Statewide

Mayor Lee was not the only new participant in tonight's forum. Terry Joan Baum, a Green Party candidate and Castro resident, crashed the stage with her own chair before the debate started and was allowed to stay there.

Beginning with the show-down in Wisconsin, various states have begun to follow the lead of Governor Scott Walker to deprive unions of their power to collective bargaining. This assault on unions has led to some surprising responses, including massive protests and confrontation between public sector workers and the states. In one sense it had the effect of causing working people to question their position in society and has made it clear that workers are a "class" of people, regardless of whether they work in private industry or in the public sector in government jobs, including teachers.

The Green Party of California endorsed the statewide and national demonstrations March 19 and next month opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well calling for the inhumane treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who is being held incommunicado in connection with the WikiLeaks release of documents to the public.

The Green Party of California Monday expressed its "deepest sympathies" with the people of Japan after last week's earthquake and tsunami disaster, and the possible nuclear catastrophe that may engulf Japan and parts of the rest of the world - including California, which may be one of the first mainland states to be effected by radiation from a Japanese meltdown.

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS RELEASE

SACRAMENTO - In response to the Wisconsin protests - and sympathetic actions in California and other states by public employees this week to preserve their rights to collective bargaining - the Green Party of California affirmed its support for unionized public workers across California and nation.