As the McCall campaign collapses and the Golisano camp openly contemplates quitting, the Green Party campaign of Stanley Aronowitz is moving into high gear into the closing days. The Green Party said it was scrambling to buy enough television and radio ads as campaign donations poured in.
"There has been a tremendous upsurge in donations and volunteer in the last few weeks. Voters are very upset with the Congressional resolution in support of going to war with Iraq, particularly with the support of Democratic Senators Clinton and Schumer and the endorsement of McCall. If Mr. Golisano is looking to support an alternative to the status quo, he need to look no further than Row G for the Green Party," said Mark Dunlea, Chair of the Green Party.
In addition to the opposition to the war with Iraq, the Green Party has been highlighting its opposition to nuclear power and its support for universal health care, living wage jobs, an end to the war of drugs, and strong environmental protection.
Al Lewis, the well-known television actor and comedian (e.g., The Munsters) is being featured in radio ads that the Green Party has begun running in NYC, Albany and other upstate markets.
Ralph Nader, the Green Party's 2000 Presidential candidate, has also been helping to promote Aronowitz's candidacy through radio interviews with NY stations. Nader headlined a fundraiser for Aronowitz last month in New York City that drew a crowd of more than $600 and raised more than $15,000.
Aronowitz recently received the editorial endorsement of the City Newspaper in Rochester and Metroland in Albany, as well as the endorsement of long time peace activist and former Presidential candidate Dave McReynolds.
Al Lewis was the Green Party's Gubernatorial candidate in 1998 when the party first obtained legal status. Lewis has been active in the effort to reform the Rockefeller Drug Law and also hosts a weekly public affairs show on WBAI in NYC. In the radio ad, Lewis states that "only the Green Party opposes Bush's war with Iraq and the attacks on our civil liberties. Only the Green Party says ‘No' to corporate subsidies that do nothing to protect jobs. Aronowitz will make health care a right for everyone, raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour and create affordable housing. Aronowitz will shut down Indian Point and other nuclear power plants, clean up toxic wastes, make tuition free at SUNY and CUNY, and end the death penalty and the war on drugs. Make your vote count. Vote against business as usual in Albany."
Nader has also been circulating a statement in support of Aronowitz: "Stanley Aronowitz, long-time college professor, author and organizer will challenge the increasing domination that corporations have on our political and economic system. Aronowitz will stop the sale of our environment to corporate polluters and apply law and order to Wall Street criminals. He will promote renewable energy like solar, thermal and wind rather than more nuclear plants, fossil fuels and gas guzzlers. He opposes fighting more wars for oil. He supports a single payer health care system for all, not incremental expansion of HMOs that ration care while expanding corporate profits. Throughout his career he has fought to increase democratic control by workers and community groups," states Nader.
"A vote for Stanley Aronowitz is also a vote to keep the Green Party alive as a progressive alternative to the two corporate parties. The two corporate parties unfortunately have used the tragedy of September 11th to become even more alike on many issues, to increase the concentration of corporate power, to resist democratic reforms like public financing of campaigns, to spend more of our tax dollars on corporate welfare and the military waste machine, to curtail civil liberties, all while ignoring the needs of average Americans. We need to send a message to politicians that we support waging peace, strong environmental protection, the rule of international law, and sustainable living wage jobs," added Nader.
Dave McReynolds is a long time staff person with the War Resisters League and ran several times for President on the Socialist Party line.
"There are three reasons why I'm voting for Stanley Aronowitz for Governor, and urge others to join me. The first and most urgent is that a Green vote is a peace vote in this New York State election. Second, as a member of the Socialist Party I strongly believe that minor parties have a right to be on the ballot, and that New Yorkers will benefit from seeing that the Greens gain enough votes to maintain their ballot line. Third, Stanley not only has a sense of wit, he has wits, he is an informed candidate. To vote for Stanley Aronowitz is not a "protest vote," it is a positive, affirmative vote for someone who has spoken more clearly for working people in this state than either of the major party candidates. Stanley is a major candidate, addressing major issues. He has earned your vote," stated McReynolds.
