products - it's not a bad tag to use when you have a broad-based political idea you would like to inject into primarily a non-political twitter group.

More later! Stay Green!

--
Daryl Northrop

Interesting blog - Climate Progress

http://climateprogress.org/

This blog is run by the Center for American Progress, which is a Democratic-oriented group. But, the site seems to have good information about climate change science, along with messaging and the political dynamics.

Be sure to visit Green Party oriented sites for a different perspective on things:

Liberty Tree - works to promote citizen engagement and grassroots democracy outside the two-party system.

Green Change - an excellent social networking, blogging, news aggregation site, and coordination zone for Green Party activism.

Good politics grow with good ideas!

--
Daryl Northrop

Northern VA/Fairfax County Green Party meeting April 3rd

Hello everyone!
The Northern Virginia Green Party meeting is scheduled for:
Saturday, April 3rd 3pm
Oakton Public Library

10304 Lynnhaven Place

Oakton, VA 22124

Looking forward to a great meeting with a great group of people. The Northern Virginia Greens are looking to organize structurally, reach out to other groups, update their web presence, and plan for future elections. You can be a part! Stop by and meet citizens just like you who are taking control of their political futures.

The Green Party - Representing one special interest group: Citizens!

Getting coverage in the media: Ideas and action for the Green Party

Sometimes it seems like the mainstream media can only count to two! Once a third candidate or third party gets involved in a race, they either tune out, or resort to formulaic coverage that does little to educate and inform the public on their choices at the ballot box.

The solution is for Green Party candidates to take responsibility and seize the initiative for their own media goals. There are many ways to do this, and I will present two pieces of information.

This article from the Independent Political Report contains quite a bit of useful practical information about how to get your message out. Noted Green Party strategist David Schwab comments "The internet is constantly giving us inexpensive, increasingly effective ways of getting our message out without having to go through the traditional gatekeepers. Blogs, videos on youtube and vimeo, live streaming services, social media like twitter and facebook, and other technologies give Greens the opportunity to take their message directly to supporters, but for now, these opportunities have been severely underutilized."

Never has a truer statement been written! The simple rule to follow is: if the media will not give you coverage, give YOURSELF coverage via your website, blog, youtube account, facebook, and twitter. These tools are free, easy to use, and available to anyone.

More good advice in the same article: "In many instances, they do not have a media strategy adequate to their informational environment. Commenters suggested an invigoration and expansion of independent Green media networks, as well as greater outreach to and pressure on wider and more influential outlets, but they also noted that without significant output from the campaigns themselves, these networks cannot be put to good use. Thus, it was suggested that campaigns produce more press releases and short web videos, engage in social networking, hold press conferences or rallies etc. One might also consider the possibility of reaching out to other third party and independent groups and campaigns."

Very, very good advice! Engage your audience with short, compelling media bursts - audio, video, and text.

Shifting gears....

Rich Whitney, candidate for governor in Illinois, continues to get great coverage from Huffington Post. Whitney brings innovative ideas to the table regarding Illinois state budget woes "...Whitney has presented a comprehensive plan, incorporating ideas from Republicans, Democrats and independent budget analysts. The plan would generate nearly $16 billion in additional revenues, generating a budget surplus of over $2 billion."

As Greens we have a real challenge getting our message out in the media, but with smart use of existing and (mostly) free tools, we can reach out and connect with voters who are ready to hear fresh, new ideas!

Green Party solutions: Reliable, accountable public safety regulation - Toyota, anyone?

The Wall Street Journal covers a story about yet another Toyota vehicle racing out of control, and the driver being saved only after the brave efforts of law enforcement.

WSJ has a video report:



Some questions come to mind:
1. How can this happen?
2. Where are the safety regulators?
3. What can we do?

How did this happen? The problem is called "agency capture." This occurs when a given industry exerts significant influence or completely takes over the regulatory agency that is supposed to regulate it. There are several ways this can happen:
A. The company can contribute significant electoral campaign donations to the Congressional committees that oversee the regulatory agency.
B. The company hires former employees of the agency, and finally
C. Factors A and C combine to a point where members of the regulated industry and their lobbyists are chosen to regulate the industry by the congressional committees that have had their campaigns funded by corporate donations.

Great for the company, right? They get the inside track on derailing or watering down any new regulations, and in doing so, can support their profit margin over the safety and the political wishes of the American people.

What is the Green Party solution?

First, the Green Party and its candidates do not accept any corporate donations, funds from PACs, or other non-human, non-citizen sources.
Second, the Green Party supports robust and effective safety regulation, and stopping the influence of corporate lobbyists over the legislative process.
Third, the Green Party support open government and sunshine laws to facilitate transparency at all levels of government.

The Green Party: Real solutions to real problems.

Why are Green Party candidates better? Take a look at the video:

Why Are Green Party Candidates Better? from Tom Tresser on Vimeo.

These are real citizens running real campaigns. They are not funded by corporations and PAC's, so they can do what the Republicans and Democrats cannot do, and that is represent you.

Click here to learn more about Green Party candidates in Illinois.

--
Daryl Northrop

Great meeting with the Northern Virginia Greens on 02-20! Next mtg 03-27 (tentative)

I would like to thank the Northern Virginia Greens for a very informative meeting on 02-20-10 at Oakton Libary!

Around 10 local Greens met to discuss organizing and strategy regarding activism, the Green movement, and electoral politics. A review of Green Party members holding elected office shows that currently there are 4 elected Green Party members here in Virginia.

We also discussed the current events surrounding the radical expansion of corporate political power from the Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court. This ruling expands the concept of corporate personhood to include unlimited political spending.

You might be scratching your head right now and wondering "Are you saying corporations are people?"

The Supreme Court said it in the late 1800's. Then in the late 1970's, spending money was ruled by the Supreme Court to be protected political speech. Now the Supreme Court combined two branches of already twisted logic to say that corporations may now spend unlimited funds to directly influence elections.

Paul Hughes of the Northern Virginia Greens presented Sierra Club's power point presentation on the history of corporate power in America. Very informative! Sierra Club's corporate personhood page is here, and the powerpoint may be downloaded here.

The Green Party supports the rights of citizens, first and always. Corporations are not people, they should not have the rights of individuals, and they should absolutely not have political rights. Too much power is concentrated in the hands of far to few corporations.

The next meeting of the Northern Virginia Greens is scheduled tentatively for March 27th. I will announce it on my blog as soon as I hear, or you can always check the Northern Virginia Green Party website.

Not in Northern VA and want to link up with your local Green Party? GREAT! Go to the national Green Party site and you can find a link to the Greens in your area. Click here.

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Daryl Northrop 

4 Pillars of the Green Party

What does the Green Party stand for?

In 4 points, here it is:

1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.

2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature.  We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments.  We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

_________________________________________________________

More Green Party ideas coming soon...

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Daryl Northrop 

The Secret Frequency - a Green Party oriented podcast by Steve Kramer

http://www.secret-frequency.com/

Just wanted to post the link to a great Green Party oriented podcast produced by Steve Kramer. Funny, insightful, and up to the minute, the Secret Frequency is a great source for opinion and commentary.

Stop by and have a listen!

--
Daryl Northrop 

Green Party set to advance in Illinois!

Is Illinois about to go heavily towards the Green Party? This article in the Chicago Sun Times seems to lead in that direction.

In 2006, Green Party candidate for Governor, Rich Whitney, rec'd 10.4% of the popular vote - an indication of significant support by the Illinois electorate, and the organizing ability of the Illinois Green Party.

Per the article, voters are "not happy with the choices offered by the mainstream political establishment."

Interesting choice of words. If the voters do not like the ideas and candidates offered by the "mainstream political establishment," how "mainstream" can Democrats and Republicans claim to be?

When voters are asked about whether they support more choices at the ballot box and more parties - they invariably say that they do. Clearly, the Democrats and Republicans are not meeting the needs of American voters.


American voters have more choices at the ballot box now in Illinois with Rich Whitney running for Governor.  Speaking about important issues, and accepting the challenge of leadership is what the Green Party is about - not ducking responsibility with the same failed policies that got us into the mess we are in.

--
Daryl Northrop 

Arlington County, VA Greens are meeting to recruit candidates!

http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2010/02/10/arlington/news/nw251b.txt

The Arlington County Green Party are recruiting candidates at their next meeting, March 3rd 8pm at Silver Diner on Wilson Blvd.

The Arlington Greens have been making their presence felt in local elections. Last year, local Green Party member John Reeder rec'd over 30% of the vote in race for County Board against Democrat Jay Fisette.

Green Party candidates bring fresh ideas, new energy, and clean-funded candidacies to elections. Voters deserve more choices and better candidates - when you are in the voting booth next time, think of the Green Party.

The Green Party: Representing one special interest group - citizens!

How you vote is important - Green Party supports real voting reform

So you vote, right?

Right??

Everyone talks about who to vote for: the best man, woman, for the job - the smartest or the toughest or the most peaceful or the least peaceful or the tallest or the best looking. People use many different methods to determine who they vote for.

But have you ever thought of how we vote?

For presidential campaigns, each state has a number of votes in the electoral college, so whether you vote for the Green Party candidate, the Republican candidate, or the Libertarian candidate, you're not actually voting for the candidates, you are choosing electors.

So, whichever candidate gets the most popular votes in a given state, gets all of that states electors (with the exception of a couple of states). There is no prize for second place, and if you vote for a third party candidate, you are often mocked for "wasting" your vote.

 If voting for the candidate of your choice is such a big problem, then the Green Party of the United States presents:

Solution time!

Option 1: All independent candidates and political parties who are not the Democratic and Republican Party should be banned! Well, not constitutional, and rather mean-spirited.

Option 2: How about a parliamentary system with proportional representation? Not a bad idea, but it would take one (or more) amendments to the U.S. Constitution, plus possibly amendments to various state constitutions, and other constitutional legal headaches. President Obama taught constitutional law, we could ask him....

Option 3: Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) - now here's an idea whose time has come! Instant Runoff Voting allows you, the voter, to rank your candidates in order of preference when there are more than two candidates running for a single office (1992 Presidential campaign: Clinton, GHW Bush, Perot - 2000 Presidential campaign: Gore, GW Bush, Nader) WITHOUT "WASTING" YOUR VOTE.

How does it work?

The short version is: You rank your candidates in order of your preference, 1. Jane 2. Bob 3. Pete
Then, the votes are counted. If a candidate receives a majority (50%+1) then they win and the election is over. However, if none of the candidates get a majority, the Instant Runoff happens. The candidate with the least amount of votes is dropped, and if you voted for that person, then YOUR vote transfers to YOUR SECOND CHOICE. So, it's impossible to waste your vote - your vote only supports candidates you support, and never ends up accidentally helping candidates you oppose.

Looking back, my "short version" is way too long. IRV is so simple and easy to use the liberal Hollywood elite use it to decide the winner of Best Picture in the Academy Awards!

Here is an animated clip from the good folks at FairVote that breaks it all down.:



The Green Party supports your right to a better way of voting! We support Instant Runoff Voting as a way to broaden political participation, and enrich the political culture of our country.

Greens are fighting for a more vibrant democracy. You, the citizen and voter, deserve nothing less.

Like pictures? Here's the flow chart of an election using IRV/Instant Runoff Voting. Pretty......

--
Daryl Northrop

Who writes the 2010 Green Party platform? You do!

The Green Party is re-writing it's 2010 platform. (2004 platform can be viewed here)

"Yeah, so?" you're probably thinking.

The difference is - you, the voter, the citizen, get to write it. As the party that represents one special interest group: Americans, the Green Party values your ideas, your energy, and your contributions. What do you want government to do? What do you want government NOT to do? How should they do it?

Go the Green Party platform comment page to register your views and ideas!

The two corporate controlled parties will never ask you for this kind of help. They don't want your help, the Green Party does.

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Daryl Northrop