The very next day the Arcata Greens sent a news release announcing their opposition to the effort.

"Over 1,000 registered Greens signed the HCCR petition, and every elected Green in the county has formally endorsed the initiative," said Green Party member and Arcata City Councilman Dave Meserve. "It is a shame that three individuals, who made up the entire attendance of the recent Arcata Greens meeting, claim to speak for a thousand registered Greens in our community who support the proposed ordinance."

"I am proud to stand with organized labor, the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee, District Attorney Paul Gallegos, and the numerous peace and social justice groups working to allow local control over our elections," said Green Party member and Arcata City Councilman Paul Pitino. "It is unfortunate that a small, isolated group wants to block Green participation in this coalition."

Green Party member and Arcata City Councilwoman Harmony Groves said, "It is absolutely a Green value to challenge the ability of outside corporations to influence local elections. Under Key Value No. 5 of the Green Party it states, and I quote: 'Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.' If corporations from outside our county are influencing our elections, we need to take a stand as Greens to preserve local control over our elections."

"With the local Democratic party in full support of the Ordinance to Protect our Right to Fair Elections and Local Democracy, it is absurd to think that Greens would champion corporate influence rather than local control of our own elections," said Meserve. "I hope that Greens will attend the General Assembly of the Green Party of Humboldt on Feb. 25 and stand up in support of grass-roots democracy and community-based economics, not the idea that Wal-Mart should have free speech. The position taken by Greg Allen and Charles Douglas against this ordinance, without input from their own party, highlights the lack of accountability and true representation within the local Green party leadership. We have a responsibility to make sure that our party accurately represents the beliefs of its members."

Other elected Greens who have supported the measure include Jim Lamport of the Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District and Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap of the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District.

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