Tired of hum-drum, tweedle-dee, tweedle-dum, corporate sponsored,presidential candidates? So are a growing number of hard-working, taxpaying, disaffected,fellow Americans!But don't despair, folks, you now have someone in your corner, someone who won't desert you after you've cast your vote, someone to get excited about!

Cynthia McKinney, 6-time Congresswoman, afro-american from Georgia and outspoken critic of the Bush regime, has registered Green and is running for President. This is the same fearless Congresswoman who used the powers and authority of her congressional office to investigate, expose, and denounce war-profiteering in Iraq, who demanded a thorough investigation of 9/11, and introduced articles of impeachment against George Bush and Dick Cheney. She won't capitulate and back down like your typical run-of-the-mill democratic congressman.  She unflinchingly charges Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice with war crimes, and has a proven track record of support for the values of Greens and millions of everyday Americans - from peace and better wages, to equal rights and environmental preservation, which she expresses in an electrifying and charismatic way, PLUS she's also a really personable, accessible, warm, charming, and just downright, "down-home" human being. At the last Sonoma Green Party meeting, Oct 18th, a concern was raised that Green activists need to hear something concrete from Cynthia McKinney about her presidential candidacy. It is understandable that before getting on board with the heavy lifting involved in planning and funding an all-out election campaign, many local activists have been awaiting a definitive and unequivocal announcement of her presidential intentions.In that light, one of the organizers of Cynthia's early October visit to Berkeley/San Francisco, was asked about her current status. Here's what we found out...three things:

1. On October 23rd, 2007, Cynthia McKinney filed a formal Declaration of Candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) for the Office of President, as a registered Green Party member.
2. The source in question spoke with Cynthia further about her plans and she said that she intends to make a public statement about her presidential candidacy when it will have the greatest public and political impact, probably in early December of this year. As a seasoned and effective campaigner, it makes sense, that she deserves the benefit of the doubt, regarding the specific timing of her
3. Meanwhile, for all intents and purposes, she's already ROLLING.  Here's Cynthia's reply to an email Sonoma Green tim smith, sent her earlier this

Tim, your e-mail is very timely.  We are trying to put together a CA tour, but we had in mind November instead of December.  Can you act that fast?  We dont have dates confirmed yet, but are working on a mid November track.  Doing a pacific coast tour.  Starting in WA and ending in San Diego.  AT least thats the idea.  The planning is being done by Hugh, John, and Lucy.  They are included on this message. Ill let them bring you up to date on where we are in the thinking and it would be wonderful if you could be included. I remember Sonoma and Napa Counties did say they wanted me back. There is much exciting that is happening.  I just returned from Austria and the Austrian Greens are on it. We're designing a piece that I'm calling Living Green. I'm really excited about the brave new world I've now entered.

These are indeed exciting times for the Green Party!

We will have a very competitive Presidential Primary election on February 5th, 2008.  In addition to Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader will also be on the ballot in California, along with Elaine Brown, Kat Swift, Kent Mesplay, Jared Ball and Jessie Johnson. Stay tuned for more about our lesser known candidates in upcoming newsletters.  And check out our soon to be updated website (in about a week) to get informed and get involved.

We urge you to get in touch, get informed and get involved, and to help out with a myriad of tasks, that need doing if we are to make a difference this time around.

For more information please contact tim smith at 707-202-4507 or at rioryon_at_aol.com

The 2008 Election Cycle is gearing up. There will be 3 elections this coming year - the Presidential Primary, February 5th; the June Primary (for all other primary elections); and the November '08, General Election.

With an exciting, full slate of candidates including Elaine Brown, Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, Kent Mesplay, Kat Swift, Jared Ball, and Jessie Johnson, on the California primary ballot, many Greens are considering the potential for increased visibility and activity that can center around a Green Party Campaign Office, possibly open from November to November. However, such an office would require considerable time, energy, funding and other resources.

Can we do it, that is the question!?

Please come to our next Green Party Meeting at the State Building in Santa Rosa, at 2nd and D Streets, around the corner from the Post Office, on Thursday, November 15th, at 6:30pm, on the 4th floor (usually room 405, but if not, look around for us - we'll be there) to discuss the facts and findings regarding the following proposal (among others)...:

GPSC Campaign Office Proposal

The GPSC shall immediately establish a 2008 election cycle campaign office search committee and campaign office fund.

The search committee shall research and assess available office space in Sonoma County, and shall prioritize the top 5 - 10 prospects and report back to the next GPSC General Meeting (Nov 15th) with it's findings and recommendations. The office fund shall be administered by the GPSC Treasurer, who shall begin accepting, recording and tabulating donations immediately.

If the office fund is able to raise, by way of donations, pledges, and/or loans, 2 month's rent + $1,000 for an agreed upon office (agreed upon by consensus, or a by 67% approval vote, at the GPSC General Meeting on 15th, or 29th) the GPSC shall proceed to contract for and open said office, for 1 year.

The GPSC Campaign Office shall be available as a resource for ALL GPSC purposes, including GP candidates - national, state and local; and all GPSC approved issues and candidates; and shall include such uses as meetings, events, promotions, fundraising, phone-banking, organizing, printing and distributing literature, selling campaign and GPSC paraphenalia, etc etc.

Dear Greens,

The KPFA Local Station Board (LSB) elections will be ending soon -- ballots must be received (not postmarked) by November 15!  We therefore urge you to mail in your ballot as soon as possible This Week, in order to be sure that your vote will count!  As we explained in our original message (copied below), this is a very important election for Greens, so please be sure to vote -- soon!  Below, in addition to our original message, we have also included a message from highly-respected KPFA activist Carol Spooner, which explains some of the issues involved in the election (and whose endorsements differ only slightly from our own).

Endorsements from the Green Party of Alameda County:

Rankings #1 through #6 (listed in alphabetical order, please choose your own order):  

• Steve Conley,
• Chandra Hauptman,
• Dave Heller,
• Attila Nagy,
• Tracy Rosenberg, and
• Joe Wanzala

Rankings #7 through #12 (listed in alphabetical order, please choose your own order):

• C C Campbell-Rock,
• Bob English,
• Richard Phelps,
• Mara Rivera,
• Gerald Sanders,
• Stan Woods

Thank you in advance for voting in the KPFA LSB election!

The Green Party of Alameda County

[Our original message, "KPFA LSB Election Recommendations, from the Green Party of Alameda County":]

Dear Greens,

The Green Party of Alameda County has made endorsements for the month-long KPFA Local Station Board (LSB) elections, which begins on October 15. Because this is an important election for Greens, and because many of you are members of KPFA, we are sending this message to you.

The LSB elections are important not only because the board members oversee the operations of KPFA, but also because four of the board members are then selected for the Pacifica National Board that oversees the operation of the entire Pacifica Network.

In this time when the corporations have taken over the two major political parties and the media, it is critical for the Greens to help strengthen

KPFA, since the Greens and KPFA share several common goals, such as promoting progressive politics and the fact that neither of us takes corporate money.

Because KPFA is one of the most important media resources for activists in Northern California, as Greens, we need to have people on the Board who will work with the staff to strengthen and grow the KPFA community and encourage KPFA to give the Green Party (and other third parties) the chance to be heard.  We also need to have people on the Board who will help KPFA, as a non-commercial station, set an example of how an election should be conducted without requiring candidates to raise and spend large amounts of money in order to publicize their positions -- that is, KPFA should provide ample airtime as well as public forums for the candidates, so that listeners can make informed decisions about whom to vote for.

The Green Party of Alameda County recommends the election of the following six candidates.  (Note: Chandra Haupman, Dave Heller and Attila Nagy are Green Party members). The candidates below are listed in alphabetical order. Please rank them in whatever order you prefer, as your top six choices:

• Steve Conley, former LSB member, and KPFA staffer
• Chandra Hauptman, current LSB member, human activist
• Dave Heller, IRV advocate
• Attila Nagy, current LSB member
• Tracy Rosenberg, Programming Council, and last year's LSB election supervisor
• Joe Wanzala- current LSB member, good working contact with national board.

• C C Campbell-Rock, Hurricane Katrina survivor and Gulf Coast justice activist
• Bob English, KPFA Outreach Committee member
• Richard Phelps, current LSB member, arbitration lawyer
• Mara Rivera, KPFA Outreach Committee member
• Gerald Sanders, former LSB member
• Stan Woods, current LSB member, Labor activist

Delegates from state Green Parties and caucuses in the party's National Committee completed their vote Tuesday, August 28th, with Chicago taking the lead over Detroit, Minneapolis, and Oakland. Chicago's proposal can be read at http://www.greenconvention2008.com. The convention will take place July 10 to 13, 2008.

The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago has a storied political convention tradition. It's where many a political campaign set up headquarters during convention week. It was in "smoke-filled room" at the Blackstone where a deal was cut to end a deadlock that made Warren Harding the 1920 Republican nominee. And Eisenhower watched the 1952 Republican convention from his room at the Blackstone (the first time the networks covered a convention gavel-to-gavel). Over the years, it has hosted at least 12 presidents on their visits to Chicago.

There's years of history and tradition in this old building which is now being remodeled and transformed to bring it in line with Green values and standards. When it reopens later this fall, the Blackstone will be the most green-friendly hotel in the city, complete with a green roof. And when it opens this Fall the Blackstone will be non-smoking and a union shop.

One of the city's recognizable landmarks located in the heart of Chicago, the Chicago Theatre would be a spectacular setting for the convention. It would allow us to put the "Green Party" name on one of the most eye-catching, most photographed marquees in the city, and it's sure to be noticed by the thousands of residents and tourists alike. The Chicago Theatre is located directly on transit lines, close to everything, and is one of the larger venues which we could pack with up to 3,600 enthusiastic delegates, observers and media. The Chicago Theatre is also a union shop.

The combination of the world-class Blackstone Hotel and the historic Chicago Theatre will help the Green Party to attract celebrity guest speakers--not to mention the media--for our events and fundraisers.

In 2006, the Illinois Green Party did what many pundits said was impossible.  Greens got on the ballot in one of the worst states for ballot access. Green candidates broke through to the media to receive more coverage than ever, even earning the endorsements of several major newspapers throughout the state. And the Green candidate for governor, Rich Whitney, was the choice of more than 350,000 voters, 10% statewide, twice the percentage needed to establish the party for the next four years!

FRANCES MOORE LAPPE

Tuesday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Andrews Hall, Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma

Tickets: $15

Frances Moore Lappe is the author of 15 books, including "Diet for a Small Planet" and "Democracy's Edge." The talk in Sonoma will feature her newest book, "Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, and Courage in a World Gone Mad." Lappe's focus on creative activism and what we need to do in order to establish a "culture of democracy," is eminently practical. She will talk about "entry points," where we as citizens can make a significant difference deciding political issues and outcomes. Framing progressive values in a way that empowers and conveys the message, outlining actions we can take right now, and even demonstrating how to effectively converse with cynics, mark the thoughtful and well-researched work from Frances Moore Lappe. Lappe co-founded the Small Planet Institute and the Center for Living Democracy, a 10-year initiative to help accelerate the spread of democratic innovations.Lappe also served as founding editor of the Center's American News Service, which placed solutions-oriented news stories in almost 300 newspapers nationwide.

GEORGIA KELLY

Saturday, December 1, 2007 - 10:00 - 5:00 - Daylong Workshop

"Transforming Relationships: Tools for Conscious Communication and Conflict Resolution"

Workshop: $95
Lunch is available. Inquire at the Institute of Imaginal Studies

Presented by the Institute of Imaginal Studies, at their Petaluma campus,
47 Sixth St., Petaluma.

This interactive workshop is an in-depth exploration of how to understand and transform conflicts in our daily lives. We will develop practical skills for effective communication and conflict management, work with power imbalances, establish ground rules for difficult situations and create plans for post-workshop study and practice.

To Register, please contact The Institute of Imaginal Studies - 707-765-1836 or visit http://www.imaginal.edu Under upcoming programs

Saturday, November 10, Silent Auction and No Host Bar - 4:30, Dinner - 6:15

Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Building, 282 So. High Street, Sebastopol

PEACE NOW! CELEBRATE COMMUNITY, EMBRACE HOPE

Dedicated to Shirley Thatcher, Peace Press editor for 13 years

This year our Peacemaker of the Year Award will be bestowed on our Demilitarization Team - three wonderful women who work to separate active duty personal from a cruel and deceitful military system: Jean Daskais, Margaret Howe, and Margaret Bregger Coston.

Our Community Organization Award will go to Project Censored and Peter Phillips for working tirelessly to expose all the news that's fit to print, but isn't.

The Unsung Hero Award will be given to Trathen Heckman of Daily Acts for helping us envision a sustainable world.

Please come out to honor these creative, dedicated activists. They SO deserve your support for all the hard work they do.

Dinner is $35 in advance, $40 at the door, children under 12, $15. Call the Center for reservations - 575-8902 - cash, check or credit card. Dinner catered by Cafe Saint Rose: polenta with a ragout of autumn vegetables, salad, and dessert

From: Debra Birkinshaw

Peace and Justice of Sonoma County, Board Member http://www.peaceandjusticesonomaco.org

"As Gandhi observed, “Nonviolence is not the inanity it has been taken for down the ages.” It is far deeper — it requires changes of action, word, and thought, and also far broader — it reaches into every compartment of life: economic, ecological, interpersonal, and social. More, it is a real, positive force and not (as the word might imply) something that happens when something else, namely violence, does not. Just as violence can be physical or built into systems of government or practice — what Johan Galtung has taught us to call ’structural violence’ — so nonviolence can be institutionalized. It begins, however, with our own thought, attitudes, and practice.

Violence is keyed to the lowest image of the human being, nonviolence to the most exalted. Violence drives us apart; nonviolence appeals directly to the mysterious unity among all of us, which is the hidden glory of each of us."

Michael Nagler, U.C. Berkeley Professor

NOTE:
- We sometimes include events that may not have 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

10  

(Sat) Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County Annual Dinner
Sebastopol Veterans Memorial Building, 282 So. High Street, Sebastopol
See item #7 above

15  

(Thu) General Business Meeting
6:30-9 PM, State Building, 50 D Street, 4th floor, Santa Rosa (between 2nd Street & Sonoma Ave).  Direction signs posted inside the building will lead you to the right room. This meeting is held every 3rd Thursday of the month. 
All interested Greens are welcome to attend!
Info: info_at_sonomagreenparty.org

22  

(Thu) GPSC Newsletter Submissions Due for December
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_at_sonomagreenparty.org by 11/22. If you email a draft, please submit the completed article by Monday, 11/26.

27  

(Tue) Francis Moore Lappe
Andrews Hall, Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma
See item #6 above

1  

(Sat) "Transforming Relationships: Tools for Conscious Communication and Conflict Resolution"
47 Sixth St., Petaluma
See item #6 above

PC (Public Communications) WG
Info: http://www.sonomagreenparty.org/pages/gi_pc.shtml
Monthly newsletter submissions: editor_at_sonomagreenparty.org
Contact: info_at_sonomagreenparty.org

Campus Greens - Sonoma State University Chapter
Listserve: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/sonomacampusgreens

PO Box 15073 Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Email: info_at_sonomagreenparty.org
Website: http://www.sonomagreenparty.org

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