Green Party of Ohio Newsletter, Vol. II, No. 9, March 23, 2002

Green Party of Ohio Main Page
Newsletter Archive Index

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Newsletter of the Green Party of Ohio
Vol. II, No. 9 -- March 23, 2002
(This newsletter distributed to 2,792)
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FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
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1) BECOME A MEMBER OF THE GREEN PARTY OF OHIO
2) THE 1000 FOR 1000 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
3) RICHARD GROSSMAN INTERVIEW IN THE PROGRESSIVE
4) GREEN PARTY NEWS CONFERENCE ON MARCH 28
5) GREEN PARTY SEEKS CANDIDATES IN OHIO FOR 2002
6) LABOR UNREST IN CHINA
7) DRUMMOND COMPANY ACCUSED OF 3 UNION MURDERS
8) SENATE DOES BIDDING OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
9) DAVIS-BESSE JULY RESTART QUESTIONED
10) GREEN PARTY NATIONAL CONVENTION JULY 18-21
11) MARCH ON WASHINGTON, APRIL 20
12) HEALTH CARE GAP FOR MINORITIES
13) INADEQUATE DENTAL CARE FOR CHILDREN
14) LIVING WAGE GAINS MOMENTUM ACROSS U.S.
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1) BECOME A MEMBER OF THE GREEN PARTY OF OHIO
***************************************************
Now 219 Ohio citizens have registered as members of
the Green Party of Ohio since the online membership
registration drive began a month ago. In the week
following the registration notice in the last news-
letter on March 9, 58 new Greens added their names
to party membership. Of those, 45 were in the first
two days after the newsletter's release. Add your
name to the growing list of individuals in Ohio
proud to be Green!

To join, visit:
http://www.ohiogreens.org/membership/register.html
For a list of current members, see:
http://www.ohiogreens.org/membership/

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2) THE 1000 FOR 1000 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
***************************************************
The Green Party is asking for your help in building
a unique new fundraising program that will help build
both the Green Party of the United States and the
Green Party of Ohio.

The 1000 for 1000 Fundraising Campaign to raise our
first $1 million has begun. For as little as $20 a
month, you can join this campaign and help build both
our national party and our state party.

For those who want to participate in this campaign to
raise the first $1 million for the Green Party, there
are various options. In addition to a one-time gift, a
supporter can instead give in monthly installments of
$84 (12 months), $42 (24 months), $28 dollars (36 months),
or $20 (50 months). The national goal is to find 1000
donors who will unite in contributing $1000 by Election
Day 2002, and help raise the Green Party’s first $1 million.
This will help put organizers in the field to help state
Green parties and local candidates. Also, donors have an
option to earmark half of their contribution to their state
party. You can support the Green Party of Ohio while par-
ticipating in this national campaign simply by checking
a box just above the Submit button on the contributions
Web page and have half your contribution come to the
Green Party of Ohio.

To contribute to the 1000 for 1000 Campaign, see:
https://www.campaignadvantage.com/safeserver/donate/greenpartyus/contribute.htm

To read a letter from the Steering Committee of
the Green Party of the United States about the
1000 for 1000 Campaign, see:
http://www.ohiogreens.org/national/020322.html

To read more on the 1000 for 1000 Campaign with a
message from Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky, visit:
http://www.greenpartyus.org/donate.html

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3) RICHARD GROSSMAN INTERVIEW IN THE PROGRESSIVE
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Grossman co-directs the Program on Corporations, Law,
and Democracy (POCLAD), which describes its mission
as "instigating democratic conversations and actions
that contest the authority of corporations to govern."
He is interviewed by Ruth Conniff in the March issue
of The Progressive.

The group came together in the early nineties when a
dozen activists who had spent much of their lives
working on issues of peace, labor, women's rights, and
the environment decided that something more had to be
done. In a recent book published by the group, Defying
Corporations, Defining Democracy (Apex Press, 2001),
Grossman and his colleagues argue that corporate power
has grown unchecked. Ralph Nader calls Grossman "the
preeminent historian of corporations."

To read the interview, see:
http://www.progressive.org/March%202002/intv0302.html

This book can be purchased from POCLAD at:
http://www.poclad.org/resources.html

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4) GREEN PARTY NEWS CONFERENCE ON MARCH 28
***************************************************
There will be a news conference Thursday, March 28
at 4 PM at the State House to meet the Green Party
of Ohio's (GPO) candidates for 2002. The GPO has
issued a Call for Candidates for 2002. The following
candidates have answered the call to date:

Frank Doden: candidate for the U.S. House, 7th District
Chad Perry: candidate for the U.S. House, 18th District
Alan Amstutz: candidate for Ohio House

The GPO Coordinating Committee (CC) endorsed Chad Perry
for U.S. House, 18th District, at its meeting of March 16.
Frank Doden was endorsed by the CC earlier this year.

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5) GREEN PARTY SEEKS CANDIDATES IN OHIO FOR 2002
***************************************************
The Green Party of Ohio is looking for Greens to run
for elected office in this year's election. We are
seeking candidates for Congress, state and local
offices. If you or someone you know would like
to run or are thinking of running, please contact
the candidates committee of the Ohio Green Party.
But, hurry! Filing deadline for petitions is May 6
at 4 PM.

For more information, visit:
http://www.ohiogreens.org/candidates/outreach.html

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6) LABOR UNREST IN CHINA
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As China overhauls its moribund state industries,
public protests by displaced workers are becoming
larger and angrier than ever.

To read the March 19 NY Times article "Leaner Factories,
Fewer Workers Bring More Labor Unrest to China", visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/19/international/asia/19CHIN.html?todaysheadlines

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7) DRUMMOND COMPANY ACCUSED OF 3 UNION MURDERS
***************************************************
One of Alabama's largest mining businesses, the
Drummond Company, has been accused of encouraging
the assassination of three union leaders in Colombia.

To read the March 22 NY Times article "Alabama Coal
Giant Is Sued Over 3 Killings in Colombia," visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/22/national/22ALAB.html?todaysheadlines

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8) SENATE DOES BIDDING OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
***************************************************
The Senate's solution to saving gasoline, concocted
by Sens. Levin (D-MI) and Bond (R-MO), is to call for
no action on long stagnant fuel economy standards for
America's fleet of cars and trucks and to add loop-
holes that will actually increase oil use. The Senate
also displayed stunningly convoluted logic by first
passing the decision on fuel economy standards to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
and then subsequently voting for an amendment that
permanently exempts pick-up trucks from the agency's
future rulemakings.

To read the March 13 news release by the Union of
Concerned Scientists, see:
http://www.ucsusa.org/index.html

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9) DAVIS-BESSE JULY RESTART QUESTIONED
***************************************************
From The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 3/21/02
by John Funk and Sabrina Eaton

FirstEnergy Corp. says it can repair and restart the
crippled Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station near Port
Clinton by July, but federal regulators are not so sure.

Jack Strosneider, an engineer with the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, said yesterday that the commission does not
know when Davis-Besse can be restarted.

"We have no idea whether or not they [FirstEnergy] have
concluded this is a repair that can be made or if they
have to replace it," he said. "Even if there is a proposal
to repair, the time it will take for the NRC to review it
is unknown."

FirstEnergy has said a repair could be completed as soon
as July, but the replacement head now on order will take
two years just to fabricate and deliver.

Strosneider was addressing about 75 people in an auditorium
at the NRC's Rockville, Md., headquarters and another 50
participating by telephone at a special session on Davis-Besse.

Meanwhile, the NRC has also asked utilities that operate
the 68 reactors similar to Davis-Besse to pull their reactor
inspection records for boric acid leaks.

Engineers theorize that boric acid, normally present in these
pressurized water reactors, ate a hole nearly through the
reactor head at Davis-Besse.

Boric acid crystals have been found on the outer surface
of some reactors - including Davis-Besse - since 1998, but
the NRC did not anticipate the chemical would be able to
corrode the steel.

Strosneider said the NRC expects the records on the 68
other reactors within 12 days and then will determine
whether further action is necessary.

"They need to tell us their plans," Strosneider said of
the utilities. "They need to tell us why they do not have
this type of degradation [corrosion] and why they believe
their plants are safe to operate."

Concerned that significant numbers of these reactors could
be put out of service for repairs, natural gas traders
have bid up the spot price of natural gas.

The price of natural gas is up 26 percent to $3.15 per
thousand cubic feet over the past two weeks, said James
Halloran, an analyst with National City Private Advisers
Group.

"The traders think that further problems with nukes could
affect how much gas-fired electricity we may need,"
Halloran said.

FirstEnergy shut down Davis-Besse Feb. 16 to refuel the
reactor and check for cracks in the stainless steel sleeves
that carry the control rods through the reactor head.
Inspectors found five damaged sleeves and two areas of
corrosion, one nearly through the 6½-inch-thick head.

FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Schneider, who attended the
three-hour session yesterday, said the company has every
intention of repairing the damaged head and restarting
the reactor.

"Believe me, we are going down that track. We are focusing
on repairing it. That is where all our efforts are going
right now," Schneider said. "The NRC is aware of that."

Since the damage to the reactor was reported March 6,
FirstEnergy's stock has lost 17.6 percent of its value,
closing yesterday at $31.85, down 40 cents.

FirstEnergy ordered the new head in December, even before
the plant was shut down, Schneider said.

FirstEnergy's engineers believe the cracked sleeves allowed
the boric acid past the stainless steel cladding on the
inside of the reactor head and reach the corrodible carbon
steel top.

Strosneider said the NRC has its own team of engineers and
metallurgists at Davis-Besse and others at NRC headquarters
working on figuring out the root cause of the corrosion.

The company's tentative repair proposal is to weld a chunk
of stainless steel into the cavity and also seal one or two
of the control rod holes in which the stainless steel sleeves
failed. The control rods would be moved to other "spare"
holes in the head.

Because such a fix has never been done, Strosneider said
that type of repair would require a thorough NRC review.
The stainless steel cladding has already been warped by
the reactor pressure, he said.

Operating the reactor without those control rods would
likely require a reconfiguration of the reactor core's
fuel rods, he said.

Jack Grobe, director of the NRC's division of reactor
safety in the Midwest, said any reconfiguring would
require additional testing of the cooling system and
the core itself.

David Lochbaum, representing the Union of Concerned
Scientists, participated in yesterday's meeting and
said afterward that he was satisfied that the NRC is
properly handling the situation. "Their answers were
helpful. There is still a lot that is unknown," he said.

For more information, read "Regulators issue acid-damage
alert" from the March 20 Toledo Blade, at:
http://www.ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/electric/acid_damage.htm

***************************************************
10) GREEN PARTY NATIONAL CONVENTION JULY 18-21
***************************************************
The Green Party of the United States 2002 Convention
will be held July 18-21 at the Holiday Inn Independence
Mall in Philadelphia. The main Coordinating Committee
meeting will be on the 20th and 21st. Various committee
meetings, panel discussions and educational workshops
will occur on the 18th and 19th.

Attendees who want to stay at the hotel will need to
make arrangements directly with the hotel, and then pay
a separate registration fee. Staying at the hotel is not
required, but will make attending all events easier. Some
arrangements for housing with local Greens will be made
later on. Those who want to register at the hotel should
call it directly and say they are reserving for the Green
Party Midterm convention. Room cost is $102 per night for
single or double occupancy, plus room tax.

Registration costs for attendees will be posted soon on
the Green Party of the United States Web site at
http://www.greenpartyus.org. Financial assistance
will be available for some attendees - details on
that are forthcoming.

For information please contact Dean Myerson at
greens@deanmyerson.org or toll free at 866-41GREEN

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11) MARCH ON WASHINGTON, APRIL 20
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The Green Party of the United States, as a partici-
pant in the 9-11 Emergency National Network, calls
for all able Greens to participate in the upcoming
March on Washington, April 20, 2002.

Visit the Green Party of the U.S. 9-11 Crisis page:
http://www.greenpartyus.org/911.html

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12) HEALTH CARE GAP FOR MINORITIES
***************************************************
Minorities experience a range of deficiencies in
healthcare, including inadequate communication with
their physicians, access to healthcare and insurance
coverage. A new survey from the Commonwealth Fund
says that minority Americans report poorer overall
health than their white counterparts with many
experiencing chronic conditions that often go untreated.

For more information, see:
http://www.cmwf.org/media/releases/collins523_release03062002.asp

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13) INADEQUATE DENTAL CARE FOR CHILDREN
***************************************************
Many children eligible for dental care under Medicaid
are not receiving proper care, with many not seeing a
dentist before entering kindergarten. Inadequate dental
care can harm school attendance and performance, and
affects children living in poverty at twice the rate
of those who are covered by insurance.

See a fact sheet on this issue from the Center for
Health and Health Care in Schools at:
http://www.healthinschools.org/cfk/dentfact.asp

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14) LIVING WAGE GAINS MOMENTUM ACROSS U.S.
***************************************************
Three years ago, Juana Zatarin couldn't make ends meet.
The mother of three, a baggage handler at Los Angeles
International Airport, was subsisting on an income
about half that of the federal poverty rate of $17,028
for a family of four.

Today, thanks to a "living wage" law requiring city
contractors to pay employees a minimum of $8.97 per hour,
Ms. Zatarin earns more than $24,000 a year. Now life is
good. "I can make my payments on time now and even have
a chance to take some time off," she says.

It is a story that is being repeated in dozens of
cities across America as part of a trend that -
surprisingly - has continued to spread even during
the economic downturn.

To read the entire Christian Science Monitor article
of March 15, see:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0315-01.htm

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The views expressed in this newsletter are those
of the author or organization noted and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Party
of Ohio.
***************************************************
To join the Green Party of Ohio, complete the form at http://www.ohiogreens.org/membership/register.html.
To see the membership list of the GPO, see
http://www.ohiogreens.org/membership/.
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***************************************************
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Copyright © 2002, Green Party of Ohio.
All rights reserved.
Paid for by the Green Party of Ohio PAC (OH1066)
Gina Ficociello, Treasurer
1427 Northstar Rd., Columbus OH 43212
Contributions to the Green Party of Ohio are not
deductible for federal tax purposes. This newsletter
is not authorized by any candidate or candidate
authorized committee.

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Green Party of Ohio
PO Box 851, Kent OH 44240
Email: secretary@ohiogreens.org
Web: http://www.ohiogreens.org