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State Appellate Court Rules on Same-Sex Marriages

In Martinez v. County of Monroe, decided Feb. 1, 2008, the appellate court in Rochester unanimously ruled that that valid out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples must be legally recognized in New York, just as the law recognizes those of heterosexual couples solemnized elsewhere. Rachel argued for the legality of same-sex marriages during her campaign.

EPA Releases Study of Exxon Spill in Brooklyn

On September 12, 2007, the EPA released a study of Exxon’s Brooklyn oil spill. The report says the spill may be as large as 30 million gallons and also that the surrounding air contains high levels of methane vapors. The September issue of Mother Jones magazine contains a a good article and great timeline of the spill.

New York AG Sues ExxonMobil

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced on July 17, 2007, that he has filed suit against the ExxonMobil Corporation and ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Company to force the cleanup of a huge oil spill in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and to restore Newtown Creek. Clean up of the spill was one of the featured issues of Rachel’s campaign for AG. The video of Rachel’s June 24, 2006, press conference on the spill is above.

Certified Election Results

The certified election results for the 2006 statewide elections are available on the Board of Elections’ website. Malachy McCourt, our candidate for governor, did not receive the 50,000 votes necessary for us to secure ballot status for the next four years:
Malachy McCourt/Alison Duncan for Governor/Lt. Governor, 42,166 votes
Julia Willebrand, for Comptroller, 117,908 votes
Rachel Treichler for AG, 61,849 votes
Howie Hawkins for US Senate, 55,469 votes

Thank You!

Many thanks for the generous support so many of you gave to my campaign! Your support enabled me to run an effective campaign that generated almost 62,000 votes.

Sunny Volunteers from Rachel’s campaign

Ron Kuriloff from the Central Nassau Greens and Michele Danels from the North Brooklyn Greens at the West Indian Day parade in Brooklyn, Sept. 4, 2006. Ron and his wife Maria organized the third party attorney general debate in Hempstead on October 16, 2006. Michele took great photographs throughout the campaign, collected many signatures to get the Green Party candidates on the ballot and worked with her husband Craig Seeman to produce excellent videos of the candidates.

Hempstead AG Debate

Rachel, Chris Garvey, the Libertarian attorney general candidate and independent candidate Carl Person participated in a debate sponsored by the Five Towns Forum at Bestsellers Bookstore in Hempstead, Long Island on October 16, 2006.

Brooklyn AG Debate

Rachel, Chris Garvey, the Libertarian attorney general candidate and Martin Koppel, the Socialist Workers candidate participated in a discussion on the program Hardfire at the Brooklyn Cable Access Studios in Brooklyn. The program aired on Oct. 30.

Rachel’s Exclusion from LWV-organized Debates

Chet Hardin’s October 19 article about the AG race in the Albany-area weekly, Metroland, tells how the League of Women Voters approved Rachel’s inclusion in their AG debates, but the media outlets refused to include Rachel under pressure from Andrew Cuomo. LWV withdrew from sponsoring the debates, but Rachel was not included. Howie Hawkins was similarily approved by the LWV, but excluded from the US Senate debates. Amy Goodman interviewed Howie and Betsey Swan from LWV about the situation, Green Party Excluded From Mid-Term Debates, on October 25, 2007.

Rachel in the Bronx

Rachel joined fellow Green Party candidates Julia Willebrand running for New York State Comptroller and Trevor Archer running for State Assembly in the 83rd AD at a fundraiser for Archer sponsored by the Bronx Greens on October 15, 2006. Photo by George Deane.

LWV Approves Rachel for Participation in Debates and Withdraws Sponsorship

LWVNY Press Release, October 13, 2006, “The voters of New York State deserve better,” stated Marcia Merrins, President of the League of Women Voters of New York State (League), in announcing the League’s withdrawal of sponsorship from a debate between candidates for the office of Attorney General to be hosted and broadcast by WXXI in Rochester on October 17, 2006. Similarly, the League withdrew sponsorship from two debates to be hosted by WABC in New York City. The first is an Attorney General debate scheduled for October 15. The second is a debate between candidates for the United States Senate scheduled for October 22. All withdrawals were necessitated by League policy, which requires an invitation be extended to each candidate whom the League has determined to be a bona fide contestant. In the case of the US Senate race, the League Board of Directors determined incumbent Senator Hillary Clinton, Republican nominee John Spencer, and Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins to be bona fide contestants. Similarly, the League determined Democratic nominee Andrew Cuomo, Republican nominee Jeanine Pirro, and Green Party nominee Rachael Treichler to be bona fide contestants in the Attorney General’s race.

Merrins explained that the League adopted its policy for candidate inclusion in League-sponsored debates prior to commencement of the electoral season to keep debates free from the vagaries of the political process. Merrins noted that the League is committed to maximization of public debate by all candidates for public office. Once a candidate has complied with the League’s criteria for inclusion in a debate, the League cannot sponsor a debate from which that candidate is excluded. To act otherwise would violate the League’s fundamental belief in the public’s right to know.

Green Party Candidates Do Well in New Zogby Poll

The Green Party’s candidates for governor, attorney general and US senate did very well in a new poll released yesterday by Zogby. The poll of likely New York voters, conducted Oct. 5-9, included 761 respondents and is part of a joint project between Zogby International and the League of Women Voters of New York State.The poll shows the Green Party gubernatorial candidate Malachy McCourt at 5% among all voters and at 14% among independent voters. The numbers for attorney general candidate Rachel Treichler and US senate candidate Howie Hawkins among all voters were not released. Among independent voters Treichler received 17% and Hawkins received 21%.

True Environmental Justice Requires Nontoxic Methods of Production

Rachel spoke to the press at the Environmental Justice for All Tour at Union High School in Endicott, New York on September 25, 2006. She addressed the need for better and more just enforcement of our environmental laws to ensure better and faster clean ups of groundwater and soil contamination from chemical spills across the state, but said that won’t be enough to stop the damaging health effects of using toxic chemicals to produce everyday products. What we have to do, Rachel said, is use nontoxic methods of industrial production so that no one is exposed to the damaging effects of toxic chemicals. In Endicott, the tour learned about the work of local activists to get toxic spills of TCE and other chemicals at the IBM facility in Endicott cleaned up. 440 buildings in the village of Endicott have vapor intrusion remediation technologies installed to reduce exposure to volatile chemicals in the soil underneath the village. Read Rachel’s press release.

Rachel Joins Environmental Justice Tour in Buffalo and Endicott

Sun., Sept. 24 and Mon., Sept. 25, Rachel joins the Environmental Justice for All Tour at the tour stops in Buffalo and Endicott. Click here for tour schedule.

Corning Leader on AG Debates

Treichler Seeks Debate, The Corning Leader, Sept. 22, 2006 Hammondsport. Green Party Attorney General candidate Rachel Treichler wants to debate her opponents. The Hammondsport attorney has challenged Democrat Andrew Cuomo, Republican Jeanine Pirro, Libertairan Christopher Garvey and Socialist Workers candidate Martin Koppel to a series of debates before the Nov. 7 election. “Including all the candidates on the ballot in the attorney general debates will increase voter interest in the election, and will raise voter turnout in November,” Treichler said. “It is important that voters learn about all the candidates.” Treichler said dissenting voices are needed to create real debates. “When third party candidates are excluded from debates, the major party candidates are shielded from addressing issues the public wants debated, ” Treichler said. Treichler is upset she is being excluded from a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters in the fall.”The League claims to be nonpartisan and working to educate voters, but those claims don’t seem to mean anything when it comes to organizing debates,” Treichler said.

Rachel Calls for Real Debates with Dissenting Voices Included

September 21, 2006. Hammondsport. Rachel announced today that she has invited the other New York Attorney General candidates: Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic Party candidate, Christopher Garvey, the Libertarian Party candidate, Martin Koppel, the Socialist Workers Party candidate and Jeanine Pirro, the Republican Party candidate, to join her in a series of debates this fall.

“Including all the candidates on the ballot in the attorney general debates will increase voter interest in the election, and will raise voter turnout in November,” Rachel asserted. “It is particularly important that voters learn about all the candidates in New York’s attorney general race this fall. This election is the last election New York will conduct on its lever voting machines. The next Attorney General needs to take legal action to block the use of unconstitutional voting equipment and make sure that the right of each New York voter to vote and to have his or her vote counted is protected. A poll reported in late August 2006 by Rasmussen Reports found that voters in New York are more likely than voters in any other state to express a concern about voter suppression. Thirty-four percent (34%) of the New York voters surveyed hold this view. We need an attorney general who will make protecting our right to free and fair elections his or her top priority. Neither Cuomo or Pirro has addressed this issue. New Yorkers need to hear the candidates’ views on this issue.

“We need dissenting voices to create real debate. When third party candidates are excluded from debates, the major party candidates are shielded from addressing issues the public wants debated. Many of the issues New Yorkers care most about— the war in Iraq, the expanding prison/industrial complex, the poisoning of our environment, and corporate domination of our elections—have been ignored by both Cuomo and Pirro. To a growing number of New Yorkers, it is not coincidental that the larger campaign contributors to both candidates benefit from ignoring such issues. With third party candidates excluded, the debates become glorified bipartisan news conferences, in which the candidates exchange memorized soundbites. Genuine debates provide a rare opportunity to hear candidates’ ideas unedited and in context.

“The League of Women Voters has not invited third party candidates to join their debates for the general election this fall. The League’s claims to be nonpartisan and acting in the interests of voter education don’t seem to mean anything when it comes to organizing debates,” Rachel said.

Rachel Will Conduct Full Investigation of 9/11

September 8, 2006. Rachel announced today at her home in Hammondsport that she will conduct a full, independent investigation of 911 as soon as she is elected. She expressed surprise that current Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has not already done so. “Numerous investigators have presented Spitzer with evidence over the last five years showing that our understanding of what happend on September 11, 2001 is incorrect,” Treichler said, “and still he has not acted.”

“Evidence has been presented showing that the twin towers were brought down by a controlled demolition, not by burning jet fuel. If this is true, it radically alters our conception of what happened that day and in the days that followed. It means that people other than the people in the planes were responsible for the deaths and destruction that occurred that day. Who were these people? Are they in a position to harm us further?”

“The Attorney General of New York needs to investigate what really happened on 9/11. There is no more important task the Attorney General can perform in protecting the people of this state,” Treichler said.

Rachel Requests Inclusion in LWV Debates

Rachel has requested inclusion in the three attorney general debates LWVNY has scheduled for the general election this fall. The dates, locations and media co-sponsors for these debates are:
1. Syracuse; WCNY Studios 10/18/06 WCNY
2. Oneonta; SUNY Oneonta 10/24/06 RNN
3. Rochester; WXXI Studios 10/30/06 WXXI
Rachel believes she meets the requirements established by LWVNY for inclusion in these debates. Read Rachel’s letter to LWVNY.

Affordable Housing Candidate Survey

Rachel has completed the candidate survey of the Tick Tock Campaign on affordable housing issues. Read Rachel’s responses here. It is Rachel’s position that New York’s affordable housing crisis will not be solved until New York State and New York City empower local governmental units to make housing decisions. The vast powers wielded by huge, centralized agencies will always be magnets for corruption, and such agencies will continue to serve primarily the interests of large developers and ignore the interests of local communities as long as they exist. Not until housing laws and decisions are made locally, will the interests of local communities be adequately taken into consideration. To allow local decision making within New York City, community boards need to be made elected bodies and given the powers of municipal home rule.

Organic Consumers Fund Candidate Survey

Rachel has completed the candidate survey of the Organic Consumers Fund. Read Rachel’s responses here. She enthusiastically endorses the health benefits of eating locally-grown, organic food and of growing food organically. Rachel says, “I grew up on a small organic family farm eating homegrown vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy, and I returned several years ago to live on my parents’ small organically-run farm in Hammondsport. I am a member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. In 2005, I helped organize Southern Tier Farm to You, and helped the group produce a directory of locally-grown food producers in Allegany, Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties.”

“I wish the survey had addressed what we can do about the fact that large industrial agricultural corporations with interlocking ownership have acquired control of the production of food labelled ‘organic’. Many of the small farmers I know can’t afford to pay the annual fees for organic certification.”

“I favor empowering local communities to make laws regarding food production within their communities. As attorney general, I will not support an interpretation of New York’s right to farm law that permits it to override the right to municipal home rule granted by the New York constitution. The right to farm law as currently interpreted by the NY Agriculture and Markets Department prevents communities from regulating large industrial agricultural operations in their midst, such as confined animal feedlots that violate animal welfare laws and release toxics into the air and water, or farms using genetically modified organisms. This interpretation is incorrect and invalidly nullifies the right to municipal home rule.”

Thanks for Outstanding Petitioning Effort!

Many thanks to the hundreds of petitioners, the local petitioning coordinators, the people who worked all weekend in Albany preparing the petition, the GPNY campaign committee and Judy Einach, our statewide petitioning coordinator, all of whom made our Green Party petitioning effort an outstanding success!

Green Party Candidates File Petition to Place Names on Ballot

GPNY’s candidates for statewide office filed the party’s independent nominating petition to place their names on the November 2006 ballot at the State Board of Elections in Albany on August 22. We estimate that we filed about 30,000 signatures, double the 15,000 requirement. Party members spent six weeks collecting petition signatures all across the state. Because the Green Party of New York does not currently have ballot status, the party was required to file an independent nominating petition to place its candidates on the ballot.

Compassionate Consumers Picnic, July 30

On July 30, 2006, Rachel attended a picnic and fundraiser in Rochester for Adam Durand of Compassionate Consumers. The event was co-sponsored by Green Party of Monroe County. The fundraiser was to help with Adam’s appeal of his conviction for trespassing. In 2004 Adam and two others entered New York State’s largest egg farm to document animal cruelty. Since that time his organization, Compassionate Consumers, has worked to educate the public about this cruelty and convince the Wegmans corporation, the farm’s owner, to improve the conditions there. Rachel circulated her position paper on the illegality of battery cages under the New York Agriculture and Markets Law.

Rachel at the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Rally on July 16, 2006. Photo by DDDB.

Process for Proposed Development in Brooklyn an Insult to Democracy

“The subversion of state and city law by the two public authorities overseeing Forest City Ratner Corporation’s Atlantic Yards development is an insult to democracy,” Rachel charged at her press conference and in her speech at the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn rally at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn on July 16, 2006.

“The city’s land use laws, the state’s eminent domain laws, the state’s budgeting process, the city’s budgeting process, and the state’s new reform laws for public benefit corporations are all are being subverted to serve the interests of the largest publicly traded real estate development corporation in the United States. Forest City Enterprises, Inc., an $8 billion company and the parent corporation of the Forest City Ratner Corporation,” Rachel stated.

The Park Slope Greens were co-sponsors of the rally. For more information about the proposed development, visit http://developdontdestroy.org Read Rachel’s press release.

Rachel Deplores Court’s “Unfortunate Misstep” in Hernandez Decision

Rachel issued a statement today deploring the Court of Appeals 4-2 decision today that the New York constitution does not guarantee same sex couples the right to marry. “Chief Judge Judith Kaye, who said in her dissent, that ‘future generations will look back on today’s decision as an unfortunate misstep,’ is absolutely correct,” Rachel said.

“The ruling seems to be a political one,” Rachel observed. “It is certainly not a well-reasoned legal opinion. The amici curiae brief filed in the case by 142 New York law professors demonstrates clearly that same sex marriage is permissible under the New York Domestic Relations Law and that the denial of the right to marry to same sex couples is unconstitutional.”

“The law professors state that their interests in filing an amici curiae brief are ‘to ensure that the law develops in such a way that constitutional principles are upheld and the courts effectuate appropriate remedies for constitutional deprivations.’ This has not happened with today’s decision,” Treichler noted.

Rachel Will Vigorously Prosecute Exxon for Damage to Brooklyn Aquifer

Rachel held a press conference June 24, 2006, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to applaud the DEC’s recent announcement that it has requested the attorney general to take legal action against Exxon for its failure to clean up millions of gallons of petroleum pollution in the Brooklyn aquifer and to offer evidence that the spill may cover a broader area of Brooklyn than generally believed. See Third Planet Video tape of press conference, Hi Res, Dial-Up.

“This oil spill is a huge and long-standing crime,” Rachel said. “It is the largest urban oil spill in the United States, two to four times as large as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. It was obvious to the company in 1954 when a large gas explosion occurred in the Socony-Vacuum petroleum storage facilities that millions of gallons of its petroleum products had sunk onto the Brooklyn acquifer, but the company did not clean up or disclose the spill. If the spill had been cleaned up as soon as it occurred, the damage would have been far less extensive. Even after the spill was discovered leaking into Newtown Creek in 1978 by the US Coast Guard, the company denied liability for years.”

“It is important to make Exxon live up to its obligations under New York and federal law to clean up the spill and pay for damages. We need to show that large corporate criminals are not above the law. I look forward to prosecuting the case if I am elected.” Read the release.

Rachel at Monroe County Federal Building on May 25, 2006. Photo by Paulette Swartzfager

Peace Slate in Buffalo, Rochester, May 25

Rachel joined Howie Hawkins, the Green Party’s US Senate candidate, for press conferences in Buffalo and Rochester on May 25 to announce the Green Party’s 2006 Peace Slate of statewide candidates opposed to the Iraq War.

The other members of the Peace Slate are author Malachy McCourt for governor, lesbian labor activist Alison Duncan for Lt. Governor, and former NYC mayoral candidate Julia Willebrand for Comptroller.

Rachel is one of three women in the attorney general race, along with Denise O’Donnell of Buffalo, and Jeanine Pirro of Westchester.

Top row: Howie Hawkins, Julia Willebrand Bottom Row: Alison Duncan, Malachy McCourt, Rachel Treichler
Photo by Deyva Arthur

Rachel Selected as Green Party Nominee

The Green Party of New York chose its “Peace Slate” of statewide candidates at a nominating convention on May 20 in Albany.

Rachel is the nominee for Attorney General. She joins author Malachy McCourt for governor, Green Party co-founder Howie Hawkins for US Senate, labor activist Alison Duncan for Lt. Governor, and former NYC mayoral candidate Julia Willebrand for Comptroller.

“Peace is not just the absence of war; peace is where we are safe and secure in our lives and privacy,” said McCourt.

Rachel’s Remarks at Ithaca Rally for Immigrant Rights

Rachel spoke briefly about the need for immigrant voting rights in local, state and national elections at the immigrants rights rally in Ithaca on May 1, 2006. Almost 400 people gathered in the Ithaca Commons for the rally. Excellent information about immigrant voting rights is at http://www.immigrantvoting.org/, the website of the Immigrant Voting Project.

Treichler Enters State AG Race, R News, April 19, 2006

Rachel Enters New York AG Race

Elmira Star-Gazette, April 20, 2006

ROCHESTER. Rachel Treichler, 54, a Hammondsport lawyer, formally announced her candidacy for the Green Party nomination for attorney general Wednesday in Susan B. Anthony Park in Rochester.

“I am running for attorney general to address the ways our laws allow the short-term economic interests of a few to override the long-term life, liberty and happiness of all,” Treichler said.

Treichler, who practiced law with two large New York City law firms for eight years, and then ran an environmental book store in Brooklyn, now has a part-time law practice in Hammondsport. She sells environmental books online at www.ecobooks.com.

She ran as the Green Party candidate for Congress in the 29th Congressional District in 2002.

Treichler could face Elmira native and former Westchester County district attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is running as a Republican, and face one of six Democrats who are seeking their party’s nomination.

“I am announcing my candidacy at this historic location,” Treichler said in a prepared statement, “to draw attention to the voting rights issues still faced by the people of this state.”

She said some Americans face major impediments in exercising their right to vote.

“What does it mean when many people can’t vote, when we don’t have candidates representing our views on the ballot, when candidates with money are allowed to dominate the forums of debate, when election districts are gerrymandered to favor incumbents, and when we have a winner take all voting system?” Treichler said.

“It means that important issues are never debated—that crucial decisions are made without input from and contrary to the interests of the majority of the people in this country,” she said. “We need elected officials who are not beholden to the two major parties and the interests they represent. We need to make sure that our rights to vote and our rights to free and fair elections are protected.”