About the New Paltz Green Party.
We've gotten so much done, but there is so much more to do! Scroll
down to read about past victories and accomplishments. If you are
interested in working on a current project listed below, contact the
person mentioned or contact us here.
Some of our current projects include:
Setting up a paper recycling system for the New Paltz post office.
A potential biodiesel plant in New Paltz.
Greens are active on the Affordable Housing Board, and
official members of this committee are needed. Email Rebecca if
you are interested.
A campaign to ban pesticides in Ulster County. Email Alice Andrews
to become involved.
And much more!
Some of our past accomplishments include:
Putting solar panels on the Department of Public Works Garage, which
supplies 10% of power to buildings on the block, including the Volunteer
Fire Department, Police Department, Town Court, Department of Public
Works, Office of the Building Inspector, the Village Clerk’s Office and the
Mayor’s Office. Click here to read about this project.
Greens implemented a sweatshop-free purchasing policy for all of
Village of New Paltz uniforms, textiles, etc. Click here to read more about
sweat-free communities.
Greens were instrumental in getting wi-fi in Village Hall, including the
nearby Peace Park.
Because of Green Party pressure, the Village of New Paltz installed reed
beds to process semi-solid waste that would otherwise get shipped to a
landfill in NJ.
We co-sponsor the annual West Point anti-war demonstrations.
Greens promoted open government by moving Village Town Board
meetings to a larger meeting room and televising them as well as
increasing the number of meetings per month.
Participating in the yearly New Paltz Pride Parade:
Gay Pride comes to the Hudson Valley marching right down Main
Street in New Paltz NY, past the original site of the 25 same-sex
marriages performed by Mayor Jason West in the Village Hall parking
lot on February 27th, 2004.
The LGBTQ parade celebrates the freedom to be alive and in love
and to decry the situation where restrictions of another person’s
religion aided by a corrupt legal system are depriving them of their
rights. The Green Party does more than just pay lip service in
standing up for the human rights of the homosexual and transgender
community. Our Green Mayor risked jail time, and made a big issue
out of the LBGT community’s right to marry and all the other rights
afforded to heterosexual people.
There have been some gains since that fateful day in February, and
Jason West had all 24 charges against him dropped—but there have
been many setbacks nationwide and complete stagnancy on the part
of New York State Legislators, New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, and
the New York State Judicial System; all of whom have refused to
acknowledge the rights of same-sex couples to marry, as guaranteed
to them by the New York State Constitution. New Paltz Greens participate
in the parade by insuring it, building and riding on a float. Of course
mayor Jason West gives a speech and he and deputy mayor Rebecca
Rotzler march.
Other Greens build floats, and we always have a table where we greet
people and get signatures on petitions The parade is a protest against the
religious right and anti-gay political forces, and a festival to bring the
entire community together—gay or straight, young or old, to enforce
once again, that New Paltz is a progressive place that truly embraces
diversity and serves a role-model for the rest of the nation.
http://www.baptistwatch.org is a useful resource.