Suggested additions since June 2006 are underlined. Suggested deletions are bracketed.

Green Party of California Proposal (April 2004) Balancing the Budget (3/14/07 version)

SPONSOR: PLATFORM WORKING GROUP

PRESENTER: Adrienne adrienneprince@hotmail.com

CONTACT: Adrienne and Elizabeth, info@green247.org

SUBJECT: Promoting a Peace Economy and Preventing Violence. Social justice and equal opportunity, respect for diversity, and personal and global responsibility are the involved 10 Key Values of the GP.

BACKGROUND: Executive government officials have frequently acted above the law and without judgment. That is because the legislature and judiciary are inadequately funded. More to the point, the executive branch is excessively-fueled and out-of-control. Good law and good judgment precede good action.

"The shocking, unfiltered images from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq have focused the world's attention on the plight of torture survivors." (1) Torture is violence that breaks international law and obstructs peace. "Torture has reached an epidemic proportion throughout the globe. ... Increasing awareness of professional obligation for prevention of torture will play a definite role in promoting a peaceful world."(2) The legislature and the judiciary have a professional obligation to prevent human rights abuses. However, with the current budget, neither can keep pace with the executor.

A model is proposed which suggests that torture and related abuses may challenge five core adaptive systems subserving the functions of "safety," "attachment," "justice," "identity-role," and "existential-meaning."(3) We, the people, are challenged to maintain any functional safety, justice, identity, meaning and attachment to the homeland, If the judiciary and legislature can reign in the executor, we may be able to functionally adapt to the new reality.

Adequate functioning requires adequate funding. Greens can show how we plan to balance the budget for a thriving peace economy. Green Issues Working Group is developing an issue paper. We can campaign for a peace economy. We can educate citizens on the need to vote Green. Green candidates are reliable, in that they always stand on the platform of the Green Party.

As it stands, the budget looks like this:
number of officials executive judicial legislative
local 1.5 million police
national
international >150,000 troops
total = 30,000
funds for officials executive judicial legislative
local
national
international $430 billion
total
pay per official executive judicial legislative
local $300,000 (chief of police)   $10,000 (city council member)
national   $150,000 (federal judge)
international
total

There are about 30 million government officials/officers in the USA.
There are more than 1.5 million local executive officers. They represent the people to the executor.
There should be 1.5 million local court officers/officials. Judges and advocates.
There should be 1.5 million local legislative officers/officials.
There are at least 150,000 troops.
Troops are international officers representing the executor to other countries.
Local court and legislative officers should be paid as much as local executive officers.

PURPOSE: Amendment of the Human Rights/Civil Liberties or Violence in Society plank of the GPCA Platform in the form of a talking point.

PROPOSAL 1: The GPCA immediately adds the following statement to the Human Rights/Civil Liberties or Violence in Society plank of its Platform as a talking point.

1. Balance government appropriations equally among the three branches of government.

COMMITTEE DECISION: The ideas were first presented to the Green Issues WG at the 2003 San Francisco plenary. An initial written form was posted on the Women's Caucus discussion board in April 2004. It was first posted on the Platform WG list-serve in May 2004, enabled for further consideration at the May 2004 Ventura Plenary, revised extensively thereafter, and was voted at the Sylmar Plenary of May 2005 to receive General Assembly assessment. It was included for General Assembly discussion at the Yolo Plenary of December 2005 but was not published in the Plenary program but had comments at and after the Platform Working Group Meeting at that Plenary. It was revised and invited back by the General Assembly at the Ventura Plenary of June 2006. On June 25, 2006, the GPCA determined that this content shall be proposed to the General Assembly for decision in the form of proposed amendment to an existing plank in the GPCA Platform. On June 25, 2006, the Platform Committee elected a new presenter by consensus.

TIMELINE: The text goes into the platform upon approval by the GA. The organizing web page is posted at www.green247.org/balance.htm. This issue paper should be completed in 36 weeks and updated once a year thereafter. GIWG shall release the completed version for distribution by the press secretary and candidates and through campaigns and issue papers.

RESOURCES: The platform is enhanced by up-to-date supporting materials. Platform printing and Platform Committee expenses are included in the 2007-2008 budget. Expenses of the research and updating the organizing web page are included in the proposed 2007-2008 budget.

REFERENCES:

1. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jul 1;351(1):5-7. Surviving torture. Mollica RF.

2. J Indian Med Assoc. 2000 Jun;98(6):320-6. Torture and mental health. Chowdhury AN. Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Calcutta.

3. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1999 Apr;187(4):200-7. The psychosocial effects of torture, mass human rights violations, and refugee trauma: toward an integrated conceptual framework. Silove D. The Psychiatry Research & Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Liverpool Hospital, Australia.