Vol. 2, No. 2
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
_________________
GREEN NEWS
COLORADO: The Green Party of Colorado called on the
state legislature on January 6 to stop Governor Owens and State Treasurer
Mike Coffman from violating the intent behind Colorado's tobacco
settlement, and instead redirecting the money to pay for the Owens
administration's poor fiscal management and reckless permanent tax cuts.
Colorado Greens urged the state legislature to show it can best serve
citizens by protecting the programs created through the tobacco
settlement. More: http://www.coloradogreens.org
DELAWARE: The Delaware Green Party was part of a
coalition of Newark citizens and community groups concerned about the
Patriot Act who held an educational public forum in Newark on Sunday
January 11. On December 8, the coalition presented a resolution to Newark
City Council opposing portions of the so-called Patriot Act and calling
for its repeal, and asked for it to be voted on at the January 26 Council
meeting. More: http://www.gpde.org
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The DC Statehood Green Party
announced the names two candidates who were selected as 'targeted' for the
2004 elections by Statehood Greens at the party's 2004 Campaign Kickoff on
Saturday, January 10: Arturo Griffiths, for At-Large Member of Council;
Michele Tingling-Clemmons, for Ward 7 Member of Council. Arturo and
Michele have not formally announced their campaigns yet, but will do so
shortly. Statehood Greens are moving ahead with efforts to give them an
early start and a strong boost from the party in order to give them an
advantage in the 2004 DC elections, which will also benefit other DC
Statehood Green candidates who plan to run for office in 2004. Statehood
Greens also made preparations for the January 13 'First in the Nation'
primary elections. More: http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
MARYLAND: As the legislative session begins, the
Maryland Green Party's Coordinating Council formally endorsed a 7-point
legislative agenda for the 2004 session of the Maryland Assembly: the
Clean Energy Portfolio, voter-verifiable computer voting, treatment not
incarceration for non-violent drug offenses, guaranteed adequate funding
for the Bridge to Excellence in Public Education Act/Thornton Commission,
instant runoff voting, a moratorium on the death penalty, and restoration
of voting rights for ex-felons who have completed their sentences.
Maryland Green activists are also spearheading the Campaign for Treatment
Not Incarceration, a coalition of 28 organizations that seek to redirect
Maryland's nearly $ one billion spent per year on the criminal justice
system and incarceration over to treatment for nonviolent drug use
and to abolish mandatory minimums. More: http://www.mdgreens.org
and http://www.treatnotjail.org/
NEW MEXICO: Jeremy Brown, in an interview on 'New
Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan,' announced that he will be a candidate
in the race for the 1st Congressional District (Albuquerque). Brown is a
sociology instructor at TV-I and a retired Army veteran who served in the
Special Forces in Panama for four years and 15 years in the Army reserves.
Brown, who lives in the East mountains and ran for the Bernalillo County
Commission in 98', says his big issue in the 04' race will be corporate
power, and claims that incumbent Rep. Wilson is "completely
controlled" by corporate interests and that his three Democratic
opponents "are not much better." Democratic State Sen.
Richard Romero, running for a second time after losing in 02',
phoned Brown in an unsuccessful effort to keep him out of the race.
More: http://www.Jeremy4congress.us
OREGON: In accordance with their resolution to work for
a fairer tax structure in Oregon, the Pacific Green Party voted at
its January 10 convention to endorse Measure 30. If Measure 30 passes,
taxes raised in 2003-2005 will come mostly from higher-income
households and businesses, with middle-income families paying less than
$34 annually (taking into account the federal tax cut) to save the Oregon
Health Plan, support public education through the college level, and save
jobs. More: http://www.pacificgreens.org/
PENNSYLVANIA: The Steering Committee of Northwest
Greens held its first meeting in East Mount Airy on January 6, and decided
the new organization would tackle three major issues: withdrawal of US
troops from Iraq, ending racism in the Philadelphia legal system, and
improvement of SEPTA (Philadelphia's transit system) services. A statement
of purpose was also adopted, by consensus. The Steering Committee members
are Belinda Davis, Kathy Lopez, Tom Maroon, Meenal Raval, and Chris
Robinson, all of whom are residents of Germantown or Mount Airy. More:
Chris Robinson, 215-843-4256, chrisrecon@netzero.net
CHESAPEAKE REGION: The national Coordinated Campaign
Committee and Greens in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania are
organizing a two-day Campaign School in Baltimore, at the University of
Baltimore on January 31 and February 1, 2004. See the listing under
Upcoming Events below.
NATIONAL: The Green Party of the United States formally
has announced its 2004 National Nominating Convention, to take place in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 23 to 28, 2004. The convention sites will
be the Midwest Center, Milwaukee Theater, and the Milwaukee Hyatt Regency.
The party has posted an online registration page, with early registration
encouraged, at https://secure.gpus.org/convention/.
Co-chairs of the Annual National Meeting Committee are Lynne Serpe and
Ruth Weill.
More: http://www.gp.org/convention/process.html
NATIONAL: Some e-mail discussion lists have been
established for Greens interested in various political national political
campaigns and candidates:
NATIONAL: A Secular Greens Caucus is being organized
for Greens committed to the principle of separation of church and state.
They have drafted a plank proposal on church/state separation for the
platform of the Green Party of the United States. To join the Secular
Greens Caucus, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seculargreens/
or contact Mark Barnes at mbarn2002@yahoo.com
or Tim Casebolt at adog2@earthlink.net
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UPCOMING EVENTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29: Norman Solomon and and
Peter Camejo will debate what direction the Green Party and progressives
should take in the 2004 election season. Camejo supports Nader, even
as an independent, and hopes Ralph Nader can be persuaded to run with the
Greens. Were Nader not to run, Camejo would like the Greens to run a
candidate. Solomon says Nader should not run, and that the Greens should
work to defeat Bush. The debate is a benefit for listener-sponsored KVMR
radio. If any Greens can help at a table, contact jbarton@greens.org.
7:30 pm at the Crest Theatre, On the K Street mall (at 10th Street) in
downtown Sacramento. $12 general, $10 KVMR members, $6 low income.
More: http://www.thecrest.com and http://www.kvmr.org
JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2004: The national
Coordinated Campaign Committee and Greens in Maryland, Delaware, and
Pennsylvania are organizing a two-day Campaign School in Baltimore.
Intensive workshops, classes and training exercises will be held at the
University of Baltimore. Who should attend: any Greens, anywhere, planning
to run for office or serve as a campaign manager, press secretary,
fundraiser, volunteer coordinator or other campaign principal in 2004.
There will be a fee for materials, but no Greens with serious plans to be
involved in a 2004 campaign will be turned away for lack of funds. Save
the dates and stay tuned for more information. To subscribe to a weekly
announcement list or to sign up for overnight homestays with local Greens,
contact Ann Forno, <annforno@jhu.edu>
.
MARCH 19-21: Prairie Region Campaign School, at
Concepcion Abbey, Concepcion, Missouri (near Kansas City). For Greens
interested in running for public office, working on a campaign, or
building electioneering skills is encouraged to attend. Cost to be
determined, probably around $80 for the weekend, including room, board and
tuition; some scholarships will also be available, based on need and
availability of funds. Pre-registration: Dee Berry at 816-942-3081 or <deeberry@kc.rr.com>.
Questions: Phil Huckelberry at 309-268-9974 or <huckelberry@softhome.net>.
SATURDAY, MARCH 20: Global Day of Action: The
World Still Says No to War. On the one-year anniversary of the U.S.
bombing and invasion of Iraq. Millions around the globe will take to the
streets to say YES to peace and NO to pre-emptive war and occupation.
Joining with growing numbers of military families and soldiers, United For
Peace and Justice and other groups will call for an end to the occupation
of Iraq and Bush's militaristic foreign policies. To endorse, e-mail m20endorse@unitedforpeace.org
or call UFPJ at 212-868-5545 to let UFPJ know your group is on
board.
More: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2136
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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 issues but still current:
-
Tell your Senators to vote NO on the Senate's
version of HR 1904, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 and
instead to support efforts that protect communities from forest fires
without weakening environmental protections.
More: http://wildforests.com/wildforests.asp?id=181&id3=wildforests&id4=ES&
-
House Republican leaders are trying to block a
resolution overturning the FCC's media deregulation plan from reach
the floor for a vote. Urge Reps to force the vote and pass the
resolution.
More:
http://www.mediareform.net
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1010-13.htm
-
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
-
Tell Senators to keep student information private!
Under a little known provision of the 'No Child Left Behind' Act,
schools are required to turn over their entire student rolls,
including confidential contact information, to military recruiters.
The only way to prevent military recruiters from getting this student
information is if a parent 'opts-out' -- but the unfunded No Child
Left Behind Act has no allocated budget to tell parents about this
option.
-
Tell Senators and Reps to respect Indian claims:
The House has put into serious jeopardy billions of dollars in
American Indian Trust Funds, when members of the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on the Interior put last minute language into the HR 2691
conference report on Interior appropriations. More: http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=3937026&type=CO
-
Tell Reprepresentatives to support Rush Holt's bill
HR 2239, which would require paper records for all votes cast on
electronic voting machines.
More:
http://www.verifiedvoting.com
http://www.verifiedvoting.com/fair_elections.asp
http://www.nytimes.com/
-
Tell Senators to use their influence to see that
the US Fish and Wildlife Service calls off proposed changes to the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 that would make it easier for circuses,
pet importers, and leather importers to capture, exploit, and kill
certain endangered species.
More:
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/summary.asp?subject=269
-
Tell Senators to vote NO on Bush's plan to take
overtime pay away from millions of American working people by
reclassifying their jobs. The bill already passed in the House and
faces a Senate vote on January 20.
More: http://www.saveovertimepay.org/bushproposal.htm
-
Tell Senators to order the Justice Department to
stop spying on innocent Americans now! On November 23, the New York
Times disclosed a confidential FBI memorandum detailing FBI efforts to
engage in coordinated, nationwide surveillance of United for Peace and
Justice and other organizations in the peace movement. Sign a
petition:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/petition/index.php?id=5
-----------------------
GOOD READS
Recommended articles, books, web sites
-
The Avocado Declaration:
Initiated by Peter Miguel Camejo <http://www.votecamejo.org>,
Green Party candidate for Governor of California in the 2002 general
elections and in the 2003 recall election, and issued by the Avocado
Education Project.
http://www.gp.org/articles/camejo_01_05_04.html
-
No Greater Threat: America After September 11
and the Rise of a National Security State.
Book by C. William Michaels, Algora Publishing, September 2002,
Paperback, $29.95. "Fascinating and frightening" analysis of
the USA Patriot Act details its impact on everyday life and the right
to privacy we take for granted.
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