(From Erika McDonald) Hello Fellow Greens, After 15 months of volunteer service, Newsletter Editor Erika McDonald is stepping down. Thanks to our readers for all of the positive feedback regarding our weekly newsletter. The San Francisco Green Party County Council will be taking over the newsletter until a permanent replacement can be found. An effort is being made to include more internal SFGP information, especially regarding working group meetings. We encourage everyone's continued involvement in these working groups, and meeting times are posted below. Please do contact the working group chairs if it is your first time attending, as meeting dates and times occasionally change at the last minute due to extemporaneous circumstances. The SFGP has a few exciting projects in the works. An office rearrangement and beautification day has been tentatively scheduled for April 9, from 12 noon to 8 PM, lunch and beverages provided. This will be partly in preparation for a 2nd anniversary open house at our office, tentatively scheduled to coincide with Earth Day, on April 22. Don't forget to join us at the Green Party contingent of the Cesar Chavez Parade this Sunday! In this update: * News * Calendar * Update on Aimee Allison for Oakland City Council Campaign * SFGP Monthly Meeting Days NEWS: Green Party candidate for Oakland City Council Aimee Allison had a successful kick-off last weekend. Thanks to everyone who came and helped out. Aimee got great coverage in Berkeley Daily Planet. http://www.berkeleydaily.org/article.cfm?archiveDate=03-25-05&storyID=21013 Green Party member and former candidate for District 9 Supervisor Renee Saucedo wrote an editorial for the San Francisco Bay Guardian about the war on immigrants. http://www.sfbg.com/39/25/x_oped.html Green Party member and electoral reform expert Steve Hill had an essay published in the San Francisco Examiner. http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/03/21//opinion//20050321_op03_editor... This web log site shares ideas from Green Party members: http://prorev.com/greenpages.htm The San Francisco Sentinel has published information about a controversial new measure to ease condominium conversion that will soon come before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Check out the great photos, too. http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/ CALENDAR: FRIDAY, APRIL 1 WHAT: No Fooling! Friends of the San Francisco Sentinel present A Tribute to Pat Murphy WHEN: Friday, April 1, 2005, 6 - 8 PM WHERE: Polo's Blue Cube, 34 Mason Street at Market DESCRIPTION: Political insiders in San Francisco will be in heavy attendance at the April 1st tribute and celebration of the San Francisco Sentinel's publisher, Pat Murphy. The event will be held at Terrance Alan's hot new nightspot, Polo's Blue Cube, located at 34 Mason just off Market Street. Pat Murphy is a lively presence on the San Francisco political scene, covering events and moods at City Hall too often ignored by the regular print media. With his ever-present bowtie and stately demeanor, he has been hailed as indispensable to the San Franciscans who really run the city. Two floors of celebrities, politicians, journalists and newsmakers will enjoy appetizers courtesy of the The Blue Cube's Terrance Alan and a no-host bar. Suggested donation is $20 (minimum) at the door. If you are unable to attend the event, checks may be mailed to Gerry Crowley at 7 Fielding, San Francisco, CA 94133 and should be made payable to the San Francisco Sentinel. SUNDAY, APRIL 3 WHAT: Cesar Chavez Parade and Festival 2005 WHEN: Sunday, April 3 at 11 AM for the parade WHERE: Go to Justin Herman Plaza for the parade, and Civic Center for the festival The SF Green Party has reserved a place for a contingent in this year's Cesar Chavez Parade and Celebration. The parade will start from 2nd Street. The Green Party contingent will be on 2nd on the south side of the Mission intersection - number C2. We are meeting up at 11:00 A.M. at 2nd and Mission. If you plan to march in our contingent this Sunday, PLEASE CONFIRM your participation by e-mail ASAP to mbarn2002@yahoo.com. Look for the Green Party banner and join us! Details: http//www.sfgreenparty.org MONDAY, APRIL 4 WHAT: Campaigns and Issues working group meeting WHEN: April 4, 7-9 PM WHERE: SFGP office, located at 1028 A Howard Street between 6th and 7th Streets in San Francisco DESCRIPTION: Agenda includes a presentation on potential legislation for college funding for youth at risk of being recruited into the military; statewide petitions being circulated for statewide ballot measures; an update on gun ban legislation; and follow-up on local issues. For more information, contact Tri-Chairs Charlene Smythe at msmythe2002@yahoo.com, Marc Salomon at marc@cybre.net, or Susan King at funking@mindspring.com. TUESDAY, APRIL 5 WHAT: Protest Arnold WHEN: Tuesday, April 5 at 6 PM WHERE: Rally outside the Ritz Carlton, located at 600 Stockton Street near California DESCRIPTION: Join a major protest against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at one of his exclusive fundraising events. Donors are expected to contribute up to $89,200 per head to hobnob with the governor. Organizers call on the governor to: stop his plan to privatize retirement security, end his corporate auction of Californians, respect the law, and enforce the Safe Staffing Law for hospital patients, as ordered by the courts, keep his promise to pay back the $2 billion he borrowed from our schools. For more information, call 510-273-2240. TUESDAY, APRIL 5 WHAT: Housing and Land Use working group WHEN: Tuesday, April 5 at 7 PM WHERE: SFGP Office, located at 1028 A Howard Street between 6th and 7th Streets in San Francisco DESCRIPTION: This working group focuses on developing policies for the Green Party around housing, development and land use issues. Discussions include developing issues for the monthly Housing and Land Use seminars, Housing Element, Environmental Impact Reports and zoning, Board of Supervisor actions on housing and land use related issues. For more information, contact Chair David Wilbur at drwsf@sbcglobal.net. THURSDAY, APRIL 7 WHAT: Feminist Issues Group (FIG) meeting WHEN: Thursday, April 7, 6:30 PM pizza, 7 PM meeting WHERE: SFGP Office, located at 1028 A Howard Street between 6th and 7th Streets in San Francisco DESCRIPTION: Feminist Issues Group (FIG) is the women's caucus of the SF Green Party. All women are invited to attend and discuss issues important to women in politics. FIG Co-Chair Irene Dick-Endrizzi is working on getting a War Tax Resistor (or two) to tell us of their experiences. For more information, contact Co-Chairs Irene Dick-Endrizzi at irdizzi@pacbell.net or Maureen DeBoer at Maureen_deboer@hotmail.com. UPDATE ON AIMEE ALLISON FOR OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL CAMPAIGN Aimee Allison's campaign for Oakland City Council is gaining momentum. The campaign is looking for volunteers for various activities. Office Staff Needed Volunteers are needed to help staff our headquarters on weekdays between 10 AM - 8 PM. This is a great way to get involved in the ground floor of Aimee's campaign, help us keep up with our data entry needs, and meet Oakland supporters. Plus there is always free coffee and bagles on hand! Phone Banking The campaign is in the process of calling all voters in the district who have expressed support for Aimee. We have currently identified hundreds of people who will vote for Aimee in the upcoming special election, however, we need to ID hundreds more before April 18, when the ballots go out in the mail. Precinct Walking/Tabling Help contact voters and educate them about the special election in Oakland and get exercise at the same time! We will be sending out teams of walkers every weekend to deliver Aimee Allison for City Council information throughout the district. Teams will also go to high foot traffic areas to set up info tables and distribute literature to residents. If you or anyone you know can devote 10-15 hours per week for the next 4-6 weeks to get an incredible candidate elected, please contact Aimee's campaign at vote@aimeeallison.org or call 510-594-7772. Or, you can contact Micheas at 415-424-5881. http://www.aimeeallison.org SFGP MONTHLY MEETING DATES The SFGP County Council is putting together a calendar of regularly scheduled internal Green Party events. Below is the current schedule of events by week for the San Francisco Green Party. Please send any corrections/additions to our SFGP County Council, cc@sfgreens.org. 1st Week: M: Campaigns and Issues working group meeting T; Housing and Land Use working group meeting W: Grass Roots Organizing (tabling and outreach) GROW working group meeting Th: Feminist Issues Group (FIG) meeting 2nd Week: M: Open T: Open W: SF Green Party County Council meeting Th: Open Sun: Westside Greens Meeting (this group meets in the Sunset) 3rd Week: M: Open T: Housing and Land Use Seminar W: SF Green Party General Meeting Th: Open Fri: Art Opening at Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's office 4th Week: M: Open T: Energy AND Transportation working group meetings W: Open Th: Open F: SF School Board Art Party Thanks to all of our members for your continued support! Warm Regards, Erika McDonald For future suggestions regarding the newsletter, send items to our San Francisco Green Party County Council at cc@sfgreens.org.