A press release from Rocky Anderson, former mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah:

Have you had enough?

New Party on the horizon

The former Mayor of Salt Lake City and Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights, Rocky Anderson, calls for the formation of a new political party and a sustained movement committed to the public interest.

Two months ago, Anderson “divorced himself” from what he referred to as “the spineless, gutless Democratic Party.” Responding to an email from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which showed as the subject, “Standing Strong,” Anderson wrote: “How dare you send an email with the subject line ‘Standing Strong.’ You didn’t do it on Iraq, you didn’t do it on torture, you didn’t do it on signing statements, you haven’t done it on Afghanistan, you haven’t done it on defense spending, you haven’t done it on real health care reform, you haven’t done it on the debt ceiling fiasco.”

Rocky Anderson Says Adieu to the Democratic Party, Rolly, Paul, The Salt Lake Tribune, August 12, 2011.

Anderson continued: “I’m done with the Democratic Party… I think the answer is a new political party that actually will advocate for and promote the interests of the public rather than the narrow interests of the wealthy who bought and paid for not only Congress but the White House… The Constitution has been eviscerated while Democrats have stood by with nary a whimper. It is a gutless, unprincipled party, bought and paid for by the same interests that buy and pay for the Republican
Party.”

Former S.L. Mayor Rocky Anderson Divorces Himself From ‘Gutless’ Democratic Party, Romboy, Dennis, Deseret News, August 12, 2011.

This country needs a new, powerful party that can win elections, according to Anderson. “The pensions and other savings accounts of the middle class in this country have been decimated. The only way out is another party. I would call it, frankly, a second party that actually represents the interests of the American people. There isn’t a real opposition force in Washington, D.C., any more, and we the people have the capacity to change that — and we must if our republic is going to survive. I consider myself an Independent, but I would be very pleased to work with others to form not just a political party to run another campaign, but to launch a sustained movement for major change in this country.”

Rocky: Not a Democrat, Levitt, Lexie, City Weekly,September 26, 2011.

Anderson said that people are fed up with the Democratic and Republican parties, Congress, and the Obama administration to the point of being ready to support a new party that rejects the corporatism and militarism of the two “Wall Street lap-dog” major parties. The polls support Anderson’s view that the people of the United States are desirous of a new party, and bold, new leadership, like never before. Patrick Caddell and Douglas Shoen have written:

“The United States is in the midst of what we would both call a pre-Revolutionary moment, and there is widespread support for fundamental change in the system. An increasing number of Americans are now searching beyond the two parties for bold and effective leadership.”

Expect a Third-Party Candidate in 2012, Caddell, Patrick and Schoen, Douglas E, The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2011.

“Have you had enough?” asks Anderson. “Would you support the formation of a new party that will commit to:

· affordable universal health care

· an end to the wars

· a significant reduction in the military budget
and an end to the military-industrial-congressional complex

· investigation of illegal conduct, including war crimes, by executive officials during the current and prior administrations

· investigation of the events on 9/11 to answer significant questions that have been raised

· prosecution for illegal conduct leading to the economic melt-down

· disincentives for U.S. companies to send jobs overseas;
· employee and environmental safeguards in trade agreements

· implementation of major domestic jobs and infrastructure programs

· an end to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy

· campaign finance reform to end the corrupting influence of money in politics

· treat substance abuse within a public health framework rather than as a criminal matter

· repeal the PATRIOT Act

· compassionate and rational immigration reform

· marriage equality

· an end to subsidies for oil and gas companies

· a ban on a Canada-to-Mexico tar sands pipeline

· air quality protection, including stricter ozone limits

and

· aggressive action and leadership on the climate crisis and the environment?”

Rocky Anderson has been in the process of contacting some of America’s leading social, environmental and political activists with the goal of creating a powerful, broad-based political alternative to the increasingly unpopular Republican and Democratic Parties. He intends that the new party will have candidates in local, state, and federal races throughout the nation.

Anderson plans on hosting a meeting soon between leaders in various sectors of the country in order to draft a new platform and a long-term strategy capable of attracting a majority of voters, including millions of dissatisfied Democrats and Republicans who, until now, had nowhere else to go.

Anderson has stated his intention to do what is possible to get on the ballots in all 50 states and to campaign for candidates aggressively in all states. “The Democratic and Republican Parties have acted as if voters have no other real options. The people of this country will demonstrate that we, indeed, have another option – a party that will work in the public interest, rather than for the defense contractors, the health insurance companies, and the rapacious financial institutions that have caused such economic havoc in our nation and the world.”

Anderson anticipates a broad-based coalition, similar to the one built by the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP), which won impressive political gains in the Canadian federal elections last May. The NDP is the political party that brought universal health care to the Canadian people.

Press info: Mackenzie Scott – Tel. 801-520-0491

Rocky Anderson – Tel. 801-557-9007

418 Douglas Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84102

E-mail: rockyandersonrocky@yahoo.com