The Green Party advocates making decisions based upon our Green Party’s 10 Key Values. The Green Party Platform gives more specific suggestions.
The Green Party of Ohio (GPO) Coordinating Committee has made some specific statements and endorsements, which included the following: Statement of Support from the Ohio Green Party which has now become the Hamilton County Green Party.
The Hamilton County Green Party & the Southwest Ohio Green PAC, also make public statements that directly affect the SW Ohio region. The statements are sorted chronologically from most recent to further back in time with specific election related information in-between.
Why I have a “Smitherman for County Commission” sign in my front yard.
Message from Gwen Marshall, co-chair Hamilton County Green Party:
I am personally endorsing Chris Smitherman for Hamilton County Commissioner; the question is if the “Hamilton County Green Party” has also endorsed this campaign as well. The short answer is “yes” even though the Hamilton County Green Party has not returned to in-person meetings since covid first shut down our library meeting room. The officers of the Hamilton County Green Party, as well as the members of the Hamilton County Green Party Central Committee that I could reach by phone, are also in support of this endorsement for the following 2 main reasons:
1) We have endorsed Chris Smitherman for Cincinnati City Council in the past, in part because he, like us, is not part of the two dominant political parties and therefore he is able to speak independently, as opposed to needing to quote the dominant party’s lines, platforms and so on. In the Green Party we say instead of supporting the “lesser of two evils” why not seek another route.
2) The current make up of the Hamilton County Commission is three females, all from the Democratic Party, whereas in the not too distant past, the makeup of the Hamilton County Commission was three males, all from the Republican Party. In both situations there is/was a lack of diversity of opinion and point-of-view that would be representative of Hamilton County. In both extremes the addition of an independent voice would improve the County Commission in that the Independent Commissioner would be able to help work for the best solution to any of the County’s issues, as opposed to just working for the aims of their own political party. The Independent Commissioner would be a much better addition to the Commission than a member of the opposing party because the work of the Commission does not benefit from having a member who is mostly just there to disrupt the actions of the other two Commissioners.
I believed almost 20 years ago, that the U.S. would use the 9/11/21 attack as an excuse to attack someone and sell more munitions (tomorrow it will be 20 years since I first made a public statement on this concern) and that we should not do that. The day the US attacked another country, I knew we would lose as usual when we are the aggressor. I am glad that President Biden took the US out of Afghanistan because I don’t think we should have been there in the first place and believed that the US would lose the day we went in. I believe that the result of President Bush starting that war for the US is that he took the US out of its previously thought of position as the number one world power.
I also believe that the US losing status as #1 is a good thing for the world. What I most enjoyed about my trip to Vietnam in January 2020 was meeting the Vietnamese because they are a really great people. I am glad that the US has normalized their relationship with them and all are better for it. I wish we would do the same for Cuba and stop letting the US policy be governed by the rich exploiters of Cuba who fled when the new government tried to be for all of its people.
The US will be better off when it stops pushing its will on other people and stops pushing its munition sales on other countries (ex NATO). When we become a better country which cares about the people of other countries as opposed to what we can gain/take from other countries, we will again we considered a number 1 super power. I read an interesting article from blogger Charleston Wang that I thought was worth sharing since it offers a more international view than we are seeing with most of commercial media and both dominant political parties, who by the way, did support the war 20 years ago.
WHO LOST CHINA, WHO LOST VIETNAM, AND WHO LOST AFGHANISTAN?
In 1949, the United States of America was compelled to withdraw from China Ambassador John Leighton Stuart, a man TIME magazine had called “perhaps the most respected American in China.” Mao Zedong (then referred to as Mao Tse-tung) had completed the armed takeover of that vast country and the USA was in no mood to continue diplomatic relations with the Chinese communists. Back home in Washington, D.C. the hue and cry of “WHO LOST CHINA?” soon increased to hurricane force. Senator Joe McCarhy presided over a terror against the U. S. State Department and other officials suspected of being soft on communism. McCarthyism finally spent itself after that Senator began to look for scapegoats inside the U. S. Army. General Dwight Eisenhower, now the first Republican president in 20 years, publicly criticized the Senator’s over-reach in his soft-spoken yet powerful style.
In retrospect, that question “WHO LOST CHINA?” lingers. In my opinion, Mao won China because the USA backed the regime of Chiang Kai-shek, who took massive amounts of U. S. dollars and created phantom armies which either did not exist or turned themselves and their equipment at the critical moment to the Eighth Route Army. It was not until 1979 when Leonard Woodcock presented diplomatic credentials as ambassador once again to the People’s Republic of China.
In 1975, disaster struck in Saigon, South Vietnam, when North Vietnamese regulars drove their Russian vintage tanks into the presidential palace and U. S. Ambassador Graham Anderson Martin was obliged to vacate in haste. In the aftermath of that humiliating debacle, the hue and cry over “WHO LOST VIETNAM?” was a weak doppelgänger to the storm raised by McCarthy. A state of diplomatic void existed until 1997 when Pete Petersen returned to Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam as U. S. Ambassador. To this day, the question of “WHO LOST VIETNAM?” lingers. My simplistic opinion is that South Vietnam was overrun by the North because after the withdrawal of U. S. troops in 1973, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (shortened to ARVN) had become, from internal corruption, another phantom force . Soon enough, that army threw down their rifles, doffed their uniforms, and turned over the heavier equipment to their adversaries.
Towards the end of this August, 2021, the world witnessed the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan to the Taliban, and the withdrawal of the last U.S. and NATO troops along with the unceremonious closing of the U. S. Embassy in the beleaguered city. (As a side-note one can ask what was NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization – a military organization pledged to defend Western Europe against first Soviet communism and then Russian imperialism, doing in a land of Islam). After 20 long years of investing treasure and lives in that landlocked country of forbidding mountains and extremes in winter to summer climate, the hue and cry of “WHO LOST AFGHANISTAN?” may be expected to be raised against President Joe Biden as a matter of political de rigueur. While the jury is still out regarding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, I will offer, once again into the fray dear friends, my simplistic opinion – the USA had for two decades poured our resources to create a phantom army which evaporated at our present moment in history.
Sun Tzu once remarked that most observers can see the tactics of battles being lost or won but very few can see the strategy that ensures the final outcome of War. Did the USA lose in China, Vietnam, and now Afghanistan? A cliché is to counter with the question “IS CHINA, VIETNAM, AND AFGHANISTAN FOR AMERICA TO LOSE?” The underlying premise in this classical and quite magnificent rebuttal is that “AMERICA NEVER OWNED CHINA, WE NEVER OWNED CHINA, VIETNAM, AND AFGHANISTAN!” But this tête-à-tête is between jaded warhorses.
I would like to close by revisiting with a discussion of the “Fallacy of the Domino Theory.” This geopolitical hypothesis subscribed by some pundits during 1950s and into the 1980s’ posits that if one country in a region came under the domination of communism, the adjoining countries would also soon fall like toppling dominoes.
In modern context, the first and biggest domino to fall was China and the Dominoed fear of all Asia succumbing to the hegemony of Chinese communism was the prime reason for the USA to take over the game from the French in Vietnam after their route at Dien Bien Phu. Indeed, after the fall of Saigon in 1975 to communist Hanoi, the Khmer Rouge (Red Khmer)began their takeover of Cambodia. Pol Pot seized Phnom Penh and then started a genocide against his own people, driving out and systematically killing the educated city dwellers of that small country.
The senseless brutality of the Khmer Rouge proved too much even for battle hardened Hanoi. In 1978, Hanoi invaded and drove their communist cousins from power and for a while it appeared that Hanoi had the wherewithal also to conquer Laos and then Thailand, a feat which would vindicate the Domino Theorists. However, the Domino Theory itself fell flat in the dust when in 1979, the People’s Republic of China turned on their communist cousins by invading Vietnam. History records that the Vietnamese veterans stopped the drive of unseasoned Chinese troops towards Hanoi. After just one month of fighting Deng Xiaoping’s War at great cost, Beijing withdrew. Both countries then claimed victory. Before we leave behind 1979, I will remind you that it was on Christmas Eve of 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, precipitating nearly 10 years of brutal guerilla warfare.
But Hanoi had taken note of China’s signal and restrained themselves – Laos and Thailand were left unmolested, notwithstanding sporadic border skirmishes aimed at refugee camps. After tens years of “peace-keeping” or perhaps even “nation-building” in Cambodia, Hanoi officially withdrew its troops and the Kingdom of Kampuchea was restored. A remarkable unintended consequence of the little triangle conflict between China-Vietnam-Cambodia was the fall and destruction of the “Domino Theory.”
Of greater world stage import was the revealing of fissure and actual armed conflict between the two great communist countries of China and the now defunct USSR. More astute U. S. practitioners of great triangle geopolitics, namely President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, then first normalized and next re-opened full diplomatic relations with China. The Chinese counterpart and master of this game of wei qi was Premier Zhou Enlai (formerly spelled Chou En-lai), quite likely China’s greatest statesman. This grand rapprochement toppled the Soviet Union in 1991. The fall of the Berlin wall symbolized the end of the Cold War which started in 1945 and greatly lessened the threat of global nuclear war. For aforesaid reasons, and in my humble opinion, we must never ask aloud today “WHO LOST CHINA, WHO LOST VIETNAM, AND WHO LOST AFGHANISTAN!”
Charleston C. K. Wang, September 2, 2021.
Prior Years:
Candidate Endorsement Policy of the Hamilton County Green Party.
The Hamilton County Green Party doesn’t think the mayoral primary is not a good use of city money (municipalities have to pay the County for their extra elections like this primary) and it runs counter to democracy in the way it limits our final choices is what is supposed to be a non-partisan election. We think that IRV (Instant Runoff Voting) would be better for the mayor’s race instead of the Cincinnati’s Mayoral Primary Election. Since the 2021 race was held in May, it gave an even shorter time to see the candidates than the previous September primary.
The 2021 Election related to the City of Cincinnati City Council
The 2020 Hamilton County Green Party Committee and information about our primary are contained in this link.
The 2018 Hamilton County Green Party Election gave us this local central committee.
In 2017 we made the following election endorsements: 2017 Election Statements & Endorsements
2016 Hamilton County Green Party Primary results 2016 Hamilton County Green Party Primary.
November 3, 2015 Election: The Hamilton County Green Party worked to support the Vote NO on issue 22 about the Cincinnati’s Parks. Here is what happened (we won!!!) and what we had to say about it. 2015 General Election “Save Cincinnati Parks”.
Also, for the 2015 November Election, the Hamilton County Green Party took the following position in relation to what it hoped to see on the ballot regarding the Charter Revision Process: Cincinnati Charter Revision in relation to electing the Mayor and City Council
In relation to the Charter Revision process that the City of Cincinnati is currently doing and which is anticipated to be on the November 2015 ballot:
We would like to see a return to Proportional Representation for election of City Council.
We would like to see the termination of the expensive to the City primary process for the mayor and would suggest instead the use of the “instant runoff voting” or the “approval voting” process.
Election results from the General Election Campaign for 2014
Thanks Hamilton County for the 8,391 votes for the Anita Rios for governor Campaign. We got 3.65% of the vote in Hamilton County and over 3% statewide so the Green Party is able to keep its Ohio Ballot status for another 2 years. In addition, Nathan Lane for the Ohio House of Representatives 29th district, in Hamilton & Butler Counties, received almost 4% of the vote thanks to 1,190 voters.
May 6, 2014 Hamilton County Green Party Primary produced the following Central Committee results: 2014 Green Party Primary
Information about the candidates and issues going on at the time that factored into decision making for the November 2013 election: 2013 General Election.
Information from the November 2012 Presidential Election and other issues: 2012 Presidential Election:
Information from the November 8, 2011 election issues 2011 Election
Information from the November 2010 election: 2010 General Election
Other Issues:
The Hamilton County Green Party took a position against the creation of the street car in downtown Cincinnati due to economic reasons as well as saying that this was not a transportation project, it was about subsidizing the economic development of one community in downtown Cincinnati. Here is some financial data to support that negative position on the Street Car Project. Here was our policy statement on the Street Car:
The Hamilton County Green Party continues to believe that the entire Street Car project is not a good idea financially for the City of Cincinnati due to its construction and operation costs. Regarding the operation costs, the Hamilton County Green Party Coordinating Committee suggests that the ridership fee for a single ride needs to be no less than the fee for the 2 hour use of the Metro bus one zone fee and that those who posses a Metro Pass should be allowed to use it on the Street Car in the same way they are allowed to use it on the busses. To reduce the operating costs of the Street Car, we would support the Mayor’s proposal to operate the street car running fewer cars less operating hours and instead operate it around hours that would support special events and higher use times (such as what the Metro busses are currently doing) to reduce the negative financial impact on Cincinnati and the Metro bus services.
Preserve Cincinnati Park Burnet Woods
We are concerned with the statement that Mayor Cranley made in fall 2014 “State of the City Address” in which he stated that he would support the construction of a restaurant in the Cincinnati City Park Burnet Woods. This idea was first brought up by the current Park Board Director &/or his planners in the past 5 years and was defeated due to the opposition of the Clifton business owners on Jefferson and Ludlow as well as the other residents of Cincinnati who don’t want to see more of their park degraded and paved. Currently Burnet Woods is less than half of its original size due to the University of Cincinnati taking over more of its land. Burnet Woods is a unique urban island used by a high diversity of migrating birds for stop overs and it contains vegetation that is not the norm for Cincinnati (ex Yellow Buckeye) due to the fact that Burnet Woods was not covered by ice in the 3rd great glaciation and this also explains why its creek runs north. This information was presented to the Cincinnati Park Board regarding an individual on the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Board’s plan in the early 1990’s to site a library in Burnet Woods. Clifton now has a beautiful library on Jefferson and will continue to have great restaurants if not burdened by the likely unfair competition of a restaurant on public land; Cincinnati doesn’t need another Mahogany’s type disaster. .
Waste Reduction
The City of Cincinnati’s Compost Project: Since the early 1990’s the City of Cincinnati has talked about playing a greater role in commercial composting as way to reduce its landfill tipping fees, to not have to keep it’s incinerator open at Center Hill and Este near the Mill Creek. The Hamilton County Green Party supports the efforts to get private citizens to compost more of their own waste but also supports the combination of the City’s yard waste and the commercial food waste within the City of Cincinnati and currently has not heard of a location that is more suitable than the one that was most recently in use. If the City had gone forward with the proper planning process in the 1990’s in this location they would not be running into their current problems which are caused by siting a not air polluting industrial park too close to their most logical location for the citywide composting. In addition, the City of Cincinnati should continue to work to increase the size of its recycling program, including more and more businesses to reduce its impact on Colerain township and other areas outside of the City where the Cincinnati waste is being sent.
Women’s Health
We agree with Southwest Ohio Planned Parenthood’s effort to overturn the part of the law which is denying them admitting privileges at public hospitals, specifically the University of Cincinnati Hospital.
Anna Louse Inn Both the Hamilton County Green Party and the Southwest Ohio Green PAC support the work of Anna Louise Inn located near Lytle Park in downtown Cincinnati. They have been providing safe and affordable housing for single women since 1909 but Western and Southern Insurance Company is trying to move them out of their current location using a tactic of trying to bankrupt the Anna Louse Inn with their unjustified lawsuits. For more information see https://www.cubcincy.org.
Simple Health Care Proposal Members of the public, if they choose, should be allowed to pay their health insurance premiums to, enroll in, and benefit from Medicare before they become 65 years old.
Southwest Ohio Green PAC’s March 17, 2001, Statement regarding the “Coalition for a Just Cincinnati’s” Boycott Demands dated September 2001
The “Coalition for a Just Cincinnati” grievances, that led to their call for a boycott of downtown businesses, are based on their goal of achieving results that are in keeping with the Green Party’s 10 Key Values. The Coalition is calling for social and economic justice as well as equitable treatment of all citizens of Cincinnati, regardless of neighborhood. The goal of the boycott is to strengthen the community by holding city and county government accountable for promised changes in the wake of the April 2001 civil unrest.
“The SWOHGP neither supported nor opposed the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati’s call for a boycott of Cincinnati business, but does agree that the city needs to make changes suggested on the Coalition’s web page to improve the quality of life for everyone in our region without exception.”
Green Party of Ohio’s September 24, 2002, Statement Denouncing War Policy Regarding Iraq and Calls for Efforts to Provide Humanitarian Aid and Protect Human Rights. If only ‘they’ had listen to us we might not have gotten into a no-win Iraq War.
Endorsements &/or Support Statements made by the Ohio Green Party Coordinating Committee which are also supported by the SWOHGPCoordinating Committee:
- Co-sponsor for 10/13/01 International Conference of the Global Network against Weapons and nuclear power
- Support Sierra Club statement on Genetically Modified Foods. GMO’s are patented (owned and controlled) by huge corporations. We believe that the genetic code, which has evolved over billions of years, should remain the shared, common heritage of us all. As trees and other plant life, fish and other animals, and insects and microbes are genetically engineered for short-term profit, the fundamental blueprints of the natural world are forever changed.
- Pro-Democracy Campaign and Voters Bill of Rights – The conduct and results of the 2000 Election have led to the emergence of a growing national movement in support of a “Voters Bill of Rights.” This Pro-Democracy Campaign began with a Pro-Democracy Week in January 2001.
- Ohio People’s Bicentennial – The OGP endorsed the Ohio People’s Bicentennial as an important way to make sure the lives and ideals of all Ohioans are celebrated as Ohio marks it anniversary of statehood.
- Supported the Statement against the Free Trade Area of the Americas Agreement put out by Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch’s whose web page www.tradewatch.org.
- FLOC – Boycott of Mt. Olive Pickles and supportfor amnesty of undocumented workers. – On St. Patrick’s Day of 1999, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO and 300 supporters officially launched a boycott of Mt.Olive Pickles. The GPO, church, labor, civic and other organizations have endorsed the FLOC boycott of Mt. Olive Pickle products by helping to pass the word to its members about the boycott issues.
- Mandate for Securing America’s Electricity Supply Overview – This National Sign on letter by Public Citizen’s Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program was endorsed by GPO in October 2001.
- “Stop the Clock” Campaign regarding welfare reform – The SWOHGP supported the efforts of the Ohio Empowerment Committee work regarding welfare reform’s harsh impact on poor mothers and children.
To get to other main pages of SWOHGP use this Navigator.