May 6, 2012

GPUS SC Conference Call Minutes
Sunday, May 6, 2012 – 8:00 p.m. ET

I. CALL SETUP
a. Facilitator – Nan Garrett
b. Start recording of call
c. Roll Call – Steve Welzer (left call at 8:45), Darryl Moch, Budd Dickinson, Tamar Yager, Jeff Turner, Audrey Clement, Theresa ElAmin, Susan Chunco. Absent – Farheen Hakeem
d. Agenda change – Consensus to add time to PNC/ANM to talk about travel assistance.

II. STAFF REPORTS (submitted in writing)
a. Office Manager – Brian Bittner: some highlights – Merchandise has been shipping briskly. I shipped 35 items over the last last two weeks in April. We have been shipping a lot of Green Pages. We received 5K copies of the Spring 2012 issue on 4/18/12 andhave sold 1,250 so far. We have 105 registrants for the ANM. We committed to filling 105 nights at the Inner Harbor Holiday Inn in exchange for reduced rates. 97 of those nights have been filled.

b. Fundraiser Report – David Sacks: biweekly report highlights –
Phone Banking – 30 Hours

# of Calls: 470; Hours: 30; Conversations: 101

Amount Pledged: 32 Donors for $2300; Processed: $480.

Donor Corresp – 13 Hours
Major Donors – 8 Hours

GPUS Data Maint – 13 Hours (Sustainer Management – 5 Hours; State Support –
8 Hours).

III. TREASURER’S REPORT & FINANCE ITEMS – Jeff

Since April a little less than two thousand has come in from the web and the mail. I have paid rent, Salsa, medical insurance, Pair, phone bill, and payroll, which leaves gereral funds nearly equal to accounts payable. We’re just getting by, and we are not funding ballot access efforts.

IV. PNC/ANM – $3000 is in the 2012 budget for travel assistance for those in need. Can we afford this? They are reimbursed after the meeting, but we were to let applicants know by 5/15. Max has been reduced to $300 per applicant. FinCom is meeting this Wed and will give us recommendation. Fundraising may not allow us to spend the entire $3000. May have to extend the deadline to 5/31 for informing applicants. Several SC members said they can do without the meal per diem. Susan said that there are several applicants from CA because GPCA has not gotten its 2008 state sharing repaid and cannot afford to help. Darryl suggested that SC members agree not to utilize designated funds for the ANM/PNC and to direct the Finance Committee and Treasurer to redirect the total sum of the renounced funds to the diversity and scholarship line items to assist party members who want to come but otherwise might not be able to attend; up to the $3000. No decision pending FinCom recommendation.

Deadline for nominating “Honorary” Co-Chairs, Election Administrator, and Co-facilitators is May 13. Results of straw poll were considered. We could not do an STV calculation. Budd, Tamar, and Darryl volunteered to make calls to those who were at top of ranking. We will ask if they will be there and are willing.

V. VOTING QUEUE – Budd 15 minutes
In the queue:
653 – Amend Fiscal Policy to Clarify Use of Credit/Debit Cards and Remove Outdated References – Voting 4/30 – 5/6. Needs one more state to make quorum.

654 to 659 – 2012 Platform amendment proposals (Batch #1). Approved by consensus online. Discussion 5/2-13; Voting 5/14-20.

Received for the queue:
2012 Platform amendment proposals (Batch #2) – CA- Health Care proposal; GA- Immigration proposal; GA- Nuclear power proposal; VA- Transportation proposal; WA- Call to Action proposal; and WA- Energy proposal (Text of all 6 have been forwarded in separate messages.) Send to the queue. 2-week discussion, 1-week vote; to queue tomorrow.
Floor Manager – Tamar.

VI. Proposal from Ecoaction Committee to endorse a letter from Green Action Japan to Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Audrey. See below. Approved for endorsement pending getting Steve’s okay to meet 80% quorum requirement. *Steve*, who had to leave the call before the discussion of voting queue items, subsequently approved the letter. Audrey sent a link to the letter.

VII. LIAISON REPORTS

Susan has been incapacitated for last few weeks and could not attend meetings.

Theresa is following the AccredCom situations with the Virgin Islands and Kentucky.

Darryl said CCC, DHSS, and DSCC are working as a single unit and meeting every two weeks. We are working as a large committee with three subcommittees (able to be broken back into separate parts if and when it is determined that the committee’s should do so or would thrive when done). Note that as mentioned before this new super committee is developing work plans and scope of work and will also review and revise committee(x3) rules, procedures, missions, and bylaws as necessary and appropriate.

Currently we are working on offering some campaign schools/academies both live and virtual. We are developing materials and resources that will be available on line. We are looking at doing a training in Texas first (as they have the largest number of identified candidates). In the next meeting we will be talking with folks from TX to see what their needs, resources, and options are so we can assess our ability to engage this process. We will also have a conversation with other candidates and states as we go forward. We are still clarifying the membership of the committees as well.

VIII. ACTION ITEMS/OLD BUSINESS
1. Employment Agreements and Personnel Manual revision – Jeff will now be working on the Personnel Manual.

2. Fundraising – David Sacks is calling much more and having some success.

IX. Next call 5/20/12 (Tamar will work on the agenda with Budd, who will be out of touch the week before the meeting.)

______________________________**__________________________

Proposal to endorse a letter from Green Action Japan to Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon requesting that:

“1. The United Nations should organize a Nuclear Security Summit to take up the crucial problem of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent nuclear fuel pool.

“2. The United Nations should establish an independent assessment team on Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 and coordinate international assistance in order to stabilize the unit’s spent nuclear fuel pool and prevent radiological consequences with potentially catastrophic consequences.”

Forwarded it to the GPUS Steering Committee, requesting that it endorse the letter and forward it to

info@greenaction-japan.org

as directed below in accordance with GPUS Rules and Procedures, ARTICLE IV: STEERING COMMITTEE ENDORSEMENT PROCESS/ ENDORSEMENT PROCESS FOR TIME SENSITIVE REQUESTS, A. 24-48 Hour Response.

Audrey Clement

Co-Chair, Ecoaction Committee