SF GREEN PARTY WEEKLY 5/12/06-5/18/06 NEWS: - 5/4: Flower Farmers in Mexico Fight Repression (http://www.narconews.com/Issue41/article1761.html) - 5/5: Reclaiming Cinco de Mayo, by Matt Gonzalez (http://meshsf.com//newpage/meshsf/article.php?id=330§ion_id=6) EVENTS: This week: - 5/12: Freedom from Theocracy - 5/12: SKELETON KEY: Art Auction for the West Memphis Three, with Damien Echols' Art. With Matt Gonzalez, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, and Others - 5/13: Groveling for Peace in the Middle East - 5/15: Krissy Keefer for Congress - 5/16: Housing and Land Use Platform meeting - 5/17: Green Party General Membership Meeting This week: - 5/19: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Hosts Art Opening Featuring Photography of Senior PhotoShop Students Save the date: - 5/24: Something Fun at the Green Party Forum!!! Join the medley of politics and performance ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACTION ALERTS: - Calling White Activists to Support Immigrant Justice! - Co-Chair Needed for GROW Working Group IN EVERY ISSUE: - Discuss Instant Runoff Voting in Green Party Activist Jim Dorenkott's Blog (http://www.dailykos.com/user/jim%20d) - Take Action! - Earn A Living Making San Francisco A More Green and Progressive City! - Become a Green Party Sustainer! JOKE OF THE WEEK: - VIDEO: CIA-ya Later! (http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/, http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/latenight/2006/05/09/cia/index.html, click ad to view) ************************************************************ EVENTS: 5/12: Freedom from Theocracy WHEN: Friday, May 12 3:30PM WHERE: Civic Center, San Francisco INFORMATION, CONTACT: More info next week or contact Vicki at vleidner@rcn.com. DETAILS: Ron Luce's Battlecry for a New Generation returns to City Hall steps on May 12 to be greeted by a coalition of San Francisco progressive ministers, joined by various cultural and diverse San Francisco communities. Picnic (lots of breaking breads), singing (Raging Grannies), and a call to San Franciscans to reaffirm separation of church and state. Free to all. Tabling welcome. Bring "bread" and accoustic instruments, too. Family friendly event. Co-sponsors include: Bay Area Coalition of Progressive Clergy, BACORR, Raging Grannies, Not in Our Name, World Can't Wait, CODEPINK. --------- 5/12: SKELETON KEY: Art Auction for the West Memphis Three, with Damien Echols' Art. With Matt Gonzalez, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, and Others WHEN: Friday, May 12 Gallery showing: 12 Noon Reception: 6:00PM to 2:00AM WHERE: 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna (Between New Montgomery & 2nd Streets), San Francisco TICKETS: Advanced tickets will be available via TicketWeb (www.ticketweb.com) You can search "111 Minna" or "Skeleton Key" for the listing of this event. ADMISSION TO RECEPTION: $15 minimum donation CONTACT: 415-974-1719 INFORMATION: http://www.skeletonkeyart.com/ DETAILS: Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, Jonathan Richman, Matt Gonzalez, Penelope Houston and Jacob Pitts will be speaking and reading Damien Echols' poetry. Michale Graves and Jacob Pitts will be providing acoustic sets. Posters by Firehouse Kustom Rockart will be available for purchase at the reception. DJs: Justin McNeal and Marco Vega --------- 5/13: Groveling for Peace in the Middle East WHEN and WHERE: Saturday, May 13 "A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books" at 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco 4:00PM to 6:00PM Followed by a party at Medjool at 2522 Mission St. (off 21st) to mingle with the writers. SUGGESTED DONATION: $20 If you cannot attend the event but would like to support Helem, please mail your check to: Helem, PO Box 1862, Cleveland, OH 44106 INFORMATION: For questions, please feel free to contact the treasurer of Helem San Francisco Chapter at bassamlebnan@yahoo.com Contact Helem San Francisco Email: sfo@helem.net http://www.helem.net/ DETAILS: A book reading and signing in San Francisco to benefit Helem, an organization which "leads a peaceful struggle for the liberation of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Lebanon from all sorts of legal, social and cultural discrimination." Ayelet Waldman, ZZ Packer, Andrew Sean Greer, K. M. Soehnlein, Susanne Pari, Po Bronson, Justin Chin, Stephen Elliott, Dorothy Allison, Kathi Goldmark, Amy Tan, Elizabeth Stark, Beth Lisick, Kay Ryan, and Rabih Alameddine. Donations to Helem (the LGBT Center in Beirut) in the form of cash or checks are tax deductible. Please write the check to: Al-Fatiha Foundation (and write "Helem Fund" in the memo). Al-Fatiha Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Helem San Francisco Chapter. --------- 5/15: Krissy Keefer for Congress WHEN: Monday, May 15 7:00PM-9:30PM WHERE: Cafe La Boheme, 24th Street at Mission, San Francisco DETAILS: Join radical dancer and political activist Krissy Keefer, Green Party candidate for the 8th Congressional District, at La Boheme Cafe, 3318 24th Street near Mission, from 7 to 9 p.m. Krissy will be joined by singer/songwriter Holly Near, former Green Party Senate candidate Barbara Blong, Green Party Planning Commissioner Cristina Olague and more ... Contact info@krissyforcongress.com for more information. Contact Sue Vaughan at (415) 668-3119 if you are interested in helping or have talent to offer. --------- 5/16: Housing and Land Use Platform meeting WHEN: Tuesday, May 16 Starts 7:30PM WHERE: Muddy Waters cafe (Valencia St snd 16th St), San Francisco DETAILS: Join an informal meeting 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. --------- 5/17: Green Party General Membership Meeting WHEN: Wednesday, May 17 7:30PM-9:30PM WHERE: San Francisco Green Party office, 1028 A Howard St (between 6th St. and 7th St.), San Francisco DETAILS: Join radical dancer and political activist Krissy Keefer, Green Party candidate for the 8th Congressional District, at La Boheme Cafe, 3318 24th Street near Mission, from 7 to 9 This is our monthy General Membership meeting where we make decisions and discussions about the party's direction, strategies, activities and endorsemenets. All are welcome to attend. To suggest an agenda item, send it to the County Council at: cc@sfgreens.org --------- 5/19: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Hosts Art Opening Featuring Photography of Senior PhotoShop Students WHEN: Friday, May 19 5:00PM-8:00PM WHERE: San Francisco City Hall, 1 Carlton B Goodlett Place, Room 282 DETAILS: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi hosts the monthly Third FridayÅ0Ç8s Art Reception in his City Hall office, Room 282. In honor of Older Americans Month, Supervisor Mirkarimi pays tribute to the PhotoShop students of the Western Addition Community Technology Center (WACTC). WACTC is a non-profit organization. Through their art and photography, Mr. Felton CogellÅ0Ç8s PhotoShop senior students share their talent and experience for the first time with the greater Community of San Francisco. Please join Supervisor Mirkarimi in celebrating the artistic contributions of these seniors during Older Americans Month. --------- 5/24: Something Fun at the Green Party Forum!!! Join the medley of politics and performance WHEN: Wednesday, May 24 7:00PM-2:00AM WHERE: Studio Z, 314 11th Street @ Folsom, San Francisco CONTACT: (415) 252-7666 www.StudioZ.tv ADMISSION: $5 to $500 Must be 21+, with ID No one turned away for lack of funds DETAILS: Join the medley of politics and performance with: Barry Hermanson (candidate for 12th Assembly district), Forrest Hill (candidate for Secretary of State), Ross Mirkarimi (Supervisor, District 5), Mehul Thakker (candidate for state treasurer), Medea Benjamin (Global Exchange), Laura Wells (candidate for state controller), Diamond Dave Whitaker (San Francisco icon of poetry and Greenism ...), Ubidube Whitaker (Rocker and son of icon ...), Mike Wyman (candidate for state Attorney General), Go Van Gogh (Indy rock band), Garrin Benfield (Indy soloist) And more...(see http://www.sfgreenparty.org/events/events-itemfromhome.gem?idx=1521) ============================== ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACTION ALERTS: Calling White Activists to Support Immigrant Justice! In the past month, five million people, mostly immigrants of color, have mobilized for justice and are making history, flooding the streets in unprecedented numbers. Meanwhile, the most visible participation by white people is coming from the racist and right-wing leaders who are defining and dominating the debate in the Federal government and in the news, radio and opinion pages. Where are the voices of anti-racist white people in this crucial moment, when the worst anti-immigrant legislation in decades is still poised to drop? We, white people who believe in justice and ending racism, have a responsibility and a historic opportunity to stand with immigrant communities and unite behind their demands. As white people, most of us with U.S. citizenship, we call out to our white communities to take to the streets for immigrant rights.We must demonstrate that the rightwing racists, from the Minutemen to in the Congress, do not represent us! Two Bay Area-based white anti-racist organizations, Catalyst Project and the Heads Up Collective (a member organization of the Deporten a La MigraÅ0Ñ2 Coalition primarily composed of organizations based in working-class immigrant communities), ask you to act in solidarity with the principles generated by the Deporten a La MigraÅ0Ñ2 Coalition, Immigrants Fighting For Our Rights. They are: . The land is for those who work it! . No more displacement . The border is hypocritical . Unity makes us strong . Demand dignity and equality for all immigrants . In every neighborhood, organize! Full text can be found at http://www.liberationink.com/revised/navigator.php?s=2&a=deporten If you agree with all these principles, please sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/mayday06/petition.htm In struggle, Catalyst Project and the Heads Up Collective immigrantjusticesolidarity@gmail.com Endorsed by: Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez, Institute for Multiracial Justice Maria Poblet, St Peters Housing Committee Eric Mar Eunice Cho Sheila Chung, Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition Renee Saucedo, Day Labor Program/La Raza Centro Legal Kali Akuno, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (organizations for identification purposes only) --------- 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. ============================== IN EVERY ISSUE: Take Action! Find out about opportunities to help our elected Greens (writing letters, attending hearings, etc) -- subscribe to the SF Green Party Action list! The Action list is a low-traffic list (approximately one message per week in addition to our newsletter) telling you what you can do to help: https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/action --------- 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 --------- 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.