The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily The New Agenda.

Lynne Williams is the only woman from a third party running on a gubernatorial ticket. As the Green party’s candidate, her main platform is ecological friendliness and safety. She is currently the Green Party chairwoman.

Lynne Williams was born in Brooklyn, NY; her father was a businessman, and her mother was a homemaker. She received a B.A in psychology from Merrimack College, and a M.A in experimental psychology from Brooklyn College. However, psychology did not suit her real interests as she dedicated most of her time as a lawyer protecting activist groups and individuals.

She favors wind energy farms in urban areas but opposes them in rural areas. She believes that wind farms actually do more damage to the wildlife and the ecosystem than intended. Her strongest opponent has been the company FirstWind .

Her economic beliefs are the same as her ecological beliefs. She understands that as a result of energy consumption and also due to modern business practices, the economy and ecology are intertwined on a level never before seen in our history. She believes the decentralization of power and giving the communities and individuals more independence control over their lives; this independence will lead to both economically and ecologically sound choices:

The problem is not the nature of the product but the expansion of production. It is not the products that must change but the process that must change. For example, we do need radical transformation in our energy systems, but that transformation – whether to wind, solar, geothermal – must be community created, owned and operated. We need communities to determine their transportation needs, devise solutions to meet those needs and then the state must provide necessary support. We must produce only sustainable and recyclable goods and encourage green architecture through incentives. We need to transform food production and distribution by defending local food sovereignty, eliminating polluting industrial agribusiness, and creating sustainable agricultural systems. We must also financially support the sustainability of dairy production in the state and create in-state processing opportunities for our dairy and shellfish industries.

Although The Times Records admits the success of Maine’s Green Party from eighteen members in the early 80s to its current 31, 676 members, the Times Records asks, “Can she top 10 percent … or even win the governorship? That’s the party’s challenge.” Lynne Williams believes that she is perfect for the job and is exactly what Maine needs:

Even the smallest town is powerful when the people organize, and towns have shown this to be true in recent struggles. I believe in local control and decentralization, unlike the current administration.

What we need from a governor is not a series of static power grabs, but rather a grand vision of how every town and city in this state can come together to meet all of the challenges that are on the horizon over the next decade. As governor, I would be a gardener, not an architect, planting seeds throughout the state and letting them grow, rather than designing the master plan and imposing it on the landscape.

I have shown that I truly care about the people of this state. My attitude towards my clients has always been that I work for them, and while I may advise them on certain matters, the ultimate plan is always the decision of the client. This is why it has been appalling to me to witness an administration that pursues a completely centralized mode of governing. “We know what’s best and we are so sure of it that we will forgo public hearings and community input and we will twist arms in the closing days of the session and take the final vote in the dead of night when those pesky reporters are not around. And what are you gonna do about it?”

And a special “thank you” for all the TNA readers who corrected my misunderstanding of out-of-state donations. You can learn more about her campaign here.