ONONDAGA COUNTY CANDIDATES DESIGNATED

The Green Party of Onondaga County made its final round of candidate designations at a county convention on Monday, June 27.

The Greens designated Cosmo Fanizzi for the 16th County Legislature District seat. Fanizzi is a carpenter and a longtime resident of the north side of
Syracuse.

David Linton was designated for the 17th County Legislature District seat. Linton grew up on the near west side and is a longtime resident of Syracuse. He is a retired Syracuse Fireman and US Postal worker, a veteran, and a Little League coach at Skiddy Park.

Finally the Greens voted to designate Howie Hawkins for Mayor. Hawkins is a Teamster truck unloader at UPS and a long-time Green Party activist. Previously the Greens had designated Hawkins for the Councilor At-Large seat vacated by Beth Brownson, but they decided to shift Hawkins to the race for mayor.

Gary Bonaparte completes the field of Green candidates. Bonaparte was designated for the 2nd District Common Council seat at the Green’s May 28th meeting. Bonaparte is a Mohawk ironworker who is active in the Partnership for Onondaga Creek and the Syracuse Peace Council.

At their May 28th meeting the Greens also made their only cross-endorsement in designating Tom Seals, the incumbent Democrat, for the 4th District
Common Council seat. Seals championed the living wage ordinance and brought the issue to a vote this year after being long delayed by the Driscoll administration. The Democratic Party has not endorsed the incumbent Seals.

Without a permanent ballot line, the Greens will have to do an independent nominating petition, which requires on the order of five to ten times more
signatures than major party candidates are required to gather. While the ballot line parties petition in June and early July, the independent nominating petition period runs July 12 to August 23.

Jason West and Rebecca Rotzler, Mayor and Deputy Mayor of New Paltz, will be the featured speakers at a Green’s candidate fundraising dinner on
Thursday, June 30, 7 pm at the White Dove Tea Room (745 N. Salina St.). West and Rotzler, the only Green Mayor and Deputy Mayor in New York State, are at the forefront of the campaign to create green, sustainable cities. West also made headlines last year for presiding over several marriages of gay couples in order to grant these citizens their full civil rights. A limited number of seats ($50) are still available though the fundraiser is expected
to sell out. (Tickets: 474-7055)

The Greens platform focuses on local control for developing ecologically and economically sustainable communities.

• No more Corporate Welfare. Redirecting development to locally-owned, ecologically sustainable businesses.

• Progressive Tax Reform emphasizing a graduated city income tax that includes the commuters to Syracuse.

• A Municipal Power Company to cut gas and electric costs and build a sustainable, renewable energy base.

• Neighborhood Assemblies to govern neighborhood development and instruct the Common Council on policy.

• Full and Equal Funding for Public Schools to ensure that all Syracuse students have a quality education.

• Crime Prevention through Economic Development, Youth Programs, and “Ending the War on Drugs”

CONTACT:
Green Party of Onondaga County
2617 South Salina Street, Syracuse NY 13205
315-474-7055
www.syracusegreens.org