As posted separately below, Reston community activist John Lovaas writes in his Reston Patch blog that there is no real difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. >http://reston.patch.com/blog_posts/the-view-from-over-here-5728eedf>

He is singing our Greens theme song, i.e., if voters want a sincere candidate who will work for the people, then look to the Green Party candidates-Jill Stein for president, Audrey Clement for Arlington County Board, and for votes in Fairfax County, Joe Galdo for Congress.

Take time to read Lovaas blog and post a comment. What Lovaas says about the Virginia senate race and the 11th CD Congressional race can also be said about the presidential race.

Take a look at the differences between Romney and Obama over U.S. war policy. There is no difference. Both support U.S. military intervention abroad and continue wasteful military spending. Do either Obama or Romney have a plan for peace or do we just continue to live in a national security/ military state engulfed by developing countries that hate us?

Economic recovery? Obama will just continue his do-nothing economic policy and hope our economic depression/recession will just end by itself. There are close to 20 million Americans wanting fulltime jobs today; the economy adds barely 1 million jobs annually and that largely is absorbed by population growth and producitivty gains. Opinion polls today indicate that 40 percent or more of voters indicate that the U.S. economy will get worse no matter if Romney or Obama win. Why vote for either of these bozos?

Housing recovery? Obama already bailed out the big banks and left 13 million, mostly lower income homeowners underwater, with 2-3 million evicted or foreclosed. Anyone talk about how to help this housing crisis from either major party? Nope.

Environment: Obama favors nuclear power, coal mining, offshore drilling, and has yet to take on the petroleum companies. Keystone pipeline-postponed until after the election, then Obama will approve it. Wind and solar energy, energy conservation; where does O stand?

Healthcare: Obamacare will still leave 20-30 million Americans uninsured, and many millions with inadequate health insurance. Moreover, this does nothing to address the outrageous cost of healthcare in the U.S. and our dropping life expectancy. Most reasonable healthcare economists recommend a single-payer system like Canada, the U.K. or France. Do you really think Obama will take on Big Pharmaceutical companies

Historically in the U.S. third parties like the Greens have thrived when the two major parties have lost touch with the needs and dreams of the American people. A similar crisis has swept across many EU countries where voters discovered that their two major parties are both corrupt and inept, and hopeless pawns of the corporations and rich.

Dr. Jill Stein our Green candidate for President has offered thoughtful proposals for a Green New Deal program for 20 milllion domestic jobs, a single payer health care plan, ending the oil wars abroad, debt relief for homeowners and college students, and environmental programs. Please consider voting for Dr. Stein.

The View From Over Here, Posted on September 25, 2012 by John Lovaas, the Reston Patch.com
http://reston.patch.com/blog_posts/the-view-from-over-here-5728eedf

No one would ever accuse George Allen, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Virginia, of being anything but a hardcore conservative, a carrier of the corporate water, an agent of the wealthy one percent, and a guy with little interest in the economic well-being of most Virginians.

The same could be said of political newcomer Chris Perkins, the career military officer and now defense lobbyist running to represent us in Congress in the 11th District. OK, Chris may be more so. He has only disdain for public education (of which he is a product) and would have the Federal Government eliminate funding for nearly everything except the DoD, his longtime cocoon.

But, then look at their Democratic opponents: Ex-Governor, now candidate for Senate Tim Kaine and the gerrymandered Gerry Connolly, the “incumbent” candidate for Congress in our new 11th District. Their stances on issues of economic equity or fairness are barely distinguishable from their rightwing Republican opponents!

As governor, Kaine led the charge to do away with the fairest tax of them all, the inheritance tax. That was his gift to wealthy friends and campaign contributors, to protect them from having to pay tax on all that unearned income. Last week, Mr. Kaine said he was open to considering ways to levy income tax on all Virginians, by definition including the unemployed, those on social security, the disabled and all the others in Mr. Romney’s famous 47 percent. Kaine’s staff has tried to clarify his Romneyesque statement on income tax for all, but his record as a champion of inequality is clear.

With no other alternative for the U.S. Senate on the ballot, Kaine gets the nod from me on election day because he is more progressive than Allen on women’s issues, the environment, education, and health care.

Rep. Connolly’s record on economic fairness is less blatant than Kaine’s, but he also tends to favor the very wealthy. Last year, when President
Obama suggested addressing the national deficit in part by asking the wealthy—those earning over $250,000 per year—to once again pay a fairer share of the income tax, Mr. Connolly was aghast. He echoed Republican arguments for continuing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy-presumably to be paid for by slashing programs benefiting middle and lower income Americans.

As the 2012 election has drawn closer, Mr. Connolly has muted his public
statements on tax cuts for the wealthy in the face of a deficit he says he wants to reduce. But, don’t be fooled; he opposes the President on this issue. And, he is not alone among Democrats with campaign coffers to fill. When I wrote to him and encouraged him to change position, I got a classic non-response response.

What to do on election day? Mr. Perkins is no alternative for moderates, much less progressives. Independent Mark Gibson offers some moderation, but the only progressive in the race is rookie Green Party candidate Joe Galdo. Mr. Galdo’s odds of winning are slim, but the idea of voting for a genuine progressive committed to fairness and greater equality sure has a lot of appeal!

For immediate release:
September 18, 2012
The Green Party of Virginia joins environmentalist activists across the Commonwealth in mourning the passing of Northern Virginia Green Party chairperson Paul Hughes, who died this past weekend from a heart attack. “Paul was a “gentle warrior” who had a clear understanding of how the American promise of a democratic Republic was being thwarted by a small ruling elite,” said David Cobb, former 2004 Green Party Presidential candidate and current MoveToAmend.org organizer. ”He will be sorely missed.”
A long time resident of Fairfax County and retired government consultant, Hughes chaired the Northern Virginia local of the Green Party of Virginia. He also owned several environmentally friendly businesses that specialized in salvaging construction materials from demolition sites (Deconstruction Services) and selling them from his Springfield warehouse (Rebuild Warehouse). His business legacy includes the hiring and training of ex-prison convicts and former drug addicts and channeling them into productive careers.
As an activist, Hughes was well regarded as a Sierra Club volunteer and an early supporter of the work of the Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy POCLAD). He was one of the first organizers for the Move ToAmend.org coalition in Virginia. Throughout his life, Hughes worked tirelessly for Virginians and all Americans, and served as a mentor and inspiration to many.
The Green Party of Virginia wishes to extend its deepest sympathies to the Hughes family for the loss of this great Virginian.
Green Party of Virginia
http://vagreenparty.org/

Paul along with Arlington Greens Don Rouse and John Reeder just recently appeared in an hour long interview on Reston public tv program, Reston Impact, that was hosted by Reston activist John Lovass who along with Paul started an environmental group Sustainable Reston that worked to preserve Reston’s water, trees and natural environment. the direct link to the show is http://vimeo.com/49038385#
Paul mentored other Arlington Greens including Miriam Gennari in understanding how better technology, recycling, and energy conservation can improve our world and local community.

Rest in peace, our friend Paul.