Greensweek: The Green Bulletin

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Vol. 1, No. 8
Monday, October 13, 2003

Green news
Upcoming events
Green Action: call Congress; write a letter
Good reads

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GREEN NEWS

ALERT FROM NEW JERSEY
Help reelect Green Party State Assemblyman Matt Ahearn... Dems & Repubs are already flooding his district in Bergen County with TV and radio ads. Matt faces being outspent 10 to 1 by his opponents and needs some national support. Matt has received endorsements from the NJ Sierra Club, a local of the Communications Workers of America, NJ State Industrial Union Council (one quarter of a million members), NJ State Laborers International Union, and NJ State Conference of American Association of University Professors. NJ Greens call Matt's campaign winnable and say it will boost Greens everywhere. The national Green Party's Coordinated Campaign Committee is promoting Matt's campaign and urges Greens and friends to send a check to Matt Ahearn for Assembly, 6 Beekman Place, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. (Large donations, especially $250 and up, are especially needed.) If you can volunteer, call 201-314-9747 or 201-805-0353. More: http://www.mattahearn.com/

ALASKA: The Green Party of Alaska and Republican Moderate Party won their court challenge against Alaska's closed primary system last week. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Mark Rindner ruled that political parties have the right to join other political parties on a common ballot for the primary election. Green Party co-chair Jim Sykes calls the case "a victory for the voters of Alaska to have more choices and a victory for political parties who want to have a more open ballot." See KTUU web coverage at <http://www.msnbc.com/local/ktuu/m330532.asp?0ct=-302>.
More: http://alaska.greens.org

CALIFORNIA: The October 7 recall election didn't elect a Green governor, but Greens there are celebrating a victory nonetheless. The election marked the first time a Green candidate, Peter Camejo, was included with the other major candidates in statewide debates, broadcast to TV viewers across the nation and world. With a Green foot firmly wedged in the political door, California Greens plan to secure similar participation for Green candidates in upcoming elections. Greens applaud current efforts by the League of Women Voters to "take back" the presidential debates from the two-party commission currently controlling and limiting participation. More: http://www.votecamejo.org and http://www.cagreens.org

CALIFORNIA: Outgoing Gov. Gray Davis signed AB 205, granting domestic couples the same rights and responsibilities as married spouses, as members of the Lavender Greens, the lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, intersex and queer caucus of the Green Party, hailed the decision with some reservations. Lavender Greens noted that the bill doesn't address taxation or immigration, for example, and isn't recognized by other states. Lavender Greens in California also noted that Peter Camejo, Green candidate for governor in the recall race, declared his support for same-sex marriage in his first televised debate, and that extended rights for couples has been a consistent cornerstone of local governments run by Green mayors and councils in California. More: http://www.cagreens.org http://www.lavendergreens.org/

GREAT LAKES AREA: The Green Party of Kenosha/Racine will host the Great Lakes Campaign School, December 5-7, to assist progressive candidates and campaign staff prepare for the 2004 elections. See the schedule of events below for details.

MAINE: The Maine Green Independent Party has endorsed Question 1A, the Maine Municipal Association proposal for tax reform. Maine Greens say that Question 1A will compel the Maine legislature to address the desperate need for comprehensive state tax reform. Maine legislators, say Greens, have failed to fund 55% of education, and, after a decade of broken promises, have created an unfunded mandate to local government which can no longer be born by local property tax payers. Greens have called for cutbacks in corporate tax giveaways, a sales tax on services of lawyers, lobbyists, auditors, consultants, etc., a carefully expanded increase in Maine's narrow sales tax while at the same time lowering the rate itself, and an expanded tax rate for the top 1% of Maine's wealthiest tax payers. More: http://www.mainegreens.org

PENNSYLVANIA: Heather Urkuski already made history in 2001 when she was elected auditor of Centre Township on her 20th birthday, making her the youngest ever elected Green. Heather is now strong contender for Berks County Commissioner in Reading. A Reading newspaper, the Eagle, reported after a September candidates forum: "Urkuski delivered some of the most cogent responses of any candidate. After [a Republican incumbent's] illegal-immigrant rant, Urkuski urged that the county reconsider the costly practice of housing illegals at Berks County Prison. And after [two opponents] gave lame excuses about why commissioners deserved a pay hike, Urkuski shrewdly observed that the commissioners will be paid more to work less thanks to their hiring a $100,000-a-year county manager. It was a respectable showing for the only 20-something candidate." The Green Party's national Coordinated Campaign Committee is providing technical assistance and matching funds for Urkuski's campaign staff. Visit http://www.heatherurkuski.org or make checks payable to Friends of Heather Urkuski / Urkuski for County Commissioner, PO Box 12157, Reading, PA 19612. To volunteer, call (610) 374-2897.

WISCONSIN: The Wisconsin Green Party has denounced a plan proposed by Republican State Assembly Rep. Mike Huebsch (West Salem) to increase reliance on nuclear power by lifting a ban on the construction of new plants in order to meet the state's energy shortfall. Greens cited the dangers of nuclear storage and transportation of nuclear waste, vulnerability of nuclear plants to terrorism, the large quantities of water for cooling towers, and the periodic releases of radiation from nuclear plants. Wisconsin Greens favor solar and wind energies and advocates conservation to reduce Wisconsin's reliance upon fossil fuels. More: http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org

NATIONAL: The Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States has approved the International Committee's request to authorize endorsement of the 'FTAA Call to Action,' and urges state Green Parties to sign on. Organizers of the AFL-CIO's Stop FTAA campaign say they would welcome additional Green Party endorsements from our state Green Parties and Green caucuses; Campus Greens have already endorsed it. The national party is mobilizing for the coalition protests against the FTAA summit in Miami next month. More: http://www.publiccitizen.org or manski@greens.org

NATIONAL: The Green Party of the United States is currently seeking applicants for the position of Operations Director, located in Washington, DC. For a description of job responsibilities and other details, visit http://www.gp.org/committees/steering/op_dir.html. The deadline for applications is October 17, 2003; the start date is immediate. Another Green Party job opening, for Outreach Director for African American Affairs, Black Caucus, is posted at http://www.gp.org/committees/black/outreach.html.

AUSTRALIA: On October 7, the Australian Senate censured Prime Minister John Howard for misleading the people of Australia over the reasons for going to war with Iraq. Greens and Australian Democrats voted together to defeat the government by 33 votes to 30. The censure motion was initially proposed by Greens Senator Bob Brown but amended by Labor. Brown said Howard was involved in an unprecedented deceit of the nation and deserved censure.
More: http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7492989%255E2,00.html

MEXICO: The National Action Party and the Environmentalist Green Party, which helped President Vicente Fox get into office in 2000 were fined $48 million on Friday by Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute for campaign violations. The two parties allegedly accepted foreign campaign donations, exceeded campaign spending limits, and failed to report campaign income. Fox's NAP is responsible for two-thirds of the fine, or $31.8 million, with the much smaller Green Party due to pay the remaining $16.2 million.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18: PLEASE NOTE... The Great Black Peace March and Rally, originally scheduled for this date, has been folded into the October 25 peace rally in DC, about which see below. More: Black Voices for Peace, http://www.bvfp.org

OCTOBER 18-19: Grassroots America Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland to plan responses to the USA Patriot [sic] Act and other infringements on constitutional liberties occurring in the name of fighting terrorism. Organized by the Center for Democracy and Technology, National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom, ACLU, American Library Association, Council on American Islamic Relations, National Lawyers Guild, and People For the American Way. (Most of these are Democratic Party allies, but Greens have led efforts to pass resolutions in many cities and states against the USA Patriot Act.) More: http://www.grassroots-america.org

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25: Mass march on Washington, DC to end the occupation of Iraq, and bring the troops home now. 11 am at the Washington Monument in DC; or gather at 11 am at the Civic Center in San Francisco for the joint west coast action. Stay tuned for news about Green contingents.
More:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/
http://www.internationalanswer.org
http://www.bvfp.org

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15: Visiting Florida for FTAA Ministerial Meetings in November? John Howes humanbeing@webtv.net, chair of the Green Party of Florida's Blue/Green Alliance Building Committee, invites you to a 'Globalize This!' rally in protest of the FTAA's antidemocratic and destructive 'free trade' policies, to be held in Williams Park, Saint Petersburg, from noon to 3 pm on November 15. For more information, click on this e-flyer:
(front page) http://community-2.webtv.net/humanbeing/flyer0/
(back page) http://community-2.webtv.net/humanbeing/flyer/

DECEMBER 5-7: The Green Party of Kenosha/Racine will host the Great Lakes Campaign School to help progressive candidates and campaign staff prepare for the 2004 elections. Kenosha/Racine Greens are planning a weekend of training sessions for folks from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. The event will be held at the DeKoven Center in Racine, on the shores of Lake Michigan. A small fee is required; scholarships are available. The Green Party of the United States is co-sponsoring the Campaign School, to make it more affordable to aspiring candidates. Speakers, including elected Greensand those with Green campaign experience, will be announced soon. Sessions will include how to develop a campaign plan, raise funds, attract volunteers, develop a 'Green" message, and work with the media. More: 262-633-7133, petekaras@yahoo.com

GREEN ACTION

CALL CONGRESS
* Call, fax, write a letter, or pay a visit
* Contact information: Congressional switchboard: (202) 224-3121
US House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/
US Senate: http://www.senate.gov
* Write a letter to the editor, a guest op-ed column, essay, or article

Republican leaders in the House (Speaker Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader Tom DeLay) are trying to block a resolution disapproving the FCC's media deregulation plan from reach the floor for a vote. The FCC recently relaxed rules on the ownership of media, allowing greater concentrated corporate control of TV and radio stations and newspapers, but many Congress members objected and drafted a Resolution of Disapproval, which passed in the Senate in September. Urge Reps to force the vote and pass the resolution overturning the FCC's decision.
More: http://www.mediareform.net
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1010-13.htm
Tell Senators to vote NO on President Bush's $87 billion dollar request for the Iraq occupation. More: http://www.gp.org/press/pr_08_20_03.html
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_07_21_03.html
http://www.uniting-for-peace.net
Tell Congress to support paper records for electronic voting machines.
More: http://www.verifiedvoting.com/fair_elections.asp
Tell Congress to support a $215 million increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). More: The Save ADAP Committee, a working group of the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC) http://www.atac-usa.org

GOOD READS