The wire is fast approaching for the Michigan Green Party, which is desperately trying to gather enough petition signatures to make it onto the November ballot. It is to the point where GP Senate candidate Tom Ness has taken to beginning all e-mails with the number of hours (534 as of the wee hours on Monday) remaining until the deadline is reached. Ness estimates that 25,000 signatures have already been gathered by volunteers, but the fear is that they are not on pace to collect the cushion of names to ensure qualification. So, in addition to names, the party has also been collecting cash the past few weeks to pay folks for collecting names (about a buck per signature). The money has been rolling in – about $15,000 so far – but much more is needed to get the signatures and pay for some badly needed advertising and perhaps some staff to assist the state’s lone paid campaign coordinator. Contributions can be sent to the Green Party of Michigan Committee, 548 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104. Or you can make your check payable to the Ness for Senate Committee, with a note saying "for petitioning," and send it to Box 20076, Ferndale, MI, 48220.
And if you want to go to work collecting dollar bills for yourself while gathering names for the Greens, call 734-665-2186. If you cannot get through at that number, phone 248-542-8090.
Ann Mullen contributed to News Hits, which is edited by Curt Guyette. He can be reached at 313-202-8004 or [email protected]
