Green Party of California

Application for Member, Delegation to Green Party of the United States
(job description)
received March 25th, 2007

Name  -  Budd Dickinson
City - Eureka
County  - Humboldt
Contact information -
budd.dickinson@sbcglobal.net
_____________________________________________________________

I am running for election for GPUS Delegate. I am on the national Steering Committee, one of the seven Co-chairs of GPUS.

Here is a very brief history of my long involvement with the Green Party and the Green Politics Movement that led to it.

I was a founder of the US Green Party and the CA Green Party. I was at the first 5 annual national Greens conferences, 1987-92. I was Co-chair of the GPUS Platform Committee. Many of you know that I have been very active working on our state platform.

I was a full-time volunteer for Mark Satin's New World Alliance in 1980. (Mark later wrote the 10 Key Values.) I was the founder of the San Francisco Greens in 1985; helped to organize the Greening of the West Conference in 1988; and was one of the founders of the California Green Party in 1991. I was an elected member of the Alameda County GP County Council, 1992-94, 1996-2003 and a member of the CA GP Coordinating Committee, 2001-3. I am currently a member of the Humboldt County GP County Council.

I have extensive election campaign experience. I was the coordinator for Newark, NJ, for the 1972 McGovern for President Campaign. I worked in several Berkeley City Council & mayoral campaigns; and was a candidate for Berkeley City Council in 1998, receiving almost 40% of the vote.

I work as an Energy Conservation Engineer and have 25 years of work experience in government or semi-public agencies. I was involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's and helped elect the first black mayor of a major eastern city, Newark, NJ, in 1970, and served as an aide in his office. I have a Master of Public Administration degree and an MA in Psychology. I was involved in the Anti-Nuclear Movement and the Pro-feminist Men's Movement in the 1980s. I identify as bisexual.

I am concerned about the destructive factionalism in the party that started at the 2004 presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee. I believe decisions on 2004 strategy by the GPUS and its presidential ticket were made based on a reading of the national political situation in 2004. They were made with the Green Party's best interests in mind and were made independent of the interests of the corporate parties. I support the recent effort of the Delegate Apportionment Committee to reform the National Committee and increase the number of delegates from larger and more active states, including CA.

I said repeatedly while running for the SC that I am looking for common ground. That puts me in the middle of this conflict and I am getting criticized by both sides. I am looking for a style of politics, based on love instead of anger. Understanding and compassion; not angry confrontation. I am not opposed to confrontation, but I am opposed to angry confrontation. I am not opposed to anger either, but when anger comes from love it creates constructive confrontation. When someone shouts at me in anger and does not pause to let me respond, I can hear only the anger and not the content of what they are saying. I cannot respond constructively, only react with flight or fight.

As GPUS Steering Committee Co-chair, I have focused in the last several months on party finances. GPUS is going through a severe financial crisis and I am looking for ways to alleviate a deteriorated fundraising effort and the need to cut expenses. I would appreciate any help or suggestions you might have.