Greensweek: The Green Bulletin

Green Party Home | Latest Issue | Past Issues

Vol. 3, No. 3
Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Green News
Upcoming Events
Green Action
Good Reads

GREEN NEWS

TOP STORY Elaine Brown, former Black Panthers leader and possible Green candidate for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia, has been confirmed to speak in DC on Saturday, April 23 during the Chesapeake Campaign School weekend in DC. Details below under 'Upcoming Events.'

GREEN PAGES IS NOW AVAILABLE
Green Pages, the quarterly newspaper of the Green Party of the United States, is available in bulk discount to all state and local Green Party offices and individuals. The Spring issue of Green Pages has a new design that's sure to appeal to readers from the very first page with its dramatic images of counter-inaugural protests. Becky Weber, co-chair of the Editorial Board, says "We are introducing our new 'Evergreen' section -- human-interest narratives about how Greens are involved in changing their communities." Purchase Green Pages through the gp.org online store or with a PDF form at gp.org/downloads/greenpages_bundles.pdf.

Contact: 202-319-7191, toll-free (US) 866-41GREEN, GPHQ--at--gp.org
Write a note to Green Pages: amandlagreen@yahoo.com
http://www.gp.org/greenpages/

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
Brent McMillan, national political director of the Green Party, sends this report on the growing success of the party's Direct Mail Program: "Under the current fundraising plan, the Fundraising Committee (Fun Com) has the goal to produce one direct mail per month. Fun Com currently operates on a rhythm of two prospect mailings followed by a re-solicitation mailing each quarter. We have learned from experience that the best fundraising is project-driven, so we're working to link the goals and issues of the party more directly to this effort.

"For example, the January mailing was sent to those who contributed to the Cobb/LaMarche Campaign before the Ohio Recount but had not contributed to the national party before. An appeal letter from David Cobb summarized recent accomplishments and described upcoming regional campaign schools in 2005. So far, it has made 50% more than it cost and it's still producing. Our February mailing was a product of the Coordinated Campaign Committee and presented the CCC's ballot access and candidate recruitment goals for the next two years. The online version of the appeal paid for the entire mailing in two days before we even received the first snail mail reply.

"Our March letter is from our officeholders and talks about the good work that they are doing. The March mailing at 12,730 pieces is the largest direct mail and re-solicitation that the party has ever done. In April we will target the Ohio Recount list, making it the largest prospect mailing to my knowledge in the party's history. In May the theme is 'Building the Green Economy' and will target those involved in sustainable agriculture and green buildings, highlighting the amazing work that some of us are doing to build a sustainable economy.

"The life of a mailing can last several months. For example we are still receiving regular replies from a re-solicitation mailing from last November. As these mailings begin to 'layer' or 'stack,' we see a rising tide of contributions that make it possible to increase the work of the Green Party and our committees, caucuses, and networks."
http://www.gp.org/donate.html

CALIFORNIA The Green Party of California denounced as "heartless" a scheme revealed by the Schwarzenegger Administration in March that would allow the state to collect assets from the heirs of elderly and disabled Californians almost even before they are buried. The Dept. of Health Services, claiming the state is acting because federal law requires the state to recover the cost of Medi-Cal benefits provided low-income elderly who die, said that by declaring an "emergency" it need not even have public hearings before acting. California Greens noted that a state-based single-payer health care system would save the state half of what it currently spends.
http://www.cagreens.org

CALIFORNIA Aimee Allison, Green candidate for Oakland City Council, spoke at the ACLU's annual Youth Rights Conference Wednesday at UC Berkeley on opposing to the military draft and countering military recruitment on high school campuses on April 6. Allison has become the target of a recent whisper campaign by Democrats and need lots of Green support from around the US. On, April 8, the Sierra Club and the Oakland Teachers Association both announced they are endorsing Aimee Allison's campaign for Oakland City Council in District 2. Send a check, or visit Oakland to help out on the campaign. http://www.aimeeallison.org

CALIFORNIA The Green Party of California joined with other political organizations and the people of California and the nation to commemorate the life of farm labor leader Cesar Chavez during the last week of March. Greens participated in a march around the State Capitol in Sacramento to honor Chavez and many other events. Nativo Lopez, Green Party member and president of the Mexican American Political Association, said that Chavez guided generations of social justice activists: "Cesar was the greatest advocate within the Latino community for the principles of non-cooperation and non-violence with the system of social injustice," said Lopez, who has urged other Latino organizations to join the Greens.
http://www.cagreens.org

CONNECTICUT The Green Party of Connecticut held a statewide party discussion in New London on April 2 on plans to run candidates in 2005 and in 2006 against Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Gov. Jodi Rell, congressional candidates, and other incumbents. Tim McKee said "Running a candidate against conservative Democrat Joseph Lieberman has been the buzz in 'Progressive' or liberal circles for months and the Greens are serious about running its first Senate candidate whether or not a Liberal Democrats field a candidate in a primary. Republican candidates for Senate have been very weak in recent years with almost no big money or push, so Greens see this as a great way to advance the our issues and gain as a political party and grow numbers in the fall election in 2006." This forum was the third in a series of discussion forums held across the state, with previous forums in Hartford, New Haven, and with other events to be announced soon. http://www.ctgreens.org

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Members of the DC Statehood Green Party, who earlier protested Mayor Anthony Williams' plan for a publicly funded ballpark, will protest when President Bush throws out the first regular season pitch on April 14 at RFK Stadium. Statehood Greens and other DC democracy activists displayed placards reading 'BUSH PLAY BALL WITH DC' and 'STRIKE 4 DC STATEHOOD' during the Nationals' first game on April 3. Statehood Greens will also participate in a rally outside the stadium in demand for full funding to repair and rebuild DC public schools.
Photos http://dc.indymedia.org/feature/display/120528/index.php
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org

ILLINOIS Over 45,000 voters voted for a Green in Illinois's general election on April 5, 2005. Seven candidates ran for office all over the state. Both Scott Summers, an attorney from Harvard, Illinois, and Anna Lempart, a student from Urbana, Illinois won their elections. Scott was elected to the McHenry County Community College District Board of Trustees and Anna was elected to the Champaign-Ford Regional Board of School Trustees. These were competitive races in very large districts. If you'd like to congratulate Scott, e-mail him at <summerslaw@att.net>. If you'd like to congratulate Anna, e-mail her at <Savepeace@sbcglobal.net>. Website: http://www.ilgp.org/

MAINE Reps John Eder (Green) and Ben Dudley (Democrat) have introduced two bills in the Maine legislature that would deny corporations their 'personhood'. Corporations currently hold legal status as 'persons' thanks to an anticonstitutional court ruling in the 19th century); the bills specify that a corporation does not have the same constitutional rights as a human, such as the right to engage in political speech or activity.

Reclaim Democracy http://reclaimdemocracy.org/
Project on Corporations, Law & Democracy http://www.poclad.org/
Rep. John Eder RepJoh-@legislature.maine.gov

MAINE The three Green Party members on the Portland School Committee have proposed that students celebrate 'Indigenous People's Day' instead of Columbus Day. Jason Toothaker, leading the effort for the name change, said Christopher Columbus exploited Native Americans, and many of them today view his voyage to the New World as a tragic event. http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/

MARYLAND After Glenn Ross, 2004 Green Party candidate for the 13th district City Council seat, noticed that his Democratic opponent was missing a large number of reports, he filed a complaint with the State Board of Elections in October 2004. The SBE elected to do nothing about Ross's complaint that Branch was not eligible to be on the ballot, and told him to take it up with the courts after the election. Ross filed an injunction to prevent Branch from being inaugurated. The SBE claimed Branch had filed all the necessary reports and was up to date and eligible to be sworn in, in spite of evidence to the contrary that numerous reports were still not filed, late fees were not paid, and the outrageous claim that the Branch campaign had not received or spent any money for the entire year before the election. Glenn filed suit against the SBE for allowing Branch on the ballot in violation of State law. The case is now before the Maryland Court of Appeals. Ross is asking for donations to cover court costs and legal fees: contact Kathryn Parke at 410-366-0894 or <kathryn@imagecarnival.com>.
Steve Kramer scooter@guisarme.net

MARYLAND Old news we just learned: Linda Schade was declared Outstanding Person of the Year in a December 24, 2004 column by Blair Lee in The Gazette, Maryland's leading political newspaper. *Linda Schade founded TrueVote and waged war on new electronic voting machines. The Takoma Park resident and Green Party candidate challenged the machines' accuracy and tamper-proofing through the courts and lost. But protecting our ballot box integrity is just as important as protecting our national security. Voters owe Linda Schade their gratitude.
http://www.truevotemd.org
http://www.gazette.net

MARYLAND Popular blogger and Democrat Jim Leftwich is urging other Dems to join him in a mass exodus to the Green Party and has proposed June 21 as a 'Moving Day'. The Maryland Green Party is currently considering ways to support and promote this effort.
http://www.mdgreens.org/
http://movingday.typepad.com/
http://www.anigami.com/jimwich/md/md.html

MINNESOTA From Audrey Thayer and Daniel Alvin of the Bemidji Green Party: "I have received a number of telephone calls to what the Greens can do for my brothers and sisters from the Red Lake Nation who are experiencing such tragedy of 10 deaths in their community (the teacher lost was from the Bemidji Community). We have three students recovering this week at North Country Hospital in Bemidji, MN and two Red lake students recovering at MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, ND. Cards that you are thinking of them or gifts are acceptable. Cards to the 10 families individually from your local Green Party or from your family would be most welcome. There is a fund being raised for the Red lake families that I believe Wells Fargo Bank is handling. Cards are good to the Red Lake Tribal Council -- to their Chairperson, Floyd "Buck" Jourdain for their outstanding leadership during such a terrible time. I want to thank so many of you for your prayers at this time.... Please pray for strength for the Red Lake families, the youth and the work that your fellow Greens Daniel Alvin and I are doing in being supportive to the Red Lake Nation." Send donations to Red Lake Tribal Council, C/O Leah Perkins, PO Box 574, Red Lake, MN 56671.
http://wcco.com/redlake
http://www.mngreens.org

NEBRASKA The Nebraska Green Party has gained ballot status in Congressional District 1 (Lincoln and surrounding areas), as Nebraska allows for parties by district. Nebraska Greens still have to get signatures for Districts 2 and 3, which is in process but should get up and running in the summer.
http://www.nebraska.greens.org/
http://www.greensforgreens.org

NEW YORK Steve Krulick, elected to the Ellenville Village (NY) Board of Trustees in March 2004, won one of two 2-year Ellenville Village Board seats on March 15 from a field of four candidates. Krulick received just over 60% approval of those who turned out to vote, about the same as his polling last year in a two-person race to win a 1-year term in a special election to fill a vacancy. Since there is no Green Party ballot line in NY now, Krulick received cross-endorsement from the local Democratic Party as well as running on an independent 'Clean Sweep' line. Krulick included his Green Party affiliation on official campaign literature and in media articles, including his serving as County Green Party Secretary, State Committeeperson, and serving on the state's Executive Committee. Ulster County leads the way for Green officeholders in New York, as Mayor Jason West and Trustee Rebecca Rotzler preceded Krulick when they were elected in 2003 in the neighboring village of New Paltz.
http://kryo.com/KrulickCampaign/index.htm
http://www.gpnys.org

OHIO Bob Fitrakis and three other lawyers who represented Ohio voters in their challenge to the certification of the Ohio ballots in the 2004 presidential election are currently being threatened with sanctions for having brought the lawsuit during the Ohio recount, which was initiated by Green presidential candidate David Cobb. If Fitrakis and the three other lawyers are sanctioned, it'll intimidate voters and lawyers from acting on future evidence of election manipulation and vote obstruction.
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1102
Contributions for legal support http://freepress.org/store.php

OREGON Xander Patterson is running as Pacific Green Party of Oregon candidate for the Multnomah County Commission. (Multnomah is the most populous county in Oregon; Portland is the county seat.) Patterson has already been elected three times as Soil and Water conservation district commissioner, and faces a May 6 primary, which may also be the general because there may only be two candidates running. Oregon Greens are calling this a winnable race.
http://www.pacificgreens.org/

COOL GREEN PARTY MERCHANDISE The Peace Action Committee and the Merchandise Committee have announced Green Party 'Vote Peace' flags, great for anti-war actions and peace rallies, or for bikes and backpacks. The pennant style flags say 'Vote Peace' on one side and 'Green Party' on the other, with the Earthflower logo, and are green, with white lettering and include the union and recycling bugs. Size: 11" high, 18" each side. Prices: 1 for $4; 5 for $15; 25 for $40; 50 for $50.
To order or see the flags: visit http://www.gp.org (online store in right column)
More information or questions: Emily Citkowski, 202-319-7191, GPHQ--at--gp.org

NATIONAL Green Parties across the US participated in various 'Global Day of Protest' events against the US invasion and occupation of Iraq on March 19. Wisconsin Greens joined a 'bridgil' (vigil held on a bridge) on the Highway 8 bridge over the St. Croix River and a major rally in Milwaukee. New York state party co-chair Gloria Mattera was arrested along with members of the War Resisters League for holding up a sign 'Recruit for Peace Not for War' at a military recruitment station in Brooklyn, at an event cosponsored by local Green Parties (photo at warresisters.org). David McReynolds, NY Green Party candidate for the US Senate, was quoted in an Associate Press story on March 19: "This country was founded by acts of civil disobedience.... We have an obligation to make our resistance public and to say as clearly as we can that the war is illegal." A rally and march in New Paltz that Greens helped organize featured former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter and drew an estimated 1700 people <http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0319-06.htm>.
http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org
Photos from various March 19 protests:
http://www.warresisters.org/counter-recruitMar05.htm
http://www.al-awda.org/ctmarch19/
http://www.qumsiyeh.org/march19hartfordrally/

NATIONAL Saying that "public involvement and oversight in the voting process is essential," 2004 Green presidential candidate David Cobb today sent letters in mid March to the heads of the nine major voting machine companies in the US demanding "accountability and transparency." In the letter, Cobb said that a number of steps "must be taken immediately to restore faith in our elections and the winners that they produce. These steps must include: a paper ballot for each vote cast, independent analysis of voting machine software and hardware, open software source code, no contributions from voting companies to candidates for public office, no networking of machines and the public dissemination of all relevant voting data and documents." Cobb launched vote recount efforts in Ohio and New Mexico after numerous reports of vote obstruction and election manipulation by Republicans.
http://www.votecobb.org
http://www.velvetrevolution.us/

GREEN INSTITUTE The Green Institute sponsored a trip to Europe in March by Dean Myerson (5-18 March) and David Cobb (10-18 March). They visited Bratislava, Berlin and Brussels, and Myerson also visited Helsinki. Cobb and Myerson met with with Greens and representatives of NGOs.
http://www.greeninstitute.net/eu/europe_2005_03_05.shtml
http://www.greeninstitute.net/

READ ABOUT and get involved in your state Green Party http://www.gp.org/states.html
Read about and get involved in a national Green Party caucus
Lavender Greens Caucus (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Greens) http://www.lavendergreens.org/
Women's Caucus http://www.gp.org/committees/women/index.html
Black Caucus http://www.gpblackcaucus.us/
Youth Caucus discussion list http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/youth-caucus
Latino Caucus (site to be announced)
Disability Caucus http://immuneweb.org/dg/

MORE GREEN PARTY NEWS: http://web.greens.org/news/

TOP

UPCOMING EVENTS

APRIL 15-17 Mass Mobilization and protests during the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, in Washington, DC. Mobilization for Global Justice http://www.globalizethis.org

April 17 The Green Party of Connecticut is holding its annual Convention at the Greater New Haven Labor Council Hall, 267 Chapel Street, New Haven starting at 11 am. Mike DeRosa, Green Party State Co-Chair said that " the Connecticut Green Party Convention is best of what politics should be, first with a pot luck lunch that is family friendly and free to the public.Next we elect our new state Green Party leaders. Then speeches by our local candidates and leaders on issues that directly effect the state, national and worldwide." Further information: 1-888-877-8607. http://www.ctgreens.org

APRIL 23-24 The Green Party's 2005 Chesapeake Campaign School, at Howard University in Washington, DC and the University of the District of Columbia. Participants include the the DC Statehood Green Party, Green Party of Maryland, the Virginia Green Party, and the Green Party's Black Caucus and National Committee. The regional Campaign School, which takes place annually around the US, is a two-day retreat offering education on how to conduct successful political campaigns for Green candidates and organizers. Invited guests: Elaine Brown, former leader of the Black Panthers and possible Green candidate for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia (guest appearance at the University of the District of Columbia, Saturday evening); Ross Mirkarimi, Green San Francisco Supervisor and campaign manager for Matt Gonzalez's 2003 mayoral run. More information: Green Party office, 202-319-7191

MAY 13-15 National Conference for Media Reform in St. Louis. Featured speakers: Amy Goodman, Jim Hightower, Naomi Klein, George Lakoff, Al Franken, FCC commissioners, members of Congress. Panels and workshops will cover media consolidation, grassroots activism, globalization, independent media, commercialism, Community Internet, etc. Sponsored by Free Press. http://www.freepress.net/conference/

JULY 21-24 The National Committee is currently voting on a proposal to hold the 2005 Annual National Committee Meeting in Tulsa, OK on July 21-24.

TOP

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

==> From March 14 to April 22, a meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights will take place in Geneva, where the US government will try to pass a resolution against Cuba. On one hand, the world's superpower is trying to intensify a blockade against a small country; on the other, the US has prevented the UN Commission from probing human rights violations taking place in US prisons in Abuh Ghraib and Guantanamo. The US government thus has no moral authority to set itself up as a judge of human rights in Cuba, where there is not a single case of missing persons, torture, or extra judicial killing, and where internationally recognized health, education and cultural levels have been reached despite the blockade. Contact the White House and Congress, and urge them to drop the resolution.
http://www.cubadh.net/

==> Tell Reps to support language in the 'Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005' (HR 1059) that would repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the US armed forces. It was introduced on March 2 by Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) and so far has 67 cosponsors. http://aver.us/alerts.html

==> Tell Congress to support Low-Power FM. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) have introduced a bill that would revolutionize community radio, but it will need public support to get passed. The Local Community Radio Act of 2005 would give thousands of communities the right to broadcast on low-power FM airwaves. Low-Power FM radio (LPFM) refers to 10 to 100 watt, nonprofit radio stations with a reach of only a few miles. Because LPFM stations are noncommercial and reach a small broadcast area, they hold great promise to offer truly community-driven and locally-oriented programming. http://www.freepress.net/lpfm/

==> As the newly appointed chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has decided to hold hearings this week on same-sex marriage. The hearings are focused on the Defense of Marriage Act and, for all practical purposes, on the Federal Marriage Amendment as well. In light of the many serious issues that our country is facing, it is absolutely outrageous that a small group of right-wing Senators would make discriminating against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people their top priority right now. Send a message against efforts to write discrimination into the US Constitution.
http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/...

TOP

GOOD READS