[Texgreen] Good Article on IL Gov. Candidate
David Pollard
dopollard@yahoo.com
Fri, 27 Oct 2006 07:15:34 -0700 (PDT)
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Seems like this candidate has got a good message and has been able to put forward the Green message without sounding "lefty-er than thou." Though I'd wonder how his "non-violence, except in national defense" would play at a national convention.... dave Last I heard this guy was polling in the mid-teens statewide, and was in a statistical dead-heat with the Dem and Rep candidates among independent voters. dave --- http://qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=311950 Being Green in a gubernatorial race dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties is just fine for Carbondale attorney Rich Whitney. Mr. Whitney, the Green Party candidate for governor, says his poll numbers are significant enough to be considered a serious challenge and even in defeat will bolster a party that has to fight Illinois election law aimed at keeping third-party candidates off the ballot. "The Green Party is the best vehicle for political change that has come along in
the United States in a long, long time," Mr. Whitney said in a phone conference with The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus editorial board Tuesday. "The Green Party is different from other third parties in that it is not one-issue or a vanity campaign like Ross Perot's. "I'm not predicting I'll win, but I think I can win this election," he said. "Democrats are fed up with their candidate and Republicans are fed up with their candidate. The Green Party platform, Mr. Whitney explained, is based on ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, social justice, and non-violence, except for national defense. More specifically, Mr. Whitney's campaign is focused on tax reform, education funding, campaign funding reform and government corruption. He describes the current tax system as regressive, with higher taxes on the lower and middle class, as opposed to a progressive tax system. "In a progressive tax system, if you took advantage of society to make more money, you should
give back," Mr. Whitney said. "We have too much reliance on property tax for education funding that pits the interest of homeowners and families against the need to support our school students." He proposes a property tax and income tax swap. The swap would include an income tax increase that would create $9 billion in new revenue. Of that money, $1 billion would be returned to taxpayers in an earned-income credit as property tax abatements. He said through this system, Illinois schools would increase the per-student foundation funding to 51 percent of school funding, up from the current level of about 35 percent. This system also would more evenly distribute education funding through the state, cutting out the disparity between wealthy and impoverished parts of the state. "We are raising the bottom up, not bringing the top down," Mr. Whitney said. On the budget, he says he would tell the truth, start paying back pension plans that have been used to fund government
programs, and stop cutting front-line state jobs. "We all know he hasn't balanced the budget," Mr. Whitney said of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "His own comptroller has said he's not because he's not paying Medicaid bills on time. "He hasn't cut the fat from the budget," he said. "He has cut the bone." Mr. Whitney opposes any expansion of gambling no matter what the state's financial windfall might be. "We aren't going to gamble our way to fiscal health," he said. "I refuse to anchor our recovery to human misery." He also wants clean government that forbids campaign donors from receiving state contracts and ends patronage, saying Illinois has "too much government to the highest bidder." "We probably rank down with New Jersey and Louisiana as far as political corruption," Mr. Whitney said. He would call for tighter job hiring requirements that would close loopholes for patronage and have that patronage done by an independent bureau. He would appoint an inspector
general from an opposing party. He also would limit campaign contributions to $500. "Candidates would have to come to the people," Mr. Whitney said. "You might see real debates. "I haven't run across a single person in Illinois who would miss these campaign ads." INFOBOX Third-party gubernatorial candidates Rich Whitney, Green Party: www.whitneyforgov.org
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<div>Seems like this candidate has got a good message and has been able to put forward the Green message without sounding "lefty-er than thou." Though I'd wonder how his "non-violence, except in national defense" would play at a national convention.... <div>dave <div>Last I heard this guy was polling in the mid-teens statewide, and was in a statistical dead-heat with the Dem and Rep candidates among independent voters. <div>dave <div>--- <div><A href="http://qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=311950">http://qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=311950</A> <div>Being Green in a gubernatorial race dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties is just fine for Carbondale attorney Rich Whitney. <div>Mr. Whitney, the Green Party candidate for governor, says his poll numbers are significant enough to be considered a serious challenge and even in defeat will bolster a party that has to
fight Illinois election law aimed at keeping third-party candidates off the ballot. <div>"The Green Party is the best vehicle for political change that has come along in the United States in a long, long time," Mr. Whitney said in a phone conference with The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus editorial board Tuesday. "The Green Party is different from other third parties in that it is not one-issue or a vanity campaign like Ross Perot's. <div>"I'm not predicting I'll win, but I think I can win this election," he said. "Democrats are fed up with their candidate and Republicans are fed up with their candidate. <div>The Green Party platform, Mr. Whitney explained, is based on ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, social justice, and non-violence, except for national defense. More specifically, Mr. Whitney's campaign is focused on tax reform, education funding, campaign funding reform and government corruption. <div>He describes the current tax system as regressive,
with higher taxes on the lower and middle class, as opposed to a progressive tax system. <div>"In a progressive tax system, if you took advantage of society to make more money, you should give back," Mr. Whitney said. "We have too much reliance on property tax for education funding that pits the interest of homeowners and families against the need to support our school students." <div>He proposes a property tax and income tax swap. The swap would include an income tax increase that would create $9 billion in new revenue. Of that money, $1 billion would be returned to taxpayers in an earned-income credit as property tax abatements. <div>He said through this system, Illinois schools would increase the per-student foundation funding to 51 percent of school funding, up from the current level of about 35 percent. This system also would more evenly distribute education funding through the state, cutting out the disparity between wealthy and impoverished parts of the state.
<div>"We are raising the bottom up, not bringing the top down," Mr. Whitney said. <div>On the budget, he says he would tell the truth, start paying back pension plans that have been used to fund government programs, and stop cutting front-line state jobs. <div>"We all know he hasn't balanced the budget," Mr. Whitney said of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "His own comptroller has said he's not because he's not paying Medicaid bills on time. <div>"He hasn't cut the fat from the budget," he said. "He has cut the bone." <div>Mr. Whitney opposes any expansion of gambling no matter what the state's financial windfall might be. <div>"We aren't going to gamble our way to fiscal health," he said. "I refuse to anchor our recovery to human misery." <div>He also wants clean government that forbids campaign donors from receiving state contracts and ends patronage, saying Illinois has "too much government to the highest bidder." <div>"We probably rank down with New Jersey and
Louisiana as far as political corruption," Mr. Whitney said. <div>He would call for tighter job hiring requirements that would close loopholes for patronage and have that patronage done by an independent bureau. He would appoint an inspector general from an opposing party. He also would limit campaign contributions to $500. <div>"Candidates would have to come to the people," Mr. Whitney said. "You might see real debates. <div>"I haven't run across a single person in Illinois who would miss these campaign ads." <div>INFOBOX <div>Third-party gubernatorial candidates <div>Rich Whitney, Green Party: www.whitneyforgov.org </div><p> 
<hr size=1>Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42974/*http://www.yahoo.com/preview"> Check it out.</a>
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