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Vol. 3, No. 4 Wednesday, May 03, 2005

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GREEN NEWS

GREENS MOURN MARLA RUZICKA On Saturday, April 16, Green Party member and longtime human rights activist Marla Ruzicka died tragically in Iraq in a car bomb blast. Ms. Ruzicka, who was from Lakeport, California, was the founder of Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC), which negotiated with the US government for monies for civilian victims of the war in Iraq. She was in Iraq most recently to conduct door-to-door surveys to determine the number of civilian casualties in the war. The Green Party of California expressed deep sorrow in the loss of Marla. "Those of us who knew Marla personally, and there are many of those, will never forget this incredible woman, or the remarkable effect she had on all our lives in the short time that she was among us," said Michael Wyman, state Green Party treasurer.
http://www.gp.org/press/states/ca_2005_04_18b.html

ELAINE BROWN WILL RUN AS GREEN IN GEORGIA Elaine Brown, the only woman to lead the Black Panther Party, has declared her intention to run for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia, as a member of the Green Party. Ms. Brown talked about her plans during a speech on April 23 before a full house at Howard University in Washington, DC, titled "From Revolution to the Ballot Box: A Discussion of Strategy for Radical Change." The event was sponsored by the Green Institute, an independent tax-exempt organization.

Ms. Brown will formally announce her candidacy in the nonpartisan race on May 19 -- Malcolm X's birthday -- in Brunswick.
http://www.elainebrown.org
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org//press/press.php?annc_id=73§ion_id=2
http://www.greens.org/georgia/
Elaine Brown interviewed by Jared Ball of FreeMix Radio: The Original Mixtape Radio Show and The Blackademics, WPFW 89.3FM (Washington, DC http://voxunion.com/realaudio/coupradio/ElaineBrown.mp3)

CALIFORNIA New legislation, SB 596, that would create a more "democratic" voting system, eliminate expensive runoff elections and give voters more power at the polls won quick approval from the Green Party of California and consumer groups in a key Senate hearing. The measure would allow local governments to use preference voting, also called instant runoff voting (IRV), for single-winner races and 'choice voting' for multi-winner elections.
http://www.cagreens.org
Information on IRV: http://www.fairvote.org

CALIFORNIA Legislation to correct a faulty state law that robbed potential Green Party congressional candidate Terry Baum of a chance to challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi in a heavily-progressive San Francisco district last year passed the Senate Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee April 6 on a 4-2 vote. SB 1050, authored by Sen. Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach) ensures write-in votes count even if voters failed to fill in a "bubble," a technical requirement which helps machines tabulate votes. Terry lost hundreds of votes in the primary election in March of 2004. Although voting officials acknowledged Baum had enough write-in votes to win the Green Party nomination, they were required to thrown them out because current law mandated write-in votes "shall" not be counted if the bubble is not filled-in. http://www.cagreens.org

CALIFORNIA Green Party member Aimee Allison's insurgent campaign for Oakland City Council has made her a top contender for the seat vacated by Danny Wan, following his resignation in January. "The race has essentially come down to a contest between three candidates, Aimee Allison, David Kakishiba and Pat Kernighan," said Wilson Riles, Jr., former city council member. "I think pundits will be surprised come election day if they ignore Aimee's campaign." "I believe the reason so many people are drawn to our campaign is that we are viewed as City Hall outsiders who are not controlled by any vested interest," said Allison. "I think when the votes are counted we are going to surprise a lot of the so-called experts." http://www.AimeeAllison.org

CALIFORNIA Three-term Napa City Councilmember Harry Martin, founder and owner of the Napa Sentinel, has announced this week that he has re-registered as a member of the Green Party. The decision by Martin boosts Green Party officeholders to 69 elected seats in California, and 221 offices in the US. There are now four Green Party mayors, a mayor pro-tem, and a vice mayor in the state. Greens also hold majorities on several city councils in California. First elected to the Napa City Council in 1994, and re-elected in 1996 and 2003, Martin is the longest-serving council member in Napa's history and has served as vice mayor three times. He is a native of San Francisco.
http://www.cagreens.org
http://www.feinstein.org/greenparty/electeds.html

CONNECTICUT Miguel Angel Nieves has declared his candidacy for mayor of New Britain. Nieves is seeking donations and volunteers for his campaign, and is also looking forward to hearing from other Greens of Puerto Rican decent.
Contact number: 860-832-8141
http://www.nieves.politicalgateway.com
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/nievesformayor
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/nbgreen
http://www.ctgreens.org/

CONNECTICUT New Haven Green Party co-chair and former congressional candidate Charlie Pillsbury announced that he will run for Ward 19 alderman unless current Ward 19 Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards decides to seek reelection. Pillsbury said he will attend community meetings in the coming weeks, and plans to begin making phone calls and going door-to-door after Labor Day. He said he decided to run because he thinks the seat will be open. Pillsbury, who roomed with Gary Trudeau at Yale and was in part the basis for the comic character Mike Doonesbury, said he is interested in local issues such as crime, traffic and schools, but he would also push for election reform and environmental issues, especially clean air. http://www.ctgreens.org/

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (1) DC Statehood Green Party leaders are urging University of the District of Columbia (UDC) officials to reconsider plans to give Attorney General Alberto Gonzales an honorary degree on graduation day, May 14. Party members cited racial disparities and rejection of clemency pleas in Texas executions while Gonzales was legal counsel to Gov. Bush, Gonzales's positions on torture, international law, and presidential power to deny due process. (2) The DC Statehood Green Party has announced its legislative agenda for 2005.
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org//press/press.php?annc_id=75&section_id=2 http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org//testimony/testimony.php?annc_id=6&section_id=1
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org

FLORIDA After protests in Miami when the FTAA met there two years ago, Ft. Lauderdale recently passed a draconian law which effectively bans free speech and expression, in preparation for a meeting of the Organization of American States in June. The city also voted to spend over $2.5 million on riot gear to ensure that demonstrators will be outgunned, monitored, arrested, and roughly handled. A local coalition is suing the city to have the ordinance struck down, with at least one local Green plaintiff. The Green Party of Florida is also considering becoming a plaintiff, as is the Broward County Green Party.
http://www.floridagreens.org/
http://www.browardgreens.org

MICHIGAN Amid Earth Day celebrations, the Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) is renewing its proposal that used nuclear fuel be made safer where it is before transporting it elsewhere. The GPMI plan calls for the used fuel to be captured inside glass ingots, a process named "vitrification", to prevent the radioactive material from being scattered on the wind or easily leached into the water supply. The work could be done on site at each of the country's still- running nuclear plants -- employing hundreds of people at each plant, and linking plants to the cost of cleaning up their nuclear waste.
http://www.migreens.org

NEW YORK Community activist Judith Einach, endorsed by the Green Party, launched her campaign for mayor of Buffalo by promising more attention to "fixing the little things so the big things can fix themselves." "To build a strong economy we need to include creative or less-tried but proven methods to generate wealth," she said. Einach, 57, is project director of Food Ventures, a micro-enterprise development program. She spoke to about two dozen supporters outside city-owned historic row that are in disrepair. "We should expect city government to act as a steward and care for our properties until they are sold to a responsible buyer," she said.
http://www.judy4mayor.org/judy2/
http://www.gpnys.org/

NATIONAL The Green Party Task Force on Haiti has decided to extend its campaign to support Haitian democracy and justice into a "Season of Solidarity with Haiti." More under Upcoming Events below.

NATIONAL The Green Party of the United States has announced two job openings.

-- The Assistant Fundraising Coordinator will help with the party's fundraising program. At this time, the position will primarily involve phone banking, but in the future the position may also involve other fundraising or administrative tasks. http://www.gp.org/documents/fundraising_ast.html

-- The Online and Outreach Fundraising Coordinator will coordinate on-line fundraising and outreach projects with staff and committees. http://www.gp.org/documents/fundraising_coor.html

CAMPUS GREENS: Campus Greens have announced a brand new website at <http://www.campusgreens.org>. Campus Green organizers request that all chapters to send their contact info and websites (if available) to <info@campusgreens.org> for the chapter's page, as well as short summaries of their current and/or future campaigns. Send a message to Dave Wilcox, Steering Committee member, at that address for more information. http://www.campusgreens.org

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/

GIVE GREEN Make your friends GREEN with envy.... Become a card-carrying Green today! Buy your Green Party Card on line (or download a PDF order form) at <http://www.gp.org/greenpartycard.html>. The latest, coolest item in the wallets of progressives is the personalized Green Party Card. For $36.00 a year* you can be a card-carrying Green. When you become an active supporter of the Green Party of the United States, you'll receive our spanking-new card, which shows the world that you stand committed to time-honored progressive values like liberty, equality, democracy, social justice, personal responsibility and focus on the future. In addition, you will receive a Green Party button and bumper sticker, a one-year subscription to Green Pages, plus all of the information you need to get involved and active as a Green. Half of your contribution will be shared with your state's Green Party. The Future is Green! http://www.gp.org/greenpartycard.html

GREENLINE NEWSLETTER
SIGN UP FOR GREENLINE.... Stay informed.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

MAY THROUGH OCTOBER The Green Party Task Force on Haiti has decided to extend its campaign to support Haitian democracy and justice into a "Season of Solidarity with Haiti." The Task Force urges Green Party members and friends to plan solidarity actions and events from May throught October, 2005 (May is Haitian Heritage Month), and encourages state Green Parties to endorse the eason of Solidarity with Haiti. The Task Force on Haiti is organized by members of the Green Party's Peace Action Committee, Black Caucus, and International Committee and is currently seeking members. http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_02_07.html
Contact Logan Martinez, loganmartinez@hotmail.com

SATURDAY, MAY 7 Northeast Region Campaign School for Green Party Candidates, Campaign Staff and Volunteers, from 10 am - 4 pm at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 60 Huntingdon Street in New London, Connecticut. Organizers are asking $5.00 a person to cover food cost. Lunch will be provided. Guest speakers will include Green Party Political Director Brent McMillan and Media Coordinator Scott McLarty; other speakers to be announced. Housing for over night stays will be provided on request.Contact: Tom Sevigny capeconn@comcast.net

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/

JUNE 12-18 Walk for Truth, Justice and Community. The Pacific Green Party of Oregon, in keeping with its advocacy for social justice and nonviolence, officially endorses the Walk for Truth, Justice and Community, June 12-18 2005. Pacific Green participant encourage other Greens to join them, in solidarity with the Rural Organizing Project and other progressive groups, in the Walk from Turner (near Salem) to Portland, including a stop for a rally at the State Capitol on Monday, June 13, joined by progressive legislators and other Salem allies. Contact number: 503-543-8417. http://www.rop.org
http://www.pacificgreens.org/

JULY 21-24 2005 Annual Green Party National Committee Meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Details to be announced.
http://www.gp.org

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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 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

==> Call and/or email your legislators to cosponsor HR 807, a bill that would allow employee's to pay for costs associated with commuting to work by bike (e.g., bicycle lockers; bicycle commuter station memberships where bicyclists can shower and change for work) out of their pretax money. The transportation fringe benefit currently allows pretax funds to go for parking cost for motor vehicles, public transit commuting costs, and vanpooling costs. This legislation would put biking on a more equitable footing with other modes of transit.

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GOOD READS