Defining the Green Agenda

Yesterday, Ken Sain started an important conversation on his blog about defining the Green Agenda. I've been thinking about this for a while, but haven't articulated my ideas. As Greens, we have great platforms and articulate candidates. But defining your agenda is about more than that. It is about choosing priorities and bringing those issues to the public. Ken has his suggestions, and included are the top issues I would choose: alternative energy, universal health care, and ending the war in Iraq.

I would love to see Greens across the country choose three or four issues as national priorities on which to focus. We could redefine the Greens as a party committed to tackling the tough issues that affect all Americans, but that the corporate parties ignore (or make worse). We could really hammer the Republicans and Democrats, but we have to stay focused and coordinated: table with these issues, campaign on these issues, write press releases and policy papers about these issues.

The three or four national issues would be complimented by one or two regional issues chosen by state and local Greens. (In California the focus could be Prop. 13 reform or a Green approach to immigration, and in Los Angeles, transportation or homelessness).