GPUS SC Conference Call
Sunday, October 9, 2011; 8 p.m. ET
I. CALL SETUP
a. Facilitator – Audrey Clement; no outside facilitator available.
b. Start recording of call
c. Roll Call – Susan Chunco, Theresa ElAmin, Audrey Clement, Budd Dickinson, Mark Swaney. Jeff Turner, Tamar Yager, Farheen Hakeem (9:53 pm Eastern)
Absent – Leenie Halbert on medical leave.
Observers – Jody Grage, Hugh Esco, Denice Traina
d. Agenda revisions – observers speaking requires majority vote of SC;
Other business: Kentucky organizing from Tamar, SE regional report from Theresa
II. STAFF REPORT
a. Office Manager – Brian Bittner on vacation.
b. Fundraiser Report – David Sacks submitted – left for vacation on Friday.
c. Staff time-off coverage review – Tamar listed as emergency contact and answering emails to vacation.org; one deposit made with another this week; Brian back next week.
III. TREASURER’S REPORT & FINANCE ITEMS – Jeff
a. Cash report to date – approximately $10k in general & web accounts.
b. Merchandise requests
(1) t-shirts – bilingual Green Party, in cooperation with CA order. recommended by FinCom – $1k – $1.2k max. organic cotton, designed by Laura Wells, printed by single-mom printer. Susan Y; Theresa N, Audrey Y, Jeff Y, Mark Y, Tamar Y, Budd Y
(2) button order – max $1k – approved by consensus.
b. Budget – Jeff received some feedback on draft sent earlier today. Next week’s call is a special call devoted to discussing the 2012 budget. 2008 state sharing will be released as soon as enough cushion in our accounts, probably later this month. Dave Sacks staying at 1/2 time; all employees pay remains as in 2011.
Jeff reminded that each funded committee needs to indicate expenditures by month for the budget proposal to NC.
IV. Apportionment Tabulation Committee (ATC) update.
Members appointed: Phil Huckelberry (IL) (Chair), Audrey Clement (VA), Craig
Thorsen (Minn), Ron Hardy (WI), Earl Ammerman (NV), Hillary Kane (PA).Theresa has been talking to several women for the seventh member. The committee is working already. Proposal specifies report to GNC by October 9.
V. Coordinated Campaign Committee update – Mark Swaney
Six candidates: Earl Ammerman, Holly Hart, Darryl Moch, Jesse Townley, AJ Segneri, Hillary Kane – online STV vote by SC ends Wed October 13. Rules need to be amended to include authority to disperse funds.
VI. Forum Manager
Need to recruit candidates – Jim Coplen resigned on 9/19 and will leave 10/19. SC needs to make some calls – Budd will do, others? Good if managers are not working full time; see Proposal 186 for info.
VII. VOTING QUEUE – Budd
In the queue:
Prop. 621 – Presidential Nomination Convention Apportionment Proposal Maximum of 600 delegates may be too large; same number as passed before. No discussion on list to date, discussion needed. Number of delegates not the same as number of attendees.
Received for the queue:
GA Proposal: Instructions to Budget Writers, Undoing Racism Training –
Findings to first substitute proposal – accepted by consensus.
Second substitute proposal received today after start of call not yet approved by GA; to be on agenda for next regular call.
In queue when received:
Election Tabulation Committee Report – recommendations coming to improve the process.
(Farheen joined the call; was late due to being detained by police at Occupy MN.)
VIII. Discuss issues with the Green House & Senate Campaign Committees – Mark Membership 7-9 but only David McCordquodale and Ann Link working and one more member occasionally on calls; suggest SC call for election in January. PACs set up through FEC; current funding apparatus could be discontinue in favor or direct contributions to candidates which would eliminate filing FEC reports; the two committees could be combined while keeping the same relationship with FEC; committees are independent from GPUS and are asking for advice.
IX. COMMITTEE LIAISON/SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Okay to update the SC webpage
http://www.gp.org/committees/steering/liaisons.shtml
X. LIAISON REPORTS
Theresa – brief reports – BRPP – still not on listserv. Susan – FinCom business comes to SC; Merch virtually non-existent; FunCom – has asked to be on listserv.
Mark – BAC – conference call every two weeks, Jody Grage elected co-chair with Phil Huckelberry, info from Richard Winger, etc. has been compiled, developing a prioritization process for state requests for financial and volunteer aid, need for info on Southeast Ballot Access Conference participation and goals, voting on approval of initial $500 for Arkansas and 2012 budget request.
Audrey – Personnel – Maya O’Conner sent suggested revisions for the Office Manager job description; employment agreements – need to get input from staff; Personnel Manual first – Tamar and Jeff will handle; need approval by SC.
Budd said Charlie Pillsbury wants DRC webpage updated. Budd asked Farheen about it.
XI. Next call is a special budget call on 10/16 – Jeff will facilitate.
Facilitator for regular call on 10/23 – Tamar and Budd will contact Darryl.
XII. Action Items
Jeff, Leenie, Farheen, etc. – research banking options – in process
Jeff and Tamar – Personnel Manual revision.
All – Need for updated committee co-chairs, membership, and contact information on committee web pages
All – study proposed budget.
All – recruit forum managers.
XIII. OTHER
Tamar announced that while she was in Kentucky this weekend, she and Tom met with their GP leader to discuss petition drive, organizing more locals, how we can further work together to become affiliated. Kentucky is working on affiliation with the Accredidation Committee – she just thought it would be good party-building to get together face-to-face.
Theresa (from written report) –
The Southeast Ballot Access Conference will be held on November 20, 2:00-6:00pm in Columbus GA at the close of the annual SOA Watch activities at Fort Benning. Invited SE states are Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. In addition states bordering the SE states are invited to participate- Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
Conference Goals:
To support organizing for states with “ready-to-go” plans to win ballot access by 2012.
Identify states with proposals to win ballot access by 2016
Strategic Objectives:
Establish the “Cross-The-Line” campaign as the petition strategy for the SE Reach consensus on a 3-prong strategy for ballot access- sue, legislate, petition
Identify resources for candidates seeking office 2012-2016