SC Call Notes — May 06, 2004
Participants:
Greg Gerritt, Jo Chamberlain, Jake Schneider, Alan Kobrin, Ben Manski
staff Emily Citkowski, Adam Benedetto
guests Roy Williams, George Martin, Jason Ravin
Call Functions:
Facilitator Jo, then Jake
Time Ben
Notes Greg
Abbreviations used:
AFT = American Federation of Teachers
AC = Accreditation Committee
ANM, ANMC = Annual National Meeting Committee
BRPP = Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee
BC = Black Caucus
CC = Coordinating Committee
CCC = Coordinated Campaign Committee
CG SC = Campus Greens Steering Committee
DC = Diversity Committee
FC = Fundraising Committee
FEC = Federal Election Commission
GP = Green Party
GW = George Washington University
IC = International Committee
ICA = Institute for Cultural Affairs
LC = Lavender Caucus
LG = Lavender Greens
PEC = Presidential Exploratory Committee
PCSC = Presidential Campaign Support Committee
SC = Steering Committee
[Brackets denote editor’s suggested corrections. Some punctuation corrections done with no content change. -ed.]
Published Agenda
Agenda Review
OLD BUSINESS AND REPORTS
Reports
Office 5 minutes
Finances 20 minutes
Fiscal policy
Convention 30 minutes
Midwest Center contract
Proxies
Setting CC meeting agenda
Minutes at convention and CC meeting
Facilitation at annual meeting and convention
election administrator
Platform
Voting Queue 10 minutes
endorsement process
Lavender Caucus amendment
Currently Under Discussion
2004 GPUS Vice Presidential Nominating Procedures
Floor Manager: Greg Gerritt
Change Fiscal Policy to permit donations to the maximum applied by law
Floor Manager: Marnie Glickman
Limited Proxy Voting at the 2004 Presidential Nominating Convention
Floor Manager: Greg Gerritt
Currently Voting
Diversity at Green Party National Committee meetings
Floor Manager: Jo Chamberlain
*****
With guests on the call we started with a discussion of African American Outreach project
George Martin begins: Realizes that this is a very difficult and sensitive situation. Some history: project was worked on extensively prior to it being introduced at the DC meeting last summer. At that same meeting a number of new people joined the incipient Black Caucus. After the DC meeting there was a divergence within the Caucus about direction with some of the new members wanting the tour to be done very differently than was approved by the CC. This eventually translated into problems negotiating employment contracts and the MOU between the Caucus and the SC.
George, Roy, and Jason would like to go forward with the original plan, adapted to current circumstances. Jason reiterated that given the current direction of the Black Caucus this is a sensitive issue, but the importance of the tour is still there. We need to do this outreach. George pointed out this project does not just belong to the Black Caucus, it belongs to the whole party. Roy noted that in DC there was a commitment and we need to follow through on it. Yes, the politics is strained, but we still want to move forward and do it with the party.
George noted that he would respond to the Black Caucus charges on the CC lists soon. George, Roy, and Jason all want the SC to help them move forward.
Ben noted there are two key issues. 1. Finalize a contract with Jason for the project work. 2. Decide on the oversight of the project. In the original proposal approved by the CC, the oversight was divided between the SC, the Diversity Committee and the Black Caucus. Mostly the original attempts at the contract negotiations failed not because of problems between the SC negotiator and Jason but because of the issues within the Black Caucus.
SC discussion: Alan and Jo noted support for the original proposal even if we are one year behind schedule. All of the issues can be worked out. We should ask the CC for suggestions for oversight of the project.
SC decision. Greg will work with Jason on the contract. SC will ask CC for thoughts on oversight, with the CC making the final decision of oversight approach. Greg and Jason will work on approach to CC. Budget preparation continues. Concerns over the size of the Black Caucus request for funding for workshop presenters.
OLD BUSINESS
Convention items
Workshops
are coming along. Schedule looks good. Housing needs a little work but is coming along. 75 rooms at Marquette reserved and also found other nearby hotel rooms.
Ben discussed layout of Midwest Center for convention. They have been slow mailing contract but all issues seem to be worked out. Noted concerns about the amount of time for nomination process so have found two extra hours for the process, giving state parties more time to caucus between rounds. There was some concern by Greg that if proxies pass will this reduce the size of the convention enough to make the Midwest Center too big for us. Ben and ANMC believes that that is not a real issue. Even with proxies attendance on Saturday will be big, way too big for any room at the hotel.
So far $25,000 has come in for registrations. Budget is $50K so we are on track.
CC meeting Agenda
SC would like to see no resolutions brought for a vote. The current system of on line voting allows sufficient time for discussion and amendment while the in meeting process seems to lead us to improperly worked out resolutions which cause us further problems. What we want to see is full reports with discussion from every committee, caucus, working group, and staff. The other business is election of SC members. Ben and Greg will begin working on a draft of the agenda soon.
Minutes at the meeting
Our hired note takers have not always worked out in the past, and the tape recording system has nearly always failed, so we think it might be best to just have the Secretary take notes, supplemented by a few volunteer note takers. Especially as we are not voting on resolutions or formally amending them, this should be sufficient.
Facilitation at the meeting
We have in the past brought in facilitators for the meeting, but they never quite know the nuance of Green process so it ends up in a jumble. The SC is thinking it should do the facilitation at the meeting. Should be easier than usual with no proposals on the floor.
Election administrator
This is the person to preside over the nominations process at the convention. The creation of this position was in the floor rules that passed last week. We discussed criteria for this person. 1. Not a delegate 2. sufficient experience presiding over meetings 3. enough gravitas to get folks attention.
Ben suggested that we ask Matt Gonzalez to be elections administrator. We agreed and asked him to discuss this with Matt.
Also on the voting process we are working out a system to project vote totals on a big screen at the convention as they are being recorded so everyone will know what the current counts are.
Platform
The process is running a little behind but we have been assured by the Plat Com cochair that the documents will go out with sufficient time for delegates to the convention to be up to speed.
Office Report
Emily: routine stuff is under control. Office has been getting calls about 9/11 and Republican National Convention protests. The CC should get a proposal on how to participate in RNC protests.
Fiscal policy beyond the resolution being voted on is being updated. This will go out when it is ready. The issues seem to be how the SC and Finance committee work out their differences. This will of course go to the CC for approval when it is done.
Voting queue
Adding to the voting page the resolution on the endorsement process for the convention and the Lavender Caucus amendment to the Diversity Committee proposal. Greg will floor manage the endorsement process, Ben the Lavender Caucus amendment.
The Accreditation Committee has requested a conference call with the SC, agreed to set that up.
Adjourned at 11:15 PM EDT
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