GPUS-SC Conference Call
October 5, 2008
8:00 p.m. EST
Participants:
Co-chairs: Jason Nabewaniec, Jill Bussiere, Sanda Everrett, Budd Dickinson, Craig Thorsen, Phil Huckelberry
Secretary: Holly Hart
Treasurer: Jody Grage
Staff: Tamar Yager, Emily Citkowski, Brent McMillan
Cliff Thornton is traveling on Green Party and drug reform policy business, and is unable to be on tonight’s call.
Facilitator: Budd
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.]
AGENDA
I. Staff Reports
a. Brent – political director
Brent sent a detailed weekly report: we have a potential case in VT to get on the ballot, looking for an attorney. PCSC working with GPMI and Doug Malkan on coordinated expenditures, which may set a precedent for future work. Gained another candidate, 293. Some candidates didn’t make the ballot and have been removed from the database.
Brent received an invitation to help brief elections observers coming from Europe. Another invitation — advisors from Transpartisan Alliance. (He has accepted both.)
b. Brent – fundraising, major donors
Working with Jody, Budd, Holly, Jill who are willing to make calls to potential large donors.
c. Emily – operations
Two new interns, working out well. Database is online and being tested, will start to enter payments on Monday, hope to have it operating by Friday.
d. Emily – online fundraising
Raised $16,000 in comparison to September 7, when we raised $6800. Sent out four appeals in September. We have McKinney campaign gear and it’s “selling like hotcakes.” September was the highest-selling non-convention month in the history the party, $6000 in sales. T-shirts sold out within days, and they are no longer stocking them because of the turn-around time. They do have bumper stickers, buttons; re: comments from NC Greens, have developed McKinney campaign material that mentions the Green Party.
Have received Green voter registration list from California. Working on a fundraising letter for a mass mailing.
e. Tamar – fundraising, direct mail, phone banking
Empower phone solicitors got 5 sustainers; significant number of charge cards, payments are coming in at a good rate. It appears to be more than breaking even. Direct mail, about $14,000 so far, for re-solicitation letter, rough estimate. Small but fruitful event at NY community center, using super voters list; discussion of using this as they did with the DC list for fundraising calls.
II. Treasury report – Jody
Closing cash flow report was sent out. General account $8.8K; $44.1K accounts payable, which included $33K for Palmer Hilton. October 1, sent $10,000 to Palmer Hilton, they would like full payment by the end of November. $23.8 earmarked funds, $12.6 of that is in state sharing. For the first two quarters, a little less than $700 is state-driven state sharing, Jody will get break-down on what is state and what is national-driven. $4.6 in state sharing, $8.7 in ballot access.
Closing cash flow report for September was sent out. General account $8.8K; $44.1K accounts payable, which included $33K for Palmer Hilton. October 1, sent $10,000 to Palmer Hilton, they would like full payment by mid-November. $23.8 earmarked funds including $8.7 in ballot access and $12.6 in state sharing. For the first two quarters of state sharing totaling $7.8K, a little less than $700 is state-driven state sharing.
Jody will send out a break-down on what is state-driven and what is national-driven.
Jody had asked that SC members send her suggestions for potential new members of the fundraising committee.
FundCom agenda for their last call included developing a case statement for 2009 budget; listing resource needs.
III. Voting queue update
Drug Reform Policy proposal has passed.
Vote to Certify SC Election is in discussion, will go into voting phase this week.
Please look over the Monetary Reform document from MO/TN – SC needs more clarification as to what is wanted. Holly will ask them to specify what result and what they want from the NC.
Request for election fairness letter. Holly will send a draft to the SC list, send to the group upon approval and notify the GNC.
IV. Portfolios
CRAIG – AnmCom is considering proposals from NC and TX for a 2009 national meeting.
AC has had no calls or discussions for awhile. Craig sent an email to the co-chairs; they have no anticipation of being needed in the next couple months. Craig suggested they review their R, P&P’s to see if any need clarifying, correcting, etc. BAC- Craig was approached by Craig HIll of VT about pending ballot access lawsuit; spoke with Brent McMillan, Richard Winger (Ballot Access News) and others. Will check with Vermont state bar assoc. BRPP – working on their charter, spokesperson proposal and more.
JILL – is trying to get ahold of Echo Steiner to get the listing of Green lawyers. Phil noted that if the information has not been compiled in any meaningful way, we need to take the list and get further information.
GPAX co-chair was away; they are talking about officer elections, appears civil at this time.
V. Charlie Pillsbury suggested that the SC set aside some time (about 20-30 minutes) either this Sunday or next to debrief our joint experiences of these calls. It was agreed to wait until a future call, especially if Charlie could be present.
******
From 9/27/08 Call: In the short-term, he is interested in our feedback, in giving us his feedback on our group process, perhaps suggesting some best or better practices. The goal would be to empower the SC to make more effective use of conference calls by sharing some of his ideas about facilitation and conflict resolution in general.
There was the feeling by some that the last call was not productive as the call before that;. People were pushing ahead with ideas, but not really listening to the discussion.
Charlie felt facilitation is useful, suggested some ways to approach issues.
VI. Finish agenda, begun 9/7/08
a. Clarifying fundraising questions
Jason felt there are a number of things missing from our fundraising discussion that we haven’t gotten to, yet.
Phil asked why fundraising revenue isn’t meeting our budget. Need to analyze trends and see what is working, what isn’t. Some feeling that budget was high in some areas, not based on what we could realistically raise. Also some feeling that fundraising course had changed, but would have remained higher had it not been. Jody stated there are only 4 people on FinCom.
Executive session – 9:15 – 11: 40 p.m. EDT
Personnel and campaign matters
NEXT CALL: Sunday, October 19, 2008; 8:00 p.m. ET