Presidential candidate Stein fleshes out “Green New Deal” for America

Today, as the Greens open their national convention in Baltimore, Jill Stein and vice presidential running mate Cheri Honkala appeared on the Democracy Now program.
Editing by Carolyn Bennett

Facing Crisis

Much needs to be done, Stein said on Democracy Now. “The American people are in crisis: facing loss of jobs and homes, loss of decent wages and affordable healthcare. A generation of students has effectively become indentured servants as high unemployment renders them unable to repay their debt. Civil liberties are under attack. The climate is in serious jeopardy.

“We need big solutions, not solutions around the margins. We really need to end unemployment. We need to put 25 million people back to work with good-paying jobs.”

The Green New Deal Stein fleshes out

The Green New Deal is designed to create a whole spectrum of jobs and to jump-start this program at the cost of the first stimulus package implemented by the previous (that is, current) administration.

But instead of creating a small dent in the problem, she said, “we can really fix the problem and end to unemployment in this country.”

A Green New Deal modeled on the New Deal that helped get us out of the Great Depression means “Instead of using the money that went into the stimulus package, for example, of 2009 (some $700 billion) … more than half of which basically went to corporate subsidies and tax breaks, which don’t create jobs — the money [will be] used for—

Direct job creation
Community-based jobs in small businesses and worker cooperatives
Public services and public works

“We [will] also create the social jobs that our communities need: Put 300,000 teachers back to work and the nurses and day care after school, affordable housing construction, prevention of and rehabilitation for violence and drug abuse. The money would go to communities to create the kinds of jobs they need to become sustainable, not only economically; but also socially and ecologically.

“We’re talking about jobs in the green economy—

Clean manufacturing
Local, organic agriculture
Public transportation
Clean, renewable energy jobs in which we can put people to work right now, in places that need them

In the green energy economy, we make wars for oil obsolete and put an end to the unfolding climate crisis.

The Green New Deal is how you can do it, Stein said. “It’s not rocket science. We’ve done it before and it actually works.”

In her Wednesday speech at the National Press Club in which she introduced her running mate Cheri Honkala, Jill Stein said:

“Our campaign is here to change that breaking point into a tipping point, to begin taking back the promise of our democracy and the peaceful, just, green future that we deserve and that is within our reach.”

Sources and notes

“Green New Deal: Organizer, Physician Jill Stein Poised to Win Green Party’s Presidential Nomination — As the corporate media covers every move made by Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney and Democratic incumbent Barack Obama, we go to Baltimore to cover the Green Party 2012 National Convention.

“‘We need big solutions, you know, not solutions around the margins. We really need to end unemployment. We need to put 25 million people back to work with good-paying jobs,’ says presumptive presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein, who is running on a platform called ‘the Green New Deal’ that emphasizes economic justice, tough financial regulation, the repeal of Citizens United and a transition to a ‘green economy.’

“The Green Party expects to be on the 2012 ballot in at least 45 states and plans to spend approximately $1 million on its campaign.

“Stein is the party’s first candidate to independently qualify for federal matching funds, a milestone for this 11-year-old third party.” July 13, 2012, http://www.democracynow.org/2012/7/13/green_new_deal_organizer_physician_jill

Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala on Democracy Now July 13, 2012, Transcript excerpt

Unfortunately this program segment was poorly times and timed out online.

See also Today’s Insight News THURSDAY, July 12, 2012, “Greens choose veteran Poor People’s Economic Human Rights leader Chris Honkala”; and WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2012, “What does ‘winning’ mean IT Times asks Fletcher, Hirsch, and Stein”

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