SC Green Party Resolution on Whistleblower, Edward Snowden

The South Carolina Green Party Steering Committee passed unanimously the following resolution on Edward Snowden.

Edward Snowden, whistleblower.

The South Carolina Green Party is appalled by recent revelations of the unconscionable and almost certainly unconstitutional surveillance of the National Security Agency into innocuous communications between private citizens.

Furthermore, we concur with former President Jimmy Carter’s assessment of Edward Snowden as an American hero—not a traitor as he has been falsely and unfairly portrayed by the Obama administration. We hope Snowden will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Resources on Edward Snowden and the impact of his revelations are available via the Guardian newspaper, which has received documents from Snowden on the activities of the National Security Agency.

• The Guardian UK: The NSA Files (National Security Agency revelations)
• The Guardian UK: Edward Snowden (articles specifically related to Edward Snowden)
• The Guardian UK: Glenn Greenwald (journalist working with Snowden)

Further raw information on national security spying and related issues: http://cryptome.org/

FYI: SC Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council Meeting 6/13 in Columbia

Of special interest at this meeting will be the discussion of plans for “High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor” (a small modular reactor – SMR) at the Savannah River Site.

GOVERNOR’S NUCLEAR ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING
Gressette Building, Room #209
Columbia, SC

June 13, 2013
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Agenda

Call to Order – Approval of Minutes & Karen Patterson, Chair (10 minutes) Update of GNAC activities

NRC Update on Fukushima Tier 1 Report John Pelchat, Sr. Regional Government Liaison Officer Nuclear Regulatory Commission (30 minutes)

Emergency Common Operating Picture (EMCOP) Phil Armijo, Director of Programs Earth Technology Integration (30 minutes)

Next Generation Nuclear Power Alliance (NGNP) John Mahoney, Secretary/Treasurer

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor at SRS NGNP Alliance (30 minutes)

SCDHEC Shelly Wilson, DHEC
(20 minutes)

Break (10 minutes)

DOE FY13 & FY 14 Budget Update & Doug Hintze

Liquid Waste Operations Impacts (45 minutes)

Public Comments

Closing Remarks Karen Patterson, Chair (5 minutes)

Link to agenda: http://www.energy.sc.gov/agenda/0613GNAC_Agenda.pdf

Savannah River Site Mox Facility

SCGP STATE CONVENTION AND STEERING COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS

UPDATE: The elections to the State Convention of June 22, 2013 are as follows.

Co-Chairs:

• Sue Edward, Charleston 2013 – 2015 (re-elected)
• Scott West, Columbia, 2013 – 2015 (re-elected)

Steering Committee Members

Newly Elected (2013 – 2015)

• David Crossley (one year term 2013 – 2014, filling unexpired term)
• David Whiteman (re-elected)
• Rolf Baghdadi (re-elected)
• Bill Kreml
• Thom Taylor

Continuing members of the steering committee

• David Gillespie
• Eugene Platt
• Sue Edwards
• Scott West

Please join us for the annual state convention of the South Carolina Green Party in Columbia on Saturday, June 22nd.  Details will be announced soon.  Everyone is encouraged to attend!

Nominations are now open for election to the Steering Committee.  Nominations and confirmations (see below) must be received no later than June 8th (two weeks before the State Convention).  The terms of two Steering Committee members are expiring (Rolf Baghdady and David Whiteman), and three other positions are open, so up to five members will be elected (four two-year terms and one one-year term).

Nominations may be emailed (to scgreenpartyinfo@earthlink.net) or mailed (to SCGP, P.O. Box 5341, Columbia, SC 29250).

In order to be eligible to be on the ballot, anyone nominated must certify by June 8th that they (a) are interested in being on the ballot, (b) are a member of the Party, and (c) do not occupy a leadership position in any other political party.  All nominees should also submit a brief personal statement for inclusion in the State Convention agenda packet.  After nominations are closed, the Steering Committee will provide a final list of nominees.

According the SCGP bylaws, in order to vote at the state convention, you have to have been a member of the party for at least 30 days, so make sure your membership is current by May 23rd.

According to state law, in order to be eligible for membership in the Party, you have to be (a) at least eighteen years of age, (b) a registered voter, and (c) a citizen of South Carolina and the United States.  In order be a SCGP member, you must also (a) have a statement on file indicating support for the Ten Key Values and (b) have either paid dues in the past year or been an active member of a party organization in the state.  Annual membership contributions ($25 suggested) can be sent to the SCGP, P.O. Box 5341, Columbia, SC, 29250.

The Hidden Candidate

South Carolina Voters Chose Between Inexperience and Disgrace

Is There Another Way?

By Gregg Jocoy
South Carolina Green Party
Radio Host, Small Business Owner

Yahoo News asked South Carolina voters to share whom they’re supporting in Tuesday’s U.S. House election — Mark Sanford or Elizabeth Colbert Busch, or if they’re abstaining. Here’s one voter’s perspective.

FIRST PERSON | Whenever I try to say Mark Sanford on our radio show, I wind up saying “Fred Sanford” instead. My co-host, Daisy Deadhead responds “I’m coming to meet you Elizabeth!” and it cracks me up like nobody’s business.

There are two reasons. The Democrat he’s running against is named Elizabeth-Colbert Busch. The other is that, like Fred Sanford’s “heart attacks”, Mark Sanford’s tears over his affair seemed fake to me.

I also have serious reservations about Colbert Busch.

As Donna Dewitt, past president of the SC AFL-CIO and Colbert-Busch supporter, wrote on her Facebook wall, “Terribly disappointing that a smart woman is “proud to live in a right to work state.”

Voters in the 1st District have another choice. The only veteran in the race, the only candidate on Social Security and Medicare, the candidate with the longest time in public service, is a candidate you may have never heard about. He’s served on the James Island Public Service District Commission for close to 30 years, re-elected every four years, even serving as chair.

He wants to stop an expensive, environmentally damaging Interstate Highway through the district. He wants to end the wars. He wants to end corporate bail outs, and improve the nation’s economy by redirecting money to programs which produce jobs and peace.

I think I hear a few of you saying “OK. I’m sold. What’s his name?”

Eugene Platt is his name. The 74-year-old is the nominee of South Carolina’s Green Party.

Now that voting is underway you may ask yourself how you can learn more. One way would be to tune in to our radio show on Wednesday when we will interview Platt live. Hear what he has to say. Visit http://occupythemicrophone.blogspot.com/ at 5 p.m.

Gregg Jocoy lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

Link: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-hidden-candidate-south-carolina-voters-chose-between-12126520.html

South Carolina Green Party thanks Eugene Platt

The Steering Committee of the South Carolina Green Party thanks Eugene Platt for his good work and strong effort in running as the Green nominee in the 1st Congressional District special election.

The media and a large part of the public have been distracted by the celebrity and notoriety of the two major party candidates.  Eugene Platt stood as a public servant, a native Charlestonian, and a responsible, thoughtful progressive.

Eugene discussed national health care, a non-interventionist foreign policy, the sanctity of labor rights, and the importance of spending on social services rather than expensive and wasteful military programs.  If it was not for Eugene’s contributions, this campaign would have been entirely content-free and personality driven.

The public is better served by a diversity of voices and viewpoints representing all parts of the political spectrum.   The Charleston Patch did a disservice to the people of South Carolina, when they reduce political debate to an empty, content-free show.   The Working Families Party misled thousands of pro-union voters into supporting an anti-union candidate. This blind commitment to horserace politics does not serve the public interest.

We commend the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for holding nonpartisan, inclusive events that encouraged discussion and promoted democracy.

Eugene Platt was able to give progressives a reason to vote, to organize and to join the Green Party.  After Colbert-Busch’s outrageous statement that she was “proud” of South Carolina’s deplorable anti-union reputation, we were proud to offer a humane alternative in Eugene that workers and progressives could endorse.  The campaign has been a success in these terms.

Campaign Links

Eugene Platt for Congress: http://www.voteplatt.com

Eugene Platt for Congress on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eugene-Platt-for-Congress/14190535917

Green Party

Green Party of the United States: http://gp.org

South Carolina Green Party: http://scgreenparty.org

South Carolina Green Party on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthCarolinaGreenParty