June 26, 2013 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events Happy Pride! See our plans to march (on behalf of Bradley Manning) and register Greens at our booth at the Pride celebration, below under Events. NEWS: 1. Supreme Court overturns Prop 8 and part of the "Defense of Marriage" Act! This is great news, especially fitting for Pride week, and there will be a celebration at Market and Castro at 6:30 pm tonight! But after the party's over, there's still a lot of work to be done: the Court declined to take on key civil rights questions in overturning Prop 8, so it will take a lot of organization to bring civil rights to states such as Texas and Alabama. Not to mention the work we need to do to turn back the rest of the Clinton legacy (NAFTA, Welfare Deform, etc). 2. While PFC Bradley Manning stands trial at Ft. Meade, MD, pop -culture celebrities declare support for Army whistleblower in 5-minute advocacy video. 20+ Hollywood actors/musicians/other well-known leaders star in "I am Bradley Manning." Filmmaker Oliver Stone; actors Russell Brand, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Wallace Shawn, Peter Sarsgaard; musicians Moby, Tom Morello, and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters; writers Matt Taibbi, Alice Walker, Chris Hedges; and activists Lt. Dan Choi and Angela Davis, and others speak out in the short film, explaining that Manning sought to expose war crimes and inspire debate and reforms. They condemn the "aiding the enemy" charge with which the military wants to imprison him for life, arguing it criminalizes what should be recognized as whistle-blowing. View the video at http://iam.bradleymanning.org 3. The Save City College SF Coalition is continuing to work throughout the summer with HOT campaigns, events and demonstrations. You are welcome to get involved! www.saveCCSF.org Mark your calendar July 9th: March to Dept. of Education. 4. We just returned from the Green Party's statewide meeting in Napa. We heard from a great panel of Green officeholders from Northern California, including Gayle McLaughlin, Mayor of Richmond, Bruce Delgado, Mayor of Marina, Renee Goddard, Fairfax Town Council, and Jesse Townley, Berkeley Rent Board Commissioner. Mayor McLaughlin's discussion of how she is using Eminent Domain to bail out homeowners instead of banks (keeping people in their homes with lower mortgage payments) was especially interesting! Our fight to overturn Prop 14 (The Top Two election system that threatens to eliminate Greens and other non-corporate parties from the ballot in CA) also continues, but we won't get our day in court until next year. 5. Bill would enable Bay Bridge review panel secrecy: A state bill creating a task force to address seismic concerns about the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge would exempt the panel from state open meeting and public records laws, the California Newspaper Publishers Association is reporting.Author of SB 110 is Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord), a vociferous critic of construction flaws in the span, which is due to open on Labor Day weekend. The CNPA notes that public records laws have enabled access to information baring falsified bridge inspection reports as well as defective bolts and reinforcement rods that could pose serious safety risks. The bill is before the Assembly, having received Senate approval. Its passage requires at least two-thirds approval in each chamber, meaning "ayes" from 27 senators and 54 assemblymembers. The measure's text and procedural status can be tracked at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_110&sess=CUR&hous... June/JULY EVENTS: 1. SF Green Party 4th Wednesday Member Meeting June 26, 7-9pm, El Cafetazo, 3087 16th St. near Valencia/short walk from 16th St. BART.Help plan participation in the Gay Pride Celebration this weekend. Hear the IMPORTANT results of the State GP General Assembly last wk.end in Napa: Prop 14; Green Party office holders. 2. PRIDE! Join the SF Green Party at our booth 10-6 pm June 29 & 30 for annual Pride Celebration. Booth located on Larkin St. near Grove; between Grove and Market St. We need 20 Greens per day to volunteer at this event. Register voters, educate, grow the Green Party, sell buttons. Please add hours you can help here: cc@sfgreens.org Joining us at the booth will be Ocean Edge members to collect signatures to prevent the artificial turf/mega watt lights being installed in Golden Gate Park behind the Beach Chalet Restaurant on the Great Hwy. Single Payer health care will also be there educating on the great need for Medicare for all. www.sfpride.org If you plan to march in the parade on Sunday (in any contingent), stop by our booth on Saturday to pick up a sign to carry in the march. We will have thousands of signs promoting Bradley Manning and other LGBTIQ heroes for people to carry in the march, if you're in a contingent that will let you bring your own sign (such as the one below). We will be marching with the Bradley Manning contingent on Sunday. If you want to march with us, meet at Howard and Beale (near Embarcadero or Montgomery BART stations) at 10 AM. Be proud Greens--wear a green shirt and/or carry a Green Party sign--we will have several dozen to hand out, as well as the Manning signs above. 3. Urgent Save City College Meeting, Thursday June 27,4 pm for action at 6 pm Board meeting,upstairs-Student Union Building. Save City College will be discussing potential action at the Board of Trustees meeting on the same day, Thursday, 6PM in MUB 140. The board will be making important decisions on the extension of the Special Trustee's contract and the adoption of the new school budget, which is still exclusive of the majority of Prop. A funds. We need as many people as possible prepared to potentially disrupt such a vote! Join Us! http://www.saveccsf.org email info@saveccsf.org Text "Follow saveccsfnow" to 40404 4. Sunday Streets July 7th 11am-4pm in Golden Gate Park/Great Hgy. SF Green Party tabling w/Ocean Edge at JFK & Great Hwy. Join us for a tour of the now lovely meadow where astro-turf soccer fields may go. Volunteer to help: cc@sfgreens.org 5. Wednesday July 10th, Powell & Market Sts. SF Prostest: No more wars - U.S. out of the Middle East! National Days of Action, June 28 - July 17, 2013 Israeli air strikes on May 5 near Damascus The White House's June 13th announcement that it would begin directly supplying arms to the opposition in Syria is a dramatic escalation of the U.S./NATO war against that country. Thousands of U.S. troops and intelligence personnel are training opposition forces and coordinating operations in Turkey and Jordan. Israel, the recipient of more than $3 billion annually in U.S. military aid, has carried out heavy bombing raids against Syria. *===========================* The Green Party of California is seeking independent contractors for a variety of positions: fundraiser, organizer, and press secretary. To get more details, or to apply, see their web page: http://www.cagreens.org/ *===========================* 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 at sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.