[Ryan Jones]

AgreeRyan Jones, At-large council rep

[Ryan Jones]

AgreeI just heard from Dan Sage and he says there is about $2,000 in the GPCO account. 

[Ryan Jones]

“Disagree” is not a valid voting option in the consensus phase.  The options should be, Agree, Stand-aside, Block, Abstain.  If a block is placed and the originator of the proposal does not wish to amend the proposal to meet the concerns of the person blocking, the proposal goes to the vote phase.  The options for the vote phase are Yes, No, or Abstain.  Tom, is your vote of “disagree” a block? This process is outlined in Procedures and Guidelines.  http://www.coloradogreenparty.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/PG-2004.pdf

[Ryan Jones]

Bill,If Michael wants this voted on, can you submit this to proposal Agreement Seeking?  Time is running out before the election. 

[Ryan Jones]

Michael,It is great to see this kind of energy from a local.  This flyer looks good; it has a lot of information that is important for people looking to get involved.  I do have two seporate concerns regarding this proposal. 

• The cost may be a little high.  Before voting on any proposal like this, I would want to know how much money the state party has on hand.  Would there be enough money available to provide this type of support to every local and still have money left over?  I may still support it even if there isn't enough money for each local to do something similar, but I would want to know how this Adams/Jeffco flyer campaign will benefit other locals and the state party as a whole.  There also may be ways to lower the cost.  A black and white design and/or a quarter sheet flyer would significantly reduce costs. 
• The second concern is that the URLs that are listed for the Ten Key Values and the Platform are not correct because they are for the Greens/Green Party USA instead of the the Green Party of the United States.  The Green Party of Colorado is not affiliated with the Greens/Green Party USA.  As I understand, this is an older and mostly defunct organization that the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) splintered off from in 2000.  The correct URLs for the Ten Key Values and Platform are http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2012/ten-key-values.php and http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2012/ respectively. 

Let me know what you think of these concerns.  Is there someone that knows how much money the GPCO has on hand?

[Ryan Jones]

A flyer for the October 3rd events can be found at http://www.jillstein.org/denver_posterFor those of you watching the debate at home, Democracy Now! be broadcasting live from Denver with Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson.  http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2012/9/28/third_party_candidates_to_join_in_real_time_on_democracy_now_s_live_coverage_of_first_pres_debate

[Ryan Jones]

Jill Stein will be in Denver on October 3rd to protest the debates!Here are two events that Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala will be present at.  Stop The Empire / Protest the DebatesWednesday, October 3, 20125:30pm in MDTMcWlliams Park E Yale Ave & Steele St, Denver OChttp://www.facebook.com/events/100793323409816/Occupy The Debates! After Rally With Jill Stein and Cheri HonkalaWednesday, October 3, 20129:30pm until 11:00pmMercury Cafe 2199 California Street, Denver COJoin Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala, and special guests (to be announced soon) for a rousing post-debate rally at the Mercury Cafe in Denver, with live entertainment and speeches from the candidates. The night is sure to be fun and inspiring, so mark your calendar and bring your friends!There will be a recommended donation of $5 to $50 on a sliding scale.http://www.facebook.com/events/438274829541480/

[Ryan Jones]

Occupy The Debates has posted some events relating to the presidential debate.  http://occupythedebates.org/denver-eventsFriday, Sept. 28, Civic Center Park, 4-10 pmPeople’s Forum Share your storyLive entertainmentPolitical comedian Lee Camp,slam poetry, drumming and live music including Junkyard Empire.Free for everyone.Saturday, Sept. 29,Central Presbyterian Church,1660 Sherman St. Denver, COPeople's dialogue Discuss the issues and solutionsRegistration 8:30 am/Event starts at 9 amMarch to the Capitol at 5 pm

[Ryan Jones]

Hey Tanya,I found this page.  Was the calendar embedded into the events page on the old website or was there just a link to http://www.coloradogreenparty.org/calendar/? 

[Ryan Jones]

Hey Tanya, I can fix Events link under Get Involved.  I can point it to this page.  Is that correct?  I don't know about the calendar.  I think Bill will have to get that back up.  Bill and I worked this morning on some updates to the color of the website.  How do you feel about these updates.  Here is an excerpt from the post about the "Be Green" section.  The "Be Green" section is all about taking it to the next level.  This would have information about being a GPCO candidate and getting more involved with the internal workings of the GPCO.  We would also link to the "Join a Chapter" page.  This could also be the place to put the Am I Green section too.

http://gpco.fullydefiant.com/forum/index.php?topic=112.msg305#msg305

[Ryan Jones]

Audrey Clementaclement65@hotmail.comWHY I'M RUNNING:I seek election as GPUS Treasurer, because I'm seriously concerned about the state of the party's finances. Recent cash flow reports indicate that the party has been barely making payroll for the past several months. As a result, it had to rely on a loan from party members to finance its presidential ballot access drive in 2012. In addition, no regular financial accounting reports have been prepared for the past two years, and no recent attempt has been made to reconcile the party's bank records with the reports it files with the FEC, in contravention of FEC best practice guidance. Finally no employment agreements have been executed for over two years, which is not fair to GPUS staff. Some of these problems are attributable to the fact that the party let its accountant go two years ago as a cost savings measure, but this state of affairs is untenable. Either the party needs to raise the funds to hire an accountant or it must purchase accounting software that will enable it to maintain its books and free the Treasurer to perform his/her other duties. If elected Treasurer, I plan to do what it takes to make party fully compliant with its own Fiscal Policy and FEC regulations.EDUCATION:B.F.A, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.Ph.D. Political Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.PROFESSION:- IT professional employed as contract programmer for various federal government agencies since 1989.QUALIFICATIONS FOR GPUS TREASURER:My qualifications include three years as local party treasurer, and one full year as treasurer for a state political committee that financed the three runs I've made for Arlington County Board. As treasurer for my local and personal campaign committees, I file regular electronic financial disclosure reports, and I routinely reconcile those reports with their corresponding bank accounts. These skills are needed to produce the financial disclosure reports that GPUS is required to file with the FEC.In addition, for fifteen years I programmed and maintained the financial accounting reports for a Philadelphia area Medicare physician's private practice. The physician utilized the financial database I developed as evidence in a suit filed on behalf of the Philadelphia Medical Society against a Blue Cross clearinghouse for non-payment of Medicare claims. The medical society ultimately won a multi-million dollar settlement against Blue Cross.PRIOR POLITICAL CAREER:- Congressional Fellow, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, 1987-88.- Political reporter, Philadelphia New Observer, a Black weekly newspaper, 1985-1990.GREEN PARTY POLITICAL CAREER:- Co-Chair, Green Party of Virginia, 2005 to present.- Delegate/Alternate to GPUS NC, 2005-2011.- Treasurer, Arlington Green Party, 2009 to present.- Treasurer, Committee to Elect Audrey Clement, 2011 to present.- Green Party Candidate, Arlington County Board - November, 2011, March, 2012, November, 2012.- Co-Chair, BRPP Committee, 2007-2010.- Co-Chair, Ecoaction Committee, 2010-present.- GPUS Steering Committee Co-Chair, March, 2011-July, 2012.GREEN PARTY PETITIONING ACTIVITY:- Virginia, 2008 - 6,400+ signatures, 2012 - 2,000+ signatures.- Arkansas, 2010 - 800+ signatures, 2011 - 450 signatures.-- Maryland, 2010 - almost 1,000 signatures.- Illinois, 2012 - 540 signatures in one weekend.- Plaintiff in a suit filed by the Libertarian Party to overturn a law adopted at the behest of Virginia's reactionary but popular governor that will invalidate 2,000 signatures gathered by GPVA and the Virginia Independent Greens and 2,000 signatures gathered by the Libertarian Party prior to the General Assembly's belated adoption of a 2010 census dictated redistricting plan.PERSPECTIVE ON GPUS:Green Party political fortunes have waned since Ralph Nader's 2000 run for President on the Green Party ticket and the attendant backlash from the Democratic Party. In the wake of this political fallout, Green Party activists have become discouraged and have turned their swords on one another.There is nothing wrong with infighting per se. In fact it is only through intramural conflict that party activists hone their skills for partisan political battles. The problem is one of degree. While it's right tocriticize leaders for their shortcomings and even question their qualifications for a particular office, it's wrong to denounce them as "destructive" or "racist" with no more evidence than personal animus. While it's right to exhort party members to work harder or to criticize their arguments as weak, it's wrong to scapegoat them because they are perceived as unpopular.Other conflicts throughout history have shown that scapegoating colleagues and demonizing leaders are the hallmarks of defeatist organizations. GPUS needs to transcend defeatism. We can do this by electing party leaders who are committed to ballot access as the party's mission or principal goal. We also need leaders who are committed to following party rules, because it's only through the impartial administration of those rules that the conflicts within the party can be effectively mediated and defeatist sentiments contained.MY RECORD SET STRAIGHT:Co-Chair, BRPP.During my tenure as co-chair of BRPP, the committee reported a number of proposals codifying party rules governing: the reporting of proposals, Steering Committee business, GPUS fiscal policy, and the Presidential Nominating Convention. All of those proposals were ultimately adopted. While a faction of the NC has consistently decried the time and effort devoted to the codification of party rules, and some believe there is no need for them at all, GPUS has benefited from them.Consider, for example, that planning for the 2012 Presidential Nominating Convention has proceeded flawlessly due to the deliberations that the party undertook in adopting convention rules in 2008. Consider also that the SC and the NC recently adopted measures to issue loans to fund the 2012 ballot access drive following rules laid out in the party Fiscal Policy adopted in 2010. Were it not for the expeditious issuance of these loans, the all important ILGP ballot access drive would have faltered. Instead on June 25, ILGP delivered almost 30,000 ballot access signatures to the Illinois StateBoard of Elections.Consider finally the amount of bandwidth the NC devoted to apportioning itself in 2007 and again in 2011. The result was both an NC and a PNC apportionment that most of the NC can live with and one that will reward state parties who prove effective at getting ballot access, while opening the door via the population mechanism to those parties struggling with repressive ballot access laws.As BRPP and later SC Co-Chair, I facilitated the adoption of these provident rules. I'm proud of my record in that regard.Co-Chair, Ecoaction Committee.The Ecoaction Committee is remarkable both for the size of its membership (31) and the degree of consensus on matters within its purview. Debate on the committee has been vigorous at times, and disagreement on contentious issues like the substitution of biofuels for fossil fuels has abounded. Yet Ecoaction experiences very little of the acrimony witnessed on the nationallist. No doubt this reflects a widespread consensus on the need for ecological wisdom that is the hallmark of the Green movement worldwide. It also reflects a spirit of comity and respect that committee members extend to one another as a matter of course.As co-chair of Ecoaction, I took advantage of the consensus I found there to promote an amended mission statement that accords the committee the right to submit Platform amendments directly to PlatCom. That proposal was overwhelmingly adopted by the NC in 2012 despite a protracted debate over the meaning of ecological wisdom and the propriety of tasking Ecoaction to promote it. Could less bandwidth have been expended on the proposal? Perhaps, but the importance of the concept cannot be overestimated.Co-Chair, GPUS Steering Committee.Over the course of the past year, I've participated in Steering Committee deliberations on diverse issues. While the debate has been acrimonious at times, the overall tenor of SC conference calls has been civil. I've contributed to that civility by compromising or otherwise deferring to my colleagues on more than one occasion. I am also happy to report that I helped forge a consensus that while the SC ought to decide whether proposals submitted for consideration by the NC comply with party rules, the NC decides on the merits of those proposals. In a nut shell, the SC rules on questions of form. The NC decides questions of substance.SUMMARY:I've labored hard for GPUS over the past seven years both in committee and in the field, and I'm currently a Green Party candidate for local political office. First and foremost, I'm committed to the Green Party, because I subscribe to Ralph Nader's belief that ballot access is the civil rights struggle of our times. In addition I believe that ecological wisdom and social justice can only be achieved through the election of Greens to government at all levels. If you agree with my priorities, are impressed with my qualifications, and satisfied with my performance, then I ask you for your vote for GPUS Treasurer.Audrey Clement, Ph.D.GPVAwrite-in

[Ryan Jones]

I just wanted to give an update on the Jill Stein fundraising situation.  There is only (about) 14 days left for Jill Stein to qualify for federal matching funds.  Currently, 10 states (out of the 20 needed) have done their part by raising $5,000.  Several more states are close to reaching $5,000.  The Stein Campaign is prioritizing its fundraising efforts in 16 states, and Colorado is one of those states (http://www.jillstein.org/funding).  Colorado is almost halfway to $5,000.  Now is our chance to prove that a Green Party candidate can gather broad support.  Never before has a Green Party presidential candidate qualified for federal matching funds.  Achieving this would be a huge victory for both the Stein Campaign and for the Green Party.  Colorado is a very successful and influential state in terms of Green Party organizing.  Let's prove this by doing our part for this presidential campaign.  We can raise $3,132 in two weeks.  Let's make it happen.  http://www.jillstein.org/donateDoes anyone have any ideas that would help with this fundraising effort?

[Ryan Jones]

Bill,Thanks so much for getting this committee going.  I know we have all been busy since the state meeting and because of that, this committee had a bit of a delayed start.  I only happened to have the time to write that document because I was asking the SoS office all of those questions anyway while I was getting the Denver Greens' finances in order.  I must also add that Dan Sage was a great source of wisdom through that process and I probably wouldn't have been successful without his help.  I am glad to report that the Denver Greens is now registered with the CO SoS and we are about to file our first TRACER report.  The document that I wrote is a hybrid between a how-two guide for locals going through this process, and a report of my findings for the committee.  I understand that because of this it may have some shortcomings.  I am very open to additions, amendments, criticism, concerns, etc.  My hope was that it would promote discussion on the issue of campaign finances in the GPCO.  I suppose the next step after the first phase of discussion would be for this committee to agree on a plan of action.  This plan of action could then be translated into recommendations for the state party and/or locals to consider.  This may even mean drafting a council proposal to put the recommendations into action.  I look forward to the discussion.  This is one of the most urgent issues our party is facing. 

[Ryan Jones]

Current language to be replaced:Chapter 1: DemocracySection A: Political ReformSection B: Political ParticipationSECTION A: POLITICAL REFORMOur nation was born as the first great experiment in modern democracy. We seek to rescue that heritage from the erosion of citizen participation. Moreover, we seek to dissolve the grip of the ideology, intoned by big-money interests for more than twenty years, that government is intrinsically undesirable and destructive of liberty and that elected officials should rightly "starve the beast" by slashing all spending on social program, in the name of freedom. We challenge that tactic by calling on all Americans to think deeply about the meaning of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. In a democracy, individuals come together to form structures of governance that protect and advance the common good. We the citizens are the government, and we the citizens can direct it to fulfill its finest goals and purposes. Our citizens must not permit usurpation of their authority by acts of individuals and government agencies that isolate or insulate government from their oversight and control. We, the People, have a responsibility to participate in self-government through all the means that our Constitution provides.Citizens of a democracy must have the information and ability to determine the actions of their government. Vast concentrations of wealth and power that have occurred in recent years are inherently undemocratic. The deregulation of corporate activity and the decentralization and underfunding of the regulatory structures that remain - accompanied by the centralizing of big money - has been a disaster for our country. The true owners of the public lands, pension funds, and the public airwaves are the American people, who today have little or no control over their pooled assets or their commonwealth.The power of civic action is an antidote to the corporate control of so much of our law-making and regulating. The pervasive abuse imposed by corporate power increasingly undermines our democracy, but the Green Party seeks to rekindle the democratic flame. As voting citizens, taxpayers, workers, consumers, and stakeholders, we unite to exercise our rights and, as Thomas Jefferson urged, to counteract the "excesses of the monied interests." Toward this end, we consider serious reform of campaign funding to be essential, as well as curbs on the influence of corporations on lawmakers and regulatory agencies.The Green Party considers American democracy to be an ongoing, unfolding project that is dynamic and creative in nature. We are committed to the strengthening of our civil society, including the many mediating institutions at the community level that have always characterized our democracy. We seek to heal the alienation and apathy that has been cultivated in the citizenry by the power-brokers of the status quo. Righteous anger about the crippling of our democracy is rising in the land, and the Greens offer constructive alternatives. In addition, we seek to repair the plummeting opinion of the United States in the international community resulting from our arrogant, narcissistic foreign policy of recent years. A growing and grave imbalance between the citizens of this country and the interests which extract power from the citizens is an imminent danger to our security and national and global social stability. We strongly feel that our country should view itself as a member of the community of nations... not above it. The United States could well play a leadership role in that community but only if we become committed to an eco-social vision of peace, national self-determination, and international cooperation.Our goal is to become an important political force in this country, and to present candidates for election at every level of government. The Green Party proposes a comprehensive political reform agenda calling for real reform, accountability, and responsiveness in government through the powers and abilities of citizens as created by the Constitution of the United States of America.1. Political debate, public policy, and legislation should be judged on their merits, not on the quid pro quo of political barter and money.2. We propose comprehensive campaign finance reform, including caps on spending and contributions, at the national and state level; and / or full public financing of elections to remove undue influence in political campaigns.3. All viable candidates at the state and federal levels should have free and equal radio and television time and print press coverage.4. We will work to ban or greatly limit political action committees and restrict soft money contributions.5. We support significant lobbying regulation such as strict rules that disclose the extent of political lobbying via “gifts” and contributions. Broad-based reforms of government operations, with congressional reorganization and ethics laws, must be instituted. At every level of government, we support Sunshine Laws that open up the political system to access by ordinary citizens.6. We support increasing the role of independent expository agencies, such as the General Accounting Office.7. We recognize individual empowerment, full citizen participation, and proportional representation as the foundation of an effective and pluralistic democracy.8. We demand choices in our political system. This can be accomplished by proportional representation voting systems such asChoice Voting (candidate-based),Mixed Member Voting (combines with district representation), andParty List (party based);and semi-proportional voting systems such asLimited Voting, andCumulative Voting.All are used throughout the free world and by U.S. businesses, and community and non-profit groups to increase democratic representation. We call on local governments to lead the way toward more electoral choice and broader representation.9. We believe in majority rule and reject the present method of election without a majority. Accordingly, we call for the use of Instant Runoff Voting in chief executive races, (mayor, governor, president, etc.) where voters can rank their favorite candidates (1,2,3, etc.) to guarantee that the winner has majority support and that voters are not relegated to choosing between the lesser of two evils.10. We believe in multi-party democracy for partisan elections as the best way to guarantee majority rule, since more people will have representation at the table where policy is enacted. We assert that introduction of a multi-party democracy is essential becauseThe change in the structure of electoral politics will moderate the influence of extremist views and domination by the larger parties, and offer more fair representation to a greater number of citizens; andA third party can validate and raise other points of view that need to be heard.11. The Electoral College is an 18th century anachronism. We call for a constitutional amendment abolishing the Electoral College and providing for the direct election of the president by Instant Runoff Voting. Until that time, we call for a proportional allocation of delegates in state primaries.12. Using our voice to help others find their voice, a national Green Party should spring from many sources: state and local Green Party electoral efforts, individual efforts, political involvement and direction at every level. We look toward forming bioregional confederations to coordinate regional issues based on natural and ecosystem boundaries instead of traditional political ones.SECTION B: POLITICAL PARTICIPATIONGreens advocate direct democracy as a response to local needs and issues, where all concerned citizens can discuss and decide questions that immediately affect their lives, such as land use, parks, schools and community services. We would decentralize many state functions to the county and city level and seek expanded oversight and decision-making power of local governing odies, such as neighborhood boards and associations, over issues that pertain to their jurisdiction.1. To ensure transparency in government, lesser bodies such as neighborhood boards and county governments must have subpoena power over state governments, which, in turn, should have subpoena power over the national Congress.2. Every jurisdiction should have a civilian complaint review board with subpoena power and the ability to order the dismissal of police officers who make false arrests and abuse those whom they arrest.3. We call for more flexibility by states for local decision-making.4. We advocate citizen rights to initiative, referendum and recall in all states. We believe that these tools of democracy should not be for sale to the wealthy who pay for signatures to buy their way onto the ballot. Therefore we call for a certain percentage of signatures gathered to come from volunteer collectors.5. We call for citizen control of redistricting processes and moving the “backroom” apportionment process into the public light. Give the 10-year redistricting process to the Census Bureau or an independent agency. Minority representation must be protected and secured in order to protect minority rights.6. We will act to broaden voter participation and ballot access. We advocate universal voter registration and an election day holiday and/or conducting elections over more than one day (say on a weekend).7. We believe that a binding None of the Above option on the ballot should be considered.8. We support statehood for the District of Columbia. The residents of D.C. must have the same rights and representation as all other U.S. citizens.9. We advocate that all persons convicted of felonies shall regain full citizenship rights upon completion of their sentence, including the right to vote and to run for elected office.10. We advocate that prisoners be granted the right to vote. [See section H.Prison Conditions on page 35 in chapter II]11. Individual participation in the life of our local community – in community projects and through personal, meaningful, voluntary activity – is also political and vital to the health of community.12. We support citizen involvement at all levels of the decision-making process and hold that non-violent direct action can be an effective tool.13. We advocate maintaining and enhancing federal guarantees in the areas of civil rights protections, environmental safeguards, and social “safety net” entitlements.14. We demand re-enforcement of our civil liberties of speech, assembly, association and petition. Citizens may not be denied the right to public, non-violent protest. Citizens who engage in protest may not be intimidated by government surveillance, repression or retaliation.15. We call for the implementation of Children’s Parliaments, whereby representatives are elected by students to discuss, debate and make proposals to their city councils, school boards, county legislative bodies on a local level, to state legislatures statewide, and to Congress nationally.16. As legislatures are updating voting equipment in response to the federal Helping America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2001, we support the growing movement of citizens calling for a strict requirement of a voter-verified paper audit trail for all voting machines installed across the United States. Electronic voting machines must include a verifiable paper trail that allows every voter to verify that his or her vote was recorded and counted accurately, coupled with random audits based on the paper trail. Technology must be used that incorporates a voter-verified paper trail that is accessible to vision-impaired voters.17. Vote-counting software codes manufactured by private corporations have been deemed proprietary, banning public review of the means by which elections are determined. Therefore, to protect against fraud, voting machine source code must be open for public inspection and verification before and after an election.ResourcesIMPLEMENTATION: Approval of this proposal will amend the 2012 Draft Platform, to be presented for approval at the 2012 Presidential Nominating ConventionCONTACT
Platform CommitteeJan Martell, co-chair, 919-682-2472, ninth.st@frontier.comBruce Hinkforth, co-chair, 262-569-1370, bhinkforth@milwpc.comSection editor: Holly Hart, hhart@avalon.netReferences2010 Platform: http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2010/index.phpProposition 636: http://gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=636

[Ryan Jones]

2. PRISON CONDITIONS, PRISONER TREATMENT AND PAROLEESa. Ensure prison conditions are humane and sanitary, including but are limited to heat, light, exercise, clothing, nutrition, libraries, possessions, and personal safety. Meet prisoners' dietary requirements. Ensure availability of psychological, drug, and medical treatment, including access to condoms and uninterrupted access to all prescribed medication. Minimize isolation of prisoners from staff and one another only as needed for safety. Make incarceration more community-based, including through increased visitor access by families. Establish and enforce prison policies that discourage racism, sexism, homophobia and rape.b. Ban private prisons.c. Implement a moratorium on prison construction. Redirect funds to alternatives to incarceration.d. Require that each state prison system install a rehabilitation administrator with equal authority as the highest authority.e. Ensure that all prisoners have the opportunity to obtain a General Education Diploma (i.e. high school equivalency diploma) and higher education. Education has proven to reduce recidivism by 10%.f. Ensure the First Amendment rights of prisoners, including to communicate with journalists, write letters, publish their own writings, and become legal experts on their own cases.g. Provide incarcerated individuals the right to vote by absentee ballot in the district of their domicile, and the right to vote during parole.h. Restore the right to hold public office to felons who have completed their prison sentence.i. Conduct racial and ethnic disparity impact studies for new and existing categories of offenses.3. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMa. Abolish the death penalty.b. Repeal "three strikes" laws. Restore judicial discretion in sentencing. Abolish mandatory sentencing.c. Establish and fund programs to strengthen self-help and community action through neighborhood centers that provide legal aid, alternative dispute-resolution practices, mediated restitution, community team policing, and access to local crisis/assault care shelters.d. Establish elected or appointed independent civilian review boards with subpoena power to investigate complaints about prison guard and community police behavior. Sharply restrict police use of weapons and restraining techniques such as pepper spray, stun belts, tasers and choke holds.e. Prohibit property forfeiture and denial of due process of unconvicted suspects.f. Establish freedom on bail as a right of all defendants charged with non-violent crimes. Incorporate mental health and social services in bail agreements.g. Increase compensation for jurors and provide child care for those serving jury duty.h. Protect victims' rights. Ensure the opportunity for victims to make victim-impact statements. Consider forms of restitution to victims.4. END THE WAR ON DRUGSa. End the "war on drugs." Redirect funds presently budgeted for the “war on drugs” toward expanded research, education, counseling and treatment.b. Amend the Controlled Substances Act to reflect that drug use in itself is not a crime, and that persons living in the United States arrested for using drugs should not be incarcerated with those who have committed victim oriented crimes.c. Legalize possession of cannabis/marijuana.d. Strike from the record prior felony convictions for marijuana possession.e. Grant amnesty and release from confinement without any further parole or probation, those who have been incarcerated for the use of marijuana in federal and state prisons and in county/city jails, and who otherwise are without convictions for victim oriented crimes, or who do not require treatment for abuse of hard drugs. Provide the option for drug treatment to those leaving confinement.f. Implement a step by step program to decriminalize all drugs in the United States.Resourceshttp://green.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=675IMPLEMENTATION: Approval of this proposal will amend the 2012 Draft Platform, to be presented for approval at the 2012 Presidential Nominating ConventionCONTACTPlatform CommitteeJan Martell, co-chair, 919-682-2472, ninth.st@frontier.comBruce Hinkforth, co-chair, 262-569-1370, bhinkforth@milwpc.comSection editor: Jack Ailey, jjailey@comcast.netReferences2010 Platform: http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2010/index.phpProposition 636: http://gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=636

[Author]

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