B u r l i n g t o n G r e e n s

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STATEMENT BY THE BURLINGTON GREENS QN THE VARD ONE ALDERMANIC ELECTIQg
On Election Day, March 6. 1990, it came to the attention of the
Burlington Greens that certain members of our group entered into an
understanding with Ward One Democratic candidate for alderman. Maurice
Mahoney. during the campaign. Ve wish in this statement to inform the
public and Mr. Erhard Mahnke that such an understanding occurred
without the authorization or knowledge of the Burlington Greens, and
we wish to afrm our full commitment to a fair and principled
p o l i t i c s - .
On Tuesday, February 27, 1990, Maurice Mahoney approached Steve
Sheehy, the Greens candidate In the Ward One race, with an offer that
the two of them exchange "softball" questions at the following night's
Ward One debate. The questions were to be formulated so as to be to
the mutual advantage of both candidates. Because of this, they worked
to the advantage of Mr. Mahoney and our candidate, and to the
disadvantage of the Progressive Coalition's candidate, Mr. Mahnke.
This proposal was discussed and approved by Sandra Balrd and Steve
Sheehy. Later that evening, this understanding was conrmed in a
telephone conversation between Mr. .Sheehy and Mr. Mahoney. At the
debate the following evening, February 28, our candidate and Mr.
Mahoney asked one another the questions that had been exchanged over
t h e t e l e p h o n e .
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The Bur" 111121:011 Greens nd that this breach of public trust and
democratic principles is completely unacceptable, both on the part of
the Greens involved and on the part of Mr. Mahoney. Ve wish to
reafrm that the Burlington Greens remain committed to an open and
independent politics. As a matter of principle the Greens do not make
arrangements with adversarial candidates during election campaigns.
Ve c a n u n d e r s t a n d t h e b i t t e r n e s s o v e r s u c h i s s u e s a s t h e St a f f o r d
Building, predevelopment agreements, and the Mossman condo project
t hat c ol or ed t he J udgment of t he Gr eens i nv ol v ed, and we c an
under st and t hat t hey wer e car r i ed away i n t hei r i nt er act i ons wi t h Mr.
Mahoney. But t hi s ar r angement was a gr ave mi st ake. Ve wi sh t o
emphasize that the people involved acted without the knowledge or
c o n s e n t o f t h e Bu r l i n g t o n Gr e e n s a s a wh o l e . No r wa s t h i s
understanding known to the Greens as a whole until the voting process
'!"was under way. As a result of our lack of knowledge, it was
impossible for us to withdraw Mr. Sheehy's candidacy before the vote.
Ve wi sh t o st rongl y di savow t he underst andi ng made wi t h Mr.
Mahoney. Ve f eel i t necessar y t o r epr i mand and censur e t he i ndi vi dual s
involved and regard their behavior as a serious, albeit thoughtless,
breach of Greens' rules of conduct. In view of this disregard of the
public trust, and in view of the inuence that this understanding
wi t h Mr. Mahoney may have had on t he out come of t he cl ose War d One
al derraani c el ecti on, the Burl i ngton Greens, as an organi sati on, wi sh
t o publ i cl y apol ogi ze t o t he ci t i zens of Var d One and t o Mr. Mahnke.
I f t h e c i t i z e n s o f Va r d On e a n d Mr . Ma h n k e , a s a r e s u l t o f t h i s
i n f o r ma t i o n , wi s h t o c a l l f o r a n e w e l e c t i o n , t h e Gr e e n s wo u l d
e mp h a t i c a l l y s u p p o r t t h e i r d e ma n d a n d wo u l d n o t e l d a c a n d i d a t e .