By Zack SmithAssistant City Editor

A rival to the political status quo caught students’ attentionlast Thursday at Aztec Center.

Medea Benjamin spoke to a group of about 40 people at the Backdoorin Aztec Center and explained her platform as Green Party U.S. Senatecandidate.

Those in attendance said they wanted to hear issues discussed by apublic figure that they’re not bombarded with in the news.

The color green represents U.S. Senate candidate Medea Benjamin.Her grassroots campaign, portraying a down-to-earth approach, stoppedat San Diego State University.

Benjamin said the Green Party campaign is about changing the rulesthat govern politics.

She said the reason a large percentage of 18-to 24-year-oldsdidn’t vote in 1996 was due to their lack of concern about the issuespresented. Such issues include healthcare for senior citizens, theprison system and globalization.

The Green Party would address youth more positively than othercandidates, Benjamin said.

“We’re going to see a big increase in young people voting andgetting involved in activism,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin said democracy is growing more corrupt as corporateinterests influence national policy.

“Our democracy is lacking in this country,” she said. “It’sgetting worse and worse as the years go by.”

Benjamin talked about her platform and what she would do asSenator. Among her biggest concerns are universal healthcare,consumer legislation, living wage and the establishment of acommunity-based education.

Criticizing both Democrats and Republicans for not talking aboutreal issues such as healthcare, Benjamin said pharmaceuticalcompanies are influencing politicians.

“Healthcare is not supposed to be a profit-making business,” shesaid. “It’s supposed to be a human right. How can you take a humanright and hand it over to the insurance company?”

Despite Democrats bragging of current economic prosperity,Benjamin said sweatshop labor practices in both the United States andabroad maintain an inadequate distribution of the nation’s wealth.

She proposed raising the minimum wage to a “living wage;” one thatwould guarantee all U.S. citizens a decent living standard.

She criticized Sen. Dianne Feinstein for voting for legislationthat tailors to big businesses and for not voting for more humanisticand environmental concerns.

Benjaminsaid there are ways to create jobs without supporting corporationsand defense contracts. She said reformatting the nationaltransportation system and installing more solar paneling onapartments and homes are two environmentally friendly ways to dothis.

She criticized California’s government for spending too much moneyon the criminal justice system and not enough on public education.

When it comes to education, Benjamin said she would invest more inpublic schools and recognize teachers as cherished professionals.

Realistically, Benjamin told the audience that this campaign isnot about winning Election 2000 — it’s about working together tobuild a strong foundation.

“Let’s face it, we’re not going to win right now as the GreenParty,” she said. “We’re in the beginning of building a Green Party.”

The Green Party would need to obtain 5 percent of the vote inorder to receive federal funding for 2004.

Students who attended Benjamin’s campus stop said they were gladto hear what a third-party candidate had to say.

Art senior Emily McPike said she likes Benjamin’s and the GreenParty’s stand on the environment and human rights issues.

Environmental science senior Krista Zimmerman said it wasrefreshing to hear a new voice on the issues. This is the first yearshe said there is a candidate worth voting for.

“People are becoming aware that there are other options,”Zimmerman said.

Benjamin is a human rights activist and founded Global Exchange, ahuman rights organization. She has worked as an economist andnutritionist for the United Nations and World Health Organization.

She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in publichealth and a Master’s in economics. She lives in San Francisco.

Benjamin is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent DianneFeinstein and challenger Tom Campbell.

“We’re all in the same boat here,” she said. “We need to take careof each other.”