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Wisconsin Green Party
www.wisconsingreenparty.org
May 25th, 2005
Contact:
Jeff Peterson, Campaign Coordinator, Referendum on Troop Withdrawal from
Iraq, 715.472.2728
Jill Bussiere, Co-Chair, WI Green Party 920.388.0529, cell -
920.255.2175, jdt@wisconsingreenparty.org
The Wisconsin Green Party announced today that it
will work with citizens across the state to place an advisory referendum
on as many local ballots as possible in next spring's election asking
voters the question, "Should the United States begin an immediate,
phased withdrawal of its troops from Iraq?"
Jeff Peterson, of Luck, will coordinate the various
efforts around the state, most of which will involve convincing county
boards to give their constituents the opportunity to weigh in on the
war. "We intentionally crafted a referendum that is neutral in its
language," said Peterson. "We're not trying to put local
elected officials on the spot by forcing them to take a stand on the
war. We just think that, after two years, it would be the democratic
thing to do to allow average citizens to weigh in on the Iraq
situation."
Peterson, who was the Green Party's candidate for
lieutenant governor in 2004, said he expects the idea of a voter
referendum to receive an enthusiastic response not only from local Green
Party chapters, but also from the informal network of peace and justice
groups that have sprung up around the state in recent years. They will
also reach out, he said, to families with loved ones in the military.
Wisconsin law permits statewide referenda of an
advisory nature, but only with the legislature's approval. Because that
can be difficult, many referenda questions are submitted at the county
level. In last April's election, for example, the Wisconsin Counties
Association succeeded in getting two questions regarding state funding
of court and social service systems on the ballot in almost every
county. Both questions passed overwhelmingly.
Cities and villages may also vote to put referenda
on their ballots; they are obliged to do so when presented with
petitions containing signatures totalling 15% of the vote for governor
in the last election.
Wisconsin Green Party Co-Chair Jill Bussiere of
Kewaunee thinks people are ready to have a say on the war. "We've
had countless vigils and marches and protests," she said, "but
too often they go unreported by the media. I think if the majority of
those voting next April 4 vote in favor of withdrawing our troops from
Iraq, that will send a strong message to our national elected
representatives in Washington."
While their proposed referendum may be worded in
neutral language, the Green Party is anything but neutral on issues of
war and peace. One of what they call their "key values" is
nonviolence, and Greens were among the earliest and most outspoken
critics of the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq. And while
theirs may have been the minority view two years ago, Bussiere says she
thinks people are growing weary of a war that appears as if it has no
end.
"There are still some people who think that, to
support the troops, you have to support the war, too," she said.
"I think the best way to show support for our troops is to make
every effort to bring them home as soon as possible."
For more information, visit
http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org.
The Green Party of the United States' website is
http://www.gp.org.
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