Joe Louis Hoffman, a Hopland resident, was recently elected to the Mendocino County GnPy Council. He has been a GnPy member since 1990 and active in local political races both through his affiliation with the GnPy and position as business agent and political coordinator for Local 707, Service Employees International Union / Mendocino County Employees Association (SEIU/MCEA).
Because of the strong environmental commitments historically espoused by the GnPy both in Europe and the United States, we thought it would interest readers of the Newsletter to obtain Hoffman's observations on the GnPy and its role in the body politic and to summarize his work as a GnPy activist.
Hoffman was interviewed on three occasions in February and March of this year. His comments represent personal reflections and are not intended as official GnPy policy statements.
The Green Party in the United States is a direct offspring of European Green parties that formed around four major doctrines:
A. Preservation of the Environment
B. Commitment to Peaceful Resolution of Conflict
C. Post-Patriarchal Feminism
D. Local Control
The California Green Party Owners Manual, published by The Consensus Institute, describes the historical context of the California party.
It states: "The California Green Party grew out of something called the California Green Assembly, a short-lived network of Green Committees of Correspondence around the state.
"The Green Committees of Correspondence (GCOC) were formed in 1984, when American activists, inspired by the West German Green Party, convened in St. Paul, Minnesota to explore the creation of a similar Green organization.
"The group at St. Paul named their new, decentralized, networked organization after the Committees of Correspondence of the first American Revolution. They adopted what have been called the 10 Key Values:
1. Ecological Wisdom
2. Grassroots Democracy
3. Personal & Social Responsibility
4. Nonviolence
5. Decentralization
6. Community-based Economics
7. Postpatriarchal Feminism
8. Respect for Diversity
9. Global Responsibility
10. Future Focus / Sustainability
"The 10 Key Values are not a list of ten separate issues. They are not an ideology or manifesto. They are aspects of a world view based on the interconnection of issues; indeed, the interconnectedness of all life.
"Using the 10 Key Values as an initial basis for agreement, the participants in the St. Paul meeting went back to their respective regions of the country to begin organizing local Committees of Correspondence.
"In California, over the next several years organizing work proceeded and in November, 1989, the California Green Assembly was founded - leading to the founding of the California Green Party."
Hoffman has been SEIU/MCEA Business Agent for two years. He represents approximately 800 persons employed by the County of Mendocino and 70 "classified" employees of Mendocino College.
After only cursory discussion it is clear that Hoffman's passion is politics, particularly "Green" politics. However, he emphasizes that his personal preferences do not affect his actions or recommendations on behalf of the union members he represents. His role as political coordinator for the union is to provide members with advice and information regarding political issues and candidates that "serve their best interest" and to carry out policies established by the union board and executive.
Hoffman was born in Chicago and attended secondary school there. He took classes in philosophy and film making at Columbia College and Loyola University in Chicago and studied improvisational theater with the Second City group. Hoffman's first union affiliation occurred in 1975 when he joined an SEIU local while working as a janitor at Loyola University.
While in Chicago Hoffman worked on a variety of progressive political campaigns. In 1987 he moved from Chicago to Oakland and was affiliated with representative Ron Dellums' office for a time.
In 1990 Hoffman was approached by representatives of the Peace and Freedom Party in the Bay Area and requested to work on an initiative that would declare Oakland a nuclear-free zone. Concurrently he was requested to develop a strategy for qualifying the Green Party for the California ballot. In 1990 he joined the Green Party.
Through his political activity in Chicago and Oakland, Hoffman had occasion to work cooperatively with several labor unions. His first affiliation with SEIU Local 707 occurred in 1990 when he was allowed to use their offices in Santa Rosa as a phone bank for State Senator Mike Thompson's campaign. He was subsequently employed by SEIU to help with organizational work for the Mendocino County Employees Association (MCEA). In 1994 MCEA hired him as full-time business agent and political coordinator.
The appeal of environmentalism was not the factor that initially drew Hoffman to the GnPy. He became involved with the GnPy in Oakland while working on the nuclear-free zone initiative. Hoffman found his commitment to world peace and disarmament was reflected in the GnPy platform. He was also deeply concerned about the defeat of the "Big Green" Initiative in 1990 and felt the need for an outlet to his environmental beliefs.
Although the GnPy platform extends well beyond environmentalism, it is impossible to compartmentalize its elements. Feminism, decentralization, grass-roots democracy and environmentalism are interrelated. Accordingly, the Greens have adopted a holistic approach, recognizing the interrelatedness of those elements they believe comprise the good society.
Self-determination and personal responsibility are values cultivated by GnPy members and characterize Hoffman's approach to politics. He advocates direct, hands-on involvement by party activists at the local precinct level. His focus is on encouraging people to take responsibility for instituting reform and to see the political process as a means of attaining it rather than "banging their heads" in despair. "Everybody has their issues," Hoffman emphasizes. "It is not my responsibility to tell people what those issues are, but assist in their resolution".
Hoffman describes GnPy members as being somewhat akin to Libertarians in their sense of independence and preference for assuming personal responsibility. Greens are often highly opinionated and assertive. The Party has more than its share of "loose cannons". Green adherents also are strongly committed to non-violence and advocate "feminist" strategies and attitudes in terms of power relationships and political structures.
Contrasting his involvement in the political process with those of paid consultants in the major parties, Hoffman describes his goal as that of organizing and empowering constituencies rather than running campaigns. Voters are deserting the traditional party apparatus and major campaigns are in the hands of media consultants. Hoffman's aim is to cultivate and strengthen avenues by which local voters can exercise greater power over party policy and ideology. For Hoffman, this means placing primary emphasis on precinct organization.
An example of Hoffman's advocacy of local control and empowerment is the successful campaign he led in 1992 that resulted in addition to the GnPy State Bylaws of a provision that allowed party members to express preference for "None Of The Above" in State Primary elections. The Greens, thereby, reserved to themselves the right not to run candidates in the general election if they were not to their liking. However, the provision was challenged in court by the office of the Secretary of State and found unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal.
Hoffman describes our present political system as flawed and undemocratic. It is designed to ensure dominance of an essentially one-party system controlled by corporate interests intent on suppression of minor parties that offer voters legitimate choices. Both major parties share essentially the same values and objectives, with only incidental differences. The Democratic party favors social welfare programs as a means of avoiding revolution. They are not really concerned with empowering their adherents. The Republicans "favor more jails." Hoffman deplores the absence of distinction between the two major parties and its adverse consequences for "progressive" candidates. Paraphrasing Harry Truman, Hoffman observes "When a Republican runs against a Republican, the Republican wins every time."
The political system is tailored to advance the interests of those that control the nation's financial resources and pay the costs of campaigning - the corporations. Political institutions no longer function to meet the needs of the people. In recent decades citizens have become progressively alienated from politics as our culture has embraced an economic system inimical to the majority. Hoffman believes that unless there are major changes we will see a significant decline in participation and support for political parties and a progressive inability of the corporate state to function. "There is only a slight difference between giving up on parties and giving up on politics," he insists.
Hoffman contends the GnPy movement is an attempt to create a legitimate multi-party system in this country. The GnPy, either as a distinct entity or in coalition with other progressive blocs, offers hope that a consensus will emerge that gives voice to those alienated from the current political system.
He believes there is clear evidence substantial numbers of the electorate are disenchanted with the current "two-party" structure. Besides low voter turnout, an increase in the number of minority "splinter" parties is an indicator. Because of this alienation, voters have a tendency to support even misguided initiatives such as term limits and open primaries.
Party managers exploit voter apathy. Suppressing voter empowerment and participation has become an objective. Accordingly, low voter turnout is a desired goal.
Hoffman believes that many voters have given up on the current system. The disaffected and disillusioned need a place to go. Refusing to vote has become a way for people to boycott a political system that no longer represents them.
Hoffman characterizes the distinctive profile of various parties as follows:
1. The Republican Party emphasizes that people are part of the environment, i.e., to be exploited for benefit of corporate interests;
2. Democrats are more sensitive to environmental and social needs but have no coherent message;
3. The Peace and Freedom Party preaches socialism as a solution;
4. The Green Party shares values similar to the Peace and Freedom Party but doesn't necessarily advocate socialism.
The election codes favor maintenance of the status quo and discourage formation of vigorous minority parties. Hoffman therefore advocates forming alliances with other minority parties to confront the major parties so that a genuine multi-party system can be established.
The major reform necessary to establish a genuine multi-party system is that of proportional representation. In Europe, minority parties flourish as they are guaranteed representation in their legislative bodies if they pass a given threshold (usually 5%) of total voter turnout. So long as the majority rule - winner take all system - remains enshrined, power will be monopolized by the corporate parties, minor parties will be suppressed and large numbers of voters disenfranchised.
The California GnPy is governed by a set of by-laws. It stipulates that the formal GnPy structure in Mendocino County consist of a seven-person council, with members elected at large and serving for two-year terms (in Los Angeles County they are elected by assembly district). The most recent GnPy Council election took place on March 26th of this year. Hoffman gained one of the Council seats; Environmentalist editor Richard Johnson and Marc Labelle occupy two other positions. As there were no other candidates, the remaining four positions will be filled by appointment.
The local GnPy is not in possession of funds for conducting operations and no fund-raising events are planned for the present.
The preferred electoral strategy for the GnPy is to establish a solid base of support locally through recruitment of members and precinct organization and by forging alliances with other groups and parties with similar interests and policies. Hoffman supports running GnPy candidates for partisan office but only where there is a reasonable chance of success. He has an aversion to running losing campaigns, citing the Peace and Freedom Party as an example. "Losing leads to losing," he emphasizes, and opposes expenditure of "political capital" unless there are reasonable prospects for a positive result.
The California GnPy has made significant strides in recent years in terms of recruitment and electoral success. He estimates the current strength of the party in California as in excess of 80,000. There are currently more than thirty-five GnPy members holding elective office in the state.
The impact of the GnPy on local politics depends on the setting. For example, the GnPy is the second largest party in four of Berkeley's City Council Districts and has representatives on the City Council. In rural areas, party identification is less significant and compelling. In Mendocino County no political party is strong.
However, because of the importance of environmental issues to Mendocino County residents, Hoffman believes the GnPy will grow in importance and expand membership. Until the local GnPy becomes a force in its own right, its influence can be extended by leveraging the environmental wing of the local Democratic party.
The Mendocino County GnPy has no formal relationship with environmental organizations in Mendocino County. "Most non-profits do not wish to be associated with the electoral process," Hoffman maintains. He surmises that many GnPy members belong to a variety of environmental groups but has no way of estimating the level of involvement.
Having the Mendocino County GnPy Council directly elected by voters at the primary election was a major step in strengthening the party locally. As the party becomes more numerous and visible, and its platform more widely known, the possibility of running GnPy candidates for office - with some prospect of success - becomes greater. Until then, the formal GnPy structure should serve as a catalyst or "pilot light" while organizing work is done at the neighborhood level.
Hoffman advocates holding meetings of the GnPy Council on a regular basis, in various locations around the county. Developing a schedule is one of his immediate priorities. The meetings will be open to all GnPy members and interested citizens, thereby enabling rank and file party members to be involved in formulating policy and debating issues.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1997
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited