Issues

Immigration and Refugees

Lancaster County has roots set in the defense of peoples fleeing poverty, war, and persecution. This acceptance of the world into our communities is what makes Lancaster County a leader of integration in Pennsylvania. By diversifying our population we strengthen our culture and improve our economic foundations.

The Lancaster County Green Party strongly opposes the proposed legislation in Senate Bill 10, the "Sanctuary Cities" bill, which would hold funding for municipalities and hold them punitively responsible for undocumented people within their limits. Our leaders in Harrisburg must be focus on the business of building strong communities rather than pursuing the prosecution of those communities. Legislation like SB10 does nothing to improve our lives and only serves to stir the divisions in our society.

Healthcare

We support single-payer universal health care and preventive care for all. We believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. We recognize own health is also tied to the health of our communities and environment. To improve our own health, we must improve the quality of our air, water and food and the health of our workplaces, homes and schools.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was by no means the best option to serve all people. However, the proposed legislation put forth by the current congress is tragic leap in the wrong direction. Now is time to call for single-payer health care!

Economic Rights

Our country cannot truly move forward until the roots of inequality are pulled up, and the seeds of a new, healthier economy are planted. At the local level we must work towards establishing a right to employment under a living wage. This includes establishing affordable housing and education in our communities and ensuring that corporations are investing their fair share.

Pennsylvania's minimum wage has been at $7.25 per hour since 2009, when the federal minimum was last changed. We call for the people of Pennsylvania to take the lead in their economic future and demand an increase to $15.

Protecting Free Speech, The Rights of Individuals Not Corporations

It is clear in Senate Bill 754 that state Sen. Scott Martin listened to those who engage in the violation of human rights and framed a bill that will implement punitive damages for commonwealth citizens. No doubt, because of public opposition of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline and its similarities to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, this bill is intended to cause public fear while protecting a private, for-profit entity.

Martin took the advice of North Dakota officials who responded to the those protests — they who had attacked indigenous people and other citizens. The violations ranged from saturation of people in freezing temperatures, ablation of limbs with “nonlethal” projectiles, and attack by canine in the control of a mercenary force. SB 754 intends to enact these atrocities in Pennsylvania at the expense of those upon whom they will be committed.

We should ask if citizens of the commonwealth were consulted in the formation of this bill, rather than an oil company. We should consider Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution:

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

The Lancaster County Green Party is in full agreement with those who stand against the seizure of our lands for the construction of pipeline projects in the county. It is evident that no substantial benefit to the public will be realized by the expansion of the fossil fuels industry in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth. Enacting this bill will send a clear message that the rights of American citizens are subservient to the will of private companies.

Nuclear Energy

The Green Party calls for a phase-out of nuclear energy power production. All processes associated with nuclear power are dangerous, from the mining of uranium, to the transportation and disposal of radioactive waste. We oppose public subsidies of nuclear power.

With the announcement of the imminent closure of Three Mile Island and the creation of Nuclear Energy Caucus in the in the General Assembly it is clear that our legislator's are seeking a bailout for this failed and dangerous technology. Without further technological advancements and a realistic plan for waste interment the Commonwealth should not be expected to subsidize the hazardous waste dump at Three Mile Island.