I am running for the county council with a primary interest to promote participation in electoral politics by the GREEN PARTY through the development of its organization, infrastructure, and political education. It is my goal to work to coalesce the Greens and their political theory for the benefit of solidarity and the pursuit of a unified strategy for success in a 20-year plan. Only through the long-range vision can we find a way to the strategy and tactics of today that will achieve those goals.

In pursuit of these interests I have participated in electoral efforts beginning with the Nader 2000 campaign. In the Camejo for Governor recall campaign, I served as co-coordinator for volunteers and assisted with development of the volunteer database. Recently, I worked for Gonzalez for SF mayor and presently, within the Richmond Progressive Alliance, am assistant campaign manager for Gayle McLaughlin for City Council.

I am co-founder of the El Cerrito Greens. I am presently a member of the Green Party of Contra Costa County council, having been selected to fill the new council seat as a member of the Richmond Greens when it became the first county local. I have participated in the successful passage of resolutions against the "Patriot Act" in Richmond, El Cerrito and Contra Costa County, representing the county council and Richmond in the latter effort. I have worked with the Richmond Greens to decriminalize homelessness, advocate for day laborer rights, and act in opposition to the Iraq war.

I have been a resident of the Bay Area since 1969, with training in classical music performance, an entrepreneurial career, firstly as a peddler of farm direct produce from the central valley and then founding a moving and storage company, now operating the storage business and consulting in my professional field and sale of businesses.

Back to top

---

Christy Gale
(Incumbent)
I have been involved with the Green Party of Contra Costa since its inception, and have served on the County Council for four previous terms.

I served first in the capacity as Secretary, have served as Treasurer since 1997, and have been involved in other internal party functions including membership, newsletter and various campaigns. I have always been interested in environmental issues, and was previously a member of the Ecology Working Group of the Green Party of California. I live in Concord and am employed as a legal secretary and systems administrator at a Walnut Creek law firm. I hope to continue my work with the Green Party of Contra Costa into the future.

Back to top

---

David Marin
I am running for County Council because I want to see Greens have a greater influence over local government in Contra Costa County. I have two main goals:

First, I want to see the County Council take a more active role in the creation of new Green Party locals. We shouldn't have to drive halfway across the county to participate in Green Party activities!

As a member of the County Council, I will oversee the creation of a "new local kit" for Greens who want to create Green Party locals in their own city or region, drawing on my experience as co-founder of the El Cerrito Greens.

Second, I want to see more Greens appointed to boards and commissions, both in city and county government. This will give us an opportunity to guide local government in more Green directions, and will also provide us with a wider pool of Green candidates for elective office.

As a member of the County Council, I will ensure that the Contra Costa Green Party develops and implements a coherent strategy for boards and commissions. The El Cerrito Greens have had some successes in our own city; there's no reason we can't take it countywide.

In the past year, I have helped secure fair treatment for dayworkers by the El Cerrito Police, and have been active in trying to get the El Cerrito city government to adopt more tree-friendly laws.

I am currently pursuing a Master's degree at UC Berkeley.

Back to top

---

Craig Peterson "When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die." – Eleanor Roosevelt

For the last two years I have tried to make a contribution to the Green Party of Contra Costa and I hope I have done well. Some of the areas I have helped include outreach to the community (tabling at the Walnut Creek Farmer's Market), being part of the team that publishes the Green Activist, and serving on the Bylaws Committee.

In addition, I have served as part of the 2002 Green Slate Steering Committee and the Peter Camejo for Governor in 2003 team.

The Green Parties of Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano have voted for me twice to serve as Alternate Representative to the State Party's Coordinating Committee. While representing our region I have also become active on several State Party Committees. I am now Co-Coordinator of the Finance Committee, as well as an active member of the Media Working Group and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group.

I ask for your vote to help me continue to this work. I look forward to a challenging and rewarding year ahead and hope you will allow me to continue work towards a Green tomorrow.

Back to top

---

Sharon Peterson
(Incumbent) I am running for my second term on the County Council.

I have been a registered Green for seven years. I manage our local party’s website. In addition to my County Council duties, I work on the state party level as one of two Regional Representatives for the East Bay Region (Contra Costa, Solano, Alameda counties) of the Green Party of California (GPCA) Coordinating Committee, the body that handles the administrative duties of the state Green Party throughout the year, much as the County Council does on the county level. I am also one of two Alternate Co-Coordinators for the GPCA Coordinating Committee. In these roles, I represent local Greens at the state party level, and help to build a stronger Green Party structure for California.

If reelected, I will continue to focus on keeping and developing clear communications – both within the Party, so that we can act quickly and decisively – and with the greater community, to let our neighbors know there is a real alternative to Business As Usual.

Back to top

---

Juan Reardon I am a Public Health epidemiologist who has lived in Contra Costa and worked for the Contra Costa County Health Services Department for the last fifteen years. I was born in Argentina and graduated from UC Berkeley in 1989 with a Masters in Public Health and have been part of the local response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

I am a veteran of the antiglobalization "Battle of Seattle" (1999) and a founder of the Richmond Greens, the first local of the Green Party of Contra Costa (www.richmondgreens.net).

In 2001, I successfully rallied the local Greens and progressives to oppose the construction of a 500 megawatts fossil fuel burning power plant planned to be built in Richmond’s Chevron refinery. Facing massive opposition the polluting power plant idea was scrapped. For these efforts I was honored with the West County Toxics Coalition Annual Award 2001.

I have worked locally and regionally against the criminalization of the homeless in the "Homelessness is not a Crime Coalition", against police brutality, and against the Patriot Act ( Four resolutions were passed in West Contra Costa Communities: Richmond, El Cerrito, Pinole, Kensington).

I have marched with the Richmond Greens and demonstrated on freeway overpasses against the U.S. imperial wars of aggression. I have been active for more than ten years against the U.S. blockade of Cuba. I am a founder of USA-Cuba Infomed, an NGO supporting Cuban hospitals with re-furbished donated computers.

In Richmond, I have worked with Richmond Vision 2000, a coalition of labor, faith and community organizations, for the "Living Wage Ordinance" and the "Industrial Safety Ordinance", both of which passed.

In 2003, with my fellow Richmond Greens and many others, I fought giant corporate polluter Chevron-Texaco over local pollution and international war and exploitation. I was arrested at the Chevron -Texaco San Ramon headquarters with sixty other fellow non-violent demonstrators.

Also in 2003 , I lead a local struggle for immigrant workers’ rights, specifically to secure for the day-laborers of Richmond-El Cerrito the right to stand in public places and request a decent day of work without police hostility or harassment. Two successful agreements were reached with the police departments of both cities. For these efforts I was awarded the 2004 Peacemaker Award by the Center for Human Development, Pleasant Hill, California.

I am currently the campaign manager of the "Gayle McLaughlin for Richmond City Council" campaign (2004) (the first Green Campaign for a City Council position in Contra Costa County ). I am also one of the originators and a key player in the Richmond Progressive Alliance, a multiparty coalition supporting Green and progressive values and the campaigns of progressives in Richmond, including Gayle’s.

I am married to Kay Wallis and we are the parents of Lucy Wallis Reardon (2). I also have three adult children, Gabriela (25), Eileen (23) and Juanito (20).

I believe that the County Council of the Green Party of Contra Costa needs new activist blood, it needs diversity, it needs fair representation of West Contra Costa County, and it needs a significant shift towards the development of activist "locals" that work on the greening of each Contra Costa County city.

---

Michael Ray ("Mike") Ritter
(Incumbent) I, Mike Ritter, am a current member of the County Council of the Green Party of Contra Costa. As a resident of Pittsburg my focus will be developing a more active presence of the Green Party in East County. I would like to urge voters to try to take gender balance into account when making decisions on candidates for County Council, something which we as Greens we try to be cognizant of, and also I think geographical balance should be a consideration.

Back to top

---

Jeanne-Marie Rosenmeier
(Incumbent) My name is Jeanne-Marie Rosenmeier, and I am running for a seat on the County Council. I have been active in the local party since 2000, and ran for State Treasurer on Peter Camejo's slate in 2002. I was treasurer of Camejo for Governor 2003. I believe very strongly in the local roots of the Green Party. In my opinion, our goal in Contra Costa is to establish groups of local Greens all over the county. As we have proven in Santa Monica, San Francisco, and other places where Greens are strong, we make a real difference in local government, and function well in coalition with progressives of every stripe. If you vote for me, I will work to raise the profile of the Green Party in Contra Costa, and to reestablish our local financial base.

Back to top

---

Tyler Snortum-Phelps
(Incumbent)

I have been a Green Party activist since 1993. I have served on the Contra Costa County Council for 6 years. Currently, I am the Clearinghouse Coordinator for the Green Party of Contra Costa.

From 2001 to 2003 I was the Campaign Manager for the Peter Camejo for Governor campaign. I am a founder and Executive Committee member of LifeGarden, an environmental education nonprofit based in Walnut Creek.

My goals for the next two years as County Council member are:

• Develop stronger, self-sustaining locals and start new locals
• Build strong connections with like-minded community groups
• Cultivate more Green candidates and run in more local races
• Broader the Green Party’s appeal with outreach to a diverse population, including youth, people of color and working people.

I am excited about the possibilities for the Green Party. We are at a stage in which not only are our successes being recognized on a wider scale, but more and more people are realizing the total failure of the corporate-controlled two-party system. There has never been a greater need for a powerful, grass-roots progressive political alternative. Thank you for your support.

Back to top

---

Your Candidates for County Council

Evan Blickenstaff	Christy Gale	David Marin
Craig Peterson	Sharon Peterson	Juan Reardon
Jeanne Rosenmeier	Mike Ritter	Tyler Snortum-Phelps

---

Other Green Parties

  |   Green Party of The US  |   California Green Party  |  
  |   Alameda City   |   Alameda County  |   Cal/Berkeley  |   Marin  |  
  |   Napa  |     |   Richmond Greens   |   Sacramento  |   San Francisco  |  
  |   San Mateo  |   Santa Clara  |   Santa Cruz  |  
  |   Solano  |     |   Sonoma  |  

---

Around Our Site

  |   Peace Action Links  |   ACTION ALERTS  |  
  |   Contact Us  |   Green Calendar  |   Our Meetings  |  
  |   Membership  |   Our Vision  |   The Green Activist  |  
  |   Ten Key Values  |  
  |   Other Green Parties  |  
  |   Register to Vote GREEN  |   Your Elected Officials  |  
  |   Letters to the Editor -- TIPS  |  

---

Back to top
Glitches? Bad Links? Friendly Comments? Please contact The Webspinner