GPUS-SC Conference Call
27 August 2006
8:00 p.m. EDT
Participants:
Holly Hart, Jim Coplen, Rebecca Rotzler, Katey Culver, Liz Arnone, Jody Grage, Brent McMillan, Steve Kramer, Budd Dickinson; Echo came on for the second half
Facilitator: Steve
Timekeeper: Liz
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.]
I. STAFF REPORTS
a. Political Director — BRENT
NY: Time/Warner Governor’s debate is on Wednesday. This is the main gubernatorial debate. Greens were not invited.
A candidate filed for US House that no one has heard of. Brent will track down more information, but believes this will turn out to be a positive development. There is not a lot of communication between urban and rural parts of NY, so this is not surprising.
NY is preparing for ballot challenges, Jim Brown has received 2 (US House).
PA: Concern about a pattern that has been developing. A lot of the people contacting national office to complain about Senate candidate Carl Romanelli’s accepting funds from Republican donors are members of Code Pink. Brent hopes to learn more, warns we may see more aggressive actions against GP incoming months. Questions if this could be a precursor to getting progressives to back pro-war candidates? There are some exceptions, such as L.A. PDA’s backing of CA Green candidate Bryon DeLear.
Camp Democracy, press conference on Tuesday: Media Director Scott McLarty is to speak; if he can’t make it, Brent will speak. Several Green candidates have confirmed they are planning to speak there. [UPDATE: Joyce Robinson wil speak in place of Scott. Joyce is the shadow Senate candidate for DC Statehood Greens.]
BALLOT ACCESS UPDATE
ARK: positive news with ACLU suit, they have their ballot line; they preparing for an appeal. They acquired a new candidate for state treasurer over the weekend.
Nebraska: achieved ballot line for the first time.
MO: expected challenge was dropped, it appears their ballot line is achieved, although not yet 100% certain.
ILL: waiting for BoE to rule on 8/31; expecting a positive outcome.
b. FUNDRAISING – Brent
Brent reports we are having a good month and is cautiously optimistic.
He warns that September is always “a month unto itself.” On Friday, Emily reported we have a monthly income of about $40,000, probably the best month so far this year. However, $10,000 of that was from the closed out Cobb/LaMarche campaign and $11,000 from the last re-solicitation. No other re-solicitations, but a prospect mailing will be going out in late September. Brent will focus on personal solicitations and phone canvass.
Jody noted that 1/2 of the Cobb/LaMarche check was earmarked for ballot access. She is following up to get this in writing.
II. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jody
Progress is being made, processes getting clearer. Jody will send a weekly report to Fin/Fun/SC. She is paying bills as “lethargically as possible.” GPUS didn’t have enough to pay second quarter state sharing, still have bills coming in from Tucson.
Jody asks SC to look at reports and let her know if the information provided is helpful.
She expects to get out a paper on state sharing by the end of the week. The next paper will probably be on the budget process.
Jody is working with accountant Doug Malkan to make sure that income and expenses are recorded in the appropriate budget categories. For example, the Saturday night fundraiser in Tucson was a GPUS event rather than an AMN event, so neither income nor expenses are recorded in the ANM budget. Suggested Saturday night event to be recorded under “Event” line of fundraising budget. Silent Auction to go under Annual Meeting budget, Passing the hat at the annual meeting is a little more complicated.
There are other idiosyncratic items. Office postage is severely over budget and Merchandising is way under budget , because one postage meter is used for both. Rebecca suggested possibly getting a postage meter that can code by department.
Jody noted there are still matching funds from the $3500 donation, asked to encourage people to contribute.
IIIa) Proposal on Fiscal policy and Donors Bill of Rights – Liz
On behalf of FinCom, Liz brought up a proposal to integrate the donor bill of rights statement into the GPUS fiscal policy under Section V.
Holly asked what procedure should be followed.
PROPOSAL: Will put on voting queue for a housekeeping proposal; 1 week discussion, 1 week vote. AGREED
IIIb) Liz made a proposal on behalf of Nick Mellis/FunCom re: each state committing to purchasing 2 bundles of each issue of Green Pages. Decision is to have FunCom submit formal proposal to NC.
IV) Update and Request from Campus Greens for webpage/listserv – Holly Campus Greens is shutting down as a501(c)3; they decided to set up a Network w/in Green Party along the lines of the Green Officeholders network. They are asking the GPUS for a web page and listserv.
Brent noted that we do not need to wait until CG’s 501(c)3 status us dissolved to follow up on this request.
AGREED: Request is granted, SC will take this up further at a later meeting and discuss the possibility of incorporation of Campus Greens as a Network similar to Officeholders Network.
V) Katrina Action Letter sign-on – Rebecca
This was posted to GPAX, a letter to congress that organizations can sign on to: http://katrinaaction.org/media/docs/9352_KatrinaAnniversaryPriorities.doc
Rebecca will post the text of the letter to the SC; SC will decide online. AGREED.
VI) Forum Managers Update – Holly
There were 3 suggestions, no responses. Holly will track up 3 suggestions and call for more for one more week.
VII) The Pledge – Holly
If circumstances develop that an SC members can no longer do their job, they will voluntarily step down. A certain amount of absenteeism w/out explanation will be taken as resignation.
Holly will forward pledge to new SC members to sign.
VIII) Jefferson Impeachment – Should GPUS look into this?
Steve explained that there is an old provision for impeachment used successfully ca. 11 times (19th, early 20th cy against judges), whereby citizens could declare in a letter to their Representatives that they feel a certain public official should be impeached. If there enough letters, a rule says there should be an impeachment proceeding considered by that Rep. and brought up to the legislative body. This has not been enacted in probably over 100 years, a question about legality at this point. Some citizens groups in MD active in pursuing this.
AGREED: Jim will collect information to bring to SC, to see if a proposal should go forward.
IX. VOTING QUEUE – Holly
ADOPTED
241 – Approve the Merchandising Committee as a standing committee and approve the Committee Bylaws; adopted, 8/19/06
VOTING PERIOD
None
DISCUSSION
242 – AC: Recommendation for Action on the GP-US National Women’s Caucus
Discussion through 9/3/06
Voting period: 9/4/06 – 9/10/06
Kramer// 1/2
*****
Procedural objections were made by Marc Sanson, IL; Dee Berry, MO; Richard Scott, AZ; Nancy Allen, ME, NWC; Charlie Pillsbury, CT; Mato Ska, NM; Andrew Spencer, AZ; Greg Gerritt, RI; Tom King, UT
The NC has not formulated rules to revoke accreditation
Suspension not defined
Timeline not defined
AC’s jurisdiction not recognized by NWC; not clear
Proposal would make policy; proposal would make policy on an ad-hoc basis
Objection to threshold
Request this be sent back to AC for clarification and reconciliation with current rules
Ramifications outweigh any possible need
UPDATE
Holly reported that, per the process set up by the NWC Coordinating Committee, the NWC vote on membership clarification has concluded and results announced to the caucus. That finished, the NWC CC has within the past two days sent the applicant involved in the complaint notice informing her that she may join the NWC if she wishes. The decision is up to her.
Several members of the AC had stated that their proposal was contingent on the applicant’s being granted admission. While the decision is hers, the offer has been extended, as of yesterday at the latest.
The NWC requests that the SC contact the AC with this information.
The NWC still requests help from the SC in access to legal counsel.
DISCUSSION
Jody asked for another week of discussion, since this is new material; wanted to see the message and response.
Holly said she would post the message to the SC.
Katey asked, what is this proposal about; if about the complaint, if the applicant has been invited to the caucus, a response should not been pertinent. Steve agreed.
Katey questioned whether the SC did everything it could and should have to be responsible to NC on this issue. Concerning a decision made by previously established SC members: newer members were not given a chance to get more information to know why the SC was rescinding the previous decision. Also, the SC didn’t contact the AC as agreed earlier. She asked to go on record as saying that the SC must be responsible for the decisions it makes. The SC also needs to apologize to the AC for how we have botched this [in not communicating with them earlier]. Steve disagreed.
Jody noted that her reservations were not because she was not pleased to hear this update; she thinks the AC will be pleased to hear this, but needs time and process to deal with it.
Katey re-requested that the SC send the AC a letter of apology for having dropped the ball, regardless who, what, why.
Budd didn’t think the SC dropped the ball, this all came to a climax just before the meeting in Tucson.
Jody said she appreciated Katey’s comments concerning the SC’s lack of response to the AC, but we are all in a constant state of hectic overwork.
Holly agreed, but noted that this caused the NWC a great deal of extra lost time and stress; balls may understandably be dropped, but may have other ramifications.
DECISIONS
PROPOSAL – Steve will contact the AC with the new information; will include an apology for not communicating earlier; will wait to hear from AC before pulling the proposal. If message is what the AC has asked for, he will ask if the AC will take this off the voting queue.
AGREED
Steve, previous legal portfolio holder, will also contact the legal team.
RECEIVED
1) received, 8/13/06 – CCC: Proposed resolution to transform CCC election process
2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
Floor manager: Jody
Threshold: 2/3
2) received, 8/17/06 – GPCA: PROPOSAL: Investigative Committee [Utah]
2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
Floor manager: Katey
Threshold: 2/3 (this involves an issue of GPUS policy by adding people to the NC list who are not part of an accredited party)
3) received, 8/9/06, 8/23/06 – GPTX: Fact-finding investigation for Utah
2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
Floor manager: Jim
Threshold: 1/2
Steve, Echo – concerns about appearance of lack of even-handedness with the threshold for this and the previous proposal. They agree with the thresholds, as long as we stipulate why they are set as they are (see above, the proposal form GPCA would add representatives of a non-affiliated group to the NC list: “Until a settlement proposal is passed by the NC, the GPUT group will be permitted to have up to 4 persons participating on the NC listservs.”.
4) received, 8/25/06 – NWC: Proposal to support gender parity on GPUS Coordinated Congressional Campaign Committees
Brent raised a concern that, as written, it appeared to call for an immediate election for new members. The current committee is about to go for advisory opinion on September 5; understanding that we are trying within this cycle [to be] recognized as full committee; if this passes, it allows up to 14 months for new election to take place.
Holly clarified that the intention of the proposal was not to adversely affect the committee’s work toward the advisory opinion and not meant to have an impact on the current makeup of the committee.
AGREED: the NWC will take this up with Brent and re-submit it after working the bugs out.
5) Donor Bill of Rights added to GPUS Fiscal Policy
decided 8/27/06 to go to the voting queue as a housekeeping measure
1 week discussion, 1 week vote
Floor manager: Liz
Threshold: 1/2
X) Follow-up with Utah
Steve Kramer was to send a letter to GPU explaining why their banner and materials were removed from the plenary room in Tucson; they had requested this in writing. As agreed, Steve sent the letter to the legal team; only change suggested was the possibility of adding mention of our right to association (free association under the 1st Amendment). Steve will send the letter to SC again, then send to GPU.
Brent expressed a concern: he was given information early on that Jeff Beardall (GPU) had no association w/ the Green Party before 2004. To his knowledge, Beardall has been an operative on behalf of Peter Camejo, with no association with the Green Party before the 2004 convention.
XI) Portfolios
Jody – encourage to contact former portfolio holders.
Echo – asked about “state support?” Is there a contact?
Liz – asks for current list. Jody will send it.
Rebecca – thoughts on state support issue, will email Echo privately.
XII) SC P & P’s
Jody reported these are ready to go except for a section about making SC listserv archives available to NC delegates and alternates.
AGREED : Jody will send the document to the SC again: SC will take this up on next call, to go to voting queue.
Next Call: September 10, 2006, 8:00 p.m. EDT
8/27/06
Holly Hart
Secretary, GPUS
Minimally edited and HTML formatted by Charlie Green