The Wisconsin Green Party Spring Gathering was held April 28-30 at Welspring, outside of West Bend, WI. "Wellspring offers a quiet country setting, nestled in the Milwaukee River Valley with gardens and nature trails, woods and meadows, ponds and prairies, an outdoor labyrinth and places to relax and rejuvenate."

Campaigns
The General Membership meeting was on Saturday. It was reported that we now have 20 Green Elected Officials across the state. We then heard from individual campaigns.
-Rae Vogeler for US Senate - www.voterae.com Rae Vogeler's campaign is running full steam ahead! Vogeler, a working mother and peace activist, is challenging multi-millionare Herb Kohl for US Senate. Vogeler's campaign has been recognized by the GPUS as one of the hottest races in the nation, and it could be one of the biggest campaigns in WGP history! GPUS co-chair Marc Sanson (IL) is moving to Wisconsin to be her new campaign coordinator, and the Vogeler campaign is currently seeking county coordinators for all 72 counties. In our area, we are seeking coordinators for Rae's campaign in Fond du Lac Co., Green Lake Co., Outagamie Co., and Waushara Co. If you think you can help with this let me know. Also see this great article from the Capital Times: "Vogeler's compassion makes her appealing Senate candidate"
-Mike Miles for US House (CD7) - Mike Miles is running again against David Obey, and this time he intends to catch him! Mike earned 22,000 votes in 2004 against Obey - who refused to debate him. This time Mike is out to prove that a Green can win - and he wants to do it with 34% of the vote in a four way race.
-Bob Levis for US House (CD5) - Bob Levis was ill and couldn't make it - but he is running against Sensenbrenner and making the criminalization of immigration his primary issue.
Winston Sephus, Jr. for State Treasurer - Winston Sephus, Jr., Treasurer for the Milwaukee Green Party, is the WGP candidate for State Treasurer, running against Republican Voight. This campaign and the next one listed are critical as the WGP must earn at least 2% of the vote in one these races to retain ballot access, and if we earn 10%, which either Winston or Mike could possibly do, the WGP would gain Major Party Status in Wisconsin with all the perks it comes with.
Mike LaForest for Secretary of State - Mike LaForest is currently an organic farmer in Lafayette Co. and long time Green.
Claude VanderVeen - State Senate, Milwaukee
Jill Bussiere - State Senate, Kewaunee Co. vs. Senate President Lasee (the guy pushing for the death penalty in Wisconsin).

Rae Vogeler, Winston Sephus, Jr., and Mike LaForest are all going to need help getting signatures to get on the ballot between June 1 and July 10th. If you can help get 10 signatures for one or all three of them, let us know and we will get you a copy of their nomination papers.

Referendum / Deployment Resolution
On April 4, 24 of 32 communities across Wisconsin voted to "Bring the Troops Home Now". Steve Burns, state coordinator for the campaign, reported on its success, and reported that on November 7 Milwaukee will be voting on a war referendum, and at least 18 other communities have contacted him about doing it in their towns. Oshkosh, which failed to get the question placed on the ballot in April, is considering doing it in November. If you want to work to put a "Bring the Troops Home Now" referendum question on your community's ballot in November, contact Steve Burns at WNPJ or ask us for more information.

Deployment Resolution - Tony Palmeri drafted a resolution that was discussed, edited, and passed by the membership calling for Gov. Doyle to use his Constitutional Authority to Veto deployment of Wisconsin Guard units recently sent for training for Iraq, Veto future deployments of Wisconsin Guard units to Iraq, and furthermore, call for all Wisconsin Guard units serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to return home. Why? The Wisconsin Guard is meant to serve and protect Wisconsin in the event of an emergency or crisis. The State Guard can not properly serve this role if up to three out of four guard members are being rotated in and out of a war zone. That is the role of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines - NOT the State Guard.

A copy of this resolution and accompanying press release can be found here: http://wisconsingreenparty.org/blogs/WIGPnews/archives/000488.shtml

Wisconsin Green Party Platform
The WGP has been working for over a year to update the state platform. Chris Burkley presented a draft platform for discussion. It was decided to transmit this draft to all local chapters for discussion, asking for amendments, modifications, and deletions by June 30th. The Platform Committee will revise the draft, and present a final version at the Summer Gathering in Richland Center, WI on the weekend of July 14 - 16.

The Lake Winnebago Green Party will be discussing the draft platform at either our May meeting in Fond du Lac (17 May, Carol Kaiser's House, 520 Willow Dr., Fond du Lac), or at the June meeting (time and place TBA).

(If you want to see a copy of this draft contact me and I will get you a copy ronaldkanehardy @ babblemur.com)

National Report
The Green Party (US) National Convention will be in Tucson, AZ the week of July 25-30. Jeff Peterson, Jill Bussiere, Ruth Weill, and Jake Schneider will all be attending representing Wisconsin. All members are welcome to go.

Finance / Fund Raising Report and Breakout
WGP Treasurer Bruce Hinckforth reported on budget. We continue to spend more money than we bring in due to many reasons. The group broke up into small groups and came back with ideas for fund raising, ranging from rummage sales, plant sales, and wine tasting parties to a whole range of creative possibilities.
Membership retention and new member recruitment became a featured discussion. Membership dues are a significant part of the operating revenue of the party. The WGP refuses all corporate money - therefore membership drives the party, not corporations. However, membership dues are critical - and the WGP has allowed a large number of memberships to expire without any organized means for contacting expirations and reaching out for continued membership.
Consequently, the membership generally approved with the idea of hiring / contracting someone from within the party to be paid (for accountability) to concentrate on membership recruitment and retention, as well as fund raising for the WGP. The Coordinating Council on Sunday then discussed and drafted a general job description for the position, which will involve a combination of hourly pay with commission for funds raised, not to exceed $1,000, and to be reviewed four months after implementation.

*****Locally (i.e. the five county region represented by the LWGP) we want to personally contact past members and discuss renewing memberships. Coming up sometime this summer, Jake Schneider and LWGP co-chair Justin Mitchell will be contacting as many previous (and current) members that they can find to invite them to a LWGP Green Grass Party and Reunion at Jake's house in Menasha!

*****Please note that as of 2006 membership in the LWGP and WGP is reciprocal, that is, if you join one, you automatically become a member of the other. If you are interested in renewing your membership, dues are the same ($25 individual, $40 couple, less for financially strapped folks), and can be sent to LWGP, PO Box 3134, Oshkosh, WI, 54902.

Amendment to ban civil unions
Discussion of the State Constitutional Amendment to ban civil unions and domestic partnerships and define marriage in Wisconsin. WGP members were encouraged to get involved with their local communities to organize votes against this amendment. There was also discussion regarding Fair Wisconsin (State group coordinating opposition to the Amendment) and their leadership bias against the Green Party. However it was noted that many of Fair Wisconsin's people 'on the ground' were closet Greens, and in this case the End (Defeating this discriminatory Amendment) was more important than the partisan politics being played by a non-partisan organization (Fair Wisconsin). Also, on a local level, note that LWGP co-chair Kay Springstroh is taking a leading role with the OshKAN group affiliated with Fair Wisconsin, LWGP Secretary Ron Hardy is advising the UW Oshkosh Student Coalition Against the Amendment, affiliated with Fair Wisconsin, and many local Greens are taking leading roles in Oshkosh and surrounding areas to get out the vote against this Amendment.

Upcoming Events
17 May - Lake Winnebago Green Party meeting in Fond du Lac, at the home of Carol Kaiser (520 Willow Dr., Fond du Lac). Contact me for specific directions.

20 May - LWGP strategy meeting to discuss local / municipal / county platform planning. The goal is to create a strong green platform to use locally (city - county) to press our communities for change, and to give candidates for local office a resource to use when campaigning, and when elected to office. Time and place TBA, contact me for more information.

21 May - Green Party Coordinating Council meeting, Steven's Point, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. WGP membership always welcome.

1 June through 10 July - Nomination papers circulated state wide for Rae Vogeler, Winston Sephus, Jr., and Mike LaForest. Blank papers will be available soon - please see if you can help get signatures.

23 June - 25 June Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair, ReNew the Earth Institute, Custer, WI (near Steven's Point). WGP will be tabling, please see their website for more information:
http://www.the-mrea.org/energy_fair.php

6 July - 9 July Midwest Social Forum (Formerly "Radfest"), Milwaukee, WI - UW Milwaukee Student Union. WGP will be presenting a session on Instant Run-off Voting. See website for more information: http://www.mwsocialforum.org/

14 July - 16 July Wisconsin Green Party Summer Gathering, Richland Center, WI.

22 July - Hybrid Fest 2006, Madison, "The Nation's Largest Hybrid Car Festival" Alliant Energy Center, part of the Dane County Fair.

Take care, good people.

Ronald Kane Hardy
LWGP Secretary and 6th District CC representative

"We believe in an alternative, independent politics and active, responsible government. We believe in empowering citizens and communities. We offer hope and a call to action. Go Green!"

Next Meeting of the LWGP:

January Meeting Postponed due to weather. Next meeting T.B.A.


If you are interested in working on the Wisconsin Green Party campaigns, please come!