"The Times Demand Change" Acceptance Speech of Rich Whitney, Illinois Green Party candidate for Governor Carbondale, Illinois, December 22, 2006
Carbondale, Illinois, December 22, 2006
Last month, at a membership meeting of the Illinois Green Party, the Party voted to
campaign for all Constitutional offices in the State of Illinois. The party nominated me as its candidate for governor. Today, after careful consideration, I have decided to announce my acceptance of the party’s nomination. And I am pleased to be joined today by our candidate for State Treasurer, Rev. Dan Rodriguez-Schlorff, and our new candidate for State Representative in the 115th District, Charlie Howe, who will be on the Green primary ballot in March.
I realize that this campaign poses a tremendous challenge. Because we are still considered a “new” political party under State law, and the Democrats and Republicans have written the election code to benefit themselves, we will have to collect 25,000 valid petition signatures statewide in order to get on the ballot, between March and June of 2006. However, we will get it – especially if we can get the help of all citizens who want a better, progressive choice on the ballot.
I am running to give the voters of Illinois that better choice. They deserve a better choice
than the choice between two corporate-run parties. They deserve a better choice than the party that gave us the lies of Bill Clinton and the party that gave us the lies of George Bush. They deserve a better choice than the corruption and bad judgment of George Ryan’s gang and the corruption and bad judgment of Rod Blagojevich’s gang. They deserve a better choice than a Republican leadership that is shameless and a Democratic leadership that is spineless.
The times demand change. Hurricane Katrina was just one of many warning signs that
global warming now poses grave dangers to the planet and the era of cheap oil is obviously moving toward a close, posing grave dangers to our economy – and yet, our so-called leaders in Washington and Springfield are not taking the threat seriously. They are fiddling while the planet burns. Rod Blagojevich promised in 2002 that he would push sustainable energy sources like biodiesel and wind power – and yet only two-tenths of one percent of our State’s energy needs are now being provided by such sources. He has failed. This in a State that is well poised to be a leader in developing such energy – while creating badly needed new jobs in the process.
Meanwhile, our state budget is a mess, our public services keep deteriorating and our
schools rank 48th in the nation in per pupil spending – but first in inequality. Yet Rod
Blagojevich has refused to consider essential tax reforms, choosing instead to mortgage our children’s future and our state pensioners’ future with short-term quick fixes.
Let me outline for you four essential initiatives that I promise to take if I am elected
Governor – four good reasons why I will give the voters a better choice than Rod Blagojevich or any of the Republican contenders.
First, I will fight to keep the Illinois National Guard at home, out of Iraq. As Governor, I
will be the Commander in Chief of the Illinois State Militia or National Guard. I realize that Illinois law states that it is the Governor’s duty to give up our Guards-men and -women to the federal government whenever the President orders them into active military duty. However, federal law does allow Governors to veto a federal mobilization of Guardsmen under certain circumstances and I believe that there is a higher duty that supercedes the duty imposed by state law. If elected, I will veto any further mobilization of our troops for duty in Iraq, on the grounds that the war in Iraq is plainly illegal and immoral. It is illegal under established international law, under the U.N. Charter and under the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal. And it is immoral under a certain moral code that tells me that we shall not kill, we shall not steal, we shall not bear false witness against our neighbors and we shall not covet our neighbor’s goods – even if those
goods happen to include massive amounts of oil.
The National Guard, as the name implies, is supposed to be guarding the nation – not
serving a deadly and illegal fool’s errand in Iraq on behalf of the gang of corporate robber barons that is now dominating our government. Unlike Rod Blagojevich, I will not send our young men and women – many of them kids who just thought they were going to earn their way to a college degree – to fight and die in the service of corporate greed, in an ill-conceived war that is making us less safe, more hated around the world and that is starving our state and local governments of funds to meet human needs at home.
Second, the global warming crisis and the end of cheap oil demand major changes in how
we produce and use energy. I will fight for a “New Deal” for sustainable energy development in Illinois. It is outrageous that during this energy crisis, we do not have any significant tax incentives or purchasing requirements that will support the development and installation of solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy production. Illinois has the agricultural and other resources and ability to turn a negative into a positive – to get out on the cutting edge of new, clean energy technologies that the times demand. I will get us on the right track, so that we meet and exceed the goal of 20 percent renewable energy by the year 2020 – a target that will create tens of thousands of new, quality jobs.
And speaking of getting on the right track, we need a major state commitment to mass
transit, including high-speed rail. That is why I have chosen to make my announcement here by the AmTrak station. Mile for mile, rail transit is far more energy efficient and far less polluting than travel by automobile. A billion dollars spent on rail transit creates 7,000 more jobs than a billion dollars spent on highway construction. Yet our Republican president and his Democrat Transportation Secretary are trying to dismantle AmTrak. The present Governor and legislature have not made the necessary commitment to build new, modern high-speed rail systems that the times demand. I will. A person should be able to get on a train in Carbondale and get to St. Louis in an hour, to Springfield or Memphis in an hour and a half, and Chicago in three hours. We need to expand light-rail options to medium and then small-size cities. This is not pie in the sky. It is doable. It just takes the political will.
Third, I will fight for badly needed tax, budget and education reform in Illinois. Let me
say to the fiscal conservatives out there: I am with you. The right wing talks about “tax and spend liberals.” Well, let me tell you, there are politicians far worse than that. Such as “borrow, steal and waste pseudo-conservatives,” like our current president. Or “borrow, steal and waste pseudoliberals” like our current governor, who has refused to implement necessary tax reforms, instead choosing to balance the budget by delving into dedicated state funds, cutting necessary programs and burdening future generations with more interest on more bonds. Its ironic that some years ago, Governor Edgar had a pretty good plan for reforming our tax system, to place more of the burden for school funding on the income tax and provide real property tax relief – and the leaders of his own party refused to back him on it. Today, a few good Democrats have put forward a good plan for reforming our tax system, to place more of the burden for school funding on the income tax, making it more progressive, and provide real property tax relief – and now their own
Governor won’t get behind them. It’s called House Bill 750 and it’s a very good start. Unlike Rod Blagojevich, I would work with more forward thinking Democrats – and hopefully, some Greens in the legislature, like Charlie Howe – and get it passed.
Fourth, in Illinois, we need more than the “All Kids” program: I will fight for universal
single-payer health care, to cover everyone in the State of Illinois. You know, for Rod
Blagojevich to pat himself on the back for his “All Kids” program would be like Lewis and Clark stopping somewhere in Kansas and saying, “We’ve gone far enough. Please congratulate us.” I’m sorry but that just doesn’t get it. Do I have to say the obvious – children are not the only people who get sick? A state-funded, single-payer health-care program – essentially, Medicare for everyone – is the way to go. Instead of working people paying outrageous premiums for inadequate care for some, a modest payroll tax costing far less than current premiums would allow us to provide excellent care for all. And it would be a big boost to the economy as well, as it would remove a tremendous burden from businesses, large and small, that are struggling to provide health insurance from a predatory insurance industry.
These are just some of the things that I will fight for if elected. In general, I will be an
advocate for working and middle-class taxpayers, farmers, small business owners and the
underprivileged – not corporate privateers and predators. As always, we in the Green Party will not accept any corporate campaign contributions. We are building a true party of the people because we want to restore government of, by and for the people, instead of government dominated by big money. This campaign will be true to that principle.
In 2002 and 2004, my campaigns for state representative got the Green Party established
in this district. Now we are not only going to get the Green Party established statewide; with the voters’ help, we are going to make political history in Illinois in 2006.
Last month, at a membership meeting of the Illinois Green Party, the Party voted to
campaign for all Constitutional offices in the State of Illinois. The party nominated me as its candidate for governor. Today, after careful consideration, I have decided to announce my acceptance of the party’s nomination. And I am pleased to be joined today by our candidate for State Treasurer, Rev. Dan Rodriguez-Schlorff, and our new candidate for State Representative in the 115th District, Charlie Howe, who will be on the Green primary ballot in March.
I realize that this campaign poses a tremendous challenge. Because we are still considered a “new” political party under State law, and the Democrats and Republicans have written the election code to benefit themselves, we will have to collect 25,000 valid petition signatures statewide in order to get on the ballot, between March and June of 2006. However, we will get it – especially if we can get the help of all citizens who want a better, progressive choice on the ballot.
I am running to give the voters of Illinois that better choice. They deserve a better choice
than the choice between two corporate-run parties. They deserve a better choice than the party that gave us the lies of Bill Clinton and the party that gave us the lies of George Bush. They deserve a better choice than the corruption and bad judgment of George Ryan’s gang and the corruption and bad judgment of Rod Blagojevich’s gang. They deserve a better choice than a Republican leadership that is shameless and a Democratic leadership that is spineless.
The times demand change. Hurricane Katrina was just one of many warning signs that
global warming now poses grave dangers to the planet and the era of cheap oil is obviously moving toward a close, posing grave dangers to our economy – and yet, our so-called leaders in Washington and Springfield are not taking the threat seriously. They are fiddling while the planet burns. Rod Blagojevich promised in 2002 that he would push sustainable energy sources like biodiesel and wind power – and yet only two-tenths of one percent of our State’s energy needs are now being provided by such sources. He has failed. This in a State that is well poised to be a leader in developing such energy – while creating badly needed new jobs in the process.
Meanwhile, our state budget is a mess, our public services keep deteriorating and our
schools rank 48th in the nation in per pupil spending – but first in inequality. Yet Rod
Blagojevich has refused to consider essential tax reforms, choosing instead to mortgage our children’s future and our state pensioners’ future with short-term quick fixes.
Let me outline for you four essential initiatives that I promise to take if I am elected
Governor – four good reasons why I will give the voters a better choice than Rod Blagojevich or any of the Republican contenders.
First, I will fight to keep the Illinois National Guard at home, out of Iraq. As Governor, I
will be the Commander in Chief of the Illinois State Militia or National Guard. I realize that Illinois law states that it is the Governor’s duty to give up our Guards-men and -women to the federal government whenever the President orders them into active military duty. However, federal law does allow Governors to veto a federal mobilization of Guardsmen under certain circumstances and I believe that there is a higher duty that supercedes the duty imposed by state law. If elected, I will veto any further mobilization of our troops for duty in Iraq, on the grounds that the war in Iraq is plainly illegal and immoral. It is illegal under established international law, under the U.N. Charter and under the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal. And it is immoral under a certain moral code that tells me that we shall not kill, we shall not steal, we shall not bear false witness against our neighbors and we shall not covet our neighbor’s goods – even if those
goods happen to include massive amounts of oil.
The National Guard, as the name implies, is supposed to be guarding the nation – not
serving a deadly and illegal fool’s errand in Iraq on behalf of the gang of corporate robber barons that is now dominating our government. Unlike Rod Blagojevich, I will not send our young men and women – many of them kids who just thought they were going to earn their way to a college degree – to fight and die in the service of corporate greed, in an ill-conceived war that is making us less safe, more hated around the world and that is starving our state and local governments of funds to meet human needs at home.
Second, the global warming crisis and the end of cheap oil demand major changes in how
we produce and use energy. I will fight for a “New Deal” for sustainable energy development in Illinois. It is outrageous that during this energy crisis, we do not have any significant tax incentives or purchasing requirements that will support the development and installation of solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy production. Illinois has the agricultural and other resources and ability to turn a negative into a positive – to get out on the cutting edge of new, clean energy technologies that the times demand. I will get us on the right track, so that we meet and exceed the goal of 20 percent renewable energy by the year 2020 – a target that will create tens of thousands of new, quality jobs.
And speaking of getting on the right track, we need a major state commitment to mass
transit, including high-speed rail. That is why I have chosen to make my announcement here by the AmTrak station. Mile for mile, rail transit is far more energy efficient and far less polluting than travel by automobile. A billion dollars spent on rail transit creates 7,000 more jobs than a billion dollars spent on highway construction. Yet our Republican president and his Democrat Transportation Secretary are trying to dismantle AmTrak. The present Governor and legislature have not made the necessary commitment to build new, modern high-speed rail systems that the times demand. I will. A person should be able to get on a train in Carbondale and get to St. Louis in an hour, to Springfield or Memphis in an hour and a half, and Chicago in three hours. We need to expand light-rail options to medium and then small-size cities. This is not pie in the sky. It is doable. It just takes the political will.
Third, I will fight for badly needed tax, budget and education reform in Illinois. Let me
say to the fiscal conservatives out there: I am with you. The right wing talks about “tax and spend liberals.” Well, let me tell you, there are politicians far worse than that. Such as “borrow, steal and waste pseudo-conservatives,” like our current president. Or “borrow, steal and waste pseudoliberals” like our current governor, who has refused to implement necessary tax reforms, instead choosing to balance the budget by delving into dedicated state funds, cutting necessary programs and burdening future generations with more interest on more bonds. Its ironic that some years ago, Governor Edgar had a pretty good plan for reforming our tax system, to place more of the burden for school funding on the income tax and provide real property tax relief – and the leaders of his own party refused to back him on it. Today, a few good Democrats have put forward a good plan for reforming our tax system, to place more of the burden for school funding on the income tax, making it more progressive, and provide real property tax relief – and now their own
Governor won’t get behind them. It’s called House Bill 750 and it’s a very good start. Unlike Rod Blagojevich, I would work with more forward thinking Democrats – and hopefully, some Greens in the legislature, like Charlie Howe – and get it passed.
Fourth, in Illinois, we need more than the “All Kids” program: I will fight for universal
single-payer health care, to cover everyone in the State of Illinois. You know, for Rod
Blagojevich to pat himself on the back for his “All Kids” program would be like Lewis and Clark stopping somewhere in Kansas and saying, “We’ve gone far enough. Please congratulate us.” I’m sorry but that just doesn’t get it. Do I have to say the obvious – children are not the only people who get sick? A state-funded, single-payer health-care program – essentially, Medicare for everyone – is the way to go. Instead of working people paying outrageous premiums for inadequate care for some, a modest payroll tax costing far less than current premiums would allow us to provide excellent care for all. And it would be a big boost to the economy as well, as it would remove a tremendous burden from businesses, large and small, that are struggling to provide health insurance from a predatory insurance industry.
These are just some of the things that I will fight for if elected. In general, I will be an
advocate for working and middle-class taxpayers, farmers, small business owners and the
underprivileged – not corporate privateers and predators. As always, we in the Green Party will not accept any corporate campaign contributions. We are building a true party of the people because we want to restore government of, by and for the people, instead of government dominated by big money. This campaign will be true to that principle.
In 2002 and 2004, my campaigns for state representative got the Green Party established
in this district. Now we are not only going to get the Green Party established statewide; with the voters’ help, we are going to make political history in Illinois in 2006.
posted by Whitney Campaign Updates at 9:18 AM
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