January 2005 - announce

San Francisco Green Party Weekly
by ErikaSF＠aol.com 29 Jan '05

29 Jan '05

Hello Fellow Greens, Thank you to everyone who came out to fill our latest San Francisco Green Party events to full capacity! Our evening last Saturday at the Canvas Gallery was entertaining and informative. Wednesday night’s screening and discussion about Peak Oil and the End of Suburbia at the Off-Market Theater was so packed, organizers had to turn people away due to fire code regulations. We will schedule a repeat of the latter event as soon as possible. In this update: News Events NEWS: Justice for Sheila DeToy Hearing Postponed A hearing that was scheduled for Friday, January 28 for San Francisco police officer Gregory Breslin has been postponed. The hearing is regarding Breslin’ s 1998 shooting of 17-year-old Sheila DeToy. A new hearing has been tentatively scheduled for February 18. CASE # CPF04-504029 For more information call Bay Area Police Watch at 510-428-3939. Former Green Party Presidential Candidate David Cobb was interviewed by Davey D on KPFA-FM earlier this week. http://www.kpfa.org/archives/archives.php?id=14#6272 Former candidate for District 8 Supervisor, Eileen Hansen, is headed for the San Francisco Ethics Commission. This is thanks to Green Party member Ross Mirkarimi and his fellow Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who provided the two votes necessary at the Rules Committee that will send Hansen's name to the full board as the sole recommendation of the Board of Supervisors to serve a 6 year term on the Ethics Commission. If Eileen is confirmed by the full board next week, she will give Green Commissioner Joe Lynn a second vote to put matters on the agenda to forward an aggressive program of campaign finance reform and open government and add a progressive lesbian's voice to the mix. Eileen is a Democrat who was the San Francisco Green Party’s (SFGP) endorsed candidate for District 8 in both 2000 and 2002. She narrowly lost both races - the first to Mark Leno, and the second to Bevan Dufty. http://www.sfbg.com/39/17/news_ed_hansen.html http://www.sfexaminer.com/article/index.cfm/i/012705n_ethicscomm Supervisors Chris Daly and Jake McGoldrick exchanged harsh words during Tuesday’s board meeting. And just days before they were sharing a panel at an SFGP event! http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/01/26/BAG0DB00F41.DTL Democrats are again plagued by corruption! With his arm elbow deep in the cookie jar, Secretary of State and prominent Democrat Kevin Shelley is in hot water over misuse of funds and bad hiring practices. Also involved in the controversy is Shelley’s former employee Andrew Lee, son of prominent Newsom backer Julie Lee. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/26/MNG12B0HHF1.DTL http://www.sfexaminer.com/article/index.cfm/i/012605b_shelley Green Party and Code Pink activist June Brashares is still facing charges stemming from her protest of Bush at the Republican National Convention. The article below gives an update on the legal case against her. June was going to have to appear in court on Jan 27th, but now that’s been postponed until after the legal wrangling regarding the subpoena of a few news reporters is settled. http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/crime/nyc-gop0121,0,3959750.story?coll=… -manheadlines-crime Nancy Pelosi Must Go! An editorial in this week’s San Francisco Bay Guardian agrees. http://www.sfbg.com/39/17/x_oped.html Steven Hill and Rob Richie wrote an editorial on voting and election issues that was published in the San Jose Mercury News and on TomPaine.com. http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/#003487 Yes, Condoleezza Rice is now officially US Secretary of State, but at least a few Senators criticized her. Read the speeches Senator Robert Byrd and Senator Edward Kennedy made challenging Condoleezza Rice's nomination. http://www.tompaine.com/action/#003470 EVENTS: Friday, January 28 Come to a documentary film screening & reception to benefit Action Against Hunger. HEART OF THE CONGO: Does International Aid Help? The event begins with the 8 PM showing of Tom Weidlinger’s new documentary, "Heart of the Congo", which chronicles how a handful of aid workers try to help Congolese refugees who have lost everything at the end of a war. Location is the Herbst Theater at the War Memorial Performing Arts Center, Veteran’s Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue (at McAllister). Tickets for the film and reception are $35, and $10 for the film only. To purchase tickets in advance, go to http://www.cityboxoffice.com or http://www.tickets.com, or call 415-392-4400. Tickets will also be available at the door, though advance purchase is recommended. http://www.heartofthecongo.com Friday, January 28 Join us for an evening of stellar independent animated shorts, sounding off on the themes of politics, love, and the intersection between the two. Featured artists include Ian Inaba, director of Eminem's ground-breaking "Mosh" music video, and Catherine Margerin, Director of "HOPE" - a stunning visualization of Native American prophecy. The event begins at 8 PM and takes place at 992 Valencia Street. Admission is $5-10, sliding scale. This event is a fundraiser for the "Voices of Veterans: Why Are We In Iraq" documentary project and ATA (Artist's Television Access www.atasite.org, 415- 824-3890. Sunday, January 30 Religious Witness with Homeless People is sponsoring “Covenant of Compassion with Homeless People”, an event at which homeless people will share - through their own poetry - their own perspective on the state of homelessness. This event takes place from 3 – 4 PM at Civic Center Plaza. For more information contact Sister Bernie Galvin, (415) 929-0781 or relwithome(a)yahoo.com. Friday, February 4 Join us for “A Call to Remembrance” candlelight vigil honoring the memory of the 87 homicide victims in 2004 and the 6 deaths this year. This vigil will take place from 6 – 8 PM at McClaren Park Childcare Center, located at 2055 Sunnydale Avenue, just past Persia Avenue in Visitacion Valley. San Francisco, particularly the Southeastern part of the City, has experienced an epidemic of gun violence in the past year and a half. To bring attention to this issue, and help make the connections between the violence in the world and the violence here at home, we are urging everyone to stand with the mothers and families to honor the memory of the dozens of young men and women killed on our streets. These young people had lives and people who loved them, and we need to call for an end to these senseless deaths. Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi, Sophie Maxwell, and other city officials are confirmed to attend. We will meet at the McClaren Park Childcare Center on Sunnydale Avenue. For more info call CLAER (Community Leadership Academy Emergency Response) at 415-333-3017. Visit our San Francisco Green Party web site for information about upcoming working group meetings http://www.sfgreenparty.org. Warm Regards, Erika McDonald To have an item included in this newsletter, send email to erikasf(a)aol.com. No attachments please.

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San Francisco Green Party Weekly
by ErikaSF＠aol.com 22 Jan '05

22 Jan '05

Hello Fellow Greens, Don’t miss our upcoming Green Party-sponsored events, such as our Progressive Inauguration on Saturday, and a free film screening and panel discussion on January 26, co-hosted by the Transportation Working Group and the Energy Working Group. In this update: 1. Major Push This Week to Get Resources for this Year’s Priorities 2. News 3. Events 4. GPCA Media Committee Opportunities MAJOR PUSH THIS WEEK TO GET RESOURCES FOR THIS YEAR'S PRIORITIES: The Green Party's electoral victories this November prove that voters back the progressive, third-party values our party stands for. Our next step is to build a well-financed organizing machine that will help our elected representatives win our chosen campaigns. So this week (Jan 24, 25, & 27), Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, we're gathering in the SFGP headquarters for pizza, drinks, and phone banking to call registered voters and former donors to raise $10,000 for grassroots Green Party organizing! Please join us! RSVP to dave(a)livablecity.org, so that he knows how much snack food to get. NEWS: Recently re-elected school board member and Green Party member Mark Sanchez wrote an editorial that was published in the San Francisco Chronicle last week. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/1… DGSGAOK581.DTL Freshman Supervisor and Green Party member Ross Mirkarimi is hosting a forum in February to explore the establishment of a Community Congress. Read more at http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/news.htm. Thanks goes out to Ross Mirkarimi and Mark Sanchez, who both joined us to discuss local issues earlier this week at our General Meeting. The coalition opposing the widening of MLK Drive is very active, and is having a rally on Sunday. See more about this in events section below. The coalition also held a press conference last Tuesday. Read about more about this issue at: _http://www.sunsetbeacon.com/archives/richmondreview/2005editions/Jan05/gar… entrance2.html_ (http://www.sunsetbeacon.com/archives/richmondreview/2005editions/Jan05/gara…) http://www.sfprogressive.com/ http://www.beyondchron.org/ http://www.examiner.com/article/index.cfm/i/011905n_parkroad Steve Hill co-wrote an editorial for the Sacramento Bee: “Consider Alternative Systems of Voting”. _http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/v-print/story/11984429p-12859776c.ht… (http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/v-print/story/11984429p-12859776c.html) Former Green Party congressional candidate Pat Driscoll confirmed that he will run for the now vacant 5th Congressional District seat formerly held by longtime Representative Robert Matsui. The special election will be held in March, when Driscoll will face front-runner Doris Matsui. Driscoll, 52, a Vietnam-era veteran and Sacramento software designer, said he feels an obligation to remind voters and candidates that the war in Iraq must end now. California Senator Barbara Boxer just scored more points with progressives by grilling Condoleezza Rice about Bush Administration policies. Boxer pointed out just a few of the blatant contradictions in Rice's statements over the years about Iraq and more. _http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-18-rice-hearing_x.htm_ (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-18-rice-hearing_x.htm) Medea Benjamin and a few other Code Pink activists were dragged out of the Inauguration Ceremony in Washington D.C. _http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0120-06.htm_ (http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0120-06.htm) EVENTS: Friday, January 21 Come to a counter-inaugural night of political comedy upstairs at The Marsh Theater in San Francisco. Doug Ferrari, Joe Klocek, Randy Hauser and Reannie Roads will be performing stand up comedy, and there will be a round table with audience participation and special guests. The Marsh Theater is located on Valencia Street at 22nd Street. Tickets are $10. Doors open at 7:30 PM, show at 8. Saturday, January 22 Defend Women's Health and Rights! January 22nd is the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that established the constitutional right to reproductive freedom. On the same day, anti-choice organizers will be marching in San Francisco against women's health and rights. A coalition of pro-choice organizations is planning a counter-demonstration. 10 AM - Rally at Powell and Market Streets, San Francisco 11 AM - March to the Embarcadero http://www.indybay.org/womyn/ To see learn more about what the anti-choice organizers are planning, visit http://www.walkforlifewc.com. Saturday, January 22 Join us for a San Francisco Green Party sponsored “Progressive Inauguration” , featuring a panel discussion "Invigorating the Progressive Movement in 2005 and Beyond". Speakers include Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi, Chris Daly, Jake McGoldrick, School Board members Eric Mar and Mark Sanchez, as well as Green Party local candidates Lisa Feldstein, Terry Baum, and Renee Saucedo. Light refreshments will be served. Cost is $5-25, sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. This event is being held at the Canvas Gallery, located at 1200 9th Avenue at Lincoln in the Inner Sunset. Time of the event is 6 - 9 PM. Sunday, January 23 The coalition opposing the widening of MLK Drive is having a rally and demonstration at 9th and Lincoln, starting at 11 AM. The goal of the rally is to inform the public and get folks to call their supervisors and express opposition to the plans to widen MLK Drive to four-lanes. Monday, January 24, 25, and 27 Don’t forget phone banking for sustainers at the SFGP office. See announcement at the top of this newsletter for details. Tuesday, January 25 Please attend the Environmental Commission hearing at 5 PM in Room 416 of City Hall for a discussion of a resolution recommending the regulation of plastic bags in San Francisco. If you cannot make the hearing, please contact the commissioners at: The Environmental Commission The Department of the Environment 11 Grove Street San Francisco, Ca. 94102 OR: environment(a)sfgov.org The commissioners are: Nia Crowder, Paul Pelosi, Jr., Christina Desser, Angelo King, Alan Mok, Arlene Rodriguez, and Johanna Wald. **Note: The SFGP has not taken any formal position on this, but we have been discussing approving the regulation of plastic bags via e-mail. 2) Please contact the members of the Board of Supervisors and briefly tell them you oppose the widening of MLK Drive in Golden Gate Park. Such a position would agree with the transportation plank of the SFGP. For contact information for the supervisors, visit http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp Wednesday, January 26 Join us for a free screening of the DVD "The End of Suburbia," followed by a panel discussion with Peter Camejo; Amber Crabbe of Transportation and Land-Use Coalition; Richard Heinberg, professor of ecology at New College Santa Rosa and the author of "The Party's Over," and "Powerdown"; Ross Mirkarimi, District Five Supervisor and long-time advocate for public power; and Kate White, San Francisco Housing Action Coalition and co-founder of City CarShare; moderated by Dave Room of the Post-Carbon Institute. Doors open at 6:30 PM, event starts at 7 and will be over by 10 PM. Location is the Off-Market Theater at 965 Mission Street, between 5th and 6th streets. Donations for the SFGP gladly accepted. This event is being sponsored by the Transportation Working Group and the Energy Working Group. Friday, January 28 There is a critical hearing on the case of Sheila DeToy, a 17-year-old girl who was shot to death in 1998 by Gregory Breslin, a San Francisco Police Officer. If the cops get their way, the Superior Court will dismiss the cast against Breslin. The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 AM in Superior Court at the Civic Center Courthouse, located at 400 McAllister Street, Dept. 301. CASE # CPF04-504029 For more information call Bay Area Police Watch at 510-428-3939. Friday, January 28 Pacific Environment & KPFA Free Speech Radio present, An Evening with David Suzuki "The Economy or the Environment: A False Dichotomy". This event, supported by Cody's Books, Ecology Center, Earth Island Institute & Global Exchange, will be held in the theater at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, located at 701 Mission Street near 3rd Street in San Francisco. Show starts at 8 PM, and admission is $15 regular, $12 students/senior. David Suzuki is a world leader in sustainable ecology. He is renowned for his radio and television programs that explain the complexities of natural sciences in a compelling, easily understood way. Dr. Suzuki will explore how to thrive on this planet without destroying the natural world on which we rely. http://www.davidsuzuki.org http://www.kpfa.org http://www.pacificenvironment.org GPCA MEDIA COMMITTEE OPPORTUNITIES: - Be a voting member of the newly established GPCA Media Committee. - Be a liaison between your local and the state Media Committee. Media Committee Election The Green Party of California Media Committee invites members of the GPCA to become active voting members of the Media Committee. There are currently 5 open slots for voting members. To be considered, candidates must e-mail their name, county, and 2 - 4 paragraphs expressing their interest and detailing any media experience they may have. Email submissions to eriaksf(a)aol.com with "GPCA Media Committee Member" in the subject line, by 12 noon, Tuesday, February 1, 2005. Voting members will be elected by conference call on Thursday, February 10, 2005. Candidates with a history of participation in the GPCA Media Committee will be given priority, but prior participation is not required. Folks who have participated in at least 2 Media Committee conference calls and/or Media Committee plenary meetings are eligible to vote. Eligible voting members will be notified by phone or email by Media Co-Coordinator Erika McDonald. A voting member must be present on the conference call to vote (no proxy voting). Results of the election will be announced to the GPCA Coordinating Committee and affirmed according to GPCA by-laws. Media Liason Opportunity All GPCA members are invited to become active in the Media Committee as local media liaisons. Individuals who are active in their local, county, and/or regional Green Party are welcome to participate. The media liaisons will be permitted on the Media Committee conference calls and list serve, and shall maintain contact with the Media Committee Co-Coordinators and Press Secretary regarding the development of news releases pertaining to local Green Party activities. The open invitation to local media liaisons is ongoing. Direct comments, submissions, questions and/or clarifications to the Media Co-coordinators: Erika McDonald erikasf(a)aol.com 415-337-1499 Tom Bolema highdesertgreens(a)verizon.net 661-943-0676 Warm Regards, Erika McDonald To have an item included in this newsletter, send email to erikasf(a)aol.com. No attachments please.

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San Francisco Green Party Weekly
by ErikaSF＠aol.com 14 Jan '05

14 Jan '05

Hello Fellow Greens, In this update: 1. News 2. Events NEWS: This past week marks the swearing-in of our own Ross Mirkarimi, who is now a San Francisco Supervisor representing District 5. Ross thanks those who walked with him in the pouring rain to last Saturday's ceremony at City Hall, during which Ross received a standing ovation. The story was covered in the San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/0… AG13ALGCI47.DTL http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/0… AGRVANKV51.DTL For more stories on our city's newest Supervisor, see http://www.sfexaminer.com, http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com http://www.sfgreenparty.org And some good news to report on the school board! Congratulations to our newly re-elected Mark Sanchez, who was sworn in at a packed ceremony on Friday January 7. Congratulations to Eric Mar, a progressive Democrat we supported, who was just made Board President by his colleagues at their January 11 meeting. See the news links about this story at http://www.sfusualsuspects.com Thanks to those who joined us for Matt Gonzalez's last day. Matt received many accolades from both members of the public and his colleagues. Photo and web stream link of Matt's last meeting: http://sfprogress.textamerica.com/?r=1881711 Photo of revelers at Gonzalez's send-off party: http://www.mckeethen.com/journalism/photos/IMG_0105.jpg Read a story on Matt's legacy at http://www.beyondchron.org/ and see more stories about Matt's last day as Board President at http://www.sfusualsuspects.com. Our own Christine Miller wrote an article about Matt Gonzalez and his contribution to the pursuit of tidal energy in San Francisco. http://www.sfcall.com/issues%202005/1.10.05/1.11.05%20miller.htm There is also an interview with Gonzalez in the current issue of SF Call. http://www.sfcall.com/ Take a few minutes to grade the city on parks, public works, libraries, etc. http://citysurvey.sfgov.org/ Our members continue to use their creativity to grow our party. The SFGP now has three types of buttons - some that have a peace sign, some that have pithy political and anti-war slogans, and some that say - San Francisco Green Party. If anyone knows of a bookstore, coffeehouse, or other business that would like to sell these for us, would s/he please send an email to sfgreenparty(a)yahoo.com. For more about button design, contact Pat Gerber ppaattg(a)yahoo.com. . Check out Newsroom on AccessSF for some great local stories about SFGP and other topics. See the latest show descriptions on http://www.accessnewsroom.com/home.html. Their latest episode includes a segment that covered the SFGP Housing and Land Use Working Group's forum to discuss post-election strategies. As written on the program's web site, "The Greens aren't just sitting on their asses wailing, they're getting busy, because they know the time to act and get organized is now!" Here are show days and times: Tuesdays at 2:00 PM Wednesdays at 9:00 AM Thursdays at 2:00 PM Attention Fox Mulder! Little Green Men Have Landed on Earth! House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, that bastion of integrity and reason (NOT), has referred to those of us calling attention to voting irregularities in Ohio and elsewhere in the 2004 Presidential Election as "The X-Files wing of the Democratic Party." DeLay also denied the possibility of ANY voting irregularities in 2004 OR 2000. Read more about the historic challenge to the Ohio vote, and get links to the debate on C-Span at our web site http://www.sfgreenparty.org/ In honor of the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday on January 17, CodePink has produced an inspiring internet flash movie that reveals just how out-of-sync the White House is with Dr. King's message of peace and love. View it by visiting http://www.codepinkalert.org. And on the happier side of the news, an engagement has been announced amongst our own! County Council Member John-Marc Chandonia and San Francisco Green Party Spokesperson (and newsletter Editor) Erika McDonald have announced their engagement, and are planning to wed in the Fall of 2005. EVENTS: Wednesday, January 19 San Francisco Green Party General Meeting This is the first general membership meeting for 2005. We will be discussing strategies, goals and vision for 2005 and beyond. Meeting will be held at the Green Party office, located at 1028 A Howard Street in San Francisco, and will begin at 7:30 PM. Visit http://www.sfgreenparty.org for a more information. Thursday, January 20 Don't Spend a Dime Day! It doesn't really matter that everyone will be out spending what they didn't the next day - a point or two will have been made: Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending. During "Not One Damn Dime Day," please don't spend money. There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed. Saturday, January 22 Defend Women's Health and Rights! January 22nd is the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that established the constitutional right to reproductive freedom. On the same day, anti-choice organizers will be marching in San Francisco against women's health and rights. A coalition of pro-choice organizations is planning a counter-demonstration. 10 AM - Rally at Powell and Market Streets, San Francisco 11 AM - March to the Embarcadero Bring signs! Bring noisemakers! Bring friends! For more information or to get involved, call 415-890-1020 x209 or visit http://www.ppaction.org/ppgg/events/demo/details.tcl http://www.indybay.org/womyn/ Driving? Need a ride? Visit http://www.drivingvotes.org/rides/sfprochoice.php To see learn more about what the anti-choice organizers are planning, visit http://www.walkforlifewc.com. Saturday, January 22 Join us for a San Francisco Green Party sponsored event, featuring a panel discussion "Invigorating the Progressive Movement in 2005 and Beyond". Speakers include Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi, Chris Daly, Jake McGoldrick, School Board members Eric Mar, Mark Sanchez, and Sarah Lipson, as well as Green Party local candidates Lisa Feldstein, Terry Baum, and Renee Saucedo. Light refreshments will be served. Cost is $5 and up, sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. This event is being held at the Canvass Gallery, located at 1200 9th Avenue at Lincoln in the Inner Sunset. Time of the event is 6 - 9 PM. Tuesday, January 25 Please attend the Environmental Commission hearing at 5 PM in Room 416 of City Hall for a discussion of a resolution recommending the regulation of plastic bags in San Francisco. If you cannot make the hearing, please contact the commissioners at: The Environmental Commission The Department of the Environment 11 Grove Street San Francisco, Ca. 94102 OR: environment(a)sfgov.org The commissioners are: Nia Crowder, Paul Pelosi, Jr., Christina Desser, Angelo King, Alan Mok, Arlene Rodriguez, and Johanna Wald. **Note: The SFGP has not taken any formal position on this, but we have been discussing approving the regulation of plastic bags via e-mail. 2) Please contact the members of the Board of Supervisors and briefly tell them you oppose the widening of MLK Drive in Golden Gate Park. Such a position would agree with the transportation plank of the SFGP. The contact information for the supervisors is below: "michela alioto-pier" <michela.alioto-pier(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7752 "tom ammiano" <tom.ammiano(a)sfgov.org>, 554-5144 "chris daly" <chris.daly(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7970 "bevan dufty" <bevan.dufty(a)sfgov.org>, 554-6968 "sean elsbernd" <sean.elsbernd(a)sfgov.org>, 554-6516 "fiona ma" <fiona.ma(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7460 "sophie maxwell" <sophie.maxwell(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7670 "jake mcgoldrick" <jake.mcgoldrick(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7410 "ross mirkarimi" <ross.mirkarimi(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7630 "aaron peskin" <aaron.peskin(a)sfgov.org>, 554-7450 "gerardo sandoval" <gerardo.sandoval(a)sfgov.org>, 554-6975 Wednesday, January 26 Join us for a free screening of the documentary film "End of Suburbia"! The Transportation and Energy working groups of the SFGP are presenting a documentary and panel discussion about Peak Oil. Event begins at 7 PM with the showing of a documentary "The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream." Afterwards (starting at around 8:30), we will host a panel discussion on Peak Oil, with Richard Heinberg, author of "The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies". Other guests to be announced. Location is the Off-Market Theater, located at 965 Mission Street, between 5th and 6th Streets in San Francisco. Warm Regards, Erika McDonald To have an item included in this newsletter, send email to erikasf(a)aol.com. No attachments please.

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San Francisco Green Party Weekly
by ErikaSF＠aol.com 03 Jan '05

03 Jan '05

Hello Fellow Greens, Happy New Year! There is a lot going on in January, including swearing in ceremonies for school board and board of supervisors. Please join us! In this update: 1. News 2. Events NEWS: Ross Mirkarimi got mention in The Nation magazine. http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20050110&s=editors "Election day brought down-ticket signals that a more populist politics may be in the offing. In Vermont, the state's Progressive Party won six legislative seats. San Francisco elected an activist Green, Ross Mirkarimi, to its board of supervisors and affirmed the commitment of the city thatchallenged the Bush Administration's anti-gay marriage crusade to maintain its radical opposition to the politics of fear. Across the country, seventeen graduates of Camp Wellstone, inspired by Paul and Sheila Wellstone's ideals, won races for the state legislature, school board and city council, while Cincinnati voters overturned a charter amendment that prohibited city officials from passing any laws aimed at protecting gays and lesbians." The SF Weekly published a satirical cover story on what life would be like with Mayor Matt Gonzalez. http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2004-12-29/news/feature.html Richard Knee wrote an article on how the mainstream news media provided only sparse coverage of "minor" parties and their candidates. Knee is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist and a registered Green. Grade the News is a media research project focusing on the quality of the news media in the San Francisco Bay Area. Grade the News is affiliated with and based at Stanford University's Graduate Program in Journalism. http://www.stanford.edu/group/gradethenews/commentaries/minorcands.htm Green Party member John Rizzo has been elected as chair of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club. The Bay Chapter contains over 40,000 members in four counties, and is the second largest Sierra Club chapter in California. Rizzo helps create and promote environmental policy and has worked on a number of issues, including air pollution, renewable energy, land use, and water use. He has been active in political campaigns, including Ross Mirkarimi's successful run for San Francisco Supervisor and Matt Gonzalez's bid for mayor. Newsroom on Access SF, a cable program that has featured Greens and progressive issues, now has a web site. You can see an overview of the show, rundowns and much more. http://www.accessnewsroom.com/ EVENTS: Monday, January 3 Green Party activists Sue Vaughan and Pat Villano will be featured at an art opening at the Bazaar Cafe, located at 5927 California, between 21st and 22nd Avenues. Time is 7 - 9 PM. The art work will be on display until January 30. Tuesday, January 4 This date marks the last meeting of the Board of Supervisors with Board President Matt Gonzalez, and many Greens and supporters are coming to show their thanks for his hard work as an elected official in San Francisco. Come to the Board meeting at City Hall, which begins at 2 PM. Many of us plan to speak during public comment, but it is unclear what time public comment will begin. Wear any Matt for Mayor t-shirts, buttons etc. you have - we hope to take some fun group photos. A party has been tentatively scheduled for after the board meeting, but at this point it is unclear how long the meeting will last. You can call the office number 415-554-7630 and/or monitor the meeting online or on cable. Tuesday, January 4 Housing and Land Use Working Group meeting will be held from 7 - 9 PM at the Green Party office. Thursday, January 6 Come to a meeting regarding the establishment of an Office of Community Policing in the Bay View community. Meeting will be held at noon at the Mohammad Mosque #26 office (the building directly across from the Mosque). Thursday, January 6 The Feminist Issues Group (FIG) of the San Francisco Green Party will be meeting from 7 - 9 PM. We will be discussing female candidates experiences running for office, recruiting women for future races and other issues facing women in the Green Party. The meeting will be held at the Green Party office. Friday, January 7 Please join us at the swearing in ceremony for Eric Mar, Mark Sanchez, Jill Wynns and Norman Yee on at 6 PM at the Tenderloin Community School, located at 627 Turk near Van Ness. Matt Gonzalez will be swearing in Mark Sanchez as one of his last official acts as a Supervisor. Sarah Lipson will also be there. Mark Sanchez and Eric Mar are hosting an 'after party' at the Temple Bar, to begin after the ceremony. Temple Bar is located at 600 Polk Street. Please also attend the first school board meeting on Tuesday, January 11 at 7 PM at the School District's board room at 555 Franklin. The first vote will be on the president of the Board of Education. Currently, the two announced candidates are Eric Mar and Jill Wynns. Saturday, January 8 Join us for the swearing in ceremony for the Board of Supervisors! The inauguration will be held at City Hall in the Legislative Chambers at Noon, with overflow viewing in the North and South light courts. Newly-elected Green Party member Ross Mirkarimi is planning a morning gathering before the ceremony. Visit http://www.rossforsupervisor.org for more information about morning activities. Ross will be representing District 5, and he follows Matt Gonzalez for this seat. A party at Ross's new office will immediately follow the swearing in ceremony. Wednesday, January 12 San Francisco Green Party County Council meeting will be held at 7:30 PM at the Green Party office. We will set the agenda for the General Meeting strategy discussion and review the draft 2005 SFGP budget. Friday, January 14 - 29 Come and see a one-man show featuring Tommi Avicolli Mecca, "Italian. Queer. Dangerous" at the Jon Sims Center, located at 1519 Mission/between Van Ness and 11th. The show, directed by Francesca Prada, will be performed Fridays and Saturdays only. Shows begin at 8 PM, and cost is $5 -10 sliding scale, with no one turned away for lack of funds. Seating is limited; please call ASAP to reserve your space. Call 415-554-0402 and leave a message with your name, the night you plan to come, how many seats you need, and a contact phone number where you can be reached. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the show, call 415-552-6031. Through monologue and spoken word, well-known San Francisco queer activist and writer Tommi Avicolli Mecca tells his story of growing up in South Philly's working-class Little Italy. At age 19, fired up with new pride in being gay, he came out to the world--and his traditional Roman Catholic southern Italian famiglia--on a TV talk show. The rest is history, and the subject of this performance. Wednesday, January 19 San Francisco Green Party General Meeting This is the first General membership meeting for 2005. We will be discussing strategies, goals and vision for 2005 and beyond. Meeting will be held at the Green Party office, and will begin at 7:30 PM. Thursday, January 20 Don't Spend a Dime Day! It doesn't really matter that everyone will be out spending what they didn't the next day - a point or two will have been made: Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending. During "Not One Damn Dime Day," please don't spend money. There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed. Saturday, January 22 Join Green Party candidates, activists and elected Green officials, including Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, School Board member Mark Sanchez, former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez and others as we celebrate the newly elected and re-elected Greens and our slate of 2004 candidates. Event includes a panel discussion on where the Greens are going in 2005 and beyond. There will be a presentation by Green Presidential candidate David Cobb, and a report on the first major city election using Instant Runoff Voting from Steven Hill. Light refreshments will be served. Cost is $5 and up, sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. This event is being held at the Canvass Gallery, located at 9th Avenue and Lincoln in the Inner Sunset. Warm Regards, Erika McDonald To have an item included in this newsletter, send email to erikasf(a)aol.com. No attachments please.

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