| PETER CAMEJO: RUNNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Tuesday, July 13 2004 |
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| Peter Camejo might not be a familiar name, but he is making political history by becoming the first Hispanic to run for vice president of the United States. He was chosen by independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader as his running mate. In making the announcement, Nader said, "Camejo shares my concerns for economic and social justice as well as the urgent need to protect our environment." But many wonder if they will also share the dubious distinction of becoming spoilers for the Democratic ticket by taking votes away from John Kerry.
"I'm glad you asked that question," Camejo told me during a televised interview. "Elections in this country cannot be free as long as there is no room for third parties," the Green Party candidate stated. He went on to clarify that in the 2000 presidential election, there were thousands of Democrats in Florida who voted for Bush. "Bush would have lost," he said, if Democrats had voted for their own candidate. "So don't blame the Green Party for Gore's loss; no one here voted for Bush," he said. Ironically, the Nader-Camejo ticket is not getting the endorsement of the Green Party.
Camejo does not want to be known as a spoiler, but as someone who can make a difference. That is why his national platform is geared toward helping the underprivileged. He wants to raise the minimum wage and build more housing to lower the cost of rent. He is in favor of affirmative action, abortion rights, gay marriage and universal health care. In education, he favors increasing funds for public schools, increasing teachers' salaries and funding for Head Start programs, and doing away with what he calls mania."
But the issue he is most passionate about is the environment. And as a businessman, political activist and environmentalist, Camejo has put his money where his mouth is by providing what he calls a sense of economic, social and environmental justice in investing. He created the Eco-Logical Trust for Merrill Lynch, the first environmentally screened fund of a major firm. And his own firm, Progressive Asset Management, Inc., of California, specializes in "socially responsible investing" -- using investments for economic, social and environmental transformation.
It's not really clear what his foreign policy would be on a ticket with Nader. Camejo is a first-generation Venezuelan-American, born in New York, and when asked if he believes that President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a threat to democracy in his country and the region, he said, "I don't want to get involved in the politics of other countries, particularly Venezuela." But he does have a very firm opinion on the war in Iraq. He is against it and thinks we should get out. He also criticizes the fact that the United States at one time supported and even armed Saddam Hussein. "We should not be supporting dictatorships such as those in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait."
Pedro Camejo, as he likes to call himself, is very aware of the importance of the Hispanic vote and is very clear on what he and Nader would offer Latinos. First and foremost, driver's licenses. "There are many Latin Americans who are living in this country, working and paying taxes, yet they have no rights," Camejo said. "How can they get to work and take their kids to school if they don't have a license?" Needless to say, Camejo would offer amnesty to undocumented immigrants.
Camejo is not new to politics. He ran for president 28 years ago as a Socialist, and he has run for governor twice. The last time he was the Green Party candidate was during the California recall election, and he got 2.8 percent of the vote. Does he have a chance of reaching the White House with Ralph Nader? Well, probably not. But there is one thing that no one can dispute: Peter Camejo will go down in history as the first Latino to run for vice president of the United States, and he will continue to fight for social justice and environmental responsibility -- and just maybe he'll be remembered as the guy who spoiled the party yet again for the Democrats with his friend Ralph Nader. |
