SFGP WEEKLY For The Week of 9/9/05 - 9/16/05 This Week: ********************************************************** News: 9/3: Two Press Releases From the GPUS on Hurricane Katrina 9/5: Louisiana Greens Express Outrage at Katrina "Planning" 9/6: MUNI Fare Strike Update 9/7: Governor Vetos LGBT Fair Political Campaign Bill 9/8: Smacking Children Becomes New Zeland, Green, Election Issue ********************************************************** Events: 9/9: Letters Needed to Support Three Educators on the Board 9/10: Volunteers Needed For Power to the Peaceful Festival 9/11: Social Justice Forum 9/12: GP Youth Caucus/Campus Greens Back-To-School National Conference 9/12: Isn't It Time For A Green Design? 9/16: Panel On Creating Quality Child Care ********************************************************** Announcements: Joke of the Week Green Meeting Space Avaliable at Progressive Coffee House Become A Sustainer! ********************************************************** News ********************* ********************************************************** 9/3: Two Press Releases From the GPUS on Hurrican Katrina Greens Rally to Assist Hurricane Victims; Call Katrina a Predictable Symptom of Global Warming <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_09_01.shtml> 09.01.2005 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party members, rallying to help people hit hard by hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, began to ask hard questions about preparations for the disaster and the link between increased hurricanes and global warming. Read the press release <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_09_01.shtml> . Greens Rally to Assist Hurricane Victims; Call Katrina a Predictable Symptom of Global Warming <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_09_01.shtml> 09.01.2005 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party members, rallying to help people hit hard by hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, began to ask hard questions about preparations for the disaster and the link between increased hurricanes and global warming. Read the press release <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_09_01.shtml> ********************************************************** 9/5: Louisiana Greens Express Outrage at Katrina "Planning" Press Release, Louisiana Green Party War, Racism, Coastal Mismanagement Exacerbate Devastation As the devastation in New Orleans from hurricane Katrina grows more and more deadly, disgraceful, and surreal—we find ourselves in a state of 'shock and awe' at the appalling carelessness to the rescue effort, the racist neglect of New Orleans' most vulnerable people, and the devastating mismanagement of our regional ecosystem which hastened and exacerbated the devastation. Greens are committed to rebuilding Louisiana sustainably and equitably! THE REAL COSTS OF WAR Fully one-third of the Louisiana National Guard, whose mission is to assist in rescue and relief operations during peacetime, have instead been sent to Iraq to fight for George Bush's war, based on lies and deception. This includes many troops who were trained specifically for high-water rescue operations. Yet four days after the hurricane hit, there's no National Guard in sight. Tens of thousands of New Orleanians—most poor and African-American—have been without food, water and medicines for almost a week while the president cobbles together a hodgepodge of disaster relief teams from under-staffed and under-funded local authorities. Here's what stranded New Orleanians are saying about the rescue efforts: "It's unbelievable but its for real. That man [Bush] can spend all that money and send all those troops to Iraq but he can't do nothing for us right here!" "You mean to tell me they couldn't just drop some water and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from all those helicopters?" (responding to the reasoning that no relief could be delivered because of the high waters) For more, go to: www.lagreens.org ********************************************************** 9/6: MUNI Fare Strike Update The following is a report from one of the Muni Fare Strike organizing teams on Day One of the fare strike. Their experiences are very instructive, and show the evolution over the course of the day from a team working at one fixed location, to a mobile organizing team spreading the word about the fare strike by example throughout the city. "On the first day of the fare strike, our team of six (including one Chinese, one Korean and one Spanish speaker) went to our post at Divisadero and Geary at 7:30 AM, where we had a steady flow of 38-Geary buses, the busiest line in the City, as well as a less frequent cross flow of the 24-Divisadero. We had one large banner that simply said: 'FARE STRIKE Starting Sept. 1' and lots of smaller posters that we either carried as picket signs or taped up to the bus shelters in all four directions -- see http://www.MuniFareStrike.net/25301.html. ********************************************************** 9/7: GOVERNOR VETOES LBGT FAIR POLITICAL CAMPAIGN BILL Press Release from EQCA Sacramento, CA - With only vague comments, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 866, authored by Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/Daly City) and sponsored by Equality California, which was designed to prevent discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals in political campaigns. This was the first of many bills Equality California sponsored this year to make it to the Governor’s desk. “We are extremely disappointed by Governor Schwarzenegger's veto of legislation that would have added LGBT people to the list of groups covered by the Fair Political Practice Act's Voluntary Pledge,” said Geoffrey Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. “Regardless of what he thinks about the enforceability of the Voluntary Pledge, it is ludicrous to exclude one group of people from the rights and protections granted to others. The exclusion of LGBT citizens in this case is just simply an unacceptable form of discrimination.” *********************************************************** 9/8: Smacking Children Becomes New Zeland, Green, Election Issue By David Barber Wellington - Is it okay for parents to hit their children when they are naughty? That question looms as an issue in the campaign leading up to New Zealand's election on September 17, as a Christian group claiming the Bible approves of smacking children, prepares to challenge proposals to outlaw parental discipline by force. A private member's bill currently before parliament would repeal a section of the Crimes Act which says parents who use "reasonable force" to discipline their children cannot be charged with assault. Children are not always 'little bundles of innocence' Green Party MP Sue Bradford, who says the law is out-of-date and hitting children is wrong, won support from the Labour government for the bill to go before a parliamentary committee for further discussion. For the full story, go to: http://www.nospank.net/n-p06r.htm ************************************************************ *********************************************** Events *********************************************** ************************************************************ Letters Needed to Support Three Educators on the Board Friday, September 9th (request submitted by GCC Member Kimberly Knox: kimberlyknox@hotmail.com) SFSOS has gone into attack mode. School Board Commissioners Mark Sanchez and Sarah Lipson has asked that as many possible people write letters to the SF Chronicle and SF Gate about School Board Superintendent Ackerman's resignation. It would be good to do it in a positive manner such "Dr. Ackerman has done some good things for the district" but with an affirmation to the future where w/o Dr. Ackerman, we look forward to working together with the entire community-and having district staff that listens to parents, school workers, students and the community to create a positive future for our children. We need to counter the letters that are coming by fax, truckload and pigeon carrier by SFSOS on how the Three Eductors on the Board need to be recalled and Ackerman must stay-and blaming the Green Party for her resignation. This is an SFSOS fax blast to the board of education. Feel free to follow this link and alter the text to reflect your views before sending if you wish. http://www.sfsos.org/speakout_detail.asp?letter=/cm/advocacy/letter_110.inc *********************************************************** Volunteers Needed for Power to the Peaceful Festival Saturday, September 10th Speedway Medow, Golden Gate Park We can use volunteers to help at the booth and register voters throughout the event. Everyone has a great time at the festival. Join us and enjoy the music! Please confirm with Mark Barnes mwbsf@riseup.net (240-0640) or Micheas Herman m@micheas.net (424-5881). *********************************************************** Social Justice Forum Sunday, September 12th 12–8PM CELLspace, 2050 Bryant Street @ 19th (from a press release by the Social Justice Forum) Last year, Michael Franti & Spearhead’s annual 911 Power to the Peaceful festival, a free concert in Golden Gate Park, attracted more than 50,000 people in the name of peace, social justice and equity. This was its seventh year of continuous, significant growth and raising consciousness. Thousands left inspired and ready to take action in their daily lives. This year, we will offer them a platform to capitalize on these positive intentions. The day after this year’s festival we will hosting a Social Justice Forum, produced in conjunction with Craigslist Foundation, Next Generation, Global Exchange, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Circle of Life Foundation, Agape Foundation, the Volunteer Center and Guerrilla Management. Get Involved, a job and volunteer matching fair, will start the day’s events from 12-5pm and will begin with an acoustic performance by Michael Franti. The fair will connect potential supporters with social justice organizations. Get Involved will be free and open to the public, with tables from dozens of nonprofits and community based organizations, and free food and drinks will be served.

From 5-8pm there will be a private summit, specifically geared towards the social justice organizations themselves. Van Jones, Founder & National Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, will speak briefly about the importance of collaboration and solidarity and then moderate a discussion focused on realistic solutions for change. Again, the event will be free and food and drinks will be provided by generous in kind sponsors. Michael Franti and others will promote the Social Justice Forum from the stage during the festival, and will also be distributing flyers there.

GP Youth Caucus/Campus Greens Back-To-School National Conference Monday, September 12th 9:15pm CDT (this is outside the SF Bay Area, but dial-in access is avaliable) Hey Green brothers and sisters, Campus Greens will be holding our annual "Back to School" national conference call MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th, 2005 at 9:15pm CDT. A draft agenda will be posted to the national discussion listserve at and on the website as soon as possible. Please feel free to respond with ideas, concerns, questions, comments, etc. Let's get this quiet group back in action again! The details are below. Peace all, Dave Wilcox Steering Committee Campus Greens -- Scheduled Conference Date: Monday, September 12, 2005 Scheduled Start Time: 9:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time Scheduled End Time: 10:40 p.m. Central Daylight Time Scheduled # of Participants: 30 Type of Conference: Web-Scheduled Standard Dial-in Number: 1-712-580-8020 (Spencer, IA) Participant Access Code: 11281963 *********************************************************** Isn't It About Time For Green Design? Monday, September 12th 7:00pm- 9:00pm First Baptist Church 7 Octavia Blvd. at Market St. (ADA Access at Waller St.) The "green" in green design is a debatable term. Green design could describe the use of recycled building materials, natural lighting and ventilation, or the incorporation of advanced technology. Often it is criticized as prohibitively expensive. At this seminar our panelists will discuss the meaning of green design, and its affordability and existing certifications/standards, while considering what other cities are doing, what San Francisco's recent projects are and its plans to build greener buildings. With: Raphael Sperry is an architect at 450 Architects in San Francisco and current President of Architects / Designers / Planners for Social Responsibility. He designs residential and school projects, and leads ADPSR's Prison Design Boycott campaign. In 2005 he was appointed as the public member of the City of San Francisco's municipal Green Building Task Force. In 2004 He was the lead author of the San Mateo County Guide to Sustainable Buildings. As the Project Manager for Berkeley's Best Builders, the City of Berkeley's first green building program, Raphael developed a network of expert consultants in fields including energy efficiency, green materials, solar power, etc. While earning his masters degree from the Yale School of Architecture he assisted with the creation and teaching of green building classes. Erin Carson is Senior Project Manager of the Public Initiatives Development Corporation, a non-profit public benefit housing development corporation which is a subsidiary of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Erin has nearly 15 years of experience in housing development both in affordable and market rate housing and has a particular interest in green and sustainable design and development. Erin is currently working on a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) registered multi-family affordable housing development in San Francisco. Erin is a LEED Accredited Professional and member of the United States Green Building Council and its Northern California Chapter. Mark Palmer is San Francisco's Municipal Green Building Coordinator. During his thirty years in the construction industry, he has directed environmental design for a major homebuilder, initiated a renewable energy portfolio for utilities, and founded an innovative green building consultancy. Mark develops city policy for sustainable design and construction--LEED Silver is now the standard for all municipal construction projects in San Francisco. Mark also administers a training program for city design professionals, and oversees a growing number of municipal construction projects including the new California Academy of Sciences slated for a LEED Platinum certification and the redevelopment of Treasure Island, a mixed-use pedestrian and transit-oriented community. This seminar series is sponsered by the SF Green Party Housing and Land Use Working Group. For more information, contact Dave Wilbur at drwsf@yahoo.com ********************************************************** Panel on Creating Quality Child Care Thursday, Sept. 16 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Northern Police Station, 1125 Fillmore Please attend the "Panel on Creating Quality Child Care" with School Board Vice President Norman Yee, Elaine Merriweather and Betty Harris-Robinson. This will be a panel discussion on the elements of creating an excellent early childhood education for your child. For more information, contact Kim Knox at kimberleyknox@hotmail.com *********************************************************** ************************* Announcements: ************************* *********************************************************** Joke of the Week Growing Up George W. Bush is out jogging one morning, notices a little boy on the corner with a box. Curious, he runs over to the child and says, "What's in the box, kid?" The little boy says, "Kittens, they're brand new kittens." George W. laughs and says, "What kind of kittens are they?" "Republicans," the child says. "Oh that's cute," George W. says and he runs off. A couple of days later George is running with his buddy Dick Cheney and he spies the same boy with his box just ahead. George W. says to Dick, "You gotta check this out" and they both jog over to the boy with the box. George W. says, "Look in the box Dick, isn't that cute? Look at those little kittens. Hey kid tell my friend Dick what kind of kittens they are." The boy replies, "They're all Greens." "Whoa!", George W. says, "I came by here the other day and you said they were Republicans. Now you say they're Greens. What's up?" "Well," the kid says, "Their eyes are open now" *********************************************************** Green Meeting Space Avaliable at Progressive Coffee House Hi. I'm a co-owner of Coffee to the People, a new progressive coffeeshop located near the corner of Masonic and Haight in the Haight-Ashbury. As part of our social mission, we offer free meeting space and a 15% discount on food and beverages to groups and causes we support. Toward this end, Coffee to the People would be honored to host meetings and events for the San Francisco Green Party. If you are interested, please contact me via email or call our manager, Megan Harkins, at 415-626-2435 for scheduling. ************************************************************ 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