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Greenzine: go vote!
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 04 Nov '14

04 Nov '14

November 3 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Please vote this Tuesday, November 4, if you haven't already! If you're registered Green in SF, you should have received our postcard in the mail. Our complete Voter Guide with long explanations for all our endorsements is posted online (and copied below): http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements Several people have called or emailed us asking why our candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor are not on the ballot. The reason is that California now has "top two" primaries, which were designed to eliminate minor party candidates, as Ellen Brown discusses: http://ellenbrown.com/2014/06/08/californias-top-two-primary-eliminates-thi… San Francisco Greens did not make any endorsements in these contests, but we strongly encourage Greens to vote for the candidates and positions that we did endorse. Here's a complete copy of our Voter Guide: NO on Prop A Prop A is a $500 million bond that is supposedly for the purpose of improving public transit. The cost of the bonds would be paid back by a property tax increase, although 50% of the costs could be passed through by landlords to tenants. The Green Party opposes Prop A for several reasons. First, we are generally hesitant to support measures that are funded by bonds, because bonds are an unfair form of taxation that transfers wealth from lower and middle class residents to the 1%-ers (see our full Statement on Bond Funding, below). Second, despite the name, this bond has no legal requirement to be spent on new transit improvements. It's "faith based" budgeting that could easily be diverted to fund other projects, such as cost overruns on the Central Subway. This "bait and switch" scam has happened before. In 2007, voters passed another Prop A, which dedicated $26 million per year in parking meter revenue to Muni. Within one year, Muni's payments to other City departments, mainly the Police Department, had increased by exactly the same amount (http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/munis-mismanagement-of-prop-a-may-hu…) Mayor Lee (like Newsom before him) routinely raids the Muni budget for other projects, leaving Muni with less service and increased fares. Please join us in opposing Prop A. YES on B Prop B would dedicate more money to Muni operations from the City's general fund, and increase funding with population growth. These payments could be replaced by a local increase in the vehicle license fee (VLF), if voters approve that in two years. Muni desperately needs money to increase service and prevent fare increases. Although we expect Mayor Lee to steal back some of this money to fund other projects (see our No on A argument for details), Prop B is a budget set-aside rather than a new revenue source, so the Mayor will have even easier access to those funds if Prop B doesn't pass. Mayor Lee had pledged to support a local VLF ballot initiative this year, but broke that promise. Prop B will put pressure on the Mayor to support a VLF increase next time. The VLF was a long-time means of funding public transit, but was lowered statewide by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2004 in order to reduce the cost of his six Hummers. We'll support Prop B, and also hope the voters pass the VLF in 2016, so we can have better Muni service without having to raise fares even more. YES on C Prop C would set aside about 3% of property tax funds received by the City, to pay for programs for children and young adults. Property taxes roughly correspond to property values (although large corporations get a break due to Prop 13), so more of this tax will fall on the rich than if these programs were paid for using bonds, a parcel tax, or a sales tax. Most Prop C funds would go to the public schools, paying for school libraries, arts, music, and sports, as well as general education. It would also help pay for public pre-K education (which is badly under-funded, and won't have enough spaces for every kid even if Prop C passes). Other funds would go to providing services (such as child care and job training) to kids and young adults, up to age 24. In the face of state and federal cuts to public education, it's especially important for SF voters to help improve our public schools, so we strongly support Prop C. YES on D Prop D would allow former employees of the SF Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) who are now SF employees to receive the same retiree health benefits as other SF employees who were hired at the same time they were hired by the SFRA. The SF Redevelopment Agency was dissolved by the State in 2012, and its members were State employees. Since then, about 50 of its employees have gotten essentially the same jobs working for the City. Prop D would treat these workers as if they'd been City employees for the whole time they were working for the SFRA. Without Prop D, these employees would have to work 20 more years to receive retiree health benefits. We support Prop D in the interests of fairness to those workers. no consensus on E. Prop E is a 2 cents per ounce tax on sugary drinks sold in SF (approximately 24 cents for a can of soda). The tax would bring in about $31 million per year, which would be earmarked for nutrition and health programs in the parks and public schools. The tax would apply to soft drinks (both corn syrup and sugar-sweetened), as well as sugary sports drinks, energy drinks, iced tea, and juice drinks that are not 100% made from fruits or vegetables. It would also apply to the concentrates used to make soft drinks in commercial soda fountains. The tax would NOT apply to diet sodas, milk and milk substitutes, baby formula, nutritional supplements, or concentrates for home soda fountains. Greens did not reach consensus on whether or not we should support Prop E, so we'll present arguments on both sides. We all agreed that sugary drinks are a serious health risk (see the article by UCSF researchers: https://accelerate.ucsf.edu/uploads/pilotawards/1331566366/the_toxic_truth_…) especially as a cause of diabetes. Many SF residents who get diabetes live in low-income neighborhoods with few healthy alternatives. Big soda corporations push sugary drinks heavily in poor neighborhoods, and Greens agree that SF should set policies that help people who live there switch to healthier foods and beverages. All Greens agreed that whether or not we support the tax, other methods for reducing sugar consumption discussed in the UCSF study (e.g., a ban on sales of all sugary drinks in schools and other government buildings) would also be worth trying. Greens disagreed on several points. Greens supporting NO thought the City should put the carrot before the stick, and subsidize healthier alternatives before instituting a regressive tax. Greens supporting YES thought that the money raised by the tax would be required to create the necessary subsidies. Greens supporting NO saw the tax as insufficient to actually change soda consumption habits, while at the same time large enough to be burdensome on top of other increased costs of living (like higher Muni fares and rising rents). According to the UCSF study, a 10 cent per ounce tax would be needed to significantly decrease consumption. Greens supporting YES saw the tax as a good start, which could later be increased to the level needed to reduce consumption. Greens supporting NO saw racism in the choice of which drinks to tax and which to exclude, when many excluded drinks are equally unhealthy or worse. Greens supporting YES thought that we have to start somewhere, and later try to expand the tax to diet drinks and sugary milk drinks such as lattes. YES on F - raise height limits for development on Pier 70 Prop F would raise height limits near Pier 70, in order to allow a proposed project by the Forest City developers to move forward. Because Prop B passed this June, voters need to approve such increases to height limits. The proposed project looks like exactly what SF needs: more affordable housing (30% below market rate), with plenty of parks and space for small businesses. If built, this should become a walkable, pleasant neighborhood. There was plenty of community input from local residents, in contrast to most other recent proposed projects. Our only concern is that although the section of Prop F that changes height limits is legally binding, the mandate to develop the project exactly as described is not. In the end, we decided to endorse letting the project go forward, but we (and local residents) will be keeping a close eye on Forest City to be sure they keep their promises. YES on G - anti-speculation real estate transfer tax Prop G is a tax meant to limit speculative investment in SF housing. It would impose a tax of up to 24% on buildings with 3 or more units, owned for less than five years but not lived in by the owner, and then sold at a profit. There are a number of exemptions designed to protect renters and homeowners; for example, the tax is not charged if the sale happens within a year of an owner's death. Greens strongly support Prop G! This law should help cut down on cases where an investment company or tech billionaire buys an entire apartment building, evicts all the tenants using the Ellis Act, then flips the property for huge profits. YES on H - keep Golden Gate Park natural grass, no stadium lighting by the beach Prop H is a grassroots effort to stop SF from installing 7 acres of artificial turf and 150,000 watt stadium lighting on the soccer fields in Golden Gate Park next to Ocean Beach. The new fields would be run by City Fields, a "public-private partnership" (managed by the Fishers, heirs to the Gap fortune) best known for kicking local kids off of formerly public soccer fields in the Mission in order to allow wealthier players to reserve the fields for $27/hour (video of one such incident is posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awPVY1DcupE) The fake fields project has a number of problems, in addition to the privatization aspect: First, the fake turf would replace an existing grass field, which would cause several environmental problems. Just like a parking lot, it would create a "cap" to prevent rain from soaking through into the Golden Gate Park Aquifer, an underground source of fresh water that is now being tapped as a supplemental source of water for San Francisco. Instead, the plastic turf would cause rain water to run off into the ocean, carrying any pollutants with it. Fake turf would also be bad for the local animals and birds for which the current grass provides a habitat. Second, the turf field would be made of "crumb rubber," a waste product made from used tires that was banned in both New York and Los Angeles after studies showed that lead and other toxins from the tires contaminate the surrounding environment. In Italy, they have had to dig up previously installed crumb rubber soccer fields at great cost, in order to replace them with a more natural product, due to toxicity problems. Parents whose kids play on other crumb rubber fields in the City (such as the playgrounds in the Civic Center Plaza) have noted that when the fields are poorly maintained, as ours are, little granules of rubber get everywhere. There is even some evidence that the toxins in crumb rubber can cause soccer players to get cancer: http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/how-safe-artificial-turf-your-childs-sp… It's a terrible idea to install crumb rubber right on top of our drinking water supply. Third, putting bright lights so close to the beach will cause problems for both birds and sea life, as well as people enjoying Ocean Beach at night. When the project was up for review by the California Coastal Commission, the project staff urged the plan to be rejected in favor of a "more naturalistic" plan. However, the staff were overridden by political appointees. The City's Rec and Parks department has neglected the current soccer field for years, putting an illegally installed fence around the property with a locked gate, and allowing gophers to proliferate. SF has the best funded Parks department in the country, but they are not maintaining our soccer fields as they are paid to do. A YES vote on Prop H will send a message to Rec and Parks to keep the park public, and properly maintain the natural grass fields. NO on I - fake turf everywhere initiative Prop I was put on the ballot for one purpose: overriding Prop H. It would give the Rec and Parks department streamlined authority to "upgrade" fields throughout the City from grass to fake turf over the objections of environmental groups. Prop I even contains a provision specifically written to block Prop H in case both pass. Prop I is blatant misuse of the ballot by Supervisors, who are following the same playbook as (former Supervisor turned illegal lobbyist) Michael Yaki in putting a competing measure on the ballot in order to block a grassroots measure. Yaki, who represented the Richmond District, drafted a competing ballot measure in order to block a measure for a Sunday Streets-like closure of roads in Golden Gate Park back in 2000. His ploy worked, as both measures lost. The campaign ads for Prop I are full of lies, claiming that it will enable all kinds of improvements to our parks. In reality, Prop I will not fund any improvements to anything; it just allows unelected bureaucrats in the Rec and Parks department to ignore the wishes of City residents. YES on J - minimum wage increase Prop J will raise the minimum wage in San Francisco to $15/hr by the year 2018. The minimum wage would increase with inflation after that, and there would not be an exception for workers who (sometimes) get tips. The Green Party would prefer to set the minimum wage at a "living wage," meaning that full-time workers could make ends meet without needing any extra government subsidies. This year, we supported and gathered signatures for an alternative measure that would have raised the minimum wage to $15/hr one year faster. However, Democratic politicians like Mayor Lee fought hard to keep wages low until 2018. Back in 2002, the Green Party spearheaded the campaign to raise the minimum wage to its current level. Prop J would be an improvement, so we strongly support its passage. But even after Prop J passes, we will need to continue to work to raise wages to "living wage" levels. NO on K - non-binding statement that supports building less affordable housing than current policy Prop K would urge the City to build at least 30,000 units of new housing in the next 10 years, at least 50% of it affordable to the middle class, and 1/3 affordable to "moderate income" households. The Green Party would have supported a much stronger measure, such as one that would require a minimum level of low income housing to be built before new projects are approved. Supervisor Jane Kim had originally planned such a measure, but withdrew it in a "compromise" with Mayor Ed Lee (who supports letting developers build whatever they want). Past Supervisors have made a lot of noise about setting policy to build more housing, but nothing has ever come of it. In 2006, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell passed legislation making City policy that 64% of new housing in eastern neighborhoods of SF should be affordable. Prop K would actually lower this goal, although nothing in Prop K is legally binding. Therefore, we urge voters to vote NO. NO on L - "transportation balance" proposal Prop L is a non-binding statement of policy that would ask the City for more heavily subsidized parking prices for private cars, cheaper parking tickets, more parking garages, and more enforcement of laws against illegal behavior by pedestrians and bicyclists (e.g., jaywalking, or bikes not coming to a full stop at a stop sign). Although Mayor Lee behaves as if Prop L has already passed, the official City policy is still "Transit First." Prop L would mean "Drivers First, Transit Last." Although it's non-binding, it's important to send a message to Mayor Lee by voting NO. SF Board of Supervisors, D2 - Juan-Antonio Carballo (sole endorsement) Juan-Antonio Carballo is a Democratic Party member who agrees with us on many issues (see his questionnaire, http://sfgreens.org/questionnaires/carballo_d2.html) He supports public power, non-citizen voting in local elections, community choice aggregation, and improved public transit. He opposes the fake turf fields planned for Golden Gate Park, as well as Mayor Lee's efforts to drive Sheriff Mirkarimi from office. His opponent, incumbent Mark Farrell, has a perfect 0% record on our Supervisorial Report Card over the last two years (http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/60-sf-supervisors-report-card-2013) and he has basically been a rubber stamp for Mayor Lee. While almost any randomly picked person from District 2 would be an improvement, Carballo agrees with the Green Party on most issues, so we're pleased to endorse him. SF Board of Supervisors, D4 - no endorsement Katy Tang is running unopposed, but has a perfect record of opposition to Green Party positions on contentious issues (http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/60-sf-supervisors-report-card-2013) She's been a rubber stamp for developers and Mayor Lee. We hope the Sunset fields a better candidate next time. SF Board of Supervisors, D6 - Jamie Whitaker (sole endorsement) Jamie Whitaker is a Democratic Party member who agrees with us on most issues (see his questionnaire, http://sfgreens.org/questionnaires/whitaker_d6.html) Unlike most Democrats, he sees the corruption in City Hall for what it is. He believes in more transparency and public input, and an end to the cronyism and back room dealing that dominates the local Democratic Party. Whitaker has a Green perspective on many issues, ranging from better parks to public power to improved public transit. His opponent, incumbent Jane Kim, is a former Green Party member. Unfortunately, as she's gotten closer to the Democratic Party power structure, her votes have moved further from Green positions, falling from 75% on our 2012 Report Card to 50% last year. Jamie Whitaker would be a huge improvement. SF Board of Supervisors, D8 - no endorsement Scott Wiener, the incumbent, has a consistent record of supporting the Green Party only about one-eighth of the time over the past two years (http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/60-sf-supervisors-report-card-2013) Weiner's supported CleanPowerSF, in opposition to Mayor Lee, and we're strongly supportive of Prop B, Wiener's initiative to fund Muni. However, his record on civil rights (aside from LGBT issues) is atrocious, and he's otherwise been in lockstep with developers and Mayor Lee. Several of Wiener's opponents sought our endorsement, but none were sufficiently aligned with Green values for us to support them. SF Board of Supervisors, D10 - Tony Kelly (sole endorsement) Tony Kelly is a neighborhood activist in Portrero Hill, who we also endorsed in his last run for Supervisor. He is especially strong on both public safety and development issues. He supports expanded foot patrols and other police reforms, and has a credible plan to reduce violent crime in his District. Kelly also fought hard against the Lennar corporation's development project and other corporate polluters in the Bayview, who have cut years off the average District 10 resident's life. Kelly agrees with the Green Party on many other issues, from public power and CleanPowerSF, to the need to end corruption in City Hall. Kelly's opponent, Malia Cohen, is not the worst Supervisor on the Board. She agrees with the Green Party about 25% of the time (http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/60-sf-supervisors-report-card-2013) and has been a consistent supporter of both CleanPowerSF and free Muni for low income youth. However, she's also too close to the Mayor's corrupt politics: recently, she was the swing vote to allow Airbnb to skip out on paying $25 million in back taxes, even though she's taken almost $10,000 in campaign "donations" from Airbnb investor Ron Conway. Tony Kelly is one of the only challengers to Democratic Party Machine candidates who has a good chance of winning, so we strongly support his campaign and urge Greens to volunteer for him. SF Community College Board, 2-year term - William Walker William Walker is currently the student trustee for City College. He is running for a 2-year term in the seat left vacant by Chris Jackson's resignation. Walker is very critical of the current board members, because he says he current accreditation crisis was "entirely preventable." It has taken a tremendous grassroots campaign to take City College back from pro-privatization forces, and that campaign has been led by students. While some politicians have also been key supporters of the campaign, for the most part they have followed the lead of the grassroots activists. Walker was out front in the campaign, so we think he deserves a full seat on the board. His answers to our questionnaire (http://sfgreens.org/questionnaires/walker_ccb.html) also showed he is fairly well aligned with Green Party positions, so we're happy to endorse him. SF Community College Board, 4-year terms - Wendy Aragon and Brigitte Davila Wendy Aragon is a long time activist who is seeking her first elected office on the College Board. She has good ideas for how the current Board could have avoided the accreditation crisis, and her answers to our questionnaire (http://sfgreens.org/questionnaires/aragon_ccb.html) show that she supports many Green Party priorities, such as free education, open government, and equal rights for non-citizens. She has also been out front in the campaign to take back City College from the ACCJC, so we give her our enthusiastic endorsement. Brigitte Davila is a faculty member at SF State, who is also seeking elected office for the first time. She gave very thoughtful answers to our questionnaire (http://sfgreens.org/questionnaires/davila_ccb.html) that showed her positions are in line with Green values, including support for free education, rights for undocumented immigrants, and opposition to military recruitment on campus. We strongly support Davila for College Board as well. Several incumbent members of the board, including John Rizzo and Anita Grier, also sought our endorsement. Rizzo is a former Green Party member who we've supported in the past, and he gave great answers to our questionnaire. However, in office, he failed to use his status as President of the Board to respond adequately to the ACCJC's takeover. He should have loudly and publicly objected to the ACCJC taking away the elected Board's voting authority, and even more to the appointment of a Special Trustee. Instead, current board members put too much faith in the ACCJC, then let other Democratic Party politicians and grassroots activists do the hard work to save City College. Anita Grier also gave great answers to our questionnaire, but as a long-time board member, she's supported some fairly corrupt practices in the past, and we think it's time for fresh faces on the Board. State Assembly, D17 - David Campos Without a Green in the race, the Assembly contest comes down to choosing between two Democratic Party Supervisors, in a rematch of the primary. Despite both candidates being Democrats, their political choices and attitudes towards the Green Party have been very different. David Campos has been most in agreement with Green Party values, scoring 88% for two straight years on our Supervisors Report Cards (http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/60-sf-supervisors-report-card-2013) His opponent, David Chiu, fell from 50% in 2012 to 38% in 2013. The main issues on which Campos differs from Chiu have been related to supporting corruption by the Lee Machine. Four of the key votes on which the two Supervisors differed related to Mayoral appointees: Chiu was a rubber stamp for Mayor Lee, while Campos opposed the worst Lee appointees. Campos is also much stronger on civil rights: Chiu was the swing vote in two new laws to impose curfews in public parks and a ban on public nudity. And of course Chiu was also the swing vote in favor of appointing Mayor Lee as mayor in the first place, rather than somebody (such as former Sheriff Hennessey) not beholden to the Willie Brown/Gavin Newsom Machine. As President of the Board of Supervisors, Chiu has limited public comment and rarely bothers to listen to differing opinions, a sharp contrast to the days when Matt Gonzalez served as President and built bipartisan consensus. Although both Campos and Chiu originally supported the construction of toxic artificial-turf soccer fields in Golden Gate Park near Ocean Beach, Campos supports the Green Party's position of Yes on H / No on I, which together would require the soccer fields to remain natural grass. We strongly endorse David Campos for Assembly. Superior Court Judge, Office 20 - Daniel Flores Daniel Flores is in a runoff for Superior Court Judge. Based on his answers to the Milk Club questionnaire (http://www.milkclub.org/candidate_questionnaires_june_election) he seems to share many Green Party values. In response to the questionnaire, he responded that he supports issues including abortion rights, same-sex marriage equality, anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBT rights, rent control, and rights for non-citizens, including drivers licenses for all CA residents, voting rights in local elections, and the DREAM act. Flores' opponent, Carol Kinglsey, is endorsed by some prominent local conservatives, including Gavin Newsom. In this rematch from the primary, we strongly support Flores. Public Defender - Jeff Adachi Jeff Adachi has done an excellent job as Public Defender, and has been outspoken in defending the rights of SF's poor and homeless residents in the face of bad ideas from Scott Wiener, such as the Sit/Lie law and closing public parks. Adachi works well Sheriff Mirkarimi, and has supported several measures that would both improve public safety and reduce costs--measures such as increasing the number of uniformed police officers out on the streets instead of behind desks. In conrast, Mayor Lee will not even meet with Sheriff Mirkarimi. We continue to have concerns about Adachi's leading the campaign for Prop B back in 2010. Prop B was an effort to cut worker benefits in order to compensate for the City's pension funds having been mismanaged by mayoral cronies and then stolen by Wall Street. However, since that has little to do with his job as Public Defender, we'll endorse him for another term. SF Board of Education - no endorsement We're very concerned about the bipartisan emphasis on high-stakes testing and corporate charter schools that began with "No Child Left Behind" under President Bush, and then escalated under President Obama's "Race to the Top" program. Under these programs, good teachers are punished for teaching a curriculum that deviates from a corporate-designed test preparation system. The result has been a rush towards privatization of our public schools (in the form of more charter schools) and a dumbing down of the curriculum. Like Diane Ravitch, we see "Common Core" as a watered down version of the high-stakes testing agenda, which is diverting a huge amount of SFUSD's resources towards test prep and away from actual education. Greens also opposed SB 1381, a $700 million bipartisan cut to our State's public education system. SB 1381, which will require parents of children born after September 1 to delay enrolling their children in public schools for a year, will supposedly save the State money by reducing enrollment. We suspect that it will, by driving some parents into private schools. Although supporters claim that children prevented from entering school will have access to public pre-K programs, there's no funding to make that a reality: even if Prop C passes, there won't be enough funds to expand public pre-K to all SF kids. Supporters of SB 1381 justify this cut by saying that delays in starting school will result in higher scores on high-stakes tests. Greens oppose placing high-stakes tests above all other measures of how well our public schools are doing, and favor giving parents more of a voice in determining when their children are ready to start school. Unfortunately, NO candidates are running this year who share our concerns about these issues. This year's School Board candidates are unanimously pro-corporate, and several of them (Hydra Mendoza and Emily Murase) double dip by working for Mayor Lee, despite that being a clear conflict of interest. We hope that some real supporters of public education will run in the next School Board election. BART Board, D8 - no endorsement After the BART strike debacle, in which management brought in a highly paid union buster at great taxpayer expense, then hired scab train operators who killed two BART workers, we can't support any of the incumbents. And unfortunately, there is no progressive challenger running in this contest. State Props NO on 1 - anti-environmental water bond Prop 1 is a $7.1 billion bond measure to fund various improvements to our water infrastructure. There are a lot of good projects in there, including water recycling and cleanup of contaminated groundwater (which we'll need if Prop H fails). However, the main purpose of Prop 1 is to build additional dams. Dams are terrible for the environment, since they generally increase the salinity in downstream areas and kill fish and other wildlife. Dams will also do nothing to help the current drought crisis, since they simply store water that comes from mountain snowmelt. Bond funding also ensures that CA taxpayers will pay for the project twice: once for the project itself and once to borrow money from Wall Street (see our Statement on Bond Funding). We're therefore strongly opposed to Prop 1. NO on 2 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy Prop 2 would change the maximum size of California's "rainy day fund" to 10% of annual revenue, up from the current 5%. Unfortunately, our state schools and universities are in a (unfortunately figurative) "rainy day" right now. It is foolish to withhold money rather then spending it, at a time when spending is desperately needed to stimulate the economy. The tech sector is doing great, but for most other people, the economy is as bad as it's been since the Wall Street meltdown. California has never recovered from earlier cuts to education, and not spending the money will hurt the state for decades to come. Vote NO on Prop 2. YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases Prop 45 would require increases to health insurance rates to be approved by the CA Insurance Commissioner, just as car insurance and homeowners insurance are currently regulated. We support this change, as it may lead to lower rates. However, Greens remain strongly committed to fighting for Single Payer Health Care (i.e., improved and expanded Medicare for All). Under Obamacare, health insurance company profits are still at an all-time high, and the system is as inefficient as ever. So vote YES on 45, and join us in fighting for real universal health care. NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing Prop 46 would raise the limit on medical malpractice lawsuits to $1 million (which we support) but also require random drug testing of doctors and nurses (which we strongly oppose). Random drug testing is not only unreliable (since users can test positive long after the effects have passed) but is also a gross violation of civil liberties. Random drug testing should be completely abolished, not expanded into new professions. Vote NO on 46. YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors Prop 47 would change some nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors, including shoplifting, theft, forgery, fraud, and drug use cases, in which the value of the lost or stolen property is less than $950. Prop 47 would not apply to any violent crimes, nor to defendants with a prior history of murder, rape, or gun violence. It would allow 10,000 nonviolent inmates to be released early, and would also cut down on future prison overcrowding. Vote YES on Prop 47 as a good first start to reforming our prison system. no consensus on 48 - casino referendum Prop 48 is a referendum on an Indian casino agreement approved by the state legislature. A YES vote on the referendum allows two tribes to build a casino on the lands of one of the tribes, along Route 99 near Madera, CA. A NO vote would veto the legislation, prohibiting the casino. Greens did not reach consensus on whether to support or oppose Prop 48, so we're presenting arguments on both sides. Greens supporting YES favor full tribal sovereignty, and support the tribes' decision to build the casino in order to improve their finances. Greens supporting NO consider the problems of political corruption, crime, and addiction surrounding gambling to outweigh the reasons to allow the tribes build the casino. YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes (but not on ballot) Greens strongly supported Prop 49, before it was pulled from the ballot by a judge. Prop 49 would have been a non-binding vote asking Congress to approve an amendment to the US Constitution to overturn "Citizens United," a Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections. We think that money is not speech, and corporations are not people, and therefore Congress (and local jurisdictions such as San Francisco) should be able to limit corporate campaign contributions. Although this vote would have been basically just a straw poll, it's important to keep this issue in the minds of voters, before our political system becomes even more corrupt than it currently is. SF Green Party Statement on Bond Funding The SF Green Party has often been hesitant to embrace bond financing. In addition to being environmentally and socially responsible, we are also fiscally responsible. Bond funding requires payments totaling about twice the actual cost of whatever improvements are made, and passes costs on to future generations. Because people who buy bonds are almost exclusively the wealthy, as investors are paid back over the 20-30 year life of the bond, wealth is transferred from middle and low income taxpayers to rich bondholders. Bond funding also helps rich people avoid paying their fair share of taxes, since interest on municipal bonds is exempt from both state and federal tax. As noted in the California Voter Guide in 1992, over 35,000 U.S. millionaires supplemented their income with tax exempt state and local bond checks averaging over $2,500 per week (that's over $130,000 per year tax free). They avoided paying federal and state taxes on over $5 billion, which must be made up by the rest of us. The SF Green Party calls on the public to join us in working to phase out this regressive and unfair subsidy of the rich and their investment bankers (who take millions of dollars off the top when the bonds are issued). There are a few cases in which Greens have supported bond measures. In general, we are willing to support bonds that are issued to in order to build urgently needed, publicly-owned infrastructure, such as a public hospital or high speed rail. We generally oppose bonds that fund ongoing maintenance projects; these should be paid for using City revenues (which should be increased by raising taxes on the wealthy). Bond funding became an even worse option for cities and states as of September 2014, when regulators from the Obama administration changed rules regarding bank purchases of municipal bonds. Under the new rules, private banks have regulatory incentives to buy corporate bonds (and even stocks) rather than municipal bonds. This means that local governments must pay even more interest on these bonds, which the Green Party's Ellen Brown called "asset-stripping local government." (http://ellenbrown.com/2014/09/08/preparing-to-asset-strip-local-government-…) *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: campaign events this week, Save City College rally
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 25 Oct '14

25 Oct '14

October 25 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, If you're registered Green in SF, you should have received our postcard in the mail by now. Our complete Voter Guide (with long explanations for all our endorsements) is posted online: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements Please share with others, especially our arguments regarding NO on Prop A, and YES on H / NO on I. *===========================* Voter outreach at Fiesta on the Hill Where: Cortland and Bocana Ave (Bernal Heights), SF When: Sunday, 10/26, 10 am - 5 pm We will be talking with voters and handing out voter guides at the Fiesta on the Hill. Email cc(a)sfgreens.org or call Barry Hermanson at 255-9494 if you can help. *===========================* Save City College! Where: California State Superior Court, 400 McAllister St at Polk When: Monday, 10/27, 7:30 am - 9 am DEMONSTRATE ON MORNING OF TRIAL THE STAKES: OPEN ACCESS FOR ALL vs SUCCESS FOR A FEW! Join us at the long awaited trial in the lawsuit of SF vs the ACCJC. Join us on the street to demonstrate against the ACCJC and its corporate allies who are trying to downsize and change the mission of California Community Colleges. Join us in the courtroom to let Judge Curtis Karnow know that San Francisco supports CCSF! Please sign up for shifts at AFT 2121 website: www.aft2121.org/justice *===========================* Precinct Walking Where: Throughout the City When: Saturday and Sunday, 11/1 and 11/2 We will be precinct walking for our endorsed candidates, and giving out all remaining printed copies of our Voter Guide. Email cc(a)sfgreens.org or call Barry Hermanson at 255-9494 if you can help. *===========================* Campaign events with our endorsed D2 Supervisorial Candidate Juan-Antonio Carballo: Candidate "meet and greet" events at parks (with snacks/drinks): * ALLYNE PARK - Lawns - Sat Oct 25, 10 AM * MOSCONE RECREATION CENTER - Picnic Area at Diamond 1 - Sat Nov 1 10 AM. Bike with the Candidate Events (with coffee): * CORNER OF FILBERT AND FILLMORE (potential change) - Sun Oct 26, 9AM * CORNER OF FILBERT AND FILLMORE (potential change) - Sun Nov 2, 9AM Look for updates on his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CarballoForD2Supervisor *===========================* The Yes on H / No on I campaign stilll needs volunteers for events between now and the election! Look for updates on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SF-Ocean-Edge/111836095502755 or website: http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoceanedge/ *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: Green Voter Guide posted, upcoming talks and events
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 16 Oct '14

16 Oct '14

October 16 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We're mailing out our slate card today, so look for it in the mail early next week. Our complete Voter Guide (with long explanations for all our endorsements) is now posted online: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements Please share with others, especially our arguments regarding NO on Prop A, and YES on H / NO on I. With the Bay Guardian being shut down, spreading the word about our Voter Guide is more important than ever! We have a meeting next Wednesday night from 7-9 (see below) at the Redstone Building. We have 5,000 more copies of our slate card to hand out, and we'll be planning events for the last weeks of the campaigns, as well as having a presentation and discussion about the Natural Areas Program and eucalyptus trees with Dee Seligman. *===========================* Town Hall Meeting with Senator Bernie Sanders Where: Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin St, SF When: Friday, 10/17, 7-9 pm Join U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders & local community leaders for a Town Hall meeting to discuss how we can: * Overturn Citizens United * Deal with obscene wealth & income inequality * Combat Climate Change * Win Medicare for All Single Payer Healthcare * Create Democracy, not Oligarchy Greens will be handing out our slate cards prior to the meeting. *===========================* Voter outreach at Potrero Hill Festival Where: 20th St between Wisconsin and Missouri, SF When: Saturday, 10/18, 11 am-4 pm We will be talking with voters and handing out voter guides at the Potrero Hill Festival. Email cc(a)sfgreens.org or call Barry Hermanson at 255-9494 if you can help. *===========================* Voter outreach at Sunday Streets Where: Valencia St between 16th and 17th, SF When: Sunday, 10/19, 11 am-4 pm We will be handing out slate cards and talking with voters at Sunday Streets. We will have a table set up on Valencia St between 16th and 17th St. If you can help out, email cc(a)sfgreens.org, or call Barry at 255-9494. *===========================* Dennis Kucinich talk Where: The Women's Building Auditorium, 3543 18th St, SF When: Sunday, 10/19, 3-5 pm Bay Area Coalition against Unconstitutional and Unlawful Wars presents... An Urgent meeting of peace-makers Featuring the former 8-term Congressman Dennis Kucinich speaking on * Challenging lawless new wars in Iraq and Syria and the scourge of endless presidential war-making. * Remembering 1914 and "War to end War." * Weighing what we the people can do for peace. *===========================* Single Payer Now! protest at Clinton/Pelosi fundraiser Where: Outside the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason St, SF When: Monday, 10/20, 10 am-noon Hillary Clinton and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will headline "the ultimate women's power lunch" Oct 20 to raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Poor people are not welcome, as tickets are $500+ Single Payer Now! will protest outside the Fairmont Hotel. *===========================* Monthly Green Party Meeting Where: Redstone Building Rm 302, 2940 16th Street, SF When: Wednesday, 10/22, 7-9 pm This month, our agenda is: 1) A presentation from Dee Seligman on the City's Natural Areas Program, particularly on the subject of eucalyptus trees (20-30 min, starting at 7:30) 2) Planning for the last two weeks of campaigning. Come with a list of events you know about, want to plan, or know days you can volunteer. We still have thousands of our slate cards to walk and hand out. 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. To make a presentation or gain the SFGP endorsement of events and issues, please contact our SFGP County Council at: cc(a)sfgreens.org *===========================* Campaign events with our endorsed D2 Supervisorial Candidate Juan-Antonio Carballo: Candidate "meet and greet" events at parks (with snacks/drinks): * MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK - Picnic Area @Play Area @12th Ave:1 table - Sun Oct 19 11AM. * ALLYNE PARK - Lawns - Sat Oct 25, 10 AM * MOSCONE RECREATION CENTER - Picnic Area at Diamond 1 - Sat Nov 1 10AM. Bike with the Candidate Events (with coffee): * CORNER OF FILBERT AND FILLMORE (potential change) - Sun Oct 19, 9AM * CORNER OF FILBERT AND FILLMORE (potential change) - Sun Oct 26, 9AM * CORNER OF FILBERT AND FILLMORE (potential change) - Sun Nov 2, 9AM Look for updates on his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CarballoForD2Supervisor *===========================* The Yes on H / No on I campaign stilll needs volunteers for events between now and the election! Look for updates on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SF-Ocean-Edge/111836095502755 or website: http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoceanedge/ *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: campaign kick-offs, Occupy convergence
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 19 Sep '14

19 Sep '14

September 19 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We'll be finalizing our slate card over the next few weeks. If you can donate to help us mail it out, please donate online here: http://sfgreenparty.org/donate or mail us a check: San Francisco Green Party c/o David Fairley 25 Fair Oaks St San Francisco, CA 94110 Come to our meeting next Wednesday night from 7-9, where we'll be considering an additional endorsement in District 6, planning for November campaign events. Also, learn how you can participate in Green Party of California decision-making: http://sfgreenparty.org/events2/event/YW8zZGhodWoxa2xxN2RoNnAwdHNlOTFwaWNfM… *===========================* Prop F Kick-Off this Saturday, 9/20, starting at 11:30 am Old Fashioned BBQ Bouncy House & Bean Bag Toss for the kids Join Dogpatch & Potrero neighbors, Sierra Club, Mayor Ed Lee, former Mayor Art Agnos and many others! Where Pier 70 - 420 22nd Street (Entrance at 22nd & Illinois) RSVP contact information: pier70sf(a)gmail.com or 415-658-5051 *===========================* Saturday, 9/20: Occupy SF 3rd Anniversary Convergence Chelsey Manning Plaza Market & Embarcadero (in front of the fountain) 4 - 8 pm Hear Laura Wells speak on a California Public Bank and then join her and Hali hammer in singing "If I Only Had a Bank"; Green Phoebe Sorgan speaks on ending corporate personhood, and Barry Hermanson on the Nov. election. Save Golden Gate Park, postal banks, and much more. Many many groups will join Occupy SF on this day to celebrate the struggle and to focus on what is being done right now. Hear great speakers and watch/participate in street theater from each group as well information tables. Music, Singing! Food! Mingle and build relationships and coalitions. Barry Hermanson will have a Green Party table. Call 255-9494 to help out. *===========================* Wednesday, 9/24: Rally to Save the Post Office Where: Staples ~ 1700 Van Ness Ave, SF Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Description: Join the protest against privatization of the Post Office and in support of APWU members! *===========================* Saturday, 9/27: Yes on H / No on I outreach at the 20th Annual Sunset Community Festival 11:00 am to 3:00 pm West Sunset Playground next to Ortega Library, Ortega & 39th Avenue Free, Family fun, live entertainment, booths, food Contact Barry Hermanson, at 255-9494. *===========================* Sunday, 9/28: Yes on H / No on I outreach at Sunday Streets, Excelsior 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Contact Barry Hermanson for exact location of our table, 255-9494. *===========================* Our endorsements for November: Local Props: * NO on A - transit bond with very little oversight * YES on B - set aside money from the General Fund to fund the MTA, increasing with population growth * YES on C - property tax to pay for more public pre-K education and other programs to benefit kids * YES on D - allow former Redevelopment Agency employees into the Retiree Health Care system * no consensus on E - Soda tax; we were split on this, so we'll present the arguments made by Greens on both sides of the debate * YES on F - raise height limits for development on Pier 70 * YES on G - anti-speculation real estate transfer tax * YES on H - keep Golden Gate Park natural grass, no stadium lighting by the beach * NO on I - stop nighttime lighting and fake turf on our parks; let voters decide * YES on J - minimum wage increase * NO on K - nonbinding statement that supports building less affordable housing than current policy * NO on L - "transportation balance" proposal Local Candidates: * SF Board of Supervisors, D2 - Juan-Antonio Carballo (sole endorsement) * SF Board of Supervisors, D4 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D6 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D8 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D10 - Tony Kelly (sole endorsement) * SF Community College Board, 2-year seat - William Walker * SF Community College Board, 4-year seats - Wendy Aragon and Brigitte Davila * State Assembly, AD 17 - David Campos * Superior Court Judge, Seat 20 - Daniel Flores * Public Defender - Jeff Adachi * SF Board of Education - no endorsement * BART Board, D8 - no endorsement State Props: * NO on 43 - anti-environmental water bond * NO on 44 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy * YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases * NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing * YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors * no consensus on 48 - casino referendum; we were split on this, so we'll present the arguments made by Greens on both sides of the debate * YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes (taken off the ballot) weeks, we'll be writing up statements explaining the reasons behind our decisions. They will be posted on our website, here: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: endorsements and upcoming campaign events
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 06 Sep '14

06 Sep '14

September 5 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We finished making our endorsements this week! Over the next few weeks, we'll be writing up statements explaining the reasons behind our decisions. They will be posted on our website, here: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements An invitation to Greens from the Campos Campaign: The Campos for Assembly campaign is having a big kick-off this Saturday at 10am at the 24th Street Mission Bart Plaza. We will be doing a huge precinct walk right after the rally at around 10:30am. In addition, we have our phonebanks starting next week Monday through Thursday from 5-8pm. I would love to be able to have Green Party activists call fellow San Franciscans that are registered as members of the Green Party. Please let me know if you can help us. We are open to having you come into the office or we would be happy to give you list to call from a location of your choice. Really hope you can send some members on Saturday! If you can help precinct walk or phone bank, go the kickoff, or email cc(a)sfgreens.org, and we'll put you in touch with organizers from the Campos campaign. *===========================* Our endorsements for November: Local Props: * NO on A - transit bond with very little oversight * YES on B - set aside money from the General Fund to fund the MTA, increasing with population growth * YES on C - property tax to pay for more public pre-K education and other programs to benefit kids * YES on D - allow former Redevelopment Agency employees into the Retiree Health Care system * no consensus on E - Soda tax; we were split on this, so we'll present the arguments made by Greens on both sides of the debate * YES on F - raise height limits for development on Pier 70 * YES on G - anti-speculation real estate transfer tax * YES on H - keep Golden Gate Park natural grass, no stadium lighting by the beach * NO on I - stop nighttime lighting and fake turf on our parks; let voters decide * YES on J - minimum wage increase * NO on K - nonbinding statement that supports building less affordable housing than current policy * NO on L - "transportation balance" proposal Local Candidates: * SF Board of Supervisors, D2 - Juan-Antonio Carballo (sole endorsement) * SF Board of Supervisors, D4 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D6 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D8 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D10 - Tony Kelly (sole endorsement) * SF Community College Board, 2-year seat - William Walker * SF Community College Board, 4-year seats - Wendy Aragon and Brigitte Davila * State Assembly, AD 17 - David Campos * Superior Court Judge, Seat 20 - Daniel Flores * Public Defender - Jeff Adachi * SF Board of Education - no endorsement * BART Board, D8 - no endorsement State Props: * NO on 43 - anti-environmental water bond * NO on 44 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy * YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases * NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing * YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors * no consensus on 48 - casino referendum; we were split on this, so we'll present the arguments made by Greens on both sides of the debate * YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: special endorsement meeting this Wednesday
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 02 Sep '14

02 Sep '14

September 2 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We endorsed some candidates for local office last Wednesday after our candidate forum, and will finish making endorsements tomorrow evening at a special endorsement meeting (see below). Our complete endorsements to date are listed at the end of this newsletter and also posted on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements If you have a question about any of the propositions, come to our meeting tomorrow to ask! We've invited proponents and opponents of several of the propositions to make presentations and answer questions. *===========================* SF Green Party Special Endorsement Meeting Wed, September 3 - 7-9 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) Although we have started making endorsements on propositions, there are still many more to consider, and we'll finish looking at these at a special endorsement meeting on 9/3. We'll consider the following propositions: Prop A - transportation bond Prop B - Muni funding tied to population growth Prop C - Children's fund Prop D - Retiree Health Care Prop E - Soda Tax Prop F - Pier 70 Prop J - Minimum Wage Increase Prop K - Affordable Housing Policy Prop 48 - Casino Referendum Full text for all local props is posted here: http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2969 State props are here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.h… If you want to find out more about any of these, come ask a question! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. *===========================* Our endorsements so far: Local Props: * YES on G - anti-speculation real estate transfer tax * YES on H - keeping Golden Gate Park natural grass * NO on I - would allow nighttime lighting and fake turf on all parks * NO on L - the "transportation balance" proposal Local Candidates: * SF Board of Supervisors, D2 - Juan-Antonio Carballo (sole endorsement) * SF Board of Supervisors, D4 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D6 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D8 - no endorsement * SF Board of Supervisors, D10 - Tony Kelly (sole endorsement) * SF Community College Board, 2-year seat - William Walker * SF Community College Board, 4-year seats - Wendy Aragon and Brigitte Davila * State Assembly, AD 17 - David Campos * Superior Court Judge, Seat 20 - Daniel Flores * SF Board of Education - no endorsement * BART Board, D8 - no endorsement State Props: * NO on 43 - anti-environmental water bond * NO on 44 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy * YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases * NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing * YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors * YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Green Party candidate forum tomorrow, more endorsements next Wednesday
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 26 Aug '14

26 Aug '14

August 26 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, This is a reminder about our candidate forum this Wednesday night (details below). We've invited the following candidates who returned our candidate questionnaires and our seeking our endorsement: Supervisorial Candidates: Juan-Antonio Carballo (D2), Jane Kim (D6), Michael Nulty (D6), John Nulty (D8), Michael Petrelis (D8), Tony Kelly (D10). BART candidate: Nick Josefowitz Board of Education candidates: Trevor McNeil, Emily Murase, Mark Murphy, Shamann Walton College Board candidates: Wendy Aragon, Amy Bacharach, Brigitte Davila, Anita Grier, John Rizzo, Thea Selby All members of the public are welcome to attend and ask questions of the candidates. We'll have about 10 minutes for each candidate, and will start promptly at 6 pm since several candidates have tight schedules. Please read the questionnaires posted on our website so we don't ask questions they've already answered: http://sfgreenparty.org/11-news/65-questionnaires-posted-for-827-candidate-… Although we don't have a questionnaire for the office of Public Defender, we've also invited Jeff Adachi for an interview. *===========================* SF Green Party Monthly Members Meeting and Candidate Forum Wed, August 27 - 6-10 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) We hold monthly meetings on the 4th Wednesday of every month. We will interview candidates who return our candidate questionnaires at our August meeting from 6-9 pm, and make endorsements from 9-10 pm afterwards. Returned candidate questionnaires are posted here: http://sfgreenparty.org/11-news/65-questionnaires-posted-for-827-candidate-… If you're a candidate, and we missed your questionnaire, please re-send it to us ASAP or call 337-1499. If anybody thinks we should endorse candidates for Supervisor, BART, School Board or College Board who have NOT returned questionnaires, please encourage them to send theirs in. All candidates received questionnaires over two weeks ago. If you want to ask questions of the candidates or find out more about ballot initiatives and the Green arguments in favor or against, come to our meeting this month! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. Please read the candidates' answers to our questionnaires in advance, because we'll only have about 10 minutes per candidate and we don't want to ask them the same thing twice. *===========================* SF Green Party Special Endorsement Meeting Wed, September 3 - 7-9 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) Although we have started making endorsements on propositions, there are still many more to consider, and we finish looking at these on a special endorsement meeting on 9/3. We'll consider the following propositions: Prop A - transportation bond Prop B - Muni funding tied to population growth Prop C - Children's fund Prop D - Retiree Health Care Prop E - Soda Tax Prop F - Pier 70 Prop J - Minimum Wage Increase Prop K - Affordable Housing Policy Prop 48 - Casino Referendum Full text for all local props is posted here: http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2969 State props are here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.h… If you want to find out more about any of these, come ask a question! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. *===========================* Our endorsements so far: Local Props: * YES on G - anti-speculation real estate transfer tax * YES on H - keeping Golden Gate Park natural grass * NO on I - would allow nighttime lighting and fake turf on all parks * NO on L - the "transportation balance" proposal Local Candidates: * David Campos for Assembly * Daniel Flores for Judge State Props: * NO on 43 - anti-environmental water bond * NO on 44 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy * YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases * NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing * YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors * YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Candidate forum and special endorsement meeting next 2 Wednesdays
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 22 Aug '14

22 Aug '14

August 22 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We've made our first endorsements for this November's election, These are listed below, and on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements Over the next two Wednesday nights, we'll finish our endorsements at two meetings: a candidate forum on August 27 and a special meeting to finish the propositions on September 3. Details are below. Any member who has volunteered with the Green Party this year is fully eligible to participate in our decision-making process! If you want to volunteer, there's still one opportunity this Sunday to help us do voter outreach at Sunday Streets. Even if you're not active in the Green Party, but want to ask a question of the candidates or learn more about the propositions, you're welcome to join us at any of the upcoming meetings! All our meetings are open to the public. *===========================* Voter outreach at Sunday Streets: Sunday, Aug 24, 11 am-4 pm Near Valencia St and 22nd St, San Francisco Sunday Streets in the Mission is coming up this Sunday. Barry Hermanson plans to set up a table for the Green Party and the Yes on H/No on I campaign. If you can help, and want to know exactly where we'll be along the route, call him 255-9494. Or email us in advance at cc(a)sfgreens.org. *===========================* SF Green Party Monthly Members Meeting and Candidate Forum Wed, August 27 - 6-10 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) We hold monthly meetings on the 4th Wednesday of every month. We will interview candidates who return our candidate questionnaires at our August meeting from 6-9 pm, and make endorsements from 9-10 pm afterwards. Returned candidate questionnaires are posted here: http://sfgreenparty.org/11-news/65-questionnaires-posted-for-827-candidate-… If you're a candidate, and we missed your questionnaire, please re-send it to us ASAP or call 337-1499. If anybody thinks we should endorse candidates for Supervisor, BART, School Board or College Board who have NOT returned questionnaires, please encourage them to send theirs in. All candidates received questionnaires over two weeks ago. If you want to ask questions of the candidates or find out more about ballot initiatives and the Green arguments in favor or against, come to our meeting this month! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. Please read the candidates' answers to our questionnaires in advance, because we'll only have about 10 minutes per candidate and we don't want to ask them the same thing twice. *===========================* SF Green Party Special Endorsement Meeting Wed, September 3 - 7-9 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) Although we have started making endorsements on propositions, there are still many more to consider, and we finish looking at these on a special endorsement meeting on 9/3. We'll consider the following propositions: Prop A - transportation bond Prop B - Muni funding tied to population growth Prop C - Children's fund Prop D - Retiree Health Care Prop E - Soda Tax Prop F - Pier 70 Prop J - Minimum Wage Increase Prop K - Affordable Housing Policy Prop 48 - Casino Referendum Full text for all local props is posted here: http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2969 State props are here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.h… If you want to find out more about any of these, come ask a question! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. *===========================* Our endorsements so far: Local Props: * YES on G - anti-speculation real estate transfer tax * YES on H - keeping Golden Gate Park natural grass * NO on I - would allow nighttime lighting and fake turf on all parks * NO on L - the "transportation balance" proposal Local Candidates: * David Campos for Assembly * Daniel Flores for Judge State Props: * NO on 43 - anti-environmental water bond * NO on 44 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy * YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases * NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing * YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors * YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: first endorsements for November, Nader speaking this week
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 26 Jul '14

26 Jul '14

July 26 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We've made our first endorsements for this November's election, with more to come after our candidate forum on August 27. These are listed below, and on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/64-november-2014-endorsements We are especially pleased to endorse the initiative to keep Golden Gate natural grass, which officially made the ballot this week! Thanks to all the hard-working volunteers who made it happen. Here's more coverage of our fight against the toxic artificial turf: http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/63-fake-turf-wars-by-mike-murphy Greens continue to protest the Israeli killing of Palestinians in Gaza, and we post announcements of local demonstrations on our website as we hear about them. In contrast to last week's unanimous bipartisan Senate vote in support of more killing, we have long supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement: http://www.sfgreenparty.org/issues/13-israel-bds (Since we issued the above statement several years ago, it is no longer on our front page--however, it is easy to find if you search for "SF Green Party Israel" in any search engine.) *===========================* Ralph Nader is in the Bay Area for several events this week. Because SF Greens have been outspoken in support of saving the US Post Office from privatization, we are glad to see Nader discussing the same issue at a public (and free) talk: Tuesday, July 29 2 pm - music 2:30 pm - talk Ralph Nader will speak on the steps of the Berkeley Post Office (2000 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA) about the Post Office, privatization of our public goods and services, & the fight to dismantle the corporate state. http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/ Nader will also speak at two other events this week; he'll be in Berkeley this Wednesday night and in SF on Thursday: http://www.mercurynews.com/books/ci_26174405/author-alert-ralph-nader-talks… *===========================* SF Green Party Monthly Members Meeting and Candidate Forum Wed, August 27 - 6-10 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) We hold monthly meetings on the 4th Wednesday of every month. We will interview candidates who return our candidate questionnaires at our August meeting. Candidates should expect to receive questionnaires by email in the next two weeks. Although we have started making endorsements on propositions, there are still many more to consider, and we will work on those at our August meeting as well. Local props are here: http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2969 State props are here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.h… If you want to ask questions of the candidates or find out more about ballot initiatives and the Green arguments in favor or against, come to our meeting this month! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. *===========================* Our endorsements so far: Local Props (these don't have ballot letters yet): * YES on keeping Golden Gate Park natural grass, and * NO on the proposal to allow nighttime lighting and fake turf on all parks * NO on the "transportation balance" proposal * YES on the anti-speculation real estate transfer tax Local Candidates: * David Campos for Assembly * Daniel Flores for Judge State Props: * NO on 43 - anti-environmental water bond * NO on 44 - rainy day fund, when we should be stimulating the local economy * YES on 45 - limits on health insurance rate increases * NO on 46 - we support raising the malpractice award cap, but strongly oppose random drug testing * YES on 47 - changing some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors * YES on 49 - statement opposing unlimited corporate bribes *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: ballot initiative endorsement meeting, BDS reminder
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 22 Jul '14

22 Jul '14

July 21 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, We're meeting this Wednesday evening to try to make sense of a crowded November ballot, and to consider endorsements on at least 15 propositions that are currently pending. See below for logistics and links to the text of all the ballot initiatives. Candidate endorsements will take place in August, after we send our questionnaires to all candidates for local office. http://www.sfgreenparty.org/events2/event/YW8zZGhodWoxa2xxN2RoNnAwdHNlOTFwa… And with the recent Israeli attacks on the people of Gaza, we want to ask people to join us in supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which we think will be the only effective means to convince Israel to end its occupation of Palestine. There are numerous protests happening around the Bay Area, which we post in the Events section of our website as we find out about them. Here is a statement we released four years ago explaining our position, and the recent attacks have unfortunately proven our point: http://www.sfgreenparty.org/issues/13-israel-bds *===========================* SF Green Party Monthly Members Meeting Wed, July 23 - 7-9 pm Redstone Building, Room 302 2940 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness) We hold monthly meetings on the 4th Wednesday of every month. This month marks the start of our November endorsement season--we'll make our endorsements on ballot initiatives in July, and on candidates in August. There are at least 15 propositions currently scheduled for this November's ballot, which we'll try to get through this Wednesday: Local props are here: http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=2969 State props are here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.h… If you want to ask questions or find out more about ballot initiatives and the Green arguments in favor or against, come to our meeting this month! All our meetings are open to the public, so come if you're a new member or thinking of joining us. *===========================* Paid contractor wanted: SF Green Party Fundraiser/Volunteer Coordinator (a part time independent contractor (1099) position): http://sfgreenparty.org/help-wanted *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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