Dear Peace Activists,
The Ecology Democracy Party is proud to have Ken Pentel representing it on the ballot this November 2nd for Governor of Minnesota. However, many people we meet while campaigning are not aware of this -- and it is not for lack of trying. As a third party candidate there are many barriers to getting media exposure.
Since you may not have heard about our campaign, we are writing you today to educate you about our campaign and to talk about the disconnect that occurs sometimes between a voter's values and how they cast their vote.
For over 25 years Ken Pentel has been advocating for sustainable practices that affect our environment, our economy, and our democracy. Ken was a nominated candidate for governor three times with the Green Party of Minnesota. This will be his fourth run.
The newly formed Ecology Democracy Party was born out of the Ecology Democracy Network. Ken established the network in 2008 and bicycled over 6,000 miles throughout the state educating and laying a base of support for the transformation of the network into the political party. The focus of the Ecology Democracy Party is the restoration of our relationship with our natural environment and our democracy through structural changes in the economy, the way we vote and who influences our elected officials.
Minnesota is one of the most lobbied states in the country. In 2004 and 2005 alone over $50 million dollars was spent lobbying Minnesota policy makers and regulatory agencies. The average citizen cannot be heard.
This campaign advocates enforcing and expanding existing laws to remove the tentacles of big money and corporate interference in our government and putting an end to corporate personhood.
We have been chasing our tails on the same issues election cycle after election cycle. Corporate money interference at the state level makes it impossible for our voices to be heard. An example is the war.
For those of you who think that ending the war can only be addressed at the federal level, consider how the military industrial complex is bankrupting not just our country, but our state as well. They are given free use of the Minnesota National Guard and their resources for a war that is not only unjustifiable (unless of course you are entrenched in the oil industry), but illegal. Minnesota alone has had over $26 billion drained from its economy (www.costofwar.com) that could have been better spent within our state to make it financially self-sufficient and applied to more sustainable goals.
The Ken Pentel for Governor campaign challenges you to consider where your voting power will be applied this November 2nd and ask yourselves: Will this vote be in line with my values or my fears?
Dave Culver in a recent letter to the Evergreen Digest states:
“We ask you, how does voting fearfully, ignorantly, and irresponsibly (sticking with the Democrats, voting for the lesser of two evils, voting against someone) advance the Progressive agenda?...Like you, I have already heard the arguments, variations on a theme of fear, ignorance, and irresponsibility: We would be throwing away our vote and probably enabling the opposing party to win. If we don’t stay with the Democrats there is a huge chance that the right wing will win...My point is: We’ve already been doing it this way for years and look at the mess we’re in. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. If we continue to vote this way, how will things end up different this November?”
And Chris Hedges states: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080421_the_left_has_lost_its_way/
“Let the politicians compromise. This is their job. It is not ours. If the left wants to regain influence in the nation's political life, it must be willing to walk away from the Democratic Party and back progressive, third-party candidates until the Democrats feel enough heat to adopt our agenda. We must be willing to say no. If not, we become slaves.”
With the current Democratic administration being complicit in the FBI raids of peace activists, we ask if you and your organization will continue to waste your vote on a party who smothers dissent and has been responsible for the majority of the wars since WW1? Go to our website (www.kenpentel.org) and follow the "Issues" link to see our mandates to end corporate influence in our government, establish proportional representation in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and rethink the way we look at our economy by incorporating an ecology-based economy.
For Peace and justice,
Ken Pentel for Governor
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