Hola todos,
The Arizona Green Party (AZGP) will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2010. AZGP was officially founded in May 1990. During our nearly 20-year history, we have achieved ballot status three times—1992, 2000 and 2008. If we are successful in achieving ballot status for 2010, it will be the first time in our history that we have achieved it for consecutive elections. In order for us to accomplish this goal, we need the assistance of all AZGP members. So, how can YOU help?
1) Volunteer to collect signatures for our ballot status petition drive. So far, we have 40 volunteers (20 in Maricopa County; 20 in Pima County), but we need many more to assist in this effort. We are asking YOU to volunteer for at least 2 hours per week. Any registered Arizona voter may sign our Petition for Political Party Recognition. Ask your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to sign our petition. We usually petition in teams of 2, and will be more than happy to show new volunteers how to collect signatures. We have plenty of blank petitions, clipboards and pens, Green Party literature and Arizona voter registration forms. There is also no lack of venues to petition (farmers’ markets, community festivals, etc). We just need more volunteers! Will YOU be one of them?
2) Volunteer to register new Green Party members. We currently have 4,237 Arizona Green Party members. In order for us to have a permanent ballot line (so that we don’t need to collect signatures any more), the Arizona Secretary of State says we need to have at least 20,000 registered Arizona Green Party members. If every AZGP member would talk to our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers about the Green Party, our platform and Ten Key Values, and ask them to consider registering Green, perhaps we could double our AZGP membership in 2010? A realistic goal would be to increase our registered Greens by at least 1,000 by next year’s elections.
3) Consider running as a Green Party candidate. We are currently recruiting registered AZGP members to be Green Party candidates for the 2010 elections. Do you have some clout in your neighborhood, workplace or place of worship? Are you able to articulate to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers the Green Party platform, where we stand on the issues, and what the Green Party would do differently? If so, we need YOU as a Green Party candidate! If YOU already have support as a potential Green Party candidate in your local community, that could assist us in achieving 2010 ballot status. In order to be an endorsed AZGP candidate, you must support the Green Party platform & Ten Key Values. Are YOU ready to be one of our 90 candidates for the Arizona State Legislature? One of our fellow Greens from San Diego issued a challenge to his fellow party members to run as Green Party candidates (An Open Challenge to San Diego Green Party Members; www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/08/22/18618183.php). Are YOU ready to accept the challenge?
4) Spread the word. Tell everyone you know (friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, anyone that will listen, etc) that the Arizona Green Party (AZGP) is pursuing ballot status for the 2010 elections. Ask them to sign our petition and visit our websites (http://azgp.org; www.gp.org; http://maricopagreens.org; www.pimagreens.org; www.yavapaigreens.org). Write letters to the editor and call your favorite talk-radio show to tell them about the Green Party. Attend our monthly county Green Party meetings, bring your friends/family, get involved and participate. We need YOU to help advertise and publicize the Green Party here in Arizona!
5) Donate to AZGP. The Green Party does not accept any contributions from corporations, government contractors, national banks, foreign nationals, labor unions, political action committees or anyone under the age of 18. We depend entirely on member donations and the sale of our Green Party merchandise to support our important work. If every one of our 4,237 members would donate $5 to AZGP, it would provide much needed funds (campaign office space, printing of Green Party literature, mailings to AZGP members, radio/TV advertising, funding of paid petitioners, etc). How important is the Green Party to YOU? Make a donation today!
AZGP needs YOUR help with all of the above: collecting petition signatures for ballot status, registering new Green Party members, running as a Green Party candidate, spreading the “Good News” of the Green Party (hallelujah), and donating to the Green Party. And, we need YOU to “step-up” today! Call us, e-mail us, write us and get involved. This is YOUR Green Party, so take pride and join us! Here’s how:
Arizona Green Party (AZGP)
P.O. Box 60173
Phoenix, AZ 85082
Website: http://azgp.org
E-mail: info@azgp.org
Voicemail (Pima County): 520-798-6169
Voicemail (Yavapai County): 928-441-1276
Voicemail (Maricopa & other counties): 602-417-0213
Please make checks or money orders payable to the Arizona Green Party (AZGP). Gracias!
Angel Torres, AZGP state co-chair
