Tag Archives: desert greens

Utah’s Ballot Access

The Green Party of Utah (Desert Greens) has been working to achieve ballot access.  The deadline was February 15.  Despite several paid petitioners and loads of volunteers, we came close but did not obtain the required amount of signatures to be able to have a ballot line in the 2008 elections.  Therefore the Green Party of Utah will not appear on this year’s ballot.

The Green Party of Utah will still run the GPUS Presidential Candidate in Utah, but as an Independent.  That nominee will be voted on at the GPUS National Meeting in Chicago in July.  After that time we will need to collect 1,000 signatures for that candidate, with the deadline of September.

Although it helps financially and educationally to grow the party with a ballot line, it’s not significantly detrimental at this point in time in Utah, the reddest state in the nation.  There are other ways to get the party’s name and values out in the public.  With new locals being formed and other activities, the Green Party of Utah will continue to work towards rebuilding itself and educating the public on the values upon which its platform is built.

My LA Speech

Greetings from Utah and from the Green Party of the United States!

I vividly remember choosing my favorite color at the age of 8 – GREEN. My love of green is rooted in my love for life on this planet.. and so it is fitting that I would align myself the Green Party.

I belong to the Green Party for these reasons:

  • Social Justice and equal opportunity….

  • Ecological Wisdom….

  • Decentralization ….

  • Community-based Economics and economic justice….

  • Feminism and Gender Equity….

  • Respect for Diversity….

  • Future Focus and Sustainability….

  • GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY….

  • PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY….

  • NON-VIOLENCE….

These are the values upon which I strive to live my life. AND

These key values are precisely why we need to make every effort to get Greens elected!. THE GREEN PArTY **IS** THE **PEACE** PARTY !! We have a congress that cares nothing about our planet or life on it.

So the best way to challenge Congress’s constant approval of invasions and military spending increases is to get Greens elected to Congress. Having Greens in office would change the whole political landscape! Greens wouldn’t only be certain to vote against ALL pro-war and pro-military legislation, we would also provide some competition for the Democrats, currently lacking, besides Republicans.

Greens do not accept corporate money and therefore Greens are not in bed with defense contractors. Greens in office would have no corporate interests to influence their decision-making, unlike the current corporate influenced legislators currently in Congress.

The following is a list of calls to action by the Green Party which urges everyone to do the same:

  • The GP urges Immediate withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq.

  • The GP denounces Democratic leaders for supporting the invasion, offering
    vague and delayed timetables for troop withdrawal, approving bills for continued war
    spending, and retreating from impeachment.  Green leaders strongly condemned recent statements by
    presidential aspirants Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards that they could not
    promise the removal of all US combat troops from Iraq by 2013 warning that the Iraq War (as well as the threat of war with Iran) will continue whether a Democrat or Republican is elected in 2008.

  • The GP oppose a US military attack on Iran – Americans should not believe the new flood of
    deceptive war propaganda.

  • The GP stresses that Congress could end the war quickly if Democrats refused to move on bills for
    war funding, including the latest request for nearly $190 billion the Pentagon says is
    necessary to keep combat troops in Iraq for another year. 

  • The GP urges Congress to divert federal funds from war spending to human needs and services in the US, including restoration and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast.

  • The GP calls for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for
    numerous abuses of power, including misleading the American people about the reasons for
    invading Iraq. 

  • The GP calls the invasion a criminal breach of the US Constitution and international law, motivated by desire for political and corporate dominance in the region, control over Iraqi oil and other resources, and cooperation with Israel’s aggressive strategic objectives.

Join the Green Party in these calls to action. Support Greens running for office. Get Greens elected. Run as a Green for office in your district. Educate your community on the 10 key values for which the Green Party stands. Greens have been elected to offices all over the country from water boards to councils to mayors! If you are an informed and passionate citizen, YOU can run and should be running for office as a Green. You don’t need any other special pre-qualifications. That’s what democracy looks like! If you desire to foster peace, economic justice and to improve the health of our planet – YOU can run for office as a Green! If you want to work to demilitarize and eliminate weapons of mass destruction – if you want to promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree – if you want to act towards personal, community and global peace – YOU should run for office as a Green!

It’s time to get Greens in office for a CHANGE-

GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY – PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY – NONVIOLENCE!

THE GREEN PATY **IS** THE **PEACE** PARTY !!

I would like to leave you with this Pledge to Life, which my husband Tom wrote:

I pledge allegiance to all life

in its interdependent diversity;

and to the Planet upon which it exists;

one World, under the sky, undividable

with harmony and balance for all.

Thank you!

My new role in the GPUS

Recently I was elected as a co-chair of the Green Party of the United States Peace Action Committee. This committee does the peace work for the national party and helps facilitate positions statements and organizes actions and participates in national calls to action.

The Peace Action Committee (GPAX) of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) exists to facilitate the planning and achievement of peace and justice action proposals adopted by the Green Party, and to support and promote the Party’s Anti-War candidates and agenda.

Current projects are centered around the War in Iraq, Sudan (Darfur), and Impeachment.

Green Party National Office Move

During our vacation we had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C.  While in D.C. we helped move a few things from the old Green Party National office ot he new one.  Here are a few photos:

Green Party National Meeting – Photos of it all

Here is a variety of photos taken at the Green Party of the United States Annual National Meeting in Reading, PA July 12 – 15.
Jacqui Deveneau (Maine), Dee, Jane Meisenbach (Maine), Joni Leviness (Oklahoma)

Signs of Greens!

Jacqui, Dee, and Joni

Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyawaisifza-Curry (running for Green Party nomination for Vice President) and Dee

Jacqui, Dee, George Martin (Wisconsin, and a co-chair of UFPJ), Ann Wilcox (D.C. Statehood Party)

The night before the Annual Meeting begins – putting delegate packets together:  Joel West (TX), Katey Culver (TN), Tom King (UT)

Delegates gather for the meeting – registration, mingling, reuniting


Dean Myerson (WA), plays the piano in the mezzanine of the hotel.

Other miscellanous photos:

Green Party National Meeting – Photos of Cynthia McKinney Event

Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney showed the film “American Blackout” and spoke to the Delegation at the  GPUS National Annual Meeting on Sunday, July 15.  “American Blackout” focuses on the 2000 elections and beyond when black voters were shut out of voting on Florida and in Ohio (2004) and subsequently what happened to McKinney’s career as a result of her speaking out against this and raising questions about the administration’s knowledge of the 911 tragedy.

McKinney may be seeking the GPUS 2008 Presidential nomination for president. To date she has not made a commitment.

2007 Green Party National Meeting

Cynthia McKinney“. . . the disgust of the American people with what they see before them. All they need is the blueprint and a road map. Why not have the Green Party provide the blueprint and the road map?”
— Cynthia McKinney, Green Party National Meeting, July 15, 2007
Cynthia McKinney at Green Party National Convention, Reading PA July 15, talks about the documentary “American Blackout”
Cynthia McKinney Video


Members of the GPUS Black Caucus are recognized

Cynthia McKinney

Green Party National Meeting – Photos of Ralph Nader Event

The feature for the Green Party National Annual Meeting on Saturday, July 14 was Ralph Nader, speaking to the issue of ballot access and and challenges to ballot access.

Prior to the event, this delegate from Georgia picketed outside to urge Nader to seek the Green Party *nomination* for President (2008) and not merely an endorsement by the Green Party:

Nader’s presidential campaign was pulled from the ballot in PA in 2004 which resulted in a legal battle which is still continuing, including the state trying to collect money from the Nader campaign.   At the end of his speech, Nader auctioned two of his books which raised a few thousand dollars for the GPUS.  You can view videos at these sites:
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader Press Conference on Ballot Access
Ralph Nader – speaking on challenging the system and ballot access
Nader & Romanelli Press Conference on Pennsylvania Ballot Access
Below are some photos of the event:

Green Party National Meeting – Photos of Entertainment

Every night at the GPUS National Annual Meeting there was entertainment – artist after artist after artist, mostly local from PA.  It was great.  Tom and I found it difficult to stay up every night for all the music, but we did the first night and were glad we did.  Each night we heard a variety of styles of music and enjoyed it all.  It was hard to choose a favorite, but we really liked Tom Nielson, activist folksinger songwriter. who performs and political and activist events all over.
Tom Neilson:

Local PA Musicians:

Green Party National Meeting – Photos of Some Workshop and Meeting Sessions

One of the components of the Annual National Meeting is the offering of workshops for Delegates and state party members to learn about issues, committee work, and other items relevant to Green work.  Below are photos I took of the sessions I was able to attend.
Green Party Vision for the Next 25 Years – (link to You Tube video) – John Resenbrink, Maine Independent Green Party


Media Workshop, Scott McLarty, GPUS Media  Director

GPUS Green Pages Workshop – the GPUS National Newspaper
David McCorquodale, Mike Feinstein, David Doonan and Deyva Arthur


Green Party National Meeting – Photos of Presidential Candidate Forum

A Forum was held at the Green Party of the United States Annual National Meeting on Friday, July 13, 2007 for people who have thus far declared their intentions to seek the Green Party of the United States 2008 Nomination for President of the United States.  There were several candidates who either do not yet belong the Green Party or just joined the Green Party over the course of the National Meeting.  However, over half of the candidates have been active Green Party members.

I will be posting later about two big names that gave presentations at this year’s National Meeting who many in the GPUS are attempting to pursuade them and ultimately the GPUS to run on the 2008 Green ticket.

Here are photos I took and links to You Tube Videos that California Delegate Mike  Feinstein Produced.  You can watch the videos to get an idea of each person’s platform.
Panel of Candidates and Barbara Rodgers-Hendricks (FLA), moderator:


Jared Ball – Washington, D.C.                          M. Jingozian
– Oregon  
 
Jesse Johnson – West Virginia                        Jerry Kahn – New York City

         
Kent Mesplay – California                                Gail Parker – Virginia Independent Greens (not GPUS affiliated)
                     
Kat Swift – Texas                                               Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyawaisifza-Curry
– Vice President Hopeful                                                                              from California
           
JOIN GPAX


THE PEACE ACTION COMMITTEE
OF THE

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES