To my friends in the environmental movement, why? I know that some people in my social networks are planning on supporting Max Myers for governor because he’s the only candidate that is giving them lip service on what they want – a fracking ban. So here’s a little bit of information on the unknown candidate. Max Myers is an anti-choice and an anti-LGBTQ candidate who is running nothing more than a vanity campaign. A brief bio of the candidate shows:
Max Myers spent the last six years as the head of the Global School of Supernatural Ministry (GSSM) of the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening (ANGA). ANGA is led by internationally known apostle, Randy Clark, and includes the regional Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI) and GSSM housed in the Apostolic Resource Center in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, a few miles from the state capitol.
I’ve been involved with this site for the past couple of years, am an environmentalist, was an environmental science major, spent a good part of my childhood camping – still camp and backpack to this day – and I’ve been involved with anti-fracking groups while I lived in Harrisburg, Kutztown and back home in Philadelphia. I don’t remember the environmental movement in Pennsylvania being so shitty, but putting your issues – a ban on fracking – in front of the issues of people who’ve been discriminated against, and still are discriminated against, is nothing but a great example of tribalism within the progressive/left community. This tribalism is why the left has a really tough time getting stuff done. These Myers supporters would be much better in supporting a candidate who is wishy-washy on the fracking issue or they would be better served by picking a candidate – say Tom Wolf or Rob McCord – and constantly hound them on that issue and constantly pull them to your side.
If the environmental movement wants to support someone who will have no impact in the primary, then maybe I was wrong about the environmental movement in PA.
Thanks Sean Kitchen! The Shale Justice Coalition met with Myers recently–and it IS attractive to see a candidate that appears to be anti-fracking. But it is VERY clear that we cannot support this candidate given his position on the human rights of gays, and we cannot support a candidate whose vision of a just world is premised in theocracy. No No No.
I will advise my fellows at Shale Justice accordingly–THANK YOU SEAN!
Wendy Lynne Lee
I forgot to thank Sean for his excellent research when I posted my previous comment below explaining my support for John Hanger. (I was one of the people who planned/participated in the State Dem Party fracking moratorium vote, which I also failed to mention)……thanks, again, Sean!
“Myers supporters would be much better in supporting a candidate who is wishy-washy on the fracking issue or they would be better served by picking a candidate – say Tom Wolf or Rob McCord – and constantly hound them on that issue and constantly pull them to your side.” This doesn’t make sense. if you’re under eminent danger of being fracked like so many people are, it would make better sense to support the candidate who will put an end to it, like Meyers, and “constantly hound” them on the other issues like pro-choice and LGBTQ issues
Those in the environmental movement supporting Myers are being lazy, for some reason or another. The progressive/activist left needs to be a “big tent” area and cant continue being factionalized. Myers isn’t running a serious campaign for governor, and he will have no influence on the dialogue coming out of Schwartz, Wolf or McCord. Hanger has had influence on issues when it comes to medical marijuana. That’s because Hanger is actually campaigning with progressive organizations throughout the state. I know people hate Hanger, but it would be much better for them to support a candidate who isn’t on top of the issue but can be moved. Supporting Myers is taking the path of least resistance, and when organizing around an issue, that path usually produces the least results.
thanks, Sean, for illuminating this candidate’s other views on important issues and looks like we can not support him for Governor…
Even though it sometimes feels like we’ve reached End Times, we do not need a theocracy in Pennsylvania. Progressives must be more aggressive! Thanks for digging in, Sean. RC has become the go-to source for info about the candidates – TY!
(Yes, I saw Gasland, by way of disclosure). I support John Hanger. Do I think A. Schwartz or McGinty would have even given us an interview like Hanger did? Schwartz and McGinty, in addition to shoving the moratorium in our faces, also do not come across as committed progressives on public education, stopping privatization, marijuana reforms, etc. Their last minute conversions and changing positions is a harbinger of bad things to come. Hanger is authentically progressive. Since all the candidates are pretty much alike on taxing/regulating fracking (I’d argue Hanger is far more moved in our direction but the argument need not be entertained here), I feel that the fracking question is moot/academic at this point. I, therefore, owing to some common sense and rationality which I sometimes exhibit, chose to pick the candidate whose principles are sound, well argued, and solid—no last minute conversions along the campaign trail. Hanger, in spite of my initial over-reaction when I saw Gasland-is the real deal. I am very comfortable supporting him. I am 66 years old, been in the political game 40 years as an activist–not a Party functionary–and John Hanger is our best hope, IMO. One more thing—the electoral process and candidates do not move issues, we (people) do. Just like LGBT, marijuana reform, equality issues–all moved quickly when a critical mass of public opinion jelled. The environomentalist’s job is to emphasize working with the public’s opinions and not so much with candidates AT THIS TIME. Since Hanger meets my progressive criteria on many important issues, I chose to work as a volunteer for him.
The ONLY antifracking candidate, Paul Glover, Green Party. http://www.paulglover.org/governor.html
For a bit more about why Max Myers should not be our anti-fracking savior, see:
http://thewrenchphilosleft.blogspot.com/2014/02/mad-max-myers-is-not-my-anti-fracking.html
Wendy Lynne Lee