No subject

Garrett Epps is right on all counts, but he fails to give the Greens the
most important advice. The Greens should work to get several senators or
congressional representatives elected, and forget the presidency. Then
they'd have the power.

Here's the reason. Suppose Nader were elected (impossible, but let's
suppose it happened). He would have not just one, but two opposition
parties in Congress. He would get nothing accomplished.

But suppose a few Green senators and a few Green House representatives
were elected. With the closely divided Senate and House, the Greens
would then hold the balance of power! In other words, they'd control the
agenda with just a few votes.

When are the Greens (and their followers) going to wake up to this
political fact of life?

Bruce Barnbaum, Granite Falls

*   *   *

Wilderness beckons

Garrett Epps offers sensible tactical advice for building a Green
political movement while not repeating the Naderite blunder of siphoning
off votes from the Democratic presidential nominee.

However, Epps presents the phrase "homeland security" in quotes, as if
it were not what it actually is the government's effort to secure our
homeland from murderous enemies but rather an effort to "strong-arm
liberals and progressives into irrelevance."

If Democrats and Greens cannot accept the clear moral imperative for
this nationwide initiative, then I say to them, welcome to the political
wilderness where you will stay, together or separately, until you join,
or rejoin the American political mainstream.

Andrew Agree, Bothell

**********************************************************************

5) San Francisco Examiner August 8th, 2003

CALIFORNIA: GONZALEZ IN

by Adriel Hampton

Matt Gonzalez, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a
prominent member of the Green Party, announced late Thursday that he
will run for mayor this November.

Rumors of a possible Gonzalez candidacy had swirled in political circles
for several days, with leftist activists divided on whether to support
Gonzalez or to stick with progressive-to-liberal candidates already in
the race. Supervisor Tom Ammiano, attorney Angela Alioto and Treasurer
Susan Leal are all running to the left of moderate Supervisor Gavin
Newsom.

"Both Tom and Angela are close allies whom I respect," Gonzalez said in
a prepared statement. "Yet there has been a sense that their campaigns
have not been coming together."

Gonzalez plans to take out papers for his run this morning and file
later in the day. Candidates have until 5 p.m. to pay a filing fee and
submit nomination signatures.

At press time, conservative supervisor Tony Hall was still weighing a
run.

Hall said he was assessing the impact of the statewide recall on his
possible run. He also expressed support for Gonzalez but said he won't
endorse in the race.

"I like Matt an awful lot," Hall said. "I think he's certainly
intelligent and honest enough to be mayor."

Peter Keane, dean of Golden Gate University of the Law, expressed strong
support for Gonzalez, who Keane once supervised in the Public Defender's
Office.

"Matt really opens up the race. In fact, he blows it wide open," Keane
said. "Matt is the first character to come along since Paul Wellstone
who represents all that is good about progressive politics in the United
States.

"Matt shuffles the deck and is really going to give Newsom a run for his
money. I'm going to work like hell in his campaign."

Some, though, expressed concern that Gonzalez would further split the
left.

"I think he's a great lefty," said Robert Haaland, president of the
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club (the club is supporting Ammiano). "The
only fear I have is the left is already divided and it just divides it
more."

Alioto, neck and neck with Ammiano in polling, said she thinks she will
hold on to her supporters but Ammiano will lose votes.

"I believe it devastates Tom's base," Alioto said. "The people that
generally support Gonzalez are the exact same people who support Tom."

Hunter Cutting, spokesman for Ammiano's campaign, said many people were
still encouraging Gonzalez to stay out of the race.

"If he's in the race -- and that's a big if -- I don't think it changes
the final equation," Cutting said. "It just means there are four
candidates instead of three candidates dividing up the liberal vote. Tom
has the core support. I think it's still Tom vs. Gavin in a runoff."

Gonzalez supporters said they thought his candidacy will energize the
race.

"I think it's great," Supervisor Chris Daly said, reached early
Thursday. "If it happens tomorrow it's the best thing that can happen in
the mayor's race. I think I'm going to work on this campaign if he comes
in."

Green Party activist Medea Benjamin, who has endorsed Ammiano, said she
would co-endorse in the race and thinks having two strong progressives
will bring out more voters.

"I think we've got two good progressive candidates, Tom and Matt, and it
might energize the base of the progressive movement, get people involved
and have a progressive beat Gavin Newsom," Benjamin said.

Daly and others compared Gonzalez's entry to the '99 write-in campaign
for Ammiano. Ammiano got into the runoff in that race but lost to
incumbent Willie Brown.

**********************************************************************

6) Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, PA); August 8, 2003

PENNSYLVANIA: GREEN PARTY CONTENDER IN COUNTY RACE

by Bernard Harris

Completing the political spectrum, Lancaster County now has a Green
Party candidate running for county commissioner.

R. Scott Kender of Lancaster City filed nominating petitions last Friday
to become the sixth candidate on the Nov. 4 commissioner ballot.

Kender, county chairman of the left-wing Greens, was the last entry into
the race. He follows James N. Clymer, national chairman of the
right-wing Constitution Party, who had filed his paperwork earlier but
publicly announced his candidacy last Saturday.

Both men joined Republicans Pete Shaub and Dick Shellenberger and
Democrats Bill Saylor and Molly Henderson on the ballot. Shaub, the only
incumbent in the race, and Shellenberger, a restaurateur, were the top
vote-getters in a six-way Republican primary in May.

Saylor, a retired WGAL-TV anchorman, and Henderson, a former Lancaster
City public health official, finished first and second in a three-way
race for the Democratic primary.

Kender, 36, received more than 1,100 signatures on nominating petitions
circulated on his behalf. According to Mary Z. Stehman, the chief
registrar and chief clerk of the county elections board, Kender needed
to receive 948 signatures to be included in the election.

Today is the last day for anyone to challenge those signatures, said
Stehman.

Kender, of 715 N. Cherry St., became chairman of the Green Party in
January. He is a customer services representative at 1to1 Contact Center
in Lancaster.

He is a former English-as-Second-Language teacher in Philadelphia. He
also taught English for a year in Dobroich, Bulgaria, through a program
of Students for Central and Eastern Europe.

Kender, who is not married, graduated from Temple University in 1990
with a bachelor's degree in communications. He said he moved to
Lancaster in 2001 because of his "love of the area."

Kender said he chose to run for commissioner because he wanted to serve
the people of Lancaster County.

"I think government is about serving the people. As county commissioner,
I will definitely be a civil servant," he said.

He wants to support the county's comprehensive plan, a land-use planning
document that emphasizes farmland preservation and "smart growth"
initiatives. Kender called it a "very green document."

He also wants to see increased spending on social services, for which
funding from the state has been cut drastically this year. He believes
that if those programs go unfunded or underfunded, then recipients of
those services will end up costing the county more in the long run,
through increases in crime and other disorder.

The Green Party is the county's fastest-growing political organization.
It has only 600 members but has grown four-fold since it began in
January 2002.

"We get more people almost every single day," said Kender.

In June, the party had a central committee meeting in which party
leaders called for candidates. Along with Kender, the Greens have also
submitted nominating petitions for: Curtis Jefferson, for Lancaster
School Board; Gregory A. Gilligan, Warwick School Board; Nick Seigert,
constable for first and fifth wards of Lancaster City; David Brooks,
auditor for Conestoga Township; and John Irwin, auditor for Martic
Township.

The signatures were gathered last month.

Kender said he was glad to be included and to see others included on the
ballot. He said he even signed Clymer's nominating petition, although he
does not agree with all the positions of Clymer's Constitution Party.

"I feel that it is a wonderful extension of the democratic process. I
feel that everybody should have the opportunity to be on the ballot," he
said.

**********************************************************************

7) The Associated Press State & Local Wire; August 8, 2003

CALIFORNIA: GREEN PARTY'S CAMEJO FILES RECALL CANDIDACY

by Lisa Leff, Associated Press Writer

Berkeley -- Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, who earned 5.3 percent
of the vote and a third-place finish in last fall's governor's race,
added his name Thursday to the upcoming recall ballot.

Camejo's move had been expected. In June, the veteran social activist,
63, was one of the first two people, along with the recall's sponsor,
Republican Darrell Issa, to announce his candidacy to replace Gov. Gray
Davis.

As he prepared to submit the last of his qualifying signatures to the
Alameda County Registrar of Voters, Camejo said that although he and the
conservative Issa represent opposite ends of the ideological spectrum,
he considers the recall "a major progressive victory."

"There are excellent reasons for removing Davis and I am for removing
Davis," he said.

Registered Greens in California, who number about 160,000, have not been
united on that point, however. Local parties have spent the summer
debating whether the Greens should field a candidate in the recall, and
the state party declined to take a position on the unprecedented
election when it met in May.

Nevertheless, the Green Party of California is expected to endorse
Camejo within the week, Ross Mirkarimi, a spokesman for the party, said
Thursday.

"There really is no spoiler stigma that is apt at this point," Mirkarimi
said, referring to the criticism the Green Party received after the 2000
presidential election, when the votes candidate Ralph Nader got were
perceived to have come at the expense of Democrat Al Gore. "The
Democrats have fumbled the ball so badly, they really only have
themselves to blame."

Camejo said he would be running on a liberal platform similar to the one
he adopted last fall. He favors legalizing marijuana, raising income
taxes on businesses and the highest wage earners, and universal health
care. He opposes capital punishment and corporate involvement in
campaign finance.

He said that as the countdown toward the recall continues, he expects he
and independent candidate Arianna Huffington to be making joint
appearances and statements to make sure a progressive agenda remains
part of the debate.

Camejo, who owns a company that promotes socially responsible investing,
has never held elective office. In 1976, he was a presidential candidate
for the Socialist Workers of America.

**********************************************************************

8) Irish News; August 08, 2003

IRELAND: SEWAGE STINK 'INTOLERABLE';

The smell from a new sewage treatment plant in the Ringsend area of
Dublin is becoming intolerable for local residents, according to the
Green Party. Party chairman and Ringsend resident John Gormley TD said
that the smell was so bad over the bank holiday weekend that residents
could not open their windows.

**********************************************************************

9) The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; August 8, 2003

WASHINGTON: THE GREEN PARTY: DON'T BLAME NADERITES, BLAME AN INEPT
SYSTEM

According to Richard Coduri ("Greens, grow up and vote Democratic,"
Tuesday), I contributed my infinitesimal bit to the 2000 election
debacle by voting for Ralph Nader. I submit the result is more due to
the inept U.S. electoral system, which was designed in the days there
were usually only two candidates.

We need preference voting (instant run-off). As an example, consider the
California recall election in which the "winner" may get only 10 percent
of the vote.

James W. Burrows
Seattle

RED, WHITE AND BLUE GREEN WON'T VOTE DEMOCRATIC

Hate to tell Richard Coduri, but if Greens ever truly grew up, they
wouldn't come within a mile of pulling the lever for a Democrat.

Kyda Sylvester
Auburn

THIS GREENIE BLUE THAT SHE VOTED FOR AL GORE

Ralph Nader has been a hero of mine my entire adult life for his courage
to be unpopular with political action committees and all others who
choose personal profit over common good. I've been beating myself up
since 2000 for succumbing to the same shortsighted, probably
self-interested chatter of Richard Coduri, who advises Greens to vote
Democratic.

I did that by voting for Al Gore instead of giving my hero the support
he deserved. Nader didn't hand the election to Bush; he got too few
votes and that's my fault. I do not believe that Nader traitors, like
myself, ought to fall for the same "or else" urgings this time.

Coduri is on the money to say that another go with Bush would have
disastrous consequences. But maybe it took one dance with Bush to
demonstrate how he's brought us to our impossibly tragic state.

I hope now that eyes are open and minds, too. Coduri suggests we swallow
our pride. I say we should cough it up and give Nader and his ideas a
chance.

Beatrice Metzelaar
Seattle

**********************************************************************

10) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London; August 8, 2003

ENGLAND: GREEN SPACE MAKES SENSE

Guardian Reporter

August 11 to 17 is national allotments week an initiative which aims to
promote awareness of allotments both locally and nationally.

The Green Party Group in the London Assembly is marking the event by
calling on all local authorities to take up our plots pledge promise and
enact the following policies: l Halt the loss of allotment sites by
opposing all planning applications to build on allotment sites. l
Undertake to cut waiting lists and create new allotment sites on
brownfield land where demand for allotment plots is high.

l Provide proper public information on the availability of local
allotments and work closely with local allotment societies.

Allotments need to be recognised for their environmental health and
social benefits and for their genuine contribution to community life.
These include the provision of fresh food providing wildlife habitats
and reducing waste through composting not to mention physical exercise
and educational opportunities.

Councillor Darren Johnson
Leader of the Green Party Group in the London Assembl
 City Hall The Queen's Walk London SE1 2AA

**********************************************************************

11) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London; August 8, 2003

ENGLAND: DRUG CAMPAIGNER'S SENTENCE UNDER FIRE

by Charles Heymann

The jailing of a Brixton-based drugs campaigner caught growing cannabis
has been condemned by a host of Green politicians as a waste of
taxpayers' money.

Shane Collins the Green Party's spokesman on drug issues was last week
convicted for cannabis cultivation after police discovered 19 small
plants in the basement of his Brixton home. He was sentenced to six
weeks in Brixton prison but was released days later following an appeal
at Inner London Crown Court. Mr Collins organiser of the annual cannabis
festivals held in Brockwell Park said: "I'm relieved that the Crown
Court has overruled a fairly extreme magistrates court.

"I'm frustrated that 19 small plants have caused six court appearances
five days in prison and at least eight police officers' time as well as
a large waste of taxpayers' money.

"If the Government won't allow cannabis cafs the only alternatives are
street purchase or home cultivation neither of which is ideal." Mr
Collins' incarceration risked becoming a cause celbre among his
supporters who claimed his imprisonment highlighted the absurdity of
drug policy.

The Green Party's deputy mayor of London Jenny Jones said: "This is
ludicrous when we're on the point of changing the law. It's even worse
when the UK has its highest prison population ever.

"The criminal justice system is under huge pressure yet we're being
heavy-handed on victimless crime.

"A prison sentence was inappropriate and being sent to Brixton prison
one of the worst in the country was particularly so." Leader of the
London Assembly Green Party Darren Johnson added: "This just reinforces
our view that the law is in urgent need of reform. Putting someone in
jail for doing something that has manifestly caused no-one any harm is
ridiculous." Mr Collins stood as the party's candidate for Vauxhall
during the 2001 general election and was a fervent supporter of the
Lambeth cannabis experiment whereby police officers were instructed to
issue cautions for possession of the drug rather than arrests.

His case has even gained support from overseas with Marco Cappato MEP
declaring: "We are ready to join Mr Collins in prison in England to help
speed up cannabis reclassification."

**********************************************************************

12) The Evening Standard (Palmerston North, New Zealand); August 7, 2003

NEW ZEALAND: GREENS FIGHT GE MOVES

The Green Party called a no-confidence vote against the Government in
Parliament last night because it intends lifting the genetic engineering
moratorium in October. The issue has strained relations between the
Greens and Labour, and stopped them being considered as a coalition
partner after the last election. The Government won the vote by 110
votes to nine. Opposition parties supported the Government because they
believe the moratorium should be lifted.

**********************************************************************

13) Irish News; August 07, 2003

IRELAND: BID FOR YOUTHS TO HAVE DPP SAY;

by William Graham, Political Correspondent

The Green Party has suggested that representatives of young people
should be appointed to District Policing Partnership Boards.

Dr John Barry, Green Party leader, said that given the fact that a lot
of police time is spent dealing with anti-social behaviour, it is
important that there is representation from young people to help deal
with these problems. He said that just as it was welcome that there was
50/50 gender equality in the appointment of these new policing boards,
it is important to include young people in this new start for policing
in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, Dr Barry also yesterday welcomed consultation on whether or
not to reduce the voting age.

The consultation, carried out by the electoral commission, is set to run
until the end of October and may have implications for the next general
election.

"We in the Green Party welcome the fact that the government is finally
looking into this matter seriously, " Dr Barry said.

"We might have a situation whereby 16 and 17-year-olds could be voting
at the next general election."

**********************************************************************

14) Global News Wire - Europe Intelligence Wire; August 7, 2003

IRELAND: HEAT ON BLAIR AS WEATHER SIZZLES

Ciaran McKeown, Political Correspondent

With ethnic politics in a kind of summer recess, the Green Party has
been making hay while the sun shines this week with a stream of
real-issue policy statements, usually backed up by scholarly references
to scientific data.

Yesterdays main subject, predictably, was global warning and Northern
Irelands Green Party leader John Barry described the current heatwave
over Europe as yet another warning sign of the havoc humankind is
wreaking on the worlds weather.

He repeated a leading climatologists warning that climate change was a
weapon of mass destruction and said: As temperatures approach
record-breaking levels, more and more evidence is mounting that human-
made pollution is destabilising the worlds climate. The main cause
climate change is carbon emissions as a result of the burning of fossil
fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, Dr Barry said.

In this sense, the recent Action Renewables campaign to encourage
greater awareness of the need to move away from burning fossil fuels for
our energy and shift to renewable forms such as wind, wave, tidal and
biomass could not be more timely.

However, it also needs to be recognised that energy conservation is as
important as shifting to renewable energy we simply waste too much
energy and this needs to be tackled....

Analysis by the Hadley Centre, Britains premier climate modelling
centre, showed that, globally, 1998, 2001 and 2002 were the three
hottest years on record.

Hadley Centre research published just last month showed that the warming
affecting Europe and North America cannot be explained by natural
causes, such as sunspots or volcanoes but must be partly due to
human-made pollution, he said.

Last week, Sir John Houghton, Britains leading climatologist and co-
chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
called climate change a weapon of mass destruction .

In June, a conference of climate scientists in Berlin concluded that
warming in the future may be higher than previously thought because the
cooling effect of soot in the past had been underestimated.

Dr Barry urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to reinvigorate efforts to
persuade Russia and the US to ratify the Kyoto Protocol aimed at
stabilising carbon emissions.

Tony Blair was very happy to tour the world drumming up support for the
war in Iraq.

Why isn’t he making a similar effort to combat global warming which even
his top climate scientist is calling a weapon of mass destruction? Dr
Barry asked.

The Green Party has backed lowering the voting age to 16, in its
contribution to the Governments consultation process being carried out
by the Electoral Commission.

The consultation period will run until the end of October and may affect
the next general election.

Dr Barry said: This is a great opportunity to help tackle political
apathy.

Voter apathy has many causes, not least disillusionment with the ethnic
political parties here in Northern Ireland and the fact that many people
are turned off the politics of these ethnic entrepreneurs.

Reducing the voting age to 16 will help capture the enthusiasm that many
16- and 17-year-olds have for voicing their vision of our society’s
future.

**********************************************************************

15) Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA); August 7, 2003

CALIFORNIA: IDYLLWILD

Green Fest to have music, speakers

The Southwest Chapter of the Green Party will be sponsoring Green Fest
2003 in Idyllwild on Saturday.

The free event includes musical acts and speakers on politics, health
care, the environment and social justice.

Green Party members from Riverside and San Bernardino counties, along
with those from Los Angeles, Imperial and Orange counties, are expected
to attend.

Green Fest will take place from 11 a.m. until dark at the Idyllwild Town
Hall Outdoor Amphitheater, 25925 Cedar St. in Idyllwild.

*********************************************************************

16) Sacramento Bee; August 07, 2003

CALIFORNIA: WHO IS GRAY DAVIS? STATE'S VOTERS STILL DON'T KNOW

by Daniel Weintraub

The campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis might have gotten its start among
conservative Republican activists and their allies on talk radio, but
it's clear now that the movement has spread well beyond the "vast
right-wing conspiracy" that the governor would like to blame for his
troubles.

It's also apparent that Davis has precious few friends to call on in
this time of political need. And he will soon be needing a lot of them,
because his usual strategy of running as the lesser of evils, of trying
to scare Democratic voters into choosing him over "extremist"
alternatives, is falling apart.

Green Party stalwart Peter Camejo, who got 5 percent of the vote in last
year's election, is back and will run again in the recall. So, too, will
columnist and TV commentator Arianna Huffington, who plans to enter the
race as a left-leaning independent.

Also filing papers was former Assemblywoman Audie Bock of Oakland, who
knows a thing or two about insurgencies. Bock, an expert in Japanese
cinema and a community college instructor, captured her Assembly seat as
a Green running against a well-known but little-liked Democratic
nominee. She ran for re-election as an independent, but lost when the
Democrats righted their ship and took back the seat.

At this point, few expect Camejo, Huffington or Bock to become governor,
although Huffington, with access to money and media, might catch fire.
But these early stirrings on the left are a leading indicator. By
Saturday, top Democrats and their supporters in organized labor will
have to decide if Davis can be saved or if, as seems increasingly
likely, they must rally around another candidate and offer voters an
alternative to the well-financed Republicans headed for the ballot....

*********************************************************************

17) South Wales Evening Post; August 7, 2003

WALES: 20MPH GREENS

Speed limits in Welsh cities should be reduced to 20mph in an attempt to
cut the number of road deaths, the Wales Green Party said today. Newly
selected Green Euro-election candidate Martyn Shrewsbury said: "About 70
per cent of drivers break the speed limit.

"And they are getting away with it.

"Meanwhile, around Welsh cities there is a climate of fear in which
pedestrians and cyclists are scared to compete with the car.

"The policy is about slowing traffic, saving lives, and restoring
communities in the urban environment."

**********************************************************************

18) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London; August 7, 2003

ENGLAND: GREENS NAME LONDON ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE

by Leigh Collins

The Green Party's has selected its finance manager as its candidate for
the Barnet and Camden constituency next year's London Assembly
elections.

Adrian Oliver John 36 a nutrition consultant with interests in
complementary healthcare sustainable agriculture public transport and
spirituality said: "I firmly believe that it is possible for us human
beings to make our world a better place. "A world in which everyone's
basic needs are met; a world less dominated by fear; a world in which we
are more caring sharing respectful and loving towards ourselves and each
other. I believe a significant proportion of the electorate in Barnet
and Camden would like their elected representatives to be working
towards this vision and embracing these values more consistently in
their work."

The Green Party currently has three London Assembly Members including
Noel Lynch from East Finchley. These members did not win constituency
seats but were elected under the top-up list system a proportional
representation part of the election where people vote for parties rather
than individuals.

Mr John joins Labour Party candidate Lucy Anderson and Liberal Democrat
candidate Jonathan Simpson both Camden councillors in trying to oust
Barnet assembly member Councillor Brian Coleman who will be standing
again for the Conservatives next year.

Mr Coleman won the 2000 election by only 551 votes from Labour's Helen
Gordon the closest result of the 14 constituencies.

**********************************************************************

19) Daily Texan. U. Texas-Austin;  August 7, 2003

TEXAS: CAMPUS GREENS HOLDING CONVENTION AT U. TEXAS

by Stuart Reeves

Austin -- Young activists from across the country will arrive in Austin,
Texas, Thursday for the third annual Campus Greens National Convention,
to be held on the University of Texas campus.

The four-day gathering offers seminars and workshops on a variety of
topics including campaign management, fund raising, electoral reform and
"eco-feminism."

As a part of their platform, neither the national Green Party nor the
Campus Greens accept corporate campaign donations, which keeps the party
from mobilizing its efforts as effectively as they would prefer, said
Karla Aguilar, a senior at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

"As activists, we are at a disadvantage," said Brent Perdue, a history
senior and UT Campus Green member. "We need the skills and the tools to
organize."

Organizers of the convention also will use the meeting to address
homosexual rights and a boycott of the Taco Bell fast-food chain for its
association with a produce distributor accused of unfair labor
practices.

"Pro-activism in preemptive times" is the weekend's theme, said Aguilar,
who joined Campus Greens in 2001 and is one of the principal organizers
of the convention.

"We want to teach these young activists how to run effective and
winnable campaigns," Aguilar said. "Once people know how to stand up for
themselves, democracy becomes contagious. People will demand change of
their society."

Austin was selected for this year's convention for its active student
voice and the state's association with President Bush.

"There are a lot of active students in Austin," said Brian Sandberg, the
national director of Campus Greens. "To take a fight to Bush's
administration in his backyard is appropriate."

Austin's progressive attitude made it the front-runner to host the
convention, Perdue said.

"We've been on the forefront of activism this year. We were able to get
5,000 people to walk out of class to protest the war," Perdue said.

The convention will wrap up Saturday night with a rally at Austin Music
Hall, where former Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra and Green Party
presidential candidate David Cobb will speak to attendees on the future
of the party and its current platform.

**********************************************************************

20) Albuquerque Tribune (New Mexico); August 6, 2003

NEW MEXICOCITY COUNCIL SLOTS DRAW 11 HOPEFULS ON FIRST DAY

By Ed Asher

Campaigns for the Oct. 28 city elections are under way with 11
prospective candidates circulating petitions for four seats on the City
Council.

The field includes a retired police captain, an unsuccessful Green Party
candidate for Congress, an engineer, a writer, a political consultant, a
doctor and others.

None of the 11 will become candidates until his or her petition
signatures are validated by the City Clerk's Office. Petitions are due
Aug. 22.

It is a wide open field, with three of the four incumbents deciding not
to seek re-election.

Tuesday was the first day that prospective candidates could begin
circulating petitions. So far, the 11 who have picked up candidate
packets from the City Clerk's Office are:...

...District 6, Southeast Heights

Incumbent Hess Yntema is not running.

Bob Anderson. Ran for the 1st Congressional District as a Green Party
candidate in 1998; the election was won by Heather Wilson, an
Albuquerque Republican. Most recently, he was teaching a course on
Western civilization in the honors department at the University of New
Mexico. He is a Vietnam War veteran who has been active in the
Albuquerque community for 30 years, including involvement in antiwar
issues....


**********************************************************************

21) Baltic News Service; August 6, 2003

LATVIA: LATVIAN MP ULME STILL DENIES KGB COLLABORATION

Riga -- Although the Latvian prosecution department for rehabilitation
and special services cases has approved conscious and secret
collaboration with the Soviet KGB on behalf of Latvian parliament
member, Arvids Ulme, the MP still staunchly denies it.

Ulme told BNS that he doubts the truthfulness and originality of the
information the prosecutors have obtained, adding that "the real agency
lists were not left in the KGB sacks," speaking of sacks containing
agent cards found in the basements of the KGB headquarters in Riga after
Latvia's independence....

Ulme said he was "not surprised over such a turn in the case, as it was
clear that it would be pushed in this direction," but refused to say who
he believes is pushing the case in any specific direction. "In ten years
time the prosecution has not convicted any KGB agents and will they
suddenly succeed now? They should finally start looking into these
matters in essence, and this is exactly why I am still dealing with the
case," said Ulme.

Ulme said that he has "thousands of witnesses that will prove that I
fought against the KGB and did not collaborate with them. Of course the
KGB always kept an eye on me and often called me in, but the only thing
I could report on was myself."

Ulme had until now denied any collaboration with the KGB. By Latvian
legislation, if Ulme does not admit to collaboration, then the case will
have to be proven in court.

The Latvian Central Election Committee head Arnis Cimdars said that the
prosecutor's conclusions will in no way trouble Ulme's political career
and he may continue working in parliament, as this is forbidden only for
proven KGB staff members.

Ulme, of the Greens and Farmers Union currently on the ruling coalition,
previously told BNS that "I'm not so interested in the case itself, but
in the fact that for so many years some kind of lists have been studied
over, knowing full well that they are not the real KGB collaborator
lists. It's only logical that the real lists were put in a safe place
long ago. The KGB was no kindergarten and they definitely did not leave
the real lists in sacks on the floor."

Arvids Ulme founded the Environmental Protection Club in the Eighties,
which played a significant role in the country's independence movement.
After independence, Ulme was elected to the country's Supreme Council
and worked on developing the country's environmental protection laws. He
is a key member and one of the founders of the Latvian Green Party.

**********************************************************************

22) Capital Times (Madison, WI); August 6, 2003

WISCONSIN: GREENS OFFER REAL ALTERNATIVE

by Brian Lutenegger Madison

Dear Editor: I am writing in response to James Bartlett's letter (July
22, "Suggestion for Nader voters"). He is right that we need to go out
and encourage nonvoters to show up at the polls next year. But why are
all these millions of people nonvoters? Because the two major parties
have not provided them with candidates they feel are worth voting for.

On the other hand, the Green Party provides a platform of true social,
economic and environmental justice. Its grass-roots campaigns excite
people and show real democracy at work. Greens are not simply
disaffected Democrats -- many of us (including myself) have never
considered ourselves to be Democrats -- but come from across the
political spectrum.

Those attending the Green Party of the United States' recent national
conference overwhelmingly endorsed a 2004 campaign and several
candidates have announced their intention to seek the party's
nomination.

Thus, once again, Americans will have the opportunity next November to
vote for someone offering a true alternative to George W. Bush. Sorry,
Mr. Bartlett, but voting for the Democrat, "whoever it is," is simply
not an acceptable proposition!

**********************************************************************

23) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London; August 6, 2003

ENGLAND: GREEN JEAN KEEN TO PROMOTE ALLOTMENTS

London MEP Jean Lambert will join in the celebrations at Higham Hill
Common Allotments Association's (HHCAA) annual open day on Saturday.

Mrs Lambert a Green Party MEP who lives in Walthamstow will join
representatives of the local community. They will be celebrating the
153rd anniversary of the Higham Hill Allotments in Green Pond Road
Walthamstow.

The allotments support over 150 plots where local people grow fruit
vegetables and flowers.

Wildlife-friendly and organic gardening is also promoted on the site.

The Open Day will include a produce show talks tours and demonstrations.

There will be a table top sale wildlife walks and a barbecue.

Visitors will also have the chance to enjoy and learn more about how
much people get out of the allotments.

Mrs Lambert said: "The Open Day will be a celebration of our community's
hard work and success in local food production and wildlife-friendly
gardening.

"The Association has struggled this year to bring improvements for its
tenants.

"I am glad to see their action bearing such fruit.

"As a Walthamstow resident I am enormously proud of what HHCAA has
achieved for the local community and the contribution it has made to
London's wider biodiversity.

"Its partnership with Age Concern and Waltham Forest College has seen
the first wildlife-friendly gardening course for older people in the
country.

"It also helped the Greens in the London Assembly organise a London-wide
conference on allotments which has led to the first London-wide
Allotments Forum.

"I look forward to seeing the Mayor of London giving allotments the
recognition they deserve thanks to the work of such groups as the
HHCAA."

The open day will run from noon to 6pm on Saturday at the allotments.

**********************************************************************

24) Birmingham Evening Mail; August 5, 2003

ENGLAND: LETTER: HOME HELP

Will we ever resolve the housing problems that afflict many parts of our
city? In the Green Party we advocate publicly funded, local
neighbourhood based solutions that give the community real control. In
particular, we support tenant management organisations and housing
co-operatives because of their proven track record of delivering high
quality local housing services and building stable communities.

Birmingham Greens will be campaigning for rented housing services that
are small in scale, neighbourhood based, community controlled and
properly funded.

Stuart Masters, Birmingham Green Party

**********************************************************************

25) The Independent; August 5, 2003

ENGLAND: GREEN POLITICIAN'S DRUG CONVICTION OVERTURNED

by Danielle Demetriou

The Green Party's spokesman on drugs had his sentence for growing
cannabis overturned yesterday when a judge ruled that he had cultivated
the plants for medicinal use to treat his bad back.

Shane Collins, 41, was sentenced to six weeks in prison last month
following the discovery of 19 marijuana plants in the basement of his
home in Brixton, south London.

After winning his appeal at Inner London Crown Court, Mr Collins said:
"I feel very frustrated at having made six visits to court, spent five
days in prison and occupied eight police officers. It has been a huge
waste of public money over 19 little seeds. "If people could grow their
own cannabis they would not need to buy it on the streets."

The court was told how Mr Collins, who has two previous convictions for
aggravated trespass and breach of the peace in connection with anti-
road building protests at Newbury and Twyford Down, was arrested in
February when police discovered fluorescent lighting, fans and the
cannabis plants in his home.

Ruth Brander, for the defence, told the court that only five of the
plants had been expected to reach maturity. She also said that smoking
the drug eased Mr Collins's back injury. She said: "Mr Collins has
admitted to me he does not smoke cannabis purely for medicinal purposes,
but he does have a bad back. He has a rotated vertebra for which he
requires treatment."

Judge Philpot, sitting with two JPs, granted Mr Collins his appeal in
the light of the fact that he used the drug to ease his back problem and
had no previous drug-related convictions.

Jenny Jones, the Green Party Deputy Mayor of London, said: "The
circumstances of Shane's arrest sound like a dangerous U-turn in
government thinking on the issue of cannabis legal reform."

Mr Collins has been the party's drugs spokesman for six years.

**********************************************************************

26) Morning Star; August 05, 2003

ENGLAND: GREEN PARTY GIVES CAUTIOUS WELCOME TO REVOLUTIONARY HYDROGEN
CAR;

The Green Party gave a cautious welcome yesterday to the development of
a revolutionary hydrogenpowered car that could herald the end of
petrol-driven vehicles.

British-based multinational gas company BOC has backed the breakthrough
prototype, which produces water as its only waste product and runs in
almost complete silence. Green Party transport spokesperson Alan Francis
welcomed the hydrogen car as a means of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, but noted that they are not a complete solution.

"Although hydrogen is a clean fuel, it is produced through electricity,
which may be produced by a fossil fuel or nuclear power station. We
really need to address the problem of easily available nonnuclear
renewable fuel.

"Hydrogen vehicles are merely a part of the solution to the real, huge
problem of climate change.

"Even if we make the leap from dirty to clean by junking the old
technologies and rolling in the new, we still won't have dealt with road
crashes and health problems caused by the car, such as obesity and
deaths from pollution related illnesses. These often affect the poorest
members of society worst, " he said.

**********************************************************************

27) The New Zealand Herald; August 5, 2003

NEW ZEALAND: 'JOBS JOLT' FOR UNEMPLOYED WHO GO BUSH

by Kevin Taylor

A "tough love" jobs plan aims to put more unemployed people back to work
by making it harder for them to stay on benefits.

The Government's $104 million, 10-point "Jobs Jolt" plan, announced
yesterday, will penalise unemployed people who shift to remote areas
where there is little work, possibly by suspending their benefits.

And it will require people aged between 55 and 59 on the dole to be
available for work.

The Green Party accused the Government of "pandering to the right", but
business reaction was positive.

Until now, the 8300 unemployed people aged between 55 and 59 have been
exempted from the obligation to be available for work.

The Government says it is removing their exemption to meet a growing
demand for skilled workers....

...Greens employment spokeswoman Sue Bradford said the package was
dreadful and she could not believe it came from a supposedly progressive
Labour Government.

"Mr Maharey seems to be pandering to the far right, to the National and
Act push on welfare," she said.

"He seems to want to become more repressive because National has taken
quite an active role in welfare reform."...

**********************************************************************

28) Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA); August 5, 2003

CALIFORNIA: GREEN PARTY MEETS AT SUN CITY LIBRARY

The Southwest Chapter of the Riverside County Green Party will
meet from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday in the community room at the Sun
City Library at 26982 Cherry Hills Boulevard.

The group will discuss Greenfest 2003, to be held in Idyllwild
on Saturday.

Information: Chuck Reutter at (909) 679-3752.

**********************************************************************

29) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Brighton and Hove; August 5,
2003

ENGLAND: LOST THE PLOT

The Green Party began in the early Seventies as an ethical alternative
to imposed decisions. As such it should be diametrically opposed to the
Karis Towers. I was against City status in 2000 and campaigned against
it.

Although the Green Party professed support they did nothing to help.

While countering later controversies such as the Capital of Culture
their convenor Keith Taylor has lost the plot.

True Green ethics would recognise local feeling. Yet Councillor Taylor
runs a Brighton-centred party which has never made much impact in Hove.

He has no right to swing the vote for these towers against local wishes.

The towers are ugly while the artwork has many ambivalent features.

For example the image presented in The Argus on July 25 shows the tower
lit by the sun on its landward side which is optically impossible.

The building would be in deep shadow against the sun and would cast a
shadow across the residential street in the foreground.

This high-rise housing is aimed at the rich. How else could it be
funded?

They will place massive demands on services increasing the
pressure-cooker city atmosphere.

Coun Taylor is beguiled by the inclusion of affordable housing. But
local housing was affordable before city status.

It is not something we should accept uncritically.

With his amiable persona Councillor Taylor has inspired many young
individuals to help his party.

Some have been rewarded with council seats. But history is filled with
bungling politicians falling from grace and in a stroke he may have
killed the local Green Party.

Fine if he wants to become an MEP but shattering for those idealists who
gave their time freely.

Peter Poole Hove

**********************************************************************

30) The Irish Times; August 4, 2003

IRELAND: CALL FOR WIND ENERGY SCHEME

The Green Party has called on the Government to seek EU support for a
new scheme to increase the use of wind power. The party's energy
spokesman, Mr Eamon Ryan, said that 83 companies had failed to win a
recent round of Government contracts for 500 megawatts of power. "Almost
all of the projects already have planning permission and could come on
line within two years," he said.

Mr Ryan said the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural
Resources, Mr Dermot Ahern, had sought EU support for an additional 140
megawatts of power. He argued that there was potential for an additional
560 megawatts, which would provide crucial additional capacity on the
national grid.

**********************************************************************

31) Morning Star; August 04, 2003

ENGLAND: GREENS HIGHLIGHT GM RISK TO BIRDS; HAWK AND OWL TRUST JOINS
WILDLIFE PROTEST

by Bob Glanville

The Green Party warned yesterday that the introduction of genetically
modified crops into Britain's ecosystem could have a devastating impact
on farmland birds.

The party condemned the government for backing the controversial crops,
"which will threaten bio-diversity."

Conservationist group the Hawk and Owl Trust also joined the protest
after new research indicated that species such as Skylarks and Reed
Buntings are under threat as new farming methods destroy their food. The
trust explained that farmland birds relied on seeds from common weeds to
survive, especially during the winter.

However, the threatened introduction of GM crops, which tolerate more
efficient herbicides, would mean that weeds would not stand a chance.

Research author Dr Roger Clarke revealed that fewer small birds are
surviving the winter because of a "widespread and dramatic reduction in
food.

"In autumn and winter, seeds are an important part of the diet of many
species. The winter survival of many birds still depends on annual
arable weeds in modern farmland." he said.

"There is an urgent need to identify, conserve and expand the features
of arable farmland where these weeds occur."

Dr Clarke urged farmers and the government to think again about farming
GM crops, recommending that future farming schemes "encourage more
tolerance of the characteristic weeds of arable crops through mainstream
agriculture.

"GM crops are engineered to produce insecticides to combat pests or to
tolerate more efficient herbicides, " he noted.

The tolerance of the new "super crops" to weed killers "may
significantly increase the mortality of weeds before they have a chance
to seed, " Dr Clarke warned.

"This and other GM herbicide tolerant crops, existing or yet to be
developed, could put further pressure on the winter survival of already
threatened farmland birds."

Green Party spokesman Spencer Fitzgibbon said that his organisation had
consistently warned that "GM crops would be a threat to bio-diversity
and wildlife.

"The threat is still an unknown quantity, but we know enough to
recommend a push towards organic farming and an end to the idea of
cultivating GM crops, " he said.

**********************************************************************

32) Arizona Daily Star, Monday August 4, 2003

ARIZONA: LETTER TO THE EDITOR; BALANCING MYTH AND REALITY

The July 28 editorial titled "Unwanted Green" could use a reality check.
Ralph Nader, who the Star calls a spoiler, received 97,488 votes in
Florida. Not mentioned in the editorial is that 300,000 registered
Democrats in Florida voted for George W. Bush and that this phenomenon
happened around the country.

Another myth the Star should be banishing instead of perpetuating is
that Nader's votes would have gone to Al Gore if Nader wasn't on the
ballot. As a core organizer for the Nader campaign, I witnessed and
heard directly, from the ground up, what Nader's voters were thinking
and feeling on a daily basis.

When Gore's campaign started its fear strategy against Nader shortly
before election day, my phone started ringing off the hook with solid,
long-time Nader supporters agonizingly begging me to forgive them that
they were changing their vote to Gore. By Election Day, the Gore fear
campaign had already peeled as many Nader voters away from Nader that it
was going to. What was left were Greens, like myself, and others who
would not have voted for Gore under any circumstances.

But the Star may still be right about the balance of two parties after
all, for as the transition of the Democrats to the right moves to
completion, the Green Party could become the second party.

Morgen D'Arc
Writer for Green Horizon Quarterly

**********************************************************************

33) Washington Post Foreign Service August 3, 2003;

BRAZIN/ COLUMBIA: FRENCH RESCUE EFFORT SETS OFF DIPLOMATIC SPAT WITH
BRAZIL

by Jon Jeter

BUENOS AIRES -- The French military C-130 Hercules cargo plane came in
over dense Amazon jungle in mid-July, landing at a remote airstrip.
There, it shut down its engines, and the people inside began to wait.

The plane's mission was unclear to Brazilian border guards, who had no
warning of the plane's approach and no idea why it was there. Because
gun-running and drug-trafficking are rampant in the area, the guards
tried to board the plane to investigate. But a French intelligence
officer on board turned them away, citing diplomatic immunity.

Thus began a standoff, Brazilian authorities said, that ended four days
later when local officials told the French to leave. The plane departed,
but left behind diplomatic tension between the two countries that
continues to percolate.

What the plane came for -- and left without -- was Ingrid Betancourt,
the most prominent of nearly 300 hostages held by leftist guerrillas in
neighboring Colombia, according to officials in Brazil, and Betancourt's
family.

The rebels abducted the 41-year-old former presidential candidate 18
months ago while she was campaigning. Betancourt holds dual Colombian
and French citizenship.

Her husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte, said in an interview that rebels of
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, contacted him last
month through the office of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and said
they were prepared to release her.
Guerrilla leaders said Betancourt was ill and needed medical treatment,
but did not disclose the nature of her illness, according to Lecompte.
He was told to wait in Manaus, a large city in northwestern Brazil. The
rebels said they would contact him to arrange Betancourt's handover.
"They did not want anything," Lecompte said. "She is sick, and I think
they just don't want the burden of caring for a sick hostage any
longer."

Lecompte and Betancourt's sister, Astrid Betancourt, traveled to Manaus
to wait, but first asked the French government if it could help by
sending medical personnel and supplies to the area. France responded
with the airplane, which carried a team of 11 people, including medical
personnel, a high-level intelligence officer and an aide to French
Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, who, according to reports in
France, became acquainted with Betancourt years ago in France.

Before the C-130 left Manaus, a small charter plane took several members
of the French team closer to the Colombian border.

The French failed to notify Brazilian officials of the rescue mission or
of their plans to use Brazilian airspace, according to Eduardo Matarazzo
Suplicy, a Brazilian senator. "We've always said that we are ready and
willing to provide any kind of humanitarian assistance to any effort to
recover hostages held by the rebels in Colombia," Suplicy said. "But we
should expect that the French authorities should notify us beforehand of
any rescue or humanitarian mission that makes use of Brazilian airspace,
no?"

Lecompte said that the convergence of Brazilian officials in response to
the plane's arrival likely scared off rebels who intended to release
Betancourt, a mother of two and co-founder of Colombia's Green Oxygen
Party, a peace and anti-corruption party. Lecompte said that he has
heard nothing more from the rebels and still does not have specifics
about
his wife's condition or illness.

"We are all so worried," he said. "We hope that maybe in a month or two,
when everything has calmed down, they will contact us again and maybe we
can attempt another handover. We don't know what is wrong with her, but
we know that she is very sick."

Brazilian authorities have asked French officials to explain in writing
why they failed to offer any notification about the rescue efforts.
French diplomats have repeatedly denied reports published in Brazil and
France that they either negotiated directly with FARC rebels or were
planning to exchange weapons for Betancourt's release.

"There's never been any question of contacts whatsoever with the FARC
about Ingrid Betancourt's release," a spokesman for de Villepin told
reporters. "The French authorities have limited themselves to expressing
their readiness to provide humanitarian support in response to the
wishes of the hostages' families."

Betancourt's kidnapping gained worldwide attention. Since her abduction,
rebels have only once provided evidence that she is alive: a videotape
released to the media in July 2002.
The civil war between the Colombian government and FARC has continued
for over 40 years. The last round of peace talks collapsed in February
2002, after three years of negotiations.

**********************************************************************

34) York Sunday News; August 3, 2003

PENNSYLVANIA: GREEN PARTY FIELDS FIVE: MORE CANDIDATES THAN EVER BEFORE

by Wendi Himmelright

The Green Party of York County will have five candidates on the November
ballot -- more than the total number they've fielded in all past county
elections combined.

Because only Republicans and Democrats appear on the primary ballot,
Independent and minor party candidates had to collect signatures by
Friday in order to have their names listed on the general-election
ballot.

Barring a write-in campaign in the fall, the Greens are guaranteed
success in two of those races, because they are uncontested. That should
help the party grow, said county party coordinator Steve Baker.

"As more and more Greens get elected to positions, the public will be
more open to what they have to say and how they do things," Baker said.
"Our goal is to get enough people elected that we can start influencing
state and local politics."

Running uncontested are Edward Gately Sr. for Manheim Township auditor
and April Sullivan for Hellam Township auditor.

Richard Awalt will face incumbent Republican Dave Stewart for Peach
Bottom Township supervisor; Marakay Rogers will compete for a York City
district justice seat with Linda Williams, who won on both the
Republican and Democratic ticket in the primary; and Marci Henzi faces a
full slate of candidates from both major parties vying for five, 4-year
seats on the York City School Board.

"I think it's a feather in our cap," Baker said of the relatively large
number of Green candidates.

Past Green Party candidates in York County have been Matthew Mann, Steve
Baker and Ben Price. Mann and Price ran last year for York City Council
and U.S. State Rep., respectively. Price ran for Springettsbury Township
supervisor in 2001.

Baker credits President George Bush for much of the increased interest
in the Green Party.

"The time has never been better. The Bush administration has been
devastating to all kinds of environmental protection," Baker said. "I
think also the peace movement is another place where Greens are seen as
being leaders."

Party growth: First organized in York County eight years ago, the party
had only 29 registered voters in 2000. That number now tops 350, and
Baker expects it to continue growing.

"Once people see Greens are reliable, mature and thought-worthy, and
they can govern, then they'll consider more aggressively supporting us,"
Baker said. "People are afraid of doing something they haven't done
before."...

**********************************************************************


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