Category Archives: Uncategorized

Yesterday the GPUT received a letter from Michael Cragun, Director of Elections in Utah, acknowledging receipt of a letter our filing officer had sent him and confirming the conversation in the visit our filing officer paid him last week.

Mr. Cragun confirmed that the GPUT will need to submit a new ballot name for its petition when the petition drive is completed (deadline is February 15, 2006) along with the letter from the GPUT that the drive is complete. Until then, we are permitted to conduct the drive using the name Green Party of Utah. (The good news is that the GPUT can continue its drive without starting over.) This is due to the fact that the unaffiliated Beardall group completed its drive first with the name “Green Party of Utah”, and the Utah Election Code is interpreted by the Director of Elections to mean that anyone can conduct a petition drive with any name it chooses and, if it is not a registered party, it can gain ballot access by meeting the requirments of such a drive, as outlined in the election code. It does not matter what history, national recognition, or other legal status of the name and/or group associated with that name. The first group to finish “wins”, in the eyes of the Director of Elections.

The GPUT petition drive is nearly complete. Updates will be posted here on the name issue.

Ever since the convention in Tulsa and the discovery that the Steering Committee elections garnered an error in the tabulations of the results, the entire focus on the National Committee Listserv has been on rectifying that error. There have been proposals that have failed and the problem is still ongoing.

As a result of the failed proposals, the Steering Committee has called for another election, in accordance with the GPUS bylaws. This action has a few delegates upset and one NY delegate has called for Impeachment of the SC. This “impeachment” proposal has come from an individual who historically has initiated a lot of tension on the NC list.

I keep hearing reports of people saying that they won’t join the Greens because of all the “infighting”.
I honestly do not feel that there is “infighting” in the Green Party. What I do believe is that there is a movement spreading across the country attempting to destroy the Green Party. While most folks involved do their best to adhere to the bylaws, green values, and the real work of the party, there are a few individuals who insist on stalling all processes via their degrading behaviors and unnecessary proposals.
It’s happening at the national level and in many of the state parties. There is no infighting, only bullying tactics.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and again and again), as I also say to my students:

Bullying is not ok.

I hope the SC election issue is soon resolved. There are more imporant issues to address that cannot be because all the NC time is being taken up with this issue.

A little over a year ago Tom and I were invited by the Venezuealan Government to visit Venezuela on behalf of the Green Party of Utah to observe the work of Huga Chavez Frias. We were interviewed on Veneauealan radio and submitted an official request to visit the country on GPUT letterhead. The visit never materialized for a variety of reasons, but it was exciting to be invited. The possibility still exists and we hope to be able to visit Venezuela at some point.

Chavez has sent aid to Louisiana, including oil, which has been graciously accpeted by the Louisiana Governor. Chavez also spoke at the UN summit this week, where he was told he had 5 minutes to speak but declared that if Bush can speak for 20 minutes, so can he.

And he did.

The article reports that Chavez has proposed 4 reforms to the UN: expand the Security Council. improvements in work methods to increase transparency, immediate withdrawal of veto rights and strengthening the role of the Secretary General.
He also suggested moving the UN HQ from New York to a Southern Hemisphere country.
Further, Chavez declared that Venezuela rejected the 35-page UN reform document, calling the document a null and void fraud.

“We will not accept it … it will be the last thing we accept here, this dictatorship.”

Chavez went on the denounce the International Monetary Fund, calling it the International Coupster Fund.

Key Points of the UN Reform Document were agreed to late Friday night.

Other articles on the conclusion of the summit and key points of the UN Document:
Watered-down UN reform endorsed
UN General Assembly agrees on watered-down reform document
World Summit Concludes with Declaration of U.N. Goals
UN may have two Security Councils
UN World Summit adopts landmark outcome document on raft of crucial issues

The data is out on how Utah schools fared last year under the No Child Left Behind Act. Here is an article in today’s Salt lake
Tribune.

Here is the data:
AYP summary for Utah schools

Tonight was the regularly scheduled planning meeting for September 24 Anti-War event, being held in solidarity with groups around the nation to demand an end to the Iraq War. The GPUT members have been very active in this effort. All of the meetings have been held in the meeting room located inside our party secretary’s retail activist shop in Salt Lake City.

Several us were anticipating the unaffiliated Green Party members to show up to this night’s planning meeting. Jeff Beardall showed up again, despite his behavior last Saturday and the Thursday before that. It is speculated that Beardall showed up in anticipation of a possible “scene” or attempt to bar him from this planning meeting, given his recent threats to our secretary and myself, and that his strategy would be to make it appear that the meeting could not continue at that location and to propose to move the meeting away from our secretary’s shop. (These meetings have been held weekly all summer since June. Last week was the first time Beardall made an appearance at these meetings, two weeks before the scheduled action.)

Our party secretary had options, given the incidents involving Beardall last week. She could have requested that Beardall leave and could have called the police and added to the report already filed against him from his outburst last Saturday. Instead, she chose to say nothing, to allow Beardall to be included. Beardall had nothing to say during the entire meeting. The meeting was conducted as scheduled, with plans being close to finalized for the September 24th event.

The affiliated GPUT members continue to avoid any self-initiated confrontation. Beardall was permitted to participate in the planning for the anti-war event, despite his recent threats, harassing and extortionist behaviors.

An article in today’s Salt Lake Tribune on relief effort expenditures in Utah states that social programs here are feeling the effects of those efforts.

Yet the Governor wanted to propose a temporary gas tax cut “for the benefit of consumers” and that a budget surplus would cover the tax – but he backed away from that proposal.

Hey, Guv, how about using some of that surplus for the stretched social program budgets?

One of the speakers at the August 22nd Bush rally in Salt Lake City, Debbie Johnson (Military Families Speak Out) took my photos, and some photos of others, and put it into this video:

Auugst 22nd Bush Rally.

NOTE: It is recommended that you right click and choose “save as”, rather than play from the site. It is a farily big file.

So the group that started the organizing for the September 24 anti-war event is called “M19mobilization” because it became a committee to organize the rally on the 2nd anniversary of the Iraq invasion. As mentioned in a prior post today, many organizations and individuals have come together to help plan and sponsor this event.

The GPUT has planned a sign-making party and showing of the Institute of Policy Studies Teach-in Documentary for the night before, September 23rd. It has been widely advertised and the M19 site has had it listed as one event on its website.

So a little while ago, I receive this email from the web master of the M19 site:

Hi Deanna,

I have just been informed that the Green Party of Utah that is recognized by the Utah Elections Office is not sponsoring the sign making event. I know there is some conflict regarding which group is the real Green Party of Utah. Since I’m in no position to determine who the real Green Party of Utah is, I’m removing the part of the event to that states it is sponsored by the Green Party of Utah. I think this the best solution until it can be discussed at the next M19 meeting.
I’m sorry but I can’t think of any other way of dealing with the conflict at this time.

Here is part of my response (the snippped parts contain information I have already posted this week on my blog in previous entries about this situation.):

I hope this answers some of your questions.

To which the webmaster responded:

Thanks for the info. It was (name snipped)that contacted me regarding this (I’m not trying to fuel the conflict, but I think you have the right to know). Also, just to be clear, I left the event on the site, I just removed anything that indicated it was sponsored by the Green Party of Utah.
I really feel that this decision can not be made by me, since listing either group as the Utah Green Party might look like some sort of endorsement by M19. I can not speak for M19 so I must leave the decision to M19 members. I am not interested in taking sides in this conflict however this seems to be the best temporary solution until it can be discussed further. Whatever decision is reached by M19, I will abide by it.

Ironically, it is the person whose name is snipped above, who also engaged in the harassing behavior last Saturday at our table, who is organizing the peacekeepers for the September 24 event. She has not participated in any of the meetings or planning for this event. Yet she is doing everything she thinks she can to be disruptive. Pretty non-violent if you ask me.

The unaffiliated group continues to be as disruptive in as many ways as possible. This is what the participants of that group are spending their time doing.

There is a diverse coalition of people representing various organizations and themselves planning a significant demonstration in Utah for September 24, in solidarity with people around the nation, to demand an end to the war in Iraq and for the U.S. to bring the troops home. Members of the GPUT are active organizers and the GPUT is a sponsor.

Yesterday an email was received by a citizen, inquiring about the GPUT sponsorship of the Septemeber 24 event,to the PR contact for the group People for Peace and Justice of Utah (who also happens to be a Green) regarding an email he received from a suspended member (name snipped) of the GPUT. This is the email this inquiring person received:

Just so you know: The Green Party of Utah is not sponsoring this event. Tom King does not represent the Green Party of Utah. If you have any questions, please email me. Could you please send this information to the folks you to whom you sent the Sept. 24th notice.

It is interesting to note that the person who sent the above statement has never participated in any of the planning meetings/events/committees for the September 24 march and rally.

The response sent to the person inquiring about this was as follows:

The Green Party of Utah of the Green Party of the United States (www.gput.org) is indeed a sponsor of the event. They have paid their sponsorship fee and have put a $150 ad in the CATALYST, as well as having participated in nearly all the planning meetings for event. As part of the planning process the GPUT members have been highly active in the sub committees to help plan the event.
Th unaffiliated group has not paid any of the sponsorship fees or submitted a sponsorship form.

Tom King is one of the delegates of the affiliated group and does represent that group, as does Deanna Taylor, the Co-Coordinator of that group.

If anyone has any doubts as to the involvement of the GPUT in the peace movement, anti-nuclear movement, and other causes, judge for yourself by visiting the website. Utah Greens are in the trenches, planning actions, participating in demonstrations, doing outreach and engaging in activities that pursue the goal of a more peaceful existence on the planet.

From vheadline.com:

Bush must grant visas for President Chavez’ delegation to the United Nations!

This week President Hugo Chavez was scheduled to travel to the United States to participate in several meetings of the United Nations in New York City. A special forum with President Chavez and community and religious leaders on issues of poverty and justice was also to take place on Saturday, September 16, at a local church.

News from Venezuela, however, reports that President Chavez has noted that the United States government has denied visas to President Chavez’ security and medical team. and to his personal advisor.

This is a very serious situation that could mean that President Chavez once again cannot travel to the United Nations because of the dangerous and hostile climate created by the United States government.

Denying visas to the President’s security team could jeopardize this life.

This is not a far-fetched idea considering recent statements by a prominent religious figure and Bush ally, the Rev. Pat Robertson, who called on the US to “take Chavez out.” News accounts reflect a growing US aggression towards Venezuela including 1,500 troops recently sent to Curacao, near Venezuela’s coast.

The people of the United States of America need to hear the truth about Venezuela, as the Bush administration appears to lay the basis for further US intervention against Venezuela.

The forum where President Chavez was to address the people of this country is a right we must fight for.
Send an email to Bush, to the Senate and to Congress to demand that the US government grant the visas now … and that they end their hostility towards the people of Venezuela.

Send your message now.