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Green Party of Sonoma County (GPSC) News for June
- Bill Patterson: 1931-2006
- Tiffany Renée Campaigns for Petaluma City Council
- Re-election Kickoff Party for Larry Robinson
- A Ten Key Value of the Green Party: Non-Violence
- GPCA Plenary in June
- Are You a Potential Green Party Candidate?
- Green U.S. Senate Candidates Comment on Immigrant Legislation
- Calendar of Upcoming Meetings and Events
- Contact Information
- Internet Links of the Month
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BILL PATTERSON: 1931-2006
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The Green Party of Sonoma County was saddened by the sudden passing
of Bill Patterson on May 17. Bill was recently re-elected to the
GPSC county council and was known to many Greens for his leadership
in the Campaign and Candidates working group and for his work on
Bill of Rights defense issues. Bill was a well-known activist in
his hometown of Windsor where he contributed to successful efforts
to curb city growth.
On 5/20, the Press Democrat published this remembrance of Bill:
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Bill Patterson, a Wall Street stock analyst turned car
mechanic who moved to Windsor and became active in local politics,
has died at 74.
Patterson died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack
in a Santa Rosa coffee house, said his friend, Windsor Councilwoman
Debora Fudge. "He was with a friend at the time, drinking
tea and discussing politics," Fudge said.
Patterson ran unsuccessfully for Windsor Town Council
three times starting in the late 1990s. He also ran for county
supervisor in 1998, Fudge said.
A Green Party member, he advocated growth control around
the time of the city's incorporation in 1992 and urged the
city to open its garbage contract to competitive bidding,
Fudge said. He was a regular at council meetings, often criticizing
elected officials, Fudge said. A week ago he spoke to the
council, urging them to support a parcel tax to raise money
for the Windsor Fire Protection District. "He had an activist's
personality," Fudge said. "Sometimes he'd praise us and sometimes
he'd take us to task."
Others said his enthusiasm for politics was unmatched.
"His life was all about politics and creating public awareness
of different issues," said Jim Winston of Healdsburg, who
worked with Patterson on the successful 1997 campaign to create
an urban growth boundary in Windsor. "He just worked tirelessly
at trying to create a better place."
Patterson was born in Missouri in 1931. He and a brother
were orphaned as young children and raised by different foster
parents, Fudge said. They reunited years later, she said.
Trained at both a theological seminary and a business college,
Patterson worked during the early 1960s as a financial analyst
for the Wall Street firm of Dun & Bradstreet before dropping
out during the Vietnam War. He moved to Berkeley in the early
1970s and to Sonoma County 15 years later.
He opened Bill's Car Care in Santa Rosa, which closed
two years ago, Fudge said. Patterson was unmarried and had
no children.
He had a dog named Ruby, she said. A memorial service
for Patterson is being planned by friends. -Paul Payne
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Since our December GPSC newsletter, Bill contributed several articles
discussing the Green Party's 10 key values. On May 16, he submitted
his last article on the topic of non-violence which is presented
in item #4 below.
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TIFFANY RENÉE CAMPAIGNS
FOR PETALUMA CITY COUNCIL [top]
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LOCAL ACTIVIST ENTERS CITY COUNCIL RACE;
Says Petaluma's future development needs 'greening'
Tiffany Renée - a local environmental and social activist who says
she is "very concerned" about the community's development and sustainability
- has announced that she will be running for one of the city’s vacant
Council seats in this November’s election.
Central to Ms. Renée’s platform is her belief that Petaluma needs
a continued “greening” - including clean air and water-reduction
initiatives, energy independence plans, and requiring green building
technologies as part of future city developments.
The two biggest concerns facing Petaluma with new growth are flooding
and traffic congestion. Ms. Renée is looking to Petaluma's future.
"Petaluma has an opportunity to become a model for green building
and pedestrian living with the Central Petaluma Specific Plan. It's
not enough for the Planning Commission to 'urge' green building
practices and recycling of lumber. The planet's future requires
us to hold standards higher," said Ms. Renée.
Ms. Renée's other interests include win-win projects that serve
the needs of Petaluma's youth and families with the effective location
and construction of environmentally-engineered ball fields along
with building performing arts complexes for our high schools' art,
drama and music programs, while also providing the community-at-large
with more event facilities.
Ms. Renée will do what it takes to protect Petaluma from casinos,
who she explains will have an effect on traffic and air quality
as well as the financial impact to educational and athletic programs
that have come to rely on bingo revenues.
Access to technology and housing are issues of personal importance
to Ms. Renée. Computer and internet access are essential economic
tools in the digital age for gaining and finding employment. Ms.
Renée has been working to expand access in schools and in any new
community rooms built in Petaluma.
Lobbying for affordable housing, and closing the gap between those
who can rent and purchase property in Petaluma and those who cannot
is another issue is also a major part of Ms. Renée's platform. Renée
sees a disconnect with developers and outside interests supporting
Petaluma's Council races.
"Under the current housing market I, like many families in Petaluma,
will never able to raise a family and buy property in Petaluma.
Unlike many former and current Council candidates who may accept
as much as 70 percent of their donations from developers and outside
interests, I will be practicing a grass-roots campaign.
"In fact, I've gone as far as to request campaign contributions
go to local non-profits and charities instead. Even better than
contributing money to campaigns is to have conversations with your
neighbor about what is important and vital to Petaluma, sharing
your support for candidates in grass-roots ways," she added."
Instead, Ms. Renée will track donations made in her name to local
non-profits on her website. In a novel way of tracking support,
contributors to local non-profits can post their donation to non-profits
online. Ms. Renée would rather see the enormous money generated
for campaigns directly benefit the community.
By curbing the use of lawn and fence signs in an attempt to reduce
campaign costs, curb waste and keep Petaluma beautiful, even in
an election year, Ms. Renée's supporters are being encouraged to
participate in grass-roots democracy by wear green ribbons or tie
green ribbons to their trees or plant lavender with a green ribbon
on it.
"Lavender is a great replacement to grass because it's drought-tolerant.
And bees love lavender, helping to pollinate our local agricultural
crops," she said.
A resident of Petaluma since 1989, Tiffany runs a successful web
design firm, Design Motif, and is a mother of two Petaluma High
School students. She and her husband Jaimey Walking Bear, a Petaluma
resident since 1975, have always been a dedicated parent volunteers—
currently active with the Music Boosters. She chairs the city’s
Technology & Telecommunications Advisory Committee, is a member
of the Tree Advisory Committee, and a commissioner on Sonoma County’s
Commission on the Status of Women.
Ms. Renée recently resigned as vice-chair of PCA television’s Board
of Directors to focus on her campaign, but during her short time
on the Board she helped elect six new Board members and produced
a new web site for PCA. She holds a B.A. in Women's Studies from
Mills College and a M.A. in Philosophy and Religion from California
Institute of Integral Studies.
For more information about Ms. Renée’s platform and how to get
involved in her campaign, visit her campaign website at www.votefortiff.com.
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RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN KICKOFF
PARTY FOR LARRY ROBINSON [top]
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Please join Larry Robinson's campaign kickoff party on June 10
at 7 PM at the Sebastopol Brewing Company, located at 268 Petaluma
Avenue in Sebastopol.
Larry Robinson is a member of the Green
Party and former mayor of Sebastopol. He is running for re-election
to the Sebastopol city council, which is key to maintaining a Green
majority on the council.
Food will be served. Beer and wine will
be available at a no-host bar. Music will be provided by Redwood
Solstice Productions' Jeff Martin and Friends We will also have
a raffle for many excellent prizes including
- A Persian Rug from Rugs of Persia
($500 value)
- 2 Weekend tickets to the Sebastopol Celtic Festival on September
23-24 ($80 value)
- Gift certificates from: Osmosis Bath and Massage ($140 value)
Earth In Upheaval Auto Repair ($139 value) The East West Cafe ($25
value)
- Wine gift sets from Sunce' Winery (3 bottles each) - and more
...
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A TEN KEY VALUE OF THE GREEN
PARTY: NON-VIOLENCE [top]
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The following is another of a continuing series of discussions
about our ten key values. Of all our values, nonviolence is the
most virtuous. Of the four largest Sonoma County political parties,
we are the only one that is firmly anti-war and unabashedly opposed
to the death penalty. Green principles oppose violence in all its
forms: assaults against individuals, families, nations, wildlife
and the environment. We also recognize that threats, intimidation
and fear can be as destructive as physical violence. On the personal
as well as the national level, means can never be separated from
ends. It is the one value that lured the author to this political
group.
And yet, we are surrounded, indeed overwhelmed, by a culture of
violence. From the beginning of this experiment in democracy, called
America, with its policy of displacement of the native peoples and
cultural genocide, to its stated 'manifest destiny' doctrine, to
its current policies of 'just war' and 'preemptive strike', this
nation has been extremely violent in its pursuit of empire.
We have a war department euphemistically called the 'defense department';
but no department of peace and diplomacy. We have military academies,
which teach death and war to our children; but no peace academy
in which peaceful, nonviolent, conflict-resolution studies are taught.
We have a group currently in control of the government which is
a 'war party'! One of the architects of current foreign policy,
Victor David Hansen, a Stanford University Professor and member
of the Hoover Institute has stated publicly that 'war is the natural
state of man' and with this depraved central tenet---the current
'war party' has and is continuing to pursue a vicious, violent foreign
policy in our name.
Is there any wonder then, that violence pervades our national culture.
Barry Krisberg, President of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency,
writes, "The violence in the media and the easy availability of
guns are what's driving the slaughter of the innocents." And Hal
Crowther, news commentator and writer for the Nation Magazine, writes,
"Firearms are found in every third home in the US. TV is found in
virtually every home. The new thing in the lives of our children
is the mass-media culture. A culture of unrestrained vulgarity and
relentless, nauseating violence."
From Petra Kelly, co-founder of the German Green Party (herself
a victim of an unknown assassin) this: "Using power to dominate
humans and nature has brought us to an impasse and can never take
us beyond it....At the root of all Green political action is nonviolence,
starting with how we live our lives, taking small unilateral steps
towards peace in everything we do. Green politics requires us to
be both tender and subversive. Affirming tenderness as a political
value is already subversive. The Green vision of a just society
is one in which economic, social, and individual rights are guaranteed
and protected, and everyone is free from exploitation, violence
and oppression."
And so the following questions represent the Green Party's ongoing
discussion on this most important value: How can we develop effective
alternatives to our current patterns of violence at all levels,
from the family and the street to nations and the world? How can
we eliminate nuclear weapons from the face of the earth without
being naive about the intentions of other governments? And how can
we most constructively use nonviolent methods to oppose practices
and policies with which we disagree, and in the process reduce the
atmosphere of polarization and selfishness that is itself a source
of violence?
And what can we do at the local Sonoma County level? We can:
- attend our local school board meeting and insist that an important part
of the curriculum be conflict resolution and peaceful approaches
to potential conflicts amongst our children.....
- support the registering of all legal fire arms, handguns and other concealable weapons and
the banning of automatic and semi-automatic weapons.....
- urge our police agencies to develop training and procedures that stress handling
situations through mediation and negotiations, while minimizing
the necessity for armed confrontations....
- and finally, in our personal lives and in our political discussions, display respect and kindness
toward all, even if we disagree with them.
bill patterson
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GPCA PLENARY IN JUNE
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The Green Party of California (GPCA) will hold its next State General
Assembly in Moorpark, Ventura County on the weekend of June 24-25,
2006. Important decisions will be made at this meeting about the
direction of the Party. Come meet Green Party members from across
the state, participate in discussions, and learn about the workings
of the state party.
For the latest updates, check on-line at http://cagreens.org/plenary/.
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ARE YOU A POTENTIAL GREEN PARTY
CANDIDATE? [top]
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The GPSC is still looking for potential candidates for November
06 general election cycle. Any Green Party registrant interested
in running for any local, non-partisan race may receive help and
assistance from the Party----please contact Tim Morgan at blkcloud@sonic.net
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GREEN U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES
COMMENT ON IMMIGRANT LEGISLATION [top]
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Green Party US Senate hopefuls charge today's Senate changes in
immigrant legislation don't go far enough, call for 'amnesty, equality'
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
SACRAMENTO (March 27, 2006) - In the wake of massive statewide
rallies this past weekend attended by close to a million people,
Green Party candidates for U.S. Senate Monday heavily criticized
proposals which would still criminalize immigrants, demanding "amnesty"
and "equality" for all undocumented workers.
They said a measure approved late Monday by the Senate Judiciary
Committee still doesn't go far enough, and must still pass the full
Senate and a compromise with the House bill (HR4437), which calls
for criminalizing undocumented immigrants.
Three Greens - Tian Harter, Todd Chretien, Kent Mesplay - are running
in the June Primary for the right to meet incumbent Sen. Dianne
Feinstein in November. They called on her to do more than guarantee
workers for the agricultural industry - as she did Monday - and
stand up for the estimated 11 million hardworking undocumented immigrants
now in the U.S.
"Nothing short of equality is acceptable," said Chretien, with
Harter adding "We need amnesty for those who are here."
"We are witnessing the birth of a new civil rights movement, which
is demanding amnesty for undocumented workers, the demilitarization
of the Mexican-American border and general equality for immigrant
workers,"Chretien said. "These protests announce the arrival of
the immigrant community as a powerful political force. I oppose
proposals for a new bracero program, the so-called guest worker
programs, because they do not grant amnesty and equality to all
undocumented workers."
"HR 4437 would impose great hardship on many hardworking and decent
people. The first step is to stop that legislation," said Tian Harter,
who marched in Watsonville this weekend with 1,000 others, including
Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose son Jesus was one of the first
people that died in Iraq.
"As an engineer, I am painfully aware that the immigration system
has been manipulated to bring down wages in the high tech sector.
I want to ensure everyone gets jobs, and is treated equally," added
Harter.
Websites: Todd Chretien - http://todd4senate.org/
Tian Harter - http://tianharter.org/
Kent Mesplay - no website known
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING MEETINGS
AND EVENTS [top]
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NOTES:
- Some of the events listed below have not been officially endorsed
by the GPSC, but may be of interest to local Greens.
- To check for new events and schedule changes, visit our home page
at http://www.sonomagreenparty.org
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May
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(Wed) The Moral Case for the Living Wage
7-9 PM Elim Lutheran Church 504 Baker St., Petaluma
Keynote Speaker: Rev. Alexia Salvatierra,
Executive Director of CLUE
California Guest Speaker: Rev. Carol Been, The Interfaith
Council of the Southbay
Panelists: Rev. Norman Cram, Living Wage Coalition; Fr. Ray
Decker, Diocese of Oakland; Rev. Tim Kellgren, Elim Lutheran Church;
Rev. Blythe Sawyer, Petaluma United Church of Christ; John Norris,
Deacon, St. James Catholic Church
Press Release: "Since 1996, Clergy and Laity United
for Economic Justice, an interfaith association, has been bringing
people together to respond to the crisis of working poverty, which
has been growing alarmingly since the 1980s, despite tremendous
growth in the upper income brackets.
Centuries of inspirational and ethical resources from around the
world guides CLUE's work. We invite people of good will to join
us in supporting workers who organize to improve their wages and
working conditions. We call on employers to respect workers' rights
and give them a meaningful voice in the workplace. We encourage
workers to continue struggling for just wages and benefits despite
the real risk of employer retaliation."
For more information contact Living Wage Coalition coordinator
Ben Boyce at 935-1642 or ben.boyce@sbcglobal.net.
Dept. of Social Science Santa Rosa Junior College 1501 Mendocino
Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95401 (707) 527-4873 Office, (707) 522-2755
Fax, (707) 939-8933 Home Office
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June
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7
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(Wed) Award-winning journalist Greg Palast to speak at Sonoma
State
7:00 PM, Sonoma State University
Internationally renowned journalist Greg Palast,
author of NY Times best seller "The Best Democracy Money Can
Buy," will be at Sonoma State University, Wednesday June 7,
to debut his new book, "Armed Madhouse." $10 for general
admission, $5 for students and seniors (sliding scale, no one turned
away).
For more information call: 707-664-3373 or go to: www.projectcensored.org
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9-11
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(Fri-Sun) Health and Harmony Festival
Sonoma County Fairgrounds
Please visit the GPSC booth!
Info: http://www.harmonyfestival.com/
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(Sat) Re-election Campaign Kickoff Party for Larry Robinson
7:00 PM, Sebastopol Brewing Co., 268 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol
See item #3
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(Wed) Deadline for GPSC Newsletter Submissions for July
If you have a Green-related article or
event that you want included in the next GPSC e-newsletter, email
your draft or completed submission to editor@sonomagreenparty.org
by 6/14. If you email a draft, please submit the completed article
by Monday, 6/19.
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(Thu) General Business Meeting
6:30-9 PM, State Building, 50 D Street,
Room 410a, Santa Rosa (between 2nd Street & Sonoma Ave).This
meeting is held every 3rd Thursday of the month.
All interested Greens are welcome to attend--please come to meet
the newly-elected county council!
Info: info@sonomagreenparty.org
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24-25
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(Sat-Sun) GPCA Plenary in Ventura County
See item #5.
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INTERNET LINKS
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Join the Sonoma Greens Open Forum!
Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter to stay informed about
the GPSC. Would you like to receive more than one Green email per
month, and have discussions with other Sonoma Greens? The Sonoma
Greens Open Forum is a free-for-all discussion list for Greens and
the Green-curious in Sonoma County, for the purpose of advancing
Green politics, activism, and debate. You can join at https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/sonomagreens
(click on subscribe) or email JaredL@sbcglobal.net
for help or more information. Note: this list is not sponsored
or maintained by the GPSC.
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INTERNET LINKS OF THE MONTH |
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This article, "Living-Wage Law Does Combat Poverty,"
contains excerpts from a study done by Florida International University
researchers.
"Use of National Guard to militarize border sends wrong
signal, won't resolve immigration situation, say Green Party congressional
candidates"
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