SFGP WEEKLY For The Week of 8/18/05 - 8/25/05 This Week: ********************************************************** ************************************************** News: 8/16: San Francisco to Participate in Nation-wide Vigil for Cindy Sheehan 8/17: Sweating Slave Labor: San Francisco Poised To Pass The Country's Strongest Anti-Sweatshop Law 8/17: SFGP Up-To-Date Endorsements ********************************************************** Events: - 8/19: Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Hosts Art Opening of Mohammad Hourian's Work - 8/20: Northern California Clean Money Working Group Meeting - 8/20: Aimee Allison Supporters Gathering - 8/20: Our Health Is Our Wealth - 8/20: And Castro For All Rally - 8/23: Transportation Working Group Meeting ********************************************************** Announcements: Joke of the Week Become A Sustainer! ********************************************************** ********************************************************** News ***************************************** ****************************************************** 8/16: San Francisco to Participate in Nation-wide Vigil for Cindy Sheehan Casey Mills 16.AUG.05 Tens of thousands are expected to participate in candlelight vigils held across America tomorrow in support of Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, has garnered widespread attention for camping outside George W. Bush’s home in Crawford, Texas, demanding the President speak to her about the loss of her son. So far, Bush has refused, sparking MoveOn.org to launch a campaign to organize grassroots action on the issue. More than 25 vigils will be held in the Bay Area alone, with San Francisco holding its own at the Federal Building at 7:30 tomorrow [8/17] evening Read more at www.beyondchron.org ******************************************************* 8/17: Sweating Slave Labor: San Francisco Poised To Pass The Country's Strongest Anti-Sweatshop Law By: Camille T. Taiara Source: San Francisco Bay Guardian As activists and bureaucrats chiseled out the final details of a historically rigorous, sweat-free purchasing standard for San Francisco, state agents raided dozens of garment manufacturing plants throughout California. The actions shed light on the stubborn ills of substandard wages and working conditions in the clothing industry. But labor advocates say raids have only a limited impact on the problem ˆ and San Francisco's pending law may offer a more systemic remedy. "These sweeps promote fear and intimidation, create more unemployment, and don't genuinely address the root causes of these labor violations and sweatshop conditions," said Alex Tom, an organizer at the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA). The Economic and Employment Enforcement Coalition, a new, interagency task force, raided 135 garment factories in the Bay Area and southern California Aug. 3 through 5. Thirty of those shops are in San Francisco and Oakland, and most of the violations investigators found locally consisted of shops operating without a license or violating worker compensation laws, according to details released to the Bay Guardian by the California Department of Industrial Relations. DIR spokesperson Renee Bacchini couldn't tell us how many of these had been shut down, but the department expects civil penalties for Bay Area shops to total more than $100,000. Read more at: http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=1366 ******************************************************** 8/17: SFGP Endorsements Here are the SFGP's endorsements on various items in the November 2005 election as of 8/18. Items not seen have not been decided on yet. YES: Proposition C - Ethics Commission Budget and Outside Counsel YES: Proposition D - Appointment of Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors YES: Proposition E - Election Date of the Assessor - Recorder and Public Defender NO: Proposition F - Neighborhood Firehouses YES: Proposition I - No Military Recruiters in Public Schools, Scholarships for Education and Job Training Statewide Ballot: NO - Prop. 73 - Termination of Minor's Pregnancy. NO - Prop. 74 - Public School Teachers. Waiting Period for Permanent Status. NO - Prop. 75 - Public Employee Union Dues. Required Employee Consent for Political Contributions. NO - Prop. 76 - School Funding. NO - Prop. 77 - Reapportionment. NO - Prop. 78 - Prescription Drug Discounts. YES - Prop 79 - Prescription Drugs. t NO - Prop. 80 - Electric Service Providers. Regulation. ************************************* Events ************************************* Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Hosts Art Opening of Mohammad Hourian's Work Friday, August 19th 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlet Pl., (City Hall) Room 282 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi hosts the monthly Third Friday's Art Reception in his City Hall office, Room 282. This month's featured artist is Mohammad Hourian. Mohammad Hourian was born in Hamedan, Iran, the capital of ancient Persia. At age 12 he apprenticed with Haj Hosen-I-Eslamiyan, the greatest Persian miniaturist of this century. At age 19, Horian won public recognition in his first one-man show of paintings at the Gallery of the University of Tehran. At age 20 he became the youngest artist to be elected to the National Academy of Fine Arts. In 1976 the German government invited him to visit West Germany and exhibit his work at the Goethe Institute. That same year he traveled throughout Europe, Japan and the United States displaying his artwork. Mr, Hourian is a Bay Area resident and the owner of Hourian Fine Art Publishing and Hourian Fine Art Galleries, both based on Union Street in San Francisco. ********************************************************** Northern California Clean Money Working Group Meeting Saturday, August 20th 10:30am-12:30pm. Video from 10:10am-10:30am 592 Pennsylvania Ave (A home on Potrero Hill between 20th & 22nd Streets) San Francisco Would you like to create a government that is accountable to the people and not to big money campaign contributors? So would we. Clean Money full public funding of election campaigns can make it happen. Assemblywoman Loni Hancock's Clean Money and Fair Elections bill (AB 583) will help voters take back control of politics! But it will only succeed if we have massive public support. So now is the best time to find your local Clean Money Working Group and GET ACTIVE! *********************************************************** Aimee Allison Supporters Gathering Saqturday, August 20th 5:00pm- 9:00pm 1019 Harvard Rd, Oakland, CA (Map at http://www.aimeeallison.org/Map_Tanaka.php) Supporters or volunteers of the Aimee Allison campaign are invited together for food, drinks, Latin music by Tua, and good conversation as we build Oakland¹s future together. *********************************************************** Our Health Is Our Wealth Saturday, August 20th Registration begins at 11:00 am Festival begins at 12:00 noon Brava Theater, 2789 24th St., San Francisco Colored Ink &The SF Peacemakers present: Our Health Is Our Wealth, a day of film, food, and social justice. Come join us for a festival like no other! Experience good healthy food, holistic health practices, film shorts, and workshops addressing community issues of health, poverty and violence, planning a solution of how to heal our community. For a lot of us, our mental and physical health is at risk, the best way to overcome these issues is to come together, educate ourselves, and deal with them collectively. Special panel presented by the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, following an excerpt of the movie "Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story" addressing Stan, the death penalty, and our civil rights. Featured films include: Peace Maker in Sudan Details a personal account of the crisis in Sudan which began in February 2003. Indiscriminate killing, mass rapes, looting of livestock and the burning of villages at the hands of government troops and the militias have resulted in 50,000 deaths and forced an estimated 1.2 million people from their homes. Peacemakers 4 life Takes a look at the violence in our community. Illustrates how a community coming together can overcome these issues, break the cycle of violence, and unite us in transforming our lives. Hosted By: NConscious Eyes TV &KPOO 89.5 FM Radio personality Pam-Pam "theimposingfigure" FPerformances, spoken word, live music. The Bay Area's DJ Fonzilla navigates the dance floor. [Special Celebration for Idriss Stelley's Birthday Idriss was killed by the SFPD. He was shot at 48 times on 8-20-01 One of the all too many victims of police brutality... For more information about the event: 415-240-0093 or visit www.coloredink.org 415-573-8257 or visit www.sfpeacemakers.org About Stan's case: www.tookie.com www.nodeathpenalty.org *********************************************************** And Castro For All Rally Saturday, August 20 9:00pm. - 12:00am (midnight) LYRIC, 127 Collingwood (rally and discussion, 9pm) 4121 18th Street (picket, 10pm) And Castro for All (AC4A) is seeking to gather a large number of people to participate in this coming Saturday’s Badlands Picket (8/20). Mediation is expected to occur the following week but Badlands owner, Les Natali, has a reputation for backing out of mediation at the last minute. AC4A wants to make a strong showing this weekend to demonstrate that solidarity on this issue is still strong. As co-sponsors of the Badlands picket, it would be a powerful demonstration of our support if the SF Green Party were to turn out in numbers. To participate, please meet at LYRIC, 127 Collingwood, at 9:00 p.m. for rally and discussion. Or, join the picket at 10:00 p.m at 4121 18th Street. For more information, please visit AC4A's website: andcastroforall.org *********************************************************** Transportation Working Group Meeting Tuesday, August 23rd 7:00PM- 9:00PM 1028A Howard St. (SFGP Office) Agenda includes reveiw and analysis of two transportation related ballot measures: Prop G, the MKL/Golden Gate Park initiative and the Street Resurfacing Bond. Other items include discussion on next screening of End of Suburbia at the Red Victorian with Ross Mirkarimi. Blue Angels Discussion Car Free Day Sept 22 Emily Drennan appointment to the MTA Proposal to Reform Muni Routes for Better Service and Lower Costs ************************************************************ ***************************************** Announcements: ********************** ************************************************************ Joke of the Week Things Republicans Believe Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq. Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain of illness. "Standing Tall for America" means firing your workers and moving their jobs to India. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money. HMOs and insurance companies have the interest of the public at heart. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business. You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have a right to adopt. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony. ************************************************************ 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. Submissions for Joke of the Week, or comments and questions on the content of the newsletter are welcomed by the editor at ladypest@hotmail.com