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Vol. 3, No. 4 Wednesday, May 03, 2005
Green News | Upcoming
Events | Green Action | Good Reads
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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§ion_id=2
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org//testimony/testimony.php?annc_id=6§ion_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:
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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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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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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Recommended articles, books, web sites:
Manifesto for the Green Election
British Greens recently issued a "Manifesto for the General
Election" that declares the party's support for redistribution of
wealth, massive ecological transition programs, 20% reduction in CO2
emissions by 2010, local democracy, and withdrawal from Iraq.
http://manifesto.greenparty.org.uk/?page=438&lng=en-GB
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/billboard
See also the Scottish Green Party's Manifesto for the Westminster
Election:
http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/site/id/4518/title/Manifesto.html
Newtopia Magazine
A Journal of the New Counterculture
http://www.newtopiamagazine.net
The Biggest Media Sin
"Which American political party best reflects the views of a majority
of citizens on the Iraq war, environmental issues, health care, campaign
financing, population growth, genetically modified foods, and marijuana
use? The answer, based on various polls, is the Green Party." Read
the rest of Sam Smith's essay "The Biggest Media Sin" in The
Progressive Review: http://prorev.com/mediasin.htm
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Greens in the media http://web.greens.org/news
Green Party News Circulator http://www.gp.org/circ/circulator.html
Green ballot status & voter registration http://web.greens.org/stats
The Real Difference http://www.therealdifference.org/
Who REALLY spoiled in 2000? http://www.gp.org/organize/spoiled.html
Greens World Wide http://www.greens.org
Campus Greens http://www.campusgreens.org
Global Greens http://www.globalgreens.info
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