Vol. 1, No. 13
Monday, November 17, 2003
Green news
Upcoming events
Green Action: call Congress; write a letter
Good reads
_________________
GREEN NEWS
CAMPAIGN ALERT:
Matt Gonzalez,
Green candidate for Mayor of San Francisco in the December 9 runoff
election, can win! According to a CBS 5 Poll, conducted by Survey USA and
reported November 14, shows Gonzalez is leading multimillionaire
Democratic candidate Gavin Newsom by two points, 49% to 47%, with 4%
undecided and a 4.4% margin of error. More: http://beta.kpix.com/news/local/2003/11/14/Poll:_Gonzalez_Leads_Newsom_in_SF_Mayor's_Race.html
Urgent: Matt Gonzalez is facing "spoiler"
accusations from Gavin Newson -- with help from Tipper Gore in the form of
an ugly letter to voters blaming SF Greens for Al's loss. You can help
Matt by going to his website to donate or volunteer or mail a check: http://www.mattgonzalez.com;
Gonzalez for Mayor, 168 Seville St, San Francisco, CA 94112. The more, the
better: the donation limit is $250.
LAST CHANCE: The Coordinated Campaign Committee is
hiring a Political Director to support the CCC in its work for Green Party
campaigns. Accepting resumes and letters of interest until November 20 at juscha@greens.org.
More: http://www.gp.org/committees/campaign/poldir03.html
The Green Party of the United States is also seeking a
Fundraising Director. More: http://www.gp.org/committees/steering/fundraiser.html
CALIFORNIA: Peter Camejo has formed an exploratory
committee and will have his name on the March 4 California primary ballot
for President as a 'favorite son' candidate in California. Camejo is the
second Green to announce a state-based campaign for President; in July,
Carol Miller declared her 'favorite daughter' candidacy in New Mexico.
CALIFORNIA: Accusing Democratic Rep. Robert Matsui of a
"lack of leadership opposing the war in Iraq," Green Party
activist Patrick Driscoll, a 51-year-old Navy veteran, announced that he
will contest the longtime Congress member's reelection bid in Sacramento
(5th Congressional District) in 2004. Driscoll says his campaign will seek
a symbolic recall of Matsui. (Members of Congress are not subject to
recall.) Driscoll also cited Matsui's support for free-trade agreements
and the USA Patriot Act. Driscoll, who joined the Navy in 1972, said he
chose Veterans Day to announce his candidacy to highlight the sacrifices
made by soldiers in service to their country and the lives being lost in
Iraq. Driscoll, who heads the local chapter of Veterans for Peace, has
been an outspoken critic of the war and was arrested twice and cited in
March during protests outside the Sacramento federal building. More: http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/7770772p-8709763c.html
CALIFORNIA: Tom Hutchings, Green candidate in the
November 2, 2004 election for the 33rd Assembly District (northwestern
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties), attended the Veteran's Day
Observance at Los Osos Valley Mortuary & Memorial Park. Hutchings, a
US Air Force veteran of the Viet Nam War, earned four Air Medals as a
result of flying classified missions under extremely hazardous conditions.
He recently learned that he has been recommended to receive the U.S. Air
Force's Distinguished Flying Cross that was overlooked during the Viet Nam
War. He was assigned to the 6994th Security Squadron at Tan Son Nhut
Airbase, and flew on 126 intelligence-gathering missions as an aircrew
member on EC-47s. He was awarded California's Medal of Merit for
outstanding military leadership. More: http://www.votetom.org
FLORIDA: The Green Party's International Committee, the
Miami-Dade Green Party, and Campus Greens are helping organize to
"Stop the FTAA!" The FTAA, an antidemocratic international trade
authority, will hold its summit in Miami from November 19 to 21. Protests,
workshops, and a Green press conference are planned: see the detailed
listing under Schedule of Events below. More: http://www.gp.org/ftaa2003.html
MASSACHUSETTS: The Somerville Green-Rainbow Party is
working on a 'Peace From Every Balcony' campaign in solidarity with the
peace flag campaigns which marked European protest against the Iraq War.
Party members are calling for a renewed sense of urgency about the
situation in Iraq and the immediate internationalization of the
reconstruction. More: http://somerville.green-rainbow.org/peace
MICHIGAN: Michigan Greens unanimously passed
resolutions supporting unionized workers picketing Borders in Ann Arbor
for closer-to-living wages, and honoring the one-year anniversary of the
nurses' strike at Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey, at the party's
fall state membership meeting on November 15. At the meeting, held in
Lawrence and hosted by the new Van Buren County Chapter, the Green Party
of Michigan (GPMI) also voted to support the Black Autonomy Network of
Community Organizations after hearing guest speaker and BANCO's executive
director, Rev. Edward Pinkney. Michigan Greens settled on a timeline for
the process of selecting national delegates to the national nominating
convention, set for June 24-27, 2004, in Milwaukee. More: http://www.migreens.org
OREGON: The Pacific Green Party of Oregon announced
that it welcomes constructive input from Democratic Party officials and
strategists with regard to the 2004 presidential election. The statement
noted the need to recognize a (mis)perception that Greens somehow caused
the Democrats to lose the presidential election in 2000, and also recalled
Al Gore's "lousy" campaign and illegal election engineering by
Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris. Pacific Green spokesperson Blair Bobier
also stressed the need for electoral reforms such as instant runoff voting
and proportional representation. More: http://www.pacificgreens.org/
RHODE ISLAND: The Green Party of Rhode Island received
notice that David Cobb and Kent Mesplay, candidates for the Green Party
nomination for President, will be filing Statements of Intent with the
Secretary of State on November 17, in competition for state delegates to
the National Nominating Convention in Milwaukee next June. Both candidates
worked with the Green Party of Rhode Island to place their names on the
March 2, 2004 primary ballot. Rhode Island Greens note that this will be
the first time in the history of the Green Party of the United States that
a state party has petitioned to place candidates in a Green Party
presidential primary. More: http://www.greens.org/ri
NATIONAL: In the works: receptions in DC for Jason
Ravin, the new Outreach Director for African American Affairs for the
Green Party's Black Caucus, and Emily Citkowski, the new national
Operations Director. Details soon.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER 17-21 Various protests, meetings, workshops,
etc. on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) summit in Miami,
Florida, throughout the week. Greens will hold a get-together to greet one
another and coordinate the week's Green activities, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17 at
the Travel Inn, 305-324-0800, NW 11th Street & 12th Avenue in Miami
(there's a restaurant & bar at the hotel). A Workshop on the Global
Greens Charter and International Politics, will take place WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 19 at 3 pm in the Doubletree Key Biscayne Room. At 5:30 pm, the
Green Party will hold a press conference at the Radisson Downtown Miami,
across the street from the Doubletree. National, state, and international
Green Party representatives will appear at the press conference. Also, on
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, Marta Benavides from El Salvador will speak on a
morning panel on water privatization, and national party co-chair Ben
Manski and Chris Doran of PressurePoint.org will give a workshop on the
origins of corporate power.
Important news for those planning to participate: The
ACLU has issued a 'Rights of Protesters' pamphlets (downloadable at http://www.aclufl.org),
and is launching 24-hour hotline to assist FTAA protesters: 305-461-1461.
Legal observers will wear lime green hats for easy identification. The
Convergence Center for the protests is at 2300 North Miami Avenue at 23rd
Street. More: http://www.miamidadegreenparty.org/Issues/WTO/wto.html
Register to join other Greens in Miami, find the
schedule of events, and read the list of state and local Green parties
that have endorsed the national FTAA Call to Action: http://www.gp.org/ftaa2003.html
Miami contact numbers for Greens: 305-460-8048 (recorded info),
305-908-1369, 305-283-7271 Where to stay in Miami: (305) 460-8048 http://www.miamidadegreenparty.org/
http://www.gp.org/ftaa2003hotel.html
Green calendar for Miami events: http://www.miamidadegreenparty.org/calendar/info_ftaa.html
Green nonviolence guidelines: http://www.gp.org/ftaa2003nonviolence.html
Help needed! Green organizers ask all Greens &
friends who plan to attend and who support the FTAA protests to contribute
at least $5 -- and more if you can -- to the Miami-Dade Greens. Make check
payable to the 'Green Party of Miami-Dade County,' and mail it to
Miami-Dade Green Party, PO Box 560325, Miami, FL 33256.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18: David Cobb, candidate for the
Green Party's presidential nomination, will visit Newark, Delaware for a
meeting with Delaware Greens and other community activists. In the
evening, Cobb will address the public at the University of Delaware's Gore
Hall Room 318, 6 pm. More: http://www.gpde.org
http://www.votecobb.org
NOVEMBER 21-23: Vigil at the gates of Fort Benning,
Georgia in protest of the School of the Americas, closed by Congress in
2000 and reopened by Clinton as the Western Hemisphere Institute for
Security Cooperation. The weekend starts with workshops and events on
Friday, November 21. Saturday's rally will feature lots of music including
Pete Seeger; Llajtasuyo; Francisco Herrera; Jon Fromer; Amy Goodman from
Democracy Now!; Sister Helen Prejean; Bob King, the International VP of
the International Auto Workers Union; Kathy Kelly from Voices in the
Wilderness; Carlos Mauricio and Neris Gonzales; Starhawk; activists from
South America; many others. On Sunday, nonviolent CD is expected. Ride
Board information at http://www.soaw.org/new/ride.php.
More: http://www.soaw.org
NOVEMBER 22-23 The Santa Fe County Chapter of the New
Mexico Green Party is sponsoring a community forum, "Issues and
Elections: Organizing for a Better New Mexico", at Capshaw Jr. High
School in Santa Fe. Topics: water, living wages (Santa Fe recently passed
a living wage ordinance applicable to any business with 25 or more
employees; the city already has one for its own employees and
contractors.), achieving universal health care for NM, local energy
options, etc. Election workshops will focus on schools for candidates,
campaign managers, treasurers, PR people, etc. More: NMGP national rep
Rick Lass 505-920-0540.
NOVEMBER 22-23: Claim Democracy Conference, sponsored
by the Center for Voting and Democracy, featuring a large coalition of
pro-democracy groups, in Washington, DC. Securing, Enhancing and
Exercising the Vote is the centerpiece of the Center's new Democracy USA
initiative. Register at http://www.democracyusa.org/events/registration.html.
More: http://www.fairvote.org/
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4: Alternatives to the current
Israeli /Palestinian policy: Robyn Lundy, the National Organizor for the
Tikkun Community, will present proposals for a middle path to peace that
is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian. 7 pm at St Paul and St Andrew
Church, 263 West 86th Street in New York City. More: NYTikkun@well.com
DECEMBER 5-7: Calling all Great Lakes Greens! 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. Suggested fee to attend, including tuition and
food, is $50. No one will be turned away for inability to pay. Carpools
are being planned. The Green Party of the United States is co-sponsoring
the Campaign School, to make it more affordable to aspiring candidates.
Speakers, including elected Greens and those with extensive 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,
http://www.GreatLakesGreens.org
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
Repeated from earlier Greensweeks but still current....
GOOD READS
Recommended articles, books, web sites
Two articles by Micah Sifry in The Nation: "Ralph
Redux", November 6, 2003 http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20031124&s=sifry;
and "The Democrat-Green Death Struggle", in the November 24
print edition. These articles have sparked a lot of discussion among
Greens, about coverage of the Greens in the progressive and liberal press
as well as Green prospects for 2004. Also in the November 24 print edition
of The Nation: "Why We Still Need a Third Party" by Alexander
Cockburn.
Ecological Politics: Ecofeminists and the Greens. By
Greta Claire Gaard, published in hardcover by Temple University Press
(July, 1998). According to Walt Sheasby's review of the book, Gaard
"examines the development of Green politics in the US from the first
murmurs of ecofeminism and of animal rights, and the joining of radical
ecologists and anti-nuke activists into a Committee of Correspondence in
the 1980s, to the conclusion of the Nader for President campaign and the
subsequent split in 1996."
The Promise of Green Politics: Environmentalism and the
Public Sphere. By Douglas Torgerson, published by Duke University Press
(October 1999), Paperback, $19.95. Torgerson reviews different schools of
ecological thought and their implications for the political realm. Using
the theories of Hannah Arendt and others, he argues that the environmental
movement has the potential to play a valuable part in recent developments
in political theory and social action by changing practices both at both
the grassroots level and the levels of power. He emphasizes the complexity
of green thinking and the transformational possibilities of green
politics.
The Torgerson book is a recommendation from Rachel
Treichler, who runs Eco Books. Here's the address and contact information:
Eco Books, 7988 Van Amburg Road, Hammondsport, NY 14840, 607-569-2114, http://www.ecobooks.com
----------------------------------------
GREENSWEEK is edited and issued by the Media Committee
(co-chairs: Nancy Allen, Scott McLarty) of the Green Party of the United
States.
Please forward Greensweek widely to friends, Green
Parties, organizations, lists: We're aiming for a circulation of ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND by January 2004, ONE MILLION by the June 2004 national
Green Convention in Milwaukee.
SUBSCRIBE to Greensweek by sending your e-mail address
to greensweek@gpus.org. You can
also read Greensweek at <http://www.gp.org/greensweek/index.html>.
CONTRIBUTE! Every dollar you donate to the Green Party
counts! Please make a contribution today: http://www.gp.org/donate.html
BE AN E-MAIL BUDDY: Not everyone is on line, but you
can keep offline friends, family, and neighbors stay in touch by printing
out Greensweek and other important national, state, and local Green
messages for them.
IF YOU HAVE AN announcement or some Green news that
might be of national interest, an action alert, or an article
recommendation for Greensweek, send it to greensweek@gpus.org.
Please make it brief: 3 or 4 sentences at most, a web page, contact
information.
The Green Party of the United States www.GP.org
National office: 1700 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 404 Washington, DC
20009.
202-319-7191, 202-319-7192, 866-41GREEN Fax 202-319-7193
Green elections and candidates http://www.gp.org/patience.html
Green Party Platform http://www.gp.org/platform.html
Cobb/LaMarche 2004 campaign & Ohio/New Mexico recount news
http://www.votecobb.org
Greens in the media http://web.greens.org/news
Green Party News Circulator http://www.gp.org/circ/circulator.html
Green ballot status & voter registration http://web.greens.org/stats
The Real Difference http://www.therealdifference.org/
Who REALLY spoiled in 2000? http://www.gp.org/organize/spoiled.html
Greens World Wide http://www.greens.org
Campus Greens http://www.campusgreens.org
Global Greens http://www.globalgreens.info
TOP |
