On Thursday, October 25^th, 2007 Beth Rockwell and five other peace protesters from Erie County were sentenced to prison on contempt charges.

The “Erie Six” were sentences to serve five days in jail for refusing to pay fines stemming from their blocking, on March 20th, the doors to the downtown Erie Federal Courthouse. Their protest was intended to serve as a symbolic representation of citizens’ effort to shut-down our governments’ illegal and immoral war on Iraq.

A large crowd of local supporters gathered at 8:30 AM Thursday, first at the office of Phil English (R), Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional district representative. There, Erie Peace Initiative (EPI) supporters placed letters of support for the “Erie Six” while reiterating their desire for an end to the Iraq War. Next, supporters traveled south on State Street to the downtown Federal Courthouse in which they delivered additional letters of both support and protest to the offices of Sen. Arlen Specter (R) and Sen. Robert Casey (D), whose offices are located in the Courthouse.

The court proceedings began at 10 AM to an overflowing courtroom, and continued until 2:30 PM. The defendants included Jim Wise, Richard Quiggle, Anne McCarthy, Bob Johnson, Katie White, and local Green Treasurer, Beth Rockwell.  

The Green Party of Erie County has been a long-time coalition partner with EPI, a local grassroots peace organization formed soon after the Sept. 11, 2001 criminal terrorist attack on New York and Washington, D.C.

Erie Peace Initiative coalition members successfully worked to organize a massive peace protest this March 19th in Erie, drawing over 1,000 protesters from around the region in an overwhelming show of support for complete and immediate withdrawal from Iraq.

Local Green activists have played a key role in this and previous EPI events, including vigils, petition drives, street protests which included symbolic folded paper cranes, and citizen mobilization drives. The Erie Peace Initiative and its associated eighteen coalition partners have sponsored Town Hall events in which its national representatives have been invited to attend. Greens and EPI members have also been supportive of the Meadville, Pennsylvania, Women In Black as a contingent in their city’s last two Memorial Day parades, as well as their ongoing Saturday morning vigils against the Iraq War.

Thursday’s proceedings stem from contempt charges from the original fine amounting to $500 which the “Erie Six’ refused to pay. Federal statutes allow for a maximum of 30 days incarceration for contempt charges. Beth Rockwell, at age 71, was sentenced to house arrest due to her involved health issues. 

Can there be any doubt that now is the time for the rise of a truly representative political party that would act to save our nation from its tired and corrupt system that, it would seem, aids only those who need help the least?

Would you consider what this country can achieve for its citizens if freed from the political/corporate shackles of uniformity and crass commercialism of the body politic?

Green Party of Erie County members in your community are deeply committed to the local peace movement protesting of the illegal and immoral war on Iraq.

Green Party of Erie County members in your community are currently working to protect the local environment by actively opposing the tire-burning plant proposed for the old IP site, and in preserving the Allegheny National Forest.

Green Party of Erie County members have placed their names on ballots for U.S. Congress (Andrea Benson), twice for PA State Representative (Larry Sawdy, Tim Reim), and for Millcreek Township Supervisor (Tim Soggs).

Green Party of Erie County member and former chair, Bob Cogan, currently serves as a Borough of Edinboro Council member.

Green Party of Erie County members serve as delegates to the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) and Tim Reim serves as the GPPA Political Committee Chair.

By not only pledging to help the continuing efforts of the Green Party of Erie County by making a donation, sending 10 progressive friends this letter asking for a contribution will magnify your efforts. An investment in 10 letters, envelopes and stamps will greatly increase the fundraising amount generated by your actions.

Thank You.

Make your contribution payable to:

Green Party of Erie County (GPOEC)

132 West 23^rd Street Apt. 313

Erie, PA   16502

Green Party members of the PA 3^rd Congressional District –

We have the opportunity to meet Wednesday, August 1 in Meadville to discuss the viability of a Green candidacy for our congressional district.

Dr. Steve Porter has been in contact with the executive committee of the Green Party of Erie County to discuss a possible 2008 run against Phil English on the Green ticket.

As many of you know, Steve has lost twice as a Democrat to English, both in 2004 and 2006. While Steve is strongly committed to again take on the challenge of another congressional campaign, the question to Greens is whether he represents a candidacy we wish to support for our area.

Additionally, it is important that any potential Green from the 3^rd District considering the party’s nomination for congress identify themselves in the very near future.

We plan to meet at Chovy’s Italian Casual (814-724-1286), 18228 Conneaut Lake Road in Meadville at 6 PM. The restaurant is right-off I-79 at Exit 147A heading toward Meadville and across from a Sheetz store. Please RSVP to one of the contacts below. Greens are encouraged to carpool to the meeting.

If you received this message but cannot attend on Wednesday, please feel free to contact myself, Tim Reim at (814) 838-1193  (814) 572-6653 DeaconB60@Hotmail.com, Larry Sawdy at (814) 833-7031 larisaad@verizon.net, or Lori Sands at (724) 735-4054 tchfrch@Hotmail.com and let us know what you think.

Yours truly,

Tim Reim

Chair – Green Party of Erie County

Candidate for State Representative 3^rd Legislative District 2006

GREEN SOLUTIONS TOUR - ERIE '07

Presented by the Green Party of Pennsylvania
and
the Green Party of Erie County
Blasco Library Admiral Room
Tuesday, January 23 at 6:30 pm
Green Party Future Focus
Party Building and Campaign Success
PA Ballot Access
Ecological Wisdom
eriegreenparty.org
                                                                             
Tim Reim 838-1193

TIM REIM FILES TO BECOME OFFICIAL CANDIDATE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

With today’s submission of over 700 signatures to the PA Department of State, voters in the Third Legislative District will have a clear choice for electing an independent voice to the

Pennsylvania General Assembly.   

Erie, PA (July 24) – Tim Reim, a teacher and married father of four children, made his campaign official by submitting well over the number of needed signatures required to put him on the ballot in November. He is one of twelve Green Party candidates statewide running for a House seat expected to announce their official candidacy before the August 1 deadline.  

“Like many of you, I sit down and work at my kitchen table to balance my family’s checkbook each and every week. And each time I do, I’m taken aback by the ever increasing amount of my bills. First among them are the energy bills that have increasingly drained my family’s savings. How are working families, and especially those seniors tied to fixed monthly incomes to deal with these seemingly never ending increases? The Third District needs a new and independent voice to make our governments’ regulatory and environmental agencies, including the PUC, responsible first to the needs of its citizens’ and only second to corporations’ desire for profit.”

Reim intends to make standing for the interests of working families the cornerstone of his campaign. “We are forgetting what democracy looks like. It’s time for working families to stand up to the business-class/professional politicians and demand that our rights and privileges not be negotiated away.” 

The recent introduction to the PA House and Senate for legislation establishing a single-payer healthcare plan for Pennsylvanians came as very welcomed news to progressives throughout the state. “Universal healthcare will drive down costs, make our state more competitive and attractive to businesses looking to locate here, while ensuring that all Pennsylvanians receive equitable medical and prescription care.”

Reim commented that he applauds Governor Rendell’s decision to sign-on with the Apollo Alliance and its goal of energy independence. He went on to state, “Real leadership is needed now to take advantage of the environmental technologies breakthroughs in producing clean sustainable energy. Solar and wind power and their associated production offer a new manufacturing base for our state and a way out of the fossil-fuel nightmare of global warming.”

On April 29^th Tim Reim, chairperson of the Green Party of Erie County, announced that he was seeking to become the next state representative of the third district of Pennsylvania.

The third district encompasses most of Millcreek Township, part of Fairview Township, Franklin Township, McKean Borough and Township along with Waterford Borough and Township.

A high school social studies teacher, married and father of four children, Tim Reim intends to provide the citizens of the third district a new voice and a new direction for the future while emphasizing the needs of working families.

“Voters of the third district should not let the Green Party label be a distraction - Green means independence from the straightjacket of Harrisburg money politics dominated by large corporations and the capitals’ political elite. Green means an independent voice to propose new and innovative solutions. Green also means the independence and freedom to really listen to the concerns of my fellow neighbors. Working families want an opportunity to vote their conscience and not for the least-worst among the candidates in an election.”

Reim stated in his opening campaign address attended by supporters who had gathered at the Millcreek Township Municipal Building, that it was the decision of the Steris Corporation to move 450 of its manufacturing jobs to Mexico that galvanized his desire to go forward in the race.

“This is my community – this is my home. The silence among our elected officials is startling. The vanishing social contract in America between employers and employees, including healthcare and pensions is under attack as never before. Those who would have us believe that globalization means painful changes are right. Yet the pain is all coming from working families who have seen jobs lost overseas, real wages decline while worker productivity has steadily increased along with soaring corporate profits. There are those who would like us to believe there is nothing that can be done on a local level. They are wrong, and during my campaign I will speak with folks about ideas that will help to reverse the drain of decent, sustainable living wage jobs from our area, thereby making a real future for our young people.”

Additionally, he went on to discuss the issue of taxes by stating, “We need to stop looking to pass tax shifting bills that would grant property tax reductions by adding a sales tax on necessities such as food and clothing. This kind of regressive taxation is an affront to middle-class working families, the working poor, and senior citizens living on fixed incomes.”

“My campaign will be an uphill struggle, and I am in great need of volunteers,” Reim said. “Please contact me or Larry Sawdy, my campaign Treasurer, if you wish to help this campaign move forward.”

Lastly, Reim stated, “The third district needs to send to Harrisburg a citizen-legislator, not another corporate lobbyist-professional politician.”

BRING THEM HOME NOW

END

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                                        CONTACT:

Friday, January 13, 2006                                                              Marakay Rogers 717-578-2065 cell

Tuesday, January 10^th, the Green Party of Pennsylvania filed a suit against the Commonwealth in the Middle District federal court in Harrisburg.  The Green Party is seeking relief from a burdensome law that requires them to collect over 67,000 signatures for their statewide candidates.  The Constitution Party of Pennsylvania is also a plaintiff in the suit.

Under Pennsylvania law minor political parties must gather thirty-three times the number of signatures as Republicans and Democrats to get their candidates on the statewide ballot in 2006.  Given the gross inequity in the number of signatures, the Greens feel that Pennsylvania is violating the 1^st and 14^th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution including the Equal Protection Clause.

“Pennsylvania has one of the most oppressive ballot access laws in the country,” says Marakay J. Rogers, Green candidate for Governor and Plaintiff in the suit.  “Not only does it grossly hamper our efforts to get candidates on the ballot, but it can eliminate choices for the voters and stifle fresh ideas from entering into the political arena.”

The suit suggests using a ballot access system similar to Delaware’s law where a party’s candidates can appear on the ballot simply by attaining .05% of the overall state voter registration.  Another remedy suggested in the lawsuit states that minor political parties simply collect the same amount of signatures as their Republican and Democrat counterparts which is 2,000 for statewide candidates.  

“Even if you are not a Green,” says Steve Baker, Co-chair of the York County Party, “we all should be outraged that the State Legislature is attempting to suppress fair and democratic competition.”

Along with the lawsuit, Greens and other minor parties have formed a PA Ballot Access Coalition which has been meeting with the PA House State Government Committee and the Governor’s Election Reform Task Force to petition for relief from current ballot requirements.

- 30 -

Dear Green Friends and Allies:

The Green Party of Erie County, along with a coalition of seventeen other committed peace and justice organizations throughout northwestern Pennsylvania, are delighted to announce the beginning of its petition drive campaign.

Under the umbrella of the 9/11 Peace Initiative Coalition, citizens will be asked to sign their names to a petition whose mission includes the cut in funding for military operations in Iraq, a demand for an exit strategy (withdrawal) from the occupation of Iraq, and a series of town hall meetings with our congressional leaders enabling people throughout the region to voice their patriotic concerns for the continuing illegal and immoral war on Iraq.

Green and coalition members will be appearing throughout the area this summer at various locations and events to gather signatures including the Erie Arts Festival, the Millcreek Township 4^th of July parade, and Discover Presque Isle.

Please lend you support for this cause by helping us gather petition signatures. You can begin by downloading and then printing your own petitions to circulate at work or in your neighborhood. Pass along blank petitions to friends or save the downloaded petition to pass along by email.

Be sure to send the petitions to either myself or Al by July 31^st so we can present them to our congressional leaders. Your voices and actions will help to guarantee that the peace and justice forces of northwestern Pennsylvania will not go unheard. 

Tim Reim    

2708 West 33^rd Street

Erie, PA   16506

DeaconB60@Hotmail.com

Al Richardson

830 Washington Pl.

Erie, PA   16502

ASRjr@aol.com

Dear Green Friends and Allies:

The Green Party of Erie County, along with a coalition of seventeen other committed peace and justice organizations throughout northwestern Pennsylvania, are delighted to announce the beginning of its petition drive campaign.

Under the umbrella of the 9/11 Peace Initiative Coalition, citizens will be asked to sign their names to a petition whose mission includes the cut in funding for military operations in Iraq, a demand for an exit strategy (withdrawal) from the occupation of Iraq, and a series of town hall meetings with our congressional leaders enabling people throughout the region to voice their patriotic concerns for the continuing illegal and immoral war on Iraq.

Green and coalition members will be appearing throughout the area this summer at various locations and events to gather signatures including the Erie Arts Festival, the Millcreek Township 4^th of July parade, and Discover Presque Isle.

Please lend you support for this cause by helping us gather petition signatures. You can begin by downloading and then printing your own petitions to circulate at work or in your neighborhood. Pass along blank petitions to friends or save the downloaded petition to pass along by email.

Be sure to send the petitions to either myself or Al by July 31^st so we can present them to our congressional leaders. Your voices and actions will help to guarantee that the peace and justice forces of northwestern Pennsylvania will not go unheard. 

Later-

Tim Reim    

Green Party of Erie County

At the April 17 meeting it was agreed to by consensus that the GPOEC should continue with the efforts of the Erie Regional Peace and Justice Center and the 9/11 Peace Initiative to move forward the goals of this coalition to end the illegal and immoral war on Iraq. The GPOEC plans to begin a petitioning drive to demand that our congressmen-English,Santorum, and Specter, hold a town hall meeting in Northwest Pennsylvania to address the cost of this war. The petioning drive is also intended to demand that an exit strategy, a cut of the funding of military operations in Iraq, (no permenant bases in Iraq) be represented to the voters and taxpayers of Pennsylvania. Please plan to come to the next 9/11 Peace Initiative meeting, Thursday, May 5 at 7PM at Gannon University Waldron Center to add your voice.

Our next GPOEC meeting on May 19th will feature Mark DiVecchio, candidate for Erie County Executive.

The Green Party of Erie County invites Erie County residents to a political presentation featuring Mark DiVecchio, Erie County Council’s fourth district representative and Democratic Party candidate for Erie County Executive. Citizens are welcomed to voice their questions and concerns.

This event will be held Thursday, May 19 at the Trinity Center, 462 West 18^th Street beginning at 7:00PM.

For further information contact:

                                                    Tim Reim  838-1193

                                                    Larry Sawdy  833-7031

On February 17, 2005 members of the Green Party of Erie County (GPOEC) gathered for the election of new officers using Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) procedures. The following were elected to one year leadership terms:

Chairperson – Tim Reim

Vice Chairperson – Larry Sawdy

Treasurer – Beth Rockwell

State Committee Delegates – Chris Gable

                                                  Tim Reim

                                                  Beth Rockwell

The county is affiliated with the Green Party of Pennsylvania and the Green Party of the United States. Its party principles are articulated in the ten key values of the Green movement in the United States: grassroots democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, non-violence, decentralization, community based economics and economic justice, feminism and gender equality, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility, and future focus and sustainability.

Green Party voter registration stands around 15,000, a large gain in just the last two years but still only representing 0.18% of voting Pennsylvanians. Erie County registered Greens now number 406, up from 268 in 2003.

Local anti-war events commemorating the two year anniversary of the war on Iraq, Earth Day/Week festivities, and *Moving Day* activities represent GPOEC initiatives to take place this Spring. 

For more information, visit the Green Party of Erie County’s web site at www.eriegreenparty.org.

Marakay Rogers, the York County Green Party candidate for Pennsylvania Attorney General, scored an important victory for the state party by garnering 67,320 votes to assure the Green Party of Pennsylvania its status as an official political party in Pennsylvania.

Rogers was delighted to observe that her votes outnumbered the total number of registered Greens in the state.

 In Pennsylvania’s often arcane political party system, “minor party” status is given to political parties that receive at least 2% of the vote received by the highest statewide vote-getter in each even year election.

“It is extremely difficult to attain sometimes,” according to Steven Baker, co-chair of the York County Greens. “We did it for the third year in a row.”

Minor parties are also defined as political parties that have less than 15% of the Pennsylvanians registered to vote. Pennsylvania has four official political parties: Democrats; Republicans; Greens; and Libertarians.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania has only been actively organizing in the state for four years, and now boasts 27 organized Green counties, with an additional 8 in the process of organizing.
                                                                                                           
Pennsylvania state chair, Jennero Pullano is confident that Marakay Roger’s vote total and renewal of party status will help gain new momentum in the coming years.

Green Party voter registration stands around 15,000, a large gain in just the last two years but still only representing 0.18% of voting Pennsylvanians. Erie County registered Greens now number 406, up from 268 in 2003.

“If everyone who said to me ‘I like your campaign, but a third-party candidate can’t win’ would actually vote for me, we’d have third-party candidates winning,” said Marakay Rogers after the election.

Nationwide, Green candidates ran in 356 races in the November 2 election. Altogether, 430 Green candidates ran in 2004, with 63 green victories. There are now 212 elected Greens in 27 states.

National Green Party voter registration now stands at an all-time high of 311,350 in 22 states. This number omits Green supporters in states where the Green Party has not yet achieved ballot status and in states that don’t permit party registration.