Minutes for Steering Committee Planning Retreat
Hartford, CT, August 25, 26, 2001
Starting about 9:30 am
Attendance at this point: Ben Manski, Robbie Franklin, Tom Sevigny, Tony Affigne, Jo Chamberlain, Anita Rios, Marnie Glickman, Dean Myerson. Other attendees later on included Steve Schmidt. Nathalie Paravicini and David Cobb participated by phone for much of the weekend, and Mike Feinstein joined by phone during Greenpages discussion.
Intros
Committee issues
Bylaws Need an amendment to deal with 2002 budget (not true, this was later corrected). Also for platform revision timing and regarding relationship between committees and CC or SC.
Legal Committee This is not a standing committee. Need memo from David on method of determining charges will work with Dean on this.
Shadow Cabinet Need process for selecting cabinet members shouldn’t be committee alone. Clarification that comm is not choosing members, it is selecting candidates for CC to choose from. Need stmt from Shadow Cabinet Comm on their process.
Communications May need listserves with different levels of access: public, password protected, encrypted. Discussion of observers on CC list proposal from Nathalie expected for determinding what observers can be on the list and which can post. Idea that observers from unaffiliated states cannot post (may change listserve to force that) while committee chairs can post. Comment from Tony that comm chairs not post.
Transition Committee Has not reached consensus on recommendation to Accreditation Comm for implementing representation formula. Since their primary job was to create the formula, SC will ask them if they should disband.
Presidential Exploratory Call for members to CC needed. Ask Comm for process proposal. Concern over this committee discussing whether we should have a candidate in 2004 not their charge. Need to check Hiawasee minutes to see if this was mentioned.
Steering Committee Work Distribution
General work tasks for SC: Floor manager (co-chairs), staff support, field org, fundraising solicitations, 2002 budget, Media (co-chairs), insurance for GP & liability, state mentoring
Tasks for specific SC members: Bylaws (Tom), Communications (Nathalie), Diversity (Anita), Shadow Cab (Anita), Elections (Ben), FEC Compliance (Robbie), Personnel (Jo and Tom), 2002 midterm convention (Ben), Campus Greens (Ben), Greenpages (Anita), Nader liaison (Ben).
SC Process issues with conference calls, in-person meetings, email. Need better facilitation, internal SC proposal in writing prior to calls, use go-arounds, committee chairs on conference calls more often and restate conclusions and decisions. SC in-person mtgs day after CC meetings (ask SC candidates to plan for this).
2000 Election Analysis proposal from Dean for a process and document to learn lessons from 2000 campaign while memory is fresh and before we get too busy in 2002. Dean will focus on legal/structural issues, and best relationship between party and candidate regarding legal/FEC issues. Suggestions regarding election analysis and properly-designed questionnaire. SC approved as project for Dean with limited plan for now no questionnaire or voting analysis now. Dean will make a call for submission.
Fundraising presentation by Marnie Glickman on Circles of Love.
Accreditation Committee Missouri Progressive Party only in-process application just received by committee members. Possible soon applications from MT, AK, MS, IN. UCP in SC has an internal proposal to do so. Starting to implement representation proposal how fast? Suggestion of Jan 1. Also a question of implementing process for accrediting identity caucuses.
Platform Committee Issues are: bylaws update regarding when platform gets updated; process for revisions (need proposal); what to do with gp.org move to petra computers?; outreach & party bldg; making sure Media Comm stays within platform pointed out that Media Comm uses consensus for releases; integrating non-platform resolutions; Global Charter; damage control. Need to update Common Ground stmt with EFGP.
State Lists for direct mails Jo has made initial calls about getting/using state party lists for direc mail no responses yet.. Suggestion to use same % funds split in all states. Deal with privacy policy and suggestion that state and national GP’s are not separate orgs and this isn’t “giving the list away”. Task to Fundraising Comm for policy on our lists. No lists given out until such a policy is adopted.
Major Donors Marnie – encouragement for SC to get more involved in fundraising. Marnie is available to talk to SC about making calls. They need to make appts. SC members need to commit to raise a certain amount of money.
Fundraiser position 10 resumes in, 3 look like tier 1. Need to add checking refs to Marnie’s interview process. Fundraising Comm approved having Dean and Marnie do round one interviews to start this week. Suggestion that state parties be asked about applicants from their state.
Budget process Issues are: implementing appropriations process, updating 2001 budget, and doing 2002 budget. Dean sent msgs to Comm chairs re appropr. process. Jo points out that approval of 2002 budget by email (because there will not be a meeting) is a rules issue, not bylaws. Need to do amendment to 2001 budget for missed items need to get list. Should put budget on Quiken or Quickbooks. Need policy for fundraising targeted to specific committees. Suggestion that SC and Comm Chairs get stipend. Hire a bookeeper? Need policy for when we raise more money than expected. Jo will start 2002 budget process with msg to CC. Also need amendments to Fiscal policy now that we are using it.
Database Update on Dean regarding work with Aland and Eric Kobrin and info from Kendra Markle on Calif DB project. Need top security and professional system. Need to make proposal by end of Sept.
website Dean and Nathalie will be only two people to send website changes to Kevin.
Campus Greens Corey Eastwood and John Brett attended the meeting. Yheir SC will have a retreat in early Oct, maybe Lawrence, KS. Chicago Super Rally had 3200 people; they have $30K after Chicago expenses. Need to create Joint Committee.
Employee policy report from Jo, she will do more research.
Asst treasurer Maybe similar to bookeeper. A lot of FEC compliance requirements involved. Need job description, which should go on the web. Yalk to Megan Case re some of this.
DC Office/Clearinghouse Report from Jo re talks with Mike and Jenefer in DC. DC will provide office mgr support in return for some use of space. Dean has some concersn re volunteer office mgr, but will try it out. SC decides not to take Electric Maid site look for better location. Discussion of insurance issues. Don’t want to call it a Clearinghouse take this def’n out of bylaws. Need proper stmt of office tasks.
Greenpages Create editorial board. Mike Feinstein is Elections Editor; Dean is Managing Editor; Anita will join board. We will invite Stacy Malkan and maybe others. Suggestion of max of 5. SC approves Mike’s suggestion of doing issue aimed for DC protests between 5000 and 10,000 issues. Length to be determined by articles sent in. Need to see if Karen Kos is available again. Suggestion to send mini-bundles to locals to help with distribution. Look into producing in DC to save shipping costs. Dean will get out recent issue to subscribers when he gets issues in mail.
International Report from John Rensenbrink. Report from Dean on sending delegation to EP to discuss closer cooperation, hopefully while Belgian Green is still President of EP. IC is accepting nominations for various international positions needs to involve CC.
Coordinated Campaign Committee Suggstion from Ben for a committee (ad hoc at first) to do: tracking candidates, coor of disc re electoral strat, id of targets for natl support, support cand recruitment for targeted campaigns, media/celeb/resource/volunteer mobilization for these campaigns, training and material support. SC approves ad hoc committee for now Ben will put out call.
Nader relationship discussion of communications with Nader, he suggests possible meeting with on October 1 after DC protests. Ben chosen as liaison to Nader and he will draft new letter to Nader.
IMF/WB protests Gp be a cosponsor of Mobilization for Global Justice. Dean and othesr to try and set up meetings of SC with allies, etc. Ben and Anita will be there. Ben and Anita looking into getting arrested need to consult with CC and research how, where and when. Ask Labor Party to join us in some action.
FEC ap report David reports: AOR 2001-13. Looking good. Likely GPUSA challenge not expected to be serious problem.
Field organizing Dean emailed report. Dean reported on sudden issue/opportunity AZ needs 10,000 more registrants by Nov 1 to keep ballot line. They had state mtg same day and chose coordinator asked for money from us. Dean needs to talk to coordinator and report back. Invite coordinator to join SC conf call next week. Jo says Calif Greens would go to AZ and volunteer.
SC floor mgrs and point persons floor mgr chosen ad hoc; point persons to rotate by month: Sept Nathalie, Oct Robbie, Nove Ben, Dec Tom, Jan Anita, Feb Jo, Mar new SC member, then repeat.
Emails all please read Communication Comm proposal/report.
Zogby proposal Zogby Polls proposes to us that they will ask questions about GP for free if we put link to them on our web site. SC supports but Nathalie will check on a few concerns; Tony A to be consulted on questions.
Circulator Task to Media Committee. Check on legal issues. Jo will get report from Cameron on risk to web sites.
Insurance issues both for upcoming employes and for GP office. May be better to reimburse employees for insurance. Need to check with Jenefer and others re office.