My Objectives in the Counct Council

By Genevieve Marcus

These changes will bring untold benefits to the Green Party of Los Angeles County.

Genevieve Marcus

Until recently I have felt other Greens should occupy the positions I have served in the past. It has been gratifying to watch so many talented new Greens step up to the plate while I filled lesser roles and picked up the slack here and there when there was a need.

But now I sense it is time for another breakthrough in the evolution of the Party. The spirit in L.A. County isn't right. There is alienation and distrust. I hear complaints that there is too much business and too little discussion of important Green ideas like how, actually, do we implement the 10 Key Values? How should Greens deal with personality conflicts? How do we respond to those who feel that Green leaders are not doing their job properly? Why have so few locals chosen to affiliate with the County organization? There is too much work for too few volunteers. How can we raise funds?

In addition to the usual work of serving on the County Council, I have three objectives I want to actively promote.

The first is the establishment of an exciting new L.A. County website that will make state and county activities open and accessible to all Greens. This Virtual Green Party of L.A. County will supplement the face to face meetings of the council by allowing it to deal with many agenda items online. This will free up meeting time for deeper discussion. These deeper discussions can also be continued online with the participation of other Greens throughout the county.

The county website will also give L.A. County Greens access to activities of the state CC and Committees as well as the national GP. It will be easier to be actively involved in the Party if you have ready access to all the information in one place.

There is a growing need to poll local members about state issues. The county website will have voting and polling capabilities, a big step toward Direct Democracy.

Greens in different locals will have space on the website to discuss issues of interest to them and ways in which locals can cooperate more, such as the planning of Regional Gatherings.

Through increased openness and access, I hope broader, more democratic participation in the Party will be invigorated.

Second, I want to explore the reasons behind the lack of grassroots affiliation with the County GP. Only two locals are affiliated with the County. With the help of more meeting time and website discussion, I hope to clarify, amend, and strengthen the bonds between the various levels of the Party.

Third, contacting registered Greens has been a problem since the Party was founded. I want to see the establishment of a database of email addresses for as many registered Greens in the county as possible. Through email, we can solicit funds, expand our pool of active skilled Greens, and increase the number and size of our locals.

I believe that achieving these three goals is essential to the growth of the Green Party and I want to help make them happen.