For Immediate Release

Contact: Peter LaVenia, , campaign@votelavenia.org

(Albany) – Peter LaVenia, Green candidate for State Senate Dist. 44 (Albany, Rens.), said the 9.5% of the vote he received today against incumbent Neil Breslin was a sign that a left-alternative to the Democrats was not only viable in the Capital District, but sorely needed. LaVenia pointed out he received that 9.5% of the vote despite Breslin’s decision not to debate him, and having been outfundraised 300-1.

“The results tonight – 9.5% on a small budget against a 16-year incumbent – show that my positions, and the Green Party’s, are majoritarian. Addressing the economic, enviromental, and political crisis in New York State are my top three priorities. I proposed an agenda for the 99%: full employment through a Green New Deal, Medicare-for-all, a living minimum wage of $15/hr, a carbon tax on polluters, switching to 100% renewable energy by 2030, banning hydrofracking, proportional representation in the legislature to end gerrymandering and open government up to more voices and choices, tuition-free higher ed, collecting the stock transfer tax and returning income tax rates on higher earners to the pre-1980 progressive levels, ending the failed war on drugs and legalizing marijuana, promoting local, sustainable, agriculture, and building an economy based on worker co-ops and worker control of businesses. None of these are even on the agenda in the next Legislature, which will see the Democrats and Republicans put more programs on the chopping block,” said LaVenia.”

“Neil Breslin made a cowardly decision not to debate me, but he probably did so because he had no answer for my agenda. While he calls himself a progressive, he has refused to cosponsor bills in the Senate for single-payer universal health care and to ban hydrofracking; he proposes to raise the minimum wage to a paltry $8.50, and when asked about opening the Legislature up to more parties, voices and choices, his only response was it would be ‘sheer chaos.’

If we had real full public financing of campaigns and mandatory debates between candidates, this would have been a real race. As it is, 9.5% of the voters support me and the Green Party’s ideas even though I was outfundraised by Senator Breslin 300-1. Apparently when you can’t beat someone with ideas, you do it with money – the mark of a real mediocrity,” continued LaVenia.

“This is just the beginning. We’re going to build on this next year and in the future to create a real grassroots, left alternative to the Democrats and Republicans in the Capital District. The 1% and their lackeys in the Legislature are on notice – change is coming,” concluded LaVenia.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Peter LaVenia, campaign@votelavenia.org

Albany — Peter LaVenia, Green Party candidate for State Senate (Albany, Rens.), said the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy highlighted the need for a major investment in renewable energy and infrastructure. LaVenia called for a serious effort to build a decentralized solar grid across New York that could withstand major storms, and the construction of storm-surge protection for New York City on a scale like that found in the Netherlands. In the long term, LaVenia stated, switching to renewables would help deal with the climate crisis and put New Yorkers back to work, a central feature of his Green New Deal program.

“Millions of New Yorkers are still without power. Last year, a study by CUNY and the DOE showed 66.4% of NYC’s roofs could hold solar panels, which could generate up to 5,847 megawatts. This is 49.7% of the city’s daytime peak demand and 14% of its yearly electricity use. It’s likely Long Island numbers would be similar, or even better than NYC’s. Decentralized solar power, with storage capacity in each building and the addition of solar water heaters, would mean that the lights would remain on and hot water could flow. As we begin to rebuild from Hurricane Sandy, a major state-sponsored program to construct a solar-powered New York should take precedence,” argued LaVenia.

“In addition, it’s time we upgrade our aging infrastructure. Constructing a Dutch-style, modern system of storm surge protection for New York City and surrounding areas is absolutely crucial. Sandy has exposed what years of neglect and lack of upgrades can do: cause a catastrophic collapse of our mass transit, roads, and tunnels. Building the next century’s infrastructure will take a bold vision and the end to the current politics of austerity.

“This is exactly what our Green New Deal was designed to do: put New Yorkers back to work permanently with a full-employment, W.P.A.-style public works program centered on transitioning to a zero-carbon, 100% renewable New York and modern, green infrastructure. New Yorkers would be employed at living wages across the state to upgrade our houses, bridges, and mass transit systems. A decentralized solar grid would require lots of labor to construct, from installing panels on homes and batteries in them, to maintenance and upkeep – perfect for a permanent jobs-creation program. The same goes for retrofitting houses and buildings to make them energy efficient.

“Climate data shows climate change and ocean warming contributing to increasing severity in weather patterns, especially storms like Hurricane Sandy. With rising sea levels, this puts coastal areas of New York at severe risk. By committing to a 100% renewable future and green infrastructure upgrades, we join other parts of the world in addressing the climate crisis and mitigating its effects. If Germany can produce 50% of its electricity from solar power, why can’t New York aspire to that in the near-future? By putting people back to work, rebuilding local economies, and making sure the lights don’t go off during the next storm, we truly have a win-win for New Yorkers, and the environment,” said LaVenia.

“Doing nothing is not an option. In my campaign for State Senate I have repeatedly discussed the need for a Green New Deal, focusing on building a green economy with renewable energy and social services provision at its core. es, it would cost money – but it is high time we acknowledged we have been starved of revenue by the 1% and that this class warfare has lead to a dangerously insecure infrastructure that affects working class New Yorkers more than anyone else in the state.

By collecting the stock transfer tax, on the books since the early 20th century but rebated since Mario Cuomo’s administration, we gain $15 billion a year; by restoring the highly progressive pre-1980 income tax rates the elite would pay up to 14% of their income in taxes, while the rest of us would see a tax break – and we’d still make $10 billion more a year in tax revenue.Those aren’t the only places revenue could be generated: a carbon tax on polluters, directed to publicly-owned green power generation; a wealth tax on NY’s richest; and income from what should be a rapidly expanding amount of public businesses and worker-co-ops I have discussed during my campaign would all benefit state coffers more than the current regime’s tax and business policies.

It really boils down to whether we are willing to plan for the future now, or react again once a “superstorm” rocks the region the next time. As a State Senator the climate crisis is high on my agenda. Can the same be said for my opponent?,” concluded LaVenia.

Why is no one except the Green Party talking about the need for a massive rebuilding effort, with installation of a decentralized solar power grid at its heart to combat climate change and make massive blackouts a thing of the past?

Last year a study showed 66.4% of NYC’s roofs could hold solar panels, which could generate up to 5,847 megawatts, which is 49.7% of the city’s daytime peak demand and 14% of its yearly electricity use. While I haven’t seen numbers for Long Island or New Jersey, we can make an educated guess they would be similar or even better.

Adding all that solar would only make a difference in a blackout if the homes had a storage system, but this is a common occurrence in European homes with solar, and shouldn’t be an insurmountable problem in the United States. Coupling solar power with solar water heaters means taking a hot shower during a blackout would be quite possible as well.

In my campaign for State Senate I have repeatedly discussed the need for a Green New Deal, focusing on building a green economy with renewable energy and social services provision at its core. Bringing New York (and the country) to a state of permanent full employment with public, living wage jobs seems more than possible with the amount of work necessary to build and install a decentralized solar grid, as well as constructing a new infrastructure to prevent storms from crippling cities like New York.

Not only would this put people back to work, but it would help revitalize areas long hit by high unemployment and underemployment, and in the long-run would be a major step towards addressing climate change. Yes, it would cost money – but it is high time we acknowledged we have been starved of revenue by the 1% and that this class warfare has lead to a dangerously insecure infrastructure that affects working class New Yorkers more than anyone else in the state.

By collecting the stock transfer tax, on the books since the early 20th century but rebated since Mario Cuomo’s administration, we gain $15 billion a year; by restoring the highly progressive pre-1980 income tax rates the elite would pay up to 14% of their income in taxes, while the rest of us would see a tax break – and we’d still make $10 billion more a year in tax revenue.

Those aren’t the only places revenue could be generated: a carbon tax on polluters, directed to publicly-owned green power generation; a wealth tax on NY’s richest; and income from what should be a rapidly expanding amount of public businesses and worker-co-ops I have discussed during my campaign would all benefit state coffers more than the current regime’s tax and business policies.

It really boils down to whether we are willing to plan for the future now, or react again once a “superstorm” rocks the region the next time. As a State Senator the climate crisis is high on my agenda. Can the same be said for my opponent?

 For Immediate Release

 Contact: Peter LaVenia,  campaign@votelavenia.org

 (Albany) – Peter LaVenia, State Senate candidate for the Green Party in Dist. 44 (Albany, Rens.), today called for a sweeping series of economic reforms to address the economic, environmental, and employment crisis in New York State. LaVenia stated that his proposals, which include a commitment to permanent full employment via a WPA-style jobs program, closing the budget gap by collecting the stock transfer tax and raising income tax levels to 1970s rates on the 1%, instituting a carbon tax on polluters to speed a transition to a renewable-energy, carbon-free economy, raising the minimum wage to $15/hr. and a long-term nurturing of a democratic worker co-op economy are sensible but also were part of long-term class struggle against the 1% and for working New Yorkers.

 “The crises facing New York’s economy today stem from decades of policies favoring Wall St., the wealthy, and multinational capital. We have an unemployment rate of 9.1% and underemployment of 14.6%: we need to put New Yorkers back to work across the state with a “Green New Deal”: a WPA-style permanent public-jobs program focused on greening the economy with solar panels, wind turbines, refurbishing of homes, and providing needed social services. These jobs should pay a living wage of at least $15 an hour and be subject to card-check unionization. Putting money directly into the pockets of workers would have a multiplier effect that would stimulate local economies around the state. Instead of austerity, we could have prosperity,” said LaVenia.

 “While jobs programs pay for themselves, we can close our budget deficits and fully fund our starved social programs and education by collecting the stock transfer tax instead of rebating it. This tax has been on the books for over 100 years, but rebated since Mario Cuomo’s administration. It’s time we collect the estimated $15 billion a year in financial transaction revenue, more than enough to close our budget deficit. If we reinstituted pre-1980 income and corporate tax rates, the majority of New Yorkers would see their income taxes go down, while the wealthy would pay more – enough to generate another $10 billion in revenues and attack the rampant wealth inequality that is at the core of our social problems.

 “Hurricane Sandy, the “freak” October hurricane, is a product of rapid and continuing climate change, which is become a major drain on our economy. To address this, I propose a carbon tax on polluting industries in New York, with revenues split between a renewable-energy program and rebating working New Yorkers. By adding a tax on carbon, we begin to account for the true cost of business, which is often apparent only years later, and we incentivize a steady switch to green, low-carbon production processes. New York’s new economy can be world leader not just in producing green technology, but in moving toward a zero-carbon future. This would help further stimulate New York’s economy to innovate and produce in important ways,” stated LaVenia.

 “We need to raise the minimum wage to a true living wage of at least $15 an hour. New York’s worker productivity has doubled in the last forty years, corporate profits are up exponentially, but wages have stagnated. It’s time to put an end to this. On top of this, workers need to be able to unionize without fear of harassment. Card-check unionization should become the law.

 “Chartering a state bank would help combat the stranglehold Wall St. has on the economy. Not only could it provide low-interest loans to municipalities, but it could be a solution to pork-barrel politics. Instead of going to the Legislature for a hand-out, localities could get much-needed cash for projects from the bank.

 “Finally, New York needs to stimulate a new kind of people-centered economy. This is the International Year of the Cooperative, as declared by the U.N. We need to fund and nurture worker run co-ops as a building block in a local, democratically run economy. These businesses are built locally and stay local, pay their workers better than non-cooperatives, and are democratically run: a win-win for everyone. By looking to examples like Mondragon in Spain or the burgeoning cooperative economy in Cleveland, OH, and countless nations, we remove the need to favor distant multinational corporations and begin empowering our own citizens,” continued LaVenia.

 “These changes, while sweeping, are just the beginning of a long struggle for a better New York. We know universal single-payer healthcare in New York would save money and boost the economy just as we know making education free through college would remove a huge debt burden from our students and their parents. For too long working New Yorkers have been on the receiving end of a class war – it’s time to fight back. We can have shared prosperity, because the alternative is a ruined economy where few succeed and many toil. We can, and must, do better,” added LaVenia.

]]> http://votelavenia.org/lavenias-economic-plan-calls-for-steep-taxes-on-wealthy-corporations-and-carbon/feed/ 0 http://votelavenia.org/lavenia-debates-chair-in-place-of-breslin/ http://votelavenia.org/lavenia-debates-chair-in-place-of-breslin/#comments Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:23:50 +0000 Lavenia http://votelavenia.org/?p=179 Continue reading →]]>  LaVenia “Debates” Chair In Place of Breslin

For Immediate Release

 Full Video Of The “Debate”: http://youtu.be/or4AncpLlRc

 Contact: Peter LaVenia,  campaign@votelavenia.org

 (Albany) – Peter LaVenia, the Green Party’s candidate for State Senate in District 44 (Albany, Rens.), debated an empty chair with a picture of Neil Breslin’s face on it in front of Breslin’s campaign office, given Senator Breslin’s reluctance to engage in direct debate with him. The campaign announced it would continue to debate the empty chair around the district to give voters a chance to hear about the issues instead of avoiding debate. It has also uploaded video of the “debate” to the internet, because it believes voters should be given the broadest chance to see the differences between candidates.

 “Yes, this “debate” was a joke, but it’s a bigger joke that these issues aren’t being debated between us in a larger public forum. It’s time they were. This is the people’s seat, not Neil Breslin’s, and this is an election, not a coronation,” said LaVenia.

 “Avoiding debate is a form of contempt for the voters and lack of respect for your opponents. Neil Breslin and his relatives run the Democratic machine in Albany County, and he has been a State Senator for 16 years. Why is he afraid of a debate with me? Is he not used to having someone attack his positions from the left and challenge his status as a ‘progressive,’ or is he at heart uninterested in the basic tenets of democracy?” continued LaVenia.

 “Besides respecting the basic tenets of democratic practice, agreeing to a debate would allow us to highlight the large differences between us. My campaign is based on the need to radically change government, the economy, and the environment in New York, and Senator Breslin looks to maintain the status quo dominated by the wealthy 1% and three-men-in-a-room politics. I support an economy built by and for working class New Yorkers, with a massive and permanent New Deal-style public jobs campaign for full employment, transitioning to 100% renewable energy generation by 2030 and banning hydrofracking, electoral and campaign finance reform to expand democracy and fix the corrupt and broken Legislature in Albany, like proportional representation to bring more parties and voices into government and full public financing of campaigns, not just matching funds,” expounded LaVenia.

 “While it is frustrating and cowardly, this is typical of corporate-funded, status-quo candidates like Sen. Breslin. Ignore non-corporate challengers, support a modicum of small reforms, and all while allowing the very wealthy ruling class to run the show. If Sen. Breslin wants to dispute any of this, he’s welcome to agree to the 5 debates I called for in September,” concluded LaVenia.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Peter LaVenia,  campaign@votelavenia.org

 (Albany, Rensselaer) – Peter LaVenia, the Green Party candidate for State Senate, said today that enacting a proportional representation system along with nonpartisan administration of elections would do far more to create democracy in NY than any modest campaign finance reforms that Governor Cuomo and state legislators are likely to agree to during a special session.

LaVenia also called for a hike in the state minimum wage to be the first order of business in any special session. LaVenia opposes a hike in the salary of state legislators, saying that it instead should be set at the median wage in NY.

LaVenia said that he supported a Clean Money Clean Election system of campaign financing rather than a model based on the NYC system, as well as a “pay to play” ban that would end practices such as Senator Breslin receiving major campaign contributions from the insurance industry. Breslin is the lead Democrat on the Senate Insurance Committee.

LaVenia noted that the Governor and State legislature, when it comes to good government reform, focus more on the media spin rather than substance. The ethics reform package gleefully announced by Cuomo and legislative leaders last year has done little to stem the tidal wave of elected officials being indicated and convicted for political corruption.

“Breslin and Cuomo are primarily concerned about their own political well-being, not giving the 99% more power in the running of government. Cuomo in January said he would push campaign finance reform but 10 months later the details are still missing” noted LaVenia.

New York last year became the first state to allow campaign contributions over more than $100,000 (for party committees). Individuals can contribute more than $60,000 to the Governor (for primary and general election).

LaVenia said he supported the Clean Money Clean Election system based on small individual contributions that was championed by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and former Governor David Paterson when they were in the state legislature. While the Supreme Court has overturned provisions in the CMCE system in Arizona to deal with wealthy candidates such as Bloomberg, it did uphold the constitutionality of the basic system of public campaign financing. Cuomo is believed to support some form of the NYC 6 to 1 donation match system, which still preserves a huge role for individual campaign contributions.

LaVenia said that the media and good government groups need to do more to shame public officials, including the President and Governor, for accepting such huge payments from contributors who invariably are seeking favors (i.e., tax expenditures) in exchange.

“Despite what we are told in school, the U.S. has the least democratic elections in the world among countries claiming to be democracies. A campaign contribution is the best investment that Wall Street can make. Our unusual winner-take-all electoral system combined with legalized bribery (campaign contributions) and corporate owned media invariably leads to the creation of two right-of-center major parties. The media consistently refuses to inform voters about the political alternatives that exist on election day, arguing that the horse race is more important than the issue race,” observed LaVenia.

LaVenia said that at least one house of the State Legislature should be elected by the proportional representation system used by almost all of the world’s democracies, thus creating a legislative body reflective of the actual political positions of the voters. In a proportional system, some if not all seats are based on the percentage each party receives, with each party receiving seats if they achieve at least a minimal threshold (e.g., 5%).

New York’s electoral system is further impaired due to the rampant gerrymandering, lack of meaningful limits on campaign contributions, and the high cost of media ads especially in urban and suburban areas.

LaVenia said it was outrageous that the two main political parties were allowed to run elections in New York and nationwide, saying that it was like allowing the fox to guard the chicken house.

“Well before the theft of the Presidential election in Florida, US history was replete with stolen elections. LBJ got elected to the US Senate in his second attempt because he learnt that he tried to steal his first Senate election too early on election night. We are witnessing a nationwide effort by the Republican Party this year to deny the right to vote to people they suspect won’t vote for them (e.g., the poor, tenants and people of color.) The NYC Board of Elections is a joke, including helping Cong. Rangel suppress the Latino vote to win his recent primary,” added LaVenia.

LaVenia noted that the two major parties repeatedly abuse the electoral rights of Green voters and candidates.

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Peter LaVenia
campaign@votelavenia.org, www.votelavenia.org
Peter LaVenia, the Green Party candidate for State Senate (44th – Albany, Rensselear), said today he supported strong state action to deal with climate change, including establishing a carbon tax on fossil fuels to reduce their use.

“Climate change is the most pressing issue facing humans. While Democrats nationally evade the issue and Republicans deny it, climate change has already started and is accelerating. We need to focus on how to reduce how catastrophic climate change will be, and figure out how New York can mitigate its worst impacts in an effort to maintain a decent quality of life for New York residents,” said LaVenia.

LaVenia spoke as part of the Green National Day of Action on Climate Change. The Green Party and Jill Stein, their Presidential nominee, has unveiled a plan to transition to a carbon free economy by 2025. The Green Party would create a $300 million annual fund for renewables and clean energy through carbon and pollution tax; an end to subsidies for oil, coal, ethanol, and nukes; a tax on windfall profits on oil and other fossil fuel companies; and, a 50% cut in the federal military budget.

“New York over the years has taken some positive steps on climate change, but has failed to adequately follow through to accomplish what is needed. NY should follow the leadership of states like California on issues such as controlling emissions from vehicles, and implementing renewable energy, conservation and efficiency,” noted LaVenia.

In 2009, then-Governor Paterson set a goal for New York State to reduce its climate-altering pollution 80% by the year 2050. The Greens want a 100% cut by 2025.

The Green Party said that the debate between Romney and Obama over who is most committed to developing new sources of fossil fuels – Drill Baby Drill – was a misguided debate, and headed in the wrong direction. “The challenge the planet faces is how to ensure that 80% of the fossil fuel resources we already have aren’t used. We can’t allow them to be converted into greenhouse gas emissions,” noted LaVenia.

LaVenia said that the state’s recent Green Jobs Green Home program, combined with on-bill financing to help raise the capital costs to energy retrofit a million homes, was an example of positive steps the state should take to address climate change.

Among other reforms that LaVenia called for were:

- a quick shutdown of the nuclear power and coal power plants in the State, starting with Indian Point.

- ban the hydrofracking of natural gas. Natural gas is just another fossil fuel; its development diverts resources from renewable energy sources. In addition, methane, which leaks from the production of natural gas, is a more potential greenhouse gas emission than carbon.
- establishment of a carbon tax on all fossil fuels, A carbon tax is a direct tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels. The carbon fee would be applied as far upstream as possible. A carbon tax uses the market to shift investments away from fossil fuels and is more effective in reducing greenhouse emissions than the cap-and-trade programs started under Governor Pataki and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It is estimated that a national carbon tax would generate $1.5 trillion over ten years (MIT Global Change Institute http://bit.ly/NWEcxX.
- increase state funding and mandates to support solar and wind power, energy conservation and other clean fuel sources, and to simplify the often confusing state bureaucracy support these initiatives.
- increase by 5 to 10% points a year the Renewable Portfolio Standard . RPS presently only requires that 25 percent of all energy in the state be secured from renewable energy sources by 2013 and most of that will be from long-established hydroelectric projects..
- amend the state environmental quality review law to include climate change.
- enact the Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act of 2012 (no Senate Sponsor), though with higher goals.
- amend building codes to increase energy conservation, renewables and efficiency. The State should also work with local governments to require new housing and commercial development to maximize solar gain and energy conservation measures.
- divert federal and state tax dollars from roads to mass transit, including buses and light rail. Cuomo’s reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge must have a major mass transit (rail and bus) component.
- more aggressively confront suburban sprawl while investing in rebuild upstate cities. Increase state funding to preserve farmlands. The State should establish a Green Cities Initiative to assist local municipalities to develop based on sustainable principles. The bipartisan efforts by Governor and state legislature to deprive cities of their legal share of state revenue (Sec. 54 of State Finance Law) has greatly contributed to the collapse of upstate inner cities and their soaring poverty rates, especially for children.
- support the development of sustainable, local agriculture systems that can survive climate change. Phase out the use of petroleum based pesticides and fertilizers and assist farmers in becoming organic. Increase support for urban agriculture. Establish standards for government purchase of locally grown and processed food, which has passed the Republican Senate but has been blocked by the Governor and Assembly.
- enact a goal of Zero Waste, so that all products are reused rather than being thrown into landfills or incinerators;. Initiate mandatory municipal composting programs. Pass laws to reduce packaging and increase waste reduction and reuse. The State should establish Material Recovery Facilities to support the expansion of recycling and more aggressively enforce existing recycling laws.
- state funding for economic development should focus on green-friendly industries rather than investing billions in initiatives such as to Global Foundries and Albany Nanotech.
- state funding for building construction, such as local schools, should focus on making New York the leader in green friendly buildings.

Peter LaVenia, the Green Party’s candidate in the 44th Senate District, wants five debates with Democratic incumbent Neil Breslin before November’s general election. He’s hoping to discuss issues ranging from student debt (LaVenia would like to see it cancelled), health care (he advocates for a nationwide single-payer system), election reform (he’s pressing for full public financing of campaigns) and employment (he backs the Green concept of a new WPA-style job corps to perform public works tasks such as expanding solar-panel arrays).

LaVenia’s press conference at the Capitol was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, as well as the end of primary season.

A co-chair of the state party and the holder of a doctorate in political science from UAlbany, LaVenia hopes to give Breslin “a sporting race, and hopefully come out the victor on Nov. 6.” He envisions separate debates focusing on the economy, the environment, health care, education and government reform.

The candidate acknowledged that his place on the ballot line didn’t require much effort: Following current election laws, he only submitted 24 signatures to win it. The bar was much higher before 2010, when Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins cleared the magical threshold of 50,000 votes to secure a ballot line for the party, at least through 2014. Prior to that, third-party candidates needed to file “independent nominating petitions” to win a ballot line — 1,500 signatures of independent voters for an Assembly district, 3,000 for a Senate district.

The Green Party has about a thousand registered voters in the 44th.

LaVenia said he and Breslin chatted on Labor Day, and the Democrat expressed interest but said LaVenia should get in touch with his campaign manager.

Asked if the support of 25 people (assuming he’s supporting himself) should be sufficient to make him a major figure in the race, LaVenia was sanguine.

“I think that we should have a tradition and hopefully a law that if you’re on the ballot you should be included in at least one debate with the challengers,” he said. “A problem for me and a lot of independent third-party candidates is that we don’t have a lot of people who are in the party, therefore it makes it easy for the Democrats and Republicans to ignore us, and then we get back to the problem of nobody hearing about our campaigns, so we don’t grow and expand.”

Ignoring third-party candidates, he said, “leads to a dearth of democratic debate.”

After the press conference, I asked LaVenia if the automatic ballot line — while clearly a boon to the party statewide — also presented a challenge due to the low bar for candidacy, which can have the effect of allowing slightly, well, unorthodox candidates like North Country congressional hopeful Donald Hassig to fly the party’s banner.

“It’s a really difficult issue for us. I mean, we want to be able to get on the ballot, we don’t have a lot of registrants, and that’s the case for a number of third parties — even the Working Families, I think they only have about 30,000 registrants,” he said. “But making it harder for us to get on the ballot after making it so difficult to get the ballot status, to me, would be a hindrance to us. … I think it’s unfortunate that there might be certain candidates who run — that I won’t necessarily name — in districts where the party isn’t necessarily strong that may or may not be good candidates.”

Here’s LaVenia’s release on the challenge:

Peter LaVenia, the Green Party’s candidate for State Senate in District 44, will held a press conference on Monday, September 17, at 11AM in Albany’s Legislative Office Building, Rm. 130, 198 State Street. LaVenia welcomed State Senator Neil Breslin into the general election race and challenged him to five debates, focusing on the economy, environment, education, health care, and government reform. Peter LaVenia is currently the co-chair of the New York State Green Party, and has a doctorate in political science from the University at Albany, SUNY.

“I am challenging Neil Breslin to five debates between now and the general election. These are issues of paramount importance for New Yorkers, and the gap between my positions as a Green Party candidate and Senator Breslin, as a Democrat, believe, is significant enough to warrant five serious debates on each issue. These debates should be hosted by non-partisan groups, televised and held across District 44 in venues large enough to hold a significant amount of voters. I hope Senator Breslin will accept as someone who values competition, discussion of differences, and democracy, especially on the 1 year anniversary of Occupy Wall St.,” said LaVenia. “I believe these debates will allow voters to see that my campaign, and the Green Party, hold views that will help build a better New York. Unlike my opponent Neil Breslin, I believe the most pressing issue for New Yorkers today is reaching full employment. To do that I am calling for a permanent, public job creation program styled on the Works Progress Administration with green jobs as a focus. It’s time to eliminate the unemployment office, and create employment offices. These jobs need to pay real living wages of at least $15 an hour.” “We need a real plan to address the climate crisis. It’s time to ban hydraulic fracturing, and fully commit to building enough renewable energy to power New York by 2030. We need to cancel students debts, fully fund public education from kindergarten through college, helping provide universal tuition for New Yorkers at public colleges. I support a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system of health care coverage for all New Yorkers, which my opponent calls for at the national, but not the state, level. Finally, I believe we need real government reform, from full public financing of elections to proportional representation in the legislature, to expand democracy and eliminate gridlock.” “The only way the public can hear about these ideas is if we have a series of debates on a serious level, allowing the public to see the substance of the Green Party platform on which I am running. Otherwise, the voters and democracy will lose in the 44th NY State Senate district, said LaVenia.

Peter LaVenia, the Green Party candidate in the Albany-area Senate seat held by Sen. Neil Breslin, is pushing for five debates with the incumbent.

The Green Party, much like other independent parties, have struggled to gain attention from the press, let alone that of their Republican and/or Democratic opponents.

But LaVenia says that if debates — even one — were mandatory, it would provide for some exposure not just of third-party challengers, but of the issues as well.

“We should have a tradiion that if you’re on the ballot you should have at least one debate with the challenger,” he said at a news conference earlier today.

And he added that just because the candidate is lower on the ballot line, they shouldn’t be ignored.

“I think that based on being on the ballot and having a campaign and having an incumbent shold take that seriously for the voters. Pragmatic politics aside, it can be an issue for incumbents or candidates to write off candidates in the Green Party and the Libertarians. But I think that leads to a dearth of democratic debate. I would like to see any Democrat or a Republican who has a challenger say we would like to see debates.”

Breslin, a Bethlehem Democrat, won his primary against Shawn Morse with 68 percent of the vote.

Albany – Peter LaVenia, the Green Party’s candidate for State Senate in District 44, held a press conference on Monday, September 17, at 11AM in Albany’s Legislative Office Building, Rm. 130, 198 State Street. LaVenia welcomed State Senator Neil Breslin into the general election race and challenged him to five debates, focusing on the economy, environment, education, health care, and government reform. Peter LaVenia is currently the co-chair of the New York State Green Party, and has a doctorate in political science from the University at Albany, SUNY.

“I am challenging Neil Breslin to five debates between now and the general election. These are issues of paramount importance for New Yorkers, and the gap between my positions as a Green Party candidate and Senator Breslin, as a Democrat, believe, is significant enough to warrant five serious debates on each issue. These debates should be hosted by non-partisan groups, televised and held across District 44 in venues large enough to hold a significant amount of voters. I hope Senator Breslin will accept as someone who values competition, discussion of differences, and democracy, especially on the 1 year anniversary of Occupy Wall St.,” said LaVenia.
“I believe these debates will allow voters to see that my campaign, and the Green Party, hold views that will help build a better New York. Unlike my opponent Neil Breslin, I believe the most pressing issue for New Yorkers today is reaching full employment. To do that I am calling for a permanent, public job creation program styled on the Works Progress Administration with green jobs as a focus. It’s time to eliminate the unemployment office, and create employment offices. These jobs need to pay real living wages of at least $15 an hour.”

“We need a real plan to address the climate crisis. It’s time to ban hydraulic fracturing, and fully commit to building enough renewable energy to power New York by 2030. We need to cancel students debts, fully fund public education from kindergarten through college, helping provide universal tuition for New Yorkers at public colleges. I support a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system of health care coverage for all New Yorkers, which my opponent calls for at the national, but not the state, level. Finally, I believe we need real government reform, from full public financing of elections to proportional representation in the legislature, to expand democracy and eliminate gridlock.”

“The only way the public can hear about these ideas is if we have a series of debates on a serious level, allowing the public to see the substance of the Green Party platform on which I am running. Otherwise, the voters and democracy will lose in the 44th NY State Senate district, said LaVenia.