Anti-War  Candidate calls for Green Jobs, Hydrofracking Ban, Foreclosure Halt

Colia Clark won  the unanimous vote of the Green Party State Committee to run for US Senate at a  meeting held in Manhattan. (Video of her acceptance.) Clark, a long  time civil rights, peace and women activist, was a Green Party nominee for U.S.  Senate in 2010 for the seat presently held by Chuck  Schumer. (Video of her announcement.) Clark, a  resident of Manhattan, is a chair of Grandmothers for the Release of Mumia Abu  Jamal. During the Civil Rights era, Clark was a Special Assistant to Medgar W.  Evers, field Secretary for the NAACP. Clark later joined the Mississippi Student  Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) doing voter registration work. She was  the founder  and Coordinator for Poor Women Against  Vietnam War, and the former coordinator of the Social Justice Center in  Albany.

Announcement of  Candidacy of Colia L. Clark for the United States Senate from New York  State:

"I am pleased to  announce my candidacy for US Senate from the great State of New York on the  Green Party ticket. These are  troubling times for our State and Nation. The American people are faced with  wars on many levels:  the economy;  environment; health care systems; organized labor in both public and private  sectors; increased levels of poverty, genetic modified foods which threaten the  health of citizens and food production systems’, increased pressure to dismantle  large sectors of the public education system and numerous assaults on planet  earth in the quest for energy. These aforementioned internal crises and  disasters are matched by our government’s steady march toward a great world  war. This is where I  enter the Senate race competing for the seat presently held by Senator Kristin  Gillibrand; a hawk clothed in the feathers of a shy little dove. It is my intent  to wage a full campaign to end the illegal wars which Senator Gillibrand  supports at the cost of American lives. These wars and interferences in the  affairs of other nations weight down and threaten our fragile economy. Ending  the war in Afghanistan will return to billions of much needed dollars to our  National Treasury to be used to end the present domestic crisis in education.  These are dollars for books, school transportation, laboratories and teacher  development.

"As Senator from  New York, I will propose legislation to end the dangerous hydro fracking of  natural gas, and to close nuclear site projects from Indian Point in New York  City, Western Pennsylvania, the rivers and streams of Ohio and Michigan,  desserts of Arizona, Nevada and icy lands of Alaska to the Gulf stream waters of  New Orleans and Mississippi, the seashore of the Atlantic to the shores of the  Pacific. No more reports of cancer, lung diseases and other ailments due to the  rupture of the shale and poisoning of Americas precious water supply. Frack not,  NUKE not, for they are crimes against Mother Earth and an abomination unto the  Great Spirit.

"I offer my  strong support for the “Invest in America Act” and absolute opposition to the  proposed “Jobs Act” presently before the US Congress as an avenue for building  jobs for Americans. However, I recognize that New York and America need much  more. As Senator from  New York, I propose a massive dose of funds to enact a two prong work  development program: a Green New Deal. The first prong of the Green New Deal  will focus on immediate and long term employment through investment in  infra-structure repair, mass transit and high speed rail development, solar,  water and wind energy systems development providing secure jobs for millions of  our fellow citizens without danger to the environment. The second prong  of this Jobs development program will provide grants and loans to develop new  cooperative businesses and partnership enterprises in public and private sectors  of our economy. An example would be the reintegration of agriculture and  agri-businesses into public education so that every American child would be  trained to feed, clothe and house themselves.

"As Senator, I  will propose legislation to close forever such dangerous institutions as the  School of the Americas and private prisons including those private prisons for  “illegal immigrants”. The Continuation  of assault on the human right of women and girls is absolutely unacceptable in  any form.  I stand in direct  opposition to such violence and on the front line of struggle against all forms  of misogyny and abuse of women and girls. A woman’s body is her own not an  object of the State to do with as it pleases.

"In my role as  Senator from New York, I will campaign to limit presidential power to wage war  without absolute authority from the Congress. I stand in  direct opposition to any attempt to alter or dismiss the Voting rights Act which  if amended or abolished threatens the precious right to vote of  tens of millions fellow citizens in our  US  society. African Americans,  Latin Americans, women and youth will be without a voice in the decision making  of our nation. Democracy will lie slain and dead. The right to  vote came at a high price with many deaths including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  and Medgar Wylie Evers with whom I worked in that turbulent time to secure these  rights.

"In my role as  senator form the great State of New York, I will pursue justice for homeowners  and those who are victims of foreclosures or threatened with foreclosure.  Justice must prevail. The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) will be  fully investigated to assure that the 5 banks accused of mortgage fraud are not  granted immunity from prosecution leaving the taxpayer to foot 63% of the  proposed $25 billion dollar settlement worked out by the Obama Administration.  Enough is enough, it time the people have a just deal not more money to bankers  who engage in bank  fraud."