[SFGP] SF Green Party Weekly

Thu Jun 30 14:20:24 PDT 2005

SFGP WEEKLY
For The Week of 6/30/05 - 7/7/05

Welcome to All Our New Subscribers From SF Pride 2005!

This Week:
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News:
6/13: Keep on Reforming
6/29: Against All Enemies
6/30: Spain Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
6/30: Ethics Commission Charter Amendment From Sup. Ross Mirkarimi
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Events:
- 7/2: Voter Reg at SF Mime Troupe
- 7/6: Support Immigrant's Rights
- 7/7: Register New Citizens
- 7/7: FIG Meeting
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More Events:
- Walk San Francisco's Peak to Peak Walk
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Announcements:
- Pride Pics
- Joke of the Week
- Become A Sustainer!
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News
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Keep On Reforming
Steven Hill
Salon.com
June 13, 2005
Politics involves the art of achieving the possible. Rarely do you get what
you want, so you take what you can get. But when it comes to electoral
reform, reformers run the risk of overpromising in trying to gain attention
for their particular issue -- and can end up underdelivering, increasing
voters' cynicism.
Two of the most talked-about electoral reforms in the past decade have been
the public financing of election campaigns and the use of independent
commissions to redraw legislative district lines. While reformers have had
limited success passing those two reforms -- to date, only a handful of
states use either public financing or independent commissions, and even
fewer use both -- when enacted, the reforms have been accompanied by great
fanfare and hope.
Yet the impact of the two reforms has been disappointing, and it may be time
to extend our efforts at reform to the primary culprit in our broken
democracy: our winner-take-all elections.
Read the full article at
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/06/13/electoral_reform/print.html
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Against All Enemies
(this article on Arlene Ackerman mentions prominant local Greens such as 
Mark Sanchez, Sarah Lipson, Matt Gonzalez, Whitney Leigh, and Bruce Wolfe)
Tali Woodward and Steven T. Jones
SUPT. ARLENE Ackerman's long pattern of treating those who disagree with her 
as enemies has destroyed her relationships with key schools stakeholders and 
seriously restricted the district's ability to function.
Ackerman's battles with the elected San Francisco Board of Education have 
grabbed headlines for years, but this year she has simply stopped coming to 
many meetings, offering her recommendations on complicated and controversial 
issues, or engaging in more than cursory conversations with board members.
.......
Sarah Lipson has been the most soft-spoken of Ackerman's critics on the 
school board. For some time now, she's been the one who has been able to 
meet with the superintendent, the one who has tried to keep lines of 
communication open.
But over the past four months, Ackerman has cut off her regular monthly 
meeting with Lipson. "She's canceled every meeting without rescheduling," 
Lipson told us.
"We've always had disagreements, but we've always managed to work it out," 
Lipson continued. "Now she doesn't even look at me. It's worse than it's 
ever been."
Read the full article at:
http://www.sfbg.com/39/39/cover_ackerman.html
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6/30: Spainish Parliment Legalizes Gay Marriage- Bill also lets same-sex 
couples adopt children, inheret property
Associated Press
MADRID, Spain - Spain became the third country to legalize gay marriage 
Thursday in a parliament vote that left gay activists blowing kisses to 
lawmakers and the powerful Catholic Church issuing veiled calls for 
defiance.
The new law increases the chances of happiness for "our neighbors, our work 
colleagues, our friends, our relatives," said Prime Minister Jose Luis 
Rodriguez Zapatero.
The 50-seat Congress of Deputies, by a vote of 187-147 with four 
abstentions, approved the measure to give homosexual couples the same rights 
as heterosexual ones, including the right to adopt children.
Read the full article at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8413036/
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6/30: Important Ethics Commission Charter Amendment
The Office of Sup. Ross Mirkarimi
The proposed Charter Amendment would require the Ethics Commission to 
undertake a study, in conjunction with the Controller, of comparable 
agencies in other jurisdictions and to determine an appropriate level of 
staffing for the level of work the Ethics Commission has historically 
undertaken.  Based on this study, the Commission shall develop a baseline 
budget that provides for a minimum level of staffing.  Using the baseline 
budget, the Ethics Commission will submit to the Mayor a budget that 
estimates its financial needs for the next fiscal year, which may not be 
less than the baseline budget.  The Mayor must submit the budget to the 
Board as proposed by the Ethics Commission, with such recommendations as the 
Mayor deems appropriate.  The budget may be amended and adopted in 
accordance with the Article 9 of the Charter except that the Mayor may not 
reduce or reject any expenditure authorized by the Board of Supervisors 
related to the Commission.
In addition, the Commission must establish a process for updating its 
baseline budget determination every three years.  The first baseline budget 
determination may be in effect for fewer than three years in order to 
implement the three-year cycle in a manner that comports with the City's 
budget process.
The Commission must establish a timeline, not to exceed three years, for 
bringing its staffing in line with any baseline budget.
The proposed amendment would also provide the Commission authority to 
decide, by vote of a majority of its members, to retain outside counsel for 
any audit, the assessment of a fine or penalty or complaint when the City 
Attorney or a current employee of the City Attorney's office is the subject 
of the audit, fine or penalty, or complaint.
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Events
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Voter Reg at SF Mime Troupe
Saturday, July 2
12:00 noon
Music 1:30pm, Show 2:00pm
Dolores Park, 18th & Dolores - San Francisco

See a free show sponsored by the SF Mime Troupe and register voters with the
SF Green Party before and after the show.  This year's production will be
"Doing Good" inspired by the book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man."
For more information, contact Mark Barnes
mwbsf at riseup.net

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Support Immigrant's Rights
Wednesday July 6
11:00am- 12:00 noon (leave SF at 7L00am)
Sacramento, CA
Immigrants from various cities in Northern California will convene in
Sacramento on July 6 to demand that California offer unmarked drivers
licenses to undocumented residents and keep the border vigilantes out of the
state ! This is a critical moment for immigrant communities to assert their
agenda in statewide politics ! Please join us in this effort !
WHAT: Immigrants go to Sacramento to demand licenses and no Minutemen.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 6, leave San Francisco at 7 am.
WHERE: To leave from San Francisco, a bus will pick up participants in front
of Centro del Pueblo, 474 Valencia St. #295 (at 16th St.), San Francisco.

SCHEDULE:
7:00 am Depart from Centro del Pueblo (474 Valencia St., San Francisco) on
bus.
9:00 am Arrive at State Capital, in Sacramento
10:00 am Meeting with Assemblyperson Gil Cedillo to discuss his drivers
license legislation (We want UNMARKED licenses!)
11:00 am Press Conference on front steps of the State Capital and rally
against Governor Swarzenegger's mean spirited proposals and his support of
the vigilante minutemen who terrorize immigrants at the US Border.
Lunch will be provided.

Please RSVP to Renee Saucedo (415) 553-3404.
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Register New Citizens
Thursday, July 7
8:30am- 12:00 noon
Masonic Auditorium, Nob Hill, California at Jones, San Francisco
We need Greens to be there by 8:30am to get out the word that there is
another choice (or come later just to register after swearing in). No longer
do citizens have to choose the lesser of two evils!  Mark your calendar to
register new citizens and inform the public about who we are and what we
value.
For more information, contact Pat Gray patgray.green at att.net
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FIG (Feminist Issues Group) Meeting
Thursday, July 7
6:30pm
1028A Howard St. (SFGP Office)
Agenda items so far...until you all email more...
--Vicki Leidner on her candidacy for City Assessor (Herself)
--Recap/debrief on SF People's Organization Kickoff event (Erika, or others
who were there, can you speak about this?)
--Welfare to Work Mom's--how are they doing now? (Irene)
Please email more items and if you plan to attend.
Thank you,
Maureen & Irene

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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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Pride Pics

See pictures of the Green Party contingent at the 2005 SF Pride Parade at:
http://photos.sfsurvey.com/gaypride/index314.asp

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Joke of the Week
Proud to Be a Green

A first grade teacher in the Midwest is explaining to her class that she is
a Republican and how nice it is that a new Republican president has taken
office. She asks her students to raise their hands if they, too, are
Republicans and support George Bush.  Everyone in class raises their hands
except one little girl.  "Mary," says the teacher with surprise, "why didn't
you raise your hand?"  Because I'm not a Republican," says Mary. "Well, what
are you?" asks the teacher.  "I'm a Green and proud of it," replies the
little girl.  The teacher cannot believe her ears. "My goodness, Mary, why
are you a Green?" she asks. "Well, my momma and papa are Greens, so I'm a
Green, too."  "Well," says the teacher in an annoyed tone, "that's no reason
for you to be a Green. You don't always have to be like your parents. What
if your momma was a criminal and your papa was a criminal, too, what would
you be then?" Mary smiled. "Then we'd be Republicans."

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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
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