Election 2000 Column: Nader's campaign can make difference

The 2000 election will be remembered for years as a watershed event in U.S. politics. After years of diminishing differences between the two major parties, and a corresponding downward spiral in voter turnout, the Republicans and Democrats present voters with virtually identical candidates this year.

Despite a near media-blackout and a fraction of the resources of the two major parties, the Green Party and its presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, hold rallies with larger crowds than the major parties can muster.

If Nader gets 5 percent or more of the vote for U.S. president, the Green Party will earn federal funding, making this growing movement impossible for the corporate media to ignore.

This is the year for the Green Party. The excitement is palpable. And here's why:

Campaign Finance Reform: Only Nader and the Green Party propose the real campaign finance reform that voters demand, and only Nader and the Green Party practice what they preach. Nader will take the vote away from corporations and give it back to the people. He takes no PAC money, and owes favors to nobody but the people.

Fair Trade: Only Nader and the Greens say the U.S. should put the interests of workers, consumers and the environment above those of multinational corporations. Nader and the Greens propose withdrawing from NAFTA and the World Trade Organization, and negotiating new trade agreements that reflect America's true priorities. The two major parties sold out the public by ignoring the overwhelming opposition to these agreements, and following the orders of their corporate sponsors.

Health Care: The U.S. today spends more per capita on health care than any country in the world, while over 40 million Americans remain uninsured. Our bloated, profit-driven health care industry does not deliver. America can do better, and only Nader and the Greens propose universal health care for all Americans.

The Environment: While the Republicans offer a governor of a polluted state, and the Democrats offer a poll-driven man with a long list of broken promises on environmental issues, only Nader and the Green Party support for sustainable energy, making polluters pay for their own mess, allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp, and passing a Defense of the Environment Act.

On these and other issues, Ralph Nader and the Green Party represent an overwhelming majority of Americans who are fed up with monopolies in the marketplace and in our political debates. We don't have to vote for the lesser of two evils this year. Voters can make history in 2000 by supporting the party and the candidate that reflects their true opinions. To learn more, visit www.votenader.org.