Photographs by Lindsey Davis

Dr. Jill Stein, the Green-Rainbow party candidate for governor of Massachusetts, is hoping the electorate of Massachusetts will show some love for the underdog Nov. 2.

Dr. Stein, whose running mate Rick Purcell sat for a one on one interview with The Massachusetts Daily Collegian last Sunday, visited the Student Union Ballroom at the University of Massachusetts yesterday, Oct. 28 to talk to students and garner votes.

The event was sponsored by the Cannabis Reform Coalition (CRC) and coordinated by former news reporter turned-performance artist Norman B, who also performed at the event.

“The CRC supports [Jill Stein] because she is for the legalization of marijuana, and also [because she] is for the environment…and a supporter of gay rights,” said Alex Delegas, treasurer of the CRC.

“[Marijuana] is better for the environment. You can have so many uses of it,” said April Lachapelle, the president of the CRC.

“You can get hemp paper, hemp seeds which are good for vegetarians. Weed can also be used as a pain reliever,” said Lachapelle.

Dan Melick, who is running for the Amherst/Granby area seat in the United States House of Representatives, introduced Dr. Stein to a group of about 40 students and local citizens.

Dr. Stein appeared youthful and focused despite graying hair and the long campaign season. She began by thanking the CRC and UMass for inviting her to speak.

Stein went on the offensive early against her opponents, Republican Charlie Baker and incumbent Governor Patrick.

“I’m in this race because if I weren’t, we would just be hearing from three Beacon Hill insiders,” said Stein, “and just be hearing about three different versions of business as usual that’s just not doing the trick for us in all kinds of ways.”

Dr. Stein criticized the Patrick administration and former administrations for systematically disinvesting in the state’s higher education.

According to Stein, $600 million has been cut from funding of higher education in the last 10 years with a substantial amount of those cuts having happened under Governor Patrick’s watch.

“We’re told there’s not enough money,” said Stein, “what they really mean is that there is not enough money for you [college students], because there is plenty of money for other things.”

“Like over $1 million in corporate tax giveaways to the well-connected, $300 million a year for the Raytheon and Fidelity tax breaks and for jobs that were supposed to be created, but never were,” said Stein.

Several UMass students attended the speech, many from the CRC.

“I support Jill Stein and the legalization of marijuana,” said Jessica Charnley, a freshman history major.

“[The legalization of marijuana] could definitely benefit the state, allowing more spending money for the schools, and we should change the drug laws so that so many people aren’t being jailed,” said Charnley.

In an interview after the presentation with Dr. Stein, the candidate elaborated on why UMass students should cast their vote for her on Tuesday.

“Don’t throw your vote away voting for more of the same and more of what’s failing us and more of what’s raising your fees and tuitions and reducing your financial support and depriving you of jobs,” said Dr. Stein.

According to Stein, her experience as a medical doctor prompted her to get active in the political process.

“Seeing our medical system failing and seeing kids walking around with diseases that you’re not supposed to get until you’re in old age, so it’s the failure of the medical system all around that made me feel like I did not want to sit around dispensing pills and sending people out to what was making them sick,” said Dr. Stein, echoing themes of pollution in her speech.

“The medical system also showed me that health insurance is not what we should be spending our health care dollar on,” said Dr. Stein.

“There is a simple system, called the single payer system – like what they use in Canada – that could cut our healthcare costs by billions right out of the starting gate,” said Stein, “So why not cut the cost of healthcare by cutting waste in the bureaucracy instead of cutting the care?”

Dr. Stein was involved in a physicians’ group that tried to change the community drivers of health and disease.

“I learned after about 10 to 15 years of being an advocate that [legislators] don’t change, when they are being paid not to change by the lobbyists and industries that are sponsoring their campaigns,” said Dr. Stein.

Purcell called Baker and Patrick “corporate candidates” in his interview with the Collegian last week. The two candidates for Lieutenant Governor responded by saying that they could not receive campaign money from corporations.

Dr. Stein countered their claim that they do not receive money from corporations.

“They just take [the money] instead from the officers of the corporations,” said Stein, “and the lobbyists who collect the donations from lots of members of the corporations.”

Dr. Stein pointed out that 90 percent of the Massachusetts state government is run by Democrats, so the state senate could in theory overrule every decision made by the Governor. She advises the Mass. public to “vote with their conscience.”

Norman B, whose real name is Norman Bie, performed a rock opera after the speech entitled “Protest PG,” which detailed topics of the Pashtun genocide, Guantanamo Bay and the prohibition of marijuana. According to Bie, the other candidates for the gubernatorial race were contacted to speak before the performance, but all declined except Dr. Stein.

Bobby Hitt can be reached at [email protected].