**** Green Party Holiday Party ****

Dear Greens and supporters,

Please join us for good food, drink, and conversation with old and new friends
at our annual Holiday Party.

When: Monday, December 14th, 7 to 10pm
Where: Anna's Jazz Island in downtown Berkeley at 2120 Allston Way, between
Shattuck and Oxford.
What: A party snacks potluck with Anna's no-host bar for all drinks.

Special guests!! -- Three local Greens who will be running for office next year
will be there to briefly tell us about their campaigns - Laura Wells, candidate
for Governor of California, John Selawsky, candidate for State Controller, and
Don Macleay who is running for Mayor of Oakland!!

** See you there**


(There will be no Green Sunday Program or Green Party County Council meeting in
December.  As is our tradition, we have a party instead.)

What: Grassroots House Open House and Benefit
When: Sunday, October 18, 3-6 pm
Where: 2022 Blake Street (Between Milvia and Shattuck Ave.)
[Note: This is where the Green Party office is located, along with six other
activist groups].

Radical organizing has had a home in the East Bay, the Grassroots House.
The Grassroots House Collective invites you to an Open House for the Community

Hear music, eat good food, learn more about the vital work of member groups and
the history of this remarkable and historic Berkeley resource.
$5-15  for more information call 510 684-6268
Music by:
Rebecca Riots, radical folk
Little Boy Blue
Jeanie Lewicki, klezmer accordian

The Grassroots House Collective is a non-profit that collectively owns and
operates a converted house in Berkeley that houses important local organizations
such as Copwatch, the Green Party, the Prisoner's Literature Project, The
International Solidarity Movement and the International Workers of the World.
Having a space to work is absolutely crucial to progressive organizers and
workspace is an extremely rare commodity. Named after the radical community
newspaper "Grassroots" that was once produced at the house, the Grassroots House
is a place that fosters and supports truly "grassroots" politics and groups. Now
that the paperwork is done and this building is legally the property of the
people- let's celebrate

Find out how YOU can help to preserve one of Berkeley's last radical community
houses.
Check out our website at www.grassrootshouse.org

The Grassroots House, since 1972!

Dear Greens,

The balloting for the KPFA Local Station board will end on October 15.
Let your vote count. Please mail in your ballots.
(If you are a KPFA subscriber and have not received your ballot, please
email KPFA Elections <election@...>.)

As you know, the Alameda County Greens are not making a formal
endorsement this year.  However, we asked two Greens who are active in
KPFA to give statements.

Green Party of Alameda County

------------------------
Statement by Akio Tanaka

I am a County Councilor for the Green Party of Alameda County and also a
delegate to the KPFA Local Station Board. I urge the Greens to vote for
the candidates endorsed by the 'Independents for Community Radio'.
Those candidates are;  Akio Tanaka, Henry Norr, Andrea Prichett, Rahman
Jamaal McCreadie, Banafsheh Akhlaghi, Lara Kiswani, Adam Hudson, Evelyn
Sanchez, Shara Esbenshade, Sasha Futran, and Ann Hallet.

The Independents for Community Radio want to put the community back in
community radio; they believe that programming decisions and other
significant station policies need to be made collaboratively.

I am concerned that the Concerned Listeners doctrine of concentrated
management power and its disrespect for the unpaid staff could turn KPFA
into another mainstream radio and marginalize the unique listener
community.

The following two articles delineate the above issues in more detail:

"Community Radio at the Crossroads" by Joe Wanzala, et al.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-09-17/article/33766?headli\
ne=Commentary-Community-Radio-at-the-Crossroads-The-Significance-of-the-\
KPFA-Board
"Avoiding a Faustian Bargain at KPFA"   by Akio Tanaka
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-10-01/article/33854?headli\
ne=Commentary-Avoiding-a-Faustian-Bargain-at-KPFA

(To find out about the ICR candidates and their platform, please go to:
http://www.indyradio2009.org/ ).
(To see how to fill out a sample ballot, please go to:
http://www.communityradio2009.com  )

Akio Tanaka

--------------------------------------
Statement by Dave Heller

Suggestions on whom to vote for in the 2009 KPFA Local Station Board
(LSB) Elections by Dave Heller

There are nine open seats for the listener positions and thirty
candidates in the field. KPFA and Pacifica are headed toward financial
ruin if allowed to continue along the path the CL leadership has dragged
us down.

The board has been under the control of the so called "Concerned
Listeners" (CL) slate for years.  The station has lost about 8,000 (over
28% of the total) subscribers under their rein.  They are aligned with
the management of the station that has done everything they can to
minimize the power of the LSB.  They do not want democracy or
transparency getting in their way, contrary to the resolution that was
fought for and won 10 years ago.

I am supporting the People's Radio Slate as my first votes for the LSB,
Richard Phelps, Gerald Sanders, Stan Woods and Jim Curtis. They have
consistently voted in favor of democratic process and governance of the
station as well as transparency.  In addition, I support Akio Tanaka,
who has proven himself both as a solid member of the Alameda County
Green Party council and current LSB board member.

I would finish out the ballot by voting for other non-Concerned Listener
candidates to help diversify the board.

Dave Heller

Albany Greens Recommendations for Measures I and J


Measure I: endorse with reservations
Measure J: endorse with reservations

The Greens endorse Measures I and J with reservations. The endorsements are
because these measures fund education, which is consonant with a future focus.
The reservations are because of the unrealistic income thresholds for exemption
from these taxes, the addition to the existing significant municipal tax burden
in the case of Measure I, and the trend toward permanent local school funding in
Albany represented by Measure J, all of which contribute to social injustice. 
Both measures and the Greens' reasoning on each are explained below.

Both Measures I and J propose parcel taxes and were placed on the ballot by the
Albany Board of Education.  Both measures require approval by two-thirds of
voters for passage.  Measure I is a $149/year/residential unit or $3/100 square
feet commercial parcel tax that expires in five years and would be adjusted
annually for inflation.  It would generate $1.2 million per year for school
operations.

Measure J consolidates three existing parcel taxes supporting school  operations
that were previously approved in 1987, 1998, and 2005, totaling
$555/year/residential unit or $11/100 square feet commercial, with annual
adjustments for inflation.  The 1987 and 1998 taxes were of unlimited duration. 
The 2005 tax will expire in 2012 unless renewed.  The 2005 tax currently levies
about $267/year/residential parcel, totaling about $2 million/year of funding. 
Passage of Measure J would make the 2005 parcel tax amount permanent.

The parcel taxes imposed by both measures would be adjusted annually for
inflation based on the change in the Bay Area consumer price index.  Both
measures include senior and low-income exemptions for homeowners and a
low-income rebate for renters. For 2008-2009 the Albany Unified School
District's income threshold for receiving an exemption was $33,500 for a family
of two and $41,900 for a family of four
(http://ausd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1218997529141).
Measure J would extend the low-income/senior exemption, so that the 1987, 1998,
and 2005 taxes would all now have low-income/senior exemptions.

These measures were drafted in response to significant state budget cuts, which
eliminated $4.2 million or 13% of state funding of the Albany School District's
budget for this year.  The Albany Board of Education has, in response to this
budget cut, eliminated paraeducatorsNAL, increased class sizes for first through
third grade, and eliminated the elective period for half of seventh and eighth
graders at any given time.  These are the most dramatic cuts we are aware of,
but there are numerous others.  The Albany Greens recognize that the impact of
the state's budget cuts on Albany schools is significant, and replacing the lost
funding is consistent with the Green Party value of future focus.

At the same time, the Albany Greens recognize that the current state system of
funding schools, which places ever-increasing pressure on local communities to
fund their own schools, is not socially just. California's funding per pupil is
below average or near the bottom compared to funding in other states, depending
upon the calculation method employed
(http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080413/news_1n13pupil.html). 
Localities that are able to do so tax themselves to increase funding for their
school districts, producing unequal education for students across the state. 
Relying on local school taxes such as Measures I and J recreates the inequities
of the state's prior education funding system that was based primarily on local
property taxes and resulted in vast differences in the amounts spent per pupil
in wealthy vs. poor districts. These inequities were the subject of years of
litigation during the 1970s and 80s, ending with the current state school
funding strategy, which combines local property tax revenue with state funds in
an attempt to provide roughly equal per-pupil funding across the state.   To the
extent that localities supplement state funding through local taxes, we return
to a system of unequal funding in which students in poor districts will suffer
once again.

In addition to the education funding inequities created by the current system of
school parcel taxes, Albany already has a significant tax burden. As an example,
for a residential parcel purchased years ago and therefore below-market
assessment due to Proposition 13, School District taxes are about $1,000
currently, and the sum of Albany's municipal and school bond and parcel taxes is
several thousand dollars.  The tax proposed by Measure I would add to this
amount at a time when many residents have had their wages cut and are facing
other increased state fees and taxes.  Although the Board of Education has
sought to make the proposed tax measures socially just, the income thresholds
for exemption are so low that few will qualify.  This may be the reason that, to
date, only two exemptions/rebates of the 2005 school parcel tax have been
granted.

The Greens also question the proposed temporary nature of Measure I given that
Measure J makes permanent another tax that was originally proposed as temporary.
Consequently, it seems likely that the District will be returning to make
Measure I permanent in a few years.

Reminder:

After a summer break Green Sunday is back!  Please join us.

****************************
*Green Sunday*

Cuba on the Road to Ecosocialism

Sunday, September 13th
5:00 to 6:30 pm

Why did the World Wildlife Federation, hardly a socialist or
revolutionary organization, name Cuba as the only nation in the world
that was even close to being on a sustainable path of development?
How and why has Cuba become the world's leader in urban agro-ecology?

At least since the early 1990s, Cuba has been combining its version
of socialism with ecological wisdom, making it a very important model
to look at for practical ideas for humanity's future.

Our presenter:  Former Green Party candidate Larry Shoup has been in
solidarity with the Cuban Revolution for decades and has visited
there many times.

LOCATION: Niebyl-Proctor Library
6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland.

DIRECTIONS: One block north of Alcatraz on the West
side of Telegraph, wheelchair accessible. Served directly
by AC Transit routes 40, 64 & 17 with 6, 51 & 43 nearby.
Ashby BART is approximately 7 blocks away.

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs &
discussions sponsored by the Outreach Working Group of
the Green Party of Alameda County. They are usually held on
the 2nd Sunday of each month.

******************************

Dear Greens,

As you all know balloting for the KPFA Local Station board has started.

It is a critical election which will determine the direction the station will
go. As Greens we can weigh in and make a difference.

The Alameda County Greens are not making a formal endorsement this year. 
However, we asked two Greens who are active in KPFA to give statements.

Green Party of Alameda County

------------------------
Statement by Akio Tanaka

I am a County Councilor for the Green Party of Alameda County and also a
delegate to the KPFA Local Station Board. I support the candidates endorsed by
the 'Independents for Community Radio'.  Those candidates are;  Akio Tanaka,
Henry Norr, Banafsheh Akhlaghi, Evelyn Sanchez, Andrea Prichett, Rahman Jamaal,
Lara Kiswani, Adam Hudson, Sasha Futran, Ann Hallet and Shara Esbenshade.

Although most candidates running for the board claim to espouse progressive
politics, there is a clear difference in the direction they want to take KPFA.

The Concerned Listeners, who have held the majority on the board for the last
three years, want to make the station more 'professional' and mainstream. They
believe that the management should set station policy and make programming
decisions. In their platform they refer to the unpaid staff which comprise 3/4
of the station as a 'sectarian group' and say that the unpaid staff are packing
their organization with "people who have only tangential relationship to KPFA".
But KPFA cannot exist without the unpaid staff. They are news reporters, DJs,
public-affairs hosts and members of the KPFA Apprenticeship Program.

The Independents for Community Radio want to put the community back in community
radio; they believe that programming decisions and other significant station
policies need to be made collaboratively. (For more info, please see their
website at:  http://www.indyradio2009.org/ ).

I am concerned that the Concerned Listeners doctrine of concentrated management
power, and its disrespect for the unpaid staff could turn KPFA into another
mainstream station and marginalize the listener community. I urge Greens to vote
for candidates that are endorsed by the 'Independents for Community Radio'.

Akio Tanaka


(The Concerned Listeners Platform-Statement and a rebuttal by `Independents for
Community Radio can be found at:

http://indyradio2009.org/sites/default/files/CL_Statement-Rebuttal.html    )

--------------------------------------

Statement by Dave Heller


Suggestions on whom to vote for in the 2009 KPFA Local Station Board (LSB)
Elections by Dave Heller

There are nine open seats for the listener positions and thirty candidates in
the field.  KPFA and Pacifica are headed toward financial ruin if allowed to
continue along the path the CL leadership has dragged us down.

The board has been under the control of the so called "Concerned Listeners" (CL)
slate for years.  The station has lost about 8,000 (over 28% of the total)
subscribers under their rein.  They are aligned with the management of the
station that has done everything they can to minimize the power of the LSB. 
They do not want democracy or transparency getting in their way, contrary to the
resolution that was fought for and won 10 years ago.

I am supporting the People's Radio Slate as my first votes for the LSB, Richard
Phelps, Gerald Sanders, Stan Woods and Jim Curtis. They have consistently voted
in favor of democratic process and governance of the station as well as
transparency.  In addition, I support Akio Tanaka, who has proven himself both
as a solid member of the Alameda County Green Party council and current LSB
board member.

I would finish out the ballot by voting for other non-Concerned Listener
candidates to help diversify the board.

Dave Heller

Dear Greens,

This year will be the 5th iteration of the 9/11 Film Festival held at the Grand
Lake Theater on Wednesday and Thursday.

Additionally, Bay Area architect, Richard Gage AIA, will be speaking tonight,
Tuesday September 8th, at the Commonwealth Club of California.

The Green Party is the only political party that has continued to openly call
for a new investigation into the 9/11/01 attacks, to consistently put out press
releases that question the response to the 9/11/01 attacks, and to consistently
endorse 9/11/01 events which raise the many unanswered questions.

Below is a schedule of events from Tues - Thurs.

Hope to see you out this week!

The Alameda Green Party


1) TUESDAY September 8th, 2009, 6:00 pm
9/11: Blueprint for Truth –
The Architecture of Destruction, with Richard Gage, AIA
The Commonwealth Club of California
595 Market St., #2, San Francisco

Richard Gage, AIA, is the founding member of www.AE911Truth.org He has been a
practicing architect for over 20 years and has worked on most types of building
construction including numerous fire-proofed steel-framed buildings and
construction administration services for a new $120 million high school campus
including a $10 million steel-framed gymnasium. Most recently he worked on
construction documents of a very large $400 M urban project with 1.2 million
square feet of retail and 320,000 square feet of mid-rise office space —
altogether about 1,200 tons of steel framing. He has been honing his
presentation in venues across the US, Canada and Europe.

Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program
Cost: $8 members, $15 non-members

See: http://tickets.commonwealthclub.org/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=1&shcode=1318


2) WEDNESDAY, September 9, 2009, 6:15 pm- 11 pm
5th Annual 9/11 Film Festival
Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Ave., Oakland

This will be an exciting evening! We will be premiering Loose Change 9/11: An
American Coup with film maker Dylan Avery, MC'ed by Bonnie Faulkner, producer of
KPFA's Guns and Butter radio show, with many special guests, and a bonus film.
This will be a benefit for Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance, Architects
and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, and NYC Coalition for Accountability Now.

Schedule:

Wednesday Evening, 9.9.09
(6:00pm - 11:00pm)

6:15- - Welcome Bonnie Faulkner
6:20- 7:00- - Film: Metal of Honor by Rachel Maguire (27 minute excerpt)
Introduction and follow-up by Mike Daly.
7:00- 7:01- - Richard Gage intro to Trailer to Blueprint for 9/11 Truth by Ken
Jenkins for Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth
7:01- 7:11- - Trailer to Blueprint for 9/11 Truth (10 minutes) by Ken Jenkins
for Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth
7:11- 7:20- - Richard Gage AE911Truth: Challenges & Updates (10 minutes)
7:20- 7:30- - David Ray Griffin on Osama bin Laden- Dead or Alive? (10 minutes)
7:30- 7:42- - Bonnie Faulkner, NYCCAN update with Janette MacKinlay
7:42- 7:45- - Dylan Avery introduces his new film
7:45- 9:20- - Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup by Dylan Avery (95 minutes)
9:20- 9:50- - Q & A with Dylan Avery or Korey Rowe (30 minutes)
9:50- 10:49- - Film: 7/7: Ripple Effect by Muad Dib ("British Loose Change"- DVD
maker in jail for sending it to jury/judge/victim's families) (57 minutes)
10:49- 10:59- - Speaker- Gabriel Day (10 minutes)

The 2009 5th Annual 9/11 Film Festival will be held Wednesday and Thursday,
September 9th & 10th, 2009 at the Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA.

Tickets are $10 for each day.


3) THURSDAY, September 10, 2009, noon- 10 pm
5th Annual 9/11 Film Festival
Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Ave., Oakland

This will be an exciting day and evening with many films and speakers! We will
be premiering Anthrax War - Dead Silence with film maker/author Eric Nadler and
The New American Century plus other films, speakers, comedy (including the great
Swami Beyondananda and music. MC'ed by Bonnie Faulkner, producer of KPFA's Guns
and Butter radio show, our evening keynote speaker will be David Ray Griffin
speaking about his latest book on the NIST Report on WTC 7. This will be a
benefit for Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance, Architects and Engineers
for 9/11 Truth, and NYC Coalition for Accountability Now.

Schedule:

Thursday, 9.10.09
(12:00pm - 10:00 pm)

12:00 Noon - Welcome -Bonnie Faulkner
12:10- 1:54- - Film: Fabled Enemies by Jason Bermas (102 minutes)
1:54- 2:04- - Speaker- Ken Jenkins (10 minutes)
2:05- 2:59- - Film- Kill the Messenger by French filmmakers- Mathieu Verboud and
Jean R. Viallett (52 minutes)
2:59- 3:09- - Speaker- Mickey Huff (10 minutes)
3:09- 4:45- - Film- The New American Century by Italian filmmaker- Massimo
Mazzucco (94 minutes)
4:45- 4:55- - Speaker Dr. Paul Rea (10 minutes)
4:55- 5:06- - Short Film - Star Wars and False Flag Terrorism (10:13 minutes)
5:06- 5:30- - Swami Beyondananda (24 minutes)
5:30- 5:45- - The best 9/11 Truth music videos
Thursday Evening, 9.10.09-
5:45 - 5:50- - Evening welcome with Bonnie Faulkner, intro to the film Anthrax
War - Dead Silence by Eric Nadler
5:50 – 7:18- - Film: Anthrax War by Bob Coen and Eric Nadler (86 minutes)
7:18- 7:40- - Speaker- Eric Nadler
7:40 - 8:00- - Speaker- Peter Phillips
8:00- 9:00- - Speaker- David Ray Griffin - on NIST's WTC7 Report
9:00- 9:30- - Q & A with David Ray Griffin
9:30- 9:40- - Actions- What we can do (action groups- how to get involved)
9:40- 10:00- - Inspiring 9/11 Truth music videos

The 2009 5th Annual 9/11 Film Festival will be held Wednesday and Thursday,
September 9th & 10th, 2009 at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Avenue,
Oakland, CA.

Tickets are $10 for each day are now available.

See: http://www.communitycurrency.org/filmfestival2009.html

After a summer break Green Sunday is back!  Please join us.

****************************
*Green Sunday*

Cuba on the Road to Ecosocialism

Sunday, September 13th
5:00 to 6:30 pm

Why did the World Wildlife Federation, hardly a socialist or
revolutionary organization, name Cuba as the only nation in the world
that was even close to being on a sustainable path of development?
How and why has Cuba become the world's leader in urban agro-ecology?

At least since the early 1990s, Cuba has been combining its version
of socialism with ecological wisdom, making it a very important model
to look at for practical ideas for humanity's future.

Our presenter:  Former Green Party candidate Larry Shoup has been in
solidarity with the Cuban Revolution for decades and has visited
there many times.

LOCATION: Niebyl-Proctor Library
6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland.

DIRECTIONS: One block north of Alcatraz on the West
side of Telegraph, wheelchair accessible. Served directly
by AC Transit routes 40, 64 & 17 with 6, 51 & 43 nearby.
Ashby BART is approximately 7 blocks away.

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs &
discussions sponsored by the Outreach Working Group of
the Green Party of Alameda County. They are usually held on
the 2nd Sunday of each month.

******************************

• Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m., Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland, $15 (no one turned away, space permitting), tickets available in advance at the Grand Lake box office
• Friday, Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m., Black Dot, 1195 Pine St., West Oakland
• Saturday, Aug. 22, 3 p.m., Warren Auditorium, Ives Hall, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, $5, free parking
• Sunday, Aug. 23, 4 p.m., Lunacy Theater, Redstone Building, 2940 16th St. at Mission and 16th Street BART, San Francisco, $15 (no one turned away, space permitting)
• Monday, Aug. 24, 5:30 p.m., 33 Revolutions Café, 10086 San Pablo Ave., at Central, El Cerrito, no admission, dinner available for a reasonable price

Attention Oakland Greens!,

The Registrar of Voters needs to RECEIVE your ballot by this coming Tuesday,
July 21.  (Polling stations will NOT be open for this special election). 
Therefore, the safest way to now assure receipt of your ballot is to personally
deliver your ballot during office hours (9:00 am to 4:45 pm) to the Registrar of
Voters' offices, located in the basement of the County Courthouse building, 1225
Fallon St. (at 12th St., near Oak), in downtown Oakland, 3 blocks from the Lake
Merrit BART station.  You can deliver your ballot on either this coming Monday
or Tuesday, but the election will end promptly at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, so please
be sure to plan accordingly!

If you haven't had a chance yet to review our Voter Guide which we posted
several weeks ago, a copy is included below.  Please don't forget to vote in
this important special election!


Thank you,

Green Party of Alameda County




Green Voter Guide

Oakland Special Election -- July 21, 2009

The July 21 Oakland special election will be conducted entirely with mail-in
ballots; polling stations will NOT be opened for this election!  If you don't
receive your mail-in ballot by June 30, please call the Registrar of Voters at
272-6973



Table of Contents

1)  Green Voter Card
2)  "Overview" article -- "Greens Thinking About Oakland's Budget Choices"
3)  Write-ups for the four ballot measures




Green Voter Card

City of Oakland Special Election
July 21, 2009


Measure C -- Hotel Tax Increase  ----  No

Measure D -- Reduction of "Kids First" set-aside amount --- No endorsement, see
write-up

Measure F -- Increasing the "Cannabis Business Tax"  ----  Yes

Measure H -- Clarifications regarding the corporate property transfer tax  ---- 
Yes




Greens Thinking About Oakland's Budget Choices

By the time you read our comments, the daily struggles in Sacramento and
Oakland, and the daily entry of people trying to affect the outcome, may have
changed the situation.

Measure D proposes to reduce the amount of funding for programs for children and
youth that Measure OO (passed in November 2008) increases. (This initiative is
similar to Propositions 1D and 1E on the recent state ballot -- whether to shift
funding for mental health and early childhood to enhance the general fund to
possibly have more resources for other social services such as education,
health, and welfare. The voters turned down these options, wisely in our
opinion.)

The other 3 measures placed on the ballot by the Oakland City Council raise
revenues. Hotel visitors, cannabis businesses, and corporations which transfer
property because of mergers or acquisitions would pay more.

One part of the dilemma is framed as tax increases versus budget cuts. In the
state special election, voters were NOT given an option to raise revenues.
Instead, CUTS in corporate tax were made in closed-door agreements in September
and February, contributing to the state budget crisis which is impacting cities,
counties, school districts, and many other entities serving our communities'
needs. Our state Democratic and Republican leaders agreed to a tremendous loss
of revenue with no publicity, hearings, no public discussion, at a time when
they certainly knew about the overall budget crisis.

According to a report by the California Budget Project called "To Have and Have
Not"  (www.cbp.org),  by the time three permanent corporate tax breaks are
implemented in 2014-2015, the cost to the state will be over $2 billion a year.
This amounts to a reduction of one-quarter of the income taxes paid by
California corporations. To compensate, the budget deal earlier this year gave
us severe budget cuts in social services and an additional cent of sales tax.
This regressive shift of taxation to consumers especially affects low-income
people, who spend all their income and who can least afford this new tax.

California is the only oil-producing state (of 21) in the country not to have a
tax on oil as it leaves the ground (oil severance tax). It is important to note
that during the recession of the 1990's, the legislature and Republican Governor
Pete Wilson approved new 10% and 11% tax brackets to be paid by the wealthiest
Californians. These sunsetted a few years later. Now the highest bracket is
9.3%, which applies to middle-income earners and the rich alike. We can go on
and on about lack of fairness in California's tax system.

Continuing at the State level, coalitions are actively trying to prevent cuts in
health care, education, programs that help the disabled and seniors, and social
services generally.  And Greens see one important piece of State spending we
want to see deeply cut--the prison budget.  California could end the death
penalty and change all existing sentences to life in prison without possibility
of parole.  That alone would save money.  (It is also the right thing to do for
many reasons.)  The "War on Some Drugs" which has so devastated low-income
communities of color in recent decades could be declared a failure and the
people now in prison for non-violent drug-related crimes could be released. 
Stipends to help them transition to self-sufficiency would be far, far cheaper
than continuing their cruel, racist, and needless captivity.

Returning to the local view, there is untapped wealth in Oakland that should be
contributing to the revenue of the City (and the School District). While wealthy
corporations can afford to build shiny new office towers in Oakland and wealthy
individuals can afford luxury condos, we are constantly told by our elected
officials that allowing wealthy people to "improve" Oakland is good for
everybody, yet we are asked to choose between programs for kids, seniors, and
libraries. We are told that we can never have all the services a decent society
would provide. We are often told that everyone in Oakland supports having as
many police as possible even at the expense of any and all other needs.

Oakland teachers have made many of us aware that the Port of Oakland brings in
billions of dollars a year but does not contribute to the City or the schools.
What about a tax on cargo passing through the Port, such as that of the Port of
Los Angeles?

In addition, the City's Redevelopment Agency, also called the "secret
government," has accumulated assets which the Agency controls separate from the
City budget (and for which the same City Councilmembers also have
responsibility).  In a redevelopment project area, all property tax increments
go directly to the Redevelopment Agency. This means all increases in property
tax revenues are diverted away from the cities, counties, and school districts
that would normally receive them. But the state limits how a Redevelopment
Agency can spend this money, favoring commercial development. Cities can use
Redevelopment income for palm trees and pink sidewalks in commercial areas, but
not for city operations and maintenance, public safety, and social services. 
(See "Redevelopment, the Unknown Government," at www (dot) redevelopment (dot)
com).

Set-asides, such as Prop 98 at the California level and "Kids First" (Measure K
in 1996, Measure OO last fall, Measure D now) seem to help us assert our
priorities despite politicians who impose different values. Many Greens have
come to question this strategy. If children and youth appear to be taken care of
by the set-asides, some concerned voters pay less attention to issues that
affect other people. To address larger issues affecting many people in our
communities, we need to build a broad and powerful coalition that will fight as
a united front for social services, education, and other needs.

If Oakland passed a city-wide minimum wage (higher than the California minimum
wage), as San Francisco has done, Oaklanders would benefit, and their ability to
buy more of the things they need would generate more sales tax, which would help
the State and City budget problems.

The City Council is moving forward to establish an Oakland Local ID Card, but
they are less supportive of linking that to a local currency. Local currency
would help the budget in several ways. First, local currency that could only be
spent in Oakland would produce sales tax revenues currently being lost to
Oakland when people spend their US currency in other cities or online. Second,
City employees could negotiate for part of their salary to be paid in Oakland
currency instead of part of their salary being lost by furloughs and wage cuts.
This is creative thinking, which so far the local politicians are reluctant to
accept.

Time to think out of the box that our "leaders" have created. The real story in
local, state, and national battles, is that we are fighting over crumbs. The
wealthy pay less in taxes, and the public sector is impoverished. We have seen
that trickle down economics tax cuts for the wealthy in the hope that they will
create decent jobs for the rest of us does not work. The shift of wealth upward
has been the result in recent decades, along with lack of resources for public
education (early childhood through university), transportation, health care, and
the social safety net. The Green Party will continue to work with our labor and
community allies to fight for progressive taxation -- those who have more money
should pay their fair share. We will also seek candidates to run for office to
replace Councilmembers who cave in to business interests instead of fighting for
the people of Oakland.




Measure C -- Hotel Tax Increase --
No

This measure would increase the Hotel Tax from the current 11%, to 14%. For the
2009-2010 fiscal year, the projected hotel tax revenues at the new rate would be
$12.9 million, an increase of over $2.7 million from what the revenues would be
without the new tax.

The increased revenues ($2.7 million) would be used for specific purposes, with
50% of the funds allocated for the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau, and
the other 50% divided equally (at 12.5% each) for the Oakland Zoo, Oakland
Museum, Chabot Space and Science Center, and Cultural Arts Programs and
Festivals.

Although the overwhelming majority of people who would be paying the higher tax
would be business travelers and wealthier out-of-town visitors, we are very
disappointed with how these funds would be used, especially the 50% allocated to
the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Given the current budget crisis, the bulk of
the revenues should instead go to vital city programs that are suffering
devastating cuts. It's time for the City Council to finally take a stand for the
overall population of Oakland. Vote "No" on "business as usual" -- vote "No" on
Measure C!




Measure D -- Reduction of "Kids First" set-aside amount  --
No endorsement

Do you prefer services for children and youth,  or other city services?  That's
Measure D's narrow choice in the July special election.

Measure D would amend the Kids First 2 measure (Measure OO), which voters
approved in November 2008.  Revenue from Measure D will enable KIDS First! The
Oakland Fund for Children and Youth to continue to give grants to organizations
and agencies providing services for children and youth, though at a lower level
than Measure OO allows.  Programs funded by this measure include programs that
provide after-school activities, college readiness, as well as programs that
reduce gang involvement, leadership development, job training, and
service-learning.

A City Council majority placed Measure D on the July 2009 ballot to address the
concern that the Measure OO set-aside would drain funding from other city
services -- fire, library, parks and recreation, senior programs, etc.  This
spring, a compromise was reached with the Kids First Coalition that wrote and
passed Measure OO last year, and the Coalition is now supporting Measure D. 
There are no public opponents.

Measure OO extended and expanded the original Kids First measure (Measure K,
passed in 1996) which created KIDS First! The Oakland Fund for Children and
Youth.  Measure K set aside 2.5% of Oakland's annual unrestricted general
purpose fund revenue through June 30, 2009.  According to Measure OO, effective
July 1, 2009, the KIDS First! Oakland Fund for Children and Youth will receive
1.5% of the city's annual total revenues for FY 2009-10 and FY 2010-11; and 2.5%
of annual total revenues for 2011-12 and thereafter.  Under Measure D, the KIDS
First! Oakland Fund for Children and Youth would instead receive 3% of annual
unrestricted general purpose funds.  Since annual unrestricted general purpose
fund revenues are less than annual total revenues, funds generated by Measure D
would be less than Measure OO, making about $3.6M available for other city
services.  Measure D will produce more funding for the KIDS First! Oakland Fund
for Children and Youth than Measure K did.

Measure D also adds back periodic review language:  the City Council is to
consider extension of the KIDS First! Oakland Fund for Children and Youth for an
additional 12 years starting in 2021; or the City Council must place the
question on the November 2020 ballot.

If Measure D is not approved in the July special election, Measure OO will
remain in effect.  The passage of Measure D will not increase or decrease taxes
for any Oakland resident or business, as is the case for Measure OO.

In our Nov 2008 Voter Guide, we made no recommendation on Measure OO.  While
acknowledging that Oakland's fiscal crisis was not created by youth programs, we
expressed general concerns about set-aside funding that provides no new revenue
source.   Set-aside funding for one aspect of human service programs scan be
useful to prioritize a program, but other human service programs are starved. 
We noted the instability of set-aside programs at a time of budgets, as we are
seeing now with Measure OO (and also with Prop 98 funding of K-12 and community
colleges).  We explained that City grants going to non-union non-profits is a
form of contracting out, which we oppose.  Thus, a Yes vote on the current
Measure D -- to reduce the KIDS First! set-aside.-- could be appropriate   On
the other hand, without the commitment of KIDS First! activists, a set-aside to
address needs of children and youth may never have gotten the attention of
conservative City Council members and the support of voters via both Measures K
and OO.

So what is a voter who cares about services for children and youth to do about
Measure D?  Does Oakland Measure D have redeeming qualities?  Perhaps.  Please
consider, as you decide, the context in which we Oakland voters are allowed to
make a choice.  See "Greens Thinking About Oakland's Budget Choices" article
above.




Measure F -- Increasing the "Cannabis Business Tax" --
Yes

The current Oakland tax on "cannabis business gross receipts" (medical marijuana
sales) is a mere 0.12% (12 cents on every $100.00). Measure F would increase the
tax to a more typical 1.8% ($1.80 on every $100 of receipts).

During calendar year 2008 the gross receipts for Oakland's four cannabis
dispensaries was over $19.8 million, but the tax revenues were less than
$24,000. With the new tax rate, the annual revenue would instead total
approximately $315,000 on an estimated $17.5 million of receipts.

There are several reasons to support Measure F. One is to add some additional
revenue to Oakland's budget, which has a huge shortfall right now -- so every
extra dollar is especially needed. But an even stronger reason to support it is
that medical cannabis dispensaries themselves, as well as cannabis legalization
advocates, support it -- as a way to move towards legalizing marijuana. That's
because, by "normalizing" the tax (with wording specifically dedicated to
identifying exactly what the tax on "cannabis businesses" should be), it then
moves the government in the direction of considering cannabis as a "normal
business product", like any other (taxable) item.

While we acknowledge that Measure F has the potential to create a modest
negative impact on some medical marijuana users, provided that the 1.8% tax levy
is in fact passed on to them by the dispensaries, given the reasons cited above
(and especially because society is long, long overdue to "normalize" marijuana,
by making it legal), we have decided to recommend a "Yes" vote on Measure F.




Measure H -- Clarifications regarding the corporate property transfer tax --
Yes

Proposition H clarifies a small ambiguity in Oakland's current real property
transfer tax.  Prop H would provide "that the tax applies to transfers of real
property caused by changes in the ownership or control of corporations and other
legal entities, such as mergers and acquisitions."  Yes, the poor wording is
really the actual text.

According to the City Auditor, Oakland lost $19.2 million, from at least 92
properties, because of this ambiguity from fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year
2007.  The Auditor estimates that this clarification will bring in an extra $4.4
million per year.  (The exact amount will depend on the amount of such transfer
activity.)  This is a drop in the bucket compared to the projected City budget
deficit, $100 million at the time of this writing.

Nonetheless, the GPAC strongly endorses Measure H, for two reasons.  The Oakland
Chamber of Commerce is against it--they submitted the Ballot Argument Against
Measure H.  We should look past their tired rhetoric to their real reason for
opposition.  They can see where this might go in terms of taxing business until
it actually pays its fair share.  The Green Party can also see where this kind
of thinking might go, in terms of undoing some of the damage done by Proposition
13.  What if a Statewide measure forcing the automatic reassessment of
commercial property in cases of "transfers of real property caused by changes in
the ownership or control of corporations and other legal entities, such as
mergers and acquisitions" were to pass?




The Green Voter Guide is published by:
Green Party of Alameda County
2022 Blake St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 644-2293
http://www.acgreens.org
FPPC ID # 921297

*********************

To all the Greens who care about KPFA,

The KPFA Local Station Board Election is coming up in August. Because
this is an important election for Greens we are sending this message
to you.  You have the opportunity to nominate and elect candidates
that will represent the interests of the Green listener/subscriber.

KPFA is one of the most important media resources for activists in
Northern California, so as Greens, we need to have people on the
Board who will work with the staff to strengthen and grow the KPFA
community and encourage KPFA to give the Green Party (and other
third parties) the chance to be heard.

Nomination period for candidates (including self nominations) ends on
July 15.  The balloting is from August 29 to October 14.

To vote, you must be a member between July 16, 2008 and July 15,
2009, so subscribe by July 15. (Do it by June 30 if you can.)
You can become a member by subscribing starting at $25 minimum.
Please encourage your family and friends to join you in becoming
subscribers and voting!
1. Just go to www.kpfa.org
2. At the menu at the top of the page, select:   SUPPORT US! > Pledge
Online
3. Subscribe starting at $25 minimum.
4. Pay with your credit card and save or print the confirmation page.

***********************

Dear Greens,

You are invited to a buffet brunch to meet South African guests Mercia Andrews
and Brian Ashley, and special guest Sal Rosselli on Sunday June 28th, at 1:00 PM
in Alameda.

Mercia Andrews ia a leading social justice activist in South Africa, currently
the director of the Land Rights organization Trust for Community Outreach and
Education, working with landless and small-scale farmers.  She is a leader of
the New Women's Movement and also the co-coordinator of the Palestinian
Solidarity group.

Brian Ashley is co-managing editor of South Africa's socialist magazine Amandla!
which is published by the Alternative Information and Development Centre, of
which Brian serves as co-Director.  Brian is also a founding member of the
Conference of the Democratic left, an initiative to regroup left forces around
eco-socialist politics.

Sal Rosselli is President of the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

The event will be at the home of Alice and Frank Fried, 742 Palmera Court,
Alameda, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.  A donation of $12.50 is requested.  For more
information call 415-861-0318.

Thank you,

Green Party of Alameda County Council

(This event was endorsed by the Green Party of Alameda County.)