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Peter Camejo on Government Reform

Reform Party nominee for Vice President; previously Candidate for CA Governor


One-person-one-vote needs a multi-party system

The one person, one vote issue has faced a long uphill battle in US history. While often accepted as the goal of democracy, many US institutions-such as the Electoral College & the US Senate-reject the concept of one person, one vote. The Avocado Education Project seeks to learn from the experience of the majority of nations holding elections under multi-party systems, whose laws protect one-person one-vote and where the juridical electoral forms favoring a two-party system have been rejected.
Source: The Avocado Declaration, by Peter Miguel Camejo Jan 1, 2004

Empower the local governments

Our county governments are starved for money right now. Most of the money they received is already allocated. The county supervisors have almost no power at all. The fact is about half of their discretionary money was taken away and then when we had surpluses in the budget of the state, instead of giving it back to the counties, they refused to. Counties start looking at their pension fund as a big pile of money that maybe they can somehow solve their budget problems by not making the payments that they should be making. So what we need to do is give that money back. We have to empower the local governments. We have to give them more freedom. We have to look at these issues more carefully. All supervisors are feeling for lack of funding to be able to carry out the important tasks they do, including preventive medical, the healthcare that if we cut those, we'll end up paying more because that simply becomes a problem in the emergency room.
Source: Recall Debate, Cal. State Univ. at Sacramento Sep 24, 2003

Open political system with IRV and proportional assembly

The Green Party wants to open up the electoral system. Look at the debate today. Do you want to go back to the day when there are only two people heard?

If a person gets 20% of the vote, they should get 20% of the assembly, the way it is all over the world, except in America. We have a 200-year dysfunctional, money-dominated, winner-take-all system.

We need to have runoffs and instant runoff voting, so that the will of the electorate is respected. The recall election is the perfect example.

Source: Recall debate in Walnut Creek Sep 3, 2003

Encourage volunteerism and political activism

Q: Political participation remains extremely low. How do you inspire the public to "get involved"?

A: I've addressed volunteerism with the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. I've always encouraged people to vote, and not just for the Green Party, but to vote and become politically active. People come up to me after hearing me speak and tell me that I've inspired them to want to get involved in activism.

Source: Eastern Groups Publications, CA Gov. Q&A, with Raul Vasquez Nov 2, 2002

Green's contributions for message; Dem-Rep's for investments

Contributions from individuals are essential for the Green Party and other small parties what allow us to grow and reach voters with our message. These contributions come from individuals who believe in what we are doing and who want to see us expand our work and our message. But what the Democrats and Republicans get are not contributions, but investments. They are expecting something in return for their investments, and that is absolutely sickening.
Source: Eastern Groups Publications, CA Gov. Q&A, with Raul Vasquez Nov 2, 2002

Full disclosure, spending limits, & state campaign finance

Source: Vote-Smart.org 2002 National Political Awareness Test Jul 1, 2002

Supports IRV, on-line voting, & same-day registration

Camejo says, "Hold runoffs for state-level offices. Use instant runoff voting system."
Source: Vote-Smart.org 2002 National Political Awareness Test Jul 1, 2002

Other candidates on Government Reform: Peter Camejo on other issues:
George W. Bush
Dick Cheney
John Edwards
John Kerry

Third Party Candidates:
Michael Baradnik
Peter Camejo
David Cobb
Ralph Nader
Michael Peroutka

Democratic Primaries:
Carol Moseley Braun
Wesley Clark
Howard Dean
Dick Gephardt
Bob Graham
Dennis Kucinich
Joe Lieberman
Al Sharpton
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty
Adv: Avi Green for State Rep Middlesex 26, Somerville & Cambridge Massachusetts