[SFGP] Greenzine: Oct 7 and other upcoming events, NO on 50 statement

[Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly]

Sat, Oct 4
GREENZINE
SF Green Party Weekly News and Events

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Dear Greens,

    Please join us this Tues, Oct 7, for a dialog on "2 Years of
Genocide, 2 Years of Resistance in Palestine" at the main library, as
well as at other upcoming events.  See details below.

    Greens also endorsed NO on Prop 50, Newsom's gerrymandering
scheme.  Please share our endorsement!  Our statement is on our
website, as well as below at the end of this newsletter:
  https://www.sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/113-endorsement-no-on-prop-50

*===========================*

What:  2 Years of Genocide, 2 Years of Resistance in Palestine
Where:  SF Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St, SF
When:  Tues, Oct 7, 5:30-7:30 pm

As the genocide in Gaza rages and at least 500,000 Palestianian people
have been killed or starved to death, two years after the Oct. 7th attack,
communities all across the United States increasingly feel the need to
speak up and take a stand. There can be no "business as usual" when the
next Holocaust is being livestreamed to our phones.

In the face of the US government actively supporting Israel's genocidal
campaign, the only option left is demanding an end to the genocide via
collective action. But how can American workers organize when they are
being silenced, repressed, and retaliated against at their workplaces when
advocating for Palestine? How do we overcome the culture of fear that has
silenced and intimidated the working class? How do regular people stop a
genocide?

Join us for an engaging dialogue on these issues with workers from a
variety of industries and the local community. An injury to one is an
injury to all!

*===========================*

What:  Voter Outreach at Hill Bomb for Palestine
Where:  Noe and Beaver St, SF
When:  Sat, Oct 11, 3 pm

Greens have endorsed Hill Bomb for Palestine and will do
voter outreach at the rally afterwards.  The action schedule
is here:  https://hillbombssf.com/

Note that the hill bomb starts at the top of Twin Peaks at 2 pm, but
we will be doing voter outreach at the rally at the end.  If you
want to participate in the hill bomb itself, the location will be
at Christmas Tree Point.

Email cc at sfgreens.org if you can help.

*===========================*

What:  Sign making party for "No Kings"
Where:  SF Sunset, RSVP for details
When:  Fri, Oct 17, 6-8 pm

Sign making party for the "No Kings" rally.  Homemade pizza.  BYO
Beverage and sign making materials.  We have lots of materials if you
don't.  RSVP so we know how much pizza to make.  Call Barry at
415-255-9494 or email cc at sfgreens.org

*===========================*

What:  Voter Outreach at "No Kings" SF
Where:  Embarcadero SF, march to Civic center
When:  Sat, Oct 18, 1:30 pm - 5 pm

No Kings Day in San Francisco: Gather at 1:30 PM at Sue Bierman Park
(north of Embarcadero Plaza). March starts at 2 PM sharp and will
proceed to Civic Center Plaza for a rally which starts at 3:30 PM.
https://indivisiblesf.org/no-kings-2
Email cc at sfgreens.org if you can help with voter outreach.

Also see the sign making party the night before, and RSVP if
you want to come to that.

*===========================*

What:  Save the date - Green Party monthly members' meeting
Where:  2973 16th St, #300, SF
When:  Wed, Oct 22, 7-9 pm

Every 4th Wednesday the SF Green Party meets to discuss issues of
concern, listen to interesting speakers, endorse events, plan outreach
and more!  Everyone welcome.  All meetings are wheelchair accessible.
To make a presentation or gain the SFGP endorsement of events and
issues, please contact our SFGP County Council at: cc at sfgreens.org

Mask policy: Masks are currently optional indoors, for both vaccinated
and non-vaccinated people.  We provide the option for SF Green Party
members and invited candidates to participate in our meetings via
Zoom, so email cc at sfgreens.org for info on how you can join us
virtually.

*===========================*

NO on Prop 50 - Newsom Gerrymandering

Prop 50 would temporarily repeal the Citizens Redistricting Commission
that California voters created in 2008 and further empowered in 2010.
It would create new gerrymandered Congressional districts drawn by
Democrats in the state legislature for elections in 2026, 2028, and
2030.  As a result, CA Democrats are expected to win 5 more
Congressional seats than they currently hold.  Governor Newsom's move
is in response to gerrymandering in Texas, where Republicans are
redrawing district lines to win 5 more seats currently held by Texas
Democrats.  Because gerrymandering is not compatible with democracy,
one of the Green Party's Key Values (link:
https://www.sfgreenparty.org/10-key-values), we strongly oppose Prop
50.

In any democracy, voters must be able to choose who we want to
represent us, rather than politicians picking which voters they want
in their districts.  Under Prop 50 or the proposed system in Texas,
any Democrat who's been gerrymandered into a district with a large
majority of Republicans would basically lose their right to vote.  So
would a Republican who's been moved into a district with an
overwhelming majority of Democrats.

Newsom claims that eliminating Californians' right to choose our own
representatives is necessary to stop Trump from imposing a
dictatorship on the entire country, which Republicans would go along
with if they maintain control of Congress after the 2026 election.
But regardless of how CA votes on Prop 50, Republicans are almost
certain to lose their current 5-seat majority in the House.  In 20 of
the last 22 midterm elections going back to 1938, the party in power
has lost House seats, with the only two exceptions being years when the
incumbent president had job approval from over 60% of Americans (link:
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-history-tells-us-about-the-2026-midterm-elections/).
In most of these elections, the party in power lost a very
large number of seats: Republicans lost 26 seats in 1982 under Reagan,
while Democrats lost 54 seats in 1994 under Clinton and 63 in 2010
under Obama.  During Trump's first term, Republicans lost 41 seats to
Democrats in the 2018 midterm election.  Trump's behavior in his
second term has been far more authoritarian and unhinged.  His
Gestapo-like ICE raids have even resulted in the arrests of some of
his own supporters.  MAGA policies are increasingly unpopular among
all Americans outside of a small fascist fringe, so we expect a huge
electoral swing away from Trump in the 2026 midterms.  A couple of
gerrymandered seats in CA or Texas isn't going to change that.

The best solution to ensure all Californians' votes count would be to
change all our legislative elections to a proportional representation
system.  The current balance among CA's 52 congressmembers is 43
Democrats (83%), 9 Republicans (17%), and 0 Greens and others.  In
contrast, voters in CA are 45% registered Democrats, 25% Republicans,
22% Decline to State, and 7% Others (link:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/voter-registration-statistics).
Greens routinely get from 2% to 4% of the vote in statewide races.
Under proportional representation, this would translate into 1 or 2
House seats for Greens, while Democrats would win almost twice as many
seats as Republicans.  Everybody's vote would count, including rural
Democrats and urban Republicans.

However, under the extreme gerrymandering in Prop 50, California's
congressional delegation would become even more unrepresentative of
our voters.  If Prop 50 passes, Democrats would take over 5 Republican
seats in CA, resulting in a 2028 delegation with 48 Democrats (92%), 4
Republicans (8%), and 0 Greens and others (link:
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2025/09/23/california-proposition-50-would-shift-five-republican-held-congressional-districts-toward-democrats-based-on-presidential-election-results/).
People from rural areas in communities north of Redding would be
"represented" by a suburban Democrat from Marin county.

Greens previously endorsed both ballot measures to create and expand the
powers of the Citizens Redistricting Commission.  In endorsing the second
measure, we wrote:

  Prop 20 will allow the voter-approved Citizens Redistricting
  Commission to draw California's congressional districts in addition
  to state legislative districts.  Under Prop 20, Sacramento
  politicians will no longer be able to draw election districts to
  help ensure reelection for their friends in Congress - even when
  they ignore voters.

  Prop 20 also ensures that our communities can no longer be carved up
  by politicians just to ensure the political outcome they want.  This
  kind of gerrymandering, discussed by SF Green party activist Steve
  Hill in his book "Fixing Elections," is one factor in our current
  system that reduces democracy.

All Americans need to stand up to the authoritarian Trump regime to
defend what little democracy we have left.  Newsom's scheme to take
away voting rights from Californians is a move in the opposite
direction.  We can't fight MAGA with Blue MAGA.  Vote NO on Prop 50,
and instead help us to build a stronger Green Party that will stand up
to fascist politicians from both sides of the aisle!

*===========================*

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