An Open Letter from the Texas League of Conservation Voters to the Leadership of the Texas Green Party
July 1, 2010
Kat Swift
Executive Director
Green Party of Texas
P.O. Box 271080
Houston, TX 77277-1080
Dear Director Swift:
I am writing on behalf of the Texas League of Conservation Voters to express profound disappointment in how the Green Party of Texas funded its recent ballot petition drive with corporate, out-of-state, partisan-directed funds.
The Texas League of Conservation Voters is a statewide non-partisan organization that works to elect candidates who support clean air, clean water, renewable energy and the protection of open spaces and wildlife habitat. TLCV supports third party ballot access and would, under normal circumstances, support Green Party candidates who share the organization's values and goals.
Unfortunately, the League cannot support Green Party candidates in Texas at this time as it appears the Green Party used corporate money directed from out-of-state partisan sources whose positions on environmental policy are antithetical to those of the Green Party. The League believes the use of corporate, out-of-state money directed from partisan operatives for a petition drive corrupts and manipulates the electoral process.
We also believe that candidates for office who owe their place on the ballot to funders who do not support cracking down on polluters and a clean environment cannot be trusted by the public to adhere to a pro-environment agenda if elected to office. For these reasons, we respectfully request that Green Party candidates remove their names from consideration for public office in Texas in 2010.
Texas has suffered for 10 years from having a Governor who has put polluters before people, and is in the pocket of big oil and big coal. We believe that the best option for moving Texas forward in 2010 rests with candidate Bill White, who showed extraordinary leadership as Mayor of Houston in cleaning up Houston's air and understands state environmental regulatory agencies must be responsive to the people of Texas.
It stands to reason that the ballot petition drive funders' primary interest was to siphon votes away from Bill White to the benefit of a big polluter like Rick Perry. It is profoundly dismaying that the Green Party decided, by accepting this tainted money, to be a willing accomplice in this endeavor.
Again, The Texas League of Conservation Voters respectfully reiterates its call for Green Party candidates to remove their names from the ballot in Texas in 2010.
Sincerely,
David Weinberg
Executive Director
Texas League of Conservation Voters
For disclosure purposes, I was once a contractor for TLCV.
