Green Party of California

Application for Member, Delegation to Green Party of the United States
(job description)
received March 26th, 2007

Name  -  Kate Tanaka
City - Oakland
County  - Alameda
Contact information - 510-839-4767
katetanaka@aol.com
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I became a Green in 1992 and my first involvment with the Green Party was to register new Greens in San Mateo County in order to help achieve ballot status. I moved to Alameda County in 1998 and by 2000 was heavily involved in three Green campaigns: Ralph Nader, Medea Benjamin and Rebecca Kaplan. Soon thereafter I ran for the Alameda County Council and have served continuously there and am in my third term. I have learned more about the party in the years since then as a regular delegate to state plenaries.

My focus has generally been on outreach attempts of several kinds: tabling, voter registration, monthly Green Party meetings open to the public, participation in local progressive efforts. My most recent such effort has been intense involvement in a local referendum to stop a huge land development in Oakland, CA where I live. This project has given me new energy and insight into the notion of outreach since many of my colleagues in this effort are not Greens but are like minded on this matter. I am committed to an independent Green Party and while I support the notion of working with non Greens on issues I strongly oppose endorsement of Democratic or other corporate candidates. I also believe that California should have strong representation to the national party, so I am applying to be a delegate.