Pete Meyers, Green Candidate for South Bend City Council in 1995

Pete Meyers, a member of the St. Joe Valley Greens, was an independent candidate for City Council representing one of the older, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-class neighborhoods in South Bend. Pete won 25% of the vote in his race in 1995 and was Indiana's first political candidate endorsed and supported by the Greens. Pete's platform is very Green indeed: empowering, balanced, multi-issue, progressive, concerned with the welfare of the environment and common people. Nationally Green candidates won over one million votes in 1994. In 1995, 75 Greens held elective office from Hawaii to New England. The Greens are now the fastest growing third-party political movement in the U.S.

Vitae
  • Born and raised in South Bend's 1st District
  • 1978 LaSalle High School graduate
  • Bachelors Degree in Journalism
  • Masters Degree in Psychology
  • Former high school drug counselor
  • Former food co-op manager
  • Active in Marches Against Violence
  • Trained in neighborhood mediation
  • Christian Peacemaker in Haiti

Campaign Platform

Reduce Crime
  • Strengthen community/police relations by advocating new police substations, recruiting new officers from local neighborhoods, and increasing time spent walking a beat.
  • Prevent mistrust between citizens and the police by creating an independent Civilian Review Board to act as go-between.
  • Boost involvement by setting up a citizen's commission from crime-plagued areas to develop ideas that address specific crime problems.
  • Strongly promote programs such as Neighborhood Watch, peaceful conflict resolution training for youth, and neighborhood mediation.
  • Fight the social injustice, poverty, domestic violence and racism that breeds more violence.

A Healthy Environment
  • Establish a mandatory curbside recycling program with proceeds to go back to the community.
  • Support plans for a safe bicycle lane system.

Economy and Taxes
  • Redirect city economic development policy to focus on local needs and locally-owned small businesses that meet those needs.
  • Change the corporate tax abatement policy to get the community much more for its investment.

Social Justice
  • Increase investment and programs in low-income neighborhoods.
  • Support affirmative action programs for qualified minorities and women.

Political Reform
  • Organize neighborhood assemblies where citizens discuss issues and initiate action in city government.
  • Open city government meetings and records to all citizens.

Quote from Campaign

I look forward to speaking for your concerns on the City Council for an end to violence, for social justice and for community renewal. My commitment is to work hard to make our local government work for all of us, whatever our income, race, education or gender. I urge you to join with me in making government understandable to all and open to active participation by anyone. Please vote for me Tuesday, November 7, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Your vote is very important to support real change. Feel free to call me with questions and suggestions, or if you need to know where to vote. Thanks for your support.

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