Assembly candidate Josephine Giaimo speaks at the RU Green
Party meeting yesterday in Scott Hall on the College
Avenue campus.
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When Steve Syrick was asked if the Green Party was all about sex,
money and rock 'n' roll, he said, "Sex happens at least annually.
I'm a student and I don't have a lot of money. And rock 'n' roll is
great as long as I can download it, which is always an issue."
Syrick, a mayoral candidate for Princeton Borough, was joined by
some of the most prominent Green Party political figures in the
state at the RU Green Party meeting Wednesday in Scott Hall on the
College Avenue campus.
Former senatorial candidate Ted Glick, Assemblyman Matt Ahearn and
the two party candidates running for state Assembly in District 17,
Josephine Giaimo and David Hochfelder, also attended the event,
which was designed to introduce the public to the party.
Glick, who campaigned last year for U.S. Senate, gave a brief
history of the party in the state. It formed in the early 1990s,
slowly growing and defining itself as a pro-environment and
anti-nuclear power political organization, he said.
The University's section of the group formed in 1992 to further the
goals of the national organization. In 1996 and 2000, Ralph Nader
contributed a great deal of name recognition to the party in the
presidential elections, Glick said. There are currently 49 Green
Party campaigns throughout the state.
Ahearn, the featured speaker of the night, took the floor next. He
was originally elected from Bergen County as a Democrat and later
switched his affiliation to the Green Party, becoming its first
member in the state Assembly.
As a direct participant in state politics, Ahearn had many cutting
criticisms of it. "Only two things make a difference: money and
organized votes that can put one person or party out of power," he
said. "Bills that hurt major campaign contributors will die unless
people get up and work to force the Legislature to get things done."
He provided an example illustrating how voter mobilization is the
only way to counter huge sums of money given to politicians by
corporations unrestrained by campaign finance laws. Ahearn sponsored
an AARP-backed bill that would stop predatory loans against the
elderly and those with low incomes. It was brought out of committee
without being diluted because the AARP mobilized 800,000 voters to
force the hand of the state Senate.
"The constant focus is not on the quality of the legislation but
that the party stays in power, because the party in power gets cash
at a 2-to-1 ratio from corporate sponsors," Ahearn said. "Where does
that leave the American voter?"
Syrick said it is important to be involved in local politics because
many important changes are made at the local level. He also
addressed the issue of being 26 years old and actively involved in
politics.
"People ask if my age is an issue. So I just have to point out that
my opponent is 69 years old so they never make an issue of it," he
said.
Individuals should get involved even at a young age, he said. "I
should have been asked years ago, 'Why aren't you running for
office?'"
The first contentious issue posed to candidates was how the Green
Party should be organized. Glick said he believes a combination of
national and local campaigns have made the party a recognizable
name.
"The visibility, inspiration and credibility of Ralph Nader's
national campaign has contributed to the success of Green candidates
on a local level," he said.
Hochfelder said the party needs to address issues people care about
on all levels.
Another discussion arose over the party reaching out to minorities.
Glick said there were five candidates of different backgrounds
running for office in the state.
However, "we are probably not doing enough," Giaimo said. "We have
some distance there to travel, and I take it as a personal
challenge."
The meeting kicked off with a documentary on Tent State University -
a five-day, student-run protest of the impending budget cuts held
last semester. Restoring funding to higher education is an important
part of the party's message, and Glick and Ahearn spoke at the
event.
"We had to call most politicians dozens of times and got nothing,"
said meeting moderator Xavier Hansen, who helped organize the
protest. "But we barely had to call Matt Ahearn once before he came
to Tent State to show his support."
