Green Party Ballot Access Drive For Texas In 2010—Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up

At the end of this post is the weekly round-up of the Texas Progressive Alliance. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas. (Each week I run the TPA round-up and include  facts about Texas politics or Texas history. Running the round-up this week with information about the Green Party in no way implies that my TPA fellow bloggers support or do not support Green Party ballot access or any Green Party candidates in Texas for 2010.)

With the round-up this week is information about efforts by the Green Party of Texas to get ballot access in Texas for the 2010 election. If successful, these efforts may lead to automatic ballot access for Texas Greens in 2012.

Greens are running a candidate for State Comptroller named Ed Lindsay. There is no Democrat in this race. If Mr. Lindsay can get on the ballot and then win 5% on Election Day, the Green Party would qualify for automatic Texas statewide ballot access in 2012. With no Democrat on the ballot, the 5% goal is very possible.

There are Greens running for other positions for the Texas Statewide ballot and in other races in Texas. A petition effort is underway to help get these folks on the ballot. This petition effort is detailed at the link to the Green Party of Texas.

The statewide races in Texas are important in 2010. Bill White for Governor and Linda Chavez-Thompson for Lieutenant Governor are the Democratic nominees who I strongly support. Given the difference between these two candidates and their Republican opponents, it is essential that they be elected for the economic and educational well-being of all Texans. Another big issue is how Texas will implement federal health care reforms. Will Texans get access to health insurance and have a chance to get well when they get sick, or will our state government fight health care reform all the way and allow people to die from lack of care in order to satisfy the Republican political base?

These things said, Texans deserve options at the ballot box. In addition to giving Texans a true choice in the race for State Comptroller, Greens are offering a candidate , Paul Cardwell, for the District 9 State Board of Education race where there is also no Democrat on the ballot.

Libertarians are on the ballot all over Texas. Libertarian ballot access gives Republicans an option when they do not like their own nominees, and it gives voice to constituencies in Texas that may not always find something to support with the two major parties. While Libertarians are a dismal selfish lot, they have the right to ballot access and to try to convince voters to accept their barbaric law-of-the-jungle views.

Greens should have the chance to advocate for economic, social, and environmental justice and fair play. Here are the ten core values of the Green Party.

The Green petition can be signed by any person who did not vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries last month. I voted in the Democratic primary and am not eligible to sign the Green petition. You must also be a registered voter to sign the petition. Here is a list of county Green Party contacts in Texas if you want to volunteer to circulate the petition.

The Greens are making the petition available online for you to print up and circulate. You can print it and have family members and friends sign. Here is an explanation of this process. Even the smallest number of signatures makes a difference.

Please consider the helping the Green Party get on the ballot in Texas in 2010. Green party ballot access will strengthen democracy in Texas by giving voters more options.

Here is the weekly TPA round-up—

At Texas Vox, our thoughts remain with the victims of the West Virginia mining disaster, the worst mining accident in 25 years.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know why Republicans like Victoria’s DA Steve Tyler, Nueces County’s DA Anna Jimenez and (who could forget) Alberto Gonzales abuse their offices?

The Texas Cloverleaf thinks Rick Perry is eyeing 2012 before 2010 is even over with.