From the grass (and the green) roots

Green Party gubernatorial candidate Ken Pentel met with SMSU students Thursday to discuss the issues and brainstorm campaign ideas.

The tone and the dress code were informal, but for Green Party gubernatorial candidate Ken Pentel, the issues were deadly serious at an appearance on the Southwest Minnesota State University campus Thursday.

"One of the reasons I¹m here, one of the reasons we¹re all here, is the earth is getting trashed in our face, and we¹ve rationalized it as a society", Pentel told a group of about 17 university students and professors at a talk sponsored by the SMSU Campus Greens. "We¹re born into an economy based on . . . growth for growth¹s sake."

"The good news", Pentel said, "is that a committed group of people can help change that." While his audience snacked on pizza provided by the Campus Greens, Pentel discussed his platform of issues, took questions from students and brainstormed possible grassroots campaign efforts.

As the Green Party¹s choice for Minnesota governor, concern for the environment is a major theme in Pentel¹s platform. In particular, Pentel said he is focusing on a movement back to localized business and agriculture, with property tax exemptions for farmers who produce diverse, ecologically sustainable and organic crops.

"I want Minnesota, as a state, stamped 'organic'", Pentel said. "If we try to feed the world from Minnesota, we¹ll kill the water supply, the groundwater, the wetlands, the air, the wildlife habitat."

Pentel said alternative energy sources like ethanol are also positive, but the state must not depend solely on "monocrop" sources like corn and soybeans.

Pentel also focused his attention on Minnesota¹s government, saying that the state needs a "more democratic" way of operating, especially in elections. Pentel advocates proportional representation in the state legislature and "instant runoff" voting, where voters rank their candidate choices, saying that they give more voice to the public than to political parties.

"I¹m inspired by the ideas of democracy itself," he said. "Saying things like 'Don¹t waste your vote,Don¹t be a spoiler,' is oppression in a democracy."

The response to Pentel¹s talk was mainly positive. Pentel answered questions and engaged in dialogue with most of the students in the audience. One audience member agreed with Pentel¹s energy policy, but questioned his ideas for a universal health care system similar to Canada¹s. Others wondered how organic farming would prevail over cheaper, less labor-intensive methods.

"How do we change (farmers¹) mindset?" asked SMSU student Ilanai Flores. "A lot of corporations will pay more for their crop." In the end, Pentel¹s efforts are not about the election, Pentel told students. It¹s about creating a stronger environmental and social movement.

"It isn¹t about me being the guy," Pentel said. "It's about us being the movement. This isn¹t just pie-in-the-sky stuff. We can do this. we just need to build that collective will."