News, Candidates, Information, Events Nationally, Statewide & Locally
January 2019
Working toward a future where people and planet are valued, and our government represents all of us.
New Year, New Goals, Renewed Commitment
2019 is a brand new year and another opportunity for us to speak out for a just and sustainable future through campaigns and then to work for a just and sustainable future as Greens in elected office. Local office is the backbone of our government and affects our personal lives daily and directly. It provides experience in representing a constituency and working through issues. And it provides a foundation, for both candidates and parties, to more easily attain higher elected offices. Greens elected to local offices have had a significant impact on their communities throughout the country through zoning protections, living wages, safety net programs, supervising fair elections, and ensuring factual and enriched education for our children.
In 2019, we renew our commitment to search for quality candidates who represent the Green Party’s 10 Key Values and support them to run visible and impactful campaigns, despite the many obstacles facing challenger parties. Consider joining us by becoming a member, helping to collect signatures to get our candidates on the ballot, volunteering on a campaign, or even running for local office in your area. Recent studies have increased the urgency for the sweeping changes needed to fight climate change before the devastating consequences cannot be stopped. Half-measures and incremental progress will not be enough. We need a total commitment at all levels of government to combat the greed that keeps us from moving forward. Local races are winnable races. Help us increase our visibility and influence by jumping on board in 2019!
GPPA News Highlights
edited by Jim Beggs
2019 New Years "Triple the Impact!" Donation Challenge - All Donations Triple-Matched!
submitted by Andrew Chiang
In celebration of the new year, an anonymous donor has pledged to triple any single donation received by GPPA by February 10th up to $1000 total. Here's your chance to donate $5, $10, or $15 and triple the impact!
To fully take advantage of this offer, our goal is to raise $333 by February 10th, which would provide $1000 in funding. Donate now!
Lancaster Green Recognized as Top Letter-Writer
Lancaster Online recognized their top Letter to the Editor writers of 2018. Included in the list was the Green Party of Pennsylvania’s Timothy Runkle, who wrote 12 letters on government spending, welfare, dark money and its effect on democracy and the environment.
Editorial pages still provide a public forum where private citizens, advocacy organizations, and public officials voice their opinions on topics of interest. Pressure groups such as the Commonwealth Foundation use the editorial pages to spread their ideology, so Green Party members must engage with traditional media in order to counter their arguments.
If only one side of an argument is presented publicly by anonymously funded “think tanks,” many people will be misinformed on vital public policy issues.
What to do about the epidemic of nuclear plant closings? | PennLive letter by Lancaster Green Tim Runkle submitted by Tim Runkle
"Is there a plan out there to dramatically convert our aged energy infrastructure to a clean, efficient and reliable marvel while creating thousands of guaranteed jobs? Yes, there is. It’s called the Green New Deal." Read more...
PA Green Party Requests U.N. to Takeover Fukushima Reactors submitted by Chris Robinson and Tom Bailey
"In December 2018, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) and Green Party of the United States (GPUS) requested the United Nations to take over the crippled nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Fuku) in Japan. Acting in response to a request by Pennsylvania Greens, the National Committee of GPUS has requested the UN Economic and Social Council to direct the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take over the Japanese nuclear reactors." Read more...
Green Party Response to Poverty in PA submitted by Sheri Miller
"Members of the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) were saddened by the recently released U.S. Census Bureau report showing persistent poverty across Pennsylvania. The data indicate that there were more than 1.5 million Pennsylvania citizens living in poverty over the past year. That's 12.5% of the population or 1 in 8 people. "Poverty is not really new news; that's what's so tragic. It's become a part of the American institution," lamented Sheri Miller, Chair of GPPA. "Poverty is not an economic issue – we have always had the resources and the ability to end poverty." Read more...
The January meeting of the Green Party of Pennsylvania will be an online conference held on the Zoom application. When you RSVP, you’ll receive a link to join through your computer or smartphone. Once you are connected, you will see a number to call for audio if your computer does not have a microphone. The meeting is open to anyone interested in the Green Party of Pennsylvania’’s work, but only delegates of the Green Party of Pennsylvania may vote.
Date: Sunday, January 13, 2019, Time: 12pm - 4pm
RSVP via Green Party of Pennsylvania page.
RSVP via Facebook event and be seen being Green.
Several local green organizations are organizing IRL (shouldn’t that be “LOL”?) groups for attending the January meeting together.
Green Party of Allegheny County
National Green News
edited by Dave Ochmanowicz
The origins of the Green New Deal | AUDIO submitted by Jay Walker
Howie Hawkins first began promoting a Green New Deal (GND) when he was the Green Party candidate for Governor of New York in 2010. He discusses the origins of the GND, including the role of the European Greens in 2006, and analyzes the present Green New Deal proposals by Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Trenton, NJ – On Tuesday, January 8th, in the midst of a partial shutdown of the federal government, the U.S. Senate will be voting on a series of bills, packaged into one bill, S1. This is the first piece of legislation to be voted on by the new Congress. The Green Party of New Jersey questions why.
"What does this say about the priorities of the new Congress?" said Carrie Gordon, chair of GPNJ's communications committee. "Women in the WIC program, families on food stamps, and some federal employees are not getting paid at this time, but the U.S. Senate can think of approving the largest military aid package in U.S. history to assist the state of Israel.
2018: The Year Greens Showed They Can Win
Chris Alders of the Green Party of Canada has compiled a series of successes by Green Parties around the world in 2018 and I added a couple of more. The successes show Greens can win.
My sense is that despite the structural obstacles we face in the United States, if we face up to our internal shortcomings and build a serious political party that represents movement issues, the working class, poor and middle class and is diverse by race, gender, and age, and clearly stands as the independent, opposition to the two Wall Street parties, we will start to win. And, once we start, momentum will rapidly grow because people want a viable alternative to two corporate parties they see as corrupt.
The Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts calls for collective non-violent resistance at this critical time to prevent the deaths of more children at the US-Mexico border, stop funding for Trump’s border wall, and put our government back to work.
Two children have died this month in the custody of CBP (Customs and Border Protection) at the US-Mexico border. Felipe Gómez Alonzo, age 8, and Jakelin Caal Maquín, age 7, were traveling with their fathers from Guatemala when they reached the border to request asylum.
El Paso, Texas — El Paso and other border towns have been helping refugees find safe temporary residence and assisting with basic living needs for years. Recent actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have dramatically increased the stress on organizations providing refugee assistance. The Green Party of El Paso County assesses this to be a critical situation for the community and immediate action by the US government is needed to avoid further deterioration.
For decades, the responsibility for assisting refugees and coordinating their journey through the borderlands has largely fallen on non-profit organizations such as Annunciation House that take in refugees after they are processed by the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Until this past October, CBP has coordinated with community leaders, such as Ruben Garcia director of Annunciation House, to efficiently find shelter for released migrants.
End of the year observations | From Green Papers by Greg Gerritt
It would be very easy to be depressed about the state of the world as we move from 2018 to 2019 with racism, authoritarianism, growing inequality, an increase in refugees from war and climate change, rising carbon emissions, ever faster deforestation, empty seas, loss of biodiversity, more nuclear weapons in the pipeline, the trampling of communities in pursuit of profit, democracy in retreat, and the hottest La Nina year in history, but it has to be balanced with the UN laughing at Trump, a repudiation in the mid term elections, the growing resistance to fossil fuels everywhere, a reawakening in agriculture, growing movements to clean up the various aspects of the waste stream including plastics and organics, and the amazing growth of wind power along the east coast of the US. The elites are doing a lousy job, but the people are doing amazing things in every community on the planet. Let’s start with a look at some elite stupidity.
Global Green News
edited by Sheri Miller
Browsing the international news can be very uplifting. Greens are fighting for a brighter future throughout the world and have had many successes around the globe!
Global Greens call for meaningful climate action
Green Party Leila Ali Elmi, Sweden's first MP in a hijab, challenges swing to the right
Greens the most 'popular' party in Britain - according to a new poll submitted by Jay Walker
NPR: How Germany's Green Party Keeps Winning submitted by Cheryl Rougeux
GPPA Upcoming Events
edited by Chris Robinson
LOOK HERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT STATEWIDE AND LOCAL EVENTS.
(To submit a proposal for your county to organize an in-person state meeting or another local, state-sponsored event, fill out the Event Hosting Application Form.)
January 13, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm GPPA State Meeting *Webconference*
This will be a virtual meeting held online! All interested members of the public may attend (show all)
-Allegheny County Greens will participate collectively at South Side Branch, Carnegie Library, 2205 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, Details from [email protected].
-Chester County Greens will participate collectively in Downingtown. Details from [email protected].
-Philadelphia Greens will participate collectively in University City, Philadelphia. Details from [email protected].
January 19, 10:00 am Women’s March in Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
Looking for t-shirts for the Women's march in January? Check out our team fundraiser, brought to you by the Communications Team! Our graphics specialist, Kevin Richardson, has designed t-shirts for us that align with our social-justice values; just in time for the Women's March in January! Click on the picture to order.
January 19, 11:00 am Pgh Women's March on Washington
Pittsburgh City-County Building, 414 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA
January 21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
January 21, 7:00 pm Montco Greens Meeting
Location to be announced, [email protected].
January 22, 6:00 pm Green Party of Allegheny County General Assembly
Panera Bread, 5430 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, [email protected].
January 24, 7:00 pm Green Party of Philadelphia General Membership Meeting
Location to be announced, [email protected].
January 26, 1:00 pm How to Run for Local Office Workshop
Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale, 1800 Monongahela Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
January 28, 7:00 pm Bucks County Green Party Meeting
Eastern Dragon, 238 South West End Blvd, Quakertown PA, [email protected].
February 5, 7:00 pm Green Party of Allegheny County General Assembly
Panera Bread, 5430 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, [email protected].
February 7, 7:00 pm Chester County Green Party meeting
The Dadones' house, 20 Redtail Court, West Chester, PA, [email protected] .
March 23, 10:00 am through March 24, 4:00 pm GPPA Convention
The GPPA will host a weekend Convention on March 23 and 24. Our line-up and venue are not yet set, however, expect to have a full day of speakers and workshops on Saturday. (show all)
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2019:
- January Virtual Meeting/Winter Web Conference: Sunday, January 13th, 12pm-4pm
- March Convention: Saturday - Sunday, March 23-24
- May Virtual Meeting/Spring Web Conference: Sunday, May 19th, 12pm-4pm
- Summer Retreat: Saturday - Sunday, July 13-14
- September Virtual Meeting/Fall Web Conference: Sunday, September 15th, 12pm-4pm
- Fall Conference & Celebration: Saturday - Sunday, November 16-17
Web Conferences are online - RSVP to get connection information. The locations for in-person conferences are to be determined. In-person conferences can be hosted by counties, county groups or regions. These events are fundraisers. When hosted locally, the host group receives back half of the revenue after expenses. To apply for hosting, submit your info to our Application for Local Hosting of GPPA State Meetings or GPPA-Sponsored Events. We strive for geographic diversity in reviewing applications, however, all submissions are considered.
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Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Team & Media Committee
Issue Credits:
EDITORS: Sheri Miller, Jim Beggs, Chris Robinson, Dave Ochmanowicz Jr.
CONTRIBUTORS: Jay Ting Walker, Tim Runkle, Cheryl Rougeux
GRAPHIC ARTS: Kevin Richardson
Additional resources from the Green Party of the United States
Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
Video Page http://www.gp.org/video/index.php
Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net/
Google+ http://www.gp.org/google
Twitter http://twitter.com/gpus
Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus
GP-TV Twitter page http://www.gp.org/twitter
Facebook page http://www.gp.org/facebook
Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States http://gp.org/greenpages-blog
