William Talen (a.k.a. Rev. Billy), NYC Mayor Rebecca White of the New York Times wrote, "Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping is — to say the least — not your typical candidate for mayor. With his blond pompadour, cobalt blue suit, black shirt and white collar, he made his announcement in Union Square on Sunday accompanied by a choir in green robes." In light of the current economic crisis, William Talen's longtime warnings of the monolithic economy trend encouraged by Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg--and propelled by Wall Street and corporate profits--would inevitably implode have a chilling accuracy. Since the creation of his "Reverend" persona, he has used his megaphone to promote economic diversity and protect New York City neighborhoods from gentrification and privatization of public spaces. Talen has authored two books (What Should I Do If Reverend Billy Is In My Store? and What Would Jesus Buy?) and has been the subject of two feature-length documentary films. With his partner, Savitri D, he spreads his message with his Church of Life After Shopping. He has spoken at many universities, conferences and rallies. More info: http://www.voterevbilly.org/
Evergreen Chou, City Council District 20 (Queens) Evergreen Chou became involved in the Green Party in 1996 when Native American activist Winona LaDuke was chosen as Ralph Nader's running mate for his presidential campaign. Since then he has been an active Green member, volunteering with the late "Grandpa" Al Lewis' campaign for Governor. After co-founding the Flushing Greens in 1999 with his wife, DayStar, he has run as a Green Party candidate for City Council and State Assembly. He is currently the Green Party State Committee Member of A.D. 22 and the Neighborhood Advisory Board (N.A.D.) appointee. Born in Taiwan, Chou moved to the Bronx at age nine. He has since lived in Flushing, Queens with his wife and their nephew since 1992. And he believes voting Green "will insure that you have a future on this planet." More info: http://www.myspace.com/evergreen_chou
Walt Nestler, City Council District 18 (Bronx) Dedicated to improving the overall quality of life in the District 18 in the Bronx, Walt Nestler has worked on Community Board 9 and other community initiatives. He has devoted himself to both his community and the environment. He received degrees in Environmental Studies and Landscape Architecture from SUNY College. Since 1985, he has owned and operated the only professional Landscape Architecture firm in the entire Bronx borough. The strength of his devotion comes from his deep roots in the community. As a third generation resident of Clason Point, Walter is a product of the community and educated in neighborhood schools like P.S. 69, Holy Cross and Saint Raymond's High School. He continues to live and work in the 18th District. More info: http://www.waltnestlerforcitycouncil.org/index.html
David Pechefsky, City Council District 39 (Brooklyn) Housing advocate Dina Levy says: "He is exactly the kind of person an advocate like myself wants in government. He listens, he cares, he talks straight, and he can get things done." David Pechefsky has 12 years of experience in New York City government, and as a staffer in the Council’s budget office, helped secure funding for affordable housing, asthma prevention, senior programs, and after-school programs, and promoted green buildings. He is especially proud of his role in getting over $20 million in capital funds to preserve over 1,000 units of affordable housing. In 2008, he left the Council to become a consultant on legislative effectiveness, and traveled to Nigeria and Sierra Leone in this capacity. Pechefsky lives in Park Slope with his wife and two daughters, who attend MS 51 and PS 321. More info: http://www.pechefskyforcitycouncil.com
Lynne Serpe, City Council 22 (Queens) The Queens Ledger calls Lynne Serpe "a leading environmental activist in Queens and Brooklyn." She has worked for the New Zealand Parliament on issues including food safety, transportation, and energy efficiency, and is an international expert in voting system reform. She co-founded Triple R Events: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle--which partners with city agencies, local artists and small business. She believes strongly that the voting system should be fair and no votes should go uncounted. She is the former Deputy Director of the Political Reform Program of the New America Foundation, was a Senior Analyst for FairVote, and managed the 2004 Ohio Recount. She conducted similar efforts with the NAACP, National Latino Congreso and the League of Women Voters. Lynne has been a resident of Astoria for over fifteen years. She is an urban gardener, serving on the Steering Committee of Two Coves Community Garden, near Astoria Houses, producing fresh produce for its 200 diverse members--many of whom have no local supermarket. More info: http://www.serpeforcouncil.com/
