The Green Party of New Jersey Updated September 03, 2005 WHY AFRICAN AMERICANS SHOULD VOTE FOR RALPH NADER
Volunteer Candidates Donate Join Us News Update Meetings / Events Electoral Issues Activist Issues About Us Contact Us Ten Key Values Green Links Home	Press Statement  From: Jerry L. Coleman Congressional Candidate 7th District	Taxation Education Health Care Welfare/Workfare Housing Criminal Justice / Racial Profiling / Environmental Racism
	We, the people of the United States of America will have an opportunity to make history on Election Day. On November 7, 2000, we can elect Ralph Nader President and Winona LaDuke Vice President of our nation. Nader and LaDuke represent the Green Party and stand up and speak out for the people of our Nation. This dedicated duo have in the past and still continue to address the many issues that face the people of our society. They are not afraid to confront political and corporate giants who do not act or perform in the genuine best interest of the people. The Democratic and the Republican parties have put together a target market campaign that may sometimes sound like they truly have the interest of the people as a priority. However, if we dig beneath the surface, we will find out that both of these political parties are talking loud, but are saying nothing.

Taxation         

Let’s look at a few examples of what is really taking place in society today. The Republican and the Democratic political parties continue to place and give priority to big business over the interest of the people. The present system of taxation is not fair or just. Middle class and  poor people are paying an uneven greater proportion of federal taxes. In many instances, local and state taxes are unfair and regressive.

The present tax code is filled with deductions, write offs and exemptions that serve the interest of big business and financial institutions. The insider and industry lobbying that has and continues to take place has damaged our economy because it has catered to wishes of big business. The Democratic team of Al Gore and Joseph Leiberman and the Republican team of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney remain silent on this issue.      

Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke stand for a tax policy that will move to eliminate loopholes and other exemptions that favor the powerful business interest. We need a system of tax with justice. Small business should not be penalized by a tax system that benefits those who can work the legislative tax committees for breaks and subsidies.

Fiscal and Tax policies should confront and end destructive large corporate welfare and subsidies. Small businesses are America’s strength and we should have a tax policy which encourages small and socially responsible business development. New approaches to taxation should include an Environmental Tax which would be levied on industrial polluters. In addition, the enactment of a progressive tax system is needed in our country. This simply means that those who benefit most from the system have a responsibility to pay more taxes.

Education

Under numerous decades of Republican and Democratic leadership in this country, America continues to have a failing report card when it comes to education. How many more years of broken educational promises must the American people hear before a change is made. We have seen over the past few years an increase in the number of Charter Schools in New Jersey and throughout this Nation. Parents and students are constantly searching for an adequate education.

Nader and LaDuke see the direct connection between our Nation’s investment in education and our resulting success as a people. There is a relationship between personal achievement and a quality education. We must make education a top priority in this country. Education should include choice within our public education system. This includes Schools within Schools, Magnet Schools, Charter Schools (which are charter schools) and various other types of innovative avenues to improve upon our education. Parent involvement must be encouraged not discouraged by school administration and faculty.

Our Federal Government’s policy must act to make sure that our educational system provides an equal opportunity for all persons. We must have a public school system which is free from racism and we must make sure that cultural diversity and non violent conflict resolution instruction is included in all curricula.

Education funding formulated at the state or local level must avoid gross inequalities between districts and schools.

Education grants should provide a necessary balance to  ensure that equal educational access is provided to minority deprived, special needs and exceptional children. Federal scholarships and grants should be increased and made available to all students who qualify for admission.

Classroom teachers at the elementary and high school level should be given professional status and their salaries should always be comparable to related professionals that require advanced education, training and responsibility. State Departments of Education and School Boards must deliver more programmatic support and decision making to the grassroots level which includes classroom teachers, school principals and parents.  

Health Care

Nader and LaDuke believe that our Nation’s Health Care System is in need of fundamental reform. We need a system which provides affordable, quality, accessible and non-biased health care for all Americans. The United States needs to institute a National Health Care System. Currently, we have a system that is controlled by big business and the insurance industry. This system seeks to insure only the healthiest people and systematically denies coverage to individuals with pre existing conditions and routinely terminate coverage to those who become ill. We must not continue to allow the insurance companies to drive up cost and control our health. The decisions regarding the type of treatment that necessary to improve our health should be decided by Physicians and health care professionals.

Nader and LaDuke support a National Health Insurance Program. A program funded by the Federal Government and administered at the state and local levels. This Single Payer health care plan would still support the maintaining of private medical providers, doctors, hospitals, health maintenance organizations(HMO’s)and neighborhood health clinics. Under a National Health Care Plan a demand must be put on Congress and the White House to act to support the practical and moral call for a responsible Universal health care program. The major features of this health care legislation should include 

(1) Universal Access to Health Care without regard to work status or health history.

(2) Freedom of Health Care Choice so that patients can choose their own clinics, doctors or other health care providers.

The development of a national health care fee schedule and streamlined administration aimed at eliminating the waste of the current system. Under the Single-Payer National Health Care Plan significant savings will be realized by the insured companies and or individuals. All Americans have a right to have Comprehensive Benefits, without high insurance premiums and deductibles. We should not have to choose between providing health care to children their parents or to senior citizens. There should be no co pay for senior citizens or for disabled adults and other eligible individuals who seek treatment through the Medicare and or Medicaid programs.

Wellness education and preventive education must be an integral component of our health care system. We must also provide proper and adequate treatment to individuals who have a mental illness or who may be handicapped.

In addition, Nader believes that we must wage an all out campaign against AIDS and HIV. We must have a National Commission on AIDS. Prevention awareness programs must be Increased. Medical treatment must be made available to all who may be infected with the aids virus. We must expand clinical trials for treatments and other vaccines and we must speed up the FDA drug approval process. 

Welfare/Workfare

Nader and LaDuke believe in a full employment economy. Every one who is capable and able to work should have a job. Men and Women must be paid the same pay for equal work. A living wage should be the minimum wage that must be paid to all workers. As we continue to move forward with the implementation of the 1996 Welfare Act, Democrats and Republicans, seem to be saying the we cannot afford to care for children of poor mothers. The 1996 Act in effect ended over fifty years of Federal policy which guaranteed cash assistance for poor children. 

Meaningful employment, education, job training intervention programs, financial incentives, the ability of a parent, grandparent or guardian to be able to stay at home with their child and affordable quality child care assistance are the basis of real welfare to workfare reform.

Housing

Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke believes that every American must be provided with decent affordable housing. Government should play a major activist role in housing. We should have a coordinated housing plan that is broad and inclusive and should devote resources to non-profit community housing projects, private sector investments and to appropriate housing initiatives that encourage private ownership of housing units. Low density, low impact site specific plans that encourage human scale development and environmentally sensitive planning.  

Criminal Justice/Racial Profiling and Environmental Racism

Nader and LaDuke believe that any attempt to combat crime must begin with restoration of our communities. A plan to revitalize our economy must be a central element of any plan to reduce crime. We must take steps to restore hope, responsibility and a sense of belonging. This can be achieved by developing programs that operate out of Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, other houses of worship and at local community centers, Boys and girls clubs, YMCA’s, YWCA’s, Big Brother and Big Sister programs just to name a few.

The economic and social root causes of crime must be addressed in the same way that some politicians propose putting more fire power on the streets. Some politicians would rather build more prisons instead of providing increased funding for mentorship programs and job training.

The Nader and LaDuke approach to reducing crime would include the establishment of Gang Intervention Units. You do remember that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Community and Neighborhood Policing Programs should be funded and operated with input from the local neighborhood residents.

The establishment of Civilian Complaint Review Boards should be set up so that individuals can have an outside independent avenue to file any complaint that they may have. All police officers should be required to undergo cultural diversity sensitivity training. I believe that federal and state funding grants to police departments should not be awarded if a Civilian Review Board has not been established.  

Civil rights laws must be enforced. Hate crimes must be prosecuted aggressively.

We call for an end to environmental racism. Pollution and polluters must be dealt with swiftly and should be made to pay for the damages that they have done to our communities.