"Let me be the first to congratulate the planners and organizers of the GPNJ Convention for a truly Green, truly satisfying, truly stimulating Day One. . . I especially liked the comment period following the Future Focus panel. Nothing satisfies like being in a lively group of aware, articulate, Green-to-the-core people."

               -Katy Meyer, 4/26 email

 

Over the weekend of April 26 and 27th close to 100 people from throughout New Jersey came to the Labor Education Center at Rutgers/New Brunswick for a positive and productive seventh annual GPNJ convention.

 

The convention began with a panel followed by discussion on the topic, "Future Focus: What Is Our Vision for the Future?"

 

Joe Fortunato, outgoing state chair, introduced the panel, saying, "I feel good about where we are, where we've come from. We have to take this effort to another level. We are gaining the respect of the state of New Jersey. We are being mentioned in the newspapers. People are more aware of what we're doing. We have developed qualitatively. We have to understand ourselves and how much the people are looking for an alternative. The Democrats and Republicans are not speaking for the people. We have to take our Green message out to people, listen to them, and process it, as we develop politically."

 

Earl Gray, chair of the GPNJ Policy Committee, called for "a focus on a global governing body. The United Nations needs to be stronger. The U.S. government is calling for an American Empire. I take my hat off to all those who stood up to George Bush in the international community. We need to reform the U.N. as a new level of government, giving it back all of its original powers. The U.N. can do better dealing with global problems such as the environment in all its forms, weapons, drug traffic, banking fraud, diseases, and many others. We need to turn the tide against this Empire of Evil that is trampling every civil and human right we have."

 

Lisa Davis, leader of the Peoples Organization for Progress, spoke of "parallel universes in America. There are some people who may be living the reality of freedom. I can tell you about people who don't. I have been told that I am bashing America because I say that the American Dream is a crock. The progressive movement has to be something we LIVE. As long as we are alive we are not finished with our work. The international policy being used is parallel to what people of color have been experiencing. If we want to know what America needs, we need to go to the homeless, the people living in slumland. We must make the American Dream available to all. I am glad that the Greens are interested in more than ecology and the environment."

 

Liz Arnone, coordinator of the Ocean County Greens, spoke of "a world that is frightening. I can't imagine what lies ahead for my children and their children. I wonder what dangers they will have to deal with, due to the gross mismanagement of the world today. I worry about what our food is becoming. I worry about what the media is doing to the brains of our young. How are we going to meet these challenges? I believe there is strength in numbers. I believe the Greens are building a movement. I believe we need to reach out to our partners in political activism. We may not always agree with them, but we need to find a common ground with them in order to mold a new life on a national and global level."

 

Gabe Gabrielsky, a labor Green from Atlantic City, spoke of the need for "the great social movements, peace, labor, women, others to be separate from corporate politics. The Green Party can take that sentiment and organize it. We should organize the social movements and help them be independent. If we are to continue, we need to run another presidential candidate. We must do at least as well as the 2000 Nader campaign. The new anti-war movement is the first mass movement since the beginning of the Greens. We should be saying, 'We applaud your efforts. Let's organize together.' We need to point out that they need their own voice. The Democrats are not doing it for them."

 

Following these presentations the floor was opened to other contributions from the floor. Ideas discussed included:

-finding a way to connect with the anti-war movement,

-instilling equal rights for developmentally slow students

-various ideas on running a Green Presidential candidate.

 

Lunch brought not just good food but a concert by Catherine Moon.

 

The afternoon consisted of a variety of workshops: N.J. Green campaigns/2003, using the internet to build green locals and campaigns, in the news: getting the word out and responding to the media, the basics of organizing a Green Party local, reparations and racism, tax reform roundtable, the labor movement and the Green Party, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, the peace movement after the Iraq war, using state law reform to limit the power of corporations, and clean money and instant runoff voting. Reports to the whole groups afterwards indicated that these were useful workshops.

 

Saturday's session concluded with a presentation by Valorie Caffee, leader of the New Jersey Work Environment Council.

 

Sunday morning began with a major keynote presentation by Green Party State Assemblyman Matt Ahearn, who was greeted with a standing ovation.

 

Matt reported that, "It's not that hard to be Green. Voters in New Jersey are looking for an alternative. We need realistic solutions. Here is how we convince the voters: our party's values are the concepts of America which have not been realized by the standard parties. Eventually the labor unions will realize they've been had. The McGreevy team promised to change business as usual in Trenton. We need to focus on how the incumbents have failed. Change is impossible when you're too entrenched in the system. We need to fundraise! Although the major parties control the legislature, we can do a lot as an independent voice. Without my vote in the Assembly there are times when the Democrats cannot win a majority vote because it's close to a 50-50 split as far as number of seats held. This allows me to have power. They must win me over to their side in order to proceed with many of their agenda items. I get to vote my conscience, free of the politics of the duopoly. Pay to Play will never be solved by the major parties. The voters are recognizing that this system is concerned only with getting incumbents reelected. The major issues of this state are not being solved because the major parties have to be concerned with which PAC's they may be offending. Education, property taxes and the environment are being ignored for fear of the major contributors to the duopoly campaigns."

 

Following Matt's speech there were meetings of various GPNJ committees and then nominations of officers for the coming year. Nominated by the state Green Council were:  Jane Hunter of Somerset County for Chair, Mike Skelly of Burlington County for first vice chair, Beresford Jones of Essex County for diversity vice chair, Liz Arnone of Ocean County for Treasurer and Pamela Olsen of Hudson County for Secretary. The floor was opened for nominations; when none were made, this slate was approved by acclamation.

 

In the afternoon a number of people volunteered or were nominated and voted on to be part of national Green Party committees:

Platform:  Earl Gray, Joe Fortunato, Tim Gaylord, with George DeCarlo as alternate

Coordinating Committee:  Jane Hunter and Gary Novielski, with Joe Fortunato and Emily Cook as alternates

Fundraising: Nick Mellis, Rosalee Donatelle and Matthew Vance

Diversity:  George DeCarlo, Joe Mosley, Lynn Surgalla

International: Jonathan Oriole, Ryan Reyes, Beresford Jones

By-laws, Rules, Policies and Procedures:  Joe Mosley, Richard Foster and Greg Giacobe

Finance:  Milton Zisman

 

It was agreed that the Executive Committee will decide the remaining committees: communications, media, accreditation, Green Pages editorial board, membership, election, advisors.

 

About a dozen of the 40 or so GPNJ candidates for elected office in 2003 were present in mid-afternoon and each was given a minute to introduce themselves and talk about why they were running.

 

Ted Glick, GPNJ coordinator, reported on his work and his desire to continue functioning in that capacity.

 

Several decisions were made in the category of new business:

 

-A proposal by Steve Welzer was agreed to by consensus that we would hold a large meeting in the late fall, after the elections, to discuss the politics and logistics as far as circulating our presidential candidate petition for 2004.

 

-Jane Hunter made a motion to change our bylaws so that membership in GPNJ would not require paying dues but, instead, by being registered electorally as a Green Party member. The motion was defeated after a number of concerns were raised, including that the state may not correctly record such a membership, it might not be recorded in time for an annual conference, and because some felt paying dues was an important aspect of being a member.

 

-Beresford Jones initiated a discussion as to whether or not we should support the United Nations replacing the United States in Iraq to help the Iraqi people transition to a democratic government. It was decided that this issue would be discussed further at the next Green Council meeting.

 

-At the initiative of Mike Skelly, it was agreed by consensus that GPNJ will continue to support efforts to educate the public on important environmental issues.