GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE . . . Another victory. Another debate. Another chance! Thanks to tens of thousands of supporters, Jill Stein won a spot in the last Free and Equal debate. She’ll face-off against Gov. Gary Johnson on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 8:00 to 9:30pm Central, from Washington D.C. There are 90 million eligible voters who don’t plan on voting – enough to win the election for Dr. Stein. Almost none of those people know that Stein is running. They must know there is a candidate who stands with working and poor people, not corporations and SuperPACs.
Ask MSNBC to air this debate.  The debate should be covered. In fact, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell of The Last Word just pointed that out. Join us in thanking him, urging him to have Jill on the show, and demanding MSNBC cover the 10/30 debate.
Tweet @Lawrence Thanks for discussing the 10/23 Alternative #Debate on @msnbc! It’s not too late to have @jillstein2012 on @TheLastWord. Facebook him. Thanks for stepping up and recognizing the importance of independent parties. There’s still time to have Jill Stein on The Last Word. Watch the live debate at www.freeandequalorg/live, and RT America’s YouTube channel. Together, another world is possible.
SEE MEDIA COVERAGE FROM THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN at http://www.jillstein.org/media_coverage.
“We need a serious debate focused on energy: Phasing out coal plants, ending mountaintop removal, banning fracking, and halting the Keystone XL pipeline.” –Jill Stein
From “Imagine All the Voters Treating the Green Party like another realistic option,” by Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, North Coast Journal, quoting Jill Stein, “To go into the voting booth and vote for either Wall-Street-backed candidate, that is the definition of throwing away your vote.”  WRITE-IN JILL STEIN AND CHERI HONKALA IN NEBRASKA. Another U.S. is Possible — Another Party is Necessary.

Lincoln area: Congressional District 1

VIGIL AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY . . . Every Monday, noon to 1:00pm, Nebraskans for abolition of the death penalty meet in front of the governor’s mansion when weather is good, 1425 H Street, Lincoln. When weather is bad, the vigil is inside the capitol, near the Information Desk. The lunch-hour presence reminds the governor of a constituency that does not want state killings. Weekly vigils have taken place year-round since July, 1991. All abolitionists are welcome to participate for a few minutes, or the hour. “It’s barbaric. It’s outlawed in all but a few extremely repressive countries like Iran, China, and not many others. It’s shameful that it continues to be performed. It’s well established that mistakes are made–yet half of our states practice pre-meditated state-sponsored murder. It’s also known that it’s not effective. So why is it done? Revenge & retribution? That’s not what our justice system is supposed to be about. It’s not an effective deterrent.” –Jill Stein, GP Presidential Nominee.

LINCOLN PEACE VIGILS . . . Lincoln peace vigils continue at the Federal Building, 15th and O streets, every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00pm. Contact Mark at 402.499.6672 or e-mail mark [at] weddleton [dot] com for more information.

OCCUPY EDUCATION LINCOLN . . . Occupy Education Lincoln and the Calvary United Methodist Church, 1610 South 11th Street, Lincoln, (corner of South 11th and Garfield Streets) will hold weekly Workshop/Skills Teaching Sessions, The Repair Cafe, every Thursday, starting at 5:30pm. (The time coincides with the start of FoodNet.) Toss It? No Way! Fix it, find another use, use some of its parts, recycle it, and say no to the throw away culture. Everything and everyone has value. We must discover the value. For more information, contact Barbara van den Berg, 402.488.6926, barbvandenberg [at] hotmail [dot] com.

NAACP ANNUAL . . . Saturday, November 3, 2012, starting at 5:30pm with a social hour, the Annual Scholarship Banquet of the Lincoln Chapter of the NAACP will be at the Cornhusker, 333 South 13th, in Lincoln. Native activist Frank LaMere will keynote, speaking on the theme “Your Power, Your Decision–Vote.” To order tickets, call Jareldine Mays, 402.488.0853.

OCCUPY LINCOLN . . . There is a calendar of Occupy Lincoln events here.  The Facebook page is here.  The Twitter feed is @OccupyLincoln. For more information, e-mail occupylincoln [at] gmail [dot] com or phone 402.585.5865. Corporate Greed is Revolution’s Seed!

Omaha area: Congressional District 2

OMAHA PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL . . . There is a People’s Film Festival every Wednesday, 7:00pm, at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Harney in Omaha. Wednesday, October 31, 2012, will be Occupy Omaha Night. The film will be End: CIV, a documentary that asks the questin “If your homeland was invaded by aliens who cut down the forests, poisoned the water and air, and contaminated the food supply, would you resist?” A discussion will follow the film. EveryOne is welcome. For more information, go to http://www.progressiveomaha.com/films.htm . The People’s Film Festival – Expanding Political Consciousness Since 2004.

OMAHA PEACE VIGILS . . . Every Saturday, 1:00-2:00pm, there is a Peace Vigil at the northwest corner of 72nd and Dodge Streets in Omaha. Park next to 72nd Street, in the pet store lot. Contact Steve Horn, 402.426.9068, for more information about Saturday vigils.

HUMANIZING EMPLOYMENT . . . “Organized Labor: the Folks Who Humanized the Employment Relationship” will be presented Saturday, November 3, 2012, 2:00pm, at the W. Dale Clark (Main) Library, Farnam and 15th Street, Omaha. John Kretzschmar, Director of the William Brennan Institute of Labor Studies, UN-O, will speak about the history and accomplishments of labor unions, the challenges and achievements of organizing, and the crises and threats that face working people. The talk is free and open to the public.

ATM LEAFLETTING IN OMAHA . . . An Alternatives To the Military supporter who lives in Omaha would like to put together and participate in a local leafletting group there. She wants to start small–maybe leafletting at just one or two schools. If you have an interest in joining a Omaha ATM group, please contact Kevin Haake, atmlincoln@gmail.com. The FB link is http://www.facebook.com/atmlincoln. Twitter is http://www.twitter.com/ATMLincolnNE.
Leafletting in Omaha.

ENGAGE OMAHA . . . One of the nation’s first city-wide, virtual town hall websites, EngageOmaha, is now online. Omaha residents may weigh in on issues for the city to consider. Pick a topic, and join the mix at http://www.engageomaha.com/.

Greater Nebraska: Congressional District 3

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UPDATE . . . Quoting “TransCanada Pipeline Protest in Fifth Week,” by William Boardman, Reader Supported News, October 27, 2012, “Officially, it seems, the Tar Sands Blockade was supposed to be over in mid-October, when The New York Times, having thus far ignored the story, announced that it was a ‘last-ditch bid.’ But Tar Sands Blockade, a grassroots coalition of Texans opposed to the Keystone XL pipeline, is still there, still occupying the treehouse blockade it mounted September 24, still trying to hold up construction of TransCanada’s $7 billion pipeline that will bring hot, toxic tar sands oil sludge from Canada for global markets.”
“Stopping Trans Canada’s Keystone XL Pipeline: Activism from the Trees and on the Ground,” by former US diplomate and Army Colonel Ann Wright, was published October 26th by Information Clearning House. “In East Texas, the farm lands and forests have been seized for the Canadian company through eminent domain and are already being destroyed for the foreign pipeline. …The Tar Sands Blockade has been vigilant in their campaign of non-violent protest of this pipeline, and in doing so, these modern day patriots have also been protecting our freedoms. By building and refusing to leave tree house villages, chaining themselves to equipment, and working with landowners who wish to meritoriously exercise their right of ownership, they have valiantly defended our Gulf Coast, as well as our nation’s constitution.”
“SLAPPed, Arrested, Charged With Eco-Terrorism: TransCanada Blockaders Persevere,” by Candice Bernd, for Truthout, October 24th, continues covereage of the Tar Sands Blockade. “Activists maintain their vigil in the trees despite the best efforts of hired security and legal wrangling to dislodge them.”
CBC News reported “Quality concerns arose before TransCanada pipeline blast,” by Charles Rusnell, Timothy Sawa and Joseph Loiero, also on October 24th. The report says that “A natural gas pipeline operated by TransCanada exploded near Gillette, Wyo., in July 2011 because of quality assurance issues and poorly trained inspectors, citing internal company documents. “Documents obtained by CBC News detail a pipeline project with problems relating to welding and inspection. ‘We are in trouble on the Bison project,’ the pipelines’ construction manager wrote in a Sept. 18, 2010 internal email, which lists problems related to welding and inspection. … CBC News also obtained an all-staff internal memo issued by TransCanada CEO Russ Girling on Aug. 11, 2011, in which he acknowledged problems with an earlier phase of the existing Keystone line, and the ill-fated Bison pipeline.” Read the report and watch videos at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/24/transcanada-pipelines-bison-explosion.html?cmp=rss.
On October 22nd, Reader Supported News published “Keystone Shutdown Highlights Fox’s Dubious Claims About Pipeline Safety,” by Chelsea Rudman, sourced from Media Matters for America: “TransCanada Corp. recently announced that it has temporarily shut down the existing portion of its Keystone pipeline due to safety concerns. Fox News figures previously attacked the Obama administration for delaying a decision on the Keystone pipeline extension because of environmental and safety concerns, claiming that the project posed no such threats.”
The Globe and Mail article by Justine Hunter, October 21st, “Brirish Columbia government rethinks pipeline-approval process,” reported “The lawn of the B.C. legislature is expected to be filled with protesters on Monday for a mass sit-in against the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline. Scorched by the growing opposition, the B.C. government has already adopted a more hostile stand toward the $6-billion project.”
Lincoln Journal-Star editorialized that the “Legislature should take another look at pipeline law,” on October 22nd: “The Nebraska Legislature would be very well advised to have another look at the law that is supposed to allow Nebraska to regulate where oil pipelines pass through the state. If there is any recent policy issue that deserves to have Nebraskans all on the same page of law, this is it.”
SAVE THE DATE: Tickets are now on sale for the “Do the Math” tour with Bill McKibben in Omaha, December 1st, at the Joslyn Musuem, 2200 Dodge Street, 6:00 to 9:00pm. McKibben will be on a nationwide tour talking about climate, oil subsidies, and the pipeline. Purchase tickets online here.
Sign a Natural Resources Defense Council Action Alert telling Congress to reject all attempts to force approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by attaching it to any unrelated legislation. The Keystone XL will deliver billions in profits to Big Oil while the people get stuck with poisoned water, contaminated land and an overheated planet.
“The Keystone pipeline will spew a massive amount of carbon pollution into our fragile atmosphere. It should be stopped. ” –Jill Stein, 2012 Green Party Presidential Nominee.

STOP FRACKING NOW . . . From “Five Effects of Fracking You May Not Know About” by Alyssa Figueroa, AlterNet, October 23rd: “What comes to mind when you think of fracking? Perhaps it’s images of tap water being lit on fire or stories of families suffering health problems after nearby wells are fracked. Indeed, the health and environmental impacts of fracking are being documented, but it’s important to know that fracking is a catalyst for widespread negative consequences.” Petition Congress: “We, the undersigned, call on Congress to pass the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act this year. It’s time to hold the oil and gas production industry to the same standards as any other industry to ensure the safe protection of America’s drinking water.”

BUY FRESH. BUY LOCAL . . . . Farmers, gardeners, and craftspeople meet through The Nebraska Food Cooperative, an on-line, year-round farmers’ market and local food distribution service offering the best in local freshness. For ordering and pickup schedules, refer to the calendar here.  Click here for products and prices from North Star Neighbors, a Cooperative member that doesn’t therapeutically medicate or unduly confine animals. Click here for Tomato Tomäto, Omaha’s year-round indoor Farmer’s Market at 156th & West Center. Shop for fresh foods grown in or very near your own community at Open Harvest, Lincoln’s member-owned natural foods retail cooperative at 1618 South Street. Buying local grows family farming, grows the local economy, and is thousands of miles fresher.

HELP NEBRASKA GREENS WITH GOODSEARCH . . . Each time you search the Internet (or shop online at a participating store), a donation can be made to Nebraska Green Party at no cost to you! To help NGP in this way, enter Nebraska Green Party where it asks you to name your cause here.  Bookmark the GoodSearch Homepage, or make it your own Home Page. Enter the url you want in the GoodSearch search box. Each time you do, one penny will be donated to Nebraska Greens. THANK YOU for your support!

Remember, every man-made by-product of the petroleum industry could be replaced by hemp. “Help Save the Earth, Time to Substitute Hemp for oil.“