GPUS-SC Conference Call
October 22, 2006
8:00 p.m. EDT
Participants:
Holly Hart, Budd Dickinson, Katey Culver, Echo Steiner, Jim Coplen, Liz Arnone, Jody Grage, Emily Citkowski, Brent McMillan, Steve Kramer
Facilitator: Budd
Doug Malkan (accountant, CO) and Jeff Turner (FinCom, HI) called in for the discussion on Finances.
Observer: Jason Nabewaniec (NY)
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
There are now 394 candidates. So far in this year’s elections, there have been 24 wins out of 62 races, a 39% win rate. Brent is preparing a written account for the Media Committee on races to look out for on election night; will run it by the CCC for comment first. This will include a lot more data than in the past, more polling data, relevancy of certain races. There are several big stories developing. The overall quality of races is improving. Greg Gerritt is working on a spreadsheet # of poll votes for previous cycles to compare to this year’s results to use in press releases.
Executive session 8:48 p.m. – 8:54 p.m.
Matters relating to duties of political director.
B. FUNDRAISING – Brent
– Contributions are increasing over last month, more responses.
– Next fundraising mailng is ready to go. This will include something new, a tracking code for each donor in this mailing. This will help update addresses and phone #’s, looking to the possibility of automatically updating the database. This would be a huge help, we could take on more phone canvassers and do this in a more technical way.
– Brent sent out the proposed contract for base+commission phone canvasser to the SC for review.
PROPOSAL – Jody, that the contract language be approved.
APPROVED.
Brent would like to hire someone right away to start on December 1st.
Executive session 8:11 p.m.
Matters relating to personnel and hiring.
C. OPERATIONS – Emily
Online Outreach and Fundraising
– Emily has just hired a new intern from Howard University, and has another lined up from a high school. This is part of this school’s program, the 3rd year in a row, and has worked really well. Interviewed and offered an internship to someone moving to DC from Arizona. She will also post job ad for internship on the website.
– Emily will send out code for two banner ads for state or local websites, blogs, etc., tomorrow. One is an animated banner with “Bring the Troops Home Now” to scroll across the top of a site, linking to he new “peace slate” appeal; after Nov, 7 this will link to the home page. The other is a button linking directly to the “peace slate.”
– We have taken in almost $7000 this month. This is a pretty good month for us, maybe close to a record.
– Gregg Jocoy (SoCarolina) is organizing a blogstorm soliciting fund to match the matching funds challenge donation.
Outreach
– Scott McLarty spoke with Evan Messinger, VP of CNN, about possible people to have on for interviews. This came out of the Lou Dobbs action alert we sent out.
II. VOTING QUEUE – Holly
10/22/06
ADOPTED
#246 – SC: SC P&P’S; adopted 10/9/06
#247 – GRP-MA: Local Referenda Resolution for Divestment & Right of Return; adopted 10/9/06
VOTING
None
DISCUSSION
#248 – FunCom: Establishment of the Outreach Committee and approval of the Committee PPs
Discussion through 10/29/06
Voting period: 10/30/06 – 11/5/06
Grage// 50%
#249 – AC: Bylaws Clarification: Affiliation Complaints Against GP-US
Discussion through 10/29/06
Voting period: 10/30/06 – 11/5/06
Dickinson// 2/3
There have been several concerns/objections about this raised by NC delegates (Sanson/ILL; Nabewaniec/NY; Esco/GA. Huckelberry/ILL supports leaving as is).
—
Jody: Suggestion in AC that this be done w/ IRV. Can this be done?
Holy – thinks so, will check with Charlie and get back to Jody.
RECEIVED for VOTING QUEUE
None
III) UPDATE on CAMPUS GREENS – Echo
Echo hopes to have proposal for a Campus Greens Network finalized by the end of next week.
IV) UPDATE on FORUM MANAGERS – Holly
There is one volunteer and one potential volunteer for the alternate. Holly will follow up with both. If there is a clear response, SC will agree online to approve volunteer(s) to be sent to the voting queue for NC approval.
V) MISC – Secretary Report – Holly
Updating welcome message and delegate manual. Delegate manual was begun long ago and never completed, some of the outline and material is now outdated or inaccurate. Holly will review for needed updates (for instance, there are directions on sending votes to the NC list, not the voting page).
VI) PORTFOLIO REPORTS
FINANCE – Liz: In reference to the budget information we are requesting from various committees, someone asked if the SC were working with their committees to get their budgets in order. Liz asked if, as portfolio managers, SC co-chairs were working with committees on their budgets? She has only gotten back 3 budgets so far. Jody noted some committees traditionally have not spent any money (AC, BRPP).
POLICY – Budd
IC: Still working on getting subscribed to IC list.
Eco-Action: No action on Eco-Action,
GPAX: A ton of traffic on GPAX.
OUTREACH – Echo
DivCom: Still not on DivCom. Echo will send another email, but may have to think of some other action.
Steve plans to contact co-chairs within his portfolio.
VII) TREASURER’S REPORT/FINANCES – Jody
Jody is working on some ways of tracking income better. We should be able to pay October bills in October. The budget is coming along reasonably well, should get to the voting queue on time. Jody will be getting out the financial reports tomorrow before the FunCom and FInCom calls, as usual. She is working on a third paper and would really would like feedback from the rest of the SC. Jody is considering cash reporting as opposed to accrual reporting in the treasurer’s reports to the NC, easier to understand.
Katey noted that donor lists include income from donors for things like attending the national conference. Does this skew the report of what funds are actually sending contributions to the party?
Brent responded: This is a two-dimensional snapshot of a three-dimensional database. We do track these individual streams. Donor lists simply give candidates people they may want to contact.
Katey also asked if cash reporting would end up posing more questions? Jody explained that the accountant’s report will still be accrual reporting, and those with questions can still access them online.
Liz brought up the situation in Pennsylvania with the Romanelli Campaign getting hit with humongous court costs. In the future, what will we come up against over and over again with similar situations, and how do we prepare in advance? Should we be thinking about a strategy or budget niche to either assist some states when they get into these situations? Brent responded that he doesn’t want to see the GP get into a situation where some might attempt to use such situations as a trap to bankrupt the party. However, we must build a legal committee, legal resources; what came at Ralph Nader in 2004 is now coming at us. Steve suggested we think about getting a budget line item, ballot access or legal, where we could save to apply to things of this nature.
NEXT CALL: Sunday, November 5, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Holly Hart
Secretary, GPUS
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Minimally edited and HTML formatted by Charlie Green