Another Letter
My good friend and neighbor Eric Priceman pointed out to me today that I had neglected to post my response letter to the blog. Silly me!
Anyway, to update everyone, I had a letter published in the Oak Leaves a few weeks back and some Democrat named Todd Bannor responded to the letter the following week. Well to two sentences worth of the letter and added some of his own commentary on the Green Party… Here then is my response to him, which as of this posting has not been published in the same paper.
Dear Editor:
Let the Voters Choose!
I would like to thank Mr. Bannor for his thoughtful response and corrections to my letter in the August 2 edition of the Oak Leaves. Although the focus of his response was in reference to two sentences from my letter, and disregarded the larger context about which I was writing, he did strike a chord. Tim Curtin’s campaign did not gather enough signatures, Mr. Bannor, you are correct. Further, I stand corrected that it was you and not Deborah Graham who filed the objection to Tim Curtin’s signatures. Perhaps I should have brought up the Kathy Cummings campaign in the 4th district, which gathered 3,000 signatures and is still being challenged by an unopposed Democratic incumbent, who like Deborah Graham will be the only choice the voters can make if the Green Party is kept off the ballot. However, I chose to draw an example closer to Oak Park. It is telling that Mr. Bannor chose to focus on those two sentences I wrote regarding Tim Curtin’s campaign, while ignoring the paragraph I wrote about the Democrats challenging the 39,000 signatures the Green Party gathered for state wide ballot access, which exceeds the major parties requirements by 34,000 signatures, and yet are still being challenged.
Further, Mr. Bannor accuses the Green Party of “throwing out the baby with the bathwater… to advance [our] goals.” Instead, he recommends the procedures advanced by Democracy for America (DFA), a progressive Democratic organization. I personally think DFA is a good organization and I hope it moves the party to the left. I in fact have been a contributor to the DFA in the past and supported some of their candidates. I for one am not a party line voter. I vote for the best candidate, but in order to do that I believe we need multiple candidates. Regardless of whom I support, the Democratic Party does not embrace the same ethics as the DFA and is still deeply tied to corporate and special interest money, Mr. Bannor.
Regardless of how progressive Deborah Graham, or any other Democrat may be, the main point remains that the Green Party offers a political alternative that the Democratic Party will not touch. A platform of peace, equity, and environmental protection, which the Democratic Party is apt to pay lip service to, but is consistently unwilling to stand up for. Whether or not you and I agree on these issues, it is important to give voters a choice Mr. Bannor, don’t you agree?
Finally, I want to thank Mr. Bannor again for bringing up these issues of choice and ballot access. Whether or not he agrees with me, Mr. Bannor is able to weigh in on these issues. It is unfortunate that his actions have deigned many of the voters of the 78th district the same opportunity. See that is the problem with one party democracy, Mr. Bannor; it is not democracy at all.
Nathan Helsabeck
Green Party candidate
8th district IL House
1139 Gunderson Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60304
708-955-1120
Anyway, to update everyone, I had a letter published in the Oak Leaves a few weeks back and some Democrat named Todd Bannor responded to the letter the following week. Well to two sentences worth of the letter and added some of his own commentary on the Green Party… Here then is my response to him, which as of this posting has not been published in the same paper.
Dear Editor:
Let the Voters Choose!
I would like to thank Mr. Bannor for his thoughtful response and corrections to my letter in the August 2 edition of the Oak Leaves. Although the focus of his response was in reference to two sentences from my letter, and disregarded the larger context about which I was writing, he did strike a chord. Tim Curtin’s campaign did not gather enough signatures, Mr. Bannor, you are correct. Further, I stand corrected that it was you and not Deborah Graham who filed the objection to Tim Curtin’s signatures. Perhaps I should have brought up the Kathy Cummings campaign in the 4th district, which gathered 3,000 signatures and is still being challenged by an unopposed Democratic incumbent, who like Deborah Graham will be the only choice the voters can make if the Green Party is kept off the ballot. However, I chose to draw an example closer to Oak Park. It is telling that Mr. Bannor chose to focus on those two sentences I wrote regarding Tim Curtin’s campaign, while ignoring the paragraph I wrote about the Democrats challenging the 39,000 signatures the Green Party gathered for state wide ballot access, which exceeds the major parties requirements by 34,000 signatures, and yet are still being challenged.
Further, Mr. Bannor accuses the Green Party of “throwing out the baby with the bathwater… to advance [our] goals.” Instead, he recommends the procedures advanced by Democracy for America (DFA), a progressive Democratic organization. I personally think DFA is a good organization and I hope it moves the party to the left. I in fact have been a contributor to the DFA in the past and supported some of their candidates. I for one am not a party line voter. I vote for the best candidate, but in order to do that I believe we need multiple candidates. Regardless of whom I support, the Democratic Party does not embrace the same ethics as the DFA and is still deeply tied to corporate and special interest money, Mr. Bannor.
Regardless of how progressive Deborah Graham, or any other Democrat may be, the main point remains that the Green Party offers a political alternative that the Democratic Party will not touch. A platform of peace, equity, and environmental protection, which the Democratic Party is apt to pay lip service to, but is consistently unwilling to stand up for. Whether or not you and I agree on these issues, it is important to give voters a choice Mr. Bannor, don’t you agree?
Finally, I want to thank Mr. Bannor again for bringing up these issues of choice and ballot access. Whether or not he agrees with me, Mr. Bannor is able to weigh in on these issues. It is unfortunate that his actions have deigned many of the voters of the 78th district the same opportunity. See that is the problem with one party democracy, Mr. Bannor; it is not democracy at all.
Nathan Helsabeck
Green Party candidate
8th district IL House
1139 Gunderson Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60304
708-955-1120
posted by Nay Nay @ 12:01 PM
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