Michael McCue for Los Angeles City Council

The Los Angeles Greens endorse Michael McCue for Los Angeles City Council. The District 2 special election is on September 22nd.

Big Green Weekend

Come to one event, or come to all--it's a Big Green Weekend with 2 days of Green Party of CA Strategy Sessions and Candidate Workshops at UCLA, plus a Sat. evening event starting with dinner at Monsoon in Santa Monica followed by a special viewing of "The 11th Hour" with Q&A afterward.

For info about the campaign trainings and strategy sessions, click here.

After the Green Party Candidate Workshops at UCLA on Saturday, Aug. 25, head on over to the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. We'll be gathering at Monsoon Restaurant, 1212 3rd St. Promenade, from approx. 5-6:30pm.

Then walk two blocks to Laemmle Monica 4 Plex to see "The 11th Hour" followed by a special Q&A discussion with the Green Party's Mike Feinstein, former mayor of Santa Monica, and Leila Conners Peterson, the film's Co-Director and Producer.

Santa Monica - LAEMMLE 4 Plex (1332 2nd St, between Arizona and Santa Monica Blvd)
Film--"The 11th Hour" Sat. 8/25 pm, 7:40pm

You are invited to see this important film and participate in a 20 minute Q&A afterwards to continue the dialog about these issues and what we can do to take action.

It is crucial for many people to see this film early, so it gets picked up around the country! If you can't join us Sat., please make plans to see the film soon.

Leonardo DiCaprio's new film, The 11th Hour is a feature length documentary concerning the environmental crises caused by human actions and their impact on the planet. The 11th Hour documents the cumulative impact of these actions upon the planet's life systems and calls for restorative action through a reshaping of human activity. It features fifty of the world's most prominent thinkers and activists, including reformer Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai.

Brezenoff Breaks 5 Percent in Congressional Run-Off

Green Party congressional candidate Daniel Brezenoff got 5.4 percent in Tuesday's run-off. As expected, Democrat Laura Richardson won the election, amid very low voter turnout.

See full results here.

Daniel Brezenoff for Congress: election Tuesday

The runoff in the special election for Congress in the 37th district is this Tuesday. The Green Party candidate is Daniel Brezenoff.

From Brezenoff's website:

Daniel Brezenoff has been active in the civil rights, labor, environmental, and peace movements literally since the age of ten. Raised in a family of civil rights, labor, and anti-war activists, he has organized, marched, spoken out publicly and published essays in newspapers about issues of justice, integrity and nonviolence in government and society. He was the founder of Long Beach Citizens for Peace and a principal organizer for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. Daniel has worked on several national and local political campaigns for progressive Democratic, left-Libertarian and Green candidates.

As a clinical social worker, Daniel has worked closely with some of the most challenging populations in the mental health field, including men and women struggling with addiction, young adults leaving the juvenile incarceration system, and children who have been severely abused. Daniel has facilitated healing, understanding, and solutions with groups and families dealing with violence, trauma, and poverty. He has also been an advocate on the macro level for people with mental illness, especially veterans and women fleeing violence.

Daniel was selected by mental health professionals to serve on the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission committee on domestic violence from 1999-2001.

As a historian and journalist, Daniel has given his time and energy to the cause of truth in media and government, tirelessly challenging the myths created to support the status quo by researching and publishing accurate information for the public on the Internet and in periodicals.

Daniel was active in helping to pass the federal Clean Air Acts and in advocating for full disclosure in food and drug labeling in the 1990’s. He helped organize the successful nationwide drives on college campuses to encourage fair trade and labor practices by merchandisers.

Daniel has never held public office, but the dire situation in Washington, and the request of local Greens that he run, caused him to feel that the time is now to take his public service to a new level.

37th Congressional District - Special Election results

Green Party candidate Daniel Abraham Brezenoff will be joining Democrat Laura Richardson, Republican John M. Kanaley, and Libertarian Herb Peters in the August 21 special Congressional election run-off, according to the results on the CA Secretary of State's website.

Here are the full "Semi - Final Official Canvass" results, as of this moment:

United States Representative District 37
As of June 26, 2007 at 11:35 p.m. * Precincts Reporting 100% (334 of 334)
Registered Voters 266,017 * Ballots Cast 29,637 * Turnout 11.14%

Candidate	Party	Votes	Percent
Laura Richardson	Dem	11,027	37.76%
Jenny Oropeza	Dem	9,144	31.31%
Valerie Mc Donald	Dem	2,743	9.39%
John M. Kanaley	Rep	2,230	7.64%
Peter Mathews	Dem	1,031	3.53%
Teri Ramirez	Rep	560	1.92%
Daniel Abraham Brezenoff	Grn	352	1.21%
Jeffrey "Lincoln" Leavitt	Rep	345	1.18%
Leroy Joseph "L.J." Guillory	Rep	334	1.14%
Ed Wilson	Dem	334	1.14%
Herb Peters	Lib	315	1.08%
George A. Parmer, Jr.	Dem	220	0.75%
Lee Davis	Dem	181	0.62%
Jeffrey S. Price	Dem	128	0.44%
Bill Francisco Grisolia	Dem	125	0.43%
Felicia Ford	Dem	109	0.37%
Mervin Evans	Dem	26	0.09%
Total		29,204	100.00%

Special Congressional Election Tomorrow!

The primary in the Special Congressional election in the 37th District (Long Beach, Compton) is tomorrow (6/26). The election is being watched closely by Greens because Green Party candidate Daniel Brezenoff is running a strong grassroots campaign.

The Democrats are strongly favored to retain the seat formerly held by Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, who died from cancer in April, but with 17 candidates a run-off is likely. The leading Democratic candidates are state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) and Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach).

If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote tomorrow, the top vote-getter from each party will go on to the general election in August. This means that Brezenoff does not need to finish in second place to get to the run-off.

Check back here Tuesday evening for preliminary results.

Daniel Brezenoff for Congress press conference

Green Party member Daniel Brezenoff is running for Congress in the 37th Congressional District (South Los Angeles and Long Beach). A special election is being held on June 26 (with a potential runoff in August) to fill the seat formerly held by Juanita Mellender-McDonald (D), who died of cancer in April.

Green joins field in Special Election for Congress

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
Green joins crowded field in 37th Congressional District Special Election; War, climate change among major issues candidate will address

LONG BEACH (May 23, 2007) - Clinical social worker Daniel Brezenoff, a member of the Green Party of California, has announced his candidacy in the 37th Congressional District Special Election to replace Juanita Mellender-McDonald (D), who died of cancer in April.

Brezenoff becomes one of 19 candidates in the June 26 election in a district that encompasses South Los Angeles and Long Beach. If no candidate garners more than 50 percent, a runoff between the top vote-getters in each party will be held in August.

At least 55 California Greens hold elected office currently in the state, including five mayors or mayors pro-tem, 11 members of city councils/boards of supervisors and 13 on boards of education.

A campaign worker for Green Party and progressive Democratic candidates, Brezenoff opposed the war in Iraq before it began and has written extensively about climate change. His platform emphasizes sustainability, peace and social justice.

Brezenoff has taken a stronger stand opposing the war than others in the large field, and has also taken firm positions on lesser discussed issues, including prison reform, the war on drugs, immigration, public health and patents, torture, and campus recruiting. Brezenoff is a strong supporter of LGBTIQ equality and women's reproductive health rights.

Brezenoff has selected a diverse campaign staff for his grassroots campaign, including Donna Warren, former Green candidate for Congress and Lieutenant Governor, and Families To Amend California's Three Strikes, as his campaign treasurer, and Long Beach native Steven Delgado, a former campus activist and close friend of Brezenoff's, as campaign manager.

Green elected to Studio City Neighborhood Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * 29 March 2007

GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE IS TOP VOTE-GETTER IN STUDIO CITY RACE

STUDIO CITY, CA - LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL DISTRICT #28

Michael McCue, a Green Party member and renters' rights advocate, was the top vote-getter from a field of 21 candidates in the Studio City Neighborhood Council (SCNC) election held Tuesday, March 27th.

Studio City is part of the City of Los Angeles, and the Studio City Neighborhood Council is an elected body officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles. Neighborhood Councils were empowered several years ago in an effort to promote greater access and participation in the political process.

McCue received 653 votes, the most of any candidate in the history of the SCNC, in his third try--and first win--for the Residential Renter's Seat on the SCNC board. McCue came in third from a field of four for the Renter's seat last year, when only 581 ballots were cast in the election.

McCue blames the traditionally low voter turnout in Neighborhood Council elections on the confusing nature of the NC system. "Instead of registered voters, the NC By-laws recognize 'stakeholders,' who are defined in many different and sometimes confusing ways."

According to the By-laws governing the Neighborhood Councils, stakeholders include anyone who lives in the neighborhood--either as a renter resident or homeowner resident--or as someone who owns a business or business property in the area. Even employees of local businesses or those who belong to a church or community service organization in Studio City, whether they live there or not, are eligible to vote. Stakeholders do not have to be an American citizen or registered voter to participate in the election.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that while candidates are divided into categories of stakeholders (Residential Homeowners, Residential Renters, Business Owners, etc.), every category of stakeholder is allowed to vote for every other category on the Board.

"I believe in a broad definition for stakeholders so that more and more people will get involved in the local democratic process, but the current definitions and procedures can also encourage election fraud," McCue said. "We observed some groups taking advantage of these definitions and forming voting blocs of stakeholders living outside the Studio City area, who were, in effect, capitalizing on low resident turnouts to nullify the residents' representation."

The Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) is considering reforms to the current election process. These reforms, which McCue favors, could include placing all NC candidates on the same ballot with citywide elections, to increase voter participation and awareness of their local Neighborhood Councils.

"The NC system is truly the best expression of the Key Green Value of grassroots democracy at work and that we all endorse as Green Party members" McCue said. "This year's SCNC election was the purest form of grassroots democracy in action I've ever witnessed personally. It was a purely spontaneous reaction to a power structure that wasn't responsive to the needs of its constituents."

McCue credits his record win and the nearly doubled turnout to an alliance he formed with a home and business owners group called the Concerned Stakeholders of Studio City. "The renters were already supporting me, but I had to have support from every category of stakeholder, which is difficult for an outspoken renters' rights activist."

The Concerned Stakeholders activated the Studio City residents to get involved in the NC election with flyer mailings and by reaching out to local groups like the Progressive Democrats of San Fernando Valley and the Friends and Neighbors for Peace and Justice of San Fernando Valley, groups that meet regularly in the Studio City area and that are more focused on national issues rather than local ones.

"According to our by-laws as written, the members of these groups were stakeholders in our community, but ones who had never participated in the NC election process because they didn't even know that they could."

McCue's SCNC Board seat is a two-year term. He plans to focus on increasing the amount of relocation funds that developers must pay to renters evicted due to demolitions, as well as By-laws reform within his own local Council.

"Renters are generally given just over $3,000 to relocate on short notice! Could you relocate in 30 days, or even 60 days notice on such a budget? It's not even enough for first and last month's deposit in the local market!" he said.

"There is a motion before the City Council to raise the relocation amounts paid to evicted renters, and I've been supporting that."

McCue is also concerned about environmental issues. He announced his candidacy on MLK Day while hosting a screening of "An Inconvenient Truth" for his friends and neighbors, and was endorsed by Ed Begley Jr. (a Studio City resident and current star of the "Living with Ed" series about Green Living on HGTV).

McCue urged all Greens in the Los Angles area to get involved in their local Neighborhood Councils. "They are structured as grassroots organizations and that is not only one of our Key Values, but one of our best strengths," he said. "The Neighborhood Council system is the perfect starting place for Greens who want to get involved and make a difference and where we can train candidates for larger offices in our in future. Get involved!"

2006 Election Highlights

Fifty-nine Greens were on the ballot in California in November 2006, and 18 of them were victorious. Perhaps the largest victory was in Richmond, CA, where Gayle McLaughlin was elected Mayor. According to the GPCA press release, "McLaughlin, who first ran for public office in 2004 when she won a Richmond City Council position, defeated the incumbent mayor of Richmond, although McLaughlin was outspent by about 10-1...Richmond, a working class suburb of San Francisco with a population of about 104,000, becomes the biggest city in the U.S. where a Green is at the helm, and the first in California where a Green was directly elected as mayor."

As former presidential candidate David Cobb pointed out, Tuesday was also a good day for election reform. Instant Run-off Voting was passed in Oakland, CA. Davis, CA voted to adopt choice voting, the proportional voting version of IRV. California Democrat Debra Bowen, an advocate of IRV, was elected Secretary of State.

In California, four propositions endorsed by the Los Angeles Greens passed (1C, 1D, 1E, and 84), while two opposed by the Greens (1B and 83) also passed. Two ballot initiatives strongly supported by Greens failed, however. Prop 87, which would have taxed oil production in the state to fund alternative energy, and Prop 89, the campaign finance initiative, both failed by wide margins.

Nationally, Greens won at least 35 races. In Illinois, gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney received an impressive 11 percent of the vote. Joyce Robinson-Paul of the DC Statehood Green Party won 14% of the vote for "shadow" Senate. Colorado Green Tom Kelly received 21% of the vote in his race for Congress.

From the GPUS press release: "8.7 million voters across the U.S. voted for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and for impeachment resolutions on local and state ballots that were promoted or supported by Greens. Troop withdrawal initiatives won in all ten localities in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, and all 11 communities in Illinois, including Chicago. Of 139 cities and towns in Massachusetts voting on the troop withdrawal measures, only a handful voted nay on initiatives demanding that Congress and the White House end the war immediately. In California, San Francisco voters supported a local impeachment measure by 59.41%. In Berkeley, a similar resolution won the support of 68.56% of the electorate. Greens supported and led the initiative campaigns; in April, 24 of 32 communities voted in support of the 'Troops Home Now' resolutions that were promoted by Greens."

On the whole, Tuesday was a very good day for progressives, as Republicans lost their majority in both houses of Congress. But Greens and other progressives must continue to monitor the Congress and advocate for our values, including peace, universal healthcare, and environmental protection.

Election Results

Track Green Party election returns from around the country at greens.org/elections. To follow the returns as they come in, click on the entry for the candidate(s) of your interest...then click on the link there of the official governmental elections results URL. When the numbers firm up, they'll be entered into the data base, which then show up on greens.org/elections.

All California results are available at http://vote.ss.ca.gov/

Local results:

• Byron DeLear (Congressional District 28)


• Bill Paparian (Congressional District 29)


• Ricardo Costa (Assembly District 44)


• Peter Thottam (Assembly District 53)