Current Projects
Getting Green Party Candidates on the Ballot in 2013
Members of the Steuben County Green Party are working to get good Green Party candidates
on the ballot for local elections this year and to support their campaigns.
Supporting Darin Robbins for Mayor of Corning in 2013
Darin Robbins announced his Green Party candidacy for mayor of Corning on Feb. 21,
2013. We are working to support Darin's campaign.
Protecting Local Water Bodies
We are working to protect local water bodies. Five members of the Steuben Greens are
participating in the NY Water
Sentinels program, monitoring local streams and rivers.
Promoting Small Local Solar and Wind Projects
We work to promote small, locally-owned clean energy projects and stop the use of
fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Working for a Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing
Acting on our concerns that extensive environmental and health damages 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 many
other groups across New York State calling for such a ban. Our resolution lists
the reasons why we are 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
Supporting the Occupy Movement
The Green Party of Steuben County supports and stands in solidarity with the Occupy
movement, that began with Occupy Wall Street on September 17th and has grown to hundreds
of cities across the United States and 950 cities across the globe. The Green Party
is based on principles such as grassroots democracy, community economics, and decentralization
of power. We find a congruence of the principles with the Occupy movement.
Gigantic income inequality, the inordinate power of corporations on our democratic
process, and calls for austerity that push more people into poverty with less economic
rights reveal that the status quo is untenable. What is also vital to this movement
is the internal democratic process practiced by the General Assemblies. This process
offers a new political model for our society as well as developing a method for the
movement to articulate its grievances, demands, and solutions. This is in marked contrast
to the Tea Party that has been consistently backed by corporate funding and supplied
with a prefabricated agenda and talking points from such corporate organizations as
Americans for Prosperity. The range of concerns of Occupy supporters is shown by the
posting on the tumblr, We Are the 99%.
The internal democratic process of the various occupations is coupled with the formation
of food distribution systems, medical services, and libraries at each protest site,
further showing that this is something quite new in the political and economic landscape.
With its many unique characteristics, the movement also does have historical precedents
such as the Bonus Army of the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement of the early
1960's, and the worldwide protests during the Spring of 1968.
The Green Party is the only existing political party that is able to fully comprehend
the political and economic context that has resulted in such harsh conditions for our
fellow citizens. What the movement has been driving home through nonviolent civil actions,
the Green Party has been talking about for decades. As the Occupy movement has grown
and garnered more media attention, there has already been inclinations for it to be
coopted by the two-party system, but the movement is structured in such a way as to
avoid this weakening. The Green Party has been the only political party that has shown
actual support through actions rather than mere talk, and we hope that through prolonged
cooperation the members of the movement will see that the Green Party and the Occupy
movement are naturally aligned not by political gain but by a vision for a better future.
Working for Demilitarization and Peace
In 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.
Building Local Economies
On May 29, 2008, the Steuben Greens held a panel discussion on grassroots strategies
for building Bath’s local economy. The Steuben Greens have been active in the
Bath NY Group, which is working to build Bath's local economy. The group believes that
many small local businesses will provide a much healthier long-term economy for the
area than chain stores and big box stores. Steuben Green member Darin Robbins is the
author of our flyer on How to Build a Local Economy.
Promoting Participatory Democracy
Darin Robbins, a Green Party member from Corning, 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.
Creating a Locally-Grown Food Network
The Steuben Greens initiated the formation of Farm to You, a network
of consumers, farmers, food producers and food markets whose mission is to build markets
for local grown food in Steuben County and the surrounding Southern Tier area. For
information about our goals in setting up this project, click
here for the CSA proposal prepared by Lisa Chacon. We are now promoting the program
through the Friends
of Steuben County Farmers Facebook page.
Supporting State and National Green Party Candidates
Members of the Steuben County Green Party worked for Jill Stein's campaign for President
of the United State and Colia Clark's campaign for US Senate from New York.
Working to Promote IRV and Proportional Representation
The Steuben Greens are working to support the adoption of IRV
and proportional voting in local elections. Darin Robbins is working to get the
Corning City Coucil to conduct a nonbinding referendum to ascertain voter support
for these voting methods.
Opposition to Electronic Voting
Members of the Steuben Greens are working on issues relating to the use of electronic
voting machines by Steuben County and elsewhere in New York State.
Editorial Campaign
The Steuben Greens have a campaign to write letters
to the editor on a regular basis. In this way, we keep the Green Party and our values
in the public discourse. At election time, we write letters in support of our Green
candidates.
Living Wage Campaign
Members of the Steuben Greens are working for the adoption of a living
wage ordinance in Corning.
Peace and Justice Issues
The Steuben Greens work on peace events through our local, which is a member of the Finger
Lakes Peace Coalition, and through other local peace groups, including the Bath
Peace and Justice Group, the Corning Peaceful Gatherings Group and the Elmira Peace
Studies group. We have organized programs, local demonstrations and local participation
at demonstrations in New York City and Washington, DC.
Medical Marijuana
On April 2, 2004, the Steuben Greens sponsored a community forum on medical
marijuana. Dr. Jennifer Daniels, from Syracuse, spoke on the medical properties
of marijuana, their efficacy compared to legal drugs, and a current bill to legalize
medical marijuana in New York .
Bill of Rights Defense Resolutions
Members of the Steuben Greens helped get a Bill
of Rights Defense resolution passed in the Town of Urbana, and are working on
resolutions in the Town of Bath, the City of Corning, and the Steuben County Legislature.
Steuben County Green Party Bylaws
In November 2004 we formed a county Green Party organization in accordance with the
state Green Party bylaws to facilitate our participation in the state platform process. Click
here to review our bylaws.
Preparing a Steuben County Green Party Platform
We are working to prepare a Green Party platform for Steuben County. Please join our platform
wiki and contribute your ideas.
Green Party of New York State Platform
The Steuben Greens have submitted a number of suggested planks to the Green Party
of New York for inclusion in the state
Green Party platform. A 2006 state platform was approved at the May 20, 2006 meeting
of the Green Party of New York state committee.
Supporting the Green Party of New York State
We work to support the state Green Party. Five of our members are supporting members
of the state party. Darin Robbins is our state committee representative, and has been
elected to serve on the state party executive committee.
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