Vol. 2, No. 13
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
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GREEN NEWS
NOTE TO GREEN CANDIDATES & CAMPAIGNERS: Need a
quick consultation with a campaign professional? Contact the Campaign
Hotline. Make your question specific and clear so that the hotline
can be as helpful as possible. Someone will get back to you as
quickly as possible, usually in a few days. Coming soon: Answers to
Frequently Asked Questions. Brought to you by the Coordinated Campaign
Committee. Campaign Hotline Phone Number: 202-319-7194.
Online hotline: http://www.gp.org/committees/campaign/hotline.html
CALIFORNIA: In a challenge to President Bush and the
Democratic and Republican parties, the Green Party of California adopted a
platform that makes it the first US political party to include full civil
rights for all sexual minorities. The revised platform, adopted at the
party's spring conference in San Francisco in March, reaffirms and
strengthens the Greens' commitment to marriage equality, by explicitly
opposing "measures that seek to restrict civil rights or to create
unequal treatment on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual
orientation." The language was intended specifically to oppose
constitutional amendments currently proposed by Republican and Democratic
leaders. The new platform also affirms "the right of all people to
self-determination with regard to gender identity and sex",
supporting the rights of intersexed people and opposing involuntary gender
reassignment surgery.
More: http://www.cagreens.org
CALIFORNIA: According to Ballot Access News, an
initiative is likely to be on the California ballot in November that if
passed would essentially remove all third parties from the November
California ballot. The initiative would enact a runoff system
whereby the March primary ballot is open and only the top two finishers
from that ballot get on the November ballot, regardless of party, which
would effectively bar Greens (or other third parties when only one major
party candidate is running).
More:
http://www.ballot-access.org
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article...
INDIANA: St. Joe Valley Green delegate Dave Vollrath
participated in an INPIRG news conference on Tuesday, March 30 at the
Mishawaka Botanical Garden. The Midwest chapter of PIRG (Public Interest
Research Group) publicly released its report 'Troubled Waters' and
discussed water quality issues and violations in the region. Local Fox,
CBS and NBC affiliates reported the conference on their nightly news and
local newspapers ran interviews, see links.
More:
http://www.etruth.com/news/story/318431/index.html
http://www.southbendtribune.com/
http://www.sjvgreens.org/
IOWA: The Iowa Green Party is demanding that State Sen.
Dell Hanson, who admits to recent illegal dumping, make a public apology.
Hanson, who doesn't disputing the charge and has offered to pay the $5000
fine, is a member of the Iowa House Environmental Protection Commission.
More: http://www.greens.org/iowa
WISCONSIN: Preliminary results for Greens competing in
Tuesdays's election show two county board victories in Dane County, three
in Portage County (one a write-in), one (write-in) in Winnebago County,
one School Board victory in Madison (Shwaw Vang reelected with 72%), one
Town Board race in Kenosha County, and unknown results from a Polk
County School Board race.
More: http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org
NATIONAL: 2004 Racism Watch, a newly formed national
organization formed in connection with the Independent Progressive
Politics Network (with which the Green Party of the United States is
affiliated), issued some strong criticism of a recent Bush-Cheney campaign
TV ads, calling it 'racially offensive.' 2004 Racism Watch urged the Bush
campaign to pull or alter the ad, titled '100 Days.' 2004 Racism Watch was
founded two months ago at a national meeting in Atlanta, Ga. Members
of the Advisory Committee of 2004 Racism Watch include Edward Asner, Ed
Begley, Jr., Noam Chomsky, Ron Daniels, Barbara Ehrenreich, Bill Fletcher,
Jr., Manning Marable, Elizabeth Martinez, Cynthia McKinney, Phil Tajitsu
Nash, Susan Sarandon, Ron Walters, Tim Wise and Howard Zinn.
More: http://www.ippn.org/article.php?ID=currentD.html
NATIONAL: The Green Party of the United States is
holding a logo contest to choose a Green Party logo in time for the
party's 2004 national convention in Milwaukee. Design professionals are
invited to enter the 'LET'S loGO CONTEST!' The deadline for submissions is
April 25; the winner will be announced on May 5. The winning logo will be
featured on the party's website, merchandise, letterhead, brochures, and
other marketing materials. The winner of the contest will be featured with
a link to his or her website from the Green Party web site (gp.org). The
first place winner will also receive a Green Party tee shirt and a
one-year subscription to Green Pages.
More: http://www.gp.org
NATIONAL: Essential links for the Green Party's 2004
National Nominating Convention (titled Forward! 2004) in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin from June 23 to 28, 2004, and for Green presidential candidates:
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.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
SATURDAY, APRIL 10: The Iowa Green Party will hold its
annual state convention in Waterloo, at the city's library. This year's
main address will be delivered by US Senate candidate Daryl Northrop, of
Des Moines. On the convention's agenda will be consideration of
platform planks, state and local candidacies, and the 2004 presidential
contest, featuring various Green nomination aspirants and independent
Ralph Nader, and selection of delegates to the Greens' upcoming Milwaukee
National Convention.
More: http://www.greens.org/iowa
APRIL 16-18: Spring Gathering of the Wisconsin Green
Party at the Madison Civic Center, 211 State Street, in Madison. Wisconsin
Greens will choose many of their delegates for the Green Party of the
United States' Presidential Nominating Convention, scheduled for June
23-28 in Milwaukee. Day care will be provided for those needing it at the
Wisconsin Network for Peace & Justice office across the street.
Breakfast will be catered.
More:
http://wisconsingreenparty.org/blogs/WIGPnews/archives/000244.shtml
http://wisconsingreenparty.org/index.shtml
APRIL 16-17: National Conference: Help build a movement
for National Health Insurance; support House Bill 676. Endorsed by the DC
Statehood Green Party (Michele Tingling-Clemmons, Statehood Green
candidate for DC City Council and co-chair of the Green Party's Black
Caucus, is one of the organizers), featuring health care advocates from
all over the US. Greens are especially encouraged to attend. At Howard
University Hospital & Towers Auditorium, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, near
the Howard/Shaw Metro Stop (Green Line) in Washington, DC. Rep. John
Conyers (D-Mich.), sponsor of HB 676, will be honorary co-host.
More: 202-397-2277, 202-829-9108, mirico5@aol.com
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 selection 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
SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Jason West, Green Party New Paltz
Mayor, law experts, and lesbian, gay, bi, & transgender leaders will
speak on marriage equality, in North Brooklyn, New York. 4-6 pm at the
Open Ground Gallery, 252 Grand Street (between Driggs & Roebling in
Williamsburg). West, the first Green Part mayor elected in New York
State, made history by solemnizing same-sex marriages in New Paltz.
Sponsored by the New York City Lavender Greens. The program will be
followed by a Fundraiser for Equal Rights with Jason West in Gramercy Park
in Manhattan featuring performers Mary Courtney (of Morning Star), the
Byzantones. & Special Guests. Location: Rocky Sullivans, 129
Lexington Avenue at 29th Street. Time: 7 pm till late. Funds will be
raised for the Generation Project, with a sliding-scale donation.
The Generation Project is a group for equal rights started by Mayor West
in New Paltz.
More: Rebecca White at 917-776-5713, or darbykat@earthlink.net
APRIL 17-18: The Maine Independent Green Party's 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
APRIL 21-25: Protest against global economic injustice
driven by the policies and programs of the international financial
institutions, Washington, DC, during the semi-annual meetings of the IMF
and World Bank. More: http://www.50years.org
info@50years.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 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
SUNDAY, APRIL 25: The March for Women's Lives, focusing
on abortion rights, access to health care and family planning aid, and
safety. Assemble at 10 am on the national mall between the Smithsonian
museums, between 3rd and 14th Streets NW. The march begins at noon,
followed by a rally 1-4 pm on the Mall. Special seating will be available
for people with disabilities; the rally program will be interpreted in ASL.
The route is wheelchair accessible and transportation will be provided for
those who cannot negotiate the route. The Virginia and Louisiana Green
Parties are among the sponsors. If anyone wants to march with Virginia
Greens, contact Susan Dridi at sdridi@greens.org
or call 703-560-7546.
More: http://www.marchforwomen.org/
MAY 21-23: The Georgia Green Party's Coordinating
Council reset the date for the Party's Annual Nominating Convention.
Previously scheduled for mid-April, the executive committee reset the
Convention for the weekend of May 21-23. The weekend long event will still
take place at the Little Ocmulgee State Park, two miles North of McRae
Georgia on US 441, in North Telfair County. The convention is empowered to
amend the state Party Platform, consider proposed by-laws amendments
submitted by the Council, elect the Party's internal state leadership,
endorse candidates for non-partisan races and nominate candidates in
partisan elections. The convention will nominate 15 candidates for
Presidential Elector and both name and instruct 12 delegates to the Green
Party's 2004 national convention in Milwaukee, June 23-28.
More: http://www.greens.org/georgia/
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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
-
Tell your Senators to double the budget for
energy efficiency and renewable energy: Petroleum prices are rising,
the Middle East is in turmoil, and experts predict the scenario will
worsen. Unless greater energy efficiencies can be effected and cost
effective renewable energy sources developed, the future is bleak. The
Bush Administration continues to ask for grossly inadequate funding
for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE). The 2005 budget request asks for level
funding of $375 million for renewable energy programs and $876 million
for energy efficiency programs. Join with the Union of Concerned
Scientists and more than 20 other groups demanding that Congress
double the budget of EERE for 2005 and subsequent years.
-
Tell your Senators to investigate Bush's abuses of
science and produce regulations that require good science in policy
formulation: The Bush Administration, whose policies on the
environment and other fields have been widely criticized by
scientists, continues to distort scientific findings. Scientific
consensus on such critical fields as global warming, pollution of
water and air, and dangers from genetic modification is either ignored
or disputed on the basis of claims by special interests. The result is
bad legislation and policies harmful to public health and standards of
life.
More: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/index.cfm
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GOOD READS
Recommended articles, books, web sites:
Petra Kelly's Legacy
Couldn't make it to 'Petra Kelly's Legacy', the Los Angeles
Greens Women's History Month Event (in March) featuring guest speaker,
Claire Greensfelder?
Listen to the audio archive:
http://www.losangelesgreens.org/audio_archives.html
Utopian Legacies: A History of Conquest and
Oppression in the Western World.
Book by John Mohawk (Clear Light Books, 1999). Paperback, $14.95. The
road to hell, they say, is paved with good intentions. This book is the
travelogue of Western Civilization's trip along that road. The last two
millennia of Western history, Mohawk says, have been a story of lofty
thoughts pressed into the service of base actions. Utopian ideals --
Christianity early, materialistic notions of progress late - have
justified uniformly dystopian results, particularly from the point of view
of those on the receiving end. Mohawk's book is both an illuminating look
under some rocks that mainstream history refuses to lift, and a cautionary
tale for the present and future. Those who might believe that the present
ascendancy of imperial capitalism or the retrograde direction of American
politics are the product of calculated cynicism would do well to consider
those trends in light of Mohawk's thesis. [Review from Yes Magazine]
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