"COVID-19 has exposed how poorly prepared the U.S. healthcare system is to handle an epidemic,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Margaret Flowers, who also serves on the Board of Advisors to Physicians for a National Health Program. “We've missed the window for containing the virus through screening, testing and monitoring infected people and their contacts — as they did in China, South Korea and other countries. And so we can expect millions of cases.” Flowers also warned that “getting ill in the United States carries the extra burden of potential financial ruin. We need to move to a National Improved Medicare for All health system and paid medical leave as rapidly as possible."
The Green Party stands for Medicare for All | Green Party platform plank on Health Care
Apr 20, 2020
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
April 20, 2020
"Social distancing is sometimes not an option for us," said New York City activist Betty Davis at a Black is Back Coalition national teleconference. "When they close the schools, many working class people don't have a partner, so they have to rely on extended family." Coalition chairman Omali Yeshitela called Covid-19 "a colonial virus. Colonialism is when somebody else controls every aspect of your life," including your ability to resist a pandemic.
Apr 20, 2020
The Green Party of the United States has announced lawsuits have been filed in Illinois and Georgia to stop Democratic- and Republican-run boards of elections from exploiting COVID-19, social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines that prevent the Green Party from gathering petition signatures for candidates. The Green Party has been appealing to governors across the nation for emergency ballot access relief for candidates in the interest of public health and safety. Lawsuits in more states are being explored if officials do not respond.
Apr 19, 2020
The pandemic may have robbed Donald Trump of a growing economy. It may have trapped Joe Biden in his basement. But it may yet do something even worse to the Libertarian and Green party nominees: keep them off the ballot in many of this year’s key states.
In 2016, the Libertarian Party was on the general election ballot in all 50 states; this year, it has secured ballot access in just 35. Similarly, the Green Party—which in 2016 had its best election ever by making the ballot in 44 states, with another three states granting the party’s candidate official write-in status—has qualified for the November ballot in only 22 states.
Apr 19, 2020
State Sen. Scott Jensen, center, joined Independence Party Chair Phillip Fuehrer, far left; Minnesota Green Party Chair Trahern Crews, center left; and Libertarian Party Chair Chris Holbrook, center right; at a February press conference at the State Capitol to promote minor party ballot access.
The most fertile places for Minnesota's minor political parties to gather signatures to get their candidates on the ballot are lakes and festivals. But COVID-19 has made both off-limits for party petitioners — and going door-to-door isn't a viable alternative.
Apr 17, 2020
BOYNTON BEACH, FL – First of all, our hearts go out to the millions around the world who are sick and dying, whose lives are being dismantled, as even the simplest things like going to the supermarket, or picking up one's prescriptions, or visiting friends and family, require calculating the risk while bank accounts are vanishing. A chorus of politicians and corporate moguls is insisting that on the big scorecard of points on the Dow Jones versus the body count of dead Americans, Dow Jones must be the winner.
Apr 15, 2020
By Don Fitz
Preparing for a pandemic requires understanding that a change in the relationship between people is primary and the production of things is secondary and flows from social factors. Investors in profit-based medicine cannot comprehend this concept. Nothing could exemplify it more clearly than Cuba’s response to the corona virus (COVID-19).
The US dawdled for months before reacting. Cuba’s preparation for COVID-19 began on January 1, 1959. On that day, over sixty years before the pandemic, Cuba laid the foundations for what would become the discovery of novel drugs, bringing patients to the island, and sending medical aid abroad.
Apr 14, 2020
By Greg Gerritt
I have been working with a group of people to plan a 50th Earth Day celebration for Rhode Island but given the global pandemic associated with COVID-19, the odds of having a public celebration on April 22 are approaching zero and getting slimmer every day (we are starting to discuss an on line event) considering that the whole state is in lock down and it is extremely unlikely that the pandemic will be over by Late April.
Apr 14, 2020
By Alan Smith, Co-chair of the Green Party of Pennsylvania
On January 28, 1969, an oil spill occurred on the California coastline. Three million gallons covered an 800 square mile area killing over 10,000 animals and countless sea creatures.
Activists meeting about the oil spill created The Santa Barbara Declaration of Environmental Rights. "Moved by an environmental disaster in the Santa Barbara Channel to think and act in national and world terms....We propose a revolution...We will begin anew." Out of the death and destruction, of this oil spill did come something new.
Apr 13, 2020
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Loosen the rules for early voting
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Suspend signature gathering
HARTFORD, CT – The Green Party of Connecticut has long been an advocate for more democratic and more representative balloting laws in Connecticut, as we are an advocate for the broadest possible enfranchising of Connecticut residents. Even though we are a recognized minor party in Connecticut, our candidates must often overcome large obstacles in the form of onerous petitioning requirements just to be on the ballot.
Apr 13, 2020
PITTSBORO, NC – With the news that Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for president, our hearts go out to our friends and the millions of Bernie supporters who invested so much of their time, passion, and funds over the last several years to fight for economic and social equity and justice, Medicare for All, and a Green New Deal.
Please keep your fire burning and break from the corporate two-party system that continues to fail us over and over again! No more lesser of two evils. We, the North Carolina Green Party, invite you to stand with us and demand an actual democracy that represents all of us. Now more than ever, we’re reaching out to all of you to help us build a better world.
