[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discussion On Items ID 144, 146, 148, 150, 151, 152 & 155: Endorsing Non-Green Candidates For Statewide Office

[Thomas Leavitt]

Eric,

I agree with you, and yes, even in the United States, the Green Party has
issues with not living up to its own principles, and includes a lot of
folks who see it as essentially a kinder / gentler, less corporate version
of the Democratic Party (as you point out with the support for Sanders). I
just want to make sure we're all headed in the same direction. Sounds like
you and I are, at least.

I support your desire to work with socialists of all stripes... even where
I disagree philosophically on means and approach, I support alternative
voices who share the same end goals.

Regards,
Thomas Leavitt

On Tue, Mar 27, 2018, 8:42 PM Eric Brooks <brookse32 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> While I am anarchist and support the objective of the Green Party being an
> anarchist party, it certainly wasn’t founded as one and has only recently
> been wisely heading clearly in that direction.
>
> And though some socialists still naively support centralized socialism,
> they also support a lot of really important social advancements that would
> make our society and the planet a lot better off.
>
> Let’s not forget that in the 2016 election a lot of Greens were even ready
> to support Bernie Sanders who is basically an FDR style capitalist reformer.
>
> So the political spectrum of the Green Party is a lot less defined than
> Thomas is idealizing it to be.
>
> A good example of how far the Green Party needs to evolve in this regard
> is the German Green Party’s unconscionable support of the war on Yugoslavia.
>
> So in California elections, we need to form alliances with traditional
> socialists and others, to get us out from under the thumbs of the corporate
> parties, while we are also pushing for a shift toward anarchism.
>
> Eric Brooks
>
>
>
> *From:* gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org] *On Behalf Of
> *Thomas Leavitt
> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 27, 2018 9:39 AM
> *To:* GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discussion On Items ID 144, 146, 148,
> 150, 151, 152 & 155: Endorsing Non-Green Candidates For Statewide Office
>
>
>
> Erik,
>
>
>
> The Green Party was not created, and its ballot lines do not exist, to
> provide a political vehicle for a pan-Leftist movement for electoral reform
> (or anything else). It exists to provide a specific and coherent political
> alternative to conventional "left/right" politics, rejecting both
> capitalism and state ownership of the means of production in favor of
> voluntarist mutualism, rejecting violence and coercion in all forms other
> than self-defense, both fascism and the
>
> violent overthrow of the apparatus of the state; the differences are
> myriad. On a practical political basis there are very clear and distinct
> differences historically, both domestically, and internationally (sometimes
> manifesting itself in unfortunate alliances elsewhere, in my opinion)
> between Green and conventional "left" politics.
>
>
>
> I ran for City Council jointly campaigning with a doctrinaire Trotskyist
> who considers the Peace and Freedom Party to be bourgeois sellouts (let
> alone the Green Party). We can work on a tactical level, with
> conventional leftists, particularly in a corporate capitalist context where
> ideological differences are immaterial in the face of organized state
> violence via predatory crony capitalism, but we lose our justification for
> existence if we erase all the distinctions that make us unique.
>
>
>
> Further, Green politics is distinguished by the fact that there is one
> single national Green Party (the remnants of the GPUSA aside), not dozens
> upon dozens of ideological splinter groups (as you illustrate) that have
> historically displayed a remarkable inability to work together and have
> gained near zero traction with the general American public, and that
> combined represent a fraction of the membership and electoral
> representation and voter registration of the Green Party nationally.
>
>
>
> As a narrow tactic, occasionally endorsing non-corporate non-Greens makes
> sense, even as a state party, but we need to be careful not to blur the
> distinctions between our movement and party, and those of our tactical
> allies on the statist left, and to not make it even easier to walk away
> from the Green Party in pursuit of political ambition than it already is.
> The statist left parties certainly aren't going to abandon their own
> ideological distinctions in pursuit of alliances.
>
>
>
> On a purely pragmatic basis, I have a hard time seeing the Green Party,
> nationally, buying into this rainbow coalition of statist and non-statist
> left parties on the Green Party ballot line approach, and I particularly
> have a hard time envisioning the fractious and ideologically riven and
> factionalized American statist left doing so.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Thomas Leavitt
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 27, 2018, 3:40 AM Erik <erikrydberg34 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> We are Eco-Socialist. Read the GPUS Platform.
>
>
>
> The 10 Key Values came out of the Green Committees of Correspondence. The
> GCC was made up of Anarchists and Socialists. There is plenty of room for
> both.
>
>
>
> Coalitions are the only way we grow. What many people have yet to grasp is
> that the Green Party is the inevitable vehicle for installing Proportional
> Representation. Every 3rd Party needs us because we are the only ones with
> the structure to run in every state. We need to open up our doors to the
> anti-corporate, anti-capitalist left... once we install Proportional
> Representation those that aren’t “Green Enough” will be free to build their
> own third party and we can all work in Coalition in a true multiparty
> system(Proportional Representation)
>
>
>
> For those of us within GPCA who operate on a sectarian “I’m better than
> you.” arrogance... it’s not a good look for us. You want to bash Capitalist
> Liberal Democrats? I’m with you 100%. Turning our noses up a Peace and
> Freedom, Socialist Alternative, Progressive Independent Party, African
> People’s Socialist Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Movement for
> a People’s Party or Corporate Free Independents is a bad move.
>
>
>
> If we don’t create a Independent 3rd Party Primary System to bring all
> these parties together someone else will. That is the biggest threat.
> Opening our doors isn’t the danger... closing them is.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 26, 2018 at 9:13 PM Ann Menasche <aemenasche at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> We are actually eco- socialist as of our last Conventuon.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On Mar 26, 2018, at 3:21 PM, Thomas Leavitt <thomleavitt at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I find it very dubious that anyone not wanting to run as a Green, who is
> currently choosing to run as a Dem, or any organization choosing to support
> such a person, would somehow run as an NPP or a P&F instead (or support an
> NPP or P&F candidate), in the hope of picking up the Green Party
> endorsement.
>
>
>
> Progressives are running as Democrats for simple reasons of political
> pragmatism. Running as a Democrat gains you much easier access to a broad
> variety of non-Democratic Party / progressive endorsements (such as those
> from labor), AND gives you access to a broad array of progressive resources
> that are party-affiliated and reserved, by bylaw, to Democratic Party
> candidates (bylaws that are bypassed in only the most exceptional
> situations, and only in non-partisan races). The value of a Green Party
> endorsement in no way outweighs that, and by the time it even begins to
> approach being that valuable, we are unlikely to be endorsing non-Greens,
> simply because the quality of candidates we attract will be so high.
>
>
>
> Socialists run as Peace and Freedom Party candidates, and Socialist
> Alternative, etc., BECAUSE THEY ARE SOCIALISTS. The Green Party
> specifically IS NOT A SOCIALIST PARTY. It never has been. We are
> anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian left anarchists, ideologically opposed
> to conventional Marxist/Leninist statist approaches. We are never going to
> attract conventional socialist / marxist candidates to run under our
> banner, because our core principles and historical positioning are
> incompatible with conventional statist left ideology. We have an "image
> problem", because of genuine ideological differences.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Thomas Leavitt
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 26, 2018 at 2:35 PM, Steve Breedlove <srbreedlove at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Linda and Jane. The idea is to form alliances. Greens have an image
> problem and I know a lot of movers and shakers who are choosing independent
> or Socialist Alternative or other. The idea is that to break the two party
> dictatorship we have to form alliances. It is a great symbolic act to
> endorse a P&F etc. I would rather endorse a qualified candidate in another
> left party than some of the candidate that run as Greens, whether based on
> actual policy or on perception of viability.
>
> I think the concern that people won't run green is unfounded. People
> already don't wanna run green which is why many progressive candidates are
> running Dem with support of more moderate progressive groups like justice
> dems abd Our Rev and brand new congress.
>
>
>
> On Mar 26, 2018 2:12 PM, "Jane Jarlsberg" <jjarlsberg at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I agree with Linda Piera-Avila, and no one asked me to write my opinion
> either!!  i have my own mind on these issues, but sometimes someone else is
> better able to  articulate my thoughts for me!! peace, Jane Jarlsberg
>
>
>
> On Sun, Mar 25, 2018 at 10:58 PM, Linda Piera-Avila <lindap_a at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
> If a candidate is supportive of our values and doesn’t take corporate
> donations, that candidate should run as a Green! We will dilute the
> incentive we have to offer potential recruits if 155 passes. It’s hard
> enough to vet people who ARE in the Green Party before endorsing them, this
> will make it even harder if they are not even in our party and this could
> leave us open to those who would co-opt our ballot line either for their
> own selfish purposes or worse, to discredit the Green Party. We are a small
> party - we need to retain our sense as a distinct political party and not
> give away the store and possibly lose ourselves in the process.
>
> Linda Piera-Avila
>
> Santa Monica
>
> PS No one asked me to write this. I am very concerned about this proposal
> on my own!
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On Mar 25, 2018, at 3:11 PM, Eric Brooks <brookse32 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> In response to Michael Feinstein’s previous emails stating the opinion
> that items 144, 146, 148, 150, 151, and 152 are not correctly on our SGA
> ballot, Michael’s statements are incorrect.
>
> Because Item 155 (see below) would enable us to endorse non-Green
> candidates for statewide office, as long as they do not take corporate
> donations and are supportive to the Green Party’s values and platform,
> items 144 through 152 all are properly on our SGA ballot and votes for
> those candidates will be counted if item 155 passes.
>
> I hope this clears up any confusion.
>
> Eric Brooks
> SGA Vote Administrator
>
>
>
> *From:* gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org
> <gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org>] *On Behalf Of *GPCA Votes
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 15, 2018 12:44 PM
> *To:* gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
> *Subject:* [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 155: Endorsement Policy Amendment:
> GPCA Endorsements for General Election Candidates
>
>
>
> *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
> <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
>
>
>
> Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote:
>
>
>
> Ranked Choice Vote ID #155
>
> Ranked Choice Vote *Endorsement Policy Amendment: GPCA Endorsements for
> General Election Candidates*
>
> Ranked Choice Vote Administrators: Victoria Ashley, Brian Good, Laura
> Wells, Eric Brooks, Mike Goldbeck
>
> Discussion  02/12/2018 - 03/25/2018
>
> Voting  03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
>
> Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time
>
>
>
> *Background*
>
>
>
> The Green Party of California is currently prohibited from endorsing
> candidates who have good Green values and who take no corporate money: the
> GPCA needs visibility, in a positive way, and putting our name on
> endorsement lists of good candidates is one way to get the Green Party name
> in the public eye.  The GPCA wants to help voters vote for good candidates,
> even in races where we have no candidate.  For instance, the Peace and
> Freedom Party can and does endorse Green Party candidates in state and
> federal races, but the GPCA is prohibited from endorsing Peace and Freedom
> candidates.  The GPCA currently cannot endorse candidates with No Party
> Preference or any other voter registration, even when we have no candidate
> running in the race.  The GPCA cannot help voters differentiate between
> good candidates who are aligned with Green values and take no corporate
> money and bad candidates (who may speak well) from the two-party system.
> The current endorsement policy is confusing: county parties are not
> prohibited from endorsing candidates who are not Green, but the state party
> is; in addition, it precludes a possible endorsement even in the face of
> grassroots interest.  The current endorsement policy was promulgated in the
> pre-Top-Two era, and, if left unreformed, will further hobble
> party-building efforts in California.
>
>
>
> Changing the endorsement policy would advance the party’s attempts to
> implement Proportional Representation so that we can have a multi-party
> system and not a two-party system. By expanding our endorsement options, we
> will demonstrate that we will work in coalitions and will endorse
> candidates who have green values, but who choose other political party
> affiliations.  As it stands, people who want to “throw their hat in the
> ring” and yet who have no track record with the Green Party or allied
> organizations are able to register Green and use our ballot line, and get
> an automatic advantage in the endorsement process, even though they may not
> be the best candidate.  Moreover, given that there are many public
> perceptions over which Greens have very little control, such as being
> marginalized or cast as “spoilers” or “third-party” candidates who “can’t
> win,” the endorsement area is one we can control.  We can avoid
> marginalizing ourselves as people who are only interested in the label
> “Green Party,” not the green values that we share with millions of ordinary
> folks in the nation and certainly in California.
>
>
>
> Furthermore, it is common advice in social media, for example (and even in
> life), that if you want likes, followers and friends, you’ve got to like,
> follow and friend others, as long as you stay true to your values. We need
> to reciprocate and be proactive, not sit back and wait for everyone to
> switch to “team Green Party,” while we display an unwelcoming attitude.
> People want a new party, but our current restrictive endorsement procedures
> make us look as if we do not want to be an “umbrella party” or “big tent”
> for all people who are aligned with our values and stances. It looks like
> we want to remain a small, exclusive “third” party with a narrow
> “sectarian” view of how change happens.
>
>
>
> Accordingly, we recommend the following changes to the GPCA Endorsement
> Policy.
>
>
>
> *Proposal*
>
>
>
> That the current GPCA Endorsement Policy be amended as follows:
>
>
>
> That the policy be amended from its current text:
>
>
>
> GPCA CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT POLICY FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS (approved by the
> GPCA General Assembly, June 25, 2006, 43-6-2)
>
>
>
> 2. The GPCA shall not make any endorsements of General Election candidates
> who are not Green Party members.
>
>
>
> To read as follow:
>
>
>
> GPCA CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT POLICY FOR ELECTIONS
>
>
>
> 2. The GPCA shall not make endorsements of candidates who accept corporate
> campaign contributions or who belong to any political party that accepts
> corporate campaign contributions.
>
>
>
> Sponsors: This proposal has been endorsed and sponsored by the Green Party
> of Yolo County.
>
>
>
> Full details will be available at:
> http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_bylaw_interpretations
>
>
>
> *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
> <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
>
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> *Erik Rydberg *
>
> *Green Party of California(GPCA) Spokesperson*
>
>
> *erikrydberg34 at gmail.com <erikrydberg34 at gmail.com> 530-781-2903*
>
>
>                 cagreens.org
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