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Current Projects of the Steuben County Green Party
ACLU research report, A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform, details marijuana arrests from 2010 to 2018 and examines racial disparities at the national, state, and county levels. Steuben County #1 in NYS for the greatest racial disparity in marijuana arrests.
Howie Hawkins for President

Green Party News

Visit the Steuben County Green Party Facebook page and the Green Party of NYS Facebook page for current news about the Green Party and coverage of Green issues.

Systemic Racism in Steuben County

The following Letter to the Editor by Quincy Clowe from Corning appeared in the Elmira Star-Gazette and the Corning Leader on Sunday, September 27, 2020. Click here for Quincy's summary of Racial Disparities in the Steuben County Criminal Justice System with references.

The criminal justice system in Steuben County is working as intended and designed. Police agencies are tunneling people through at their discretion and control. Punishment is sought and demanded. Communities of color are disproportionally affected, and Black people are exceptionally harmed.

A 2020 ACLU report found Black people in New York state were 2.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white people. In Steuben County, Black people were 19.1 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white people. Steuben County ranked number one in the state for the greatest racial disparity in marijuana arrests. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services reports Black people in Steuben County account for 9% of arrests, 14% of felony arrests, and 22% of those sentenced to prison, despite comprising 1% of the population. There is no available data for people who are ticketed, detained without arrest, or stopped and let go.

With and without intention, police agencies perpetuate repression of Black people. Systemic racism is inextricably linked to policing in this community. Racial profiling, police harassment and abuse are pervasive. The criminal justice system intrinsically functions this way, and it is working well.


Steuben County ranked number one in NYS for the greatest racial disparity in marijuana arrests. From the ACLU report Marijuana Arrests by the Numbers.

Why Vote for Howie Hawkins

Letter to the editor by Darin Robbins. "The status quo is no longer possible. We cannot have business as usual when the country appears to be tearing apart. It is time for innovative ideas and policies that empower everyone, not creeping fascism or compromise that perpetuate our problems. Nothing that progressives want will ever happen in a Biden administration, and nothing will change if progressives always automatically vote Democrat. In the name of getting rid of a Republican incumbent, progressives are cajoled into compromising their vote and insuring that they will always be disappointed. Real progressive issues and structural change can only be guaranteed with a political party independent of corporate money and the reproduction of the status quo. Howie Hawkins, the Green Party, and the Green New Deal is what this nation needs right now. Howie Hawkins is a working class candidate with an encyclopedic knowledge of the issues. The Green Party takes no corporate money and has always been consistent on issues of peace, ecology, justice, and democracy. The Green New Deal promotes an Economic Bill of Rights and a Just Transition to a sustainable future. A vote for Howie is not only for a new president, it is also a vote for the ballot status of the Green Party in New York to continue to be a real alternative for voters. Now is the time to vote our hopes and not our fears, for nothing will change if we keep choosing the lesser evil."

Community Control of the Police

We are working to participate in the police reform process being conducted by Steuben County and the City of Corning. See Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative. Our efforts build on our long-standing support for police reform. In 2016 the Steuben County Green Party voted to endorse the Community Control Platform adopted by the Black Lives Matter movement. The platform calls for direct democratic community control of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Click here for the SCGP resolution. Hundreds marched for Black Lives Matter in Corning on June 6, 2020. Click here for an essay, "Who Polices the Police," by Terry Gerych, a Green Party member from Bath.

Promoting Participatory Budgeting

We are working to promote participatory budgeting in the City of Corning. Click here to download and sign a petition calling for the City to set up a participatory budgeting process. A second, related petition, which grows out of our work on the budgeting referendum, is for a referendum to add a formal referendum process to the City Charter. Click here to download and sign the referendum process petition. The petitions have been developed by Darin Robbins, a Green Party member from Corning. Return completed petitions to Darin, 78 Sterling Street, Corning, NY 14830. Click here for more information about participatory budgeting and how it relates to police reform.

Challenging New York's Restrictive Ballot Access Rules

The Green Party of New York and the Libertarian Party of New York filed a Federal lawsuit on July 27, 2020 in the Southern District of New York to invalidate restrictive ballot access provisions passed as a rider to the FY2021 New York State Budget. Read GPNY press release. "Whatever justification they may use for it, the choice by Gov. Cuomo and the Legislature to create new and onerous ballot-access thresholds this year is clearly designed to eliminate any threat of competition, preserve the state's anemic and uncompetitive electoral system, and satisfy their corporate paymasters. The Green Party stands with all other affected political parties, as well as the voters of New York State, who deserve a robust and expansive democracy," said Peter LaVenia, co-chair of the GPNY.

Supporting the Hawkins/Walker Campaign

The Steuben Greens are working to support the presidential campaign of Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker. They were nominated by the Green Party of the United States at its online convention on July 11, 2020. For info, visit https://howiehawkins.us/

Supporting New York Green Party Candidates in 2020

We are working to support the eleven Green Party candidates running in New York State this year for Congress, State Senate and State Assembly. For more information about their campaigns, visit http://www.gpny.org/2020_candidates .

Steuben Greens Annual Picnic, Aug. 26, 2020

Annual picnic with social distancing. Meet at the west side of Depot Park in Hammondsport for boat rides at Noon. Picnic in the pavilion at Champlin Beach on Keuka Lake at 1:30 pm. Bring your own food and beverages. Click here to RSVP.

Meet Corning Green Party Candidates, Oct. 29, 2019

Meet Elizabeth Whitehouse for Corning City Mayor and Jamie Cooney for Corning Town Council. Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 5 PM – 7 PM, 51 Bridge St, Corning. Learn about their campaigns and how you can help get out the vote in the days leading up to Election Day, Nov. 5. Refreshments. Click here to RSVP.

Green Party Retains Ballot Status for Four More Years

Thanks to the more than 95,000 people who voted for our gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins in the 2018 general election, the Green Party of New York has retained ballot status for the next four years. The Green Party will be the fifth party on the ballot. Many thanks to our statewide candidaites Howie Hawkins for Governor, Jia Lee for Lieutenant Governor, Mark Dunlea for Comptroller and Michael H. Sussman for Attorney General for their excellent campaigns.

Howie Hawkins in Watkins Glen

Regional Green Party Meeting, Sat., Aug. 4, Watkins Glen State Park

The Steuben Greens hosted a regional Green Party meeting on Saturday, August 4, 2018 in Watkins Glen State Park. More info on Facebook .

Steuben County Green Party Platform

On June 18, 2018 we adopted a platform proposing ways in which we can achieve greater democracy in Steuben County . Click here to check out our platform.

Steuben Green Party 2018 Annual Meeting

The Steuben County Green Party held its 2018 annual meeting May 21, 2016 in Corning.

Steuben Greens Endorse BLM Community Control Platform

At our August 15, 2016 meeting, the Steuben County Green Party voted to endorse the Community Control Platform adopted by the Black Lives Matter movement. The platform calls for direct democratic community control of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Click here for the GPSC resolution. Click here for more information about the Black Lives Matter Community Control Platform.

Steuben Greens Program on Cooperatives, May 25, Corning

The Steuben County Green Party presented a documentary and workshop on cooperatives on May 25, 2016 at the Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning. The event began with the documentary Own The Change, showing existing businesses that are worker owned and democratically managed. The film was followed by a workshop on how to develop cooperatives in our community facilitated through Skype by Frank Cetera. Frank is the NYS Senior Business Advisor with the Onondaga Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.

Steuben Green Party 2016 Annual Meeting

The Steuben County Green Party held its 2016 annual meeting May 25, 2016 in Corning.

March against Monsanto and Rally for Local Food, May 21, Corning

The Steuben County Green Party joined other local groups in sponsoring a March and Rally against Monsanto in Corning on May 21, 2016. We marched along Denison Parkway and rallied in Canfield Park. The event was part of the worldwide March against Monsanto events. Click here for an excellent video of the Corning march and rally by Heriberto Rodriguez.

Developing Community Solar in Steuben County

The Steuben Greens sponsored a presentation and discussion of what is involved in developing community solar programs in Steuben County by Michael Straight from NYSERDA in Corning on July 28, 2015, at Susan Donderewicz's farm in Savona, New York. Before the presentation Susan gave a tour of her apple, asparagus, garlic and hops plantings.

Steuben Green Party 2015 Annual Meeting

The Steuben County Green Party held its 2015 annual meeting July 28, 2015 in Savona.

National Green Party 2015 Annual Meeting, July 23-26, St. Louis

The Annual Meeting of the national Green Party in St. Louis July 23-26 is an opportunity to meet Greens from all over the country who are working to build the independent political movement to create a world that works for all of us! There will be workshops on producing videos, running for office, using online tools, student organizing, framing issues, promoting the Green New Deal and more. There will be a field trip to Ferguson Missouri to build solidarity with the founders of the Black Lives Movement. Programs will run from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning (July 23-26), with most events scheduled for Friday and Saturday. For schedule and registration information, go to http://2015greenpartyconvention.org/

Darin Robbins Announces Candidacy for Mayor of Corning in 2015

Darin Robbins has announced he will challenge Corning Mayor Frank Negri again and seek the Green Party nomination. Darin is quoted in an article in the Corning Leader announcing his campaign, "The primary theme of my campaign is that the residents of Corning are the co-owners of the city, and we should have policies that reflect that. 'My platform is focused on promoting direct democracy and resiliency to external economic and environmental change. This includes development and support of worker owned cooperative businesses, local energy production through renewable solar and wind power, and giving residents the chance to have a direct say in how some of their taxes are allocated in the city budget." Corning Leader, March 4, 2015. For more information about Darin's campaign, click here.

Participatory Democracy Petitions for the City of Corning

Darin Robbins has developed two petitions for referenda for amendments to the Corning City Charter. The first petition is for a referendum to set up a participatory budgeting process. The second petition, which grows out of the work on the budgeting referendum, is for a referendum to add a formal referendum process to the City Charter. To sign the referendum process petition online, click here. To sign the participatory budgeting petition online, click here. Click here to download a PDF of the participatory budgeting petition. Click here to download a PDF of the referendum process petition. Return completed petitions to Darin Robbins, 78 Sterling Street, Corning, NY 14830.

Howie Hawkins 2014 Gubernatorial Campaign

Howie Hawkins ran for governor for a second time on the Green Party ticket.“The historic role of third parties is to bring issue to the floor and because they start to get votes, the major parties pick them up,” Hawkins said a press conference. “Our goal is really, not to influence the major parties, but to replace them. Our political system is so bought and paid for by the one percent that we really need to start electing our own people.” See Hawkins to run again on Green Party line, Ithaca Journal, April 9, 2014.

Joe Duffy for Mayor of Hornell in 2013

Joe Duffy was the Green Party candidate for mayor of the City of Hornell in 2013. Joe received 440 votes in a two way race against Democrat Shawn Hogan, who received 818 votes, according to the Steuben County 2013 official election results.

Darin Robbins for Mayor of Corning in 2013

Darin Robbins was the Green Party candidate for mayor of the City of Corning in 2013. Darin received 357 votes in a two way race against Frank Negri who received 1296 votes on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, according to the Steuben County 2013 official election results.

March Against Monsanto, May 2013, Corning

Elmira-Corning March Against Monsanto

In solidarity with the national action against Monsanto, the Steuben Greens participated in the March Against Monsanto in Corning on May 25. We marched and had a community supper to share information about the dangers of GMOs and the patenting of seeds.

Read the Green Shadow Cabinet statement What must be done about the Monsanto corporation and why.

System Change Not Climate Change

Green Party of New York State members and banner in Washington DC on Feb. 17, 2013.

Join the Steuben Greens in calling for a ban on hydro-fracking in New York and across the nation. Join the Don't Frack Steuben County Facebook page.

Occupy Corning/Elmira

The Steuben Greens support the Occupy movement. Click here to read our statement in support. A number of our members in the Corning area are participating in the Occupy Corning/Elmira general assemblies. Get updates about Occupy Corning/Elmira activities on the group's Facebook page. Click here for a video of Darin Robbins, a Green in Corning, speaking about the Occupy movement.

State and National Green Party Candidates

Members of the Steuben County Green Party worked in 2012 for Jill Stein's campaign for President of the United State and Colia Clark's campaign for US Senate from New York.

Colia Clark for US Senate from New York in Corning 2012

Colia Clark, Green Party for US Senate

Colia Clark, the Green Party candidate for US Senate from New York came to Corning on May 1, 2012 and spoke at three Occupy events. The events received widespread press coverage, including: WENY (ABC affiliate), WETM (NBC affiliate), the Corning Leader, the Elmira Star-Gazette and YNN, most of which featured Colia's participation.

A long time civil rights, peace and women's rights activist, Colia received GPNYS's nomination as the party's 2012 US Senate candidate in March. Colia was the Green Party nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010 for the seat presently held by Chuck Schumer. She is a chair of Grandmothers for the Release of Mumia Abu Jamal. During the Civil Rights era, Colia was a Special Assistant to Medgar W. Evers, field Secretary for the NAACP. She later joined the Mississippi Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) doing voter registration work. Now a resident of Manhattan, Colia was the founder and Coordinator for Poor Women Against Vietnam War, and the former coordinator of the Social Justice Center in Albany.

Preparing a Steuben County Green Party Platform

We are working to prepare a Green Party platform for Steuben County. Please email info@steubengreens.org if you would like to contribute your ideas.

2011 Election Results

The Steuben Greens endorsed Joe Duffy's campaign for 10 Ward Alderman in the City of Hornell. Joe received 36% of the vote in a two way race. Good coverage of the race in the Hornell Tribune, Carbone, Duffy running for 10th ward alderman position.

Area Greens Host GP-US Annual Meeting at NY Green Fest 2011

NY Green Fest 2011 was held in conjunction with the annual national meeting of the Green Party of the United States. Both events were held Aug. 5-7, 2011, at Alfred University in Alfred, NY. NY Green Fest was organized by the Allegany and Steuben County Green parties. Steuben Greens Darin Robbins and Joe Duffy spoke at the event. Darin spoke on Courting the Anarchist Vote: Finding the Common Denominator of Autonomy, and Joe spoke at the press conference of Green candidates.

The Green Fest program included more than 30 workshops on politics, energy, media and ecology, four forums and great music on our solar stage. Many of these programs are available on videos posted on the Green Fest website. Presenters included Elizabeth May, Canada's first elected Green Party member of Parliament, David Korten, author of Corporations will Rule the World and co-founder of YES! Magazine, Tina Clarke from the Transition Towns Movement, David Cobb, 2004 Green nominee for President, Virginia Rasmussen from the Program for Corporations Law and Democracy (POCLAD), Gay Nicholson from Sustainable Tompkins, and Richard Grossman from Frack Free Catskills.

NY State Green Party Wins 2010 Victory, Reclaims Ballot Line

The more than 58,000 votes cast for Howie Hawkins and Gloria Mattera have secured the Green Party a ballot line for the next four years. Support for all the Green candidates was strong. Unofficial figures show Comptroller candidate Julia Willebrand receiving almost 98,000 votes, and US Senate candidates Colia Clarke and Cecile Lawrence receiving about 40,000 and 34,000 votes respectively. Each of our candidates came in third in their races..

"This is the best showing ever for statewide Green Party candidates. It is the culmination of months of hard work on the part of many party members, and the candidates themselves. Voters are fed up with Democrats and Republicans taking their votes for granted, and are open to hearing ideas from a party not beholden to Wall St. and special interests. Howie Hawkins campaigned tirelessly to promote the idea of a Green New Deal, funded by progressive taxation on the wealthy, and using the stock transfer tax we already collect to fill the budget gap. Voters who heard the message understood that Howie's platform made sense, and that it's the austerity plans of Cuomo and Paladino that are nonsense," said Peter LaVenia, co-chair of the NY State Green Party.

"This is a building block for the future. We are going to use this victory to elect Greens statewide, starting at the local level and moving on up to the state," stated Eric Jones, co-chair of the NYS Green Party.

Howie Hawkins on the Economics of Hydrofracking

Howie Hawkins, the 2010 Green Party candidate for governor of New York spoke at Pollywogg Holler in Allegany County on August. 8, 2010, about hydrofracking and his campaign.

Greens at the 2010 EPA Hearing in Binghamton

Susan Donderewicz from the Steuben Greens at the anti-drilling rally outside the EPA hearings in Binghamton on Sept. 15, 2010, with Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins and hydrofracking activists from across the state. Photos by Joe Armstrong.

Susan Donderewicz admiring another sign Howie Hawkins addressing the rally
Howie Hawkins and Susan Donderewicz Mike Bernhard from the Chenango Greens with Susan Donderewicz

Green Party Candidates Call for Ban on Hydrofracking

"We're for a ban on hydrofracking because there are better options for energy. What this really does is privatize the cost and socialize the risk," said Howie Hawkins, Green Party Candidate for Governor said in Vestal on June 30. Cecile Lawrence, Green Party candidate for US Senate, said organizing for a ban on hydrofracking is a key issue for her campaign. Click for link to WICZ Video.

Greens Nominate Hawkins, Mattera, Clark, Lawrence and Willebrand

Syracuse labor activist Howie Hawkins was nominated for Governor and Gloria Mattera, a long time peace activist from Brooklyn, was nominated for Lt. Governor at the Green Party state convention in Albany May 15, 2010. Colia Clark was nominated for the US Senate seat presently held by Chuck Schumer. Cecile Lawrence was picked to fill out the Senate seat previously held by Hillary Clinton. Julia Willebrand from Manhattan, who received amost 118,000 votes for Comptroller four years ago, was chosen to run for comptroller again. Videos of the nominating speeches of the candidates are at www.gpnys.org.

Steuben Greens support Gas Drilling Moratorium Legislation

The Steuben County Green Party has issued a memorandum in support of the Englebright (A10490)/Addabbo (S7592) bill that would establish a moratorium on conducting hydraulic fracturing for the extraction of natural gas or oil in New York State until 120 days after the EPA finalizes a report on the effects of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater and freshwater supplies. Click here to read our memorandum.

Steuben Greens on YouTube

Meet members of the Steuben Greens on YouTube talking about politics and the Green Party. Recorded at our April 28, 2010 meeting in Bath.

Susan Donderewicz from Savona on the Paralysis of Convenience
Darin Robbins from Corning on Why I'm Voting Green in 2010
Charles Rola from Savona on My Hopes for Our Country
Mark Quinby from Bath on Politics
Joseph Duffy from Hornell on Why I Joined the Green Party

Steuben County Green Party Joins Call for Gas Drilling Ban


Signs at DEC Hearing in Corning, Nov. 18, 2009. Photo by Eric Wenzel, Corning Leader.

Acting on our concerns about the extensive environmental and health damages that are likely to be caused by drilling gas wells in the Marcellus Shale if horizontal drilling and high pressure hydrofracturing are allowed in New York State, the Steuben County Green Party adopted a resolution November 16, 2009, calling on the state legislature to adopt a ban on permitting gas wells that use these techniques. In so doing, the party joins the Green Party of New York and 70 other groups across New York State calling for such a ban.

The resolution lists the reasons why the party is calling for a ban:

Because of our concerns that environmental and health damages lasting long beyond our lifetimes will extend across New York State if gas drilling is permitted using horizontal drilling and high pressure hydrofracturing,

Because damaging economic consequences to residential and commercial property values, tourism, agriculture, forestry, wineries, colleges and universities will result from damaging health effects,

Because the infrastructure costs of building and repairing roads, water treatment facilities, and other public services needed by the gas drilling industry will exceed the economic benefit to local communities,

Because New York State has no laws restricting industrial scale water withdrawals from our rivers, lakes and aquifers,

Because the citizens of New York are not protected from the toxic effects of oil and gas drilling by Federal and New York State environmental laws that apply to other industries,

Because the subsidies granted to oil and gas drilling promote the use of fossil fuels and undermine the development of conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy sources, and

Because the global warming effects of the methane in natural gas are many times greater than the global warming effects of carbon dioxide,

Be it resolved that the Steuben County Green Party calls on the New York State legislature to adopt a ban on permitting gas wells that use horizontal drilling and hydro-fracturing to release gas from tight sand and shale formations.

Sign the Ban Petition

To sign the petition calling for a ban on hydrofracking in New York State, go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/NY-Statewide-Ban-On-Natural-Gas-Drilling

Recent Events

2009 Election Results

Green Party candidates in New York had some of their best results ever this year. Mary Jo Long who won re-election to a seat on the Town Board of Afton in Chenango County. Lynne Serpe, Howie Hawkins and Joe Duffy had excellent showings in their races for NYC Council, Syracuse City Council and Mayor of the City of Hornell. They won 44%, 41% and 34% of the vote in their respective races. Click here for non-offical returns for all NYS Green Party Candidates.

Reconsidering the Property Tax, Thurs., June 18, Bath

A public forum considering whether taxes based on property are the best way to raise public money was held Thursday, June 18. The forum is one of a series of public programs on the local economy sponsored by the Steuben County Green Party. This year’s program, entitled “How Property Tax Has Shaped Our Economy (and look at the shape we’re in)," was introduced by Susan Donderewicz, a Green Party member from Savona. We discussed problems inherent in the property tax and alternatives to it. Click here to read the text of Susan's remarks.

Presentation on Living Green

Suzanne Miller from Hornell spoke about simple green lifestyle changes you can make at the May 2009 meeting of the Steuben County Green Party. in Hornell. She described simple lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your carbon foot print.

Presentation on Humanitarian Mission to Gaza by Local Doctor

Dr. Ismail Mehr

On March 16, 2009, the Steuben Greens and the Hornell Alfred Unitarian Universalist Society sponsored a presentation in Hornell by Dr. Ismail Mehr about his recent humanitarian mission to Gaza. Dr. Mehr led a team of 9 physicians and 2 non-medical personnel on a ten day medical mission to Gaza in February 2009. Dr. Mehr is an anesthesiologist at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell. The trip was sponsored by the Islamic Medical Association of North America. It was the first US medical mission to Gaza this year. Photo from the Buffalo News. For more information about Dr. Mehr's trip, visit www.ammgaza.com

Showing of Rural Impact

On Nov. 5, 2008, the Steuben Greens joined with the Bath Peace and Justice Group to sponsor a showing of a documentary film on the impacts of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Colorado by Two Cent Films and Crestone Media. The documentary features Dr. Theo Colborn, an environmental health analyst who has studied the chemicals used by drilling companies in their drilling and hydraulic fracturing fluids. Dr. Colborn's website, http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/, gives the results of her studies of the health effects of the products and chemicals used in drilling, fracturing (frac'ing, or stimulation), recovery and delivery of natural gas. She has analyzed chemicals used by gas drilling companies in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. Her research provides a glimpse at the patterns of possible health hazards for those living in proximity to gas development.

Building Bath’s Local Economy

On Thursday, May 29, 2008, the Steuben Greens sponsored a panel discussion on grassroots strategies for building Bath’s local economy. Three Green Party members from the Bath-Corning area, Susan Donderewicz, Darin Robbins and Rachel Treichler, discussed how developing a more community-based, decentralized local economy could change Bath. The speakers looked at Bath’s economy today and showed how a micro-lending program, a local currency, local food production, promotion of local businesses, removing regulatory barriers and alternative healthcare, schooling and transportation systems could create more sustainable ways to live in Bath as the world economy changes.

Citizen Power Alliance

The Steuben Greens have joined the Citizen Power Alliance. The Citizen Power Alliance is a coalition of independent groups organized to promote sound energy and environmental policy. The mission of CPA is to hold public officials and regulators accountable, while seeking the protection of the public interest. The group belives that ecological preservation requires fiscal responsibility and viable technological solutions.

 

 

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