From: Ben Masel <bmasel@igc.org>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Date: 12 Apr 92 10:11 PDT
Subject: GREEN REPUBLICANS?! (more)
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1483600015:000:5056
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!bmasel    Apr 12 10:11:00 1992


GREEN REPUBLICANS BORN

Twenty individuals from 6 counties gathered at the Old White
Schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, birthplace of the Republican
party, on March 20th, the 148th  anniversary of the founding of
the first chapter of the GOP, to launch a new political movement,
the Green Republicans of Wisconsin.

Chairing the meeting was Roger Faulkner, a declared candidate for
the US Senate in the September 15 Republican primary challenging
incumbent Bob Kasten.  Also present was Ben Masel, who recieved
almost 13,000 votes (6%) in a 1990 primary challenge to Governor
Tommy Thompson, and will soon declare for the 78th Assembly
District seat representing downtown Madison.

WHY GREEN REPUBLICANS?!
Because we live in a one party system. Because Wisconsin's
environment can't wait two more years. We are recruiting a slate
of candidates to run in the 1992 Wisconsin GOP primaries next
September 15. This electoral campaign is a wakeup call to the
complacent voters and politicians of Wisconsin, and perhaps also
of a larger region depending on the level of interest in the Green
Republicans from activists from other states. The campaign
represents an attempt to return control of Wisconsin's Republican
party to local hands with bioregional interests. We hope to ally
with Main Street Republicans against the Wall Street, or Banana
Republicans, (who are turning this country into another Banana
Republic, ripe for multinational exploitation.) By running in the
primaries we leave voters a second chance to vote in November
against any Banana Republicans who survive our challenge.

The Green Republicans believe that Wisconsin's economy should
evolve towards sustainable agriculture and environmentally sound
manufacturing. We want to see Wisconsin get out front in the US as
the leading innovator on environmental technology.  This is a
business opportunity as well as a moral imperative. We are
committed to transforming the state towards renewable, and
particularly Biomass sourced, raw material and energy. This will
involve courageous actions. We do not shirk from the political
challenge that hemp, the top yielding biomass plant for our
climate, now prohibited by Federal policy, is an important
potential contributor  to economic and environmental health. This
is particularly important for Wisconsin because of our paper
industry, which recently began importing Brazilian eucalyptus
pulp.

We intend to "make government smaller." We therefore support free
choice with regard to a person's control of one's own body. This
applies to abortion rights, medical care, consentual sexual
practices, and recreational drug use. The government has no
business regulating morals.

Republicans have always preached about the "sanctity of
contracts." We take this principle seriously, and would apply it
to treaties with Native American Nations.

We agree that long term dependence on the welfare system is
detrimental to both the recipient and the society that foots the
bill. The answer lies not in punishment but in policies that
promote innovative self-employment. We support making land
available to allow the urban poor to enter a newly profitable
small farm economy.

To contact the Green Republicans:
   Write: 126 N Blair St. Apt 3, Madison, WI 53703
    Phone: (414) 444-1220, (608) 257-6669, or (608) 247-5456
    E-mail: bmasel@igc.org


Quite a few of you have requested further information on the GREEN
REPUBLICANS.  This movement is brand new, there is not yet printed
material to send, other than the posting to which you have
responded, so i will try to answer questions here.

1) The Green Republican Club of Wisconsin was registered as a
not-for- profit, non-stock corporation with the office of the
Secretary of State on March 16, 1992.  The board of directors
consists of Roger Faulkner, Ben Masel, and Keith Klippstein,
Treasurer. We expect to expand this board as interested and
interesting people, and especially candidates for office, present
themselves. Current bylaws call for all decisions to be made by
the board. We anticipate evolving to a more democratic structure
after the November elections.

2) We are not now organized anywhere but Wisconsin, but would love
to hear from likeminded folks from other states, again especially
anyone interested in running for public office in Republican
Primaries.

3) We are not a Third Party. We are a grass roots insurgency
challenging the Republican Party establishment in the September
Primaries. We hope to win over not so much the Party Structure as
the Republican Voter.  Wisconsin is an Open Primary state. Voting
Green in the September Primary does not pre-empt voting for the
2nd, 3d, 4th, or 5th Party Candidate of your choice in November.
The Libertarian and Labor Farm Parties have ballot status, and
there are a handful of Greens running as independents up north.

4) The Ripon society still exists in name, but appears to no
longer be active. It is chaired by Cong. Jim Leach of Iowa. We
spoke to an aide in his office who is interested in our effort,
tho noncommittal.

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