SC Call Notes — August 20, 2004
Participants:
Marc Sanson, Jake Schneider, Gwen Wages, Jo Chamberlain, Gray Newman, Peggy Lewis, Jody Haug, Maya O’Connor, Greg Gerritt
Staff: Kara Mullen, Brent McMillan
Facilitator: Peggy, Timekeeper Gwen, 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
5 min – facilitator, timer, note taker (Greg); scheduling September calls
15 min – Cobb/LaMarche campaign as available (Marc)
15 min – staff reports (Brent, Emily, Kara)
5 min – committee reviews (Marc)
5 min – Voting Queue
Million Worker March proposal;
CC minutes 24-26 June 2004
10 min – processing ballot line issues
Portfolio reports (allow 20 minutes more for extensions)
15 min – FINANCE (Jake, Marc): Finance, FundCom
*FinCom freeze letter
*Greg to global warming meeting
*Loan/donation to “A Green World is Possible”
*DIA internet proposal
*Direct Mail proposal
*Green Unity cards
10 min – ELECTORAL (Gray, Jo): CCC, Office Holder Network, PCSC, Legal Team
*CCC opening
*BAWG (probably in Brent’s report above)
*PCSC
10 min – POLICY (Greg, Gwen): Platform, Peace, Intnl, DC, Strategic Plan
*Black Caucus proposal
10 min – OUTREACH (Peggy): Media, Green Pages, Merchandise, Speakers Bureau
*Copyright for logos
15 min – INTERNAL (Maya, Jody): Personnel, Accreditation, ComCom, Event Planning, Dispute Resolution, BRPP
*BRPP (Greg) – Steve Hamm request for passwords
*Accreditation Committee participation, AC/DC communication
*Personnel reviews
*Volunteer Coordinator job description
*SC/staff retreat
*****
Cobb/LaMarche update:
Marc – Campaign is filing out staff, bringing on Jason Neville as field director. PCSC is reviving to help on the presidential campaign.
UT and VT are still trying to figure out who shall be on their ballot line in November. UT the situation is rather messy with some of the leadership supporting Nader and a growing membership group supporting Cobb. They will meet this weekend to try and resolve it. GPUS Sec is poised to write a letter to UT election officials if that is appropriate after the meeting. Nader/Camejo already has vballot line in UT.
CCC report
Brent – CCC received 43 applications for assistance, most ever, and is reviewing them. CCC would like to send money to candidates it selects, but sees the financial picture in GPUS and will see what is available. Doing a campaign school in PA.
Report of ballot status
AL petitioning issues and potential lawsuit over petitioning laws. More enthusiasm than ever.
ID gearing up for a write in as petitioning will not make deadlines. Preparing for 06 petitioning
KY meeting this week moving forward, Sept 6 deadline.
NY probably on, signatures turned in.
OH submitted signatures
UT there are state internal struggles going on, went through some of this type of thing year ago as well. Meeting this weekend. There is communication between Party in UT and other Greens in various places.
VT They meet on Sept 12 and will do what they do. Their CC delegate wrote and said outside influence not appreciated or helpful.
VA State Party is definitely divided by Nader campaign and Nader camp is in the majority so Cobb petitioning was demoralized and failed. There is also a splinter Green party with more local candidates, so it is an interesting situation beyond the presidential campaign.
Discussion of UT eventually lead to asking Brent to request specific info from UT Greens so that if letter is appropriate Secretary can send one. Want us to look at UT bylaws and election laws as well as GPUS rules before sending letter.
Fundraiser report
Kara – The database is finally, actually available in usable format, hurrah. Made phone calls all week and had to spend alot of time updating data base. Focusing on sustainers.
Work with DIA goes forward, contract and check are about to change hands. A new sign up thing is on the home page, and a resolicitation mailing is about to go out.
How are pledges doing, dropping a little but not real badly. Some leakage from database problems, which should now get resolved and some from people¹s financial situation deteriorating in the continuing recession.
Financial Report
Marc/Jake – Presented letter announcing a spending “freeze”. SC had all seen it previously and there is general consensus a “freeze” is needed. Freeze meaning that basic core spending on staff and rent, etc. continues but no outside projects or extra expenditures, with any questions coming to the SC for a vote. SC commits itself to rejecting any non-essential items.
SC approved by consensus sending the letter Jake had prepared to the CC via email and that each SC member would inform the committees they have in their portfolio of the “freeze” as well.
Question was asked is there a committee chair list. Answer there is not so it was suggested we go about setting one up. There is about $40,000 available with some money continuing to come in and fundraising efforts on going. $16,000 in accounts payable. Things we clearly have to pay for. Monthly expenditures continue for rent staff.
Treasurer sends out a report every weekend. In it he will list expenditures that require SC approval to pay. SC will have to respond by Monday night.
Questions on payment for work on Elections data base. $6000. Discussion over how to handle this. Questions about how it was authorized need some research as well as role of Communications & Media committees and CCC in authorizing work. Those committees need to be asked about their process on this. When this info is available we shall decide how to approach this bill.
SC approved by consensus to approve $64.00 for bus ticket so Greg can represent gpus at meeting on global climate change and the development of a coalition on the issue.
A Green World Is Possible in NYC is asking for donations to put on the Aug 28 event. We suggested state parties and local NYC folks. SC by consensus decided not to send a donation or loan.
DIA (Democracy In Action)
Project is almost ready to go. All t’s are crossed in contract and then check will be written. This should provide a new presence for us on the web that should help us recruit more effectively and raise some money. Track record on this is pretty good for DIA.
Direct mail resolicitation is going out asap.
Green Unity cards
There is a proposal floating around on membership cards with money divided between locals, states, and national. Looks interesting and needs some up front money to start. Various campaigns and states are continuing to look into it and hope to get it up soon. NOT all FEC issues yet resolved.
Committees:
Marc – Wanted it noted that committees need to get their websites updated, and wanted us to collect up passwords and info on who updates all of them so that if there are problems we can work with the committee to get it straightened out. This will continue to be an agenda item.
Copywrite on logo, website, etc.
Gray and the Merchandise committee are working on it. Kara will take responsibility for getting it done.
Voting queue
Endorsement of Million Worker March presented by Maya O’Connor to go to voting page for 2 weeks discussion and then a vote. Gray Newman will floor manage.
Acceptance of minutes from June CC meeting presented by Greg Gerritt Gwen Wages will floor manage. 2 weeks discussion then a vote.
SC discussed how to respond to situations in UT and VT in case they do decide not to put Cobb/LaMarche on the ballot. The normal response would be to ask the Accreditation Committee to review the situation and make a recommendation. Currently the AC is a little weak with a need for new leadership. SC will continue to stay aware of this and Jody will work with AC members to revitalize the committee.
Elections Portfolio Jo/Gray
CCC election
Cindy Asrir has been approved by NE to run for a seat. Robert Tufts of MD has also put in an application but MD has not had a meeting yet to approve, though it is reported that all comments from MDGP have been positive. SC then consensed on appointment of Cindy for a seat on CCC and an interim appointment for Robert pending official approval from MD GP CC.
Policy report Greg/Gwen
Most committees are doing their thing, Platform will be up on the website eventually but draft is finally up. Black Caucus proposal from Asa Gordon. There is confusion about what is being asked of us; was this just a press release or a request for a resolution? It now appears that a resolution, specifically crafted as one, will be coming forth soon. Media Committee felt they were in the middle between factions of the BC in being asked to put out the press release when the last time they did one for the BC they took heat from other members of the BC for doing it. They decided to stay out of it this time until the internal dynamics are straightened out, or at least until they get clear instructions. Gwen reminds us all the BC will take care of its internal dynamics and to not try to micro manage.
Outreach Peggy
There is a request for speaker for a conference in Durango, CO but it seems no one is able to attend from CO GP. Disappointing.
Jo and Peggy went to Campus Greens meeting. They are moving forward with another reorganization. Broke, with no staff or office, but good energy. Would like to put a Campus Greens intern into the GPUS DC office. SC is willing to consider but had questions for Campus Greens before approving the arrangement. Greg and Peggy will work with Campus Greens on writing an MOU. There is also a need to get the BRPP to look into creating some sort of formal attachment mechanism for groups like Campus Greens.
Internal Jody/Maya
Personnel Committee still needs to be put into gear. Need to work on staff evaluations. Dispute Resolution Committee looking into taking cases.
Greg notes that DRC needs to bring its bylaws and procedures to the CC for approval before they take on any dispute resolutions. There must be no question that the CC accepts the procedures before any disputes are discussed.
Volunteer Coordinator, as a volunteer position, continues to be refined. Jody will continue to circulate job description.
SC retreat for Sept 18, 19 moving forward. Housing for SC and venues all set. Agenda continues to evolve, probably need two weeks, not two days.
GPUS list coordinator is looking at assembling a list of the passwords for all GPUS lists so that in emergency they are available. SC wants to make sure the Communications Committee is okay with that. Greg will work with Jody and the Communications Committee on this issue.
Jake: During meeting I looked at correspondence around costs for Elections Database. Found the emails with the authorizations for expenditures. SC agreed by consensus to pay $3000 of the $6000 now and to work out a payment schedule for the rest dependent upon receiving a detailed report on work done.
Adjourned at 10:45 EDT
Minimally edited and HTML formatted by Charlie Green