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Add an EventLaura Wells, Green Party Candidate for Governor at Court on Election Day
California gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells of the Green Party was scheduled to spend her election day Tuesday, Nov. 2 appearing for her arraignment on misdemeanor trespassing charges for the "crime" of attending a Governor's Debate Oct. 12 at Dominican University.
Laura Wells was flocked by supporters at the Court House in San Rafael. A Marin Independent Journal reporter interviewed her, and she made a public statement (See link to the video.
Wells has retained former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Gonzalez as her attorney.
Laura Wells was banned from the debate Oct. 12 because only the Democratic and Republican nominees for Governor were allowed to debate. However, when she attempted only to sit in the audience to watch, Wells was hauled away, handcuffed and arrested.
In the last few days, nearly 1,000 people have signed a petition asking the Marin County DA office dismiss all charges, and investigate those responsible for her arrest. The petition states: "Laura Wells, the Green candidate for Governor of California, was arrested on Oct. 12, 2010 at the California Governor's Debate. Her arrest is a violation of her civil rights. She had a ticket and the right to attend the debate. We request that you dismiss the criminal charge against Ms. Wells and launch an investigation into why she was arrested."
Wells, who garnered more than 400,000 votes when she ran for Controller in 2002 on the Green ticket, is a financial analyst who talks about solutions – not politics – to California's budget mess.
Among many other solutions to the state's woes, Wells wants to "reform" Prop. 13 so it benefits individuals and small businesses, as was promised, not large corporations. She is promoting the concept of a "State Bank" that would partner with local banks and make loans to residents, including students for college loans and profit California, not private, Wall-Street bailed-out banks.
She received 64,445 1.2% of the vote in the election yesterday, an election where more than half of California's registered voters failed to vote, reflecting the apathy, cynicism, disconnect, with the political process, which has enabled the corporate parties to dominate the debate, and marginalize the possibilities for substantial, systemic change.
Did the judge drop the charges?
Green Party candidate avoids charges for crashing Marin debate
By Richard Halstead
Marin Independent Journal
SAN RAFAEL -- Laura Wells, the Green Party candidate for California governor, will face no legal consequences for attempting to attend the debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman at Dominican University last month using someone else's ticket.
"We decided not to file a complaint in the interest of justice, determining that her removal from the premises adequately resolved the violation," said Kevin O'Hara, Marin County deputy district attorney. He said he consulted with officials at Dominican University before making his decision.
Wells was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday for trespassing a private party. If found guilty, she could have been fined up to $1,000, sentenced to six months in county jail or both.
Wells said she is considering filing a lawsuit for violation of her civil rights.
"I'm not a lawyer, but I know in Illinois there has been a lawsuit about people who have been excluded from debates," Wells said. "We're not sure what we're going to do."
On Oct. 12, Wells was protesting outside Angelico Hall, where the debate took place, when someone gave her two tickets.
She and a friend, Marnie Glickman, used the tickets to get past the first security checkpoint and were on the steps of Angelico Hall when a private security officer recognized Wells and ordered both women to leave the premises. For security purposes, Dominican required debate attendees to have identification matching their tickets.
Glickman complied but Wells stood her ground. Security guards then executed a citizen's arrest and turned Wells over to San Rafael police. Police handcuffed Wells and drove her in a squad car to another building on campus, where she was issued a citation and warned not to return to the debate.
"We determined that she was lawfully placed under arrest for trespassing," O'Hara said.
Wells said she and other third-party candidates were excluded from the gubernatorial debates on the basis that less than 10 percent of Californians polled said they were supporting them. But Wells said the requirement is a Catch-22 because she can't build support without public exposure.
But Wells apparently disagrees . In the half hr. broadcast she had numerous opportunities to express Soldarity with Peace and Freedom party . She didn't even once. She did say that she thought that not only the Greens but the two right wing parties on the ballot(outside of the Republicans ) the Libertarians and the American Independent party should be included in all debates . But not a word about the Peace and Freedom party . Nothing.
A very counter productive sectarian act .
There are some similaries between the two parties but there are real differences .
PFP calls for all US troops To be brought back to the US but the GP , while stating they're Antiwar, are far more vague .
The PFP are strongly Pro-Union and orient it's outreach to Working class voters, Many Leaders and activists are Union members and some in important Leadership roles . The Greens while not Anti-Union seem to be more aimed at Progressive minded Middle Class professionals and Small Business People .
The PFP considers the US to be a Imperialist power , the Greens consider such ''rhetoric '' to be ''alienating ;
The PFP are far more involved in Anti- Police Brutality campaigns and fighting Institutional racism
(For example the PFP are deeply involved in the Justice for Oscar Grant struggle , the Greens , while of course condemming the murder , are rarely seen in various Coalition meetings .
But the key idelogical divide is around the issue of Socialism . PFP is basicially a Multi-Tendency Socialist electoral alliance . While the Greens have some Socialist members others advocate '' Green Capitalism ''
While the above differences are very real, still PFP, and to a lesser extent the GP, sometimes cross endorse the others candidates . (when , of course, Not running against each other )
As the previous post noted the continued existance of both parties is in serious question thanks to the passage of the reactionary Prop. 14 . There was some collaboration against the passage of this Anti-democratic measure , hopefully this will greatly increase .
I wonder if the intellectualism and nuanced viewpoints of the left will always prevent us from working with broad coalitions. The right seems to have little problem here. They collect poor racists and ultra-wealthy corporatists under one giant tent, while we bicker about whether we want the votes of labor unionists or middle class voters, because somehow those are different people?
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