Green Candidate Hoffman Calls for Change in the Amazon
The Green Party’s Candidate for NJ Governor returns from month-long trip to Colombia, comes out with an urgent message to consumers.
In the port-city of Buenaventura, on the Pacific Ocean, the interest of corporations constantly threatens life and culture. While around seventy-percent of Colombia’s economy passes through Buenaventura, many citizens have little to no money, and extremely limited access to basic necessities. The vast majority of citizens who work for the corporations running the port receive scarce pay and inadequate or no pension in exchange for their contribution to the company’s profit. The company-owned ports, with the support of the Colombian government, have displaced communities that relied on a culture of fishing for food, cutting off their access to cost-free sustenance.
This displacement also poses a threat to their unique culture, which was rooted in the practice of fishing. By forcing these communities to move away from their only constant source of food, industry has also brought violence and insecurity to Buenaventura. According to Hoffman, even the midwives of the port city are put in danger because of their role in assisting women and their families, and their ability to unite the community. Madelyn recounted viewing the dark figures of cargo ships in the harbor, describing them as looming ominously above the city, a perfect metaphor for industry’s harmful presence in the people’s everyday lives.
The effects of large-scale mining has also taken a large toll on the people of Colombia, a nation that has long been a hotspot for valuable minerals. Hoffman recalled visiting a small artisanal gold mine located in Bolivar, named Alacran. The mine, run by natives of the region, is constantly threatened by a larger company, Cordoba Minerals, which wants the land for its larger mine. These companies are also often backed by the Colombian and United States governments, both of which benefit from the profits of large scale mining.
A corporation called AngloGold Ashanti, in partnership with other mining companies, has made plans to jumpstart a new mining project which would touch five different “departments” (or provinces) in the Northwest region of the nation. Not only would this add to the threat towards Alacran and other small locally-run mines, but would continue to damage the diverse ecosystem of Colombia.
The country has also turned to fracking, a method of oil extraction that has caused uproar from environmentalists here in the United States and across the world, to help mend its economic crisis. This continues to desecrate the environment all across Colombia, filling the atmosphere with methane and polluting the natural water supply which is vital towards the survival of these peoples. Already, there are communities without running water and even if there is water, in many communities that water is not fit to drink.
In the rural communities that Madelyn visited, many small farmers, known as “campesinos”, have also had their cultures and land robbed from them or threatened by big farming industry, namely companies that sell a strain of avocado called avocado hass. Prior to the entrance of this industry, small rural farmers were able to grow a variety of crops, providing income and keeping their land fertile. Farms cultivated coffee beans, bananas, papaya, mango, even fish, and other types of native produce. However, due to corporate competition nearby, many of these farmers have been forced to work their own land for large, multinational companies and in some cases even sell their land for little return. A large population of farmers turned to avocado hass, a trendy “superfood” that consumers in the United States and beyond began to buy in massive quantity. However, growers of this product were required to go from natural growth processes to the use of Monsanto’s roundup, a glyphosate-based pesticide that continues to pollute the air, water, and the campesinos’ land. Taking into account the vast reliance on rivers for food and water for all purposes in this region, the use of Monsanto’s product has created ongoing problems for the indigenous and campesino peoples. Corporate pressure continues to threaten the air, water, soil (territory) and a way of life.
Corporate greed and the universal non-green supply chain continues to threaten the wellbeing of the people of Colombia, and these people deserve an end to decades of exploitation of their homeland, their families, and themselves. Madelyn Hoffman is committed to exposing these injustices by publicizing this situation to the communities in New Jersey and beyond that have been decimated by the interest of multinational corporations, and would continue this fight when in the Governor’s office.
She calls on New Jersey to take the initiative against the climate crisis by ending the use of fossil fuels, as well as reminding New Jerseyans of the effect their purchase of different products has on the ecosystem, people, and culture in the regions where they are produced. Madelyn firmly believes that our country must stop backing the Colombian government as it threatens the lives of Colombians and people in nations alike, where our consumerism takes precedence over their livelihoods. Holding corporations accountable for the damage they’ve caused is a must. There is no time to wait!
Green Candidate Hoffman is a Fighter for Universal Health Care
Green candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey Hoffman and Warburton call for guaranteed healthcare coverage for all.
Written by Lucas Frau of the Hoffman/Warburton Campaign for Governor, edited by Will Sytsma.
Imagine someone you love is sick. They need care, but you are forced to make a choice between paying for their treatment or falling into poverty.
Millions of Americans are faced with this dilemma. The for-profit health care model that the United States currently has leaves millions without health insurance, causing many Americans to have to pay so many out-of-pocket expenses that they fall into extreme healthcare debt.
The United States’s healthcare system is a catastrophic disaster. According to a study done by the CommonWealth Fund, this structure leaves 43.7% of adults either uninsured or underinsured.
The struggle of trying to pay for medical bills can ruin someone’s life. Data from the same study shows 26% of people in the United States who have medical debt have been unable to pay for basic necessities such as food, rent, and water. The horrors of medical debt do not stop there. The burden of being without health insurance can be so devastating that three percent of people who have medical debt ultimately declare bankruptcy.
This is a problem that is only seen in one developed nation, the United States. The concept of not being able to afford health care is unheard of in places like Europe.
The time is now for the United States to embrace some form of universal health care. With universal coverage, everyone would have access to health care no matter the financial status of an individual.
It is clear that our current system is a failure. One would expect a policy that will benefit so many people should have bi-partisan support. The reality is that politicians from both parties have few to no advocates of universal health care.
Some of the opponents of the universal model for healthcare would argue that we can not afford Medicare for All. On the contrary, universal health care will actually save the United States money, which could in turn be redirected into other necessary funds. The United States spends approximately 17.9% of their GDP on healthcare, the most in the world.
With a single-payer healthcare system, so much money is saved in administrative costs because no bureaucracy is needed to file and review insurance claims. We can turn to a country like England, which has a single-payer healthcare system, and uses only 16% of their hospital spending on administrative costs. In comparison, the United States uses 25% of their hospital spending on administrative costs, making 1.5% of their entire GDP spent on administrative costs of healthcare.
There are simply no feasible excuses for inadequate healthcare systems in the richest country in the world. This issue is life or death for many families here in New Jersey and all across the fifty states. This matter is urgent.
We need bold leaders to fight for universal health care now more than ever, especially in these times of crisis, as the pandemic continues in the United States. With hospitals full and hundreds of thousands dead from COVID-19, we need universal health care now because we do not deserve the burden of medical bills during these horrifying times of uncertainty, or ever. Which of our leaders will answer the call to advocate for “Medicare for all”?
Madelyn Hoffman and Heather Warburton, Green candidates running for governor and lieutenant governor of New Jersey, are encouraging the United States government to adopt universal health care under a national single-payer system. Warburton shares her passion on the issue, saying that “health care is a human right that should not depend on your income, job, gender, race, education, or where you live.”
This is spot on. We should not let people sacrifice needs, their homes, or even their lives. The American people deserve better. They deserve leaders who will fight for our right to healthcare. The Hoffman for Governor campaign will fight for that right, and by doing that they are fighting for the people of our country.
It is easy to feel hopeless in a system that puts profits in front of the health of people. Millions are plummeting into poverty because of the ridiculous uninsured expenses. Madelyn Hoffman is passionate in her fight to make sure everyone has access to health care. A single payer universal health care system will cover everyone and we would spend less money while doing it.
“All we hear is our elected officials talking about tweaking the Affordable Care Act,” commented Hoffman. “That gift to the private insurance industry is not universal health care and puts us all at the mercy of private insurance companies. We need improved and expanded Medicare for All, a true single-payer system!”
The Hoffman campaign is fighting for the people, for everyone across New Jersey. As election season approaches, vote for leaders who care, who will fight, who are passionate. Vote for Madelyn Hoffman this November.
Hoffman: Extended Unemployment and Living Wages Are a Must
New Jersey’s administration must wake up to the issue of its wages, prioritize its workers.
“Many must rely on an income boost from the barebones social safety net even after working full time. New Jersey has the tenth worst income inequality in the nation, and inequality (measured by the GINI coefficient) actually has increased during Murphy’s reign. ” — Hoffman/Warburton Governor/Lieutenant Governor statement on Income Inequality in New Jersey
Workers are the most essential component of our society. Without the organized actions of the laborers, there would be no food, no production, no society as we know it. After decades of workers’ action, bosses offered some concessions. It was organizing, unionizing, and protests that created this day.
Today, society calls many essential workers yet so few are paid a living wage. Their sacrifice led to millions of dollars and millions of people’s lives being saved, yet many are barely getting paid. The cost of living has dramatically increased during the pandemic, and many of our essential workers are struggling to survive.
For decades the rich have been getting richer while the poor stay poor and the middle class has been shrinking. Throughout the nation, people work full-time jobs and can not afford basic living expenses such as rent, food, gas and insurance. Some even work multiple jobs and still do not earn enough to put food on the table. Many must rely on an income boost from the barebones social safety net even after working full time. New Jersey has the tenth worst income inequality in the nation, and inequality (measured by the GINI coefficient) actually has increased during Murphy’s reign.
Many after becoming unemployed during the pandemic have realized that getting paid by unemployment they were getting more than they did working. For many people for the first time in their lives, they were given enough money to survive. People were able to make more not working than many of the essential workers that were needed for our society to survive. Unfortunately, many also lost their health insurance, a glaring problem in the U.S. and in N.J. that must be addressed.
Recently we have seen a shortage in the low-wage job market. With the lowering value of the US dollar, it costs more to live anywhere, especially in the state of New Jersey. The reason why there is such a job shortage is people cannot afford to live on their wages. During the proclaimed economic golden age of the country (the mid to late 19th century), the minimum wage increased with workers’ productivity. In truth, if the minimum wage continued to be tied to worker’s productivity it would be 22$ an hour. In order to afford to rent a one-bedroom apartment in this state, you need approximately that income, for 40 hours a week, 12 months a year. The solution to the shortage in the low-wage job market is to increase the minimum wage. The best solution is to pay a living wage.
Our campaign would like to immediately increase the minimum wage to a living wage – beginning at $22/hour. Essential workers should be treated as essential and given a living wage so they are not struggling to survive.
Now I know that you are wondering about the impact on small businesses. Would they collapse by this increase in worker’s payment? The answer is no. If small businesses were subsidized this payment until the economy equalizes they would receive no net loss, and be able to function more effectively with an energized and enthusiastic labor force.
Throughout the years, billions of dollars in subsidies have been given out to large corporations. Let’s change that and start backing the little guy. Let’s start backing our working class instead.
Our research shows that it is possible for the state to subsidize this wage increase to small businesses. This would roughly cost $8 billion which could be paid for by the large corporations if we increased corporate taxes even slightly. This money would not only protect workers’ jobs but strengthen small businesses in our economy. Everyone benefits.
Also, unemployment is something that does not need to exist. The federal government has the ability and finances to provide a good-paying union job to all unemployed people. In truth, the state government does as well. With this massive increase in the labor force, the government can tackle the modern problems. A green new deal is not just about fixing the environment, but creating an economic change reminiscent of FDR’s original new deal. As a state that was hit very hard by a recent hurricane, we certainly cannot ignore the looming crisis.
Extending unemployment and raising the minimum wage would lift so many out of poverty. It would save so many lives. It is the right, moral thing to do. Madelyn Hoffman supports these policies while her opponents do not. Essential workers and the working class are the backbone of our society and these policies are what they deserve.
It is wrong for the governor to suspend the supplemental unemployment benefits now — we should extend them until there is no longer any need to do so.
“As a student at Rutgers-New Brunswick, seeing so many roads underwater made me think about how many roads will be permanently flooded if something is not done immediately,” said Dustin Young, Campaign Manager for Hoffman/Warburton. “We have the resources in our society to fix this, but we are appropriating them incorrectly. If we looked more carefully at our tax structure and at unnecessary budget items, we could find a way to add to the state’s revenues and reallocate these resources to guarantee a job with a living wage. These jobs will prioritize fixing the environment. We would need approximately $14 billion to do so, an amount that is a fraction of the state’s GDP. If we do not make this investment soon, then we may end up with much more loss of life, property, and infrastructure than we have seen in the past week.
Contaminated Waters in New Jersey
By Maira Azam
As humans in an extremely “developed” country, one would think that clean water is easily accessible to everyone in the state of New Jersey, but in fact, that is not always the case. . The real questions at hand are, how clean is this water that we are given and why is this an issue? The water that flows through the pipes around the state of New Jersey, that comes to tap water systems in our homes can easily be contaminated with dangerous chemicals such as Lead- which can come from house plumbing, Cryptosporidium- which is a microbial pathogen found in surface water, and many more. (NJDEP) The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection claims they test the quality of New Jersey’s water regularly but moving forward, they still conclude that there are contaminants in the water. Many of these chemicals are essentially life threatening once consumed, and it is a concern that deserves to be discussed and fixed. Simple human error from pipelines, wells or overall agriculture should not be the cause of chemicals being injected into drinking water.
Madelyn Hoffman, a current Green Party candidate running for the NJ governor election, discusses in her version of the “Green New Deal” stating, “Madelyn would ensure fair, third party testing of all water supplies in New Jersey, and guarantee the replacement of all lead pipes leading into homes as soon as administratively possible.” (Hoffman) Voting for the Green Party in the upcoming election will benefit the state of New Jersey greatly by improving overall health and resources in the state. Places in New Jersey with an extremely high population such as Newark, are neglected and faced with a water crisis, with no leader taking initiative to resolve this issue. This issue dates from 2013 and still continues to be unresolved, the fight for clean water does not stop. The amount of lead contaminating the water system in Newark and its surrounding areas had reached a point where citizens were afraid to drink the water that came to their own homes. Newark’s public school districts were also a victim of poor quality water, containing lead amounts which were above federal levels and deemed to be harmful. For years, this issue was swept under the rug until 2018, where it had come to a point where the lead levels in tap water were exceeding what was federally allowed. Hoffman strives for healthier water in areas such as Newark, where hundreds of thousands of citizens are being harmed and potentially getting sick. As of December of 2020, the NJDEP identified multiple errors in Newark’s lead tap sampling methodologies and practices.(Newark) This can conclude that none of the right measures were being taken to ensure better quality water for the citizens of Newark. With Hoffman as governor of New Jersey, citizens will no longer have to worry about their main source of clean water and where it will come from. She will fight for the health of her citizens and make it one of her top priorities to address and fix this issue of lead contamination.
On a statewide level, many school districts and home communities face the same issue of contaminants in their tap water. The Environmental Working Group(EWG) had done a news report in 2019, discussing the harms of what is in the New Jersey waters. The report states that more than 7.5 million New Jersey residents are drinking water from local systems that are contaminated with dangerous chemicals, as previously mentioned. Widespread pollution threatens the integrity of drinking water supplies across the country, and the levels of these contaminants detected in finished tap water, though often below the legal limit, may not be safe to drink. (App) Many of the residents of NJ are unaware of the harms of their tap water. Awareness does need to be spread and action must be taken. With Madelyn Hoffman as governor, reform and policies will be made a priority to ensure healthy and proper drinking water for the citizens of NJ. Main breaks like these can be avoided with proper equipment and management. With clean and healthy water not being accessible and limited, many families are in a panic. With Hoffman for governor, citizens of New Jersey can trust that these types of situations can be avoided and maintained. She can ensure her citizens that clean water will always be accessible and available for all.
A Path of Restoration: Green Candidate Hoffman Seeks to Right New Jersey’s Cannabis Wrongs
Cannabis legalization: been there, done that, at least in New Jersey, right? Or so some may have thought. Following the August 17th announcement of regulations set in place by New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, it is clear that much more needs to be done. The process of legalization that has been adapted by Governor Phil Murphy’s New Jersey continues to avoid the deep rooted inequalities ingrained in the way the criminal justice system historically handled this issue and the brand new cannabis industry here in the Garden State and beyond. Small black and brown-owned businesses suffer and tax money is funnelled into racist policing practices, all reinforcing the issues present pre-decriminalization. Multinational corporations, who have eyed the land of small growers, have taken over far too much land that could greatly benefit independent growers in New Jersey, and even in South America. During her trip to Colombia, Green Candidate for Governor Madelyn Hoffman got a taste of how this rapidly expanding industry is affecting individuals and small growers in the South, and is continuing to bring her ceaseless work towards equality into communities battered by the intrusion of corporations and racist policing.
While in central Colombia, Hoffman paid a visit to an organic cannabis farm that is conducting research into optimal growing conditions for marijuana at different altitudes. The farm has a special connection to the Garden State, as the head grower and researcher resides in Englewood, New Jersey. Beyond researching optimal conditions, the farm also serves a restorative purpose. The Indigenous peoples of the region have been growing cannabis for medicinal use for centuries. However, threats to the land, beginning with the origins of the drug trade, displacement, and geopolitical change have severed the peoples’ connection to the purest seed strains of the crop. One goal of the cannabis collective is to restore strains to their rightful owners, allowing indigenous to continue to grow cannabis and benefit from that practice.
The entry of corporations with their own agendas, namely to grow as much product as possible in short time without care for quality or impact, has led also to contamination within newer strains. Canadian-led multinationals, including ClearLeaf, have spearheaded the charge of destruction. Under the current Colombian regime, native land has been taken and abused for the purposes of multinationals, robbing the original residents of their ancestral grounds as well as any reliable means of profit from this industry. In order to reunite indigenous tribes with their ancestral growing practices, this Colombian organization is utilizing their expertise and greenhouses to create the purest possible strain of cannabis, one comparable to the native strain, and is giving the seed back to its original people and homeland. These restorative measures are what is needed to provide tangible justice to the people of Colombia who have continuously had their culture and land stolen for the sake of the foreign marijuana market. The cannabis collective is also working to maximize the ability of small growers in Colombia to benefit from this newly emerging industry.
In New Jersey, however, there is a saddening lack of restorative justice occurring during the state’s ongoing process of legalization. Policing of hemp and cannabis products has taken a toll on countless communities, especially those consisting of mostly Black and Latinx people. Needless arrests and charges of cannabis possession and sale have hurt the livelihoods of many black and brown people across the Garden State and beyond. In fact, a person of color is three times more likely to be arrested for possession than their white counterpart who consumes the exact same quantity of cannabis.
A monumental failure of the Murphy administration during the process of legalization has been the management of tax money accumulated from this emerging industry. Though policing of this substance has destroyed communities of color, tax dollars are being pumped back into the hands of law enforcement, rather than into programs that can help restore the widespread damage that the inequality in police enforcement has caused.
Just like in Colombia, small growers in New Jersey have been pushed aside by the administration and its corporate allies in order that multinationals may purchase and possess more farmland. A large issue at the center of legalization has been the ability of people to home grow, something prohibited at present. If allowed, this would create space for small businesses and individuals to grow their own products. Despite the positive effect this would have on the people and market in the state, Murphy and others refuse to pass legislation that would allow for this. The Canadian cannabis and hemp industry has also laid roots in the Garden State, as a company named TerrAscend became one of just twelve companies licensed to grow and sell marijuana. Of the current twelve, none are owned or operated by black or brown individuals, those who have been the most impacted by the disproportionate targeted incarceration of their communities. Further, there needs to be a prioritization of black and brown entrepreneurs who are NJ residents in the current and future cannabis licensing process. By failing to license businesses owned by people of color, our state has failed to give itself the tools to restore what has been ravaged by disproportionate policing in the past.
Attempting to stray away from the bad example set by Governor Murphy, Madelyn Hoffman promises to continue her fight for the people in South America and New Jersey who have been hurt by cannabis criminalization and an emerging large, corporate-dominated industry. Hoffman vows to follow a path of restorative justice, and legalizing home grow to allow small businesses to cultivate their own product, is of top priority. Black and brown New Jerseyans deserve justice for years of oppression from racist marijuana policing practices. Allowing corporations to grow and dispense while barring locals from conducting business is the polar opposite of what our state needs, and there is no time to wait on these issues. Action is required now in order to create a truly equitable cannabis market, and to provide New Jersey with a brighter future.
Small Businesses in NJ
By Julia Hyman
Do you have dreams of starting your own small business one day? Do you imagine yourself reaping benefits from your astounding, innovative, and hip new small business? If you answered “yes” to the previous questions, I would hope that you aren’t planning to start that business in New Jersey! New Jersey is currently ranked 50th out of the 50 states for starting small businesses. According to the WalletHub Study, New Jersey just pulled out the bottom of the barrel when it came to Labor Costs, Office Space Affordability, Cost of Living, and the Average Growth in Number of Small Businesses. Furthermore, New Jersey’s labor costs are the second highest in the country with the current minimum wage being set at an average of $12 per hour. While it is beneficial to have a high minimum wage (the Green Party of New Jersey and the Hoffman for Governor campaign actually advocate for a living wage) so that civilians working minimum wage jobs can have some sort of a living, high labor costs can be used as a reason for businesses, small and large, to fear reduction in the company’s overall profits, the company’s ability to hire more workers, and the number of hours an individual can work. To add a cherry on top of the already money-draining policies here in New Jersey, the average annual single insurance premium per employee is the fourth largest in the country, reaching about $7,800. Not to mention, taxes are also very high in New Jersey and serve as a substantial money-drainer as well.
A potential cure for New Jersey’s struggling small businesses should include tax incentives, which can alleviate the drainage of money and resources that are meant to go into those small businesses. Tax incentives are defined as “deductions, exemptions, or exclusions from money owed in taxes to the government” (FreshBooks). The total spending on incentives in New Jersey barely makes up 0.13% of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP), which is one of the lowest percentages nationwide. Many opponents of tax incentives may say that these tax incentives will reward firms for the same quality work they could’ve done in the absence of tax incentives. While this logic may be true, tax incentives can make work easier and more efficient for workers, because of the businesses’ ability to invest the money that wasn’t taxed by the government into better equipment and working conditions. Moreover, tax incentives for small businesses in the U.S. include employer health insurance premiums- which covers 50% of premiums for employees’ health coverage- as well as start-up pension plans, research activity credits, and family and medical leave credits.
With this clear-cut solution right in front of us, why hasn’t Governor Phil Murphy implemented more spending into tax incentives for small businesses? Well, the answer is simple: Governor Phil Murphy profits off of large corporations and Super PACS. According to Politico, “New Direction New Jersey reported that it has taken in $6.8 million since its inception shortly after Murphy’s election in November 2017- the bulk of it from the New Jersey Education Association, which gave $4.5 million through a Super PAC it controls.” New Direction is heavily involved with Murphy’s campaign, and is funded by a plethora of private businesses and labor unions that are prohibited from donating directly to Murphy’s campaign because of pay-to-play laws. However, independent expenditure groups are often used to channel the money from these businesses and unions into Murphy’s donations. When faced with a bill that called for “dark money” political organizations to disclose donors that gave $10,000 or more, Murphy vetoed the measure at first, until he was threatened with an override.
Madelyn Hoffman, the Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for governor in 2021, and Heather Warburton, her choice for Lieutenant Governor, have pledged to not take corporate money from Political Action Committees. This single act allows these candidates to propose and support needed changes to the tax structure in New Jersey, shifting the burden from the backs of small businesses and the middle class to major corporations and the super wealthy. At this point, corporate revenue accounts for only 13% of the state’s budget, putting an inordinate amount of pressure on small business and the middle class. This state needs elected officials who are willing to stand up to the major corporations and reverse the trend of the past two decades or more — and make sure that they are asked to pay their fair share of New Jersey’s taxes. Additionally, a state and national level improved and expanded Medicare for All will save small businesses the expense of providing for their employees’ health insurance. The Hoffman/Warburton team supports a single-payer health insurance program – this will both better protect the state’s residents, pandemic or not, and reduce one important small business expense.
Immigration Statement
The Hoffman/Warburton campaign condemns the false claims made by Republican candidate Dianne Allen, which have made her a key component to the perpetuation of hostility and xenophobic tropes towards immigrants here in the Garden State. While on 77 WABC in August, the candidate was put on record saying, “I mean, right now, look at all these people with Covid who are coming across the border, and it scares me. They’re put on buses. I suspect some of them are coming up to New Jersey—not a good idea.” After being condemned by multiple New Jersey politicians and caucus leaders—including the Latino Caucus—Allen still defends her statement by claiming it is “rooted in facts.”
Public health officials have been monitoring four notable Covid variants all throughout the U.S., none of which were found to be circulated from Central America first, which is where a handful of Latino immigrants come from. In fact, it was found that the variants circled throughout the U.S. before it hit Mexico as well. A data visualization from GISAID shows that the Delta variant started in India and spread directly to the U.S. from India and the United Kingdom back in March and April. From there, the variant spread to Mexico from the States. Furthermore, the alpha, betta, and gamma Covid variants also spread to the U.S. before they hit Central America.
CDC reports prove that variant spread stemmed from international travel and not migration. Immigrants at the border are catching and spreading Covid due to how the U.S. handles immigrants at the border by keeping them contained together in tight spaces with little ventilation and inadequate sanitization.The Department of Homeland Security fully supports funding testing, quarantining, and isolating migrants that cross the border, pending approval from Governor Abbott of Texas.
In the city of Brownsville, Mayor Trey Mendez found that only 6% of immigrants tested positive for Covid-19 at a local bus station. Overall, it is not migrants that contribute to the mass spreading of Covid, but the low vaccination rates and discouragement of mask-wearing. In fact, one third of unvaccinated people openly blamed immigrants for the spread of Covid. Mississippi, for example, is one of five states with the lowest percentages of undocumented immigrants, according to the Pew Research Center. However, it is currently the state with the lowest vaccination rate nationally with less than 36% of its civilians vaccinated, and it ranked third in Covid infections per 100,000 people recently.
Moreover, at the southern border where all non-essential travel is closed, the Border Patrol has expelled 750,000 people who have crossed, even those seeking asylum, because of Title 42 that was put into effect by Trump and carried out by the Biden Administration.
Madelyn Hoffman and Heather Warburton will not stand for these accusations of New Jersey’s immigrant communities. They believe that these communities are vital to the growth of our state, and recognize as well how much they have been impacted by this pandemic. It’s time to turn to the real source of spread when it comes to the Covid virus, that being the refusal of individuals to take the vaccine and improper handling of protocol on behalf of Democratic and Republican administrations. The candidates reject any and all xenophobic narratives and welcome with open arms all that come to New Jersey, as they are important members of our state.
Madelyn Hoffman is a Fighter for Universal Health Care
Green Party Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey Madelyn Hoffman and Heather Worburton call for the adoption of universal health care, statewide and nationwide, to guarantee coverage for everyone.
Imagine someone you love is sick. They need care, but you are forced to make a choice between paying for their treatment or falling into poverty.
Millions of Americans are faced with this dilemma. The for-profit health care model that the United States currently has leaves millions without health insurance, causing many Americans to have to pay so many out-of-pocket expenses that they fall into extreme healthcare debt.
The United States’s healthcare system is a catastrophic disaster. According to a study done by the CommonWealth Fund, this structure leaves 43.7% of adults either uninsured or underinsured.
The struggle of trying to pay for medical bills can ruin someone’s life. Data from the same study shows 26% of people in the United States who have medical debt have been unable to pay for basic necessities such as food, rent, and water. The horrors of medical debt do not stop there. The burden of being without health insurance can be so devastating that three percent of people who have medical debt ultimately declare bankruptcy.
This is a problem that is only seen in one developed nation, the United States. The concept of not being able to afford health care is unheard of in places like Europe.
The time is now for the United States to embrace some form of universal health care. With universal coverage, everyone would have access to health care no matter the financial status of an individual.
It is clear that our current system is a failure. One would expect a policy that will benefit so many people should have bi-partisan support. The reality is that politicians from both parties have few to no advocates of universal health care.
Some of the opponents of the universal model for healthcare would argue that we can not afford Medicare for All. On the contrary, universal health care will actually save the United States money, which could in turn be redirected into other necessary funds. The United States spends approximately 17.9% of their GDP on healthcare, the most in the world.
With a single-payer healthcare system, so much money is saved in administrative costs because no bureaucracy is needed to file and review insurance claims. We can turn to a country like England, which has a single-payer healthcare system, and uses only 16% of their hospital spending on administrative costs. In comparison, the United States uses 25% of their hospital spending on administrative costs, making 1.5% of their entire GDP spent on administrative costs of healthcare.
There are simply no feasible excuses for inadequate healthcare systems in the richest country in the world. This issue is life or death for many families here in New Jersey and all across the fifty states. This matter is urgent.
We need bold leaders to fight for universal health care now more than ever, especially in these times of crisis, as the pandemic continues in the United States. With hospitals full and hundreds of thousands dead from COVID-19, we need universal health care now because we do not deserve the burden of medical bills during these horrifying times of uncertainty, or ever. Which of our leaders will answer the call to advocate for “Medicare for all”?
Madelyn Hoffman and Heather Warburton, Green candidates running for governor and lieutenant governor of New Jersey, are encouraging the United States government to adopt universal health care under a national single-payer system. Warburton shares her passion on the issue, saying that “health care is a human right that should not depend on your income, job, gender, race, education, or where you live.”
This is spot on. We should not let people sacrifice needs, their homes, or even their lives. The American people deserve better. They deserve leaders who will fight for our right to healthcare. The Hoffman for Governor campaign will fight for that right, and by doing that they are fighting for the people of our country.
It is easy to feel hopeless in a system that puts profits in front of the health of people. Millions are plummeting into poverty because of the ridiculous uninsured expenses. Madelyn Hoffman is passionate in her fight to make sure everyone has access to health care. A single payer universal health care system will cover everyone and we would spend less money while doing it.
“All we hear is our elected officials talking about tweaking the Affordable Care Act,” commented Hoffman. “That gift to the private insurance industry is not universal health care and puts us all at the mercy of private insurance companies. We need improved and expanded Medicare for All, a true single-payer system!”
The Hoffman campaign is fighting for the people, for everyone across New Jersey. As election season approaches, vote for leaders who care, who will fight, who are passionate. Vote for Madelyn Hoffman this November.
Hoffman/Warburton Governor/Lieutenant Governor statement on Income Inequality in New Jersey
New Jersey’s Sky-Scraping Housing Costs
Steps that Green Party Gubernatorial candidate, Madelyn Hoffman, will take that other opponent candidates won’t.
With New Jersey’s cost of living being the third highest in the country and the unemployment rate being the 10th highest, you would suppose that politicians would be working to better those statistics and to provide help with housing costs to those who need it. Though there are some housing subsidy programs- such as the State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP)- they mostly only cover extremely low-income residents that have to meet a list of requirements (i.e. veteran, disabled, etc.), are put on a waiting list, and are put through a computerized selection (lottery) process. Clearly, New Jersey doesn’t have broad enough systems that are equipped to cover more individuals at more efficient rates. New Jersey should provide more housing assistance to New Jersey residents that can’t afford to keep living in the Garden State. All New Jersey residents deserve the right to be able to live comfortably in the state with a variety of safety net programs that prohibit them from having to pay astounding costs of living. In an era where economic assistance programs are becoming a more frequent topic of discussion between politicians, New Jersey should be more progressive with their cost-of-living subsidies. A plethora of more right-wing politicians may make the argument that community assistance programs could give some individuals an incentive not to work as diligently for the money they would’ve needed to work hard for in order to pay for full costs of living, because they would feel they always have these safety net programs to fall back on. This has a possibility of occurring, however, with the cost of living burden reduced, individuals will now have an incentive to work just as hard for other basic needs and costs- such as education, food, and medical care- now that they don’t have to focus as diligently as before on paying costs of living.
New Jersey’s Green Party Gubernatorial candidate, Madelyn Hoffman, and her running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Heather Warburton fully support creating affordable housing, cancelling rent, stopping evictions and stopping gentrification, while her opponent candidates do not. In fact, current New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy, defended taking $46 million away from Affordable Housing in the 2018 budget, according to NJ Advance Media. Even with that money being diverted to the Department of Human Services, housing advocates have widely expressed concern that the diversion will worsen the state’s already long-existing affordable housing shortage. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has sent any progress made on affordable housing back to square one, and after Governor Phil Murphy’s 2020 moratorium on housing evictions during the pandemic ends, an estimated 200,000-300,000 evictions will be pending across the state, according to the president of the New Jersey Tenants Association, Matt Shapiro. Furthermore, now more than ever, with gentrification rising in cities in New Jersey such as Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey needs politicians who will protect lower-income individuals and prevent the transformation of their cities. Gentrification is an active process in which a low-income area undergoes a transformation by incoming wealthy individuals taking over, electing new politicians, changing the culture, and jacking up the housing prices in order to run the low-income longtime residents out of their own neighborhood. Gentrification results in higher rent rates, unaffordable housing for longtime resident low-income individuals, and the fate of eviction. Madelyn Hoffman and Heather Warburton are New Jersey’s only hope for alleviating unaffordable housing, rent costs, evictions, and gentrification!
The Movement for Real Change in New Jersey is Alive and Well
By Madelyn Hoffman and Barry Bendar
The progressive movement in the United States and in New Jersey is not dead or dying. It’s alive and well and growing, except that those who equate progressivism with the Democratic Party can’t see it, won’t see it and typically try to pretend that it isn’t even there. Their misguided belief that the failure of the Sanders movement to take control of the party in 2020 was caused by some systematic anomaly as opposed to the way too early surrender of Sanders himself to the Democratic establishment, perpetuates this defeatist attitude.
In fact, some would argue that in the last presidential election, Democrats were actively engaged in trying to kill it themselves, by knocking the Green Party candidate off the ballot, particularly in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, but in other states as well. In addition, if we define the progressive movement solely as the act of putting up so-called progressive democrats against the establishment and voting for them, we’re also going to see a different reality from those of us who have been out in the streets, day in and day out, despite the pandemic that has limited our ability to congregate for more than a year now.
But as a Green Party candidate for public office in 2018, 2020 and now 2021, and as a member of the Green Party of New Jersey first in 1996 when I was Ralph Nader’s vice-presidential running mate for New Jersey, I know from my own experience that the Green Party of New Jersey is growing in its membership and in actual votes received, despite all efforts from both the Democrats and the Republicans in New Jersey to consolidate their power into one political machine designed to control the electoral agenda of the state.
I am running for Governor of New Jersey this year, 24 years after my first effort in 1997 against Christie Todd Whitman and James McGreevey. I am running because in 2020, as a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, I received 38,288 votes — more than any other NJ Green candidate for statewide office in New Jersey since Ralph Nader in the year 2000. I don’t see these votes as a reflection of anything particular about me as a candidate, but as an indication that more and more people are tired of the same rhetoric and empty promises of New Jersey’s political machine. Increasing numbers of people are seeing the need for a political party that:
- Builds and supports grass roots activism on issues as wide-ranging as single-payer health care for all, an end to police brutality and racism, an eco-socialist Green New Deal to stop climate change and endless wars and to fully fund a workers’ bill of rights and an economy that prioritizes the people, not the corporations and their wars.
- Encourages, supports and listens to the youth of this state and country as they become leaders and activists around these issues with the urgency required to make real change. This generation more than any other understands that we have no more time to wait and too much to lose!
Since 2016, the Green Party of New Jersey’s membership has grown by over 200% — and is now just shy of 12,000. Yes, some jaded reporters who were caught up in terrible political scandals in this state (does everyone remember Bridgegate?) want to trivialize these numbers to suit their political ends, but anyone whose eyes and mind remain open can see that the people in this state and country understand that the current economic and political system is not working for them.
Think of all the people who filed for unemployment during the pandemic who are still waiting to receive benefits. Or all the people who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs because of this pandemic. Or those whose friends and family have been tragically affected by police brutality and the number of people in the U.S. and in New Jersey in the streets after George Floyd was murdered by police a little less than one year ago.
And what about those students, current and past, who are buried under mountains, yes mountains, of student debt? Or those hundreds being assisted by mutual aid organizations during the pandemic because they simply can’t survive under this cruel and unjust capitalist system? Communities are banding together to help one another because they understand this need and understand that unless we work together to make sure that rents and mortgages are canceled after the pandemic’s restrictions are lifted, there will be thousands facing eviction or foreclosure.
These people know that the so-called two party system has failed them over and over again. In fact, as many have stated, the Democratic Party is where movements go to die. In other words, if change is going to come, it’s going to come from outside these parties that somehow, through fear and the spending of millions of dollars, get people to keep voting for one or the other party, again and again. This is not because of any significant differences in their policies — real debates and discussions about what is really needed rarely happen — but because of the “lesser of two evils” syndrome.
As phrased above, this “so-called two party system” in New Jersey seems to appear as a “one party system” more and more every day. Take the example of Donald Trump’s pardon of Ocean County Republican Political “Boss”, George Gilmore that was endorsed by three former Democratic Governors, those being Florio, McGreevey, and Codey. And how about the business partnership between Democratic State “Boss”, George Norcross and the predecessor to George Gilmore in Ocean County, former Republican Chairman, Joseph Buckelew? Sounds more like one big happy family to me, one that abuses the general public for their own gain.
We want and deserve better in the way our elections are conducted. We need Ranked Choice Voting, a method that will allow voters to first cast their vote for their preferred candidate, whether that candidate is backed by the machine or not without risking the election of someone seen as more evil.
Let me end by saying that it is time that the media and political analysts stop ignoring the presence of the Green Party and the growing amounts of grass roots activism in this state. Pretending that we don’t exist or that we are the enemy because we “steal” votes from the two-party political machine that runs New Jersey as if those votes belong to them, isn’t going to make us go away. We will continue to work to create the strongest, independent pro-working people’s party possible and do not need the corrupt political machine or big donors to do so.
Madelyn Hoffman, Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for Governor in 2021
Barry Bendar, campaign volunteer
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Heather Warburton (above) Green Party of NJ’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor Madelyn Hoffman (below) Green Party of NJ’s candidate for Governor Bios of both candidates are below. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EARTH DAY 2021 Green Party of New Jersey Announces Ticket for Governor and Lieutenant Governor Vote Green for Governor in 2021 — Hoffman and Warburton: Because there is no time to wait!! Contact: Barry Bendar, Elections Chair Green Party of New Jersey, email: electionschairgpnj@gmail.com or via phone: 609-276-3183. Matthew Skolar, Outreach Coordinator, Hoffman for Governor 2021 Campaign, email: matts1002@yahoo.com or via phone: 908-666-3857. On this Earth Day 2021, Madelyn Hoffman, the Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for NJ Governor in 2021, today announced Heather Warburton of Hammonton, New Jersey as her Lieutenant Governor. “I am very excited to announce that Heather Warburton of Hammonton has agreed to be my Lieutenant Governor,” said Madelyn Hoffman. “The Green Party of New Jersey has expressed its enthusiastic support for both of our candidacies. Running with Heather Warburton provides many opportunities for expanding and strengthening my campaign. Heather Warburton has much visibility in the Southern part of the state, while I am based in Morris County. Heather also brings much knowledge and concern about coastal and inland impacts of the climate crisis. On this Earth Day 2021, we both recognize the urgency of addressing many of the environmental and economic crises faced by New Jersey and stand firmly behind the need for a real, eco-socialist Green New Deal, one that will restructure our economy and our communities, guaranteeing a living wage to all, equality for all and help put the brakes on climate change.” “I am running this year because I genuinely believe in what Madelyn is talking about,” said Lieutenant Governor candidate Heather Warburton. “She has been a peace advocate for decades, and I am proud to be on the ticket with her. I am excited to join my activism with hers while we talk about issues ranging from North to South Jersey and everywhere in between. When we run outside the duopoly, we get a chance to talk about issues that might never be brought up without us. Issues like flooding, climate devastation, education, and police violence and overreach drastically impact the lives of working-class people in New Jersey. I am honored to be joining Madelyn to advocate for the people of NJ and not the wealthy 1%.” Craig Cayetano, GPNJ State Co-Chair said, “I am proud that the Green Party of New Jersey has endorsed Heather Warburton for Lieutenant Governor. Heather working with Madelyn Hoffman can offer the solutions we need in Trenton! We deserve fully funded schools, common sense approach to COVID-19 relief and dramatic climate action now with strategies that truly help communities of color. I implore all the youth working on climate justice to volunteer and support the Hoffman/Warburton campaign. First, we need to ensure they will be on the ballot. Please follow the link posted to complete their online petition today.” People interested in signing Madelyn Hoffman’s ballot access petition can click on this link or contact electionschairgpnj@gmail.com to obtain an electronic version of the petition, suitable for downloading, printing, and collecting signatures on paper. The campaign is seeking interns and volunteers. Fill out this google form to let us know how you can help. We’re also seeking limited staff — campaign manager, regional coordinators, and interns for fundraising and outreach. If you are interested, please e-mail us at hoffmanforgovernor2021@gmail.com to begin a conversation. Candidate Bios: Heather Warburton is an artist and activist from South Jersey. She hosts a bi-weekly podcast on Create Your Future Productions called “Wine, Women, and Revolution” where she discusses revolutionary politics from an intersectional feminist perspective. She has been a Green since 2016. Her activism has included fighting for a living wage, educating on income inequality, supporting ecological justice, advocating for the LGBTQIA community, hosting education sessions about cannabis legalization, and promoting racial justice. She currently lives in Hammonton with her husband and is pet mom to a rescue cat and dog. Madelyn Hoffman was the Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for U.S. Senate in 2021. She ran a record-setting campaign, garnering 38,288 votes, the most of any New Jersey Green running for statewide office since Ralph Nader in 2000. Madelyn Hoffman was also Ralph Nader’s vice-presidential running mate in New Jersey in 1996. She served as the Executive Director of the Grass Roots Environmental Organization of New Jersey from 1982-1998 and as the Executive Director of New Jersey Peace Action from 2000 – 2018. She is an adjunct professor of political science and also of public speaking. People interested in signing Madelyn Hoffman’s ballot access petition can click on this link or contact electionschairgpnj@gmail.com to obtain an electronic version of the petition, suitable for downloading, printing, and collecting signatures on paper. The campaign is seeking interns and volunteers. Fill out this google form to let us know how you can help. We’re also seeking limited staff — campaign manager, regional coordinators, and interns for fundraising and outreach. If you are interested, please e-mail us at hoffmanforgovernor2021@gmail.com to begin a conversation. |
Madelyn Hoffman, the Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020, today announces her intention to seek the nomination of the Green Party of New Jersey for Governor in 2021. Hoffman announced that she will begin gathering signatures to be placed on the ballot in November, and working to earn the support of activists around the state. State Election rules require that she obtain a minimum of 800 valid signatures from registered voters in New Jersey. These signatures must be submitted either electronically or in hard copy before 4:00pm on June 8th.
“We are seeking the endorsement of the Green Party of New Jersey for this year’s campaign,” said Madelyn Hoffman, “to build off our record-setting 2020 campaign. We received 38,288 votes, the highest ever for a Green Party candidate running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey. The only candidate running statewide in New Jersey to have performed better was Ralph Nader in the presidential election of 2000. As a party, we have grown by 260% since 2017!”
“Madelyn’s showing in 2020, during the time of COVID-19, where campaigning was, of necessity, so different and mostly virtual, indicates that the people of New Jersey are looking for an alternative to the Democrats and Republicans,” said Barry Bendar, GPNJ Elections Chair. “We know there are many issues the people of New Jersey face that neither the Democrats or Republicans have been able to address, such as a real Green New Deal and a Green Bill of Rights, confronting climate change by moving the state toward 100% reliance on renewable energy, closure of ICE detention centers and release of all detainees, a legalization of marijuana program that finally decriminalizes it and so much more. I look forward to discussing them all with Madelyn during our vetting process.”
Matthew Skolar, the outreach coordinator for Hoffman’s 2020 campaign and chair of the Green Party of New Jersey’s youth caucus said, “2020’s campaign showed the power of grassroots organizers to transform their activism into electoral results. Young activists in particular were embraced by Madelyn and her campaign, and held a lot of power in the decision making process. Those same young activists look forward to the gubernatorial race, where Hoffman has already pledged to give young people seats at the table.”
People interested in signing Madelyn Hoffman’s ballot access petition can click on this link or contact electionschairgpnj@gmail.com to obtain an electronic version of the petition, suitable for downloading, printing, and collecting signatures on paper.
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