cognitivedissonance:  Meet Cheri Honkala. She's running for sheriff of Philadelphia as the Green Party candidate, and she's amazing. Her statement:  My name is Cheri Honkala and I'm running for Sheriff of Philadelphia to keep families in their homes. Every 7 seconds in this country a family is going into foreclosure. The banks received billions of dollars in taxpayer bailout money and yet they refuse to help out struggling homeowners and continue to increase blight and homelessness in our communities. Well, I'm here to act as the people's bailout! When I'm elected Sheriff, I will refuse to throw anyone out of their home. We live in the richest nation in the world and there is no reason why we can't house every man, woman, and child. I'm also working to establish community land trusts. There are over 40,000 vacant properties in our city and having democratic community-based control over these properties offers the potential for housing people in need of homes and creating more urban gardens, farms, and public spaces. I will refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We are a nation of immigrants and must work together and not against one another if we're going to survive this economy. In the past 10 years our civil liberties have been degraded through legislation like the Patriot Act. As the people's Sheriff I will uphold the US Constitution. I believe in transparency. The previous Philadelphia Sheriff's office cannot account for 53 million dollars. I will ensure that the financial records and activities of the Sheriff's office are public and accessible. I'm a formerly homeless mother who, for over 25 years, has been fighting for economic human rights alongside poor and homeless people in Philadelphia and across America. Together we've been working on the sources, not just the symptoms of our problems, to create a more compassionate and sustainable economy. My campaign for Sheriff is a rare opportunity for us to do something real and significant about the crisis we are facing. Let's make history again in Philadelphia. Please support my campaign. Please Donate, Volunteer, and Spread the Word… Another Philadelphia is coming November 8  If you live in or near Philly, spread the word. Visit her site for videos of her debating and discussing Occupy Wall Street. Remember, it's not the worst idea to occupy the polls as well as the streets.
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