Press Release: Democracy or Bust? Continuing the Revolution is Green

News Advisory
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA  
Thursday, June 9, 2016

Democracy or Bust? Continuing the Revolution is Green

The Green Party of California congratulates Dr. Jill Stein on winning the Green Party presidential primary with 75% of the vote -- and points to the choice Greens will be providing in the November general election and beyond, to continue the 'political revolution' that so many in this country seek. 
 
"In this historic election, where voters are sick of the rigged economy and the rigged political system, we are offering what Americans are clamoring for - a Green New Deal jobs program to revive our economy and turn the tide on climate change; the cancellation of student debt and free public higher education; health care and higher education as human rights; an end to police violence and the war on drugs; and a foreign policy based on international law and human rights," said Stein during a recent campaign event in San Francisco.
 
And what about the political revolution? "It's hard to have a revolutionary campaign inside of a counter-revolutionary party," adds Stein.
 
"The presidential campaign shows that the electorate is more diverse than can be represented by two parties," said former Santa Monica Mayor and Green Party of California spokesperson Michael Feinstein. "We praise the large number of Greens and independents who used the tools at hand to enter the Democrat primary to try and affect change.  
 
"But the Green Party wants to expand the democracy tool box so that all voters have a chance to vote in the general election for a candidate and party that truly represents their views. For those seeking an alternative to the Democrat and Republican nominees in the fall -- in addition to progressive stances on the issues, the Green Party offers the only transformational reform of electoral system that will give all Americans a voice."
 
The Green Party is the only nationally organized political party standing for the following reforms:
 
For President - (a) Abolish the Electoral College and provide for the direct national popular election of the president by ranked-choice voting, where every voter can rank the candidates in the order of their preference; (b) remove he non-profit tax exemption status that allows corporations to fund the existing Commission on Presidential Debates and other such exclusive privately controlled debate entities; and (c) create a new publicly-funded People's Commission on Presidential Debates, and open its presidential debates to all candidates who appear on at least as many ballots as would represent a majority of the Electoral College and who raise enough funds to otherwise qualify for general election public financing.
 
For Congress and State Legislatures - Elect members from multi-seat districts with proportional representation, which lowers the cost of campaigns, and enables candidates to be elected by their natural constituencies in proportion to their numbers.
 
Campaign Finance Reform - (a) Amend the U.S. Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech; that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights; and to allow the full regulation or limitation of campaign contributions and spending. Such an amendment would overturn Citizens United v. FEC (2010), McCutcheon v. FEC (2014) and Buckley v. Vallejo (1976); and (b) provide direct public financing of campaigns through matching funds programs where small donations are matched with public funds at a multiple ratio, and indirect public financing via amending the 1996 Telecommunications Act to require that fee television and radio time be dedicated to ballot qualified candidates and publicly-sponsored elections debates and forums.

The Green Party of the United States will hold its presidential nomination convention in Houston, August 4-7, with the nomination occurring on Saturday, August 6.

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About the Green Party of California
 
The Green Party of California (GPCA) is guided by its Platform and the Ten Key Values of the Green Movement: Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Community Based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Sustainability.  The GPCA distinguishes itself from and provides an alternative to traditionally entrenched parties by accepting no corporate contributions. Since the GPCA's founding in 1990, 345 California Greens have been elected to public office.
 
The GPCA is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS), and through the GPUS to the Federacion de Partidos Verdes de las Americas and the Global Greens.
 
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