Green Party of California joins occupation of State Capitol; backs move to pressure Gov, Legislature to balance budget off backs of millionaires, not the most vulnerable in state

The Green Party of California Monday said its party members are joining and supporting actions by thousands of teachers, students and social justice activists here to "occupy" the State Capitol this week to pressure the Legislature and Governor to rethink their plans of hurting the most vulnerable in the state in order to balance the budget.

The Green Party noted that the Capitol is bipartisan - Democrats and Republicans - in deciding to let the very wealthy go largely unscathed while the sick, poor, young and the elderly bear the brunt of proposed budget cuts.

"We support the peaceful actions by people in this week's actions to take back their own government from the corporations and wealthy class who for far too long have bought their politicians in Sacramento, and their tax breaks," said Laura Wells, GPCA spokesperson.

The Greens, who have dozens of electeds in office across the state - including mayors in Richmond and Fairfax - agreed with protesters that "corporate welfare" continues to profit the wealthy through a regressive tax structure.

The Green Party also agreed with calls by Capitol demonstrators to bring the State National Guard back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

"These wars not only costs us in lives, but in moneys lost for our cities and counties, which could provide services to those who need the help the most right here in California," said Cres Vellucci, of the GPCA veterans caucus.

Agreeing with the stated goals of the Sacramento protesters, the Greens said education and social programs should be fully funded by raising taxes on the hundreds of thousands of millionaire households, employing an oil extraction tax, reforming the prison system, bringing single-payer healthcare to the all Californians and creating a "zero carbon economy."

"We also agree with the goals of ending the discriminatory and financial wars on workers, immigrants, indigenous peoples, women and people of color, the poor and homeless," added Wells.

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URL: http://www.cagreens.org/press/pr110509.shtml

Contacts:
Laura Wells, Spokesperson, 510.504.4254, lwells@cagreens.org
Hank Chapot, 510.504.3538, hchapot@cagreens.org
Cres Vellucci, Press Secretary, 916.996.9170, cvellucci@cagreens.org

The Green Party of California
PO Box 2828
Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
Web: http://www.cagreens.org
EMail: gpca@greens.org