[SFGP] SF Green Party Weekly

[announce at sfgreens.org]

SFGP WEEKLY
For The Week of 7/7/05 - 7/14/05
This Week:
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News:
7/1: Medea Benjamin Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize
7/5: A Lawsuit On Behalf of the Children of SFUSD
7/7: Divisadero Chain Stores On Endangered List
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- 7/7: Speakers Needed at Public Comment
- 7/8: California Minimum Wage
- 7/8: Spoken Word Show
- 7/9: The World Can't Wait Forum
- 7/10: Green Sunday
- 7/11: Campaigns and Issues Working Group Meeting
- 7/11: One-Woman Play: A Fool Runs For Congress
- 7/14: Book Release and Art Show
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More Events:
- Walk San Francisco's Peak to Peak Walk
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Announcements:
- Joke of the Week
- Become A Sustainer!
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News
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7/1: Medea Benjamin Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize
www.codepink.org
Medea Benjamin is among the 1,000 women collectively nominated for the Nobel 
Peace Prize. These courageous women from 150 countries are honored for their 
daily commitment to fostering peace and bringing justice to all corners of 
the globe. These women lead by example; they offer us a path to change and 
often under dire circumstances. Peace is more than the absence of war; it is 
human security, equality and opportunity. These basic ideals don’t come 
easily, if at all, to most of the world’s people. The 1,000 brave women 
being honored spend their lives trying to make the culture of peace a global 
reality.
“This is a great honor for me, and also for all the women of CODEPINK who've 
been working so hard for peace over the last three years. And this is an 
amazing opportunity to promote the work of all 1,000 women on this list, who 
in their own special ways are pushing and striving and protesting for peace 
and justice,” was Medea’s response after hearing the news.
Forty of the 1,000 women nominated are from the US. In addition to Medea, 
five of the women nominated are contributors to CODEPINK’s newest book Stop 
The Next War Now, Barbara Lee, Cynthia McKinney, Elise Marie Biorn-Hansen 
Boulding, Noeleen Heyzer and Holly Near.
Dana, Farida, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Nancy, Rae, and Tiffany
P.S. Join Arundhati Roy and the Jury of Conscience from the World Tribunal 
in Iraq, endorse their findings and recommendations and read more about this 
historic event.

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7/5: A Lawsuit On Behalf of the Children of SFUSD
by Kim-Shree Maufas
It was just last November when San Francisco Schools Superintendent Arlene 
Ackerman received a raise from $223,526 to $250,000 plus at a “special” 
Friday evening meeting after Veterans’ Day. The public was given only 22 
hours notice – all SFUSD public meetings require 72 hours notice to the 
public – and her contract was approved by a 4-3 vote.
School Board Commissioners Eric Mar, Mark Sanchez and Sarah Lipson voted no, 
while fellow Commissioners Dr. Dan Kelly, Eddie Chin and Jill Wynns voted 
yes for the raise, with the deciding fourth vote being cast by exiting 
mayoral appointee Heather Hiles. Hiles had suffered a crushing defeat at the 
polls just a week before in her attempt to be elected to the School Board.
........
The legality of the meeting and consequently of Ackerman’s pay raise is 
questionable – and unconscionable – because of a state law stating that a 
county superintendent can only receive an increase in his or her salary or 
benefits at a “regularly scheduled public meeting of the board.”
The School Board and Ackerman are responsible to the San Francisco Unified 
School District (SFUSD). Law firm Gonzalez & Leigh LLP, comprised of former 
Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez and his long-time associate 
Whitney Leigh, have filed the suit on behalf of plaintiffs Alan Wong, a 
student; Tami Bryant, a parent; first grade teacher Jeremiah Jeffries; and 
concerned citizen Jacques Fitch. Leigh is African-American, and the firm is 
taking on the case pro bono (free).
Read the full article at:
http://sfbayview.com/062905/lawsuit062905.shtml
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Divisadero chain stores on endangered list
By Justin Jouvenal
Staff Writer
For 11 years, Mike Zagha has worked to build Bean Bag Coffee House into a
neighborhood spot with local flavor. He has created a loyal following and
business is good, but he still fears one thing: a large coffee chain, such
as Starbucks, moving in nearby.
"I believe in capitalism, but unfortunately I would not be able to compete,"
Zagha said of his business on Divisadero at Hayes Street. "We don't have the
same money to spend on advertisement. They can also go cheaper than us. We
buy 20 pounds of coffee, but they buy 2,000 pounds."
Seeking to help small businesses like Zagha's, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi has
proposed an ordinance that would make it more difficult for chains to locate
on a nine-block stretch of Divisadero Street between Hayes and Turk streets
in the Western Addition. The ordinance follows a similar initiative in Cole
Valley, as well as bans on chain stores in North Beach and Hayes Valley last
year.
The new ordinance requires any chains with 11 or more stores that maintains
standardized merchandise and esthetics to get a special waiver, known as a
conditional use permit, from the Planning Commission to locate on the
stretch. Supporters said it is a way to maintain one of the most charming
features of San Francisco ‹ its diverse mom-and-pop businesses and
distinctive neighborhoods, which they believe chains might undermine and
homogenize.
Mirkarimi said his legislation allows the neighborhood to have a chain if it
truly wants one, but only after a rigorous process.
"It empowers the community, while giving it an exit strategy as well,"
Mirkarimi said.
Read the full story at:
http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/07/06/news/2005070706_ne03_chains.prt
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Events
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Public Speakers Needed at SF Board of Supervisors Meetings
Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8
Various times
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlet Pl. (SF City Hall)
For More information on these issues, contact Bruce Wolfe 
(Bruce at Brucewolfe.net)
THURSDAY:

RULES COMMITTEE @ 1:00pm in Room 263
SUPPORT
4.  050818  [Charter Amendment - Dividing appointments to the Municipal 
Transportation Agency's Board of Directors between the Mayor and the Board 
of Supervisors]  Supervisor Ammiano
Charter amendment (Third Draft) to amend Section 8A.102, to divide 
appointments to the Municipal Transportation Agency’s Board of Directors 
between the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors.
SUPPORT

5.  031567  [Charter Amendment - Establishing an Emergency Health Care 
Services Fund and baseline funding for the Fund]  Supervisor Daly
Charter Amendment (Fourth Draft) to add Section 16.126 to increase the 
fiscal authority of the Health Commission and establish a stable baseline 
funding level for the Department of Public Health to ensure the continued 
operation of San Francisco public health services.
FRIDAY:
SPECIAL RULES COMMITTEE @ 1:00pm in Room 263
OPPOSE

1.  050925  [Charter Amendment - Minimum qualifications for members of City 
bodies that oversee and administer election, campaign finance, lobbying, 
conflict of interest, open meeting and public records  Supervisor 
Alioto-Pier
Charter Amendment (Second Draft) to add Section 15.104 to create minimum 
qualifications for members of City bodies that oversee and administer 
election, campaign finance, lobbying, conflict of interest, open meeting and 
public records laws.
SUPPORT

2.  050928  [Charter Amendment - Ethics Commission Charter Amendment]  
Supervisor Mirkarimi
Charter Amendment (Second Draft) to amend Section C3.699-14 to establish a 
budget process for the Ethics Commission and add Section C3.99.15 to 
authorize the hiring of outside counsel for specified conflicts.

FRIDAY:
LAFCo MEETING @ Noon in Room 250
SUPPORT CCA (Speak to Supe Mirkarimi's office and/or members of CCA 
Coalition inc Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Women's Energy Matters, Local Power, 
Our City, etc)
3.  Status of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Community Choice 
Aggregation Implementation Plan. (Discussion and Action Item) (Continued 
from June 17, 2005).
4.  Recommendation of Amendments to the Community Choice Aggregation 
Implementation Plan Submitted to the Board of Supervisors (Discussion and 
Action tem) (Continued from June 17, 2005).
5.  Resolution on Policy and Program Recommendations for Community Choice 
Aggregation Implementation Plan (Discussion and Action)
6.  Policy Discussion and action regarding prevention of any barriers 
towards full implementation of Community Choice Aggregation (Discussion and 
Action Item) (Continued from June 17, 2005).
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California Minimum Wage
Friday, July 8th
1:00- 3:30pm
555 Ellis St., SF
Join us on July 8th as members of the religious community, organized labor, 
Green Party, Democratic Party and community/non-profit organizations come 
together to prepare for a California Minimum Wage Ballot Measure For 
November 2006.  It will be an opportunity to meet other advocates, lay out a 
calendar for developing a minimum wage initiative for the November 2006 
ballot, identify tasks that need to be accomplished and establish working 
groups.
The California legislature is currently considering legislation to raise the 
minimum wage, which the governor will most likely veto. To qualify for the 
November 2006 ballot, legislation must be drafted
by September so that we can begin gathering signatures by November of this 
year.  Space is limited so please RSVP.
Contact:  Barry Hermanson
               415-664-7754 (Home/office)
               415-255-9494 (Cell)
                barry at hermansons.com
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Spoken Word Show
Friday, July 8th
7pm.
Phoenix Books, 24th Street @ Vicksberg, Noe Valley San Francisco
This Friday, June 8th please join us for a very special reading at Phoenix 
Books. New York City's Dewayne Dickerson is the headliner. Dewayne is a 
powerhouse reader, author of the book Chubby on V52 Books, has a film made 
about him, and will just rock the house down. Don't miss him! It might be 
awhile until he returns to this coast. Also, Melissa Klein will read 
accompanied by Sara Shortt on guitar. Melissa is the creator of Inkling 
Magazine and has a piece in the "It's All Good" anthology from Manic D 
Press.
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The World Can't Wait Forum
Saturday, July 9th
3:00-6:00pm
Valencia Street Books, 569 Valencia St. (btwn. 16th and 17th Sts.), SF
Come to a forum on Saturday and hear:
Larry Everest, correspondent for Revolution newspaper, author of Oil, Power, 
and Empire, Iraq and the U.S. Global Agenda-- Reporting back from the World 
Tribunal on Iraq which just concluded in and which found GW Bush guilty of 
crimes against humanity...
C. Clark Kissinger, writer for Revolution newspaper, Coordinator of the 2002 
Not in Our Name Statement of Conscience and one of the initiators of the 
campaign to Drive Out the Bush Regime (2005).  Kissinger will talk about 
torture and the Bush regime drive to transform the legal system to serve its 
ends...
And Travis Morales, member of the Revolutionary Communist Party and one of 
the initiators of the campaign to Drive Out the Bush Regime
"The Bush is setting out to radically remake society very quickly in a 
fascist way and for generations to come.  We must act now, the future is in 
the balance".   (From the worldcantwait.org website)
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Green Sunday
Sunday, July 10th
5:00 - 6:30 pm
6501 Telegraph Ave, north Oakland
Green Candidates, Green Officeholders and Lessons Learned

What does it take to run a competent and serious electoral campaign rooted 
in Green values?  What roles can Green Party activists and allies play in 
the campaign?  What should the relationships look like between the 
candidate, the party and the broader progressive movement?  How about once 
the candidate wins and is in office?  What roles do (or should) Green 
electoral campaigns play in transforming our communities and the United 
States to a Green society?
Join other local Greens including our presenters: Wilson Riles, former 
Oakland City Councilmember and mayoral candidate who joined the Green Party 
shortly after his Green-endorsed campaign for mayor in 2002, and John 
Selawsky, Berkeley Green and current Berkeley School Board member.
Beverages and snacks will be provided.
LOCATION: Niebyl-Proctor Library
6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland.
DIRECTIONS: One block north of Alcatraz on the West side of Telegraph, 
wheelchair accessible. Served directly by AC Transit routes 40, 64 & 17 with 
6, 51 & 43 nearby. Ashby BART is approximately 7 blocks away.
SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs &discussions sponsored 
by the Outreach Working Group of the Green Party of Alameda County. They are 
held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the 
County Council of the Green Party of Alameda County follows at 6:45 p.m.
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Campaigns and Issues Working Group Meeting
Monday, July 11th
7:00pm- 9:00pm
1025A Howard St. (SFGP Office)
Our regularly scheduled meeting for the first Monday of the month is moved 
back one week to accommodate the July 4 holiday.
Topics include: finalizing the candidate questionnaires for Assessor, 
Treasurer, City Attorney, planning discussions for the General Membership 
endorsement of initiatives, planning informational forums around issues and 
candidates on this November's ballot.
If you are promoting an issue or candidate for the ballot, please contact to 
Campaigns and Issues co-chairs to request time on our agenda to discuss the 
campaign.
Susan King; funking at mindspring.com Marc Salomon: marc at cybre.net Charlene 
Smythe: cmsmythe2002 at yahoo.com
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One-Woman Play: A Fool Runs for Congress or How Green Was My Ballot
Monday, July 11th
8:00pm
The Marsh
1062 Valencia @ 22nd (Parking garage @ 21st/Bartlett)
Admission: $7
Come see former Green Congressional candidate Terry Baum's new one-woman 
play, 'A Fool Runs for Congress, or How Green Was My Ballot'
"The play is based on my 2004 campaign as the Green Party nominee for U.S. 
Congress.  The July 11 excerpt describes the time I and three of my 
supporters were arrested for sitting in at the Department of Elections, in 
an effort to get the D.O.E. to count all my write-in votes." - Terry Baum
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Book Release and Art Show
Thursday, July 14
6:00- 9:00pm
Urbis Artium Gallery
Green Party and FIG member judy b. celebrates the publication of her fiction 
collection: Stories for Airports.
The book is locally created, designed, and typset, and printed in an East 
Bay union shop on 100% recycled paper using soy-based inks.
Also playing: Departure, an art show curated by the book's cover designer, 
Kai Haley, and featuring a bevy of local talent.
Come join the party at Urbis Artium, 104 Second St., 6th Floor. For more 
information: http://onzeproductions.com or (415) 673-4696
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More Events:
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Walk San Francisco’s Peak to Peak Walk
Saturday, July 23

Walk San Francisco will be holding their first annual “Peak to Peak Walk”, a
12-mile challenge that will inspire even the most avid walker. Walkers will
get a unique view of San Francisco’s skyline, stairways, paths, parks, and
monuments — all while raising money for WalkSF’s vital pedestrian safety and
advocacy work.
Visit www.walksf.org to download a registration form and for more
information. REGISTRATION DEADLINE - July 15.
Current WalkSF member: $65
New WalkSF member: $75
(415) 431-WALK    www.walksf.org    director at walksf.org

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Announcements:
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Joke of the Week
Submitted by Karen Fishkin

How Many?
How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to change a light 
bulb?
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed.

2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to 
be changed.

3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb.

4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing 
the light bulb or for darkness.

5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for thenew 
light bulb.

6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a 
step ladder under the banner:" Light Bulb Change Accomplished".

7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in 
detail how Bush was literally in the dark.

8. One to viciously smear #7.

9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had 
a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along.

10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between 
screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.

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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

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For more info on our activities, please see our website,
http://www.sfgreenparty.org. You can also email us questions at
info at sfgreens.org.  To send us news items (short blurb please, plain
text only) for possible inclusion in the newsletter, email
news at sfgreens.org.  Please don't put these addresses on mailing lists;
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