Montgomery County, MD Green Party Blog

This isn’t strictly Green Party related, but I thought it was valuable anyway.

The Campaign for America’s Future presented an conference in Washington in the first week of June 2005.

You should definitely check out the speeches available as streaming video (keep reading below for audio links) at their Interactive Conference area.

My favorites can be found on that page:

1. Bill Moyers, no introduction needed.
2. Kim Gandy, President, National Organization of Women, see below
3. Rev. Jim Wallis, author of God’s Politics, Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It see below

Kim Gandy is absolutely stunning and takes no prisoners.

Rev. Jim Wallis is inspiring.

Moyers speaks as well as ever on a myriad of political topics.

When I first looked there, there was only the Bill Moyers, so I set about extracting the Gandy and Wallis audio from the video, so if you have a link too slow for the video, or you just like that olde time radio speech feel, you can hear Kim Gandy (streaming audio only) here, and the Rev. Jim Wallis (streaming audio only) here.

These audio links should even work on slower links, but if you have a telephone modem slower than 56k, you can bite the bullet and download the entire thing and then listen to Kim Gandy here (streaming audio, full download first, 6 MB, ~ 24 min. on a 32kbps modem) or Rev. Jim Wallis here (streaming audio, full download first, 6 MB, ~ 24 min. on a 32kbps modem)

(If you want to hear the speech Moyers gave at The National Conference for Media Reform (May 13-15), you can choose. Streaming video (see link on the conference website), streaming audio–use this link, it will not require the full download, unlike the one on the conference website, or read the transcript at the conference link.)

President’s George Bush’s decision not to sign the United States up to the Kyoto global warming treaty was partly a result of pressure from ExxonMobil, the world’s most powerful oil company, and other industries, according to US State Department papers seen by the Guardian.

The documents, which emerged as Tony Blair visited the White House for discussions on climate change before next month’s G8 meeting, reinforce widely-held suspicions of how close the company is to the administration and its role in helping to formulate US policy.

In briefing papers given before meetings to the US under-secretary of state, Paula Dobriansky, between 2001 and 2004, the administration is found thanking Exxon executives for the company’s “active involvement” in helping to determine climate change policy, and also seeking its advice on what climate change policies the company might find acceptable.

Other papers suggest that Ms Dobriansky should sound out Exxon executives and other anti-Kyoto business groups on potential alternatives to Kyoto.

After delaying the announcement for a week, the Army announced yesterday that it missed its original goal for May by over 3,000 recruits. The Army had originally hoped to recruit 8,050 in May, but took in just over 5,000, only 62% of the goal.

Early in May, with no public notice, the Army had reduced its official goal to 6,700, claiming that it was shifting some of its quota to the summer months, however two recruiters, speaking anonymously, said their goals for the summer months had not been changed. The Army, which had hoped to recruit 80,000 new soldiers this year is already 8,000 behind its year to date goals.

People are voting with their feet; they are crossing to the other side of the street when they see a recruiting station. The recruiting gap could become the Achilles Heel for the war hawks. With the Army already overstretched, the possibility of new military ventures is becoming increasingly remote.

The meeting started late, at 7:45PM.

Treasurer Joseph Horgan gave his report.

Membership Coordinator Bahram Zandi requested that more advanced and specific announcements of MoCo meetings be made.

CC Delegate Becky Schaaf spoke about the Takoma Park Jazz festival this Saturday (6/11). There is a $60 tabling fee. Outreach Coordinator Mary “Tyrtle” Rooker announced that there is a tabling opportunity on 9/11 (Sunday) from 11AM-6:30PM at the Takoma Park Folk Festival. There is a $45 tabling fee. On 10/2 from 10AM-5PM there will be a tabling opportunity at the Takoma Park Street Festival. There is a $60 tabling fee. Becky announced that on Sunday, October 9th, there is another festival. Also, on Sunday, 9/18 from 11AM-4PM, there is the Gaithersburg Olde Towne Day. Applications are due 7/8 and 8/12. Mary noted that she needs more button supplies; she will call Joseph. Also we need to buy a canopy; again will call Joseph for research. Canopy will be delivered to Banning & Low.
***APPROVED: $45 expenditure for T.P.F.F. tabling fee***
***APPROVED: $60 expenditure for T.P.S.F. tabling fee***
***APPROVED: $60 expenditure for T.P.J.F. tabling fee***

Outreach committee — Mary stated that it needs to reconvene.

Web master Adam Davis implored everyone to PLEASE BLOG ON MOCO WEB SITE (Note to Mr. Davis– this blog is not exactly user friendly! –N.B.). Bahram had concerns regarding security of sensitive information.

Fiesta & Charm City Greens were debated. Yours truly participated in discussion; thus there are no notes. (Except that no consensus was reached and discussion will continue at next month’s meeting and Joseph wants to know why Charm City won’t show up at the CC meetings.)

Mary announced that the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Local will hold it’s unofficial 1st meeting tomorrow from 7:30PM-9PM at 6839 Eastern Ave. (The Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s offices. Many thanks to Mike Tidwell for allowing us to use his office space.)

Report on the Assembly
Co-chair Tim Willard, Alan Matlage, Bahram and Becky spoke. Linda Schade spoke about True Vote Maryland. She’s willing to speak to MoCo. LOTS of people spoke at the Stop The War Panel. Salient fact: U.S. Military budget equals that of the next largest 20 countries combined. Charm City’s application was sent to Rules and Bylaws. There was a workshop on homosexual rights. The International Greens showed the documentary “Life and Death”, about how the I.M.F. destroyed the Jamaican economy. There was a discussion about relieving 3rd world debt. There was discussion about how these astronomical sums of money are unaccounted for in Iraq.

Joseph announced that he wants a Green/Small Business Alliance. John Low mentioned a lack of recyling opportunities. Joseph announced that Kensington First is suing to challenge the Safeway Grocery Store zoning decision. Alan announced that he is looking for a MoCo Petitioning Organizer.

BTW, MoCo needs a permanent Recording Secretary…..
–N.B.