OntheWilderSide

The passage of the bailout bill on Friday represents a turning point for the American people, in which they are finally beginning to understand that their elected officials, Republican and Democrat, are working for corporate America, not them. As the Green Party’s presidential candidate, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has stated, in her essay entitled “Seize the Time” (http://votetruth08. com/index. php/learn/ mckinney- messages): “This represents a unique moment in U.S. history and we must now seize the time for self-determination — for health care, education, ecological wisdom, justice, and all the policies that will make a difference in the lives of the people.”

“Last week, both the Democratic and Republican parties shamefully killed the American Dream, an essential part of which is the right to own one’s home” said Gloria Mattera, a former Green Party candidate for Brooklyn Borough president. “Instead of passing a real rescue bill that would have saved homeowners and reformed Wall Street, they have only “rescued’ their wealthy backers. Indeed, the bipartisan bill that Congress passed on Friday is in some respects worse than the one that failed on Monday, as it raises the dubious $700 billion bailout “ceiling” by another hundred billion, and lards the legislation with the most egregious and laughable pork. The new law rewards Wall Street criminals and punishes honest, hardworking middle- and working-class citizens by not allowing them to keep their homes and free themselves from debt. ”

“It’s ironic,” added Mattera, “that Friday’s vote did not lead to a stock market rally. Investors are quite rightly unconvinced that the new measure will solve the economic crisis. This will surely be the first of many bailouts — and the end, unless we prevent it, of any significant spending on social programs. But this crisis also represents an opportunity. Opposition to the bailout crosses all ideological and geographic boundaries and will not end with the passage of this bill. The Wall Street powers led by Henry Paulson used terror tactics to blackmail the American people — tactics that Americans would not tolerate if Al Queda attempted a similar act of blackmail. But the struggle against the Wall Street terrorists is far from over. ”

“George Bush claims that his $800 billion ‘surge’ for the banking industry might eventually yield a profit; he must be using the same calculator he employed when he and Wolfowitz predicted that oil revenues would allow the Iraq war to pay for itself. More important, all four national candidates of the two mainstream parties — Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin — have backed the bailout. When it comes to the rights and privileges of corporate America, which pays for their campaigns and their perks, Republicans and Democrats are truly bipartisan.”

The Green Party, which does not accept corporate funding, stands against the banking industry and its Democratic and Republican handmaidens… and for taxpayers. The Green Party demands that Congress:
•recognize shelter as a right according to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, to which the U.S. is a signatory;

• declare a moratorium on all foreclosures of troubled homeowners;
• impose new mortgage lending rules to end predatory and discriminatory practices;
• provide full funding to cushion job loss and for retraining as the economy transitions;
• close tax loopholes and repeal the Bush tax cuts for the top 1% of income earners;
• tax corporations fairly, denying subsidies to those who relocate jobs overseas;
• end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring the troops — and the war funds — home.

The Green Party of New York State supports the concept of local town meetings all across America, to which elected officials who voted for the bailout would be summoned to defend their votes before the constituencies they have betrayed.

The Green Party stands for Nonviolence, Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy and Social and Economic Justice. For additional information about the Cynthia McKinney for President campaign, go to http://votetruth08. com.

Filed under: cynthia mckinney, election, Election 2008, grassroots democracy, Green Party Websites, Green Presidential Campaign 2008, New York State Politics, Political Websites, presidential race, US Politics