Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka and Happy New Year!

Well, this years holiday break started early and is likely to last a while. If you're looking for something to keep you occupied in the meantime, check out the blogs listed in the Green Bloggers Blogroll, particularly Greeg Jocoy's Green News and Opinion and Steve Herrick's Chlorophyll.

Enjoy the holidays and stay safe.

Water water everywhere but not a penny to keep it clean.

Both the news and the Free Press have article on the release and signing of the Great Lakes Annex 2001. While they both point out the limiting of large-scale diversions in the pact they miss the death by a thousand cut provisions that allow for any number of smaller-scale diversions such as the Nestle Ice Mountain facility in Mecosta county.

While the MCWC suit against Nestle winds its way through the courts, an injunction limits their takings to 200 gallons a minute, half their 400 g/m capacity. They, of course, just open up a second facility.

It will come as no surprise when someone brings up the idea of selling the water in order to pay for the plan. Make sense, right?

Wrong!

Stop the privatization of water!

Money for Water, not for War!

A smoking gun in Detroit's election disaster?

The Free Press reports that a handful of Detroit write-in ballots are being questioned in the Mayoral recount. The ballots appeared to be filled out by the same hand and will be investigated further on Thursday. The article mentions 8 or 15 ballots from a single precinct but Hendrix's lawyer says that as many as 8 precincts have ballots with similar irregularities. And only 100 of the 720 precints have been recounted. More news to follow I'm sure.

Elaine Brown being Counter-Sued

[This was posted as a comment on a older entry so I've brought it to the top]

Friends of Brunswick
PO Box 1776
Brunswick, GA 31521

December 10, 2005

Elaine Brown being Counter-Sued

Elaine Brown, the former and only female leader of the Black Panther Party, wanted to be Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia. Before the election a challenge was filed to the candidacy of Elaine Brown. A hearing was held and evidence presented established that Elaine Brown DID NOT meet the legal requirements to run for Mayor.

Elaine Brown has since filed appeal after appeal and filed other lawsuits challenging the Nov 8 Election results citing many violations and other reasons she cites in her lawsuits.

Now, the first COUNTER-SUIT has been filed against Elaine Brown seeking damages and legal fees.

This is a copy of the news report from The Brunswick News, Friday, December 9, 2005 on Page 2-A

Mayoral election back in court
The Brunswick News
Brunswick, Georgia

The two Brunswick residents who successfully petitioned to get Elaine brown off the mayoral ballot in the Nov 8 city election are now counter-suing her.

Brown has challenged the Glynn County Board of Elections ruling that removed her from the ballot in both Superior Court and U.S. District Court.

In their lawsuit filed Wednesday, Howard Buie and Alice Norman seek restitution of their legal fees for defending themselves during Brown’s hearings.

A hearing on Brown’s lawsuit contesting the results of last month’s election and a request for a new election will be held Dec 19 in Glynn County Superior Court.

A hearing date has not been set for the counter-suit.

[ Green Party Press Releases on Elaine Brown can be found here and here. Additional info at http://www.elainebrown.org ]

Kilpatrick Get out The Vote effort key to win

In this article the Detroit News claims it was Mayor Kilpatrick's ability to bring out non-traditional voters that won him re-election. One political consultant describes it as 'quite odd, quite unusual.' Kinda like the articles suggestion that the fallout from election irregularities was due to some Detroit News breaking stories when all they were doing was covering City Council candidate Maureen Taylor's suit against City Clerk Jackie Currie. Credit where credit is due, I guess.

The story behind the recount

In this story on Hendrix's call for a recount of the recent Mayoral race we learn that candidate Freman is certain he won in his own back yard, Northwest Detroit. His poor showing in that area is what prompted his call for a recount. While many credit the hard work of the Kilpatrick campaign for their victory, this quote may say it all: "Many of the people he [Hendrix] used to know since the 1980s have either died or moved to the suburbs," Lansing pollster Ed Sarpolus concluded from census data. It appears that the Mayor's hip-hop supporters put him back in office.

Windsor Green Party starts blogging

Our green friends across the border have started blogging. With the recent controversy over the admittance of the green party to national debates, there's a lot of interesting info. Take a look and tell them Lou sent you.

Kilpatrick calls recount a waste (sic)

Irony abounds in the fall out of Detroit's recent election as Mayor re-elect Kwame Kilpatrick, of Navigator, petty-cash and late-night-Washington-DC fame, calls recount a waste of taxpayers monies.

Currie requests a partial recount

In what has to be the ultimate irony, former City Clerk Jackie Currie, who obstensibly ran the election, has called for a partial recount. That makes 4, with Currie, Hendrix, city council candidate Dearing and school board candidate Hammons calling for recounts of Detroit's recent general election. And we though Ohio and Florida had problems.

Ohio Greens announce state executive slate

I picked this up over at Steve Herrick's blog Chlorophyll. The Ohio Greens announce candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State, Bob Fitrakis, Anita Rios and Tim Kettler respectively. Dr. Fitrakis, known as fraudbuster Bob, and Rios and Kettler were all involved in exposing the election irregularities that have occured in Ohio.

Now everyone is concerned about the security of the ballots.

Does the mayor not trust the Michigan State Police? Or does he know what can happen to a ballot box that lies unattended? Whatever the reason, the Mayor's lawyers have asked for and received Wayne County Sheriff's protection in addition to the State Police. This is all in preparation for the recount that was called for by the Hendrix campaign, which lost the election by 15,000 votes.

UPDATE: Chief Judge Mary Beth Kelly has struck down Kilpatrick's request for additional protection of the ballots.

It's Time To Dump The Dems, Support The Green Insurgency

Scott McLarty, national media coordinator for the Green Party of the United States wrote an open letter to the Nation in response to their position that they "will not support any candidate for national office who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq a major issue of his or her campaign. We urge all voters to join us in adopting this position." ("Democrats and the War", November 9, 2005 <http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051128/editors>)

In his letter Scott concludes: "The Nation's pledge is admirable, but it says nothing about supporting antiwar candidates. Is this a loophole, in order not to offend
Democrats? Or is the pledge a serious statement that its support for Democrats can no longer beguaranteed? If the latter, we invite all who oppose the Iraq war and the bipartisan consensus to consider seriously the Green insurgency, support our candidates, and join us in making the Green Party the great political endeavor of the
21st century."

A petty punitive proposal to the National Committee of the GPUS

Proposal 191, the latest incarnation of the love-it-or-leave-it rule that would subject any state that didn't put the GPUS nominated candidate on the state's presidential ballot line to possible dissaffiliation is currently being discussed by the National Committee. Voting will begin on Monday.

How this proposal supports our values of grassroots democracy and decentralization is beyond me. The argument is being made that to attract high-caliber candidates we must be able to offer a guarantee of all available state ballot lines. This seems to be pandering in contradiction to our stated values. Will it attract the candidates we want or need?

I urge our National Reps to vote no on 191.

Happy Thanksgiving and remember, Friday is Buy Nothing Day

Wired Magazine has an interview with one of the founders of Buy Nothing Day, a global holiday from consumerism.




Buy Less! Live More!