Green Party

Name: Gerard Patrick Giblin.

Residence: Silver Spring

Date of birth: April 1, 1958

Place of birth: Nice, France

Current occupation: French teacher at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville

Education: I have a BA in Political Science and Anthropology, a MA in Political Science. I have completed the course work, comprehensive exams, and research, but I have not defended my dissertation (all at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque). I am a Maryland certified French teacher.

Community associations, involvement: I WPF 89.3 Pacifica; The Union of Concerned Scientist, Greenpeace; the American Association of French Teachers; the Takoma Silver Spring Food Coop.

Family: married, 9-year-old son from an earlier marriage

Campaign office: 8203 Grubb Road, # 201, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, 301 608 8262.

Campaign e-mail: GerardGiblin@yahoo.com

Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

I would implement a multilateral rapid and responsible withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. I intend to completely change the Bush policies of: unilateralism, illegal preemptive wars, and the undermining of international treaties. I propose to establish a radically new foreign policy. One that is not subservient to an unsustainable environmental reliance on foreign fossil fuels and the interest of multi-national corporations. We must create an ethical and environmentally friendly global foreign policy that is respectful of universal human rights.

I would push for electoral fairness and reform in order to foster a real democratic process. The laws should be changed to allow more participation in the electoral process. Registration and voting should be made easier and third parties should not have to go through the onerous current system created by the two main parties in order to disenfranchise their members.

We propose a change of the current electoral process from one that often leads to a mere plurality of voters to one that guarantees a majority in each election. This system is called Instant Runoff Voting which has the dual benefit of greater representation while assuring majority in each elections and also saves money by eliminating the need of primaries.Takoma Park, and an increasing number of other constituencies, boards and organizations have adopted this system.

I am in favor of non-partisan administration of elections and independent recounts, a paper record for electronic voting, and inclusive debates for all ballot approved candidates.

I call for a single payer health system available to all funded by public revenues that allows for a personal choice of physician. Instead of paying high premiums one would pay proportionally lower taxes because one would save the administrative cost of a duplication of private bureaucracies and profits. A fundamental change is needed because a growing number of individuals and businesses are not able to provide for this basic right in this economically powerful country. We include in this proposal preventive and holistic health care.

How would you rate the performance of the House of Representatives: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

The performance of the House of Representatives is very poor except for a few progressive members. Of course, the greater part of the blame is on the Republican leadership and majority in power in that assembly. However, the Democrats have not had the will, or the courage, to carry their constitutional duty of oversight and their civic duty to speak truth to power in the domains mentioned above and on many other important issues.

The corporate media and the influence of money in elections are for a great part responsible in this abdication of responsibility.

Do you have a timeline on when the U.S. should pull out of Iraq?

U. S. troops should start an orderly pull out of Iraright now. According to the Pentagon they have in the past bragged that they can put a division anywhere within a month. Therefore, a multilateral responsible full withdrawal should last no longer than 3 or 4 months.

How should the government pay for the War on Terror?

Because it was initiated by the federal government, any unusual security measure should be fully funded by the federal government. In general, my party and I believe that all federal, state, and local taxes should me made more progressive. Lower income people should not have to pay a higher percentage of their income than do people with higher income. Moreover, wealthy people should pay a progressively higher level of taxes because the tax system should minimize the inequities in the distribution of income rather than aggravate the inequities generated by capital and labor markets.

Would you make any changes to the way the Department of Homeland Security is run?

First of all, I would separate again FEMA from the Department of Home and Security and staff it with professionals rather than with inexperienced political appointees. I would dramatically increase its budget by transferring funds from the Pentagon. After all, this is the defense we need so the shameful Katrina episode does not happen again. As far as the latter is concerned, civil rights must be aggressively defended and not encroached under the cover of the war on terror. For example, harassment of immigrants and political dissenters should not be tolerated.

Moreover, in the medium and long term, a just and ethical foreign policy is our best defense against most cases of terrorism.

What should be done to save Social Security?

The alleged insolvability of Social Security is a disingenuous economic fatality promoted by people that want to eliminate what is left of the safety net.

The solution in general terms is very simple. The government just needs to increase the highest rate of taxation, that is quite low, and limit the benefits of very high income earners. This can be done without an extra cost to the middle class and only affect people that make above 150 000 dollars.

What should be done to save Medicare?

Medicare, like managed care and most other current health programs are just very poor and complex palliatives that a universal single payer health care system would solve.

What is your position on the death penalty?

I am completely opposed to the death penalty. The government should not be in the business of vengeance by cruel and unusual punishment. Justice should be to protect innocent citizens and rehabilitate convicted offenders. Our criminal justice system has become inhumane, ineffective, and prohibitively expensive.

What is your position on abortion?

Women’s full rights to reproductive freedom must be guaranteed including abortion.

The best way to limit the amount of abortions is to limit unwanted pregnancies through public education, family planning counseling, government subsidies for birth control methods, and family medical leave for mothers and fathers. As a principle decisions concerning the beginning or end of life should be left to the family under the advice of their doctors.

Do you support same-sex marriages? Why?

Yes I support same sex marriages as well as civil union contracts for all. I do because it is a confirmation of the value of the family and of personal freedom. Moreover, since the government grants benefits to heterosexual married couples it should for equity purposes provide it to all regardless of sexual preference.

Do you support the federal No Child Left Behind law? Why or Why not?

As an educator how can I not believe in such a nice mantra? I strongly support public education that sets high academic expectations and prepares students to become contributing members of society. However, the problems are in: the implementation of the policy, the duplication and⁄or conflict with state and local programs, and especially that it is another poorly funded mandate. We in the Green Party believe that school funding formulas should address gross inequalities between states, districts and schools. Public education provides the foundation for an enlightened and skilled work that is essential for a successful democratic society.

What state transportation projects are a priority for you and how should we pay for them?

As a candidate whose constituency includes Montgomery County and Prince George’s County I enthusiastically support the Inner Purple Line as an at-grade light rail line that is mainly on its own right of way. I also favor the completion of the Capital Crescent hiker-biker trail alongside the rail line. On the other hand, I am a member of the only party that is unambiguously against the suburban sprawl accelerator and environmentally destructive Inter County Connector (ICC). I support policies that encourage infill rather than sprawl. Residential and commercial development should preserve green space, use smart green building technologies, and include infrastructure for walking, biking and affordable public transportation between communities and to areas of employment. State and local communities would have more funds for such projects if they eliminated tax breaks for corporations and commercial developers.

Has Sarbanes-Oxley worked? Is there more the government can do to prevent corporate corruption?

Not really because the measure only partially addresses the symptoms of corruption and not the political root cause of the problem. Corporations unduly control members of the government and Congress. One important solution is to limit the great amount of money needed in elections by providing free air time on our public air ways of television and radio. We should establish a reasonable limit on individual contributions and especially corporations should not be able in themselves to contribute to elections.

Note that the Green Party does not accept even a dime from corporations.