Greenstar August 2023

 

 

August 2023

 

 

 


 

Green Party Leader Finds Blueprint for Organizing in PA 2023 Goals

 

In order to assess the Green Party progress with building the party, Chris Robinson (Philadelphia), GPPA Communication Team co-leader, asked county leaders, “How do you feel about our 2023 Goals?” Robinson explained, “I am trying to get a sense of what we are doing right, and what we still need to work on.” Robinson received an interesting report from Chair Riley Mahon, Green Party of Allegheny County (GPOAC), “We are on track to reach all of the goals except for the 500 signatures one. I'll go through the goals one by one here...” 

READ MAHON’S FULL REPORT HERE

 

 

 


PA Green News

By Chris Robinson

Green Party Joins Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition

 

At their General Membership Meeting on June 27, the Green Party of Philadelphia (GPOP) decided by consensus to join the Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition. The coalition consists of a dozen community organizations which plan to demand rent control legislation from Philadelphia City Council . . . . "The idea of rent control is gaining more popularity, even before the COVID-19 pandemic made worse this country's affordable housing crisis," said long-time Green Party and Philadelphia Tenants Union member, Asantewaa Nkrumah-Ture (Cedar Park) . . . . The Green Party membership also appointed by consensus Alex Casper (Francisville) to be their liaison to the Rent Control Coalition, Casper said: “The City of Philadelphia currently has a 20-year waitlist for public housing access. We are one of the fastest inflating housing markets...” READ THE FULL STORY HERE

 

 

PA Greens Celebrate Pride Month

Allegheny Greens at Pittsburgh Pride on June 3

 

 

 

 

Greens at Lancaster Pride on June 17

 

 

 

Greens of Bucks and Montgomery Counties at BucksMont Pride on June 25

 

 

 

 

Greens of Berks County at Reading Pride in Jim Dietrich Park on July 16

 

 

 


 

Team Report

Edited by Patrick O. McNally

Communication Team by Chris Robinson and David Ochmanowicz Jr.

The GPPA ComTeam is now recruiting new writers who need to express their Green Party perspective on local politics, PA policy or world affairs. Please attend a ComTeam meeting or send a draft to [email protected] 
Please join the Communication Team right here

 

 

Core Team by Theron Gilliland, Jr.

The next Green Party of Pennsylvania Core Team meeting will be scheduled shortly. Anyone who is interested in joining the Core Team can email me at [email protected] - our first major project will be aiding the GPPA Steering Committee in updating information about the GPPA State Committee delegates. We will also need to discuss the logistics for the in-person September 2023 GPPA State Committee meeting in Philadelphia. This will include providing remote participation support for the meeting, working out any kinks that may be inherent in hybrid meeting voting, and overall ensuring that accessibility and security concerns are addressed.

Please join the Core Team right here

 

 

Green Wave Team by Theron Gilliland, Jr.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania Green Wave Team recently met to discuss the processes associated with GPUS presidential campaigns. Tim Runkle gave an overview from the 2020 elections, and we discussed what decisions will need to be made over the next several months to ensure a smooth primary. This included deadlines and procedures from the GPUS and GPPA by-laws, and state and federal election regulations. Discussions will begin in earnest at the September 2023 in-person/hybrid GPPA State Committee meeting. The next Green Wave Team Meeting will be on Thursday, August 24. In addition to the GPUS presidential primaries, we also discuss providing support for local Green Party candidates throughout Pennsylvania.

To learn more about the GPPA’s Action Teams, please visit here

 

 

Finance Team by

My term as GPPA Treasurer will soon be at its end, and between being a full-time law student and juggling other responsibilities, I will not run for re-election. As GPPA Treasurer, I have learned basic and universal skills about finance, accounting, and law. I have truly gained a lot from being Treasurer, and I can recommend the role as a way to learn essential skills like bookkeeping and financial reporting (which are technical, but not difficult), and as a resume builder. These are skills that are good to have for any career.

If you are interested in being the next Treasurer, I will train you -- the sooner the better.  If you know someone who may be interested in being the next GPPA Treasurer, please reach out to them and share this opportunity.

Among the Finance Team’s goals for 2023 are the hosting of two in-person fundraisers and six phone banks to urge Greens to become dues-paying members. The Finance Team does not meet on a regular basis, but rather on an ad hoc basis.  If you would like to participate on the Finance Team by fundraising, organizing a phone banking drive, or assisting in duties such as managing the merchandise, drafting the annual budget, bookkeeping, or compliance and reporting, please sign up at the link below.

 Please join the Finance Team right here

 

 

 


Campaign Updates

Edited by Chris Robinson

Below are the four candidates who have already contacted GREEN STAR at [email protected].

2023 Election, November 7

Michael Bagdes-Canning for Re-Election to Mayor of Cherry Valley Borough
Butler County

Michael told GREEN STAR, “Tiny boroughs like Cherry Valley are not well served by entities like the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. One-size solutions just don’t fit-all, and the state is incapable of addressing our needs. PA takes – and encourages others to take – and gives us little in return. The last 40 years have hollowed out our community – we’ve bled jobs and young people; we’ve been ignored and patronized by politicians of red and blue hues. In the face of climate chaos and the social breakdown already knocking at our door, we cannot count on the state to know how to respond. Our future depends on rekindling neighborliness and mutual aid. My aim as Mayor is to start the process of re-connecting us to each other and to our homeplace – Cherry Valley.”

 

Tara Yaney for Re-Election to Edgewood Borough Council
Allegheny County


Jubalyn ExWilliams for Harrisburg School Board
Dauphin County

Jubalyn (she/her) told GREEN STAR, “I am a member of Capital Area Greens, and a member-at-large of the GPPA Steering Committee. In 2021, I ran for office in a special election to fill a vacant office on the Harrisburg School Board.”


Alex Noyle for Election to Auditor of East Norriton Township
Montgomery County
Alex told GREEN STAR, “I am excited to announce that I am running for East Norriton Township Auditor, having been bestowed the endorsement of the Green Party of Montgomery County. I was raised in East Norriton and have been an active contributor to the community for many years. The local Cub Scout pack got me interested in volunteering at a very young age. I have been attending food drives, community events and clean-ups. I helped start a community garden and put up 
historical documentation in the Norristown Farm Park. I have a long-term vested interest in this town's wellbeing and future prosperity because I work and pay taxes here.
What sets me apart is that as a Green, I accept no money from corporations, lobbyists, or super-PACs. The Green Party has no institutional power in East Norriton or anywhere else in Montgomery County. Thus, I will have no incentive as Auditor to cover up any irregularities. I believe it is a bad idea for the parties in power to regulate themselves. We need a third party to hold our government accountable. If elected, I promise to be an independent, ethical watchdog of the township's finances.”

 

 

 


 

 

‌National ‌Green‌ ‌News

Edited by David Ochmanowicz Jr.

 

Debunking the Lesser Evil Myth

Jill Stein’s keynote address to the Green-Rainbow Party Convention, MA, on May 6.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Declaration of Independence from Fossil Fuels

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that the burning of fossil fuels is a leading contributor to climate change. As a result of our addiction to fossil fuels, extreme weather, melting ice caps and glaciers, global sea level rise, diminishing food and water supplies, forced migration, and damage to public health threaten the world’s populations. A new climate organizing handbook by the Green Education and Legal Fund – Putting Out the Planetary Fire – lays out the existential threat to human life and civilization posed by climate change while providing the tools to win the needed changes. Please join the March to End Fossil Fuels in NYC on September 17 at the UN Climate Ambitions Summit. READ THE FULL STORY HERE

 

 

 

 

Happy Inter-dependence Day California

As Greens we do want to acknowledge and celebrate the rejection of monarchy as a form of government. May we resign the concept of "Divine Right of Kings" to the dustbin of history forever. So this July 4th many of us will be celebrating a "Declaration of Interdependence" to acknowledge that we are all connected to all other people, even those with whom we disagree. Deeper still, we are all part of an interconnected web of life that includes all living things and natural elements. READ THE FULL STORY HERE

 

 


 

 

Global Green News

Edited by Hal Brown

 

English Greens Oppose Closure of Railway Ticket Offices

Rail operators remain in conflict with unions, but the government has pushed rail companies to press ahead with a controversial reform, with little progress in negotiations and more strikes to come. The RMT and TSSA unions said they would “strongly oppose” the proposals. Read The Full Story Here

 

 

 

 

 

In Australia, Greens oppose Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Bill

“The Greens will not support the Labor Party’s plan to pump an extra $2 billion into the NAIF without railings to ensure it cannot be used to finance coal and gas. The NAIF is a Abbott-era fossil fuel slush fund that the coalition government tried to use to fund the Adani coal mine” Read The Full Story Here

 

 

 

 

Ireland: Green Party celebrates 3 years of Significant Climate Action achievements in Government

…We are not just meeting, but exceeding, our ambitious renovation targets. Without the Greens in Government there would not be the singular focus on climate that we must have if we are to deliver, not just on our emissions targets, but on our promise and commitment to future generations… Read The Full Story Here

 

 


 

GPPA Meeting Dates for 2023

All State Web Conferences will begin promptly at noon.

Sunday, September 24 in Philadelphia.
Sunday, November 12, via Zoom. 


GPPA Communications Team
Issue Credits

Editors: Hal Brown, Patrick O. McNally, David Ochmanowicz, Jr. and Chris Robinson

Contributors: Michael Bagdes-Canning, Alex Casper, Jubalyn ExWilliams, Theron Gilliland Jr, Riley Mahon, Asantewaa Nkrumah-Ture, Alex Noyle, Chris Robinson and Tara Yaney"

Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz Jr.

Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson


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