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About the New Paltz Green Party:
We've gotten so much done, but there is so much more to do!
Hello, I am Lagusta Yearwood, a vegan chef and New Paltz Greens 2008-2009 chairwoman. Thanks for stopping by.
The Green Party dreams of a political system where you don't have to be rich to be president and where the issues that Americans truly care about - poverty, ending the war, corporate control over all aspects of our lives, environmentalism, and more are taken seriously.
If you want to support a truly progressive party not beholden to corporate interests, not ignoring the giant problems facing working people today, not trusting the problem of global warming to the free market - the Green Party is your party.
If you can't come to a meeting (or even if you can), please consider making a one-time or recurring donation to ensure that the most progressive party in New Paltz can continue doing the vital work of keeping our community healthy and strong and leftist!
The New Paltz Green Party was formed in 1996 and has run candidates
for local, county and state office consistently since then. In 2008 it was determined that, proportionally, Greens in New Paltz vote in larger numbers than Democrats and Republicans. We're making a difference!
In 2003, New Paltz elected the first Green Party members to public office in New York State when Jason West was elected Mayor and Rebecca Rotzler elected Village Trustee. Since then, half a dozen more Greens have won elected office around the state, from School Board to Mayor of Cobleskill.
Here at home, over two dozen Greens serve in local government,
including Edgar Rodriguez, who is on the New Paltz School Board, and Margaret Human, who is on the New Paltz Town Planning Board. Other
Greens serve as members of the Planning Board, Fire Department,
Environmental Commission, and student government at SUNY.
The New Paltz Green Party has focused our work on protecting the
environment, promoting affordable housing and economic justice and
fighting institutional racism in our schools and police department.
If you are interested in working on a project listed below, contact the
person mentioned or contact us here.
Greens are active in many diverse community projects. Some of our current projects include:
A project we are especially concerned with right now is "Crossroads at New Paltz," a 57-acre mixed use development proposed for a spot off Paradies Lane immediately off the Thruway. Click here to learn more about Crossroads, and click here to read the Draft Environmental Impact Study. Watch this space for more information on this project.
The last Thursday of every month we run a community discussion series. Click here to find out about upcoming and past discussions.
Greens are currently researching and making recommendations for eco-friendly sewage treatment options for town and village residents.
We are continually running candidates for local office and supporting candidates who are not Greens but share our values. Our candidates win more often than you'd think - we're a scrappy little party!
Greens are researching 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 Green is running a campaign to ban pesticides in Ulster County. Email Alice Andrews
to become involved.
And much more! Greens have a finger in pretty much every progressive pie in town - we're always helping to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable New Paltz.
Some of our past accomplishments include:
We recently ran a wonderful campaign for Town Council. Click here to read all about it.
We successfully created a paper recycling system for the New Paltz Post Office (it doesn't sound like much, but it took A YEAR. Oh, red tape!).
We sponsored and decorated a recycling bin that was placed in front of Manny's art store.
We put 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.