Greensweek: The Green Bulletin

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Vol. 2, No. 10
Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Green News
Upcoming Events
Green Action
Good Reads

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GREEN NEWS

ATTENTION Green candidates and campaigns: The Green Party's Prairie Region Campaign School will take place March 19-21 in Concepcion, Missouri, near Kansas City. Read the listing under Upcoming Events below, or visit <http://www.prairieregiongreens.org>.

CALIFORNIA: Peter Camejo won 99 of 132 state delegates in the California Green primaries on Super Tuesday (March 9), garnering 75.4 percent of the vote. Even though he is only on the ballot in a handful of states, the California vote placed Camejo well out in front of all other candidates in the race for the Green Party presidential nomination. More: http://www.cagreens.org

GEORGIA: Georgia Greens welcomed the news that Ralph Nader and Common Cause have joined the call for voter-verifiable paper audit trails to confirm ballots cast on computer voting machines.
More: http://www.greens.org/georgia
http://www.voterchoice.org/auditableballots.php
http://www.commoncause.org/publications/0304_voting_machines.pd
http://www.commoncause.org/action/printable.cfm?ArtID=144&topicid=6

IOWA: The Iowa Green Party praised Gov. Tom Vilsack's decision to keep the state out of the MATRIX database. MATRIX (Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange) is currently in use in five states, and compiles data on non-charged citizens. Iowa Greens have expressed great concern over the danger of privacy violations raised by MATRIX. More: http://www.greens.org/iowa

MAINE: The Maine Green Independent Party, speaking out in support of same-sex marriage rights, called on Governor Baldacci and the Maine Legislature to immediately repeal the statutory definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman, and to publicly affirm their support of the constitutional guarantee of equal protection for all citizens under the law. More: http://www.mainegreens.org

NEW YORK: Jason West, the Green Mayor of New Paltz, New York, appeared on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' on Tuesday, March 16. West made headlines by performing 25 same-sex marriages in February. More: http://www.nbcmv.com http://www.gpnys.org/index.html

NEW YORK: Steve Krulick, Secretary of the Green Party of Ulster County and a former State Committeeperson of the Green Party of New York State, was elected on March 16, to the Ellenville Village Board, with 57% of the vote. Krulick, a registered Green since 2000, is the first Green elected in Ellenville or the surrounding Town of Wawarsing, in southwestern Ulster County. Krulick ran with the endorsement of the Democratic party and also on the independent Clean Sweep line, all of whose candidates won, in three trustee races and one village justice race. Subject to verification, Krulick believes he is the third Green to be elected in New York State while registered as a Green.
More: http://kryo.com/KrulickCampaign/active.htm
http://kryo.com/KrulickCampaign/intro.htm

OREGON: Members of the Pacific Green Party of Oregon are expressing concerns about the New Oregon Primary proposed in a recent 'White Paper' published by the Oregon Progress Forum, and warn that it would effectively end 'minor' party participation in general elections, that it favors money and the 'major parties' instead of voters, and that candidates with the most money would win elections. The premise of the proposal is that ballots for key state and federal offices in the Oregon primaries should be non-partisan, list all candidates, be mailed to every voter, and allow voters to choose from any candidates listed regardless of party affiliation.
More: http://www.pacificgreens.org or http://www.oregonprogressforum.org

PENNSYLVANIA: Northwest (Philadelphia) Greens held an anti-war gathering on Friday, March 15, to prepare for the Global Day of Action against War on Iraq (March 20, see Upcoming Events below). Held at a Quaker meeting house, the event was cosponsored by Saint Vincent's (Roman Catholic) Church and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. 35 people attended to hear Johanna Berrigan tell of her recent trip to occupied Iraq. More: nwgreens@yahoo.com

WISCONSIN: The Wisconsin Green Party has joined Libertarians and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign <http://www.wisdc.org/> in calling for election reform, but they were frustrated by the efforts of the state Assembly Speaker and Senate Majority Leader (both Republicans) to alter Senate Bill 12 -- which now prohibits rules that require full disclosure of special interest money, eliminates incentives and funding to those who voluntarily limit campaign spending, eliminates the requirement for full disclosure of campaigncontributions, and allows contributions from special interest conduits. Wisconsin Greens also joined the Wisconsin Libertarian Party in calling for an end to the 6% matching funds rule, and is demanding legislation that will reward ethical campaign funding, not reliance on corporate funding and the promotion of recall elections in order to collect matching funds from the state. More: http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org

NATIONAL: A videotape of the Green Party presidential candidates' debate at the Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass. in January is available from the Kennedy School. Participants were Kent Mesplay, David Cobb, and Lorna Salzman, with Matt Gonzalez moderating. The Kennedy School and the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party co-sponsored the event. Contact Jennifer Choe at 617-496-2293.

NATIONAL: Essential links for the Green Party's 2004 National Nominating Convention, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 23 to 28, 2004, and for Green presidential candidates:
- Convention information: http://www.gp.org/convention/process.html
- Registration https://secure.gpus.org/convention/
- Media credentialing for the convention http://www.gp.org/forms/media/
- Presidential candidates, nomination process http://www.gp.org/convention/process.html
- David Cobb for President http://www.votecobb.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cobb4President http://cobb2004.meetup.com/
- Lorna Salzman for President http://www.lornasalzman.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lorna4President/
- Redraft Nader http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RalphNader2004/
http://www.votenader.org
- Draft Camejo http://www.DraftCamejo.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/camejoforpresident/
http://www.petitiononline.com/pcfp1234/petition.html
- Carol Miller: contact carolmiller@newmexico.com
- Kent Mesplay for President http://www.presidentkent.org
Reminder for all Greens running for public office: make sure you're in the database at <http://www.gp.org/patience.html>. E-mail your information and corrections using the form on the web or by sending it to <juscha@greens.org>.

INTERNATIONAL: Greens are marking the one-year anniversary of peaceworker Rachel Corrie's death in the Gaza Strip on March 16 with a renewed call for Congress to pass House Concurrent Resolution 111 calling for an independent investigation of the incident. On March 16, 2003, Corrie, a college student with the International Solidarity Movement, was repeatedly run over by an Israeli soldier using a CAT bulldozer, despite the fact that she was wearing a bright orange vest and repeatedly shouted at him to stop. At the time, she was participating in nonviolent protest against the demolition of a Palestinian physician's home. The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has led the call for a Rachel Corrie National Day of Action on March 16. Organizations (including Green Parties) can endorse a petition for the investigation at <http://www.endtheoccupation.org/modinput.php?modin=50>.
Read the petition and list of endorsers at <http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=320>.
More:
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_03_15_04.html
http://endtheoccupation.org/index.php http://www.rachelcorrie.org
http://www.thestruggle.org
http://www.cflweb.org

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UPCOMING EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17: Los Angeles Greens will hold a presentation on the life and achievements of Petra Kelly, cofounder of the German Green Party, in celebration of Women's History Month.
More: http://www.losangelesgreens.org

MARCH 19-21: Prairie Region Campaign School, at Concepcion Abbey, Concepcion, Missouri (near Kansas City). Greens interested in running for public office, working on a campaign, or building electioneering skills are encouraged to attend. Cost: $80 for the weekend, including room, board and tuition ($90 for a single room); $40 for students; some scholarships will also be available, based on need and availability of funds. Registrations and payment must be received by March 15 to guarantee reservation.
Questions: Phil Huckelberry, 309-268-9974, <huckelberry@softhome.net>.
More: http://www.prairieregiongreens.org

SATURDAY, MARCH 20: Global Day of Action: The World Still Says No to War. On the one-year anniversary ofthe 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. Notable locations for the demos: New York City (Midtown Manhattan); Fayetteville, North Carolina (the US military base at Fort Bragg); Crawford, Texas (President Bush's hometown). To endorse, e-mail m20endorse@unitedforpeace.org or call UFPJ at 212-868-5545 to let UFPJ know your group is on board.
More information and on-line registration:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=2136

SATURDAY, MARCH 20: The Maine Green Independent Party has endorsed the 'March for Truth' planned by the Maine Coalition for Peace and Justice and other groups throughout the state to call for an end to the occupation of Iraq and Bush's militaristic foreign policies, as part of the Global Day of Action planned by United for Peace and Justice (see above). A rally and march will take place at the State Capitol in Augusta at 12 noon.
More: http://www.marchfortruth.org

SATURDAY, MARCH 20: The Green Party of Seattle is encouraging massive participation not only in the big anti-war noontime rally and march (meet at Harvard & Seneca), but also in two Earth Day activities that the party is sponsoring on the same day: (1) a clean-up and invasive-plant removal of Water Way 19 (meet at the picnic area east side of Gas Works Park) from 10am-1pm; (2) In the afternoon, a fundraising house party, featuring delicious food (wild salmon and organic veggies on the grill), great speakers, and fun music. $10 for individual or $25 for family.
More: Sarah Luthens, 206-937-7242 http://www.seattlegreens.org

MARCH 20-APRIL 4: The Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts, Economic Human Rights Project, and Sisters Together Ending Poverty are founding sponsors of a 16-day Massachusetts March to Abolish Poverty through the state's lowest income communities.
More information, route map, contacts:
http://www.abolishpoverty.org 617-776-3895 x 3 or 508-333-2394
info@abolishpoverty.org
http://www.massgreens.org

SATURDAY, MARCH 27: The Green Party of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, will hold its first convention, 9 am to 5 pm at the Frick Fine Arts Building Auditorium, Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh (across from the Carnegie Library in Oakland). More: http://www.gpoac.org

SUNDAY, MARCH 28: Peter Miguel Camejo, 2003 California gubernatorial candidate and 2004 candidate for the national Green nomination, will speak on 'The Green Rising in California: Electoral Alternatives for Progressives in 04'. 3:30pm at the University of the District of Columbia, Building 38, in the UDC Lounge on the 2nd floor (Van Ness/UDC Metro Stop on the Red Line). Joining Mr. Camejo will be Jesse Hagopian of the International Socialist Organization and Washington Teachers Union (noted here for identification purposes only), and three DC Statehood Green Party candidates: Arturo Griffiths, running for the At-Large seat on DC City Council; Michele Tingling-Clemmons, running for the Ward 7 Council seat; and Adam Eidinger, running for DC Shadow US Senator. Free and open to the public, sponsored by the Avocado Educational Project and the International Socialist Organization.
More: 202-236-9192, alexmh@gwu.edu
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
http://www.avocadoeducationproject.org
http://www.internationalsocialist.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Statewide convention of the Progressive Party of Missouri, the official state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. 12-7 pm in the County Commission chambers of the Boone County Government Center, 801 E. Walnut, in downtown Columbia. Topics of discussion: selection of candidates for state and national offices, development of campaign and ballot access strategy for the 2004 election cycle, and slection of state party officers. The membership will also select Missouri's state delegates to the national Green convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 23-28.
More: http://www.ppmo.org

APRIL 17-18: The Maine Independent Green Party 2004 Convention in Lewiston, with a special dinner on April 17 celebrating the party's fifth anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the Maine Greens. Party members will also choose 19 delegates to attend the national Green convention in Milwaukee, June 23-28, make changes to the party's platform and bylaws, and approve the 2004-05 budget.
Registration: suggested $10, with a sliding scale of $0-15 based on ability to pay. More: http://www.mainegreens.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 24: Organizers have put out a worldwide call for action for Mumia Abu Jamal on April 24, the anniversary of President Clinton's 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 ondeath row to prove their innocence. (It's also Mumia's 50th birthday.)
More: http://www.mumia.org 215-476-8812 http://www.freemumia.com

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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

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Call your Reps and Senators and ask them to sign on to House Concurrent Resolution 111 for an independent U.S. probe of the death of peaceworker Rachel Corrie in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003. See the International listing in the news above for more information. Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121, 800-839-5276
Urge your Representative to provide funding in Fiscal Year 2005 for the new Farmers' Market Promotion Program (FMPP). Farmers' markets, roadside stands, and other direct marketing outlets provide fresh, nutritious, affordable, and local farm products and enable farmers to increase profits by selling directly to consumers. The Farmers' Market Promotion Program (FMPP) was authorized in Section 10605 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 as a competitive grants program, administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. Statutory language authorizes grants to agricultural cooperatives; local governments; non-profit corporations; public benefit corporations; economic development corporations; regional farmers' market authorities; and other eligible entities for the purpose of establishing, expanding and promoting local farmers markets and other forms of direct farmer-to-consumer markets. The farm bill would allow the program to continue through 2007. More: http://www.thefutureisorganic.net

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GOOD READS