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
Monday, March 22, 2010
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!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, March 5, 2010
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
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Winter 2010 Green Pages now online (Green Party news/opinion paper)!
Hey citizens - the Winter 2010 Green Pages is now online for your reading enjoyment.
Featured stories cover Florida Greens resisting nuclear power expansion in their state, along with Arizona Greens winning their case in Federal Court to secure ballot access.
Take a look, and get caught up with what local Green Party's are up to in your area. Greens are your neighbors, co-workers, and colleagues - working in your area for democracy, social justice, environmentalism, and non-violent solutions to problems facing our nation today.
More to come!
--
Daryl Northrop
Monday, March 1, 2010
Green Party of PA running multiple candidates
The Green Party of Pennsylvania is running multiple candidates for office this fall! Per this post at the Houston Examiner, the GPPA will be running one US Senate, on Congressional, and four state house representative campaigns. Way to go!
The author of the article raises two very good points, in one race, a candidate needs to raise $2 million to be considered a "serious" candidate. In another race, the magic amount is $500k! These are challenging fundraising goals for even Democratic and Republican candidates, who are lavishly funded by corporate special interests.
This raises an important question: should elections be big fundraising contests, or, should they be contests of big ideas and leadership?
Greens support comprehensive campaign finance reform, so that voters can know that their candidates are fueled by real citizen support, and are not beholden to special interests. When you are choosing a candidate, ask yourself "where does their funding come from?" Does it come from individuals like yourself, or does it come from corporations, unions, or political action committee's? It matters.
The Green Party: standing up for real campaign finance reform. We practice what we preach - no funding from corporations, unions, political action committees.
--
Daryl Northrop
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