September 2, 1998
Open Letter to New Jersey Environmentalists
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Green Party of New Jersey September 2, 1998 Open Letter to New Jersey Environmentalists |
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| AN OPEN LETTER TO NEW JERSEY
ENVIRONMENTALISTS Dear Sierra Club & NJEF Officials, & All Friends of Our Environment, We write to challenge the recent endorsements of Democrat Rush Holt for Congress in District 12 by the Sierra Club Political Action Committee and the New Jersey Environmental Federation Political Action Committee. The endorsements were made without either political action committee bothering to interview Madelyn Hoffman, Green Party candidate for Congress in District 12. Their irresponsible neglect of our candidate implies that nothing she says can persuade the leadership of NJEF and Sierra to support her, that she's not worth considering, that their minds were made up. Madelyn Hoffman's record as an environmental activist speaks for itself. For the last 20 years, she worked with more than 200 community organizations in New Jersey concerned about toxic chemical pollution of our public health. The Grass Roots Environmental Organization (GREO) assisted groups in defeating unnecessary and unwanted dangerous garbage incinerators, hazardous waste disposal facilities, and low level radioactive waste disposal sites. At the same time, these groups promoted comprehensive clean up of hazardous waste sites, increased waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting, and the prevention of pollution. The contrast between Madelyn Hoffman's record and that of Rush Holt is stark. Holt spent most of his career advancing the cause of nuclear power by acting as assistant head of the Plasma Physics lab in Princeton. The dangers of nuclear fusion were recognized by the New Jersey Environmental Federation when it held a joint demonstration, in 1994, with the NJ Public Interest Research Group to oppose the work of the Plasma Physics Lab. How can the New Jersey Environmental Federation claim to stand for the interests of the environment when it endorses a person the organization was recently picketing? Further, Holt worked for the Republican Bush and Reagan administrations and gave financial contributions to Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen, the most anti-environment member of the Republican delegation. In addition, in a statewide televised debate May 22, Holt claimed to be a leader against incineration. Holt has in fact been virtually silent on this issue as he has on other key environmental issues affecting Central New Jersey constituents. He has no position on the planned route 92. Most surprising of all, he failed to take any stand on reducing truck traffic in the region and watched helplessly as his Republican opponent Mike Pappas teamed up with Bob Torricelli to address this issue. Our other Green Party candidates for Congress, Carl Mayer in District 6, and Nick Mellis in District 4, are longtime environmental organizers and at the time of this writing haven't been given the courtesy of an interview. In the case of Mayer, for example, he is the co-author of a book published by the Sierra Club [PUBLIC DOMAIN, PRIVATE DOMINION (1985)]. The failure to interview Carl Mayer is particularly bizarre to members of the Sierra Club. Our two candidates for Freeholder, Fred Disque in Burlington County and Paul Williams in Atlantic County, have likewise not been extended the courtesy of invitations to interview with NJEF and the Sierra Club! This is an insult to democracy and to the health of our environment in New Jersey. It is imperative that the one major party with two corporate heads is finally challenged by the positions and policies of the Green Party. All political action committees that claim concern for our environment have an obligation and a responsibility to the people they claim to represent to give us Greens a hearing. Why vote Green? For the past 50 years or more, since the New Deal, many progressive- minded people have followed a strategy of working within the Democratic Party and voting for the Democratic Party as a means of bringing about social change, even when the Democratic Party candidate is weak. We believe this strategy of voting for "the lesser of evils" has not worked -- important issues are constantly watered down and the environment continues to be destroyed. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have stopped suburban sprawl due to their allegiances to real estate developers. The "Republocrats" participate in the persistent weakening of standards for cleaning hazardous wastes, out of their political debts to large corporate polluters. Recycling programs never reach their potential while multimillion dollar incinerators have been promoted by Democrats and Republicans alike. Agreements like NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) have resulted in rollbacks of several important environmental gains. The planned forthcoming "Multilateral Agreement on Investment" (MAI) will make a deteriorating situation worse. While an occasional Democrat or Republican may break the mold, there's only so far they can go within the constraints of their parties' obligations to "their friends." In fact, the Democrats' recent "leap backward to the right" has allowed unethical businesses to consolidate their political influence in New Jersey and throughout the country. While the Republocrats aren't willing to challenge the abuses of power, the influence peddling, and the multinational corporate bribery, we Greens are committed to the well being of everyone in New Jersey. We're not afraid to challenge corporate power, not afraid to expose those who get corrupted by it. Hiding behind slick tv ads then holding out their hands for millions of corporate dollars to keep a stranglehold on government, the Republocrats are killing democracy. It's time to try something new. The Democrats and Republicans are so completely controlled by the multi-national corporations that they have lost any regard for the American people, our incomes, our health, our communities, our jobs. The Republocrats don't care. Groups like Sierra Club and NJEF, with the endorsements they make, are not evaluating the strength of candidates on issues, but look to maintain the weak grasp of the political process they developed over the years. They're afraid a Green vote will make it more difficult for them to get anything. But it's clear now to all who can see that independent grass roots action is what's most responsible for the environmental gains we have achieved, not playing ball with the power boys in Trenton and in the corporate boardrooms. The Greens are in this for the long haul. We know we will win some races, we'll force the Democrats into fielding more progressive candidates and we'll eventually force a reevaluation of the "winner take all"system as Democrats worry about losing races to Republicans due to the presence of stronger Green candidates in elections. Recent experience in New Mexico bears this out, as the Green movement resulted in Democrats losing seats. The Greens' strategy of building an independent political party, based on grass roots democracy, is succeeding and will continue to succeed. We ask all who care about the environment and the overall quality of life to give decency a chance. GIVE GREENS A HEARING. We're the best way for issues of major importance to be brought to New Jersey's people. We owe no allegiance to multinational corporations, none to polluters, their lobbyists and party bosses. We want your support and participation in helping us to build a real grass roots political party. "Politics as usual" is dead. It's time now for real change in New Jersey, for everybody's sake. It is not too late for leaders of the Environmental Federation and the Sierra Club to reverse course and demonstrate to their members that they really care about the environment, not kowtowing for Republocrat crumbs. It's not too late, but it's getting there. Sincerely, Gary Novosielski, Chairman, Green Party of New Jersey,
Rutherford Jim Mohn, Vice Chairman, Guttenberg Ginger Galvani, Second Vice Chairwoman, Montclair Joe Mosley, Secretary, New Brunswick Stuart Hutchison, Treasurer, Haledon Joseph Fortunato, Esq., Montclair Fred Disque, Candidate for Freeholder, Burlington
County Madelyn Hoffman, Candidate for Congress, 12th District
Carl Mayer, Candidate for Congress, 6th District Nick Mellis, Candidate for Congress, 4th District Paul Williams, Candidate for Freeholder, Atlantic
County |