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The Green Party of New Jersey The Green Party of New Jersey Bulletin December 2003 |
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Inside: 2003 Election Synopsis Analysis from Matt Ahearn Campaign reports Nader in New Jersey Dec. 11 GPNJ Sustainers Drive Ecology Courses Offered at Co-op in New Brunswick Transition to New State Coordinator Communications Committee County Reports ------------------------------------------ GPNJ SHOWING ELECTORAL GROWTH Regarding the 2003 electoral cycle, Green Pages, the newspaper of the national Green Party, recognized how this has been a watershed year for GPNJ. They commented: "Dominating the Green field nationally with 50 candidates was the Green Party of New Jersey." It's been a good year for all who are working to provide more electoral choice in this country. Green Party candidate Matt Gonzalez advanced to the runoff election by placing second in the race for Mayor of San Francisco (the December 9 election is considered a toss-up as we go to press). A third party candidate was elected to the New York City Council for the first time in almost thirty years. And here in New Jersey, voters showed that they are increasingly willing to consider the Green alternative. In Princeton Borough, our candidate for mayor, 26-year-old Steven J. Syrek, received 30% of the vote. In Woodlynne, Mark Heacock polled 33% running for Borough Council. Toy-Ling Washington garnered over 13% of the vote for State Senate in the heavily urban 29th Legislative District (Essex and Union counties) and Brian Unger received almost 12% in the 11th (Monmouth County). Brian was endorsed by the Asbury Park Press and Matt Ahearn, running for Assembly in the 38th, was endorsed by the Bergen Record. In terms of newspaper and organizational endorsements, number of candidates (31 for Assembly, 8 for Senate, 11 for local office), vote totals and percentages, pieces of literature distributed, and every other applicable measure, this year represented quite a leap for GPNJ. We feel it won't be long until the press and public recognize us as New Jersey's serious and enduring third party. With endemic political corruption among Democrats and Republicans on the newspaper front pages month after month, more voters are seeing the Green Party as a viable alternative untainted by money politics and willing to take principled stands on key issues. Naturally we were disappointed that Green Assemblyman Matt Ahearn was not reelected. Matt ran a positive and aggressive campaign. He raised enough money to be able to run some very creative TV spots, and he garnered important endorsements from the Bergen Record, the Sierra Club, and the NJ Industrial Union Council, among others. He had help from Green Party members and supporters all around the state, who poured into the 38th District on successive weekends during September and October to help distribute over 45,000 attractive pieces of campaign literature. When the Democrats and Republicans, in mid-October, saw their own polls indicating that Matt was very much in the running to retain his seat, they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars during the last weeks of the campaign making phone calls and house visits and inundating voters' mailboxes with slick contra-Ahearn attack literature. Unfortunately, that kind of poison still has its effect. In the end, Matt was outspent by a factor of more than fifty to one(!). Nonetheless, more than 10% of the voters in the 38th District pulled the lever for Ahearn (and over 20% in his home town of Fair Lawn). Though we lost our Green voice in the legislature, we're proud of the work Matt did while he had the chance and proud of how he conducted his campaign. In fact, we're proud and appreciative of all those who came forward to run (or even just stand!) under the Green banner. Special kudos for campaign-related support go out to George DeCarlo, Matt Ahearn, and State Coordinator Ted Glick. The Green Party of New Jersey has been making steady progress year-by-year. With continued forward motion, it won't be long until we get another Green into the legislature. Then we'll work on providing the electorate with a full Green contingent. Maybe Matt, our first "minority leader," will one day find himself Green majority leader! ------------------------------------------ ANALYSIS BY MATT AHEARN Ed Trawinski, a Republican candidate in the 38th, told me that my support in their polls was at 21-25% the first week in October and dropped to 10% by the weekend prior to the election. It was the NY network broadcast TV spots and 97 direct mail pieces by the major parties that overtook the earned media and incumbency lead I held at the start - in short, it was the more than $4 million (!) spent by the major parties (not including state party PACs with over $2 million more spent in the district), not the record, message or the messenger that made the significant difference. Strange thing is it appears from the sample local returns our people got and NCEC persuasion index data that I took more votes from the traditional Republican-leaning Undeclareds with the campaign reform and ethics message late in the race, but lost most of my early support among Democrats and Undeclareds from the "too liberal" (lost U's) and the "don't let Ahearn pull a Ralph Nader here" and "a vote for Ahearn is a vote for Republicans" mailings and phone calls that turned out the Democratic base vote that might not have come out against just the Republican candidates. Votes were higher in places I did not expect them, and lower than expected in places I was strong in back in September. Had I not been in the race, Lou Tedesco (R) might have taken a seat. In a "split registration district" we spoiled a Republican race, it seems. Perhaps there is a way to use this to counter the Nader myth in future elections? We may spoil elections, but we do it in a bi-partisan spirit! It was a bizarre outcome, to say the least. If we could have done polling, and on that basis modified our strategy mid-race, who knows ... ? We have to think about this for future runs. I never expected to resonate at all in conservative precincts, due to the progressive reputation of the party. It seems party mattered less than the "clean elections and ethics in government" message to these areas. I want to thank everyone so much for all their help and good wishes. - Matt ------------------------------------------ CAMPAIGN REPORT FROM LIZ ARNONE I was disappointed I didn't win, but pleased to get the number of votes I got (2,748 - 3.06%). It was very encouraging because I know there's at least close to 3,000 people out there who want change, and that's important. Now I can look back and feel the satisfaction of knowing I can do this. It seemed very scary at first because I'm so new to this and had so many other things going on at the same time, but all in all I made it through. I learned a lot and it was fun. Next time will be even better. Starting in January, I plan to begin attending local meetings and start networking with people - paving the way for 2005. Joe Carrino also enjoyed the experience by accompanying me to media activities. He is now the President of the Students Learning About Politics club at Ocean County College, and would also like to run in 2005. At least I won't be the only Green in column C for Ocean County! And, he's really good at networking and talking with local officials. Hopefully, next go around we'll have a little more money to work with. I am going to start my mailing lists immediately and will continue to build. It would be nice to have more signs next time. I think lawn signs are very important along with some good literature. This time I just copied my flyer at Staples; next time I'd like to do something more professional. ------------------------------------------ CAMPAIGN REPORT FROM DAVID HOCHFELDER Josephine Giaimo and I got roughly 2.5% of the vote for the two state assembly seats in the 17th District (Middlesex and Somerset counties), meaning that about 5% of the voters cast ballots for one or both of us. Josephine did well, with 1,379 votes, and I received 1,290. Josephine deserved to have a higher total, since she put more time and work into our joint campaign. Tom Salomone of North Brunswick was a big help to us; he served as our treasurer and de facto campaign manager. To put the vote totals in another perspective, Josephine and I spent about $600 on our campaign. The Democrat incumbents Egan and Chivukula spent over $500,000 in a safe district, and each got about 16,000 votes. So they outspent us 1000 to 1, but got only 12 times the votes! The Republicans spent in the neighborhood of $15,000 and got about 10,000 votes each. This was the first time running for both Josephine and me, and I resolved early in the campaign to learn from our mistakes. The lessons I've learned are: (1) Start early. We didn't really get off the ground campaigning until June. I think a truly effective state assembly campaign requires a year of preparation and campaigning. (2) Build an organization. We did most everything ourselves, with help from Tom Salomone. (3) Tap your personal and professional networks. I was reluctant to do this. I felt I wanted to keep my professional life separate from my political activities. However, I had several people tell me after the election that they were surprised to see my name on the ballot and voted for me. One colleague said that he would have donated money to the campaign, too. (4) Get involved in your community. The lively discussion on the Green campaign email list about the balance between electoral and activist politics got me thinking. Both activities can work together. I've decided, as a result of this discussion and Gore's recent speech about civil liberties, to try to get an organization set up to work for due process for the Guantanamo detainees; I'll probably work within the Central Jersey Coalition against Endless War to do this. ------------------------------------------ NADER IN NEW JERSEY DEC. 11 On Thursday, December 11, Ralph Nader will appear at a reception in New Jersey to raise money for his recently launched Presidential Campaign Exploratory Committee. The reception will be held at 58 Battle Road in Princeton from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Suggested contribution: $100. RSVP appreciated to: Carl Mayer 609-921-0253 or Steve Welzer 609-443-6782. The Exploratory Committee will soon open a website: www.NaderExplore04.org. ------------------------------------------ GPNJ SUSTAINERS DRIVE A special project for the coming months will be a drive to provide a steady revenue stream to fund our ongoing operations. We have a goal of locating a key group of people - the First 100 GPNJ Sustainers - before our 2004 Convention in April. If 50 supporters would pledge $20 per month ($240 per year) and 50 more would pledge just $10 per month ($120 per year), that, plus revenue from other sources, will total almost $20,000 - which will enable us to budget adequately for all our projects, events, and campaigns. Please contact Ted Glick and let him know you can be counted as a Sustainer: 973-338-0987 or FuturehopeTG@aol.com. --------------------------------------------- ECOLOGY COURSES OFFERED AT CO-OP IN NEW BRUNSWICK by Josephine M. Giaimo, Middlesex County Greens Two popular ecology courses sponsored by the Garden State Earth Institute will be offered this winter at the George Street Co-op in New Brunswick. "Exploring Deep Ecology" addresses how personal values affect the way we view and treat the world. "Discovering a Sense of Place" encourages individuals to explore the natural and cultural history of their place--the soil, climate, flora and fauna, the early inhabitants, etc.--and to take responsibility for the sustainability of that particular place-on-earth. Each course consists of eight evening sessions, each lasting about one hour and a half. Materials include a course book that contains relevant writings of prominent environmental writers, and a suggested list of questions designed to stimulate discussion. The course book can be obtained for a $20 fee and is the only cost for the course. Participants are asked to read each session's readings at home ahead of time, and then discuss them at the meeting from their own background, experience, and viewpoint. The optimum size of a group--eight to twelve participants--is ideal for information and idea exchange and stimulating conversations. All course sessions are held in the Co-op's second floor meeting room. Claire and Fred Mayer, longtime activists for the earth, are the prime movers behind the Garden State Earth Institute (GSEI), the mission of which is "to offer opportunities for people to examine and transform their values and habits and to act responsible for the earth." A volunteer organization of people from all walks of life, GSEI is a member of a national network of earth institutes. These and related courses have been given in 48 states at 3,000 locations. Additional information--flyers, brochures and newsletters--about Garden State Earth Institute courses is available at the George Street Co-op and by contacting Josephine Giaimo at 732-448-0021 or via email at jgiaimo@compuserve.com. Or visit the Garden State Earth Institute web site at www.gsearthinstitute.org. The "Exploring Deep Ecology" course has the following schedule (all dates are Tuesday evenings; all sessions begin at 7:30): Jan. 6th: Deep Ecology; Jan. 13th: The Gaia Hypothesis; Jan. 20th: Spirituality and the Earth; Feb. 3rd: A New Story from Science; Feb. 10th: Native American Wisdom; Feb. 17th: Ecopsychology; March 9th: Simplicity; March 16th: Bioregionalism. The "Discovering a Sense of Place" course has the following schedule (all dates are Wednesday evenings; all sessions begin at 7:30): Jan. 21st: A Sense of Place; Jan. 28th: Responsibility to Place; Feb. 18th: Knowing Your Bioregion; Feb. 25th: Living in Place; March 17th: Mapping Your Place; March 24th: Community; March 31st: Empowerment. --------------------------------------------- TRANSITION TO NEW STATE COORDINATOR Steve Welzer will become the new GPNJ State Coordinator as of January 1. Steve has been a Green movement activist for almost fifteen years. He was a founding member of the Green Party of New Jersey in 1997. Prior to that he was active with the Raritan-Brunswick Greens and was editor of the Jersey Greens Journal. He currently serves on the Presidential Exploratory Committee of the national party, is co-editor of Green Horizon Quarterly, and is involved with the "EcoVillage NJ" project. GPNJ acknowledges the fine work done by Ted Glick as State Coordinator during the past year. During this period GPNJ ramped up its electoral activity and had a significant presence in the anti-war mobilization. A very effective fundraiser, Ted will continue to serve GPNJ as Co-Chair of the Finance Committee. ------------------------------------------ COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Submitted by Committee Chair Stewart Kautsch The Communications Committee of GPNJ ("ComCom") publishes the GreenGram, tends to the state web site (www.GPNJ.org), and issues press releases. We meet once a month by teleconference. Current volunteer needs include: - Expertise in bulk mailing permits and procedures. This volunteer would act as the research person for any questions that the committee has on mass mailing. - Layout for the GreenGram. We need a person with Quark and/or Acrobat layout experience who also has the tools. - County reporters, providing timely reports of county Green Party activities. These can be regular or occasional. Please contact Stu Kautsch at skautsch@mindspring.com for more information, including how to participate in our meetings. ------------------------------------------ HUDSON COUNTY Currently, the Hudson County Green Party meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 PM at the Old Bergen Church, 1 Highland Ave. (corner of Bergen Ave., six blocks south of Journal Square) in Jersey City. Greg Giacobe is serving as interim County Coordinator. Jonathan Oriole is Secretary. Libero Marotta is Treasurer. ------------------------------------------ MORRIS COUNTY On November 24 we had a very productive "revival" meeting of the Morris County Greens. Thanks to all who attended the meeting and a special thanks to Steve Welzer who provided some good insights and help in getting us up and running. The next meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 7:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Morris County Library, 30 East Hanover Road in Whippany. - David Schwartz (dcschwa@optonline.net) ------------------------------------------ The Fall 2003 issue of Green Horizon Quarterly has been published. It contains an interesting four-article debate about Green Party presidential campaign strategy for 2004. Subscriptions to GHQ are tax deductible. Send $20 to: Green Horizon Foundation, PO Box 476, Topsham, ME 04086. ------------------------------------------ The GreenGram is circulated bi-monthly in an effort to keep all GPNJ members informed about recent matters and upcoming events. Members are encouraged to provide brief submissions of news items or opinions, as well as event announcements. Steve Welzer is the editor. Deadline for the February issue will be January 20. Please submit material to the address below or to: GreenGramNJ@aol.com !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GreenGram - Green Party of NJ Bulletin PO Box 9802, Trenton, NJ 08650 To subscribe, become a member! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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