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| General Membership Meeting Jan 22, 2007
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| Written by Webmaster |
Philadelphia Ethical Society Building
Monday, January 22, 2007
Facilitating: Christina Valente
Timekeeper: Isabelle Buonocore
Minutes: Joe Strzalka
Agenda
0. Introductions
– lots of new faces - 29 people in attendance
Added agenda item:
Issues and conflicts raised recently on gpopwork newsgroup
Dave Baker from Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) Steering
Committee:
*GPPA unanimously recommends
mediation between all parties
*Mediator outside of GPPA and GPOP:
Skip Mendler from National Committee
* GPOP members to pick a time and
place
Q: will GPOP determine the process?
A: Skip will determine the process.
Q: Will mediation happen in Philadelphia?
A: Probably, it’s up to GPOP to decide.
Q: What is the problem?
A (Christina V): initial exchange arising from concerns
about whether the same person can serve as treasurer for state and local
parties [GPOP treasurer Alex Gillett just elected treasurer of GPPA], and other
issues at last city committee meeting have risen to attacks being exchanged on
email.
A (Dave) The dispute started that way, but it has brought up
older issues that need to be resolved.
A (Charles): Some people felt that info was not being shared
appropriately.
Q: sounds like its about unity and strength and resolution
A (Dave): everyone will have a chance to air their views,
and then there will be resolution and healing. For more questions, call GPPA toll-free number 800-647-4685
A. Nominations to City Committee
1. Explanation of positions and procedures for nominations and voting (Christina V)
· set by by-laws (available online)
· General Membership is highest governing body of GPOP
· City committee (CC) meets regularly, designs agendas,
addresses matters as they arise, can act in-between general membership meeting,
but general membership can over-ride decisions of CC
· Positions: chair, membership/organizational secretary,
recording secretary, treasurer and 3 at-large
· Recording sec’y: record minutes and distribute
via email list-serve, archived on website;
· Treasurer: keeps books, proposes budget, (note: by-laws
limit spending by CC w/o approval
of general membership), and reports financial data to the state
· Organizational/membership secretary: keep records of
members, can co-sign with chair to pay expenses when treasurer is absent, Excel
and word-processing skills helpful; can expand duties to include organizing
ward, welcoming new members, etc.
· Chair: schedule CC meetings, design agendas, sign
contracts for GPOP
· At-large members: participate and vote in CC meetings,
act as liaison to membership
· Nominations tonight, voting at next general meeting
· Officers elected first, then at-large voted on
· Election of officers requires majority, if no majority,
top 2 candidates have run-off
· For at-large candidates, voting by procedure in By-Laws
with people submitting ranked list of top-three candidates; for each ballot,
top-ranked candidate gets 3 points, 2nd gets 2 points, 3rd
gets 1 vote
· Important to stick with the by-laws
· Nominations remain open through next meeting
2. Floor open for nominations
Nominee Office Nominated by Accepts?
Christina Valente Chair Charles, Esther Yes
Alex Gillett Treasurer Esther, Christina Absent
Joe Strzalka Treasurer Isabelle No
Isabelle Buonocore Org. Sec’y Christina No
Mike Rosenberg Org Sec. Esther Yes, but moving in June
Lew Harris Org. Sec. Christina, Mike Yes
Joe Strzalka Recording Sec Esther No
OPEN Recording Sec
Charles Sherrouse At-large Esther, Christina Yes
Lew Harris At-large Christina, Isabelle Yes
Mike Rosenberg At-large Christina, Vivek Yes
Traci Confer At-large Christina, Esther No – involved with national
Gene Miller At-large Vivek No
David Odell At-large Gene No
Isabelle Buonocore At-large Christina C No
3. Candidates’ Statements
Christina V (chair) : several
goals for 2007 as chair
*
increase participation by more Greens
*
improve fund-raising: 4 large fund-raisers and small fund-raisers in the
other months
*
outreach – recent problems indicate we may not be welcoming everyone we can
*
more professional organization will make us more successful
Mike R (org sec/at-large): Likely to be moving out of state
in June, has served as chair and org-sec’y and candidate. Lots of progress in recent campaigns,
continue this growth, especially this year when we have the chance to elect a
city commissioner in 2007
Lew (org sec/at-large): interested in organization
because of past activities as Republican ward leader, organizer in 14
wards and former state rep candidate;
Feels strongly that grassroots extremely important, need candidates
connected to their communities.
Feels Green Party offers a chance for African-Americans to participate
in making sure candidates are elected with strong ties to community
Charles (at-large): outreach to people who are not but could
register Green, and outreach to Greens who are registered but not active
Remember: we will need 14 registered greens for quorum at
February meeting for elections to happen
B. Introductions to candidates
seeking GPOP nominations for Electoral Office
Charles: We have lost status as ‘minor party’
but are still a political organization, and history, so we have standing to
defend our use of ‘Green Party’ but it would be easier to file
early and avoid any conflicts. For
city-wide offices, expect to need 4-5 thousand signatures, want double that to
withstand challenges (For city council districts, expect 4-500 signatures
required, want ~1000 signatures).
All city-wide candidates can be aggregated onto a petition.
Q: Do we need only Greens to sign petitions?
Mike: No, any registered voter can sign
Charles: we can file petitions as soon as the minimum is
reached, and then we can amend the filing with more signatures
Lew Harris, prospective candidate for City Commissioner: From past involvement in elections, Lew sees that
voting registration commissioner is most important position, able to affect the
election in many ways (holding up poll-watcher credentials, etc). GPOP has the opportunity to replace Joe
Duda, the Republican City Commissioner
-- this is best opportunity to grow the Green Party, get protection on
the inside with a good commissioner.
That’s one of the reasons I’m running, because we found
massive cheating, voting machines starting out with non-zero vote totals.
Q: What is your
position on paper-verified voting machines?
Not enough time in agenda for answer – Lew will have a
chance to respond at February meeting.
Note: One City Commissioner position is reserved for a
minority party (could be GPOP!)
Brian Rudnick, prospective candidate for City Council, 8th
District:
Brain is an attorney, met Vivek way back, when both had
businesses in Reading Terminal Market.
Brian led a campaign against construction of the Pennsylvania Convention
Center on its current site. He is
now involved in several issues. He
is employed as an educator for the Phila Water Dept., and as an adjunct
professor of information systems at Philadelphia University. After earning an undergraduate degree
in math, he worked as a computer programmer doing actuarial stuff, then went to
law school, but stopped practicing law to open a book store/newsstand at
Reading Terminal Market that he ran for a few years before starting his current
position.
Q: Who would you be running against, and what do you want to
accomplish?
A: Organized the recent Green Party meet-up on Feb 11 to discuss
who would run in 8th District against incumbent Donna Reed Miller,
then found out this meeting will happen before the meet-up, so Brian is still
working out whether he might run or whether someone else from the district
might run. Currently working on
pedestrian safety along Germantown Ave in Chestnut Hill.
Q: What is your position on Privatization of Water Dept
Facilities(Pelletization project in South Philly)? Fluoridation?
Disposition of waste after treatment?
Time for this part of agenda finished.
Chance to answer in February, or candidates can answer via
gpopchat in the meantime
Break/Pass-the-hat/Meet a new person
C. Budget (update
from Christina V, Alex not present)
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Draft budget exists, but not finalized (Christina V away over holidays) –
should be ready for vote in February
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Fundraising:
o
Need to raise more funds to support our candidates
o
Green Gala a terrific success
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Goal for 2007: 4 fundraisers raising $2k each
o
Schedule:
April (Green Games); July (Summer Picnic); September (open); December
(Saturday night, Green Gala II – find a bigger space next time)
o
Looking for volunteers to chair these events, generate more ideas
*
Small fundraisers: Singapore restaurant discussion/dinners in the other months
D. Voter registration
Isabelle is working on a registration drive project in
2007. Hillary attended a registration clinic recently.
Passing around photo from Malcolm X Park event on MLK day where several GPOPers got involved with
community members cleaning up the park. Events like this can get the word out about GPOP.
E. Working Group Reports and Announcements
1. Membership(Isabelle)
Isabelle and Chris Robinson started this working group, and
are looking for people to join in
and organize in their wards.
Currently, 2nd, 46th and 59th represented.
Christina V will organize her division (8/18)
Isabelle shared a letter she sent to registered Greens in
her ward (2nd)
2. Transportation Working Group (David)
TWG currently focused on:
*
Sources of long-term funding for SEPTA
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Response to governor’s funding reform commission report
*
Looking into joining the anti-casino
movement from a transportation perspective
3. Anti-racism/white privilege consciousness raising workshop
The City Committee is looking for someone to lead a workshop
on anti-racism and white privilege. The Green Party is historically white in its leadership and membership,
and we need to work to change this. CC is in discussions with Ewuare Osayande,
a poet, author, activist, lecturer and workshop leader, about having such a
workshop for GPOP.
4. The GPPA is trying to arrange for the annual meeting of the Green Party of the United
States to be held in Reading, PA, this July. If it doesn’t happen, there will be an Education Day
planned for July 13 to educate about Green issues.
5. All are welcome to attend city committee meetings, happening Mondays at 7:00 PM at
Nodding Head Pub, on the 1500 block of Sansom St (above the Oyster House).
6. The Green
Party Meet-up Brian Rudnick suggested organizing in February has morphed into a
community clean-up of part of Fairmount Park on March 4.
*
Would GPOP sponsor such an event?
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Which part of the park
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Are there other groups we could work with
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Christina V: this is a good idea to discuss further at a CC meeting
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