Friday, May 18, 2007
Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas update
Recently a man who had been held by the FARC, a Colombian military narco-terrorist gang, escaped. He said that he saw Ingrid Betancourt recently. Ms. Betancourt was the Presidential nominee of el Partido Verde Oxigyna (sp?) She too has been kidnapped and held by the FARC.
Now the BBC is reporting that the president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, is stepping up efforts to rescue her. Rojas, kidnapped at the same time, was Betancourt's campaign manager.
Betancourt's husband and mother don't want Uribe to do this. Her mother is quoted saying that such a move by the government will "mean death" for Ingrid.
Ms Betancourt has apparently tried several times since her kidnapping in 2002 to escape, suffering each time by being "severely punished".
Ms. Betancourt, who is also a French citizen, has been the topic of discussions between Uribe and Sarcozi (sp?), the newly elected President of France, who suggested a negotiated effort instead of a military one.
Is there anything we can do? Any ideas? She is apparently being brutally treated, chained by the neck at night to keep her from escaping.
Now the BBC is reporting that the president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, is stepping up efforts to rescue her. Rojas, kidnapped at the same time, was Betancourt's campaign manager.
Betancourt's husband and mother don't want Uribe to do this. Her mother is quoted saying that such a move by the government will "mean death" for Ingrid.
Ms Betancourt has apparently tried several times since her kidnapping in 2002 to escape, suffering each time by being "severely punished".
Ms. Betancourt, who is also a French citizen, has been the topic of discussions between Uribe and Sarcozi (sp?), the newly elected President of France, who suggested a negotiated effort instead of a military one.
Is there anything we can do? Any ideas? She is apparently being brutally treated, chained by the neck at night to keep her from escaping.
Who is entitled to what?
One thing that has always pissed me off is when I hear that Greens take away votes which would otherwise go to democrats. First off, it's not accurate. If there were only Democrats and republicans in a partisan race I would either not vote or cast a write in vote. Yes, if a Republican and Democrat were running for Congress without independent or third party competition, I will either not cast a vote in that race or cast a write in ballot.
But that's just me. I'm from the "Don't vote. It only encourages them" school of thought. Sadly, around these parts the political machinery uses low voter turn out as "proof" that the voters are satisfied in the way things are being run. If voters were unhappy, they would be voting in droves.
The other thing about such beliefs is that it assumes that the Democratic Party is entitled to certain voters. Environmentalists who vote Green are killing the very Democrats who can do the environment the most good. Labor leaders who endorse Greens are harming Labor's cause by hurting the Democratic Party. Peace activists who lead their local Green Party chapters are responsible for Iraq war dead because they are splintering the peace vote.
But worst of all is the Black Green. Unforgivable!
Steven Colbert interviewed a member of the US House. I can't remember his name, but Colbert read him a quote. It went something like this:
SC: Congressman, Time Magazine quotes you saying "The black community must show the Democratic Party that they can't take our votes for granted any longer." Congressman, did you say that?
CM: Yes.
SC: So, which Republicans do you think black should vote for?
CM: Um...I don't think blacks should vote for any Republicans.
SC: But you just said that the democratic Party should not take black voters for granted.
CM: Yes.
SC: So, which Republicans should blacks vote for? If they are not going to be taken for granted by Democrats, who else will they vote for?
CM: Um...
SC: Moving on...
Of course, it's funny as hell when Colbert does it, but it shows the truth. Just as the crowd exploded at the State of the Black union in 2005 when a speaker said "To hell with the Democratic Party" only to be chastised almost immediately by Donna Brazil and other Democrats, the black community must decide not between the Democrats and Republicans, but between voting Green or not voting at all. If enough Black Greens run for office and win office, the voter who is staying home will have more reason to skip the Simpsons one Tuesday and go ahead and vote Green.
Over at Ca Greening Alex Walker discusses the question of identity politics in Los Angles. Specifically, what happens if a black nominee, a Latino nominee and a Green all run for an open congressional seat, risking changing the congressional representative from black to Latino.
Is the Green Party responsible for whether the Democrats or Republicans win this or that seat? Are we only responsible to ourselves and our principles, or are we responsible for outcomes that others control at least as much as we do?
I think I agree with Mr. Walker's observations. I hope you'll hit the link above and read it. It's not brief, but worth a few minutes to read over.
Thanks to Wes for pointing the piece out to me.
But that's just me. I'm from the "Don't vote. It only encourages them" school of thought. Sadly, around these parts the political machinery uses low voter turn out as "proof" that the voters are satisfied in the way things are being run. If voters were unhappy, they would be voting in droves.
The other thing about such beliefs is that it assumes that the Democratic Party is entitled to certain voters. Environmentalists who vote Green are killing the very Democrats who can do the environment the most good. Labor leaders who endorse Greens are harming Labor's cause by hurting the Democratic Party. Peace activists who lead their local Green Party chapters are responsible for Iraq war dead because they are splintering the peace vote.
But worst of all is the Black Green. Unforgivable!
Steven Colbert interviewed a member of the US House. I can't remember his name, but Colbert read him a quote. It went something like this:
SC: Congressman, Time Magazine quotes you saying "The black community must show the Democratic Party that they can't take our votes for granted any longer." Congressman, did you say that?
CM: Yes.
SC: So, which Republicans do you think black should vote for?
CM: Um...I don't think blacks should vote for any Republicans.
SC: But you just said that the democratic Party should not take black voters for granted.
CM: Yes.
SC: So, which Republicans should blacks vote for? If they are not going to be taken for granted by Democrats, who else will they vote for?
CM: Um...
SC: Moving on...
Of course, it's funny as hell when Colbert does it, but it shows the truth. Just as the crowd exploded at the State of the Black union in 2005 when a speaker said "To hell with the Democratic Party" only to be chastised almost immediately by Donna Brazil and other Democrats, the black community must decide not between the Democrats and Republicans, but between voting Green or not voting at all. If enough Black Greens run for office and win office, the voter who is staying home will have more reason to skip the Simpsons one Tuesday and go ahead and vote Green.
Over at Ca Greening Alex Walker discusses the question of identity politics in Los Angles. Specifically, what happens if a black nominee, a Latino nominee and a Green all run for an open congressional seat, risking changing the congressional representative from black to Latino.
Is the Green Party responsible for whether the Democrats or Republicans win this or that seat? Are we only responsible to ourselves and our principles, or are we responsible for outcomes that others control at least as much as we do?
I think I agree with Mr. Walker's observations. I hope you'll hit the link above and read it. It's not brief, but worth a few minutes to read over.
Thanks to Wes for pointing the piece out to me.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Thinking Outloud
There is a book called something like "What's wrong with Kansas?" and the thesis is, why do the voters of Kansas continue to elect Republicans who don't serve their interests or share their values?
I am trying to learn a bit about the idea of "Cognitive Dissonance" and may not be even close to understanding, but I think I may have an idea.
The concept of cognitive dissonance is, if we see things that conflict with our preconceived notions, or strongly held beliefs, we either must change our strongly held beliefs or preconceived notions, or convince ourselves that we don't see what we actually do see.
For example, we (many of us at least) believe that the United States is the world's most generous nation, and our giving is unmatched by the rest of the world. Between what we give through our government, the US portion of United Nations activities, all the US donations to international aid agencies, and the church gifts that go to the poor, and the individual gifts we give to support people in the third world through various charities, we are surely the example of giving and humanitarianism the rest of the world should follow.
In truth, the United States as a nation and the people of the United States as individuals are right up there with the best, but we are not at the top of the heap. Not even second or third. Not sure where we fall, but it's not bad, just not "perfect".
But to accept even this tiny bit of dissonance, that is, "The US is not the very best, most generous and most benevolent nation on the face of the Earth." is more than their psyche can handle, so they respond in ways that, to others who don't share that dissonance, seem silly. For example, when one says after a Tsunami, "Well, a couple of day's worth of war in Iraq would have paid for a Tsunami warning system for Indonesia", and I am *not* saying that this is true, one might get in response "Oh yeah? Well fuck you! USA! USA! USA!"
Now, I am not suggesting that this would happen, but I have certainly had the uncomfortable experience of asking a neighbor to vote for a candidate, only to have the voter say "Well, Jesus will see to it that the right person wins. You know, nothing happens unless it's His will. So I don't have to think about it. Jesus is in charge."
Friends, what do you say to that?
"People are suffering in Mexico from poverty." "Jesus.
"People are dying in Africa for lack of clean water. "God"
"The air, world wide, is choking and growing more so every day." "Amen."
The truth is, these folks have solved the cognitive dissonance of knowing that we are not doing all that we can, and as a result, suffering grows every day. By ignoring the truth, they can ignore the pain that comes from knowing the truth.
Think of it this way. If you believe that the combination of sperm and egg makes a human being, and the Republican Party and Conservative Democrats have been promising you since before you cast your first vote that they will end abortion, how can you explain away the fact that Roe v Wade is still the law of the land? And, even if Roe v Wade were overturned, how can you resolve the cognitive dissonance of knowing that South Carolina will be abortion clinic free, but the women of New York, and maybe North Carolina, will be free to continue to kill innocents even after Roe v Wade is overturned? If it's murder, how can any state allow it?
The Religious Right handles the internal conflict caused by this state of affairs by either being in on the deal, that is, understanding that abortion is just a way to manipulate their followers, or by constructing a mythology that satisfies their need to make sense of the world. Hence, Senator Thurmond of South Carolina can both be a "Good Christian", a "God Fearing Man", and a "White Man's Friend" while fathering a child with a black woman and changing his position on race issues as fast as you can say "opportunist" and play the race card until he died. One cannot be both Christian and racist, but Thurmond was able to sell it because South Carolinians could not live with the idea that we were as bass ackward as we really are.
Of course, this is just thought, but it may explain a lot of stuff. Why do I continue to live near a nuclear power plant? There is really no excuse for it. When our daughters were growing up we moved to Asheville, NC specifically to avoid nukes. They are as bad as ever. Why do I allow myself to be comfortable with something that terrifies me?
We can't accept behavior we see as outside our acceptable zone. Comfort is available at the touch of a button, so our statements of coming problems seems like hysteria to many. How do we bring folks to see what we see when seeing what we see requires them to change the way they see the world?
I am trying to learn a bit about the idea of "Cognitive Dissonance" and may not be even close to understanding, but I think I may have an idea.
The concept of cognitive dissonance is, if we see things that conflict with our preconceived notions, or strongly held beliefs, we either must change our strongly held beliefs or preconceived notions, or convince ourselves that we don't see what we actually do see.
For example, we (many of us at least) believe that the United States is the world's most generous nation, and our giving is unmatched by the rest of the world. Between what we give through our government, the US portion of United Nations activities, all the US donations to international aid agencies, and the church gifts that go to the poor, and the individual gifts we give to support people in the third world through various charities, we are surely the example of giving and humanitarianism the rest of the world should follow.
In truth, the United States as a nation and the people of the United States as individuals are right up there with the best, but we are not at the top of the heap. Not even second or third. Not sure where we fall, but it's not bad, just not "perfect".
But to accept even this tiny bit of dissonance, that is, "The US is not the very best, most generous and most benevolent nation on the face of the Earth." is more than their psyche can handle, so they respond in ways that, to others who don't share that dissonance, seem silly. For example, when one says after a Tsunami, "Well, a couple of day's worth of war in Iraq would have paid for a Tsunami warning system for Indonesia", and I am *not* saying that this is true, one might get in response "Oh yeah? Well fuck you! USA! USA! USA!"
Now, I am not suggesting that this would happen, but I have certainly had the uncomfortable experience of asking a neighbor to vote for a candidate, only to have the voter say "Well, Jesus will see to it that the right person wins. You know, nothing happens unless it's His will. So I don't have to think about it. Jesus is in charge."
Friends, what do you say to that?
"People are suffering in Mexico from poverty." "Jesus.
"People are dying in Africa for lack of clean water. "God"
"The air, world wide, is choking and growing more so every day." "Amen."
The truth is, these folks have solved the cognitive dissonance of knowing that we are not doing all that we can, and as a result, suffering grows every day. By ignoring the truth, they can ignore the pain that comes from knowing the truth.
Think of it this way. If you believe that the combination of sperm and egg makes a human being, and the Republican Party and Conservative Democrats have been promising you since before you cast your first vote that they will end abortion, how can you explain away the fact that Roe v Wade is still the law of the land? And, even if Roe v Wade were overturned, how can you resolve the cognitive dissonance of knowing that South Carolina will be abortion clinic free, but the women of New York, and maybe North Carolina, will be free to continue to kill innocents even after Roe v Wade is overturned? If it's murder, how can any state allow it?
The Religious Right handles the internal conflict caused by this state of affairs by either being in on the deal, that is, understanding that abortion is just a way to manipulate their followers, or by constructing a mythology that satisfies their need to make sense of the world. Hence, Senator Thurmond of South Carolina can both be a "Good Christian", a "God Fearing Man", and a "White Man's Friend" while fathering a child with a black woman and changing his position on race issues as fast as you can say "opportunist" and play the race card until he died. One cannot be both Christian and racist, but Thurmond was able to sell it because South Carolinians could not live with the idea that we were as bass ackward as we really are.
Of course, this is just thought, but it may explain a lot of stuff. Why do I continue to live near a nuclear power plant? There is really no excuse for it. When our daughters were growing up we moved to Asheville, NC specifically to avoid nukes. They are as bad as ever. Why do I allow myself to be comfortable with something that terrifies me?
We can't accept behavior we see as outside our acceptable zone. Comfort is available at the touch of a button, so our statements of coming problems seems like hysteria to many. How do we bring folks to see what we see when seeing what we see requires them to change the way they see the world?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Here are some people who *really* get it!
Just highlights here...you'll have to hit a link to read the full piece, but here are some teasers.
Interested? The full piece is right over here
Braam underplays his role as the Will County Green Party's first elected officeholder, but he's also cognizant of his impact.
"It's up to me as a Green Party member to put into practice what I believe," he said. "I think the people will know I am from the Green Party, and they will know through my work what I stand for.
"There will be more understanding where we're coming from. I think that might eliminate a lot of fear or ignorance. A lot of people think the Green Party is just environmental; that's only a part of it."
Interested? The full piece is right over here
illinipundit writes about ballot access in IL
Green Line behind "Read more!" link
but it should be in your "in box". Go to gp.org and search for it, and sign up. For now, this edition includes news that we have never had more elected Greens in our history, in part thanks to WI and IL. Hit the "Read more!" link for all the details...
Bonjour.
Most Green Officeholders 'Ever' -
Thanks to Recent Victories in Wisconsin and Illinois!
The Green Party now has 230 officeholders, the most ever thanks to elections this month in Wisconsin and Illinois. In Wisconsin, seven out of fourteen Green Party candidates won election on April 3, bringing the total of Wisconsin Green elected officials to twenty- two. Pete Karas, endorsed by the Kenosha/Racine Green Party, won re- election in a tight race for alderperson in District 9 of the Racine Common Council.
Four out of five Green women candidates, all endorsed by Four Lakes Green Party, won seats on the Madison Common Council. Brenda Konkel, who ran unopposed for re-election, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Robbie Webber, and Marsha Rummel were all victorious on April 3rd. "The Madison's sixth district overwhelmingly showed support for progressive and green values, said Rummel. "I'm honored and look forward to serving the next 2 years. My priorities are affordable housing, water quality, jobs that support families, and government that supports the people."
Tony Palmeri, endorsed by the Lake Winnebago Green Party, came in second out of 6 candidates running for 3 seats, earning a place on the Oshkosh Common Council. "This is a victory for the Green agenda - open government, and social and economic justice, which were the themes of my campaign", said Palmeri. "Oshkosh voters made it clear
they want a progressive, forward looking council."
Amy Heart, endorsed by the Portage County Green Party, won her race for Stevens Point Common Council.
In Illinois, three out of six Illinois Green Party members were elected on April 17th, Robert Braam was elected as Trustee of the Manhattan Public Library District, receiving 107 votes as a write-in. Kris Campbell won reelection to the Poplar Grove Village Trustee. With 340 votes (20%), Campbell was second in a six-way race for three seats. Carol Larson earned 3,370 votes (53.74%) and was the top vote-getter for three seats on the Oak Lawn-Hometown School Board. Larson and Braam join Campbell, Dale Bowen (Winnebago Public Library Trustee), Jim Long (Kirby Park School Board) and Jon Murray (Mt. Morris Village Trustee) on the list of Illinois Green Party elected
officials.
So far this year, the Green Party has elected fourteen officeholders, bringing our total number of officeholders to 230, the most in Green Party history.
Greens Call for Efforts to Curb Global Warming
Green Party leaders, are in favor of a massive conversion of the US economic system to curb the threat of global warming in the coming decades. You can read the Green Party press release here.
Greens can help stop the privatization of our water. All across the United States, municipal water systems are being bought up by multinational corporations, turning one of our last remaining public commons and our most vital resource into a commodity.
The road to privatization is being paved by our own government. The Bush administration is actively working to loosen the hold that cities and towns have over public water, enabling corporations to own the very thing we depend on for survival.
Read the rest of the story at AlterNet, Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water By Tara Lohan, Posted on April 25, 2007, Printed on April 27, 2007.
Greens Get Ready for May 1st
Electing Renée will help push the pro-corporate City Council to really examine the issues that affect working-class District families in Ward 4 and throughout this fine City. She is tired of the massive gentrification being tauted as the way forward. We need community level development with an eye for sustainability and accountability.
She will take her years of service as ANC Commissioner, political activist, and union member to provide a much needed ethical and progressive voice in District politics. For more information go to http://reneebowser.com/ward4.php.
Mayor Jason West drew worldwide attention in 2004 when he took the courageous stand of marrying same sex couples in New Paltz, NY. Under West's tenure as Mayor, New Paltz is a leading the way in developing renewable energy resources and affordable housing programs for the city and is setting an example for new progressive leadership at the municipal level. Help reelect Jason on May 1st. For more information go to http://www.jasonwest.org.
Maryland Greens help Pass Paper Ballot Bill
'A Victory for Democracy'
69% of Maryland voters support a paper trail for elections. Thanks to the efforts of TrueVoteMD.org, founded by Maryland Green Party member and candidate Linda Schade, the Maryland Green Party, and others the MD State Legislature listened. On April 10 the Maryland House and Senate unanimously passed bill SB392/HB18 requiring a voter verified paper trail by 2010. "TrueVoteMD.org was founded four years ago in order to create elections that voters in Maryland could trust," said Linda Schade, "I'm pleased that we've made significant progress tonight."
The final bill ensures that any new voting system certified for use must include a voter verified paper record. The bill requires an optically scannable paper ballot marked by hand or with the help of a ballot marking device. The final bill also ensures that disabled voters will be able to vote independently and privately. The bill is expected to save Maryland taxpayer money as studies have shown that
operating costs for optical scanning equipment are 30% to 40% lower than the cost of Maryland's current touch screen machines.
Maryland Green Tim Willard presented testimony in support of the bill stating "A paper trail would allow for a meaningful recount in the event of local elections or in the event of votes lost by the machines or the cards that record the votes. Several recent elections have ended in controversy when close votes could not be recounted or alleged irregularities checked. Without a paper trail, these problems
are impossible to resolve".
The Maryland Green Party lobbied in support of the Paper Ballot Bill as part of their legislative agenda. For more information on check out: http://www.mdgreens.org/agenda2007.html
The Maryland Legislature also passed the nation's first statewide Living Wage bill on the same day. The Green Party of the United States advocates for access to Living Wage Jobs for all.
Plan to attend National Meeting in Reading, Pa
Please visit the online registration store to register for the national meeting (to be held in Reading, Pa. on July 12-15) and purchase meals and event passes. You can click here to register.
We're meeting at the Abraham Lincoln Wyndham Hotel (http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/RDGHT/main.wnt). Don't forget you'll need to mention that you are attending the Green Party meeting when you make your reservations. Or, you can place the following code into the Group Code box when making your online reservations: 0712823PA.
Please visit gpanc.org for details about directions, local shops, restaurants and other attractions in the Reading, PA area. This website was established by the Berks County Green Party for the national meeting.
Green Party Initiates Impeachment Petition
The Geen Party has been opposed to the war in Iraq from before it started and we have called for impeachment almost as long. You can now sign the recently created Green Party Petition to Impeach Bush and Cheney here:
http://www.democracyinaction.com/dia/organizationsCOM/Greens/petition.
jsp?petition_KEY=237
Please go here (http://www.gp.org/action/index.shtml) to write your congress person or local newspaper using the Green Party automated system.
Green Party Animal Mascot???
Forget Republican elephants and Democrat donkeys it's time we have our own animal mascot to represent the Greens! The Animal Mascot will not replace either the Sunflower nor the Earthflower symbols but rather be an addition to them. The Green Party will elect it's Green Party Animal Mascot in 2007. The nominations process is open to all Greens. If you have not done so already, please email your nomination
for the Green Party Mascot to mascot@gp.organd help spread the word.
feedback and content suggestions should be sent to:
office@gp.org.
You've been reading Green Line, the monthly e-newsletter of the Green Party of the United States. Subscribe for free at gp.org.
Paid for by the Green Party of the United States
Green Line is the monthly e-newsletter of the Green Party of the United States
PO Box 57065 Washington, DC 20037
866-41GREEN or 202-319-7191
Bonjour.
Most Green Officeholders 'Ever' -
Thanks to Recent Victories in Wisconsin and Illinois!
The Green Party now has 230 officeholders, the most ever thanks to elections this month in Wisconsin and Illinois. In Wisconsin, seven out of fourteen Green Party candidates won election on April 3, bringing the total of Wisconsin Green elected officials to twenty- two. Pete Karas, endorsed by the Kenosha/Racine Green Party, won re- election in a tight race for alderperson in District 9 of the Racine Common Council.
Four out of five Green women candidates, all endorsed by Four Lakes Green Party, won seats on the Madison Common Council. Brenda Konkel, who ran unopposed for re-election, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Robbie Webber, and Marsha Rummel were all victorious on April 3rd. "The Madison's sixth district overwhelmingly showed support for progressive and green values, said Rummel. "I'm honored and look forward to serving the next 2 years. My priorities are affordable housing, water quality, jobs that support families, and government that supports the people."
Tony Palmeri, endorsed by the Lake Winnebago Green Party, came in second out of 6 candidates running for 3 seats, earning a place on the Oshkosh Common Council. "This is a victory for the Green agenda - open government, and social and economic justice, which were the themes of my campaign", said Palmeri. "Oshkosh voters made it clear
they want a progressive, forward looking council."
Amy Heart, endorsed by the Portage County Green Party, won her race for Stevens Point Common Council.
In Illinois, three out of six Illinois Green Party members were elected on April 17th, Robert Braam was elected as Trustee of the Manhattan Public Library District, receiving 107 votes as a write-in. Kris Campbell won reelection to the Poplar Grove Village Trustee. With 340 votes (20%), Campbell was second in a six-way race for three seats. Carol Larson earned 3,370 votes (53.74%) and was the top vote-getter for three seats on the Oak Lawn-Hometown School Board. Larson and Braam join Campbell, Dale Bowen (Winnebago Public Library Trustee), Jim Long (Kirby Park School Board) and Jon Murray (Mt. Morris Village Trustee) on the list of Illinois Green Party elected
officials.
So far this year, the Green Party has elected fourteen officeholders, bringing our total number of officeholders to 230, the most in Green Party history.
Greens Call for Efforts to Curb Global Warming
Green Party leaders, are in favor of a massive conversion of the US economic system to curb the threat of global warming in the coming decades. You can read the Green Party press release here.
Greens can help stop the privatization of our water. All across the United States, municipal water systems are being bought up by multinational corporations, turning one of our last remaining public commons and our most vital resource into a commodity.
The road to privatization is being paved by our own government. The Bush administration is actively working to loosen the hold that cities and towns have over public water, enabling corporations to own the very thing we depend on for survival.
Read the rest of the story at AlterNet, Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water By Tara Lohan, Posted on April 25, 2007, Printed on April 27, 2007.
Greens Get Ready for May 1st
Electing Renée will help push the pro-corporate City Council to really examine the issues that affect working-class District families in Ward 4 and throughout this fine City. She is tired of the massive gentrification being tauted as the way forward. We need community level development with an eye for sustainability and accountability.
She will take her years of service as ANC Commissioner, political activist, and union member to provide a much needed ethical and progressive voice in District politics. For more information go to http://reneebowser.com/ward4.php.
Mayor Jason West drew worldwide attention in 2004 when he took the courageous stand of marrying same sex couples in New Paltz, NY. Under West's tenure as Mayor, New Paltz is a leading the way in developing renewable energy resources and affordable housing programs for the city and is setting an example for new progressive leadership at the municipal level. Help reelect Jason on May 1st. For more information go to http://www.jasonwest.org.
Maryland Greens help Pass Paper Ballot Bill
'A Victory for Democracy'
69% of Maryland voters support a paper trail for elections. Thanks to the efforts of TrueVoteMD.org, founded by Maryland Green Party member and candidate Linda Schade, the Maryland Green Party, and others the MD State Legislature listened. On April 10 the Maryland House and Senate unanimously passed bill SB392/HB18 requiring a voter verified paper trail by 2010. "TrueVoteMD.org was founded four years ago in order to create elections that voters in Maryland could trust," said Linda Schade, "I'm pleased that we've made significant progress tonight."
The final bill ensures that any new voting system certified for use must include a voter verified paper record. The bill requires an optically scannable paper ballot marked by hand or with the help of a ballot marking device. The final bill also ensures that disabled voters will be able to vote independently and privately. The bill is expected to save Maryland taxpayer money as studies have shown that
operating costs for optical scanning equipment are 30% to 40% lower than the cost of Maryland's current touch screen machines.
Maryland Green Tim Willard presented testimony in support of the bill stating "A paper trail would allow for a meaningful recount in the event of local elections or in the event of votes lost by the machines or the cards that record the votes. Several recent elections have ended in controversy when close votes could not be recounted or alleged irregularities checked. Without a paper trail, these problems
are impossible to resolve".
The Maryland Green Party lobbied in support of the Paper Ballot Bill as part of their legislative agenda. For more information on check out: http://www.mdgreens.org/agenda2007.html
The Maryland Legislature also passed the nation's first statewide Living Wage bill on the same day. The Green Party of the United States advocates for access to Living Wage Jobs for all.
Plan to attend National Meeting in Reading, Pa
Please visit the online registration store to register for the national meeting (to be held in Reading, Pa. on July 12-15) and purchase meals and event passes. You can click here to register.
We're meeting at the Abraham Lincoln Wyndham Hotel (http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/RDGHT/main.wnt). Don't forget you'll need to mention that you are attending the Green Party meeting when you make your reservations. Or, you can place the following code into the Group Code box when making your online reservations: 0712823PA.
Please visit gpanc.org for details about directions, local shops, restaurants and other attractions in the Reading, PA area. This website was established by the Berks County Green Party for the national meeting.
Green Party Initiates Impeachment Petition
The Geen Party has been opposed to the war in Iraq from before it started and we have called for impeachment almost as long. You can now sign the recently created Green Party Petition to Impeach Bush and Cheney here:
http://www.democracyinaction.com/dia/organizationsCOM/Greens/petition.
jsp?petition_KEY=237
Please go here (http://www.gp.org/action/index.shtml) to write your congress person or local newspaper using the Green Party automated system.
Green Party Animal Mascot???
Forget Republican elephants and Democrat donkeys it's time we have our own animal mascot to represent the Greens! The Animal Mascot will not replace either the Sunflower nor the Earthflower symbols but rather be an addition to them. The Green Party will elect it's Green Party Animal Mascot in 2007. The nominations process is open to all Greens. If you have not done so already, please email your nomination
for the Green Party Mascot to mascot@gp.organd help spread the word.
feedback and content suggestions should be sent to:
office@gp.org.
You've been reading Green Line, the monthly e-newsletter of the Green Party of the United States. Subscribe for free at gp.org.
Paid for by the Green Party of the United States
Green Line is the monthly e-newsletter of the Green Party of the United States
PO Box 57065 Washington, DC 20037
866-41GREEN or 202-319-7191
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Be SURE your state gets their correct share of delegates
With the Green National Committee limited to 200 members, each state has been asked to provide information to the Apportionment Committee. (App Com) The questions they need answers to are hiding behind the "Read more!" link. Contact your state leadership and ask them if they have filled this out and sent it in. If your state does not submit numbers, the committee will make their best estimate as I understand it. Anyway, the survey is behind the "Read more!" link...
APPORTIONMENT INFORMATION FORM
Apportionment Standing Committee, GPUS
Unless otherwise noted, please report all of the following figures for your state as of April 24, 2007 or as close to that date as possible. For the District of Columbia,
substitute "district" wherever the word "state" appears.
The information you provide below will be used to determine the number of voting delegates your state party will be entitled to send to the GPUS National Committee (NC) for the current two-year election cycle. For a complete discussion of the way this number is calculated, and how it is affected by the data you supply, please refer to the original text of the rules contained in GNC Proposal 272, approved April 16, 2007 and available on line at gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=272.
The Apportionment Standing Committee initially assumes that each state party wishes to have the maximum number of seats to which it is properly entitled. However, be aware that under the provisions of these rules, a state party may exercise certain options to change the way its score is calculated, which could reduce the number of seats to which it is entitled. For details, please refer to the original text of the proposal, cited above. If, for any reason, your state party wishes to exercise any of these available option(s) please make a clear notation to that effect next to the applicable data on this return, attaching additional explanatory notes as appropriate.
Unless your state party explicitly elects otherwise, your apportionment will be calculated so as to give your state the greatest number of NC delegate seats consistent with the data.
MEMBERSHIP
States with Green Party registration must report registration numbers. Solely for the purposes of standardizing membership figures among the states, do not report any persons who have voted in a primary election of another political party, unless they have subsequently reaffirmed their Green Party affiliation. (This may be handled on the honor system. The state party is free to count its own membership however it wants for other purposes.) Count only those people whom you can identify as
qualified current active members. Do not substitute estimates, calculations, extrapolations, or mailing lists for official state records or membership rolls. Signers of ballot access petitions may be considered members of the Green Party if the signers willingly join the Green Party simultaneously or if signing the petition constitutes acceptance of membership in the Green Party according to state law.If recent legal action has resulted in your membership figures being legally invalidated, you may continue to report the last valid figure for the remainder of this election cycle.
1. Does your state allow voters officially to register an affiliation with the Green Party? (If "No", skip to line 4.)
2. What is the number of such registered Green Party voters in your state?
3. How many additional people, legally ineligible to vote, are officially recognized as members of your state party?
" Skip to line 5.
4. How many people appear on the legal membership rolls of your state party?
CAMPAIGN STRENGTH
Report elected officials and candidates who are Green Party members, even for "non-partisan" elections, but do not report, even if Green Party members, those who appear solely on Democratic or Republican party ballot lines. Count only elected public offices, not internal party offices or committee memberships. Count local as well as state-wide elections.
5. How many Greens currently hold elected public office in your state?
6. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2003?
7. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2004?
8. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2005?
9. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2006?
10. Of all the candidates listed in lines 6 - 10 how many participated in elections where the total voter turnout was less than 300 voters?
11. What is your state's total population?
VOTING STRENGTH
Use the same reporting criteria as the previous section. For any candidates who appeared on more than one party's ballot line, count only those votes received on the
Green Party ballot line.
12. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2003?
13. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2004?
14. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2005?
15. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2006?
16. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2003?
17. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2004?
18. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2005?
19. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2006?
20. Over the same four-year time frame, what was the highest number of votes received by any single statewide partisan Green candidate?
Note: For the following question, consider only candidates running for "statewide" office, viz. Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senator, Mayor of the District of Columbia, or Chair of the City Council of the District of Columbia. Consider only "partisan" elections, i.e., those that were contested by the Democratic and Republican parties.
21. Over the same four-year time frame, what was the highest percentage share of the total vote achieved by any statewide partisan Green candidate?
PRESIDENTIAL VOTING STRENGTH
18. How many votes were received in your state by the Green presidential candidate (Ralph Nader) in 2000?
19. How many votes were received in your state by the Green presidential candidate (David Cobb) in 2004?
APPORTIONMENT INFORMATION FORM
Apportionment Standing Committee, GPUS
Unless otherwise noted, please report all of the following figures for your state as of April 24, 2007 or as close to that date as possible. For the District of Columbia,
substitute "district" wherever the word "state" appears.
The information you provide below will be used to determine the number of voting delegates your state party will be entitled to send to the GPUS National Committee (NC) for the current two-year election cycle. For a complete discussion of the way this number is calculated, and how it is affected by the data you supply, please refer to the original text of the rules contained in GNC Proposal 272, approved April 16, 2007 and available on line at gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=272.
The Apportionment Standing Committee initially assumes that each state party wishes to have the maximum number of seats to which it is properly entitled. However, be aware that under the provisions of these rules, a state party may exercise certain options to change the way its score is calculated, which could reduce the number of seats to which it is entitled. For details, please refer to the original text of the proposal, cited above. If, for any reason, your state party wishes to exercise any of these available option(s) please make a clear notation to that effect next to the applicable data on this return, attaching additional explanatory notes as appropriate.
Unless your state party explicitly elects otherwise, your apportionment will be calculated so as to give your state the greatest number of NC delegate seats consistent with the data.
MEMBERSHIP
States with Green Party registration must report registration numbers. Solely for the purposes of standardizing membership figures among the states, do not report any persons who have voted in a primary election of another political party, unless they have subsequently reaffirmed their Green Party affiliation. (This may be handled on the honor system. The state party is free to count its own membership however it wants for other purposes.) Count only those people whom you can identify as
qualified current active members. Do not substitute estimates, calculations, extrapolations, or mailing lists for official state records or membership rolls. Signers of ballot access petitions may be considered members of the Green Party if the signers willingly join the Green Party simultaneously or if signing the petition constitutes acceptance of membership in the Green Party according to state law.If recent legal action has resulted in your membership figures being legally invalidated, you may continue to report the last valid figure for the remainder of this election cycle.
1. Does your state allow voters officially to register an affiliation with the Green Party? (If "No", skip to line 4.)
2. What is the number of such registered Green Party voters in your state?
3. How many additional people, legally ineligible to vote, are officially recognized as members of your state party?
" Skip to line 5.
4. How many people appear on the legal membership rolls of your state party?
CAMPAIGN STRENGTH
Report elected officials and candidates who are Green Party members, even for "non-partisan" elections, but do not report, even if Green Party members, those who appear solely on Democratic or Republican party ballot lines. Count only elected public offices, not internal party offices or committee memberships. Count local as well as state-wide elections.
5. How many Greens currently hold elected public office in your state?
6. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2003?
7. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2004?
8. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2005?
9. How many Green candidates appeared on the ballot for elections in 2006?
10. Of all the candidates listed in lines 6 - 10 how many participated in elections where the total voter turnout was less than 300 voters?
11. What is your state's total population?
VOTING STRENGTH
Use the same reporting criteria as the previous section. For any candidates who appeared on more than one party's ballot line, count only those votes received on the
Green Party ballot line.
12. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2003?
13. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2004?
14. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2005?
15. How many votes were received by local Green Party candidates in 2006?
16. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2003?
17. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2004?
18. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2005?
19. How many votes were received by statewide Green Party candidates in 2006?
20. Over the same four-year time frame, what was the highest number of votes received by any single statewide partisan Green candidate?
Note: For the following question, consider only candidates running for "statewide" office, viz. Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senator, Mayor of the District of Columbia, or Chair of the City Council of the District of Columbia. Consider only "partisan" elections, i.e., those that were contested by the Democratic and Republican parties.
21. Over the same four-year time frame, what was the highest percentage share of the total vote achieved by any statewide partisan Green candidate?
PRESIDENTIAL VOTING STRENGTH
18. How many votes were received in your state by the Green presidential candidate (Ralph Nader) in 2000?
19. How many votes were received in your state by the Green presidential candidate (David Cobb) in 2004?
ILGP Proposes Policies and Procedures for App Com
The text is hiding behind the "Read more!" link. This is the first posting and I am sure there will be changes made before it gets placed in the queue for discussion and voting.
The Illinois Green Party submits this proposal to be added to the Voting Queue.
Phil Huckelberry
Illinois Green Party
PROPOSAL FOR APPORTIONMENT STANDING COMMITTEE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
PRESENTERS: Illinois Green Party
CONTACT: Phil Huckelberry
BACKGROUND
The Green National Committee recently approved Proposal 272, modifying the rules for apportionment of delegates to the GNC. Included in Proposal 272 was a provision that a Policies and Procedures document for the new Apportionment Standing Committee would be introduced in a short period of time, so that the new committee would be able to get on with its work. This proposal is introduced to satsify the condition of Proposal 272. The language closely mirrors the boilerplate P&P language currently used by other GPUS standing committees.
PROPOSAL
The Green National Committee hereby approves the following Policies and Procedures document for the Apportionment Standing Committee (ASC):
GPUS Apportionment Standing Committee (ASC)
Policies and Procedures
I. Mission Statement
The GPUS Apportionment Standing Committee (ASC) will make decisions regarding the implementation of apportionment formulas as specified in GPUS Bylaws and GPUS Rules and Procedures. ASC will consult with state parties on state party numbers and apply the criteria stated in GPUS Bylaws and GPUS Rules and Procedures, as interpreted by the committee.
II. Objectives
The following is a non-exhaustive list of objectives and goals which the ASC will be charged with carrying out. Additional objectives may be added by the GPUS National Committee, Steering Committee, or full ASC.
A. Designing spreadsheets that perform the calculations of the formulas described above for delegate apportionment.
B. Soliciting the state parties to send the relevant data so that apportionment can be undertaken with the most complete data. (If a state party does not submit numbers in a timely fashion, the committee is empowered to use publicly available data or to allocate the delegate minimum to that state party until the next apportionment.)
C. Applying the criteria of this proposal to the data, plugging the most accurate available numbers into the formula, and completing the computations.
D. Developing a formal challenge process for data submitted by a state party or to the data entry or computational analysis, reviewing any such challenges, and making the final decision regarding the numbers to be used.
E. Reporting the results of apportionment to the NC in a timely fashion and presenting the proposal to approve the completed computations.
III. Committee Structure
A. Voting Membership. The voting membership of the committee shall consist of Green Party members from the various state parties and caucuses who have been approved to serve by their state party or caucus. No state party or caucus shall have more than three voting members on the committee. Each voting member, not each state or caucus, is entitled to one vote.
B. Advisors and Observers. The voting members of the committee may at their pleasure approve committee advisors and/or observers who are not voting members from states or caucuses, per the decision-making process specified in these policies and procedures.
C. Inactivity. Members who have not participated on-line, in subcommittees, or on teleconferences in the last three months shall be considered inactive members and shall not be counted toward a quorum. An updated roster shall be sent to the e-mail list at least every three months.
D. Co-Chairs.
1. Two co-chairs, preferably reflecting gender balance, shall be elected with staggered terms of two years each. If more than two candidates are nominated, the committee shall vote using IRV (with a Droop threshold.) Members may nominate themselves. Vacancies shall cause a vote for a replacement co-chair. A recall election of a chair may be called, following the procedure for any proposal.
2. The responsibilities of the co-chairs shall include keeping the committee on task, maintaining a current roster of committee members, conducting votes, and communicating with CC and SC members for the ASC and any of its subcommittees. Co-chairs shall submit formal reports on at least a quarterly basis to the CC list detailing committee activities. The co-chairs shall come to explicit agreement and continue to consult with each other about how their joint responsibility is to be shared.
E. Other Subcommittees and Working Groups. The voting membership of the committee may at their pleasure create working groups and subcommittees.
IV. Committee Membership
A. Joining the Committee
1. New members shall be verified by written permission from their state party or caucus to serve on the committee. State parties are required to vet candidates for the knowledge and skill set needed for apportionment calculations, including the necessary mathematical understanding and spreadsheet skills.
2. No new member from a state party or caucus shall be seated if that individual exceeds the state party or caucus's allocated three members on the committee, until such time that the state party or caucus clarifies which member(s) are to be removed.
3. State parties and caucuses, through their co-chairs or other appropriate officers, may change permission status for any committee member from their state at any time, subject to GPUS Bylaws.
B. Sanction or Removal of Members
1. The committee is expressly prohibited from using disagreements regarding differing views on issues and/or business before the committee as a cause for sanction or elimination of membership privileges.
2. The committee and its members have a responsibility for maintaining an open, civil, productive working environment, whether meeting in person, by telephone, online, or by any other means. The committee shall not tolerate actions including:
a. Misrepresentation of the committee's or a member's work;
b. Financial improprieties;
c. Violent personal attacks and/or threats, verbal or physical;
d. Discrimination against federal or state (where applicable) protected classes;
e. Harassment;
f. Any other unethical or illegal activities related to committee business or function.
3. Inappropriate actions as outlined above can lead to sanction, suspension of privileges, or termination of membership via the processes described below.
4. If at all feasible, the committee shall take steps to maintain a productive working environment prior to sanction, suspension of privileges, or removal. These steps may include:
a. Communication with the member's state party or caucus requesting they intercede with the committee member regarding the behavior(s) in question. b. Use of facilitation, counseling, mediation, and/or arbitration services, as provided through the Dispute Resolution Committee or a mutually agreed upon outside source if necessary, which shall be encouraged and expected.
5. A petition specifying charge(s) and proposed action(s) may be filed by any three or more members of the committee from three different states (hereafter known as "the petitioners") to require the committee co-chair(s) to initiate and administrate formal action to curtail membership privileges. Upon receipt of any such petition, the co-chair(s) shall forward the petition to the state party or caucus that the member represents.
6. A 2/3 quorum and 2/3 vote, by state, of the committee, shall be sufficient to confirm the charges and the initiate the action(s) detailed in the petition.
7. The committee co-chair(s) shall initiate and execute follow through on the approved action(s) and notify the member immediately following the vote.
8. In limited cases such as violent threats and/or harassment, the co-chair(s) have the discretion to suspend listserv privileges pending a vote of the committee.
9. After the member has been informed of disciplinary action, the co-chair(s) shall, in writing, notify the GPUS National Committee and the state party or caucus the member represents of the action taken.
10. The committee member in question may, within seven (7) days of these postings, appeal the committee's action by notifying the GPUS Secretary of the appeal. The Secretary shall forward the appeal to the National Committee.
11. Per GPUS bylaws and rules, any state party or caucus may put forward a proposal to the National Committee to lessen or overturn the action of the committee. A majority vote of the National Committee shall be sufficient to pass the proposal.
V. Decision-Making
A. The voting membership shall attempt to reach consensus on all proposals.
B. Failing consensus, for decisions pertaining to finance, rules, or other substantive decisions, a two-thirds majority vote is required for approval. For simple proposals including procedural ones, a majority vote is required for approval.
C. The committee shall maintain an email listserv for committee business and formal decision-making.
D. Teleconferences. The committee shall, as needed, conduct teleconferences for specific purposes. Notice of any committee teleconference shall be sent out to the e-mail list at least one week in advance and a reminder sent out two days before the teleconference. Such notice shall include a proposed agenda.
E. For online votes, quorum for decision-making shall consist of one-fifth of voting members from one-fifth of represented state parties and caucuses. Proposals considered online must allow for at least seven days of voting; upon any syntactical change to a proposal, a new seven-day period must begin.
F. For teleconference votes, quorum for decision-making shall consist of a majority of voting members from at least one-third of represented state parties and caucuses. Failing quorum on a teleconference, decisions will be reported out for a seven-day voting period on the listserv.
G. At face-to-face meetings at GPUS national meetings, quorum for decision-making shall consist of a majority of voting members from at least one-third of represented state parties and caucuses. Failing quorum on a teleconference, decisions will be reported out for a seven-day voting period on the listserv.
RESOURCES: None
REFERENCES: Proposal 272
The Illinois Green Party submits this proposal to be added to the Voting Queue.
Phil Huckelberry
Illinois Green Party
PROPOSAL FOR APPORTIONMENT STANDING COMMITTEE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
PRESENTERS: Illinois Green Party
CONTACT: Phil Huckelberry
BACKGROUND
The Green National Committee recently approved Proposal 272, modifying the rules for apportionment of delegates to the GNC. Included in Proposal 272 was a provision that a Policies and Procedures document for the new Apportionment Standing Committee would be introduced in a short period of time, so that the new committee would be able to get on with its work. This proposal is introduced to satsify the condition of Proposal 272. The language closely mirrors the boilerplate P&P language currently used by other GPUS standing committees.
PROPOSAL
The Green National Committee hereby approves the following Policies and Procedures document for the Apportionment Standing Committee (ASC):
GPUS Apportionment Standing Committee (ASC)
Policies and Procedures
I. Mission Statement
The GPUS Apportionment Standing Committee (ASC) will make decisions regarding the implementation of apportionment formulas as specified in GPUS Bylaws and GPUS Rules and Procedures. ASC will consult with state parties on state party numbers and apply the criteria stated in GPUS Bylaws and GPUS Rules and Procedures, as interpreted by the committee.
II. Objectives
The following is a non-exhaustive list of objectives and goals which the ASC will be charged with carrying out. Additional objectives may be added by the GPUS National Committee, Steering Committee, or full ASC.
A. Designing spreadsheets that perform the calculations of the formulas described above for delegate apportionment.
B. Soliciting the state parties to send the relevant data so that apportionment can be undertaken with the most complete data. (If a state party does not submit numbers in a timely fashion, the committee is empowered to use publicly available data or to allocate the delegate minimum to that state party until the next apportionment.)
C. Applying the criteria of this proposal to the data, plugging the most accurate available numbers into the formula, and completing the computations.
D. Developing a formal challenge process for data submitted by a state party or to the data entry or computational analysis, reviewing any such challenges, and making the final decision regarding the numbers to be used.
E. Reporting the results of apportionment to the NC in a timely fashion and presenting the proposal to approve the completed computations.
III. Committee Structure
A. Voting Membership. The voting membership of the committee shall consist of Green Party members from the various state parties and caucuses who have been approved to serve by their state party or caucus. No state party or caucus shall have more than three voting members on the committee. Each voting member, not each state or caucus, is entitled to one vote.
B. Advisors and Observers. The voting members of the committee may at their pleasure approve committee advisors and/or observers who are not voting members from states or caucuses, per the decision-making process specified in these policies and procedures.
C. Inactivity. Members who have not participated on-line, in subcommittees, or on teleconferences in the last three months shall be considered inactive members and shall not be counted toward a quorum. An updated roster shall be sent to the e-mail list at least every three months.
D. Co-Chairs.
1. Two co-chairs, preferably reflecting gender balance, shall be elected with staggered terms of two years each. If more than two candidates are nominated, the committee shall vote using IRV (with a Droop threshold.) Members may nominate themselves. Vacancies shall cause a vote for a replacement co-chair. A recall election of a chair may be called, following the procedure for any proposal.
2. The responsibilities of the co-chairs shall include keeping the committee on task, maintaining a current roster of committee members, conducting votes, and communicating with CC and SC members for the ASC and any of its subcommittees. Co-chairs shall submit formal reports on at least a quarterly basis to the CC list detailing committee activities. The co-chairs shall come to explicit agreement and continue to consult with each other about how their joint responsibility is to be shared.
E. Other Subcommittees and Working Groups. The voting membership of the committee may at their pleasure create working groups and subcommittees.
IV. Committee Membership
A. Joining the Committee
1. New members shall be verified by written permission from their state party or caucus to serve on the committee. State parties are required to vet candidates for the knowledge and skill set needed for apportionment calculations, including the necessary mathematical understanding and spreadsheet skills.
2. No new member from a state party or caucus shall be seated if that individual exceeds the state party or caucus's allocated three members on the committee, until such time that the state party or caucus clarifies which member(s) are to be removed.
3. State parties and caucuses, through their co-chairs or other appropriate officers, may change permission status for any committee member from their state at any time, subject to GPUS Bylaws.
B. Sanction or Removal of Members
1. The committee is expressly prohibited from using disagreements regarding differing views on issues and/or business before the committee as a cause for sanction or elimination of membership privileges.
2. The committee and its members have a responsibility for maintaining an open, civil, productive working environment, whether meeting in person, by telephone, online, or by any other means. The committee shall not tolerate actions including:
a. Misrepresentation of the committee's or a member's work;
b. Financial improprieties;
c. Violent personal attacks and/or threats, verbal or physical;
d. Discrimination against federal or state (where applicable) protected classes;
e. Harassment;
f. Any other unethical or illegal activities related to committee business or function.
3. Inappropriate actions as outlined above can lead to sanction, suspension of privileges, or termination of membership via the processes described below.
4. If at all feasible, the committee shall take steps to maintain a productive working environment prior to sanction, suspension of privileges, or removal. These steps may include:
a. Communication with the member's state party or caucus requesting they intercede with the committee member regarding the behavior(s) in question. b. Use of facilitation, counseling, mediation, and/or arbitration services, as provided through the Dispute Resolution Committee or a mutually agreed upon outside source if necessary, which shall be encouraged and expected.
5. A petition specifying charge(s) and proposed action(s) may be filed by any three or more members of the committee from three different states (hereafter known as "the petitioners") to require the committee co-chair(s) to initiate and administrate formal action to curtail membership privileges. Upon receipt of any such petition, the co-chair(s) shall forward the petition to the state party or caucus that the member represents.
6. A 2/3 quorum and 2/3 vote, by state, of the committee, shall be sufficient to confirm the charges and the initiate the action(s) detailed in the petition.
7. The committee co-chair(s) shall initiate and execute follow through on the approved action(s) and notify the member immediately following the vote.
8. In limited cases such as violent threats and/or harassment, the co-chair(s) have the discretion to suspend listserv privileges pending a vote of the committee.
9. After the member has been informed of disciplinary action, the co-chair(s) shall, in writing, notify the GPUS National Committee and the state party or caucus the member represents of the action taken.
10. The committee member in question may, within seven (7) days of these postings, appeal the committee's action by notifying the GPUS Secretary of the appeal. The Secretary shall forward the appeal to the National Committee.
11. Per GPUS bylaws and rules, any state party or caucus may put forward a proposal to the National Committee to lessen or overturn the action of the committee. A majority vote of the National Committee shall be sufficient to pass the proposal.
V. Decision-Making
A. The voting membership shall attempt to reach consensus on all proposals.
B. Failing consensus, for decisions pertaining to finance, rules, or other substantive decisions, a two-thirds majority vote is required for approval. For simple proposals including procedural ones, a majority vote is required for approval.
C. The committee shall maintain an email listserv for committee business and formal decision-making.
D. Teleconferences. The committee shall, as needed, conduct teleconferences for specific purposes. Notice of any committee teleconference shall be sent out to the e-mail list at least one week in advance and a reminder sent out two days before the teleconference. Such notice shall include a proposed agenda.
E. For online votes, quorum for decision-making shall consist of one-fifth of voting members from one-fifth of represented state parties and caucuses. Proposals considered online must allow for at least seven days of voting; upon any syntactical change to a proposal, a new seven-day period must begin.
F. For teleconference votes, quorum for decision-making shall consist of a majority of voting members from at least one-third of represented state parties and caucuses. Failing quorum on a teleconference, decisions will be reported out for a seven-day voting period on the listserv.
G. At face-to-face meetings at GPUS national meetings, quorum for decision-making shall consist of a majority of voting members from at least one-third of represented state parties and caucuses. Failing quorum on a teleconference, decisions will be reported out for a seven-day voting period on the listserv.
RESOURCES: None
REFERENCES: Proposal 272
Presidential Campaign Support Committee gets two new co-chairs
In a message to the GNC, former PCSC chair Phil Huckleberry of IL wrote "Cat
Woods and Greg Gerritt are the new co-chairs."
If you need a certain Presidential vote total or percentage to secure or retain ballot access, now might be a good time to try to use the Presidential campaign as a spark. If so, Cat of CA and Greg of RI should be happy to hear from you.
Woods and Greg Gerritt are the new co-chairs."
If you need a certain Presidential vote total or percentage to secure or retain ballot access, now might be a good time to try to use the Presidential campaign as a spark. If so, Cat of CA and Greg of RI should be happy to hear from you.
New Fundraising Plan
There is almost nothing less fun than asking people to give money. I would much rather ask someone to buy something at a generous profit. Instead of "giving" $20, why not "buy" a tie-tack or lapel pin for $25? Instead of giving a hundred, why not buy a complete set of DVDs from national conventions for $250? Instead of giving $500, why not buy a full page advert in Green Pages for a thousand?
Anyway, there is a lot at risk right now, and every Green who can should give as much as possible. Frankly, if you can give $25,000, I wish you would do so today. Hit the "Donate to the Green Party" link at the top, regardless of how much you may be able to give.
Anyone who gives $25,000 gets a free car wash from yours truly. :-)
(Just wait and see...someone from Alaska who owns a Winnebago will give the $25,000 just to make me feel like an idiot. ~Grin~)
Well, if you have some real ideas of how to raise the money we need to keep reaching for our goals, leave a message here, or as always, drop me a note at GreggJocoy29715@yahoo.com
Anyway, there is a lot at risk right now, and every Green who can should give as much as possible. Frankly, if you can give $25,000, I wish you would do so today. Hit the "Donate to the Green Party" link at the top, regardless of how much you may be able to give.
Anyone who gives $25,000 gets a free car wash from yours truly. :-)
(Just wait and see...someone from Alaska who owns a Winnebago will give the $25,000 just to make me feel like an idiot. ~Grin~)
Well, if you have some real ideas of how to raise the money we need to keep reaching for our goals, leave a message here, or as always, drop me a note at GreggJocoy29715@yahoo.com
Delegate Apportionment Committee
This committee was constituted to implement the formula approved by the Green National Committee to re-allocate and expand the Green National Committee. While I seriously doubt that expanding the size of the institution will do anyone any good, the Apportionment Committee, or APP com, has begun to take data from the various states and input it into the formula. The committee is unable to address any unintended consequences, because it's only role is to plug in the data. I am sure, however, that the committee will bring any serious swings to the attention of the GNC so it can be addressed later.
As with the Delegate Apportionment Committee in 2004, the APP com will play a substantial role in implementing the decisions of the GNC, but they can't work without good data. For example, last time I saw a spread sheet, the results of all South Carolina's 2006 campaigns was not in the mix. The committee cannot be expected to chase down this information. My state, like all the rest, have been asked for the pertinent information by at least one member of the APP com. If you think your state may not be included in the formula, ask your state delegate if s/he has gotten the info to the right people.
Nothing behind the "Read more!" on this one.
As with the Delegate Apportionment Committee in 2004, the APP com will play a substantial role in implementing the decisions of the GNC, but they can't work without good data. For example, last time I saw a spread sheet, the results of all South Carolina's 2006 campaigns was not in the mix. The committee cannot be expected to chase down this information. My state, like all the rest, have been asked for the pertinent information by at least one member of the APP com. If you think your state may not be included in the formula, ask your state delegate if s/he has gotten the info to the right people.
Nothing behind the "Read more!" on this one.
Unsure what to think...
Elaine Brown's Open Statement to the Green Party
The full text is also behind the "Read more!" link...
Elaine Brown's Open Statement to the Green Party
May 1, 2007
Vicious Rumormongering Will Not Deter Me
from My Campaign for the Green Party Presidential Nomination
The vicious rumor being floated among Green Party members that I am or ever have been a government agent is a lie. I have never consorted with the U.S. government or any of its myriad agencies against the interests of black people, the Black Panther Party‹of which I was a leading member‹or any other people. I have dedicated my very life to the freedom of all oppressed people. Because these rumors are unfounded, unsupported by one scintilla of evidence or any citation to any specific act, they are, in the end, indefensible and, therefore, all the more insidious. I stand on my history of struggle in the Black Panther Party and since that time as the strongest refutation of this lie.
On the occasion of my announcing my candidacy for the Green Party presidential nomination, Mike Feinstein, a ranking California Green, and Nan Garrett, chair of the Georgia Green Party, launched this sinister campaign to discredit me, Feinstein, in a series of telephone calls to key Greens across the country after meeting me in March, and Garrett, in a recent, nationally-distributed, vitriolic email. It is particularly ironic that, while neither Feinstein nor Garrett has any history of involvement with the cause of the freedom of black people, they would challenge the credentials of the former Chairman of the Black Panther Party. This dangerous rumormongering is especially egregious as to Garrett, who, as a lawyer, makes her accusation without even the appearance of presenting evidence.
Their lie is based on a statement made at a meeting held by Cynthia McKinney in 2000, when she was a Congresswoman. Even though this meeting was not a Congressional hearing, Feinstein and Garrett would elevate its record to an "official" document. McKinney, who claimed to be conducting an investigation into the FBI's COINTELPRO activities against blacks, had invited only two former members of the Black Panther Party to her meeting to serve as ³witnesses,² Kathleen Cleaver and Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt. At the meeting, Pratt is recorded to have asserted that I was an "agent"This is a statement he has never dared make directly to me, and I challenge him now to do so and to present one iota of evidence to support his J. Edgar Hoover-like accusation against me.‹And, I would assert that, as McKinney has stood by surreptitiously and allowed her so-called forum to be used to validate Pratt¹s lie, she has endorsed that lie.
Cleaver and Pratt were expelled from the Black Panther Party in early 1971 as conspirators in a plot led by Eldridge Cleaver to take over the Party, whereby they denounced Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, David Hilliard, Fred Hampton and others, called for their deaths and declared the Weather Underground group the "vanguard" of revolution. Their attack against the Party resulted in internecine violence and, even, death. All of this is documented in the Black Panther Party newspaper, housed in its entirety in an archive at Stanford University.
One other glaring irony in all of this is that, while Feinstein is promoting McKinney as the Green Party presidential candidate, despite that McKinney remains a Democrat to this day, it is McKinney who has engaged in activity that has undermined the efforts of black people for freedom, specifically in her vote in favor of the Bill Clinton "three-strikes" crime bill.
Raising suspicion about someone as a traitor, a "government agent," was a key tactic employed by the FBI under its COINTELPRO operations against the Black Panther Party. The resulting distrust frustrated our efforts and destroyed lives. That was what the FBI intended. When J. Edgar Hoover declared in 1968 that the Party was "the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States," he announced he would wage a campaign to discredit, disrupt and destroy the Black Panther Party.‹While the Party is long gone and Hoover is dead, COINTELPRO is, clearly, very much alive.
Given all of this, I call for the resignations from the Green Party of Mike Feinstein and Nan Garrett. In the alternative, I urge the Green Party leadership to impeach Feinstein and Garrett or otherwise remove them from their ranking positions. Their rumormongering has done more than defame and endanger me. It has embroiled the Green Party in destructive, counterproductive activity‹and at a critical crossroad.
The mass rejection of Bush and his policies has opened a door for opposition. It is the Democrats, however, who are poised to walk through that door, and only to replace this Bush with another Clinton. The Green Party proffers a progressive agenda, though it has failed to gain the support of the very constituencies it would serve‹especially blacks, the majority of whom remain dedicated to the Democratic Party. I stand,and still, as a prospective nominee for the presidency who is singularly committed to the Green Party agenda, capable of bringing blacks into the Party ranks, veteran in articulating the contradictions between black and other poor and working people and the Democrats, and able to stir national debate on the issues, toward the election of more Greens and, ultimately, real progressive change in the United States of America.
ElaineBrown.Org 2007
The full text is also behind the "Read more!" link...
Elaine Brown's Open Statement to the Green Party
May 1, 2007
Vicious Rumormongering Will Not Deter Me
from My Campaign for the Green Party Presidential Nomination
The vicious rumor being floated among Green Party members that I am or ever have been a government agent is a lie. I have never consorted with the U.S. government or any of its myriad agencies against the interests of black people, the Black Panther Party‹of which I was a leading member‹or any other people. I have dedicated my very life to the freedom of all oppressed people. Because these rumors are unfounded, unsupported by one scintilla of evidence or any citation to any specific act, they are, in the end, indefensible and, therefore, all the more insidious. I stand on my history of struggle in the Black Panther Party and since that time as the strongest refutation of this lie.
On the occasion of my announcing my candidacy for the Green Party presidential nomination, Mike Feinstein, a ranking California Green, and Nan Garrett, chair of the Georgia Green Party, launched this sinister campaign to discredit me, Feinstein, in a series of telephone calls to key Greens across the country after meeting me in March, and Garrett, in a recent, nationally-distributed, vitriolic email. It is particularly ironic that, while neither Feinstein nor Garrett has any history of involvement with the cause of the freedom of black people, they would challenge the credentials of the former Chairman of the Black Panther Party. This dangerous rumormongering is especially egregious as to Garrett, who, as a lawyer, makes her accusation without even the appearance of presenting evidence.
Their lie is based on a statement made at a meeting held by Cynthia McKinney in 2000, when she was a Congresswoman. Even though this meeting was not a Congressional hearing, Feinstein and Garrett would elevate its record to an "official" document. McKinney, who claimed to be conducting an investigation into the FBI's COINTELPRO activities against blacks, had invited only two former members of the Black Panther Party to her meeting to serve as ³witnesses,² Kathleen Cleaver and Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt. At the meeting, Pratt is recorded to have asserted that I was an "agent"This is a statement he has never dared make directly to me, and I challenge him now to do so and to present one iota of evidence to support his J. Edgar Hoover-like accusation against me.‹And, I would assert that, as McKinney has stood by surreptitiously and allowed her so-called forum to be used to validate Pratt¹s lie, she has endorsed that lie.
Cleaver and Pratt were expelled from the Black Panther Party in early 1971 as conspirators in a plot led by Eldridge Cleaver to take over the Party, whereby they denounced Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, David Hilliard, Fred Hampton and others, called for their deaths and declared the Weather Underground group the "vanguard" of revolution. Their attack against the Party resulted in internecine violence and, even, death. All of this is documented in the Black Panther Party newspaper, housed in its entirety in an archive at Stanford University.
One other glaring irony in all of this is that, while Feinstein is promoting McKinney as the Green Party presidential candidate, despite that McKinney remains a Democrat to this day, it is McKinney who has engaged in activity that has undermined the efforts of black people for freedom, specifically in her vote in favor of the Bill Clinton "three-strikes" crime bill.
Raising suspicion about someone as a traitor, a "government agent," was a key tactic employed by the FBI under its COINTELPRO operations against the Black Panther Party. The resulting distrust frustrated our efforts and destroyed lives. That was what the FBI intended. When J. Edgar Hoover declared in 1968 that the Party was "the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States," he announced he would wage a campaign to discredit, disrupt and destroy the Black Panther Party.‹While the Party is long gone and Hoover is dead, COINTELPRO is, clearly, very much alive.
Given all of this, I call for the resignations from the Green Party of Mike Feinstein and Nan Garrett. In the alternative, I urge the Green Party leadership to impeach Feinstein and Garrett or otherwise remove them from their ranking positions. Their rumormongering has done more than defame and endanger me. It has embroiled the Green Party in destructive, counterproductive activity‹and at a critical crossroad.
The mass rejection of Bush and his policies has opened a door for opposition. It is the Democrats, however, who are poised to walk through that door, and only to replace this Bush with another Clinton. The Green Party proffers a progressive agenda, though it has failed to gain the support of the very constituencies it would serve‹especially blacks, the majority of whom remain dedicated to the Democratic Party. I stand,and still, as a prospective nominee for the presidency who is singularly committed to the Green Party agenda, capable of bringing blacks into the Party ranks, veteran in articulating the contradictions between black and other poor and working people and the Democrats, and able to stir national debate on the issues, toward the election of more Greens and, ultimately, real progressive change in the United States of America.
ElaineBrown.Org 2007
Back in the Saddle a bit
I believe the Green Party is important enough to justify steady coverage. Unfortunately, I can't be that steady source. I know that some readers don't give a hoot about the internal stuff, but some come here because this is one of a few dozen places on the Internet where you can find news and opinions about the Green Party, including the internal stuff.
I do what I can. I will try tonight to post a few articles based on goings on with the Green National Committee and some elections stuff.
I do what I can. I will try tonight to post a few articles based on goings on with the Green National Committee and some elections stuff.
