GPUS-SC Conference Call
April 19, 2009
8:00 p.m. ET
Participants:
Co-chairs: Jill Bussiere, Budd Dickinson, Craig Thorsen, Sanda Everett, Phil Huckelberry, Jason Nabewaniec
Secretary: Holly Hart
Treasurer: Jody Grage
Staff: Brent McMillan, Tamar Yager
Cliff Thornton will not be able to be on tonight’s call.
Facilitator: Charlie Pillsbury
Guest: Jeff Turner (HI), MerchCom; Hillary Kane (PA), AnmCom
Observer: Audrey Clement (VA; BRPP)
Abbreviations used:
AC = Accreditation Committee
ANM, ANMC = Annual National Meeting Committee
BAWG = Ballot Access Working Group
BRPP = Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee
BC = Black Caucus
CC = Coordinating Committee
CCC = Coordinated Campaign Committee
CG SC = Campus Greens Steering Committee
ComCom = Communications Committee
DC = Diversity Committee
DIA = Democracy in Action internet service
DRC = Dispute Resolution Committee
FC = Fundraising Committee
FEC = Federal Election Commission
GP = Green Party
IC = International Committee
LC = Lavender Caucus
NPWG = Nominating Process Working Group
NWC = National Women’s Caucus
PEC = Presidential Exploratory Committee
PCSC = Presidential Campaign Support Committee
SC = Steering Committee
SPWG = Strategic Plan Working Group
[Brackets denote editor’s suggested corrections. Some punctuation corrections done with no content change. -ed.]
AGENDA
I. STAFF REPORTS
a. Executive Director – Brent
Brent sent an executive director report.
Frank Young has submitted language to the Finance Committee concerning endowment property policy.
Intern Chris finished his last day Friday. Emily has sent some resumes and they have discussed whom to interview for summer intern. Staff meeting was held on Friday (included in ED report).
New office location: Brent and DC real estate attorney spoke with Demers real estate contact and it is clear there is some push back on the acceleration clause in the lease. This means that if we are late on our payment, we could be expected to pay the entire amount for the term of the lease up front, and that Jody would be personally responsible for the debt. Brent and Jody were advised that if they don’t back off, we should not sign the lease. It is clear that this would not be advisable. Our current lease can be extended until June 15th.
Speaker from Pakistani Green Party will be in Washington, D.C. this week. He will be in the office available for meeting with media; dinner will be held.
Candidates – currently at 113. This is an increase of 6 for the week.
Fundraising – Brent is sending out 50 personalized prospect letters per week, 150 so far. The first returns came in last week, two for $350.
b. Fundraising Manager – Tamar
Sent report to SC list. So far, we have gotten over 200 new donors from Empower’s economic justice list. She has ordered the New York registered Green voters list. NY is using it for a fundraiser now, so Tamar will wait until they have had a chance to work with it. She is checking into the Maine registered Green voters list, as well.
Starting in mid-May, will start calling house list again. Another appeal is in the works, will be on the 100 Days report card. Will ask Phil and Scott McLarty for input. Working on calendar for online blast, so there will be something every week.
Jill asked about amount of donations from new donors. Over $6,500 from this group, and some sustainers. This was a break-even effort, but the new donors will be added to our database, and subsequent income will go to GPUS.
c. Operations Director – Jason reported that Emily has now received a signed contract.
II. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jody
a. Report – $3.8K in general fund. $43.9K in accounts payable. We are saving out $1600 for security deposit and 1st month rent (which we may not need), Empower, web hosting phone, DiA = ca. $1000. Believes it would be safe to pay this, noting that we will be needing to pay staff and contractors before too long. We’ve brought in $15.4K through 4/17. Jody sent a report and a financial worksheet. We need ca. $20.9K/mo for basic costs, also addresses other questions asked on recent calls.
b. Question: What is budgeted for staff and contractor attendance at Annual National Meeting? Jody reported for travel, $200/8 staff people; $350/9 SC. Lodging $33/8 staff for 5 nights; $33/9 SC for 4 nights. $24 a day/8 staff for 5 days. $24 a day/9 SC for 4 days. This is a high estimate. Total = $9,082
Brent asked to confirm which staff would be available for this funding. He believes staff can travel for less than budgeted amount. Brent, Tamar, Emily, Brian Bittner, Scott McLarty, Dave Doonan, possibly two more interns. SC agreed with that list.
Jason asked if this would include on-site ANM coordinator? Is there money in the budget to pay those staff members who are not full-time a full-time rate for that week-end? Jody responded that we have not paid people for days worked at national meetings that they would ordinarily not work.
III. MERCHANDISE
Jeff Turner, MerchCom, called in. Craig has offered a loan for MerchCom to purchase buttons for inventory. Jeff asked for authorization to cash two checks = $750. They also want to think about merchandise for national meeting. Jason and Phil believe our rules prohibit us from being able to approve this. GPUS currently has $4500 in unpaid loans, which was approved by the NC. After discussion, Jeff requested SC table this request, and asked for SC approval for funds to purchase buttons. He noted that Merchandise has generated enough income in 20009 to pay for the cost of the buttons.
Brent asked that the SC authorize funds to buy the buttons now; that MerchCom get back to SC about what they need for the national meeting; MerchCom can come up with “open to buy” policy proposal.
SC AGREED, by consensus.
IV. VOTING QUEUE – Holly
a. Secretary update – Going through state by state to get complete listings for standing committee members for voting page directory. We have good listings for delegates, alternates and observers for most states, but not members of standing committees. It’s hoped that the directory will be reasonably current in about a month’s time.
b. Voting Queue Items
#389 – GPCO: Online SC Elections, amended
Floor Manager; Craig
will go to the voting phase on Monday, 4/20
#386 – GPCA: Regarding IC, amended
Floor Manager: Holly
Discussion phase has been extended pending outcome of an amended version by GPCA.
c. For Consideration:
1) BRPP: BRPP P&P’s
We received these two weeks ago and agreed to address any questions by this call; the goal is to send this to the voting queue the day after this call. The approval threshold is still under discussion. Jody suggested the SC submit a proposal to the NC to specify whether P&P’s need a 50% or 2/3 threshold. Jill noted that this set of P&P’s allocate an ability for BRPP to write P&P’s for other committees.
*****
2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
Threshold: 2/3
Floor Manager: Jason
VOTE on threshold:
Jody – 2/3
Budd – 2/3
Jill – 2/3
Phil – 2/3
Holly – 50%
Craig – 50%
Jason – 2/3
Sanda – wants clear guidance, 50%
***
2/3 is the approved approval threshold.
2) Sanda suggested, and Holly then proposed, we submit a proposal to NC to specify whether P&P’s require a 50% or 2/3 approval threshold. This would have 1 week discussion, 1 week vote, to be complete before the BRPP P&P and GPCA proposals timelines were finished, in case a change in threshold were needed for either of them. Phil suggested a better idea would be a proposal – bylaw amendment – to set a specific threshold for P&P’s and rules-related proposals, and ask BRPP to write that. Jason stated he had been told that BRPP doesn’t like to be directed, and that he had received phone calls from BRPP members telling him that. Craig suggested, however, he would ask BRPP for a draft proposal to clarify thresholds for proposals, ideally ready within 10 days’ time. Phil will write a note for the SC to send BRPP a message with a clear task.
3) GPCA: Plan for development of IC P&P’s, amended
Add another week discussion, 1 week vote
Threshold: 2/3
Floor Manager: Holly
****
Jason believed this should not go up at all; there are timelines that are unrealistic, unclear – we are allocating a task not just to a committee, but to an undetermined subcommittee. Jill stated this is an outrageous proposal, but may need to go up, anyway, because the political fallout for not doing so could be worse. Jody also felt some things might not be workable. Holly asked, given that SC had begun work on their own P&P’s and addressed concerns, and along with some of Phil’s recent suggestions regarding officer elections, that this was not easily resolved, why the GPCA was still needed.
VOTE on whether the proposal should be allowed to remain on the queue
Jody – Yes
Phil – Yes
Budd – Yes
Sanda – Yes
Craig – Yes
Holly – Stand aside
Jason – Ok with original language, not amended; No
Jill – between abstaining or going with the political approach – Yes
AMENDED PROPOSAL WILL GO TO THE QUEUE
VOTE on THRESHOLD:
Holly – Abstain
Jody – 2/3
Budd – 2/3
Craig – 50%
Jason – 2/3
Jill – 2/3
Phil – 2/3
Sanda – Abstain
***
THRESHOLD is 2/3
V. ANM – TABLED to NEXT CALL
Hillary Kane, AnmCom co-chair, will call in.
They have a site and are starting plans for the meeting. Hillary will touch base with the SC on ideas for workshops; SC has indicated an interest in using plenary sessions for more substantial skills-building sessions, etc. Technically, the SC plans the overall meeting and schedule (I draw up a plenary based on input, and the SC approves, adds, amends, etc.); the SC approved or amends, etc; AnmCom helps coordinate workshops; AnmCom handles logistics (transportation, housing, food, sound, works with media committee); fundraising event(s), SC handles speakers, program.
VI. PORTFOLIOS – TABLED to NEXT CALL
VII. MISC.
a. Reflector site – NC list emails are re-distributed to a yahoo group in New Jersey. This was ostensibly for New Jersey Greens to be able to follow national business without delegates having to forward constantly. Supposedly, no one outside NJ is on the list. However, there are still emails from people on that list who were not approved by their state parties to be NC list observers who receive messages from the New Jersey reflector site. Phil recommended sending the NJ delegate a note with our concerns; also, to create a listserv policy to address this issue. He has a draft and will update and re-send to SC.
b. Forum Manager update – Waiting to hear back from a few (we need at least one more volunteer, preferably two); once we get conformation, we will go forward with an approval vote.
c. Colin Archer – November event; TABLED to NEXT CALL
d. EcoAction request for GPUS – NIRS sign-on; AGREED top sign on; also to tell EcoAction that GPUS is the sign-on, not committee
[NOTE: Done by EcoAction.]
Text of NIRS sign-on:
*From:* Nuclear Information and Resource Service
*Sent:* Friday, April 17, 2009 10:43 AM
*To:* aclement65@hotmail.com
*Subject:* Take action now: stop more taxpayer subsidies for nukes
*Nuclear Information and Resource Service*
*ACT TODAY TO STOP MORE TAXPAYER LOAN GUARANTEES FOR NEW REACTORS AND DIRTY, DANGEROUS REPROCESSING PROGRAMS*
April 17, 2009
Dear Friends,
The U.S. Senate adopted two amendments to President Obama’s budget that can and must be defeated.
Both amendments were offered by Sen. Crapo (R-Idaho). One would (once again!) set the stage for Congress to provide $50 Billion in taxpayer loan guarantees for construction of new nuclear reactors. The other would encourage taxpayer funding for dangerous and dirty radioactive waste reprocessing programs–despite the fact that the Obama Administration is just beginning a re-evaluation of U.S. radioactive waste policy.
Fortunately, these amendments can be defeated in the House-Senate conference committee that will take place next week.
Please take action now to ensure defeat of these amendments!
…
*A little more background:* in the byzantine world of the federal budget process, the budget bill does not actually provide money for the federal budget. Rather, it provides parameters in which the Congressional appropriators have to operate. Thus, these amendments do not fund these programs at this time–but if they stay in the Budget Resolution, they will make it much easier for nuclear supporters to fund these programs later in the year.
And, of course, the nuclear industry and its supporters are going to be trying for more taxpayer money throughout the Congressional session.
But we beat them in February, and with your help, we can beat them again now and throughout the session. *Please take action today.*
And we are now preparing for a National Grassroots Call-In Day, which likely will be in mid-May. Watch for our Alerts on this important effort!
Thanks for all you do,
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org
VIII. FINANCES – as needed- TABLED to NEXT CALL
4/19/09
Holly Hart
Secretary, GPUS
NEXT CALL: Sunday, May 3, 2009; 8:00 p.m. EDT
To return to the Minutes Directory.
Minimally edited and HTML formatted by Charlie Green