|
Several people have written me wishing that the Green Party
had not run a candidate for Attorney General of New York because
Eliot Spitzer is a hero for his ardent championing of environmental
issues. Initially, I too thought the Green Party should not run
a candidate against him, so I understand the concerns that people
have raised. And I want them to know why I changed my mind.
First, Eliot Spitzer is not as liberal as I first thought.
He is pro-death penalty, he was an early and strong supporter
of Jenna's Law which allows people to be incarcerated if they
don't take prescribed medication. And, although I too get his
Environmental Issues Update, printed on green paper, I know from
the Cancer Action folks that Spitzer has refused to take enforcement
action against ALCOA, Inc. in its Massena, New York operation
and Lyonsdale Power Company in Lyons Falls despite documentation
of violations of solid waste and air quality laws.
The AG's office has refused to investigate the grossly und
erestimated air quality emission levels projected for the Chatham
Forest Products, Inc. project in the Town of Lisbon, near Ogdensburg
New York which is a corporate welfare scam of the Governor's
office. Spitzer has been unwilling to file a lawsuit against
General Motors in Rooseveltown, New York even though they filed
a Notice of Violation against the company.
I was particularly disappointed when Spitzer claimed to be
a prosecutor of corporate abuse against Merrill Lynch, but quickly
settled with them for a fine of $100 million dollars and dropped
all criminal penalties. Now $100 million sounds like a lot to
us folk, but that is about one-third of Merrill Lynch's postage
and office supply costs for one year. The fact that Spitzer did
not require a criminal plea or go for a criminal conviction means
several things that are good for Merrill Lynch and bad for the
rest of us. Defrauded investors are suing Merrill Lynch to recover
the funds lost through fraud. Spitzer had Merrill Lynch cold
on that one, with emails admitting fraud. But the defrauded will
have to prove fraud in each of their cases. If Spitzer had gotten
a conviction, the investors would not have to prove that in each
subsequent case. Spitzer stated, at the press conference announcing
the settlement, that a finding of criminal wrongdoing might endanger
Merrill Lynch's solvency.
Well, I wish government officials were as solicitous of the
insolvency of people defrauded by corporations as they are these
big corporations. Corporations will continue to abuse their power
as long as they do not suffer the consequences. Corporate executives
should go to jail for wrongdoing. Corporations and their executives,
hiding behind limited liability for corporations, have taken
$7 trillion (This is not a typo) in pension funds and investment
savings. So, I've come to the conclusion that, although Spitzer
is better than John Ashcroft, he is not a hero.
Second, liberals need to be pushed from the left because they
will lean further right if only the right is pushing. The best
example of this is our present two party system which doesn't
work very well. Democrats ignore environmental, labor and women's
rights issues because we have had nowhere to go before there
was a Green Party. Similarly Spitzer needs to know that if he
isn't harder on corporate criminality and other important issues
to the environmental and civil rights communities, there is a
party to his left that will take away votes.
Third, to be a legitimate political party, the Green Party
has to run candidates. I have friends in the Working Families
Party and they have failed to move the Democratic Party one iota
to the left. My experience is WFP only endorses Democrats, and
if there is no good Democrat they won't endorse a Green who campaigns
on issues like the living wage which the Working Families Party
stands for. When you go into the voting booth, you will see that
the Green Party has run candidates for all Statewide offices,
including Attorney General. To remain a Party with a line on
the voting machine, the Green Party has to have 50,000 votes
for its candidate for Governor. But if there's only one statewide
candidate from the Green Party, what kind of party is that?
Fourth, Eliot Spitzer did not ask for the Green Party cross-endorsement.
Someone should ask him why not.
Fifth, I have to admit the thrill I get talking about issues
with people. I talk to my workers' compensation clients about
a health care system based on client need rather than corporate
greed. I want people to see beyond the ocean we swim in - which
is Corporate America. If Spitzer had been revoking corporate
charters of persistent violators of the law and challenging the
notion of corporate personhood, I would be working for him.
But until he starts talking about these issues, I'm working
for the Green Party. You can always be one of those people who
don't vote a straight party line. Even if you don't vote for
me, vote for Stanley
Aronowitz for Governor.
|
