"A third party candidate for New York governor paid a visit to campus Tuesday to stress the importance of energy independence and liberal economics.

"Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins spoke to a crowd of about 20 people in Mahar’s fourth floor lounge. He said he was motivated to join the race when he learned about Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo’s economic policies, which Hawkins characterized as conservative.

""He wants to blame workers and the people who use public services for the state’s fiscal crisis," Hawkins said. "The fact is that the state had the money, but they gave it back. The state had $16 billion from the stock transfer tax, and they rebated it to Wall Street. It was Andrew’s father Mario that started rebating that tax… So I see the financial crisis as politic, not economics."

"Hawkins was also outspoken about energy policy in New York. In 1976, Hawkins helped found The Clamshell Alliance, an influential anti-nuclear energy advocacy group, and he still distrusts nuclear power—a big employer of Oswego county residents.

""Nukes are one of the most disastrous industrial projects. It can’t pay for itself," Hawkins said. "Oswego has been bought off by this big nuke being here. I don’t think I’m going to win the majority on any nuclear position right here in Oswego. But majorities of the people around the country, and around the state realize what the real costs are. Why should we continue to subsidize a huge failure of an industry just so Oswego can have a company paying taxes?"

"He also said he disfavors hydrofracking as a source of alternative energy. Hawkins said that the process is too dirty and that global warming is increasing too rapidly to make hydrofracking a viable energy option.

"Hawkins commented on his candidacy, saying his race is about solving the problems faced by the state, not about personalities.

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