San Francisco Green Party endorses Cindy Sheehan run against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; Greens will be strong ally in longshot bid

SAN FRANCISCO (June 24, 2008) - The San Francisco Green Party - a powerful force in progressive San Francisco politics - has endorsed the independent run by peace activist Cindy Sheehan against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D) in November.

The SFGP decision means Sheehan - who lost her son Casey in the war in Iraq - will have a strong ally in her bid to upset Pelosi in the 8th Congressional District. Greens hold several key San Francisco elected positions, including SF Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, and Mark Sanchez, president of the SF Board of Education, who is running for a supervisor slot.

Governor drought decree is shortsighted, doesn't address state climate change, and is a 'boondoggle' for rich, says Green eco-analyst

SACRAMENTO, Ca. (June 5, 2008) - Gov. Schwarzenegger's "drought decree" declared Wednesday is shortsighted, doesn't address the climate change California is now experiencing and is a boondoggle that will benefit large corporations, said a Green Party environmental policy analyst today.

"Our Governor has been very good at recognizing the ecological problems facing all of California and totally lacking in imagination as to the ramifications of his solutions, which always support the politically expedient rather than having a sound ecological basis," said Wes Rolley, co-chair of the Green Party National Eco-Action Committee.

Green Party marks another electoral victory, but laments state of elections in the state, and 'pandering' of special interests

SACRAMENTO, Ca. (June 4, 2008) - The Green Party of California quietly added to its growing list of officeholders Tuesday - avoiding the stranglehold of special business interests, and without spending tens of millions of dollars, the Green Party of California said Wednesday.

Green Party candidates for Congress and the state Legislature easily won their primaries Tuesday, and in a city council election in Winters, Mayor Woody Fridae, a Green, won his council seat by collecting 51.5 percent of the vote.

Green Party of California weighs in on eminent domain ballot battle; urges progressive voters to oppose Prop 98, back Prop. 99 in June

SACRAMENTO, Ca. (May 29, 2008) - The Green Party of California - with more than 132,000 voters statewide - urged its members and other progressive voters Thursday to oppose Prop. 98 and support Prop. 99 on the June 3 ballot.

The announcement comes on the heels of a Field Poll released Wednesday that showed California voters are split on the dueling eminent domain measures. Prop. 98 is trailing 33-43 percent, but Prop. 99 is winning 48-30 percent. Both measures, though, have large numbers of undecided voters.

Green Party of California trumpets support for gay marriage decision, asks other political parties where they've been for the past 15 years?

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (May 19, 2008) - The Green Party of California - which, unlike the other national political parties, has strongly advocated for the legalization of same-sex marriage for more than 15 years - heralded the California Supreme Court's decision late last week to finally legalize the marriage of couples of the same sex.

"The Los Angeles LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi, transgender) Greens welcome the decision to make same sex marriage legal in California. The Green Party of California has had this objective in its platform for many, many years, and it has been supported by Green Party presidential candidates consistently during this time," said Shane Que Hee, Los Angeles LGBT Greens facilitator.

Green Party congressional candidates "applaud" ILWU work stoppage at SF & West Coast ports on May 1 to protest wars in Iraq, Afghanistan

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (April 30, 2008) - Green Party congressional candidates said today they "applaud" the ILWU work stoppage scheduled May 1 here and at other California ports to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ILWU West Coast longshore workers vow to stop work May 1, and have called on the AFL-CIO, Change to Win and other labor organizations to join them May Day against the war and to commemorate International Workers Holiday. Dock workers were brutalized by police in a similar protest in Oakland in 2003.

EARTH DAY: Green Party elected supervisor, mayor, city councilor, lead battle opposing $74 million state plan to spray pesticides to kill Light Brown Apple Moth

BERKELEY, Ca. (April 22, 2008) - Green Party elected officials in Bay Area cities are helping oppose a $74 million plan by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to conduct aerial spraying of a pheromone pesticide to eradicate the Light Brown Apple Moth, scheduled to start this summer.

Greens have authored resolutions against the spray and are participating in lawsuits against it. More than 30 cities have now officially opposed the spraying that Greens describe as "a hazard to human health."

Green Party candidate's bid for congressional seat falls short, but he says the war, health care and education are still in play

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (April 9, 2008) - Green Party candidate Barry Hermanson's bid to replace the late Rep. Tom Lantos in Congress (CD 12, San Francisco/San Mateo) fell short Tuesday, but Hermanson came within a few hundred votes of beating a Republican, and said the issues he ran on - the war, health care and education - are still in play.

Speier, a career Democratic Party politician, won the Special Election with 77.93 percent, followed by fellow Democrat Michelle T. McMurry. Republicans Greg Conlon and Mike Moloney were next, just ahead of Hermanson.