[SFGP] San Francisco Green Party Weekly DRAFT

[announce at sfgreens.org]

SFGP WEEKLY
For The Week of 6/9/05 - 6/16/05
(Cause we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy!)


This Week:
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BRAND NEW!!!!
SFGP Weekly Staff Presents:
Joke of The Week
Cheney and the Bushes on a Plane

Dick Cheney, President Bush and his father are flying on Air Force One. Dick 
looks at Dubya, chuckles and says, "You know, I could throw a $100.00 bill 
out the window right now and make one person very happy."

Dubya shrugs his shoulders and says, "Well, I could throw ten $10.00 bills 
out the window and make 10 people very happy." George Bush Senior says, "Of 
course then, I could throw one-hundred $1.00 bills out the window and make a 
hundred people very happy."

The pilot rolls her eyes, looks at all of them and says, "I could throw all 
of you out the window and make the whole country happy."

Bonus Joke!!
California's Letter of Secession
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/jokes/bljokecaliforniasecession.htm

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News:
6/7: Federal IRV Bill in Congress
6/3: Green Party Presents Real Vision For World Environment Day
5/31: Bayview Gears Up For World Environment Day
5/31: NY Mayor Jason West Back In Court
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Events:
- 6/11: S.F. People's Convention
- 6/12: Haight/Ashbury Street Fair
- 6/13: Press Conference with School Board Members
- 6/15: General Membership Meeting
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Announcements:
- Welcome new official SFGP Weekly Editor Nicole Walter
- Formation of Animal Rights Working Group
- Formation of Youth Working Group
- Become A Sustainer!

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6/7: Federal IRV Bill In Congress- It's Lobbyin' Time!
Courtesy of GPUS Youth Caucus
(article reprinted in full)
From: Mike Gillis
Guys, as you know, I'm a huge supporter of Instant Run-Off Voting (
http://www.chrisgates.net/irv/ )and Proportional Representation (if 40% of
the vote is Democratic, 40% of the seats go to Democrats, if 10% of the vote
is Green, Greens get 10% of the seats...etc.)..
and there's a bill in Congress right now called the Voter Choice Act (HB
2690) sponsored by Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia that would require that
all federal elections would be using Instant Run-Off Voting by the 2008
Election. This would also provide the funds necessary for states to switch
over to IRV technology, which isn't a giant change, since you can still use
paper optical scan ballots.
HB 2690 would also allow states to use proportional voting systems for
Congress – indeed restoring a power states held as recently as 1967, when
New Mexico and Hawaii elected House members from multi-seat districts.
More info here:

http://www.fairvote.org/index.php?page=1055

On the link above, you can read the entire language of the bill....
I'm going to provide you guys with all of the links and phone numbers to the
House switch board to make this as painless as possible for you. IRV gives
voters more power, eliminates the "spoiler" effect, makes elected officials
more accountable to voters, makes elections more competitive and encourages
more people to vote.
It's a system that's been used by Australia, Ireland, the Utah Republican
Party for primaries, The Heisman Trophy, the American Political Science
Association, the Academy Awards and was just used to huge success in San
Fransisco for citiwide elections, where 85% of people said they understood
it, 60% said they preferred it and only 13% didn't like (the rest didn't
care).
It's supported by people like Howard Dean, Ralph Nader and Senator John
McCain. It's a non-partisan reform that benefits all voters of all political
stripes. It breaks the glass ceiling for third parties and independent
candidates and gives voters more power over bad representatives who face
worse opposition and allows the voter to leverage them into being better
officials.
Please, write and call your Congressmen and Senators about this, tell them
to support the Voter Choice Act (HB 2690) because it makes elections more
competitive, fairer, guarantees majority consent of the electorate and would
increase voter turn out. Also tell them you will watch how they vote and
remember it in 2006.  Be sure to mention the name of the bill.
You needn't write them a massive letter or talk their ear off.. Brief and to
the point is best. I promise you you'll only be on the phone for like a
minute.
Here's how to find your Congressmen:
You can find them below. Click in your zip code and your state and you'll
get their email address and phone number for their office.
http://www.house.gov/writerep
If you can, both call and write a brief email. But it's the phone calls that
really make an impact.
Contact DNC Chair Howard Dean and remind him of his open support of IRV and
encourage him to tell the Democratic Party to support it.
http://www.democrats.org/contact/
Contact Senator John McCain and tell him to remember his past support for
IRV (he did a radio ad for an IRV bill for Alaska) and telll him to work on
a Senate version of the bill.
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home
Please let me know if you're written or called, it's nice to know if there's
movement on this... Thanks guys!

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6/3: Green Party Presents Real Vision for World Environment Day
By: Casey Mills
Source: BeyondChron.org

Across the street from the World Environmental Day (WED) celebration at City 
Hall, where a variety of $100,000-plus hydrogen cars, displays sponsored by 
the likes of Shell and Coca-Cola, and a supposedly ‘environmental-friendly’ 
Hummer sat, the San Francisco Green Party issued a call for real 
environmental justice in our city and the world.
Rallying in front of the public library, a diverse array of Green Party 
members spoke on issues ranging from local to global. Green representatives 
from a variety of campaigns attended, including activists working to shut 
down a PG&E plant, improve public transportation, and to stop clear-cutting. 
Susan King, who helped organize the event, tied the high level of Green 
Party activism in city and national campaigns to the group's founding 
values.

Read the whole article at
http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=1344
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5/31: Mayor Will Face Trial For Marrying Gay Couples
A top N.Y. court acts after protests
By Michael Gormley, Associated Press  |  May 28, 2005

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The village mayor who challenged New York law by marrying 
gay couples last year will face trial, the state's highest court ruled 
yesterday.
Jason West, mayor of New Paltz, N.Y., faces 24 misdemeanor counts of 
violating the state's domestic relations law by marrying couples without 
licenses in late February 2004. He faces fines and up to a year in jail if 
convicted.
Read the whole article at
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/05/28/a_mayor_will_face_trial_for_marrying_gay_couples/
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5/31: Bayview gears up for World Environment Day
By: Marie Harrison
Source: Bay View Newspaper

As a week of activities for United Nations World Environment Day approaches, 
Bayview Hunters Point continues its fight for environmental justice. In the 
midst of feel-good, look-good events at posh venues like the Metreon Theater 
in San Francisco, grassroots organizations and residents are gearing up for 
the largest environmental justice rally in San Francisco’s history.
Planned for the front steps of San Francisco City Hall on Saturday, June 4, 
at 11 a.m., the rally is sponsored by 48 groups so far, with more signing on 
daily. It’s entitled “From Bayview Hunters Point to Communities around the 
World.”
We should feel tremendous pride that organizations from across the United 
States will be standing in solidarity with our struggles against the PG&E 
Hunters Point Power Plant and other polluters that foul our air, water and 
soil. We need to put those folks on the endangered species list — as they 
have for many residents in our community.

Read the whole article at
http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=1342
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Events
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S.F. People's Convention
Saturday, June 11
8:30am- 5:00pm
St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough
Come to the San Francisco Peoples' Organization's founding convention and be 
a part of this burgeoning progressive coalition! Speakers for this event 
include Medea Benjamin, Michael Franti, Sup. Ross Mirkarimi,Matt Gonzalez, 
and Sup. Chris Daly. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
(415) 546-1342,
www.sfpeople.org.
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Haight Ashbury Street Fair
Sunday, June 12
11:00am-5:30pm
Haight Street from Stanyan to Masonic
Join your fellow Greens to register voters, socialize, shop, hear great 
music, and just have fun!  Look for the Green Party booth staffed by members 
of our own GROW Working Group!
We always have a party at our Haight booth (between Ashbury & Clayton on 
Haight) and there will be food and drink for volunteers.
This is the ideal location to start our summer voter registration drive. 
More details to follow. If you can help with transportation from the SFGP 
office or back, food or tabling, contact Mark Barnes: mwbsf at riseup.net
Great local artists, progressive groups, and musicians.

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School Board Press Conference
Monday, June 13
4pm.
1088 Harrison St.
Press Conference on the School District's budget cuts with President Eric 
Mar, Mark Sanchez and Sarah Lipson.
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Green Party General Membership Meeting
Wednesday, June 15
7:30pm- 9:30pm
1028A Howard St. (in SOMA between 6th and 7th Sts.)
This is our regularly scheduled GM meeting. Agenda TBA, please contact the 
county council if you have an item you would like to see the SF Green Party 
discuss. contact Susan King at funking at mindspring.com

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Announcements:
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NEW SFGP EDITOR CONFIRMED
A big welcome to the new official SFGP Weekly Editor Nicole Walter, 
confirmed by the SFGCC on Wednesday, June 8!  Send her your suggestions 
about how to improve the Weekly to nicolewalter42 at yahoo.com

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ATTENTION ANIMAL-LOVING GREEN PARTY MEMBERS

I am seeking people to start an animal working group with in the San
Francisco Green Party. The mission of this group would be to become a
voice for animals in the Green Party, and support, work with, and
represent animal advocacy groups such as In Defense of Animals
(www.idausa.org).  Ecological wisdom is one of the Green Party's Ten
Key Values. According to the Green Party of California's platform on
ecology and earth stewardship, this also includes treating animals
well and respecting their needs
(http://cagreens.org/platform/ecology.htm#ethical). Let's live up to this
promise!
Of course, I'm open any kind of ideas and suggestions on how we can make
this happen. To contact me, I can be emailed at rclord at seaserpent.com
- Rosalind Lord

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STUDENTS, TEENS, ALL YOUNG PEOPLE!

Under 30?
Feeling left out of the decision-making process?
Have some really cool ideas?
Want to talk about issues that matter to you?
Want to have fun and be heard?

Now is your chance!  Did you know that one of the Green Party's goals
is *promoting* youth empowerment?  It's time to speak up and tell us
what *you* want!  We are looking for more young people to take part in
active membership in the San Francisco Green Party.  Not 18 yet?  Not
a problem- all you need to do is say that you identify with us, and
you're in!  We plan to meet one night a month somewhere in the city,
hang out, have fun, and talk about issues important to youth today.
We're still looking for people, so e-mail your suggestions to Nicole
(ladypest at hotmail.com) with the subject "Youth WG" in the
title.

This week's topics:
Writing Our Charter!

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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 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
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