See the following link to the March 27, 2022 Westword Article:
Ex-Green Members Say Andrea Mérida Takeover Destroyed the Party
Comments:
I have a few points of clarification and a couple of comments to share.
1) Andrea Merida was first elected as a Green Party of Colorado state co-chair at the state Green Party assembly in 2015, not 2017.
Bill Bartlett was an incumbent state co-chair who was re-elected in 2015. Bartlett and Merida ran together as a ticket. Harry Hempy was a third candidate for state co-chair. He ran on his own. There may be more background to this that I don’t know.
2) At the 2017 Green Party of Colorado state assembly, Andrea Merida did not allow the introduction of bylaws amendments proposed by the Green Values Caucus members. Discussion of amendments proposed by Andrea’s faction was suppressed, but these changes were passed.
I proposed that the Green Party of Colorado endorse the anti-oppression statement of Friends of the Earth. The issue concerning an anti-oppression statement was not a question of whether the party should have one or not. It was a question of 1) whether the language should be negative or positive; and should it be in the party bylaws or be a stand alone statement of principles. Andrea’s faction refused to discuss the language of their proposal or to allow the introduction of alternative language.
Andrea Merida’s claims are Orwellian doublespeak. They are literally the opposite of the truth. The people she claims supported anti-oppression principles actually opposed anti-oppression principles. The people she claims opposed anti-oppression principles actually supported anti-oppression principles.
Andrea and her supporters designed and implemented their own system of oppression.
3) Apparently, Andrea Merida is now claiming that Green Party members were banned for opposing an anti-oppression statement. That is absolutely false. Green Party members were banned for signing a complaint concerning authoritarianism and corruption within the state party. The online council resolutions to ban members from participation in the Green Party did not mention anti-oppression statements as a justification for revoking members’ voting rights.
4) The faction that seized control over the Green Party of Colorado organization implemented a Green Party poll tax. They restricted the right to vote on Green Party of Colorado nominations, party officers, and bylaws to dues paying members who had been affiliated with the Green Party for at least six months, and who are recognized as “members in good standing” by a recognized local chapter or identity caucus. Voting rights within the Green Party of Colorado are denied to more than 99% of registered Green Party of Colorado members.
Additional Comments:
1) Dario Hunter, the second place candidate for the Green Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, commented that your article does a good job of addressing what happened in Colorado, but there is a bigger story about what is happening to the national Green Party. Andrea Merida is a central figure in an orchestrated hostile takeover of the national Green Party. Andrea Merida was the paid campaign manager for 2020 Green Party presidential nominee Howie Hawkins. Seven other candidates for the nomination signed complaints that the Green Party’s presidential nomination was rigged in favor of Howie Hawkins.
2) Bob Kinsey pointed out that the initial conflict within the Green Party of Colorado was about Amendment 69, a proposal for universal health care in Colorado. Andrea Merida wanted the Green Party of Colorado to officially oppose Amendment 69. Members of the Green Party of Colorado who supported Amendment 69 have been banned from participating in the Green Party of Colorado.
Overall, Westword’s story is a very good report.
Gary Swing
Editorial Comment
The reference to the AC eventually voting in AMC’s favor completely omits the fact that the subcommittee formed before the AC was stacked and submitted a report to the AC that substantiated the RGV allegations and recommended corrective actions on the part of AMC and other co-conspirators.