SF GREEN PARTY WEEKLY 3/16/06-3/23/06 NEWS: - 3/1: Enough of the D.C. Dems, By Molly Ivins (http://progressive.org/mag_ivins0306) - 3/2: Katrina Survivors Have a Right to Return Home (http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=1459) - 3/9: Green Party says it will stand in solidarity with South Central community farmers (http://www.cagreens.org/press/pr060309.htm) - 3/6: VIDEO: Cindy Sheehan and Medea Benjamin Arrested in Front of the UN (http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm) - 3/10: Green Party of California backs measure to reform ‘3 Strikes' law (http://www.cagreens.org/press/pr060310.htm) - 3/13: Green senate candidate shuts down Democratic gubenatorial fundraiser (http://www.nysun.com/article/29002) - 3/13: George Clooney Faults Democrats on Iraq War (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/13/ entertainment/e094757S51.DTL&hw=George+Clooney&sn=001&sc=1000) EVENTS: - 3/17: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Hosts Art Opening of Shiva Pakdel’s Work - 3/17: Episode Two of Car-Free Talk, on Channel 29 - 3/17: Party for Aimee Allison’s Campaign Oakland City Council District 2 - 3/18: Rally Against War in Iraq: Join the Million Votes for Peace Contingent! - 3/19: Green Party Candidate Training - 3/21: Platform Discussion of Housing and Land Use Policies - 3/22: Special General Meeting - Endorsements - 3/26: Matt Gonzalez Hosts Green Party US Senate Candidate Todd Chretien Fundraiser - 3/29: SAVE THE DATE: Green Party Bash at Studio Z. No details yet, but stay tuned for them! - 3/30: SAVE THE DATE: San Francisco's Annual Political Trivia Contest - 4/1: Stand Up! Stand Out! Free Leadership Training Session for Women - 4/8: Auctioning Off Downtown! San Francisco People's Organization Art Auction & Party ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACTION ALERTS: - Co-Chair Needed for GROW Working Group - Earn A Living Making San Francisco A More Green and Progressive City! - 2006 General Membership Survey IN EVERY ISSUE: - Discuss Instant Runoff Voting in Green Party Activist Jim Dorenkott's Blog (http://www.dailykos.com/user/jim%20d) - Become a Green Party Sustainer! JOKE OF THE WEEK: - Dick Cheney School of Quailhunting (http://www.quailhuntingschool.com/flash.php) ************************************************************ EVENTS: 3/17: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Hosts Art Opening of Shiva Pakdel’s Work WHEN: Friday, March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) 5:00PM-8:00PM WHERE: San Francisco City Hall, 1 Carlton B Goodlett Place, Room 282 DETAILS: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi hosts the monthly Third Friday’s Art Reception in his City Hall office, Room 282. In honor of International Women’s Day and the Norouz (Persian New Year) celebration taking place on March 20, this month’s featured artist is Shiva Pakdel. For Shiva Pakdel, her upbringing in Abadan Iran combined the modern, Western lifestyle of one of Iran’s most liberal cities along with the rich history and traditions of her land. Her continued enthusiasm and interest in art over the past 25 years has combined her love of art, culture, and history from both the East and West. Shiva Pakdel combines a broad range of mediums including oils, acrylics, paper, beads, collage, and prints. Some of her works include collages of mid 19th and 20th century antique stamps from Iran, a personal series of images, poetry, photographs and portraits entitled “Iran On My Mind”, and a series of oil and acrylic faces painted on wood. By combining historical elements and placing them in a contemporary format, her work is a beautiful blend of modern pieces with traditional influences. Her works can be viewed online at www.shivapakdel.com --------- 3/17: Episode Two of Car-Free Talk, on Channel 29 WHEN: Friday, March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) Wear your Green! Starts 7:30PM WHERE: In front of your TV Channel 29, San Francisco's public access station DETAILS: The second episode of Car-Free Talk with host Sue Vaughan and guest Tom Radulovich, will air on Friday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. Radulovich, executive director of Transportation for a Livable City and BART director, discusses parking reform legislation for downtown San Francisco. --------- 3/17: Party for Aimee Allison’s Campaign Oakland City Council District 2 WHEN: Friday, March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) Wear your Green! 7:00PM-9:00PM WHERE: The home of Vicki Leidner and John Radogno 770 Shotwell St/22nd St San Francisco, CA 94110 CONTRIBUTIONS: Minimum gift of $25 per person requested Maximum gift: $600 per person (Personal checks only, no corporate contributions accepted) Please make checks payable to: Neighbors for Aimee Allison DETAILS: We hope you will bring your friends and family to join us! Hosted by: - Mark Sanchez, San Francisco School Board Commissioner* - Nancy Mancias, CODEPINK San Francisco Coordinator* - Vicki Leidner, counter-recruitment activist with CODEPINK*, committee for College Not Combat*, FIG Co-hosts include: - Tom Ammiano, San Francisco Supervisor* - Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder CODEPINK* - June Brashares, Global Exchange* - Carol Brouillet, Deception Dollars, 9-11 Truth activist* - David Campos, San Francisco Police Commissioner* - Elizabeth Creely, BACORR* - Chris Daly, San Francisco Supervisor* - Michael Goldstein, SFPO Board*, former president Milk Club* - Marie Harrison, Greenaction* - Krissy Keefer, Mission Dance - Jane Kim, CCDC* - Whitney Leigh, Gonzalez and Leigh LLP - Sarah Lipson, San Francisco School Board Commissioner* - Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco Supervisor* - Christina Olague, San Francisco Planning Commission* Photography Exhibit Courtesy Happy/L.A. Hyder evite and more details to follow very soon *for identification purposes only --------- 3/18: Rally Against War in Iraq: Join the Million Votes for Peace Contingent! WHEN: Saturday, March 18th 11:00AM WHERE: Civic Center, corner of Polk and Grove, near City Hall CONTACT: 415-412-4540 for more info or go to www.Todd4Senate.org DETAILS: March with Peter Camejo, Aimee Allison, Todd Chretien, Forrest Hill, Mike Wyman, Mehul Thakker, and more! Let San Francisco see that the Green Party is a force in the anti-war movement and we want all the US troops home now! The march is sponsored by the Million Votes for Peace slate (which does not include all Green candidates), but we are encouraging folks to join the march as Greens, regardless of endorsement. You could put this disclaimer on the bottom of the notice. --------- 3/19: Green Party Candidate Training WHEN: Sunday, March 19th Starts 11:00AM WHERE: 215 Water Street, Petaluma, California RSVP: Advance RSVP is strongly encouraged as space is limited. For more information about the program, contact Warner Bloomberg (408) 295-9353 wsb3attyca@aol.com or Bill Patterson (707) 838-3079 billpatterson@earthlink.net. For information about the news conference, contact Cres Velluci (916) 996-9170 civillib@cwnet.com. DETAILS: The Green Party of California Campaigns and Candidates Working Group, Media Committee and Sonoma County Greens present a series of discussions about being a candidate for elected office. This program is intended to benefit persons who are thinking about being a candidate for local office or helping in an election campaign but who have not had previous experience. The focus will be “campaign basics”. Presentations will be led by Green Party activists, including present or former elected officials. A noontime news conference for current Green Party candidates also is planned. --------- 3/21: Platform Discussion of Housing and Land Use Policies WHEN: Tuesday, March 21 7:30PM-12:00AM WHERE: Muddy Waters Cafe, Valencia St snd 16th St, San Francisco DETAILS: Join an informal meeting at Muddy Waters cafe (Valencia St snd 16th St) to discuss topics to include in the SF Green Party housing and land use platform, propose draft submisisons, and debate the relative merits of SFGP Housing and Land Use policy positions. Proposed topics for tonight's discussion groups include: - Increasing public resources for construction and financing of new housing development; and - Designing housing developments that meet the needs of entire range of household types and income levels. - Show up and get your ideas into the Green Party's housing and land use platfrom, and help start a dialogue with others intersted in these issues. --------- 3/22: Special General Meeting - Endorsements WHEN: Wednesday, March 22 7:30 - 7:45: Check in, introductions, explanation of consensus process. 7:45PM-9:20PM WHERE: San Francisco Green Party office, 1028 A Howard St (between 6th St. and 7th St.), San Francisco DETAILS: This is the second meeting we will hold to consider candidate endorsements for the June 6 primary election (ballot initiatives will be endorsed at our April General Meeting). Some endorsement decisions may have been made at the forum on the previous week, March 15, but any decision we did not have time to consider at that meeting will be made this week. Agenda: Emmie and Sue Vaughan (?) facilitating Announcements will be written on the board if time is short. --------- 3/26: Matt Gonzalez Hosts Green Party US Senate Candidate Todd Chretien Fundraiser WHEN: Sunday, March 26 6:00PM-8:00PM WHERE: The office of Gonzalez & Leigh LLP, 2 Shaw Alley, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 PHONE: 415.512.2000 DETAILS: Matt Gonzalez cordially invites you to attend a fundraiser for Todd Chretien, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, who is challenging pro-war democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein. "Feinstein is not part of the movement against the war, she makes President Bush’s war possible. The Republican Party is so happy with Sen. Feinstein’s support of President Bush that they do not intend to run a serious candidate against her in November 2006. But if the pro-war Republican Party will not challenge Sen. Feinstein, then the anti-war Green Party will, and I will appeal to all people to turn this Senate election into a referendum on the war. If you want to stop the deaths of more young American soldiers, stop the killing of tens of thousands of Iraqis and transfer the $250 billion a year we are spending to occupy Iraq into a fund to rebuild New Orleans, refurbish our school system, and provide health insurance for every American, then you have no reason to vote for Sen. Feinstein and every reason to vote for me." - 15 December 2005, Campaign launch statement by Todd Chretien For more information about Tood Chretien, see http://www.todd4senate.org/ --------- 3/30: SAVE THE DATE: San Francisco's Annual Political Trivia Contest WHEN: Thursday, March 30th 7:00PM-9:00PM WHERE: Cafe Royale, 800 Post Street, San Francisco DETAILS: With invited guests Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi Jake McGoldrick, Tom Ammiano and Chris Daly as well as School Board Commissioners Mark Sanchez and Eric Mar. This is a fundraiser for the Harvey Milk LBGT Democratic Club, one of only two Democratic clubs who will endorse Greens in nonpartisan races and who recently had its charter threatened for endorsing Matt Gonzalez for Mayor and other elected Greens. $5 per person or $20 for a team of four or more. --------- 4/1: Stand Up! Stand Out! Free Leadership Training Session for Women WHEN: Saturday, April 1st 10:00AM-2:00PM WHERE: Bayview Hunters Point YMCA, 1601 Lane Street, San Francisco, CA 94124 Bayview Hunters Point YMCA is wheelchair accessible COST: Free of charge, lunch & childcare provided LUNCH AND CHILDCARE: Will be provided to registered participants. RSVP: Open to Public via RSVP to nwpcsf@yahoo.com or 415-931-4364 CONTACT: Alix Rosenthal, President National Women’s Political Caucus - San Francisco Tel: 415-377-6722 nwpcsf@yahoo.com DETAILS: “Stand Up! Stand Out!” is a free leadership training program aimed at empowering women from Bayview Hunters Point by helping them effect change in their neighborhood and in their city. This one-day skill-building workshop is intended to begin teaching women how to organize around community issues and best approach local officials. As NWPC-SF President Alix Rosenthal said: “Our core mission is to get more women involved in politics. We can work towards this goal by helping to demystify the processes by which local governments make the decisions that most directly affect women and their communities.” The program will kick off with an introductory greeting from S.F. Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, followed by a panel of guest speakers including local commissioners Angelo King (Bayview Hunters Point Project Area Committee, Environmental Commission), and Willie Kennedy (Southeast Community Facilities Commission). The session will finish with smaller, interactive group discussions facilitated by grass roots organizers, which will focus on strategies and skill building. The National Women's Political Caucus is a multicultural, intergenerational, and multi-issue grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process. The San Francisco NWPC caucus has been in existence since 1973, working hard locally in support of the NWPC mission: to recruit, train and support pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all levels of government. For more information about the San Francisco NWPC caucus, see http://www.nwpc-sf.org/ --------- 4/8: Auctioning Off Downtown! San Francisco People's Organization Art Auction & Party WHEN: Saturday, April 8th Doors open at 7:30 pm Silent Auction 7:30 – 10:00 pm Live Auction with Auctioneer Matt Gonzalez at 9:30 pm WHERE: 111 Minna, San Francisco TICKETS: $10-$20, or pay what you can Advance Tickets available at Ticketweb.com DETAILS: Music by Goh Nakamura, Dan Johnson, DJ VNA, Olga Salamanca, & judy b. Poetry reading by SF Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman Work-in-Progress Film screening of “For Real Bayview” by Markus Darkraven Artists: Chris Corales, Ben Baumgartner, Monique Deschaines, Mark Erlinger, Lawrence Ferlenghetti, Ana Fernandez, Pam Pam Gaddies, Albert Herter, Blake Herod, Jack Hirschman, Martha Hubert, Jamie Knight, Luna Media, Robin Margerin, Siri Margerin, Valerie Mih, Theresa Morris, Keady Phelan, Lucho Pozo, Michael Rauner, Jane Reed, Albert Reyes, Steve Richards, Janet Rosen, Augusta Talbot, Amy Trachtenberg, Debra Walker, Kelly Yount, Arngunnur Yr, & MORE… Curators: Bruno Mauro, Siri Margerin and Catherine Rauschuber Honorary Hosts: Chris Daly, Matt Gonzalez, Jack Hirschman, Mesha Irazarry, Krissy Keefer, Ross Mirkarimi, & Debra Walker ============================== ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACTION ALERTS: Co-Chair Needed for GROW Working Group Micheas Herman of the GROW Working Group (tabling and voter registration) is seeking a new co-chair. Contact Micheas Herman at ... or the County Council at cc@sfgreens.org for more information. --------- Earn A Living Making San Francisco A More Green and Progressive City! Two years ago, former organizers for the Matt Gonzalez for Mayor campaign decided it was time to stop getting 'close but not close enough' to progressive victories like public power and Matt as Mayor, and to begin a city wide, year round, grassroots campaign that would start helping us win such victories! So in January 2004, the organization Our City was born. Since then we have helped to: - Pass the ban on old polluting diesel buses - Pass Matt Gonzalez's anti chain store law - Get the downtown hotel workers back on the job, and - Get the Police and Planning Commissions put back on SF Government TV after the City tried to pull them off. Now we are campaigning to get rid of PG&E's monopoly on our electricity service, and start running the City on renewable energy like solar and wind power instead! We have just begun hiring and training new grassroots campaigners to help us win this fight. No experience necessary. Earn $280 to $400 each four day work week learning to be a strong progressive organizer. To apply, call Eric at 415-756-8844 from noon to 2pm any weekday, or send an email to jobs@our-city.org For more information, see our web site at http://our-city.org ============================== IN EVERY ISSUE: Become a Green Party Sustainer! As you may know, the SFGP is supported by our wonderful sustaining donors -- 175 and growing. In the next 12 months we hope to double that figure, and you can help us achieve our goal by signing up to make a regular contribution to the Green Party. Our sustainer program nearly pays all of our basic monthly operating expenses, including rent and utilities on the office, and drastically reduces the amount of work needed to raise money. Our sustainers free us up to do what we're really here for - to pursue Green values through the democratic system. Sustainers also ensure that we are able to keep our office, which has hosted numerous campaigns' headquarters including the successful Prop A, Instant Runoff Voting initiative. Becoming a Green Party sustainer is easy, fun, and secure! For more information, see http://www.sfgreenparty.org/makeadonation/makeadonation.html ************************************************************ For more info on our activities, please see our website, http://www.sfgreenparty.org. You can also email us questions at info@sfgreens.org. To send us news items (short blurb please, plain text only) for possible inclusion in the newsletter, email news@sfgreens.org. Please don't put these addresses on mailing lists; messages not specifically addressed to us won't go through.