Inside:
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EIGHTH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE GREEN
PARTY OF NEW JERSEY
Please join us on Sunday, April 18 - 9:00am to 5:00pm - for GPNJ's Eighth
Annual Convention. It will be held at the Rutgers Labor Education Center in
New Brunswick (see directions below). We will be electing party officers,
hearing reports from the locals, and considering proposals to change party
rules and bylaws. There will be time for GPNJ standing committees to meet.
This year we will also be electing delegates to represent us at the National
Green Party Nominating Convention being held in Milwaukee, WS June 23-28.
GPNJ needs volunteers to help with the Convention. We need setup and cleanup
crews, and folks to help with registration, publicity, and program
development. Please contact Ted Glick at 973-338-5398 or FutureHopeTG@aol.com
if you'd like to help out. Let's make this convention our best ever!
Convention Credentials: You must be a paid-up GPNJ member in order to vote
at the convention. Annual dues are $25 for regular dues, $10 for students
and low income. New membership dues must be sent in by March 19 in order to
have a vote at the convention. Renewals may be paid at the door.
- - - - - - - - - -
Directions to the convention:
The Rutgers Labor Education Center is located at the corner of Ryders Lane
and Labor Center Way in New Brunswick, near the Cook College and Douglass
College campuses.
If driving, take the NJ Turnpike to exit 9; then Route 18 North (less than a
mile) to Route 1 South. Proceed slowly as you get onto Route 1 South,
because you want to make an IMMEDIATE right turn into the Sears parking lot.
At the very back-left corner of the Sears parking lot there is an outlet
road that leads directly toward the Labor Education Center parking lot (make
a quick left after exiting the Sears parking lot).
If you happen to miss the turn-off for Sears, stay in the righthand lane of
Route 1 and proceed to the first exit (less than 1 mile), which is: Ryders
Lane/New Brunswick. Proceed on Ryders Lane to the first intersection that
has a traffic light (about a half mile) and make a right turn. You will see
the Labor Education Center on your right.
Via mass transit: Amtrak and NJ Transit trains stop in New Brunswick. The
New Brunswick train station is located at the corner of Albany Street and
Easton Avenue. From there take the "EE" Campus Bus, which runs every 10
minutes 9:10am-8:15pm, every 12 minutes 7am-9am, and every 20 minutes after
8:15pm. Cab service is available from the train station. Rutgers bus
schedules and maps available at http://gobble.rutgers.edu/newpats/bsched.htm
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PROPOSED BYLAWS CHANGES
** The proposal below for Candidate Nomination and Endorsement Policy is
being made due to Section 8 not having sufficient guidance and being
contrary to what has taken place and discussed in previous election cycles.
Nomination and Endorsement and what parts of the Green Party of New Jersey
and locals have in responsibility are specified within the new language.
Submitted by George DeCarlo
Bylaws Proposal for Candidate Nomination and Endorsement Policy
1 The Green Party of New Jersey may nominate or endorse candidates for
local, regional, state, and national offices.
2 The word "nomination" will be used when the candidate will be publicly
identified with the Green Party. The word "endorsement" will be used in all
other cases.
3 A nomination/endorsement may occur at the state convention or at any
official Green Council meeting of the Green Party. Any
nomination/endorsement by the convention or GC will be subject to the usual
process of review by the locals, unless:
. the local has already nominated or endorsed the candidate;
. the proposed nomination or endorsement was specified on an announcement
distributed to all affiliated Green Locals at least one month prior to the
convention or GC.
4 A candidate may be proposed for nomination / endorsement by any member of
the Green Party or affiliated Green Local.
5 No candidate will be nominated or endorsed by the Green Party if the
nomination or endorsement is opposed by any affiliated Green Local in that
candidate's electoral district and that engages in electoral activity.
6 It is mandated that candidates who wish to be considered for nomination:
. Seek the nomination of all locals within their district, and then seek the
Green Party nomination;
. Attend or send a letter to the Green Party meeting at which their
nomination will be considered.
7 It is encouraged that candidates be active members of an affiliated Green
Local.
8 Candidates who accept a Green Party nomination for office will be
considered official Green Party candidates. As such, they should be a member
of a Green organization, embrace the platform of the Green Party, and
identify themselves as "Green Party candidates."
9 State conventions or an affiliated Green Local may endorse independent
candidates who support the Ten Key Values and who generally endorse the
state platform.
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** The proposal below for Ballot Access and Status is being made to give
emphasis and direction in the legal requirements for consideration as a
political party. In fact this may be the title for a new section or the
proposal may be placed where appropriate as determined by the convention in
the current bylaws.
Submitted by George DeCarlo
Bylaws Proposal for Ballot Access and Status
The Green Party of New Jersey will seek and maintain statewide ballot access
as allowed by state law. This will include, but is not limited to, running
candidates for local, regional, state, and federal offices in order to gain
and retain ballot access. GPNJ will also reserve the right to exercise legal
action (i.e. lawsuits, amica curiae, etc.) as necessary where ballot access
and status or electoral laws are determined to be unduly restrictive or not
in accordance with democratic principles.
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** The proposal below for Removal of Members is being made due to Section 3
defining the manner for membership but giving no procedure for removal of
members.
Submitted by George DeCarlo
Bylaws Proposal: Removal of Members
A) Initiating Membership Revocation
i. Members may submit a Petition for Removal to the Green Council. A
revocation petition summarizing the allegations against the member facing
removal and justifying a removal action shall be signed by ten members in
good standing representing at least two locals. A petition for removal
should begin with the language, "We move to exercise our right of
association and disassociate and expel _______ for any and all of the
following reasons: We believe that _______ has engaged in behavior inimical
to the aims of the GPNJ, which may include but is not limited to violations
of the Ten Key Values or the Bylaws, or persistent disruption of party
activities. Specific reasons for this request include:"
ii. Signatures on petitions shall be dated within six months of the
submission date.
iii. The timetable for scheduling and beginning the discussion of the
petition shall begin upon receipt of a physical petition. E-mail may be used
to expedite and facilitate the proceedings but is not a suitable substitute
for a physical document.
B) Distribution and Notification
i. The Secretary/Record Keeper shall ensure that a copy of the petition,
including any amendments, and notification of the dates of the removal
discussion and vote are sent to each party to the petition at least 15 days
before the removal discussion is scheduled to begin. The copy sent to the
member facing removal shall be sent via certified mail, personal service, or
other method which provides confirmation of receipt.
ii. The Secretary/Record Keeper shall send notice of the outcome of the
proceedings to the member facing removal within 2 days after a decision is
reached.
C) Preparation for Discussion of petition
i. The GC shall schedule a discussion and vote on the removal between 15 and
30 days after receiving the petition.
ii. Prior to beginning the removal discussion, the GC shall make any
necessary inquiries of the members submitting the petition to clarify the
petition. The results of these inquiries shall be forwarded to the entire
GC.
iii. The results of these inquiries shall be kept as part of the GPNJ's
permanent records and a copy shall be sent to the member facing removal.
iv. All parties to the petition, the member facing removal and the
complainants, shall receive access to the GC e-mail list for the duration of
the discussion of the petition upon individual request. Requests may be made
to any GC member, who shall transmit them to the GC.
D) Discussion of petition
During the GC discussion of the petition,
i. The GC shall give the member facing removal an opportunity to make a
written response via the GC e-mail list, which may include statements from
other members.
ii. The GC will then have 10 days from the beginning of the removal
discussion to discuss and vote on the motion.
iii. Once discussion is complete, but prior to the final vote, a GC member
may propose limiting action on the petition to a suspension of the subject's
membership for six months.
E) Resolution of petition
Once the discussion is complete:
i. If a proposal to limit action on the petition to suspension is passed,
the GC shall vote on the question "Shall the GPNJ suspend _________ for a
period of six months?"
ii. If there is no proposal to limit action on the petition to suspension,
or if such a proposal is offered and defeated, the GC shall vote on the
question "Shall the GPNJ disassociate from _________ by revocation of
his/her membership?" An affirmative vote is a vote to remove, with a 3/4
supermajority needed to pass the motion and effect the removal.
iii. GC members who are parties to a removal petition may vote.
iv. Prepaid membership dues shall be refunded in full after a vote to revoke
membership.
v. Half of prepaid membership dues shall be refunded after a vote to suspend
membership.
F) Effects of Suspension and Expulsion
i. An individual whose membership has been revoked is no longer a member of
the GPNJ. Individuals conducting GPNJ or GPNJ local events open to the
general public may bar the former member from participating.
ii. An individual who has had their membership suspended is still a member
of the GPNJ, but may not participate in any event or activity restricted to
members in good standing and may not cast votes as a GPNJ member. They shall
not be barred from GPNJ events and activities open to the general public.
G) Normalization of Membership Status
i. Former members whose membership has been revoked may apply for membership
one year after revocation.
ii. Suspended members shall have all privileges of membership reinstated
after six months.
H) Appeal
i. An individual may appeal to a GPNJ Convention to reverse suspension or
the revocation of their membership, according to the following procedure:
ii. The appeal must be made within 6 months of the Convention's decision to
revoke membership.
iii. The appellant must notify the Meeting Manager of the intent to appeal
no less than three weeks before the Convention.
iv. The appeal must be made in person and accompanied by a petition signed
by 10 members representing at least two locals requesting reversal of the
membership revocation or suspension.
v. The Convention must allocate at least 15 minutes for discussion of the
appeal, and the appeal must be resolved before election of Officers and
discussion of Bylaws, Platform, or other proposals.
vi. A decision by a Convention to reverse an expulsion or suspension shall
be effective immediately.
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** The proposal below for Quorum Clarification is being made to replace
language under Section 7.3 Voting Procedures at Conventions (c) due to
confusion as to a quorum based on local Affiliates as representatives versus
members in good standing as representatives as decided upon by the Executive
Committee and the word 'representatives' not being defined in this
subsection leaving the convention without a quorum if less than one-fifth of
the apportioned Representatives is present in the case of local affiliate
voting. This does not give a definition in the case of members in good
standing voting for a quorum to be established. The bar has been raised with
the ratio due to the easier manner of members versus apportioned
representatives in an effort to balance and give a greater sense of
authority to the member voting option.
Submitted by George DeCarlo
Bylaws Proposal for Quorum Clarification
Section 7.3 (c) At an Annual Convention or Special Convention a quorum will
be established for Local-Affiliate voting by obtaining one-fifth of the
number of apportioned Representatives or for Members-in-good-standing voting
by obtaining two-fifths of the local affiliates with Representatives
eligible to vote at that convention.
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** The proposal below would allow Co-Coordinators for county locals. It has
come up several times that some locals would prefer to elect
Co-Coordinators. I think there are instances where this would be beneficial.
For example, the county group might be having trouble getting someone to
volunteer to take on the responsibility of serving as Coordinator, but they
might have more success if the work could be shared. Another reason: Some
counties have expressed the preference to have a male and a female as
Co-Coordinators. Naturally a county which goes that route will still just
have one vote on the Green Council.
Submitted by Steve Welzer
The change would be reflected in the following verbiage:
Section 6 -- New Jersey Green Council
Section 6.1 -- Composition
The Executive Committee members along with the County Coordinators shall
constitute the New Jersey Green Council.
Section 6.2 -- County Coordinators
County Coordinators shall be elected by the Members who reside in a
particular county or group of contiguous counties, as authorized by the
Members residing in those counties. County Coordinators shall serve for a
term of one year on the New Jersey Green Council and act as liaisons to the
GPNJ Membership Committee. A county local may choose to elect a single
Coordinator or two Co-Coordinators; in the latter case, one or the other
Co-Coordinator may represent the county at a Green Council meeting.
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Resolution: Endorse the World Tribunal on Iraq
Submitted by Patricia Alessandrini, Bergen County
I propose that the Green Party of New Jersey become an endorser of the World
Tribunal on Iraq. This endorsement is to record, for the future historic
record, our opposition to the war, as the 1967 Russell Tribunal did in
regard to the Vietnam War. There is a Web site with details, including a
list of global endorsers at: www.worldtribunal.org.
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Resolution: "Keeping Our Greens Fresh"
Submitted by Roger Sedmont, Gloucester County
. Whereas, even with excellent full-time candidates in the recent past like
Ted Glick and Ralph Nader, the growth of our New Jersey party has been slow;
. Whereas, the print and electronic media (and even some of the public) have
tended to stereotype and dismiss us as a single-issue environmentalist
party;
. Be it resolved, that we shall be the third Green Party (after Japan and
Massachusetts) to be known as Green-Rainbow. This name will be on record as
an official addition to our present names (Green Party of New Jersey, Green
Party State Committee, GPNJ, the Greens) at the conclusion of this (2004)
annual convention of the membership, but the use in public of the new name
will be postponed until after the next (2005) convention: allowing members,
locals, and state committees to consider this change and allowing the next
annual convention the opportunity to approve an alternative course, if it so
chooses.
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MEMBERS INTERESTED IN BEING
SELECTED
AS DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
The following members have expressed interest in being selected as delegates
to the National Green Party Nominating Convention to be held in Milwaukee
June 23-28. They are listed in alphabetical order along with the prospective
national candidate they support, if any.
PATRICIA ALESSANDRINI, Bergen County, pro-Nader
My initial awareness of a National Green Party was during the 2000
Presidential campaigns when I heard Ralph Nader, in a TV interview, state
that he was running as a Green Party candidate. I went to the web-site
indicated and joined immediately. I am now serving as Secretary to the
Bergen County chapter and as Treasurer for the Clean Money Campaign. It was
my fervent hope that a Green Party could be organized in the U.S. as I had
researched the origins of the Green Party for a paper in graduate school and
was quite inspired by their goals and objectives. I would consider it an
honor and frankly, exciting, to attend the National Convention as a
delegate. My intention would be to support a "Draft Nader Initiative" or for
the Green Party to not run a "Green" candidate and support Nader's campaign.
LIZ ARNONE, Ocean County, pro-Nader
I'm the current Treasurer of GPNJ and I've been the Ocean County Coordinator
since the Nader campaign in 2000. Last year I ran for Assembly in the 10th
District and garnered close to 3,000 votes. I had originally intended to run
as a "stand in" candidate but this changed somewhat when I began receiving
inquiries from various organizations and invitations to press meetings. I
hope to give it another try in 2005. I have started attending local township
council meetings and plan to become more involved with local issues. The
position I take for the 2004 Presidential election is that I support the
"Draft Nader" effort; however, if that does not succeed, I would support his
candidacy in whatever capacity I can. I believe now as I did in 2000 that
Ralph Nader shares our values, has been a tremendous asset to the Green
Party, and is the best alternative we can offer this country.
NONI BOOKBINDER BELL, Burlington County, pro-Nader
Noni has been a member of GPNJ since learning about us through the 2000
Nader campaign. She has been a freelance journalist for Reuters and the
Philadelphia Inquirer. She ran as an independent for council in her
hometown, Shamong, in 2002.
SUSAN DECKERT, Mercer County, pro-Nader
Susan, a retired environmentalist, is a GPNJ Lifetime Member (a founder who
gave a large contribution prior to the first convention). She is currently
Treasurer of the Green Party of Mercer County. She was a Freeholder
candidate in 2000 and a National Convention delegate that year. She is a
USGP Disability Caucus voting member.
KENNY EYERMAN, Cumberland County, uncommitted
Kenny is a recent Green Party member and registrant. Memberships: Sierra
Club, Audubon Society, Pacem In Terris. Activities: Weekly candlelight
vigils for peace, Woodstown; workshop for American Friends Service
Committee: "Organizing against militarism in our schools;" Pacem In Terris/A.F.S.C.
Memorial Procession, Dover Air Force Base; attended national peace rallies.
TED GLICK, Essex County, pro-Cobb
A longtime movement activist, Ted is currently Chair of the GPNJ Finance
Committee. He was our candidate for US Senate in 2002. He works with the
national organization United for Peace and Justice and is also National
Director of the Independent Progressive Politics Network.
CARL MAYER, Mercer County, pro-Nader
Carl has been a Green Party member since 1998 and has run for US Congress
three times under the Green banner. He currently serves as Treasurer of the
national Nader 2004 campaign.
IRWIN NACK, Bergen County, pro-Nader
Irwin is a History professor at William Paterson University specializing in
labor studies. He became active with GPNJ during the 2000 Nader for
President campaign.
GARY NOVOSIELSKI, Bergen County, pro-Nader
Gary has been a longtime activist for alternative politics and was a
founding member of GPNJ. He was our first Chair and our first elected
official (Rutherford School Board, 1999). He is currently Chair of the
Bergen County local and has been one of the two GPNJ representatives to the
USGP Coordinating Committee for the past year.
JONATHAN ORIOLE, Hudson County, uncommitted
I am currently the Secretary and Membership Chair of the Hudson County Green
Party, a member of the Lavender Greens GLBT Caucus, and a member of the
Green Party of the United States' International Committee. In 2003 I ran for
NJ General Assembly in the 31st District and received just under 1,000
votes.
I believe that whoever we nominate should have the best interest of the
Green Party at heart. The main reason for running a Green presidential
candidate is to "grow" the party and to bring Green issues to the forefront
of the national debate. The best candidate to do this would be Ralph Nader.
While I have concerns about the extent of his commitment to the party, his
stature, experience and dedication to "Green values" are a significant asset
to the Green Party. I will only support a Nader nomination, however, if it
becomes clear between now and the USGP convention that he will officially
accept the nomination and run as the Green Party's candidate. If Ralph Nader
does NOT declare interest in the USGP's nomination, I will support David
Cobb for President. He has demonstrated the most enthusiasm and dedication
to running a Green presidential campaign out of any of the candidates. Being
uncommitted to a specific candidate, I will be able to take into
consideration the truest possible intentions of the members of the GPNJ and
will have the flexibility to change my position depending on how the
convention develops.
I further request that the membership of the GPNJ allow me to continue as a
member of the International Committee for another year. Over the past year I
have participated in numerous online discussions and decisions regarding
USGP international policy and platform positions.
STEVE WELZER, Mercer County, pro-Nader
I've been a Green activist for over ten years. I think Ralph Nader will be
viewed as the most significant alternative candidate in the race this year,
and if the Green Party is prominent in helping to build the Nader campaign
we'll continue to be viewed as the most significant alternative party - the
logical party to join for those energized by the campaign. Nader was our
standard bearer in 1996 and 2000; his politics are very close to ours; he
has the ability to shake the foundations of the two-party system; he
continues to promote the Green Party; he has said he will campaign for
down-ticket Green Party candidates; and our alliance with Ralph Nader has
benefited the Green Party for eight years. For all these reasons we should
back the Nader campaign in 2004.
CHUCK WOODROW, Gloucester County, pro-Nader
I am a 54 year old "senior programmer analyst" from Gloucester County. I
have been a member of GPNJ for about a year and ran for State Assembly in
November. I would be in a position to attend the convention at my own
expense. If selected as a delegate I would vote to nominate Ralph Nader as
the Green Party presidential candidate, even if this required a "write-in"
vote. Following the convention I would remain a GP loyalist and support
whomever was nominated, if anyone.
CANDIDATES FOR GPNJ OFFICE
Beresford Jones for Chair:
I would like to declare my candidacy to run for GPNJ Chair.
I have had much experience chairing organizations. I have served as academic
department chairperson in two colleges and associate dean and division
director in another. I also served as chairperson of the faculty union (UFCT),
and I chaired the citywide black faculty and staff association at the same
time. In addition, I served on numerous boards and committees with various
degrees of responsibility.
At its March 3rd meeting the Essex Greens agreed unanimously to support my
candidacy.
I received my bachelors degree from Columbia University and the Ph.D. degree
from the Pennsylvania State University. I taught at John Jay College/CUNY,
Dartmouth College and William Paterson University, as well as part-time at
Rutgers.
I am interested in chairing the GPNJ for these reasons: The two party system
is failing the American people. There is need of a strong third party to
address the critical needs. But the Green Party is generally considered
unimportant or irrelevant by the majority of the voters. Too many who know
of the Green Party feel that voting for Green candidates is to waste your
vote.
The GPNJ is in need of bold and imaginative leadership to challenge the
power structure and capture the imagination of New Jersey voters. The GPNJ
is not having the kind of impact it needs to have to be able to bring about
the changes that are necessary. The failures of the two party system must be
exposed. The business-as-usual, same old/same old must be shown to be
corrupt and bad for the people. The Green Party must be shown to be the only
viable alternative to bad government, and represents the only hope for good
government.
The people need leadership, but they are not getting it from their elected
officials. So more than half the registered voters don't even bother to come
out to vote. There is a crying need for a new force, inspired and directed
by a new vision.
This is the challenge I will accept if I am elected GPNJ chair.
Beresford Jones, Essex County
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ESSEX COUNTY GREENS ENDORSE CANDIDATES IN
WEST ORANGE AND IRVINGTON FOR MAY 11 ELECTION
The Essex County Greens have endorsed the candidacy of independent Natalie
Heard running for Township Council in West Orange. Ms. Heard is the daughter
of Nathan Heard, who gained prominence in the late sixties with his powerful
novel "Howard Street," a depiction of Newark's tragic ghetto life. She has
been a teacher in the South Orange-Maplewood school district for almost a
decade.
Ms. Heard is currently an Adjunct Professor of Special Education at New
Jersey City University. She holds a Ph.D. in Religion, a Master's in Special
Education, and a second Master's in Educational Administration.
The Essex County Greens are also supporting two insurgent challengers
running for Town Council in Irvington. Irvington's Town Council is made up
of seven members - one from each of four Wards (North, South, East, West)
plus three at-large members. Three of the four incumbents in the race are
part of "Team Irvington" - a corrupt, insider group that has dominated
Irvington politics for a decade and a half. During that time Irvington has
seen a sharp decline in every standard of living index. In fact, while the
nation's crime rate has been declining, Irvington's has been escalating,
until now Irvington has the most per capita crime of any municipality in the
state. One of the original "Team Irvington" misleaders is serving time in
federal prison.
Council seats for the four Wards are up for election. One challenger is a
Green Party member. Another is a community activist of long standing. Along
with two other reform candidates, they have the opportunity to win a
majority of the seven Town Council seats and halt the downhill slide that
Irvington has experienced.
The Essex County Greens are supporting the following two candidates: Cedrick
Hunter, a Green Party member, has formed two community-based organizations
during the 25 years he has lived in Irvington. Elouise McDaniel, a retired
school teacher and town resident for over 30 years, has been a longtime
community activist. She ran for Council four years ago. Their two wards
combined have only 18 voting precincts, which is a very manageable area to
cover in the two months until the election.
Jonathan Fluck, who recently worked on the Matt Ahearn and Matt Gonzalez
campaigns, has signed on as campaign manager. He reports: "We're developing
a campaign combining constant meeting of the constituents and low-level
confrontation with 'Team Irvington.' We're psyched and they're nervous. But
they have lots of money and a machine behind them ... and they know how to
play hard-ball!"
Greens throughout New Jersey are being encouraged to help win a victory in
Irvington. Money and volunteers are needed. A big literature drop is being
planned for Saturday, April 17 (rain date: Saturday, April 24). If you can
help out, please RSVP to Jonathan and let him know what time you can get to
Irvington. They have food, music and fun planned for afterward - pot luck
(so let Jonathan know what you might be able to bring to share; he can be
reached at: jonathanfluck@yahoo.com).
Please contribute! Checks can be made out to "Committee to Elect Cedric
Hunter & Elouise McDaniel." Include your name, address, and occupation. If
you're contributing $200 or more, please also include the address of your
employer, per New Jersey law.
Mail to:
Committee to Elect Cedric Hunter & Elouise McDaniel
c/o Elouise McDaniel
214 Nesbit Terrace
Irvington, NJ 07111
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LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP GREEN PARTY SPONSORING
REFERENDUM
The Lawrence Township (Mercer County) Green Party will be joining forces
with Common Cause and others to try to get a referendum on the November
ballot in favor of stronger laws against "Pay to Play." To get a referendum
on the ballot in Lawrence requires collecting a minimum of 700 signatures on
a petition.
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BURLINGTON GREENS CONSIDER BACKING NONPARTISAN
CANDIDATES
The Mt. Holly Town Council recently announced a plan to destroy 379 low
income housing units and replace them with 180 moderate and higher income
houses. This would effectively outprice the residents now living there,
forcing them to leave. The area has been a sore spot in the town, with some
crime and absentee landlords, but many of the homes are owned by elderly
people who have paid off their mortgages.
This situation has motivated the Burlington County Green Party (BCGP) to
consider backing Pedro Vazquez, John Lazzarotti, and Giuseppe Harris, a
nonpartisan team of candidates for town council who are committed to turning
things around dramatically. The arbitrary ruining of people's security -
their HOMES - means Mount Holly town council as it stands now needs drastic
changes.
Members of the BCGP attended public forums about the issue and heard the
people there testify how they were scared, outraged, and terribly saddened
to think they'll have to leave their communities. They were in no way
included in the decision, which is illegal. The township, in fact, is being
sued by a coalition of citizens for crimes of discrimination against African
and Hispanic Americans (under the Fair Housing Act of 1968) as well as nine
other counts under NJ housing laws.
Submitted by Doris Pulone
Recording Secretary, Green Party of Burlington County
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AVOCADO EDUCATION PROJECT
Interest in the Avocado Declaration has motivated Peter Camejo to start up
the Avocado Education Project (AEP). Peter will be touring the country over
the next several weeks to talk about and promote this project. He'll be
appearing in New York City, along with Howie Hawkins, on Saturday, March 27,
4:00pm, at 25 West 43rd St. (19th floor - Queens College Labor School
Extension - between 5th and 6th Aves.).
The AEP has been set up to educate about the history of struggles for
democracy in the United States and their relationship to a multi-party
political system. Americans have repeatedly called for a multi-party
democracy throughout our history, but the political establishment has
resisted moving towards a multi-party framework. Through its website,
publications, conferences and symposiums, the AEP will provide a forum where
all those committed to advancing democracy in the United States can share
ideas, and learn from each other. Visit: www.AvocadoEducationProject.org.
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PEACE ACTION DINNERS IN APRIL
New Jersey Peace Action's 47th Annual Dinner will be held Sunday, April 25,
12:15pm to 4:00pm. Location: Friar Tuck Inn, Cedar Grove. This year's
keynote speaker will be the investigative reporter Greg Palast, speaking on
how to "Reclaim Our Democracy!" He is the author of the New York Times
bestseller, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.
Tickets for the dinner are $40 prior to April 5; $50 thereafter. Checks made
out to: NJ Peace Action. Mail to: New Jersey Peace Action, 89 Walnut Street,
Montclair, NJ 07042. Phone: 973-744-3263. Email: njsane@igc.org. Visit:
www.njpeaceaction.org.
* * * *
The Coalition for Peace Action's Annual Membership Gathering and Dinner will
be held Friday, April 23, 5:30pm to 9:00pm. Location: Trinity Episcopal
Church, 33 Mercer Street, Princeton. This year's keynote speaker will be Dr.
Jonathan Tucker, Senior Researcher in the Center for Nonproliferation
Studies' Washington DC office. He previously directed the Chemical and
Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program. In February 1995, he was a
United Nations biological weapons inspector in Iraq.
Among the Volunteer Honorees is Green Party member Paul Williams. For the
dinner (you must be a member of CFPA) make your reservation by April 19th -
$30 per person (or $15 limited income). For $10 you can choose to just
attend the program, which starts at 7:00. Checks payable to: Peace Action
Education Fund. Mail to: Coalition for Peace Action, 40 Witherspoon Street,
Princeton, NJ 08542. Phone: 609-924-5022. Email: cpfa@peacecoalition.org.
Visit: www.peacecoalition.org
------------------------------------------
MARCH 20: "THE WORLD STILL SAYS NO TO WAR"
Board the Peace Train to New York City for the international protest on the
anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. The Peace Trains will leave from
Trenton, Hamilton, Princeton, New Brunswick, Elizabeth, and Newark on the
Northeast Corridor branch of New Jersey Transit; from Somerville, Westfield,
and Scotch Plains on the Raritan Valley Branch; from Dover, Morristown,
Montclair, and Bloomfield on the Northwest Branch; and from Red Bank on the
Coastal Branch. Bergen Action will travel by bus. See contact information
below.
There will be pre-boarding rallies at Trenton, Hamilton and Princeton
(Shuttle/Dinky Station) all beginning at 9:15am. The March and Rally in NYC
begin at 12 noon. New Jersey groups plan to meet at 33rd Street and 7th
Avenue at 11:45 to march to an opening rally in Madison Square Park (23rd
and Madison Ave.), a march down 6th Avenue, and back to the park for
concluding rally.
For more information about local events, contact: New Brunswick - Tina
Weishaus 732-572-0335; Princeton - The Rev. Bob Moore 609-924-5022; Red Bank
- Carol Gay 732-785-1503; Trenton - Kate Esposito 609-273-0170; Westfield -
Leigh Davis 908-272-8487; Hamilton - Carol Lerner 609-883-8878;
Bloomfield/Montclair - Madelyn Hoffman 973-744-3263; Elizabeth - Paula
Borenstein 908-289-3584; Somerville/Bridgewater - Susan Johanesen
908-281-6108; Westfield - Diane Beeny 908-233-7344; Morristown - Susan
Berkowitz 973-334-3826; Newton - Litsa Binder 973-726-3245.
------------------------------------------
WHISTLEBLOWER FEATURED AT 3/28 UNPLUG SALEM
PROTEST
Note: The Eco-Chorale will appear at this event and needs singers! Come on
out and have some fun! Contact Steve Welzer: 609-443-6782 SteveWelzer@aol.com
A whistleblower who has provided the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
with detailed information on safety culture problems at all three of PSEG's
nuclear power plants will be the featured speaker at the upcoming UNPLUG
SALEM Protest to be held Sunday, March 28th, 2-4 pm, on the access road
leading to Artificial Island, in Lower Alloways Township. Rain location will
be the Salem Quaker Meetinghouse, on Route 49 in downtown Salem.
This will be the first time that the PSEG whistleblower will be speaking in
public. He will describe the reasons why he decided to go to the NRC with
his safety concerns, and will discuss those concerns in detail. The protest
will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the meltdown at the Three Mile
Island nuclear plant outside of Harrisburg, PA.
In addition to the whistleblower, there will be a number of other expert
speakers, including: Matt Ahearn of the Green Party of New Jersey; Roy
Cannon of the Green Party of Delaware; Dave Lochbaum, nuclear safety
engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists; Joe Mangano, chief
researcher for the Radiation and Public Health Project; Jim Riccio of
Greenpeace; Jane Nogaki, Pesticide Coordinator for the NJ Environmental
Federation; Dr. Judith Johnsrud of Three Mile Island Alert; Norm Cohen of
the UNPLUG Salem Campaign; and Grace Costanzo of the Jersey Shore Nuclear
Watch. Entertainment will be provided by the Green Party's Eco-Chorale, and
the protest will be powered by solar power provided by LBI Solar.
The NRC's annual assessment letters, dated March 3, 2004, continue to point
out the NRC's concerns with the poor safety culture at both of the Salem
Nukes and the Hope Creek Nuke. Commented Norm Cohen, UNPLUG Salem Campaign
Coordinator, "For the last three years we've been saying that the safety
environment at PSEG's nuclear plants is dangerous. Now we have concrete
proof. Close those dangerous nuclear plants down now!"
Please come out on 3/28 and listen to and support the person who had the
courage to demand that PSEG run their nukes safely, instead of for maximum
short term profits. Help us send the message to the NRC and PSEG: No Three
Mile Island on the Delaware! CLOSE THE SALEM NUKES NOW!
Directions to rally site (bring lawn chairs!)
From the South: Take I-95 to Delaware Memorial Bridge; then take Rt 49 East
(1st exit off bridge) thru Pennsville and most of Salem. At the east end of
Salem, Rt 49 veers left. You turn right onto Yorke St, which becomes Rt 658.
You'll go over a bridge, past the Hancock House, and meet the access road.
Turn right onto the access road - rally location is about a mile on the
right.
From the North: Take I-295 south to the Rt 49 exit (last exit before
bridge), then follow directions above.
From the East: Get to Bridgeton, take Rt 49 to Yorke St (beginning of Salem)
follow directions above.
From the Jersey Coast: Either go to I-295 and follow directions, or go to
Mays Landing, follow Rt 40 West to Woodstown, then Route 45 South to Rt 49.
Coalition for Peace and Justice
http://www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.org
UNPLUG SALEM Campaign
http://www.unplugsalem.org
Contact: Norm Cohen 609-601-8583; ncohen12@comcast.net.
---------------------------------------------
THE VITAL ROLE THE GREEN PARTY MUST PLAY
by Beresford Jones, PhD
Vice Chair GPNJ; Candidate for State Senate, 2003
The two parties are doing nothing to stop our country's slide down the
disastrous path of endless war, globalization and privatization. They have
brought us into this morass and are both part of the problem. There is a
dire need for a people's party to courageously address needs that are being
ignored, belittled or distorted.
Unfortunately, the Green Party is presently incapable of playing the part we
need to play, to avert disaster. The public is wedded to the two party
system, and so conditioned that an alternative is not conceivable to the
majority. Almost 50% of eligible voters are not participating in the
electoral process. Is that due to dissatisfaction, distrust, being fed up
with corruption and business as usual?
These dropouts and politically turned-off form a fertile ground for the
growth of a third party. If they could be somehow inspired, educated and
motivated, the Green Party would grow like wildfire in the U.S.
People need something to believe in. If they are turned off, they need
something to turn them on. If they have lost faith in the existing political
system, they must be shown there is an alternative system that is worthy of
their attention and allegiance.
If the Green Party is forthright and courageous, principled and
uncompromising, the people, in greater and greater numbers, will turn their
backs on the corrupt politicians they have been electing and will turn to
the Green Party, the Clean Party, the People's Party, to save them and the
nation.
If the Green Party is presented in the right way, the people will come. If
they see the Green Party is a beacon and a solution, a growing force in
local and state politics, they will come. If the negatives of the present
political system are made clear, and the positives, ideals and programs of
the Green Party are made equally clear, they will come.
Those seeking leadership will join us when they realize we are true leaders,
concerned with humanity, justice, truth and a world at peace.
Many people are presently confused. They want to be patriotic and support
the President and our government, but they don't know what to make of the
lies that are becoming more transparent. As more and more U.S. soldiers die
(more than five times the number who died in the first Gulf war) more
families are asking "Why". They want truth, not justifications of illegal
actions and violations of international law. They want out of the morass.
They want a different future than endless wars. And the tide is turning.
People are getting tired of hearing the drum call of a failing war against
terrorism, and are ready to turn to a different drummer. This is a time when
the Green Party can capture hearts and minds and become that different
drummer.
The Green Party is in the best strategic position to become the significant
third party in our country. It is a party that is not dominated by corporate
money and power, not corrupted by influence and greed.
It is vitally important that the Green Party assert itself as soon as
possible, and move to lead the nation back to sanity and true democracy, to
being a country that the world respects and admires rather than an arrogant
power that the world hates and fears.
We need not feel insignificant and irrelevant because we are presently weak,
and most people have no idea of our importance. We must first believe in
ourselves and the role we are poised to play in our country. We have a
mission and the time is ripe. If we are inspired, we will inspire others. If
we truly believe we can influence the future of our country, we can change
our country for the better.
------------------------------------------
The
GreenGram is circulated bi-monthly in an effort to keep all GPNJ members
informed about recent matters and upcoming events. Members are encouraged to
provide brief submissions of news items or opinions, as well as event
announcements. Deadline for the May issue will be April 20. Please submit
material to the address below or to: GreenGramNJ@aol.com
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GreenGram - Green Party of NJ Bulletin
PO Box 9802, Trenton, NJ 08650
To subscribe, become a member!
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