Green secretary speaks out about article - Guest Column

Green secretary speaks out about article

Guest Column

By David Giarrizzo

Readers deserve to know the truth behind the lies printed in Thursday’s Eureka Reporter about the Green Party.

For starters, why is a former Arcata Eye editor, Rebecca S. Bender, writing in an objective style about a “so-called” Green Party resolution, when this document directly addressed the paper she was running at the time?

She completely mixed up the activities of the Green Party of Humboldt County itself and its autonomous locals, the Arcata Greens and the Eureka Greens. “Fair and balanced” indeed!

As a matter of record, the Eureka Greens adopted the Resolution to Promote Responsible Journalism and Scrutinize Biased Media, not the Green Party, which opted to send a letter instead. Greg Allen didn’t write the resolution; I did!

It is the responsibility of the steering committee to make all proposals considered by General Assembly available for review before the meeting. To criticize Greg Allen or anyone else merely for making information accessible is to condemn them for doing their job.

Considering controversial ideas is not a crime in itself and I question the motives of Michael Smith in trying to stifle dissent, especially after he has been given ample opportunity at several meetings of the Eureka Greens, the steering committee and the General Assembly to make his views known.

It just so happens that the concerns in the media bias resolution were proven correct. Our follow-up Resolution to Condemn Abusive Communications was unanimously approved by both the Eureka Greens and the Green Party. Our party has united in support of the responsible use of freedom of the press and we look forward to co-sponsoring a conference on media reform later this year.

The Green Party has also never issued a news release regarding Measure T; that was the Arcata Greens. Although they later met to change their position, this does nothing to impugn the validity of the earlier release, which was determined at a publicly noticed and properly attended meeting. It was lawful under the same rules that we use in the Eureka Greens. What is Ms. Bender’s agenda in light of this disregard of the facts?

... In 2004 we had no local organizations, no outreach program and little in the way of communications with our members or the greater community. Thanks to Greg, many new activists (myself included) have come on board, chapters have formed in Arcata and Eureka, our police review initiatives are going into circulation and our party registration is growing again thanks in part to an organizing plan written by Allen. Our party has gone from zero public presence to a good degree of positive press as we become increasingly involved in public concerns.

Greg doesn’t deserve this smear job. ... He deserves a medal for his countless efforts to bring this party back from the dead, which is where we were before Allen came on board. The values of transparency and grass-roots democracy which Allen has strengthened have, ironically, made us vulnerable to this hostile takeover. I trust Greens will resist this purge and continue to respect diversity and free speech within our party.

(David Giarrizzo is the secretary for the Humboldt County Greens, Eureka Greens delegate and a 30-year county resident.)