David Black, Candidate for Attorney General

David Black, Illinois Green Party Candidate for Attorney General

First I would like to provide an introduction to the Illinois Green Party. The Party is committed to Ten Key Values: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Community-based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus.

For the first time, the Green Party will have a full slate of candidates on the ballot for state office, including my candidacy for Attorney General and Rich Whitney for Governor. To do so required the signatures of 25,000 registered voters in a three month period. We collected approximately 39,000 signatures, 25,000 of which were challenged. We successfully overcame the challenge to achieve ballot status.

My background includes a law degree from DePaul University and a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Michigan. I have been engaged in the general practice of law in Boone, Winnebago and surrounding counties for the past 26 years with an emphasis on consumer protection. I hold memberships in the American Civil Liberties Union, Rockford Peace and Justice Action Committee, and the Sierra Club.

One of my top priorities is to help combat the influence that money has on politics. I am proud that the Green Party does not accept corporate donations. I moved to Illinois at the time Secretary of State Paul Powell died and shoe boxes full of cash were found in his residence. Since I have lived here, a majority of the former governors have been sentenced to jail for money related crimes. If elected Attorney General, I pledge to use the power of that office to route out corruption and take political money out of government.

I would also work to eliminate the double standard in law enforcement that puts too many African-Americans and other minorities in jail and on death row. I favor the abolition of capital punishment. I would seek a sensible drug policy emphasizing treatment, not jail. These policies would actually save the State money.

Last but not least, I would protect the rights of consumers and all citizens, including the women’s right to reproductive choice and civil rights for gay and lesbian persons.

Source: http://www.voterinfonet.com/sub/candidate_memo.asp?cand_ID=01-0001-000*030400*1223

DAVID BLACK (Attorney General), is an attorney in the Rockford area. He is a member of Rockford Peace and Justice Action Committee, Rockford Urban Ministries, Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Sierra Club. He holds an M.A., Ph.D. (Political Science) from the University of Michigan and J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. He is Treasurer of the Winnebago Boone Green Party and Secretary of the Illinois Green Party.

Source: http://www.soapblox.net/chicago/tag.do;jsessionid=49C2C55A115241F5C669C3E57BC89E36?tag=ALICIA+SNYDER