Election Day Is Here—Jill Stein For President—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Each Of Us

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States.

(Above–The Bald Eagle is a symbol of our nation.)

I have already voted for Green Party nominee Jill Stein for President of the United States.

I believe that Ms. Stein is the only candidate for President speaking honestly about climate change, our economy that is rigged for the few at the expense of the many, and about the ongoing attacks in our nation against the right to dissent.

Here is the website for Ms. Stein.

If I lived in a contested state I would have voted for President Obama because I believe there are meaningful differences between the two parties.

Here is a list of Green Party candidates in Texas for 2012.

If there is no Democrat on the ballot where there is a Green–or if the Democrat is unlikely to win—please consider the Green and help build a strong voice for the left that will move the Democratic Party just as Libertarians have moved the Republican Party.

It is also possible the day will come that Greens win elections.

An important local election here in Harris County, Texas is for Texas House District 134. I live in this district.

Centrist Ann Johnson offers a hopeful voice against first-term Tea Party extremist Sarah Davis.

Here is the website for Ms. Johnson. 

Texas political blogger Perry Dorrell has compiled two excellent lists on who a liberal or progressive might consider in Harris County and in Texas for 2012.

Here is Perry’s post for federal and statewide offices.  

Here is Perry’s post for Harris County and state legislative races. 

No matter if Mr. Obama or Mr. Romney wins the Presidency tomorrow, big money will still call the shots.

The work of freedom is up to each of us.

Every Texan and every American has the ability to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family, start a blog, donate money, write a letter to the editor, volunteer for candidates and causes, engage in acts of civil disobedience, and to run for public office.

We can also seek to impact society by consistently acting in a way that reflects our best values. Or by working on an artistic or creative effort that expands the range of thought and imagination we have in our society.

It is after the votes are counted that the real work will begin.

Early Voting Ongoing In Harris County And All Of Texas—Who Can A Liberal Or Progressive Support?

Early voting is ongoing in Texas.

The last day of early voting is Friday, November 2.  General Election Day is Tuesday, Novermber 6.

(Above–A ballot box.)

I’m supporting Green nominee Jill Stein for President.

Ms. Stein is the only honest voice in this campaign regarding our rigged economy that benefits the most wealthy to the detriment of everyday working people, climate change, and police state-like attcks on the right to dissent.

If I lived in a contested state I would vote for President Obama because there are substantial differences between the two major party candidates.

An important local race can be found in Houston State House district 134. Centrist Democrat Ann Johnson is running to unseat extreme Tea Party Republican Sarah Davis.

Representative Davis has time and time again voted to gut public edcation in Texas and has been part of Governor Rick Perry’s attacks on womens health in Texas.

Texas political blogger Perry Dorrell has compiled two excellent lists on who a liberal or progressive might consider in Harris County and in Texas for 2012.

Here is Perry’s post for federal and statewide offices.  

Here is Perry’s post for Harris County and state legislative races. 

It Is Always The Right Time To Take Responsibility For Your Future—Ann Johnson Working Hard For Your Vote

Here’s a picture I took today of Texas House District 134 candidate Ann Johnson.

I told Ms. Johnson I’d hand out leaflets for her on Thursday at the early voting place.

It is always the right time to take responsibility for our future.

In this election, I’ve donated to President Obama and Green nominee Jill Stein, blogged, made my case on Facebook, and attended events for Stein and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.

My mother has donated to Brown and gone door-to-door for Obama in Cincinnati.

The hopeful work of freedom is up to each of us everyday.

Ann Johnson is to my right on many economic issues. But this is a big world and people are going to disagree.

At the bottom line, Ms. Johnson is somebody who shares my view that we each have to work hard, and that we have to put ourselves out there to help make the world a more hopeful place.

Ms. Johnson is a decent and hard-working person who will listen to everybody and make her decisions based on what she thinks is best for 134 and for the people of Texas. Ms. Johnson is very clear that 134 has many Republican voters and that these are folks  she also wants to hear from should she be elected to serve in Austin.

The Houston Chronicle has endorsed Ms. Johnson.

Here is what The Chronicle said about Ms. Johnson–

The tea party turnout of 2010 gave Republican candidate Sarah Davis the narrow victory she needed to win in District 134, a prosperous swing district that covers areas from River Oaks to Meyerland and the Medical Center, as well.

Davis speaks about politics with a fiery passion, but her passion often seems aimed more at Washington than Austin.

She successfully navigated the minefield of wedge-issue votes that defined the previous legislative session – voting no on the sonogram bill, for example. But voters deserve a representative who doesn’t just avoid bad votes, but leads on good ones. We believe Democratic challenger Ann Johnson can be that sort of leader.

Johnson began her career as a prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where she was known for her no-nonsense, hardworking attitude. After leaving the prosecutor’s office, she dedicated herself to the world of juvenile law, where she focused on issues like child exploitation and sex trafficking – two issues that need the attention of the Texas Legislature. (In one notable case, she successfully argued before the Texas Supreme Court that girls too young to consent under the law could not be charged with prostitution.)

Johnson’s focus on juvenile issues doesn’t end at the courtroom. On the campaign trail, she rattles off embarrassing statistics on Texas kids – we’re 43rd in high school graduation rates, 45th in SAT scores, and have the highest percentage of children without health insurance. Texas should not be content with these rankings, and Johnson certainly isn’t, advocating smart educational investments like all-day Pre-K and capping class sizes.

Issues like education and health care aren’t just matters of compassion, they’re necessary to ensure that Texas has the healthy, educated workforce we need to power our economy.

In this race, Ann Johnson is the better bet for Texas’ future.

Green Party Candidates On 2012 Texas Ballot—Give The Green Party A Look

There are a number of Green Party candidates on the Texas ballot in 2012.

Below you see the names of these candidates as listed by the Green Party of Texas.

I’ve said on the blog that I’m voting for Jill Stein for President here in Republican Texas.

I believe that Greens are best on the issues of our economy that is rigged for the benefit of the few, climate change, and in protecting our right to dissent in a time of militarized police and a national security state.

There are real differences between Democrats and Republicans. Many Democratic activists and volunteers are very decent and progressive people.

At the same time I’d say that the Democratic Party in Texas does not have strong prospects for either 2012 or 2014.

I’d also say that a strong voice on the left can move the Democratic Party just as Libertarians have had success in moving the Republican Party.

It is up to each voter to decide for each race if voting for a Green makes sense for whatever reason.

There is certainly nothing to be lost in looking at what Greens are saying and in thinking about everyday issues in new ways.

It is likely that a number of the candidates below have web sites even if not linked to on the list.

Google these folks and see what you find. In my experience some Greens run energetic campaigns while others do not. This is just how it is for major party candidates.

Here is the Green party of Harris County. 

Here is the Green Party of the United States.

Early voting takes place in Texas from October 22 through November 2.  General Election Day is November 6.

Here is the list of Green candidates on the Texas ballot in 2012—

President/Vice President

Jill Stein / Cheri Honkala

State-wide Office

David B. Collins – U.S. Senate site, site, Facebook

Charles E. Waterbury – Texas Supreme Court – Place 4

Chris Kennedy – Texas Railroad Commission – Place 1

Jim Chisholm – Texas Supreme Court – Position 6

Bexar County

Federal

Antonio Diaz – US House of Representatives, Texas 20th Congressional District

Ed Scharf – US House of Representatives, Texas 23rd Congressional District

Meghan Owen – US House of Representatives, Texas 35th Congressional District

Michael D. Cary – US House of Representatives, Texas 28th Congressional District

Rhett Smith – US House of Representatives, Texas 14th Congressional District

State

Chris Christal – Texas Senate – District 26

Chuck Robinson – Texas House of Representatives – District 123

Gregory L. Fox – Texas House of Representatives – District 120

Herb Gonzales, Jr – Texas House of Representatives – District 124

Irene Meyer Scharf – State Board of Education – District 5

Timothy Giddens – Texas House of Representatives – District 125

Local

Eric M Fahrenthold – County Commissioner – Precinct 3

Joel Benavidez – Justice of the Peace – Precinct 2, Place 1

Paul Pipkin – County Tax Assessor-Collector

Sonia Lucy Benavides – County Commissioner – Precint 1

Dallas County

Federal

Brandon Parmer – U.S. House of Representatives – District 6

State

Angela Sarlay – Texas House of Representatives – District 113

Josh Wendel – Texas Railroad Commission – Place 2

Saul Arechar – Texas House of Representatives – District 105

Denton County

State

Alex Mendoza – Texas House of Representatives – District 65

Harris County

Federal

Don Cook – U.S. House of Representatives – District 22

Lance Findley – U.S. House of Representatives – District 7

Maria Selva – U.S. House of Representatives – District 29

Mark A. Roberts – U.S. House of Representatives – District 2

Vanessa Foster – U.S. House of Representatives – District 9

State

Alfred Molison, Jr. – Texas House of Representatives – District 131

Art Browning – Texas House of Representatives – District 130

David Courtney – Texas Senate District 17

Deb Shafto – Texas House of Representatives – District 147

G C Molison – State Board of Education – District 6

Henry Cooper – Texas House of Representatives – District 148

Local

Carlos Villalobos – Harris County Constable – Precinct 1

Remington Alessi – Harris County Sheriff

Lubbock County

State

Leanne Lamb-Vines – Texas House of Representatives – District 84

Local

W.L. Matheny – County Commissioner – Precinct 1

Randall

Federal

Keith F. Houston – U.S. House of Representatives – District 13

Tarrant

Federal

Ed Lindsay – U.S. House of Representatives – District 33

Webb

Local

Emily Marie Sanchez – Tax Assessor-Collector

Wise

State

Matthew Britt – Texas House of Representatives – District 61

I’ve Got Both An Obama Sticker And A Green Party Jill Stein Sticker On My Car

I’ve got both an Obama sticker and a Jill Stein Green Party sticker on my car.

You might say that this could confuse people, but many people seem plenty confused regardless of my actions.

The Obama sticker is there in part to annoy mean-spirited folks.

The Stein sticker gives me some hope that things can really be better.

At core the work of freedom and a good society is up to each of us.

Context, a good society, and dumb luck matters—But the work of freedom and a good society  is up to each of us.

Green Presidential Nominee Jill Stein Makes Houston Campaign Stop

I saw Green Presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein speak last night in Houston.

Above you see a picture from that appearance.

Dr. Stein spoke about a hopeful agenda that involved the provision of health care, addressing climate change and protecting civil liberties.

She said that our leaders had “no exit strategies for the crises we face.”

Dr. Stein spoke well and is competent. She is a credible candidate for President of the United States.

Dr. Stein said the Green ticket was on the ballot in 85% of the nation, had qualified for matching funds, and was polling at about 2% in polls that asked about 3rd party candidates.

Here is the website for Dr. Stein if you would like to learn more. 

Dr. Stein will be in San Antonio today –10/6 –and will be back in Houston tomorrow. Here is a link to her Texas schedule. 

Here is the Green Party of Texas. This link has a list of Greens on the ballot in Texas in 2012.

My view is that I’m voting for Dr. Stein in Republican Texas because she is best on our rigged economy, climate change, and issues of civil liberties and protecting the right to dissent.

If I were in a contested state I would vote for Mr. Obama as there are real and important differences between Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney.

The fact that differences do exists between the major party candidates does not mean though that Dr. Stein is wrong when she says that the rich call the shots in America and that it is up to each of us to look for new solutions to change this fact.

A strong Green Party can help push this country in a hopeful direction as it puts pressure on Democrats and as Greens gain support across America.

First Debate Goes To Romney—If That Makes You Nervous Then Do Something About It

My schedule did not allow me to watch the debate last night.

I get the clear sense that many folks feel Mr. Obama did poorly.

If it will fortify your spirits, the NY Times 538 blog upped Obama’s chances up to 86% last night despite talk in recent days that the race was tightening.

In this campaign I’ve donated $50 to Green Jill Stein–who I’m voting for in Republican Texas–and $50 to President Obama because there is a difference between him and Mr. Romney. I’ve also given $25 to my Dem. State Rep. candidate Ann Johnson.

I’ve blogged about issues impacting this year’s campaign and many times I’ve said that folks are going to have to get involved themselves and if they want change.

I’m doing what I’m able to do.

If you’re sweating the outcome of the Presidential race, then assess what you can do and take action. The work of freedom is up to each of us and nobody else.

Green Presidential Nominee Jill Stein To Be In Houston & San Antonio From October 4 Through October 7

(Blogger’s Note–10/2/12—This post has been updated with the latest on Ms. Stein’s schedule.)

Green Presidential nominee Jill Stein will be in Houston and San Antonio from Thursday, October 4 through Sunday, October 7.

(Above–Jill Stein addressing the people. Photo by Paul Stein)

I am voting for Ms. Stein here in Texas. I believe she is the best candidate in 2012 for addressing our rigged economy, climate change and for protecting the right to dissent.

If I were in a contested state I would likely vote for President Obama as there are important and substantial differences between Mr. Obama and Mitt Romney.

Each person must choose their own course. I do know that we do not have to pick from the same options year after year after year.

There is value of hearing what Ms. Stein has to say even if you do not intend to vote Green. A strong voice on the left can only help our nation move ahead in a hopeful way in the fights ahead.

Here is Ms. Stein’s campaign web page.

Here is the website of the Green Party of Texas. 

Here is the website of the Green Party of Harris County, Texas.

Below is the press release from the Harris County Green Party about Jill Stein’s visit. I know that I’ll attend at least one of the events in Houston. I ask that you consider attending one of the appearances and that you please help get the word out about this visit.

Please keep in mind that this schedule is subject to change. There will be further updates at this blog.

September 30, 2012 — Green Party US presidential candidate Jill Stein comes to Houston and San Antonio this week, Thursday, October 4 through Sunday, October 7, as her presidential campaign takes her across the nation.

Stein will be in Houston the day after her participation in Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman’s Live Debate Talkback, running concurrently with the Obama-Romney debate in Denver, CO, on the evening of Wednesday, October 3. Stein and Justice Party presidential candidate Rocky Anderson will respond to questions in real time asked of the Democratic and Republican nominees. In effect this debate “technologically” includes the two candidates who were excluded from participating by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Here is the schedule of Stein’s appearances, speaking engagements, press conferences and media availability. Additional events, substitutions, and revisions to this schedule may be reflected in following press releases.

Thursday Oct. 4, 2012 (Houston)

11:00 am   Arrival, Houston Hobby airport

11:30 am   University of Houston (4800 Calhoun Road, 77004), University Center Satellite food court: meet-and-greet with students, faculty, and staff. Media availability.

1:30 pm    University of Houston: classroom discussions

3:00 pm    On air appearance, KPFT 90.1 FM: The New Capital Show with Leo Gold

7:00 pm    Public speaking engagement: Lone Star College — Kingwood (20000 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood 77339), Student Conference Center. Media availability.

Friday, October 5 (Houston) 
                
9:00 am    “Toxic Tour” (also here), led by Juan Parras of t.e.j.a.s. Media welcome (but no availability to the candidate, as tour time is limited). Departure location and tour stops to be determined.

11:00 am   Tranquility Park (400 Rusk Street), Houston: press conference with Parras and Benjamin Franklin, who was choked, pepper-sprayed, and tasered as part of the confrontation with police officers at the Tar Sands Blockade (a citizen action organized to halt the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, ongoing in Wood County, Texas). Media availability.

1:00 pm    Texas Southern University (3100 Cleburne Street, 77004), classroom discussion (to be confirmed).
     
3:00 pm    On air appearance, KPFT 90.1 FM: Partisan Gridlock with Geoff Berg (to be confirmed). 
     
7:00 pm    Public speaking engagement, Saint Stephens Episcopal Church (1805 West Alabama Street, 77098), Precor Hall. Media availability.

Saturday, October 6 (San Antonio) 

2:00 pm  Public speaking engagement, University of Texas -San Antonio, (specific location TBA), Students United for Socioeconomic Justice. Media availability.

7:00 pm   Fundraising event, Bexar County Green Party (276 Natalen, 78209).

Sunday, October 7 (Houston)

12:00 pm The Last Organic Outpost‘s Emile Street Community Farm (711 N. Emile St., near Gunter St.). Stein will tour the sustainable urban agricultural facility (background here). Limited media availability.

2:00 pm   Fundraising event: home of Lee and Hardy Loe (1844 Kipling, 77098).

9:00 pm   On air appearance, KPFT 90.1 FM:  Self Determination with Obidike Kamau. Stein will be on for the full hour.

Media may contact the Stein campaign at media@JillStein.org to schedule an interview. There may be more additions/subtractions to Stein’s schedule as the campaign stops draw closer.

I Sent $50 To Both Green Presidential Nominee Jill Stein And To The Obama Campaign—We Each Must Choose Our Own Course

Above are Barbara Jordan stamps I bought at the Barbara Jordan Post Office here in Houston.

Here are facts about the great Congresswoman Barbara Jordan of Houston.

The two missing stamps were used to send a $50 donation to the Obama campaign and $50 to the Green Presidential campaign of Jill Stein.

There is a big difference between Obama and Romney and the election is not close to over. Many very good and decent people are working hard to reelect President Obama and they merit support.

I don’t think half the country consists of freeloaders and people who think they are victims.

I’m voting for Stein in Republican Texas because she best represents my views on a fair economy, climate change and the freedom to dissent.

The work of freedom is up to each of us and nobody else.

We each have to figure out our own course. We each have many ways we can make an impact.

Every Texan and every American has the ability to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family, start a blog, donate money, write a letter to the editor, volunteer for candidates and causes, engage in acts of civil disobedience, and to run for public office.

With the race for President in Texas almost certainly decided in favor of Mitt Romney, I ask folks to please consider the Green campaign of Jill Stein.

I Donated $20 At The Cincinnati Obama HQ—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Each Of Us

This evening I went to the Obama headquarters in Cincinnati and made a $20 donation.

Included with this post is a picture of the Cincinnati Obama office. There were maybe 10 people making calls. I thought that was pretty good for a Wednesday night in August.

While I intend to vote for Green candidate Jill Stein for President in my non-swing state of Texas, the folks in this Obama office are decent people who are doing the work of freedom and who merit support.

And at least folks in Ohio are calling people close to home. In Texas Democrats are being asked to call over for the country for Obama while extremist Ted Cruz marches on the U.S. Senate.

I understand Texas is likely a Republican state in 2012. But how long will we be asked to hand our future over to crazies without even a fight? When do we begin to build the foundation of something hopeful in Texas?

In any case, the work of freedom and progress is up to each of us. We each need to take steps to move society in the direction we hope to see it go.

A First Look At The 2012 Green Party Presidential Ticket Of Stein & Honkala—What You Do In Texas Might Not Be What You Would Do In Ohio

Here is a first look at the Green Party ticket for the 2012 Presidential campaign.

On the left is Presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein of Massachusetts. On the right is Vice Presidential nominee Cheri Honkala of Pennsylvania.

Here is a recent article on Dr. Stein from The New York Times.

From the Times article—

“The Green Party of the United States expects to be on the ballot in at least 45 states and to spend about $1 million on its campaign. At the moment, it has secured ballot access, an organizational test in itself, in 21 states, including the battlegrounds of Colorado, Florida, Michigan and Ohio… Ms. Stein, a physician on leave from her practice… a native of the Chicago area who lives northwest of Boston with her husband, a surgeon (they have two adult sons)..Ms. Stein says she emphasizes issues like ecological sustainability, racial and gender equality, and economic justice. The centerpiece of her platform is a Green New Deal, a twist on the Roosevelt-era programs intended to stimulate job growth and the depressed economy. It could be paid for by ending the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the campaign says, and by eliminating waste in the health care system. Beyond that, Ms. Stein favors a progressive income tax that would raise rates on the wealthy.”

My own view about the Green Party in 2012 is that this election is sufficiently important to support the corporate-owned Mr. Obama in states where the outcome might be doubt, but that if you live in state where you have been disenfranchised by the Electoral College you should consider your options.

Ms. Stein is on the ballot in Texas and has my vote. If I were still in my longtime home state of Ohio I would vote for President Obama.

There are very meaningful differences between Mr. Obama and Mitt Romney

At the same time, President Obama has done substantial damage to the progressive and liberal cause by never at any point in his term truly offering any real measure of hope and change to a power structure in our nation that increasingly offers opportunity only to an elite few.

The President has not spoken frankly about the stark realities of our changing economy, or about the evermore apparent fact of climate change.

There is rarely a clear answer to the conflict between short-term realities and long-term hopes that is part of any political activity.

This is why I offer the split decision of hoping for Mr. Obama’s reelection and supporting Dr. Stein here in Texas.

I’ll have more to say about all this in the weeks and months ahead. For now, I ask that folks please give a first look to the 2012 Green ticket.

Here is the website of the Stein campaign.

Here is the Facebook page of the Stein/Honkala campaign.