Green Party Watch

The reason for this thread is simple – Make a list of candidates you would like to see on the Green Party ticket in 2012. This would include the Presidential, Congressional, and Senate races. At the state and local level, also make a list of who you would like to see run.

Now, what is the point? The point is that we can all see who we would like to see nominated, perhaps names we had never before considered, and see what the consensus is.

Just throw any name out there, from environmentalists, radicals, independents, non-Greens, celebrities, politicians, etc. Try to make your list concise by organizing it around the Presidential, Senate, Congressional, and state/local races.

Here’s a quick example(I live in Los Angeles):

President: Laura Wells, Howie Hawkins, Cynthia Mckinney, Cindy Sheehan, Bernie Sanders, Cornell West, Kent Mesplay, Ralph Nader

Senate: Jesse Ventura, Laura Wells, Jello Biafra, Matt Gonzalez, Ian Murphy, Howie Hawkins, Kent Mesplay, Mike Feinstein

Congress: Laura Wells, Cornell West, Deacon Alexander, Mike Feinstein

Los Angeles mayor: Ed Begley Jr., Deacon Alexander, Derek Iverson, Julia Butterfly Hill, Tom Morello

For local races, perhaps it would be best to consult your state Green Party and see what they think.

This is an example. The key in to throw out as many names out there as possible. The goal is to present this list to the national Green Party and state Green Party and ask them if we would consider nominating them on the Green Party ticket.

The San Fernando Valley Green Party has seen a recent surge of outreach, networking, and coalition building; this is how a grassroots movement is built. Our principles of social justice, environmental responsibility, grassroots democracy, and non-violence will prove to be the way of the future if we are to build the party in the next few years, and I am confident people will not give up to reach an attainable goal of informing our fellow citizens about the importance of the Green Party and the voting power we all hold. So with that, here are some of the thing that we have been working on…

-The San Fernando Valley Green Party held a successful candidates forum on February 21st on the eve of the Los Angeles city elections. SFV Green Party leader Michael Mccue hosted the forum and led the proceedings throughout the event. The real winners here were the people who attended, who became informed about issues and their candidate’s stances concerning how the city of Los Angeles is being managed and (mis)managed.

-Green Party activist Eugene Hernandez gives pep talks to local Mission college students, informing them about the Green Party and encouraging students to consider the Green Party as their alternative for the future. Eugene was allowed to speak inside various classrooms, which allowed him to reach a minimum of 200 students who heard his Green Party war-cry. Students, being open to this new and vibrant party, gave him their email in order to become volunteers for the party. Constant tabling every week, in addition, gave him the chance to register people as Greens.

-San Fernando Valley Green Party table 3 booths around the valley on St. Patrick’s Day, with all participating members commencing at a St.Paddy’s day-centered event in Canoga Park.

- 22 year old Green Party activist Edy Alvarez begins campaign on mutiple fronts. The campaign to have Green Party chapters rename their Facebook pages to include “Partido Verde” in their title. Networking at Los Angeles Valley college with tabling, registering, fundraising, and speaking to students about the Green Party. The campaign to have longtime Greens re-consider running this election cycle, as the only way to build the movement as the German and Canadian Greens have is to have people running for all districts. This includes encouraging independents who like Green Party politics but have never considered running. The creation of 3 new facebook pages, with the goals of informing Democrats, Republicans, and Independents as to why they should consider the Green Party as their new party. Encouraging new changes to be made at GreenPartyWatch.

-San Fernando Valley Green Party activist Robin Gilbert leads local petitioning on the “Yes on H” campaign for clean and honest Los Angeles city elections. With Los Angeles voters on board, the measure is approved, leading the way for cleaner and honest elections.

-San Fernando Valley Green Party members and California Libertarians take part of mutual softball game in hopes of working together in the future on key issues of agreement. The way forward is to work with activists, third party activists, who wish to see the elelctions open up to third parties. The first step is to hold our own debates and hold the Democrats and Republicans accountable. The process has already begun to hold our own debates at CSUN.

-Tia Chucha’s-sponsored event at Mission college gives SFV Greens tabling booth, increasing awareness for the Green Party.

-San Fernando Valley Green Party sets up booth at Worldfest on May 22nd, with Green Party California Gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells, former Green Party Santa Monica Mayor Mike Feinstein, and Green Party activists speaking to event goers about the future and how the Green Party is the imperative if we are to have a sustainable world to hand off to our future generations. With people genuinely wanting a better world, they changed their registration and were welcomed into the Green Party.

-Talks for systemic networking and participation from Valley registered Green Party members who perhaps have never participated in local membership-building, but might be willing to become active. This includes fundraising, tabling, merchandise, internet, and running in local races.

Well, to all those that managed to read through, I could have written more, but I could go on and on. I hope this inspires you to stay active in the Green Party as we have seen the Green Party grow immensely around the world in the last ten years, and the change we want to see will begin if we become active. Let’s do it, together! Here’s for the Green Party in 2012!

If you or someone you know is interested in the Los Angeles Green Party, leave a message here with your email and I will gladly add you to our Facebook and email list.

So I have concluded that I will go ahead and make the following three facebook pages.

“Dear Democrats: Think Green Party”
“Dear Republicans:Think Green Party”
“Dear Independents: Think Green Party”

My only concern is that I would like some people to help me be facilitators of the page. These pages could possibly become huge with lots of traffic, but until that time, I would like 2 people to help me facilitate the pages. Reply with your email if you are interested in helping. Here’s your chance to show the world what the Green Party is about!  Thanks!

Green Party 2012

The Green Party has not been able to appeal to Americans at large, plain and simple. The spoiler argument, wasting your vote, The Green Party who, What the hell is the Green Party, are the Green Party environmental freaks, does the Green Party have elected members, can I purchase any Green Party merchandise, what is their platform, etc. etc. You guys get the idea. That’s why I propose the following: the creation of 3 brand new Facebook pages to be headed by Green Party members who happen to have a little extra time on their hands. This is what I would ideally like to name the pages…

“Democrats for the Green Party”
“Republicans for the Green Party”
“Independents for the Green Party”

I really believe this idea could take off because we could present the Green Party platform to up to 500 million facebook users. Just think of all the exposure and possibilities. The Democrats and Republicans have been ripping apart the Green Party for too long, so we are going to push back with the power of the written word! Now is the time guys! Don’t wait. How much longer are we going to sit around and do nothing?

We need to hold the Green Party of California accountable in raising more money! Here, a concerned Facebook user asks why the Green Party does not require it’s registered members for monthly donations…(Some of the numbers are not exact, but hey, it gets the conversation going)

Someone asked me to explain what I meant by how small membership donations by the Green Party could result in more effective third party runs. So here it is:

This all began when I outlined something called the 5/25 plan which I thought the Green Party, or any other ambitious third party, should adopt. Your goal shouldn’t be too ambitious or based on something approaching the Rapture. (“People will just realize that the Green Party is right and the voters will be swept up into the sky and onward resulting in Green Party victory!”) I do think that the Rapture strategy is the operational strategy for the Green Party which is probably why they weren’t able to mount a very effective challenge against Alvin Greene, of all people.

But to not get too far off track, the 5/25 plan simply means walking before running. Let’s see if you can raise 35 million dollars to contest 5 senate seats and 25 house seats. From online sources I estimated that there were at least 300000 Americans who identified themselves as Green Party members. If all those Green Party members gave 10 dollars a month, then that would amount to 3 million dollars a month or 36 million dollars a year. You need at least 2 million to contest a senate seat in the average state, about 200000 to contest a US house seat. Those are minimums. If you can find someone who spent less money and won a house and senate seat please point that out to me. Keep in mind that Meg Whitman spent over a 100 million and lost the Governor’s race.

Well what does this mean for California Greens? I’ve been told that there are an estimated 50000 Greens in California. Ask them to commit to 10 dollars a month. This would mean 500000 a month or 6 million a year. This means you can run real races in California. If you can’t give that amount, which I can give even when I’m poor as dirt, then you’re not committed to change. Or at least committed to 10 dollar a month change. I should also point out that once it became clear that you were running real campaigns–with ads and dirt cheap field canvasses–then you would probably get more traction from small donors outside the Green Party. With that kind of money you could seriously contest several house seats and I would take a look at other seats if they’re available. A green Attorney General would be nice for those of us who would long for the day when corporations and fat cats might actually have to abide by the Rule of Law.

California could lead the way. I guarantee that after two years of actually contesting elections you will be much more successful than the national Green Party and their apparent wishful thinking strategy where Green Party candidates win without money and just because they’re right. Who knows. They might even make the Californian strategy a national strategy.

See the original post here: http://mirroruniverse.blogspot.com/2011/05/theory-behind-green-party-membership.html

I have personally began talks with people about revitalizing the college greens with websites, cafepress to sell green party merchandise and we get a cut of the profit, and with new ways to reach out to college students. Expect something up within the next 2-3 weeks.(Don’t worry, I’ll have a Greenpartywatch.org link in there :p)

By the way, if anyone would like to help out, your help would be greatly appreciated. We would like to have a couple of people be administrators of the website/s, with not much free time being necessary to help maintain the sites. Also, feedback and ideas would be appreciated as well.

More Info
TOMORROW WE NEED YOU. SPREAD THE WORD.

The Green Party of CA will hold a news conference tomorrow, Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. at PG&E, 1 Market Plaza in San Francisco.

We will unveil our resolution and new campaign calling for the ” immediate closure and decommissioning of the state’s nuclear power plants at Diablo Canyon and San Onofre… to promote the safety of all Californians and our fellow living beings, and to protect our natural environment.”

Show up. Bring your signs, Green t-shirts, friends and family.

Contact:
Marnie Glickman
marnie.glickman@gmail.com
415.259.7121

Facebook event page:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112566668828712&notif_t=event_invite

All Green Party supporters are encouraged to come out and protest alongside other Green Party supporters in solidarity with Immigrants and Workers, in conjunction with the worldwide event of International Worker’s Day.The march will begin at 10am in downtown Los Angeles. Green Party members will be coming from different parts of Los Angeles. If you need a ride, leave a comment on the page and I will ask around and see if a ride can be provided. Let’s register Americans with the Green Party. Be sure to bring your Green Party signs, banners, shirt, etc!!

By the way, the California Green Party is undertaking a massive voter registration drive to register 100,000 people with the Green Party by the end of 2012. But the only way we will accomplish the goal is if you get involved. I am calling on you to help us out. Join a local Green Party chapter.

Here is the Facebook link(with over 1,000 invitations):http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=210837192268608

Here is the politicalindependentreport link(with a challenge between Greens and Libertarians!):http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2011/04/ca-green-party-march-in-los-angeles-on-may-1st-for-workers-rights/

Last week, in Hollywood, California, a Green Party fundraiser was held at the home of a Green Party member with an asking “donation” of $25 with the hopes of raising funds for the Green Party of California in preparation for 2012. Ximena Kaiser Morris, a Green Party leader of Switzerland, was in attendance, along with other key Green Party members.

On Friday, April 15, the Green Party of San Fernando Valley held a protest against a Tea Party protest, with the goal of showing not only the Tea Party but the community that there are alternatives and differing voices when it comes to political parties. The Green Party was joined by other like-minded citizens in protest against the Tea Party.

Los Angeles area Green Party members held tabling events throughout the week at UCLA in the spirit of Earth Day.

On April 22, President Obama visited Culver City, near downtown Los Angeles, with Green Party members attending in protest with hundreds of others protesters. People called for Obama to recognize the Armenian genocide, passage of comprehensive immigration reform, end to deportation of Dream Act students, end to engaments/occupations of of other countries, among other things.

On April 30th, May 1st, the California Green Party will hold its state plenary in Berkeley, Alameda county. Here is a link to the events taking place that day…  http://www.cagreens.org/plenary/schedule.txt

The Green Party of Philadelphia has three events in the next two weeks.  First, they will be demonstrating against fracking on Earth Day.  Next, they will be holding a monthly meeting.  Finally, on May Day they will be having a community celebration.  More details below.

read more »

(Taken from wikipedia)

In 2003, Gonzalez ran for Mayor of San Francisco, in a bid to replace outgoing two-term mayor Willie Brown. On a ballot with nine candidates’ names, Gonzalez finished second in the initial mayoral election on November 4 behind Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and fellow member of the Board of Supervisors who had been endorsed by Brown. Gonzalez received 19.6 percent of the total vote to Newsom’s 41.9 percent. Because none of the candidates received a majority a run-off election was held on December 9, gaining national and international media coverage.

Gonzalez faced a difficult run-off election; only three percent of voters in San Francisco were registered to his Green Party, and the Democratic Party, dominant in San Francisco, was opposing his candidacy. If elected, Gonzalez would have been the first Green Party mayor of any large American city. Although Gonzalez was endorsed by several key local Democrats, including five among the Board of Supervisors, national Democratic figures, concerned about Ralph Nader’s role in the 2000 presidential election, became involved on Newsom’s behalf. Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, Dianne Feinstein, and Nancy Pelosi all campaigned for Newsom. In the left-leaning political newsletter CounterPunch, Bruce Anderson wrote, “If Matt Gonzalez, a member of the Green Party, is elected mayor of San Francisco, it will be a dagger straight into the rotted heart of the Democratic Party… He wants to represent the many against the fortunate few the present mayor has faithfully represented for years now.”

The candidate, however, saw the election in similar terms. “They’re scared, not of a Green being elected mayor”, he said, “but of an honest person being elected mayor.” Many volunteers worked on Gonzalez’s campaign in the run-off. “He’s the indie-rock Kennedy”, one supporter said of Gonzalez. Said Rich DeLeon, professor of political science at San Francisco State University, “The Gonzalez campaign was truly a mobilizing campaign. It really attracted young people who had not been involved — who were perhaps cynical and apathetic — into the active electorate.”

Progressives championed Gonzalez as an alternative to a more centrist Democratic mainstream:

“ Gonzalez was the first Mexican-American, non-Democratic Party candidate in the City’s history to actually campaign, unabashedly, as a leftist and anti-corporate politician. He turned San Francisco’s sordid and sold-out political history upside down, invoking an inspired and conscious resistance from the City’s previous generations’ experiences of exclusion, exploitation, disenfranchisement and dot.com displacement. ”

In an interview in January 2005 on his last day in office as a Supervisor, Gonzalez said of his campaign, “After getting in the runoff, literally the day after, as I heard Mayor Brown and others start attacking me for being a communist and racist, well, I started thinking I was going to lose in the very landslide I had foreseen for other candidates. Naturally, I worked hard to represent progressive ideas and win the race. By the end, we started thinking, hey, maybe it’s possible.”

Newsom outspent Gonzales $4.4–4.9 million to $800,000–900,000. Gonzalez sought to tighten spending caps and expand public financing, and accused Newsom of campaign improprieties and spending limit violations. Newsom won the election by 133,546 to 119,329 votes.

Newsom won the run-off race, capturing 53 percent of the vote to Gonzalez’s 47 percent, and winning by about 11,000 votes. Newsom ran as a business friendly centrist Democrat and a moderate in San Francisco politics; some of his opponents called him conservative.  Newsom claimed he was a centrist in the Dianne Feinstein mold.  He ran on the slogan “great cities, great ideas” and presented over 21 policy papers. Newsom pledged to continue working on San Francisco’s homelessness issue. Newsom was sworn in as Mayor on January 3, 2004. He called for unity among the city’s political factions and promised to address the issues of potholes, public schools, and affordable housing. Newsom said he was “a different kind of leader who “isn’t afraid to solve even the toughest problems.”

Australia’s Rap News takes a jaundiced look at US politics, comparing it to middle eastern tyrannies and saying the American people need to be liberated from “this fascist prison and the two party dictatorship that’s arisen under the iron fist of the Republicrat system, preventing democracy and fair elections as well, siphoning massive wealth to a banking cartel..” (the quote is slightly past the minute and a half mark into the video).

Also posted for discussion at Independent Political Report and Third Party and Independent Daily.

The San Fernando Green Party launched a campaign to use St. Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to register new Greens and donate to the Green Party.

The facebook page here says:

Wear Green, tell your friends about the Green Party, encourage citizens to register with the Green Party, do a fundraiser, do some tabling locally, donate to the Green Party, host a fundraiser at a pub or bar, hand out green party flyers in front of a supermarket, wear a green party pin, contact a long-lost green party member, have a garage sale, visit 15 homes and inform them about the Green Party, anything to raise awareness for the Green Party!!

Just telling a neighbor or a friend about the Green Party will help the movement…If not now, when?

Coincidentally, the National Green Party has a campaign to raise $50,000 by April 1st in a “Greens Vs. Greed” theme, stating:

“What’s happening in our country right now IS all about the money. It’s about our wealth, as a country, being redistributed away from we the people and sucked up to the top. The Green Party stands firmly in opposition to the USA becoming a nation of poor people serving their overlords.”

A $100 donation on that website will get you a “Greens vs. Greed” t-shirt. More from the website:

Greens say: Basic health care is reasonable to expect. Prevention costs less in the long run. Jobs should be as safe as possible. Greed says: They must squeeze the last drop of profit from dirty & toxic energy types leaving our future generations to deal with the poisoned world. Greens say: We have the technology for clean & affordable energy sources. We KNOW that we can find solutions & we must stop their pollution.

Greens are grassroots. We will not take the bribery money from corporations. We stand up against a controlled media that blocks truth, because the truth hurts profits for someone that buys their ads. Greens are free to speak truth to power.

Greens will use your donation wisely. We are used to doing more with less. We’ve won elections where we were outspent 10 to 1. That is why Greens are still growing in our country and as a worldwide federation. We are all up against an entrenched system which is starting to falter. Greens have the organization to lead on to a sustainable future.

So which is it for you? Greens or Greed? Who will you choose to support? If you help Greens get our voice out and keep our candidates coming we CAN GROW stronger. Any old “change” will not do. We need the fundamental and honest change that can only come from a party that puts you first. It will NEVER come from those who want to keep the same old system. We can do more with less, BUT we DO need your help. It’s a choice.

Follow the White Rabbit of Greed downward into a ever more dismal Wonderland that only they control? Or will you empower the Greens, who will work side by side with you? We are in the same boat, sisters and brothers. Are you going to help steer it, or be swept away?

That is your decision: Greens vs. Greed

Local Chapters of the Green Party are meeting across the Nation this week. Does your local chapter have a meeting or event coming up? If so, let us know! GPW@greenpartywatch.org See our Events Calendar for other meetings and events.

Tuesday February 1, 2011 – Hernando Greens (Florida)

6 PM at the Spring Hill Library, showing the film “Capitalism: A Love Story” followed by a meeting and discussion.

Wednesday February 2, 2011 – Arlington Greens (Virginia)

7 PM at the Clarendon Silver Diner, 3200 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA

Thursday February 3, 2011 – Alleghany County Greens (Pennsylvania)

7 PM at Citizen Power, 2121 Murray Ave, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA – General Assembly meeting, electing new officers.

Thursday February 3, 2011 – Long Beach Greens (California)

7 PM at Polly’s Coffee, 4606 E. 2nd St., Long Beach CA – Meeting

Friday February 4, 2011 – Clark County Greens (Nevada)

6 PM Meeting, contact them for location: http://clarkgreens.org/

Friday February 4, 2011 – Phily Greens (Pennsylvania) Tom Neilson Show and Fundraiser

7 PM, Roxborough Development Corporation, 6156 Ridge Avenue, Roxborough, Philadelphia. $20/person cover (includes food and drinks). Tom Neilson, www.tomneilsonmusic.com, specializes in songs of nonviolence, liberation and human rights.

Sunday February 6, 2011 – Orange County Greens (California)

2 PM – Super Slow Food Bowl Party! Featuring speaker Heather (Stoltzfus) Westenhofer for our February General Meeting. She will be serving up a Power Point presentation, along with bread and butter made on the spot in a Super Slow Food Bowl gathering! We hope you can join us for this special get together. Irvine Ranch Water District 15600 Sand Canyon, Irvine, CA