GPUS-SC Conference Call
May 3, 2009
8:00 p.m. ET
Participants:
Co-chairs: Jill Bussiere, Sanda Everette, Jason Nabewaniec, Budd Dickinson, Phil Huckelberry, Craig Thorsen
Secretary: Holly Hart
Treasurer: Jody Grage
Staff: Brent McMillan, Tamar Yager
Cliff Thornton are not able to be on the call.
Facilitator: Holly; Phil
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
EXECUTIVE SESSION
8:07 – 8:18 p.m. ET
Legal Matter
I. STAFF REPORTS
a. Executive Director – Brent
Brent sent a report to the SC. Staff meeting on Friday covered several topics. Working on getting 100 Day Report Card on website. Brian is working on registration for national meeting. Discussed travel to national meeting. Some will be driving from DC, and can take some things and mail others. Online scheduling, MerchCom did a May Day Facebook blast and Mother’s Day email blast. GreenLine is scheduled to come out week of May 11, focusing on national meeting. next will be single payer action alert. Interviewed another potential intern, may go with as many as 23 interns this summer. Checked out potential new office space, but it was too small. Continuing to search. Net Saturday, Brent will be serving on panel at Maryland GP assembly along with two elected Greens. Will talk about impact of local elected Greens and why it’s important to run for office at that level.
Two new officeholders this week. A few elections are coming up this month.
One April 27, NMex SoS decided not to recognize Green and Libertarian Parties as official parties in that state – no longer a Green ballot line in N Mex. Mention of Richard Carroll, Arkansas state legislator, leaving Green Party for Democratic Party. Waiting for more information.
Fundraising calls; discussing issues with Greens in California.
Will take June 20-28 off, travel to Indiana, hopefully after we move office and before national meeting.
Brent sent a sign-on letter in support of HR 1207, transparency in federal reserve.
AGREED by consensus to sign on to letter endorsing HR1207. Brent will send notice to Michael Ostrolenk of the Transpartisan Alliance to tell them we are signing on.
Jason – at what point should we expect to know more about database situation for the SC to make whatever decision we need to make. Brent – we are still waiting to hear from Salsa, rather basic information.
b. Fundraising Manager – Tamar
Direct mail, resolicitation still coming in. Another resolicitation toward the end of June to half of our list, and different appeal to [too much static]. Prospecting – using registered Green lists from NY and MD; will share cost of NY list a NY campaign. Cost of email lists [too much static] 4/29/09 online appeal, a report card on Obama’s 1st 100 days, drew a lot of email activity (40), several donations and new sustainers. Some felt we are being too hard on him, others were favorable. She sent notes to Jill and Phil to respond to.
Jody asked about direct mail income. Income from direct mail is down; this is the case for all organizations, currently, presumably due to the economy. Jody recommended there be discussion about how we want to handle direct mail.
II. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jody
Jody will send financial status report. Accounts payable = $31.K; earmarked funds are at $27.9 (state sharing at $21.1; others at $6.9) through end of April.
III. LEGAL – our legal counsel is researching this. The SC will inform the NC that we have asked Andy to look into it; don’t have an answer, yet. Holly will send a note to the NC.
IV. VOTING QUEUE
a. BRPP – request for extension on discussion period, so they have time to address amendments to their P&P’s.
AGREED, to extend discussion for another week. There was some question as to whether there would be a request for another week, to wait until a proposal on thresholds first. If we receive a further request, we will extend another week.
b. Platcom green paper vetting process
Phil feels this needs to have some things cleared up. He felt it would be appropriate to ask them to wait until the threshold issue is worked out; then submit revised version of the proposal. Phil felt the operative part of the proposal was unclear. Holly will re-send to the SC. Phil recommended this wait until the issue of thresholds is cleared up. Sanda felt the process would take longer than needed. Holly will re-send to SC list; comments from SC will be sent to Platcom, and ask if they will wait for threshold issue to be decided.
c. Phil brought up threshold proposal, which is incorporated into a larger proposal on proposal process. Jody asked if there was discussion in BRPP about this. They had been tasked with this, but haven’t had a chance to work with it. Jason suggested BRPP might look into this first. We will take this up on line and tell BRPP we are working on it, with the goal of getting it to the NC as soon as possible. We will have a call next Sunday to deal with this specifically if it’s not needed, we can cancel it.
V. PORTFOLIOS
GPAX seems to be inactive. Someone has been trying to join and heard no response. Jill had a call arranged with one of the officers, but they didn’t show up for the scheduled call.
DivCom is also non-functioning. Jason followed up with DivCom and asked some members about a call to start re-organizing.
Apportionment Standing Committee; Phil asked what is happening with that. Craig sent out a request for members around March 26th, also a call for data from state chairs. He has gotten one response. There are, so far, two people from VA on the committee. He is trying to organize an ASC and working on a questionnaire. Brent has been collecting some information while looking for updates for the elections database.
Craig asked for a copy of the P&P’s currently being considered by the International Committee. Jill will send a copy to the SC list.
VI. NATIONAL MEETING
Discussion of budget, possible workshop tracks. Concern about low attendance and losing money on this meeting. We have just started taking registrations, will have to keep an eye on this for the next couple of weeks to see how things develop.
Brent – a lot of opportunities for 2010 – full plenary talk about some of what he sees.
Discussion of how to cut costs. Staff ride-sharing, planning for 4 days instead of 5, and cutting out some SC expenses will cut some costs.
VII. FINANCES
Jody reported last month’s income was $23.8K, a little more than we need for basic month’s expenses, but not much to cut into our overall backlog.
Craig asked how we are doing in comparison with the first three months of the year. Jody thinks it’s a little higher now than the average.
Budd – concern that direct mail is not doing well. April looks ok, concerned about May.
5/3/09
Holly Hart
Secretary, GPUS
NEXT CALL: Sunday, May 10, 2009, 8:00 p.m. ET
Threshold Proposal; possibly FM’s; possibly Finances