From the Ian Schlakman for Congress campaign: After attending the recent "It's Our Economy" Conference in Baltimore, Ian Schlakman is calling for new economy activists to declare their support for his campaign for U.S House, District 2.Schlakman is running on a platform including universal single-payer health care, incentivizing new economic systems such as alternative currencies, and a basic income guarantee (BIG) for all citizens."New economy activists are discussing many tools we need to move away from a centralized, corporatized national economy," noted Schlakman. "My campaign is about challenging Congress to talk about these things on Capitol Hill. I am prioritizing the concept of a basic income guarantee because it is a tool that Congress can use to radically change how Americans relate to work and money."Under a basic income guarantee, all citizens would be paid a subsistence-level wage on a regular basis. Sometimes called "Social Security For All", the program would be administered similarly to Social Security, but provided for all citizens regardless of age or ability."A basic income guarantee is one way to stimulate innovation in our economy," says Schlakman. "Hundreds of thousands of Americans are working unfulfilling jobs because they are stuck with millions of dollars of student and consumer debt. They can't risk leaving their jobs to pursue the ideas that will drive our economy in the coming decades. A basic income guarantee can provide the security tomorrow's innovators need to get to work.""I am calling on new economy activists to support my campaign for Congress and help elect a voice willing to make this argument in Washington, DC. The current crop of Congressional leaders are unwilling to talk about the economy we need to create."Schlakman is a small business owner and certified IT professional. He is seeking the nomination of the Green Party for Maryland's 2nd District U.S. House seat. 

From the Green Party of the United States: Saving the Internet as we know it will take perpetual public pressure on the FCC, the Obama Administration, and future administrations not to enact new rules repealing net neutrality, said Green Party leaders and candidates.Green Party leaders said that telecommunications lobbies will continue to press the FCC to abolish net neutrality and said that the U.S. must remove the Internet from corporate control by providing public access through free broadband.An amended FCC proposal in response to the public outcry shows concessions but maintains pay-to-play access fees and a new standard that "creates high costs of regulation, does not provide certainty to market participants, and tilts the playing field in favor of large, established companies..."Read the complete statement here...

From Ian Schlakman for Congress:Ian Schlakman - who is seeking the Green Party nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 2 - has announced his Think BIG, "Basic Income Guarantee" campaign message.A basic income guarantee - also known as a universal basic income - would provide a unconditional sum of monetary support to all citizens on a regular basis. "Members of Congress swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," said Schlakman, "which calls to promote the general welfare of the people of the United States. Ensuring each citizen of the United States a basic income is a key foundation of my campaign for the U.S. House."One quarter of Baltimore residents live in poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. A basic income guarantee would provide all citizens with sufficient income to pay for basic housing, utilities and food needs.  "Congress is deadlocked on President Obama's proposal to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour," Schlakman continued. "This is not surprising. Democrats should have expected this resistance and not set such a low bar. If they know they are going to have to fight the GOP to increase wages, why not set a higher bar and call for a basic income guarantee? The obvious answer is that most Democrats won't support what the 99% of lower-income Americans really need. That's why we need a fresh set of leadership in Capitol Hill."  Schlakman is seeking the nomination of the Maryland Green Party. The Green Party's platform calls for a basic income guarantee for "every adult regardless of health, employment, or marital status, in order to minimize government bureaucracy and intrusiveness into people's lives".  Ian Schlakman is a certified IT professional. He is campaigning for the foundation of a new, ecologically-sound economy, an end to the surveillance-driven security state, and a basic income guarantee for all Americans. For more information, see www.ian42.com or call 410-575-1764.

In preparation for Wednesday's Democratic Gubernatorial primary debate featuring Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Attorney General Doug Gansler and Delegate Heather Mizeur the Maryland Green Party has forwarded the following questions to debate moderator and host of NBC's Meet the Press David Gregory. The Green Party asks Gregory to ask the following questions regarding the candidates' support for the Green Party values held by many Marylanders:Do the candidates support legislation outlawing corporate contributions to political candidates and parties in Maryland?Do the candidates support a universal, single-payer health program - similar to Vermont's Green Mountain Care - to ensure that Marylanders who cannot afford private health insurance are covered for their basic health needs?Do the candidates support a living wage for Marylanders, calculated by MIT statistics to be at least $15 an hour?Do the candidates support a ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) as a symbol of their support for robust investment in Maryland's solar and wind energy infrastructure?Do the candidates support a ban on waste-fueled incinerators?Do the candidates support an independent, nonpartisan commission for future electoral redistricting?

The 2014 Maryland Green Party primary election is now underway. We are nominating candidates for United States House Districts 2 and 6, Maryland House of Delegates District 20, and Montgomery County Council, At-Large. Visit the following page for more information on who is eligible to vote and to download a ballot.All ballots must be returned to the Maryland Green Party by Saturday, May 31st.