Greens endorse Occupy SF
The SF Green Party endorses the "Occupy San Francisco" movement and the expression of direct democracy that it represents. The New York City Green Party has also issued a statement in support of Occupy Wall Street.
For more information, see their website, http://www.occupysf.com, and you can get live updates on Twitter at #OccupySF. OccupySF holds general assemblies (a means of making decisions through Consensus, similar to the way we make decisions in the Green Party) Sunday-Friday at 6 PM at the occupation site in front of the Federal Reserve Building downtown. All are welcome to participate, speak, and vote on Assembly proceedings. On Saturdays, they plan to hold general assemblies at noon in Union Square. Be sure to check the website for any updates.
Endorsement Update
We endorsed candidates following our forum on September 13, and the results (along with our proposition endorsements) are posted here. Thanks to all the Green Party members who participated, and to the candidates who filled out our questionnaires! We will be working on our Voter Guide over the next few weeks, which will include longer write-ups for each of these endorsements. If you can volunteer to help us with that project, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Questionnaires posted for 9/13 candidate forum
The SF Green Party will host a candidate forum this Tuesday. 9/13--come ask questions to candidates in the races for Mayor, DA, and Sheriff. The forum will take place from 6-8:45 pm at the Park Branch Library in the Haight. The event is open to the public and all are invited! We've already endorsed Terry Baum for Mayor, and a number of propositions, but we will also consider making ranked endorsements for all 3 contests.
Please read candidates' answers to our questionnaires in advance, so we don't ask them questions they've already answered on the record. We received the following responses from candidates:
Mayoral candidates: Jeff Adachi, Cesar Ascarrunz, John Avalos, Paul Currier, Tony Hall, Phil Ting
DA candidate: David Onek
Sheriff candidates: Chris Cunnie, Ross Mirkarimi, Paul Miyamoto
Baum Campaign Update
Last week, Green Party mayoral candidate Terry Joan Baum turned in 1,280 valid signatures from people who want to see her on the ballot, 6th best among all 35 candidates currently in the running. She beat out several more well-known figures, including Phil Ting, Tony Hall, Joanna Rees, and Michaela Alioto-Pier!
Terry's campaign needs to raise money to pay the remainder of her filing fee, so please visit her web page and donate!
This week, the Baum campaign opened a campaign office at 2940 16th St. Suite 209. She has also been invited to participate in two more mayoral debates: Thurs, Aug 18, from 6-8 pm at the West Bay Conference Center in the Fillmore District, and Thurs, Sept. 22, from 7-9 pm at UCSF Cole Hall, 513 Parnassus Ave in the Inner Sunset.
3rd Party Needed to Save America
Jeffrey Sachs is a well-known economist, not considered to be especially radical. But earlier this week, he told it like it is about the Obama administration:
There has been no change, but rather more of the same: the Wall-Street-owned Democratic Party as we have come to know it.
Sachs concludes:
America needs a third-party movement to break the hammerlock of the financial elites. Until that happens, the political class and the media conglomerates will continue to spew lies, American militarism will continue to destabilize a growing swath of the world, and the country will continue its economic decline.
Baum Campaign News
Green Party mayoral candidate Terry Joan Baum was profiled in the Bay Area Reporter this week. She has also been invited to a major debate, scheduled on August 30 and sponsored by the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association.
This week, the Baum campaign launched her new website. She has also hired a campaign manager, Tom Goldkuhle. The campaign is planning a major volunteer mobilization this Saturday in Noe Valley and Upper Market.