Greensweek: The Green Bulletin

Green Party Home | Latest Issue | Past Issues

Vol. 2, No. 4
Tuesday, January 27, 2004

Green News
Upcoming Events
Green Action
Good Reads

_________________

GREEN NEWS

ALASKA: Jim Sykes announced his run for US Senate, on January 22 in Anchorage. The 'Sykes for Alaska' announcement ceremony began with a welcome from a representative of Eklutna Native Village which traditionally occupied the area that is now Anchorage. Sykes is one of the founders of the Green Party of Alaska where he ran for governor in 1990 and received more than 3%, making Alaska the first state to grant ballot status to the Greens.
More: http://www.sykesforsenate.com
http://www.sykesforsenate.com/challenge.html
http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/4659394p-4614942c.html

CALIFORNIA: Tom Hutchings, Green Party and Democratic write-in candidate for the 33rd Assembly District (San Obispo), will participate in a statewide conference call to discuss advocacy for the disabled. The January 26 Town hall Tele-meeting will hear Sen. John Burton, Tom Hutchings, and others, and receive the latest updates on the budget impacting people with disabilities. Organizers estimate that 30 sites with a total of over 350 people with disabilities, families, organizations, workers, and others will be on hand throughout the state.
More: http://www.votetom.org

DELAWARE: Delaware Greens, contending that the Bush Administration has used 9/11 to crush dissent and spread fear, issued a statement upholding dockworkers' right to work and calling for Delaware senators to support a Common Cause resolution calling for an amendment of the Maritime Transportation Security Act.
More: http://commoncause.org/states/delaware/
http://www.gpde.org

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Seven DC democracy activists, including Statehood Green Party members David Barrows, Adam Eidinger, and Zoe Mitchell, will be tried on charges of "unlawful entry" for attempting to deliver petitions demanding DC democracy to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, during a visit to Hastert's office on October 1, 2003, part of a protest for DC budget autonomy. The first day of the trial, January 27, was postponed because of snow, as was a rally scheduled for the same morning. The petitions, with more than 1,000 signatures, demanded that Congress cease reviewing and altering DC's budget and cede control of DC finances to local elected officials.
More:
http://www.zoemitchell.com/archives/000114.html
(Mitchell's account of the arrest) http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org

GEORGIA: A group of Fulton, Georgia Greens will hold an organizational meeting for a Georgia Draft Nader 2004 Committee, scheduled for February 3, after an appearance by Nader in Clemson, South Carolina that many Georgia Greens attended. Neither the Fulton Party nor the Georgia Party have yet taken a position on the race for the Green presidential nomination in 2004. The Georgia Green Party will name its delegates to the Presidential Nominating Convention in Milwaukee Wisconsin at its April 16-18 state nominating convention near McRae, Georgia.
More:
gpga-nader04draft@greens.org
http://www.greens.org/georgia/

ILLINOIS Arguments were presented on January 21 in the suit filed against Champaign County Clerk Mark Shelden by four members of the Prairie Green Party of East Central Illinois. Ken Urban, Al Weiss, John Paul Schmit, and Jennifer Walling sued Shelden for refusing to place their names on the ballot for the March 16 primary. All four plaintiffs submitted petitions on December 15 to run for Green Party precinct committeemen in Champaign County. Urban also submitted petitions to stand in the primary for Green candidate for Champaign County Board District 7. Shelden rejected the petitions, arguing that the Green Party is not established in the county. The candidates argue that the 2002 Congressional candidacy of Carl Estabrook established the party at the county level.
More: http://www.prairiegreens.org

MICHIGAN: The Green Party of Michigan's videotaped response to the 2004 State of the State address is being cablecast in conjunction with the January 27 speech by Governor Jennifer Granholm on Michigan Government Television. Speaking for the Michigan Greens on the tape were state chair Marc Reichardt; Mount Pleasant City Commissioner Jim Moreno; and Priscilla Dziubek, representative for the Detroit Greens on the State Central Committee. The program is hosted by Matt Abel and produced by Eric Borregard, both of GPMI's cable-access program 'In the Green.' For copies of the half-hour videotape, write to <eborregard@aol.com>.
More: http://www.migreens.org

MONTANA: The Montana Green Party may have two candidates for governor on the ballot in November. Getting a sufficient number of candidates to run for statewide offices and at least one contested race for the party's nomination in one race is a prerequisite to getting on Montana's primary ballot.
More: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id....

RHODE ISLAND: Green Providence councilman David A. Segal, working with a coalition of environmental and labor advocacy groups (including Clean Water Action and the United Auto Worker's Union), sponsored an ordinance to require future purchases of the Providence City fleet of vehicles to give preference to fuel efficient and union made vehicles. A separate resolution requests that the State of Rhode Island mandate, in accord with legislation passed in California, that by 2007 a percentage of cars sold in Rhode Island follow strict emission standards.
More: http://www.greens.org/ri

CHESAPEAKE REGION: The national Coordinated Campaign Committee and Greens in Maryland, DC, Delaware, and Pennsylvania are holding 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: Read the Green Party rebuttal to President Bush's State of the Union address and the Democratic Party's response:
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_01_20_04.html (January 20 pre-speech rebuttal) http://www.gp.org/press/pr_01_23_04b.html (January 23 follow-up rebuttal)

NATIONAL: David Cobb, candidate for the Green presidential nomination, headed to New York on January 24, to begin a 14-day campaign tour which will take him through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New Jersey in addition to several appearances and events in New York and two presidential debates, as well as a variety of speaking engagements, campaign events and teaching workshops on corporate accountability. More: http://www.votecobb.org/trail

NATIONAL: Lorna Salzman, candidate for the Green Party's presidential nomination, spoke to Calhoun School students in New York City on January 23, alongside representatives of most of the other parties' presidential candidates. Salzman emphasized her environmental platform, which addresses the crisis of global warming: ending the era of cheap oil by imposing carbon taxes, removing of government subsidies to fossil and nuclear fuels, and speedy development of renewable energy technologies and exporting these to developing nations. More: http://www.lornasalzman.com

NATIONAL: Essential information about the Green Party's 2004 National Nominating Convention, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 23 to 28, 2004, and presidential candidates:

Convention Information
Registration
Presidential Candidate Nomination Process
David Cobb for President (may be under construction) Yahoo Group
Lorna Salzman for President
Draft Ralph Nader for President
Draft Peter Camejo for President
Carol Miller: contact carolmiller@newmexico.com

---------------------

UPCOMING EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28: The Green party of Rhode Island will host a Green presidential candidates' debate to benefit Rhode Island's first Green presidential primary ballot. The debate will take place 7 pm at the Synod Hall, 271 N Main Street in Providence. The debate will be the first in a series of such debates across the northeastern US between David Cobb and Kent Mesplay, with a Massachusetts debate set for January 29 and weekend appearances in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Open to the public; questions encouraged.
More: http://www.greens.org/ri 401-490-7602

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29: The Green Party of the United States and the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts will sponsor a public forum for Green presidential candidates at Harvard University (Institute of Politics, JFK School of Government), 6:30-8 pm. Massachusetts will hold its first-ever Green-Rainbow Party presidential primary on March 2. David Cobb, Kent Mesplay, and Lorna Salzman will participate. Also scheduled for January 29 are a reception for the candidates in Clinton, Massachusetts and a press conference at Harvard.
More: http://www.green-rainbow.org
http://www.iop.harvard.edu/directions/index.html

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:
www.thecrest.com
www.kvmr.org

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29: Georgia Green activist Hugh Esco will participate in a panel discussion hosted by WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) on the threat to democracy posed by electronic voting, at a Town Hall Meeting, 6:30-9 pm at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta.
More:
http://www.voterchoice.org/
http://www.voterchoice.org/news/EndangeredDemocracy.pdf

JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2004: The national Coordinated Campaign Committee and Greens in Maryland, DC, Delaware, and Pennsylvania are organizing a 2-day Campaign School at the University of Baltimore, with intensive workshops, classes, and training exercises. Who should attend: Greens (from anywhere) planning to run for office or serve as a campaign manager, press secretary, fundraiser, volunteer coordinator or other campaign principal in 2004. Speakers: CCC members Masada Disenhouse, Dan Kinney, Mike Livingston, Gray Newman; national Media Committee members Stacy Malkan, Scott McLarty, Linda Schade, Kevin Zeese; national Green organizers Dean Myerson, Jason Ravin, Lynne Serpe. Workshops will be held from 12:30-5 pm Saturday and 9:45 am-4:30 pm Sunday. To register, contact Ann Forno <annforno@jhu.edu>. Registration is $15 (but no Greens will be turned away).

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7: 2004 Presidential candidate forum and discussion in Maine. Luther Bonney Auditorium, USM Portland, 1-4 pm. Featuring presidential candidate Kent Mesplay; Green Party co-founder John Rensenbrink on behalf of candidate David Cobb. Free and open to the public. More: Jacqui Deveneau, jacquio50@yahoo.com or 207-934-1911

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. Preregistration: 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 Bushs 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

SATURDAY, APRIL 24: Organizers have put out a worldwide call for action for Mumia Abu Jamal on April 24, the anniversary of the signing of the notorious Effective Death Penalty Act which has eliminated Habeas Corpus for death row inmates and made it nearly impossible for innocent people on death row to prove their innocence. (It's also Mumia's 50th birthday.)
More: http://www.mumia.org 215-476-8812
http://www.freemumia.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

-------------------

Repeated from earlier Greensweeks 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...
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 Representatives 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/2003/12/02/opinion/02KRUG....
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 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
Contact your Congress members about the brutal police treatment of protestors at the FTAA Ministerial in Miami in November and call for charges to be dropped. To send an e-mail to any Representative, enter the state and zip code at <http://www.house.gov/writerep/>.
More contacts, sample letters, information:
http://www.citizenstrade.org/
http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org/en/static/packet.shtml
http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org/misc/sample_letter.html

----------------------

GOOD READS