From the Park Rapids Enterprise

By Katie Johnson
      THE ENTERPRISE

"Fear is what's guiding us right now," says Ken Pentel, and he's out to change that.

The Green Party-endorsed candidate for governor is touring the state in a grassroots effort to spread is "honest democracy" message to the public. Pentel mingled with fellow Greens and other environmentally conscious folks Saturday at Bruce and Cheryl Brummit's "Lilac Farm" north of Osage. This is Pentel's third run for governor; he also was endorsed by the Greens in 1989 and 2002.

The Twin Cities resident has worked for Greenpeace as well as the Prairie Island Coalition in its effort to prevent above ground storage of high-level nuclear waste on the flood plain of the Mississippi River near Red Wing.

The Green Party's platform includes the development of clean and sustainable sources of energy, family and organic farming, mass transit promotion, women's right to full reproductive choice and legalizing marriage for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people. The international Green movement is based on the "four pillars" of Ecological Wisdom, Nonviolence, Social and Economic Justice and Grassroots Democracy. In his campaign, Pentel is focusing on getting big money out of politics through democratic reforms, making the US energy independent and championing single payer health care.

Northwest Minnesota has been the last leg of Pentel's campaign tour.

"One of my main focuses is non-centralization," he says. "Greater Minnesota areas are needed for our survival."

Get big money out

"Are we going to have a government that acts for the common good or for corporations?" Pentel asks.

"Getting central money out of politics" has been a goal in his run for governor; he points out Minnesota was No. 1 in lobbying per capita in 2004 at the Capitol, with more than $42 million in 2004 and more than $50 million in 2005. "Money is interfering," he says.

Pentel is a passionate advocate for reforms such as proportional representation and instant runoff voting (IRV).

Proportional representation is an electoral system that delivers a close match between the percentage of votes groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive.

IRV allows the voter to "vote how you feel," says Pentel.

There is no primary election because the candidates are ranked by preference - 1, 2, 3, etc. Without IRV, the candidate can win with less than 50 percent of the vote.

Currently, says Pentel, "49 percent of people can vote in a ward or district with no representation." IRV also allows for smaller parties "to have a seat at the table" and eliminates "wasting your vote," he says.

In other countries, he says, there is a higher voter turnout because the public believes they are better represented.

Australia, Ireland and Great Britain use IRV in major elections; San Francisco was the first major American city to adopt IRV and Vermont uses the method in statewide elections. A charter amendment is on the Minneapolis ballot this November for use of IRV in city elections.

Promote renewable energy

E-waste is a major environmental concern recently, and Pentel says the government is a factor.

He believes it "is not acceptable" to always buy new electronics and toss out old ones because it is too expensive to repair them and they aren't recyclable. "It's not sustainable," he says.

Pentel is a strong advocate for an energy efficient and renewable energy policy. Global warming should be fought at home, not in wars for oil overseas, he says. Wind energy, solar power and other energy efficient resources should be more widespread, although he points out he is seeing more of it than ever. He envisions agriculture as family-run and organic - with tax breaks - versus large corporate operations and chemical use in crops. Pentel is against using genetically engineered crops because the environmental effects are still unknown.

Health care for all

A single payer health system, or universal health care, would mean any US citizen can obtain health care from any doctor.

This is the system used in Canada. Health care is not free there, but drastically less expensive than in the US. Drugs are bought in bulk to reduce cost. Pentel says this reduces bankruptcies and skyrocketing medical bills and prescription drug costs. HMOs would not dictate which doctors can provide care. Single payer health care is not to be confused with socialized medicine, such as in the United Kingdom; doctors and hospitals are paid by the government, not owned by it.

"Everyone should have access to health care," Pentel says.

Katie Johnson
Reporter/Photographer
Park Rapids Enterprise
218-732-3364
Fax: 218-732-8757