by Oliver St John

     It's that time of year again. The midterm elections are drawing on apace, and the various players are jockeying for position. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is up for re-election this year, as are Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Joe Lieberman. These are but a few of the big names who stand to lose or gain from the will of the people come November.

     And once again, it is largely down to Democrat vs. Republican - few are going so far as to consider the outsider. Lieberman is a notable exception - his ouster in the Democratic primary by newcomer Ned Lamont has forced him to run as an independent for the Connecticut seat he currently holds.

     Who's best for America, though? Where are the leaders who will take us out of the corporation-appeasing, warhawking, oil-driven era in which we stagnate?

     Schwarzenegger has taken great strides in this arena. California currently ranks twelfth in the world for greenhouse gas emissions - this single state is producing more emissions than well over two hundred entire nations. New legislation signed by the Governor aims to decrease those emissions by a quarter over a few short years. Further legislation still being considered would force Californian energy companies and businesses to use suppliers who also conform to tighter emissions standards, thus helping to reduce emissions in other states across much of the western United States.

     Senator Clinton has also expressed her concern over environmental issues, attempting to push for the construction of a new ethanol fuel plant in the southwestern corner of her home state of New York and endorsing the spread of E-85 fuel (a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent regular gasoline).

     Other high-profile politicians, such as Illinois Senator Barack Obama, have also drafted legislation aimed at combating global warming. Putting his money where his mouth is, Obama himself insists on E-85 vehicles.

     Nonetheless, these main-party figures may forever be beholden to corporate interests - it is strategically sound for corporations to lend their financial support to candidates in hopes of later considerations from the people in power, and similarly logical for the politicians to accept such donations in order to fund their own campaigns.

     So what's the alternative?

     The Green Party, once a derided fringe group, has begun to mobilize. From smarting over the accusations

that their candidate Ralph Nader cost Al Gore the 2000 election to making a solid push with David Cobb in Õ04, the grassroots following garnered by the party continues to grow.

     It is never easy for a minor party to get its candidate onto a ballot. The sheer number of signatures required is staggering. Nevertheless, the party has managed to get candidates onto ballots in 27 states.

     The Green Room recently had very enlightening conversations with several Green Party candidates in this year's elections.

     Jim Lendall, running for governor in Arkansas, expresses the need for a change:

     "For nearly 40 years, I have been working so that Arkansas voters could have a choice - independent candidates, new parties, and real issues. Voters feel that the two dominant political parties have left them behind. One party exploits fear and greed and the other party has lost its courage.

     "The Democrats are sounding more like Republicans. Here in Arkansas, the legislature has been controlled by Democrats for a century, but the keystones of the Democratic Party, like labor, caring for the poor, the rights of women and minorities, fair taxation, and environmental issues haven't made much progress. People are starting to realize that voters need a new choice - a party that means something. I chose the Green Party."

     Illinois gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney has pledged to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduce taxation and still promote greater wealth and job growth. An unlikely scenario, one might think, but here's how.

     "For the cost of just 100 miles of highway construction," says Whitney, "we could provide a high-speed, energy-efficient rail system through every corridor in the state of Illinois." Rail transit is a large scale employer, and the amount of jobs created would make the transition to rail well worth the effort.

     Whitney also proposes to build clean power plants drawing from renewable energy sources, and retraining employees of current plants in order to avoid layoffs at the existing plants.

     Above all else, Whitney stresses, education is key. Not only in schools but educating the public, helping them to understand each other and the world around them.

     Similarly sound principles guide many Green Party campaigns. Many are aiming for a single-payer health care system which will ensure universal access to health care across

their represented regions. Others are pushing for stricter measures to avoid seeing guns getting into the wrong hands. And of course all of them are working for a cleaner Earth.

     Alison Duncan, running for Lieutenant Governor in New York, is adopting a platform for defeating climate change, increasing energy efficiency and prioritizing education throughout the state.

     Duncan's position on education is that "all of our schools need to be fully funded and our teachers need to be paid well and need strong contracts that require that they be treated as the professionals that they are. Additionally, all New York's children should have access to after school programs--safe spaces for them to do their homework with access to resources, mentors and peer tutors." Whitney also feels that education is the key to reducing poverty levels, street crime and economic sluggishness. It's not necessary a solution that will show an immediate payoff, but Whitney, and other Greens, are thinking long-term.

     The Green Party is also in favor of legalizing gay marriage. Duncan is in fact the only openly gay candidate for state office in New York this year. Whitney says that the only involvement the state has in a marriage is in terms of a contract between two people, not unlike a business partnership - the church aspect is, by legal definition, beyond the purview of the legislative bodies. Thus, if two women or two men wish to make a binding contract between themselves, it is a Green administration's job to honor it.

     So what makes someone decide to run on a Green ticket? Says Duncan, "I am a premedical student. In my biology classes I have engaged in many discussions about the growing divide between scientists and politicians. Environmental scientists, evolutionary biologists and medical researchers all face serious obstacles from politicians who hold corporate and religious interests above the common good. I can run a campaign that advocates solutions to the crises of pollution, climate change and fossil fuel dependency that we face as a state--solutions that serve the people of New York by cleaning up our environment, rewiring our state with clean, renewable energy and providing jobs."

     The Greens have also endorsed Bob Fitrakis as their candidate for governor of Ohio. Fitrakis' campaign is specifically dedicated to a clean election. Fitrakis has vowed that Ohio will not see a repeat of the Kerry/Bush debacle which blighted the 2004 election. Even if he doesn't win the office, we can be assured of a fairer process, a laudable goal in itself.

     The elections are five weeks away. Take a look beyond the Red and Blue, and see what else is on offer.