SFGP WEEKLY For The Week of 7/21/05 - 7/28/05 This Week: ********************************************************** ************************************************** News: 7/12: Jake McGoldrick Did Us Proud Today 7/15: Peaceful Resistance at Bohemian Grove 7/17: Frustration With Pro-War Democrats is Growing (audio news items) ********************************************************** - 7/21: Bicycle Advisory Committee Action Items - 7/23: Declaration of Oil Independence - 7/23- 7/29: World Premiere of Slow Falling Bird - 7/23: Defend a Woman's Right to Choose! Stop the anti-abortion "Crusade for Life" - 7/25: Mid-Market Redevelopment - Housing and Land Use Seminar Series - 7/26: Transportation Working Group Meeting ********************************************************** Announcements: - Joke of the Week - Become A Sustainer! ********************************************************** ********************************************************** News ***************************************** 7/12: Jake McGoldrick Did Us Proud Today By: Charles Kalish Source: SFGP Letter to the Editor The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a resolution to berth the battleship Iowa in San Francisco. It was not an easy decision. Jake McGoldrick courageously led the argument to reject the resolution. He made an eloquent speech distinguishing patriotism from militarism. He said that San Francisco is the city of the Peace Movement not the War Movement and should be financing institutions for peace not war. Chris Daly effectively made the distinction between the heroism of WW II and every wrong American war since then. Tom Ammiano described the militarys systemic discrimination, accepting queers only during war time, drumming them out before and after. Ross Mirkarimi said that berthing the Iowa sends the message that San Franciscans accept Americas disastrous militarism in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Read the rest at: http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=1353 *********************************************************** 7/15: Peaceful Resistance at the Bohemian Grove Green Party to lead protest at gathering of rich and powerful Friday, July 15, 2005 By CAROL BENFELL THE PRESS DEMOCRAT The Green Party is taking the lead in the annual protest of corporate and governmental decision-makers who gather again this weekend at Bohemian Grove near Monte Rio. Members of the all-male San Francisco Bohemian Club have been coming to the tightly guarded grove for relaxation and camaraderie for 123 years. The membership includes many of the nation's rich and powerful, including former U.S. presidents and Cabinet officials. The guest list remains secret to all but club members and employees who help stage the event. Protesters accuse the club of using the secrecy of the grove to cut deals outside the public view, but club members say that doesn't happen. The Green Party took on the protest this year as a way of networking with like-minded groups and expanding the party's role in the community, said Paul Encimer, a Garberville-area businessman and a member of the Green Party's statewide coordinating committee. "The Green Party is a party focused on action," Encimer said. "We think coalition-building and being involved in the movement is part of our task." Read the full article at: http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20050715/NEWS/507150... *********************************************************** 7/17: Frustration With Pro-War Democrats is Growing Submitted by Ericka In case you missed it, KPFA-FM's Sunday Salon program on July 17 was seriously bashing Nancy Pelosi for her pro-war position. Host Larry Bensky said at one point "Are you listening Matt Gonzalez!!" as he spoke of the need to challenge Pelosi. I sent a message to the show today explaining how Terry ran a strong campaign in 2004, but was stifled by election technicalities that kept her off the ballot. You can listen to the show here: http://www.kpfa.org/archives/archives.php?id=22 The talk about Pelosi specifically comes at the end of the first hour, about 56 minutes into the program. Additionally, Norman Solomon, who reportedly registered Green last year, also bashed the Democrats on Friday's Democracy Now, where he repeated how the Democrats are currently a pro-war party. Listen here: http://www.democracynow.org/index.pl?issue=20050715 *********************************************************** Events ************************************* Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) Thursday, July 21st, 6:15 pm City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place (Polk Street), Room 408 Pedestrian Oasis or Mirage?: This is one of the last public forum on the issue of car circulation in the concourse area of Golden Gate Park. Please attend if you are interested in knowing what the museums are planning to do now that they have the underground garage. Golden Gate Park Concourse Circulation Plan - Presentation by the Concourse Authority on the recommended design option; Resolution presented by BAC member by Susan King on GG Park Concourse Circulation Plan 2B. *********************************************************** Declaration of Oil Independence Saturday, July 23rd The Independent, San Francisco Come out to The Independent in San Francisco on Saturday July 23rd for "A Declaration of Oil Independence." The night will bring together an international palette of musicians including Bat Makumba, Hyim and the Fat Foakland Orchestra & DJ Franky Boissy all to raise awareness about our dependence on oil. Profits from the event will benefit the Clean Fuel Caravan Coalition, a Bay Area alternative fuel collective providing education about and access to vehicles running on sustainable fuels like biodiesel and vegetable oil. Fusing environmentalism with equatorial beats "A Declaration of Oil Independence" will appeal to feet of all persuasion and advance tickets are highly recommended! Here's the link for tickets: http://www.ticketweb.com/user/?region=sfbay&query=detail&event=613039 ***************************************************** World Premiere of Slow Falling Bird Saturday, July 23rd- Friday, July 29th 8:00pm The EXIT, 277 Taylor Street, San Francisco Crowded Fire Theater Company presents the World Premiere production of Slow Falling Bird by Australian playwright Christine Evans. As the tide of refugees fleeing from war-torn parts of the world grows, Evans asks us to explore the question of how we take them in - or leave them on the outside. Based on real events in the Woomera Immigration Detention Centre, Slow Falling Bird goes far beyond the documentary impulse, creating a hallucinatory world of song and magic that is beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. As our own country struggles with our border issues, and with increasing furor around the detainees in Guantanamo, this play hits both close enough to home and far enough away to provide an important perspective on the risks we are taking with our increasingly unjust policies. Previews Sat July 23, Mon July 25, & Fri July 29, 8 p.m. (Pay-What-You-Can, $15 recommended) Benefit performance for SF Poetry Slam Team: Thurs July 28 ($20) Opening Night Gala Sat July 30, 8 p.m. ($30) Plays Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, August 4 20, 8 p.m. Tickets $18 25, sliding scale ($15 students, seniors & TBA members) to reserve tickets online: http://www.crowdedfire.org/boxoffice_closed.shtml by phone: 415-675-5995 ************************************************************ Defend a Woman's Right to Choose! Stop the anti-abortion "Crusade for Life" Friday, July 23rd 8am- noon 815 Eddy St. (at Franklin), SF "Crusade for Life" will be in San Francisco from July 15-24, protesting against reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood is collecting names and phone numbers of anyone interested in being on an "on-call" list in the event of problems or harrassment by protesters. We are invited to join Planned Parenthood, Radical Women, Code Pink, and various others to defend a woman's right to choose. The "Crusade for Life" plans to disrupt our community by harassing women at health clinics from July 15-27. We need your help to defend our clinics and to send the message that the Bay Area is pro-choice and stands up for reproductive rights! Saturday, July 23: Meet at Planned Parenthood to be a visible pro-choice force. ************************************************************ Mid-Market Redevelopment - Housing and Land Use Seminar Series Monday, July 25th 7pm-9pm First Baptist Church, 7 Octavia Street, at Market St., San Francisco (on the historic F streetcar line) The Green Party Housing and Land Use Seminar Series Presents: The Mid-Market Redevelopment Plan: A Necessary Developer Boost to Market Street or the Continuing Gentrification of San Francisco? With Rich Hillis, Mayor Newsom's representative to the Mid-Market Redevelopment Plan from the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, Kate White, Executive Director, Housing Action Coalition, and David Wilbur, Mid-Market PAC member for the past two years who voted against the Plan with the hope for a much better alternative from the Board of Supervisors. Moderated by: Christina Olague, San Francisco Planning Commissioner This seminar will address some of the most important housing and land use issues facing San Francisco, namely: -- The percentage of affordable housing units included in privately built developments; The proper role of the Redevelopment Agency in developing the city; -- The amount of parking within our most transit-rich district along Market and Mission Streets; -- The income demographics of the patrons the proposed "art district" will service. ************************************************************ Transportation Working Group Meeting Thursday, July 26th 7pm-9pm 1028A Howard St. (SFGP Office) Agenda to be determined; please join us for our meetings every 4th Tuesday ************************************************************ ***************************************** Announcements: ********************** ************************************************************ Joke of the Week Taking Up a Collection for the President A lobbyist, on his way home from work in Washington, D.C., came to a dead halt in traffic and thought to himself, "Wow, this seems worse than usual." He noticed a police officer walking between the lines of stopped cars, so he rolled down his window and asked, "Officer, what's the hold-up?" The officer replied, "The President is depressed, so he stopped his motorcade and is threatening to douse himself with gasoline and set himself on fire. He says no one believes his stories about why we went to war in Iraq, or the connection between Saddam and al-Qaeda, or that his tax cuts will help anyone except his wealthy friends; the press called him on the lie about Iraq trying to buy uranium from Niger, and now Campbell Brown is threatening to sue him for a sexual innuendo he made at a recent press conference. So we're taking up a collection for him." The lobbyist asks, "How much have you got so far?" The officer replies, "About 14 gallons, but a lot of folks are still siphoning." ************************************************************ 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! Online: http://www.sfgreenparty.org/makeadonation/makeadonation.html Phone: 415-701-7090 ************************************************************ 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.