{news} (NH Register) "Glastonbury Man Seeks Green Party Nomination

[Green Party-CT]

              http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15993899&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=31007&rfi=6&xb=jadud
   
  01/25/2006
    Glastonbury man seeks Green Party nomination     Angela Carter , Register Staff 
          NEW HAVEN — At the age of 18, Clifford Wallace Thornton Jr. lost his mother to a heroin overdose. 
At first, he wanted harsher enforcement of drug laws.

                
 
    ');   }   //-->           Now, at the seasoned age of 61, he is advocating the controversial position that the multibillion-dollar "War on Drugs" has resulted in failed drug policies, a waste of public resources and an inability to "stop the flow of drugs" into the heart of the nation’s neighborhoods, such as those in his native Hartford.

As the founder of the nonprofit organization Efficacy, he has spoken to more than 300,000 civic groups in the United States, New Zealand and Europe about what he says are connections between race, class, white privilege and the drug war.

"The driver behind this is money. But the glue that holds it together are race and class. This is a worldwide, $500 billion-a-year underground economy. Of that, $165 billion to $250 billion is here in this country," said Thornton, a salt-and-pepper haired African American from Glastonbury who wants to be Connecticut’s next governor.

He is seeking the Green Party nomination in the 2006 race that pits Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell against the winner of a heated battle between New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy for the Democratic nomination.

"The most important thing about that (the drug trade) is black and brown people cannot support this economy. Illegal drug use crosses all socioeconomic classes. But black and brown people are the ones going to jail," he said.

Thornton will be speaking on the topic of "Perceptions of Race/Class and the Drug War" at noon today at Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, 87 Trumbull St.

The event is open to the public by RSVP only to (203) 432-6188.

Thornton believes new drug policies must include legalization, medicalization and decriminalization of illegal drugs. He does not call for dismantling the criminal justice system, but for control of the distribution and use of drugs.

"Drug policy starts with one question. Are people ever going to stop using illegal drugs? The overwhelming response is no. If that is the case, the next question is, how do we create an atmosphere where those people cause the least harm to themselves, and second, the least amount of harm to society as a whole?" he said. "We have to answer these questions in their entirety before we go anywhere else. The answer definitely is not the war on drugs."

Thornton is convinced that political change must precede drug law reforms and he plans to devote a significant amount of time in his gubernatorial campaign showing taxpayers the consequences of diverting funds from public education, health, transportation and other needs to fight the drug war.

"It’s time to bring the drug war into the political arena," he said.

Michael Kozik, managing attorney for the Legislation and Elections Administration Division of the Secretary of State’s office, said Thornton needs 7,500 valid signatures by Aug. 9 to be the first Green Party candidate to make it onto the ballot for a governor’s election.

Beyond that, becoming the first Green and the first African American to defeat major party contenders, particularly a vastly popular incumbent, is the monumental hurdle. Far back in the annals of state colonial history, slaves had special elections for black governors or kings who served as liaisons between blacks and whites.

Tim McKee, Thornton’s campaign manager and Green Party spokesman in Connecticut, said the all-volunteer campaign team plans to collect 10,000 to 12,000 signatures "as a safety zone" by the deadline.

"Cliff’s got an extremely controversial point of view and we know that. He’s gotten a great reaction. We’re going to run a hard-hitting, clean campaign," he said.

McKee said Thornton also has concerns about other issues affecting voters such as skyrocketing energy costs and the availability of health insurance. He also will address breaking and mainstream news events and will push for participation in any gubernatorial debates.   
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      THE GREEN PARTY OF CONNECTICUT is the third largest political party in CT. The Greens are also the third largest political party in the US, with 220 Greens officeholders in 27 states. Over 80 countries in world have Green Parties. Wangari Maathai, the 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is Kenya's assistant minister for environment and an elected Green Party member.
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National Committee member from Connecticut: Tim McKee (860) 324-1684

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