GreenLine News – March 2017
Let's keep going, Greens! Nothing that Mr. Trump and the corrupt duopoly that his presidency represents do is going to stop a Green Party-led political movement from growing and succeeding! Our work continues to build a true people's party for a real political alternative in our nation, and to keep getting our best Greens elected in every neighborhood and precinct in the US.
The amazing Stein/Baraka campaign last year brought us tens of thousands of new volunteers who have said they want to be on-the-ground Green Organizers in their communities. We already have a lot of dedicated Green Party locals, state parties and college chapters and now we'll have even more. Also, the National Steering Committee has hired a Political Organizer and will soon be hiring more staff to help with organizing and volunteer coordination.
It's a politically critical time for the Green Party and for our movement as a whole. It is also an opportunity we can't afford to ignore. We must continue to "grow" our party's leadership from the bottom, and keep building the necessary relationships with our nation's frontline communities, workers, youth, organized labor, LGBTQIA community, women and people of color for us to best do that. Without you, this can't happen, so it's important that we hear from you.
We hope you will check out what's been happening this winter below in our GreenLine Newsletter. Please share your news from your community by emailing David Doonan at [email protected].
Peace!
Your Green Party staff,
Cynthia, Starlene, Adrian, Scott and David
Staff News
Adrian Boutureira has hit the road running as our National Political Organizer! In less than a month, he has compiled and organized data identifying the constitution of all of our state party leadership and other key acting political bodies of the party. Thanks to this work, we now have a comprehensive list of all these leaders and their correspondent contact information. This political mapping work will be used for a national needs and capacity assessment survey, which is in its final stages of production. The results of that assessment will provide his office and the national party with a long overdue comprehensive report of state by state party structures, political priorities, stages of growth and development, as well as blueprint of their present needs and capacity. All of this will help us create the best possible national strategic plan in support of all our state parties.
In addition, Adrian has been working directly with staff and committee leadership to help coordinate support for our emerging party leadership, such as in the state of Montana, as well as for several GP candidates running in critical special elections. He is in daily contact with multiple party leaders and organizers addressing and helping to resolve and mediate a multitude of issues arising in our organizing and planning front lines. He has also been proactively maintaining and nurturing already established personal political relationships with party leaders at all levels across the country with whom he already has established relationships after his 2 year stint as Jill's Field Director.
Our Web Manager, David Doonan, has spent the first quarter of the year working on a number of projects, including assisting Adrian in compiling the list of state party leaders; responding to inquiries from candidates, state parties and those working to establish state parties; and working with others for a major upgrade to our candidates database.
Per a gentle, but firm kick in the butt from our younger members, additional code has been added to gp.org to create Twitter cards from new postings.
One subtle change made to the web site, adding a screenshot of the national calendar to the home page, has generated numerous requests from state and local parties (send requests to [email protected]).
Ongoing work includes posting and distribution of press releases, state and local news & candidate news to www.gp.org, as well as migrating content from gpus.org over to gp.org.
Green Candidate News
Cheri Honkala: Honkala Joins Trans-Partisan Call For Election Investigation
Numerous incidents of election fraud and voter intimidation were reported throughout the day of the special election, March 21, by voters, poll workers, and volunteers supporting the endorsed candidates of all three parties represented.
Because of that, the Cheri Honkala campaign will join the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) and various local Democrats and Republicans in calling for an investigation into the anomalies and potential illegal actions that took place. An injunction will be filed to void the election and call for new special election.
Howie Hawkins
It's not official yet, but Syracuse Green Party stalwart Howie Hawkins expects to join the crowded field running for the mayor of Syracuse. Hawkins hopes the third time could be the charm in his races for mayor; this will be the third decade in a row if he chooses to enter the race.
"In the '90s it was a struggle to get on the ballot and even get in the debates," Hawkins says. "We were not taken seriously by the media, the public thought we were Greenpeace, not the Green Party. By the 2000s we got in the debates, and people thought we had some good ideas, and our votes started rising."
Alex White
Another candidate and a familiar name in local politics will announce he’s running for Rochester Mayor. Alex White has run for mayor twice before on the local Green Party Line.
Seth Kaper-Dale
Mr. Kaper-Dale is running for Governor of New Jersey as the Green Party candidate with a focus on social justice.
Recent Press Releases
March 19, 2017: The Green Party of the United States congratulated filmmaker Mark Webber and his mother, Cheri Honkala, on the debut of his semi-autobiographical film "Flesh and Blood." The movie opened on March 11 to widespread praise from critics and audiences. Cheri Honkala, who plays a role in "Flesh and Blood," was the Green Party's 2012 vice-presidential nominee, running with Jill Stein.
March 16, 2017: Green Party leaders spoke out today about the environmental and public health threat posed by the Trump Administration's reckless industry-friendly actions, including attacks on regulations and Scott Pruitt's appointment to head the EPA.
March 14, 2017: The Green Party stands strongly behind our endorsed candidate for Minneapolis City Council Ward 3, Samantha Pree-Stinson, in the wake of a threatening racist note left on the fence at her home. The note said, "We know where you live," and used a familiar racist epithet.
"We deplore this act of racism and threat to the safety of Samantha and her family," said Becki Smith, co-chair of the Minneapolis/5th District Green Party, which endorsed Pree-Stinson on Feb. 25. "We are standing behind her more strongly than ever against hate and intimidation."
March 5, 2017: The Montana Green Party holds first statewide convention in 10 years. The Montana Green Party held its first statewide convention in 10 years Saturday at the University of Montana's Payne Family Native American Center, where party supporters appointed committee members, elected a candidate for the upcoming special election and heard from Green Party 2016 presidential nominee Jill Stein via Skype.
Calendar
March 24-25, 2017: Illinois Green Party 2017 Annual Membership Meeting: The Best Political Party on the Planet is taking care of business, talking about current issues, planning strategy, and socializing. Please join us at the Oak Park Public Library, Veterans Room, 2nd floor834 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 603019:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 26, 2017: Green Party in the Tampa Open House: We will be discussing the future of the Green Party in the Tampa Bay and how you can get involved. This is a great opportunity to get your voice heard and help your community. We will be meeting Sunday at 2:00 pm at Peace House, 8052 N 56th Street in Tampa Bay.
April 8, 2017: The Green Party of Washington State Spring Membership Gathering: We will be meeting at Razzi's Pizzeria on Greenwood Ave North in Seattle from 12 noon - 5 PM. Agenda will include candidate endorsements, campaign support training, bylaw amendments, nomination of new coordinating council representatives and GPUS delegates, and more!
April 22, 2017: The March for Science, in Washington DC (Endorsed by GPUS)
April 29, 2017: The People's Climate Movement March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate, in Washington DC and satellite climate marches throughout the U.S. (Endorsed by GPUS)
May 13, 2017: Green-Rainbow Party Convention in Worcester: Building the Party and Expanding the Green-Rainbow Tent. Our theme this year, Building the Party and Expanding the Green-Rainbow Tent, accentuates the need for us to continue building our party in the face of today's reality of a broken political system in America. We are Extremely Happy to announce that our Keynote speaker will be Jacqueline Patterson, the Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org 202-319-7191 @GreenPartyUS
