[candidate-development] Fwd: [Locals] In regards to the failure to post a minority opinion as required by our By-laws

[Merelice]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Merelice <merelice at gmail.com>
Date: Mar 3, 2008 4:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Locals] In regards to the failure to post a minority
opinion as required by our By-laws
To: locals at green-rainbow.org, Jamie O'Keefe <jokeefe at jamesokeefe.org>
Cc: "Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) Administrative Committee"
<adcom at green-rainbow.org>


Dear GRP colleague,

 I am so sorry that Jamie O'Keefe and others have tried to turn this
 complex situation into an adversarial and accusatory "we versus them"
 issue. All of the volunteers in your party are trying to act to our
 highest degree of ethics and responsibility, though there is
 disagreement among us.

 I will briefly address Jamie's complaint below. It is true that some
 members of the party (actually, as some signers learn of the
 complexities involved and that there is more than one side to the
 story, they are rethinking their position) sent the Party Secretary a
 document last Thursday evening entitled "Minority Opinion." However,
 they made a demand that does not abide by the way this party conducts
 business in that they demanded that one officer unilaterally and
 hastily (by Friday evening) fulfill their demand.

 Meanwhile, as co-chair, I have sent the document to the Administrative
 Committee (some of whom signed the document in question) for its
 consideration. I made what I believe to be the reasonable suggestion
 that a minority opinion should be accompanied by a majority opinion.
 Otherwise, the minority opinion will be read without context and could
 lead to confusion and unnecessary division. The minority report took
 several weeks to prepare. It seems fair to allow a bit of time for the
 majority opinion to be prepared. To now complain about inaction over a
 weekend in which some of us were engaged in our regional conventions
 is being unrealistic and insensitive.

 The email below notes that the cochairs do not have the authority to
 make decisions without the Administrative Committee's participation.
 The same is true of the Secretary who was asked to do what a minority
 of party members demanded. Furthermore, the By-law section cited does
 not impose an unrealistic deadline as this request did.

 Let me assure you that your officers will proceed in good conscience
 and we will most certainly be transparent in our actions. The minority
 opinion is not transparent in that it understandably presents its case
 to its own advantage and does not provide the full and accurate
 context of the actions it accuses the party of wrongfully
 iimplementing.

 Sincerely,

Merelice, co-chair




 On 3/3/08, Jamie O'Keefe <jokeefe at jamesokeefe.org> wrote:
 > Dear contacts for our local chapters,
 >
 >  This email is simply to inform you that eleven (and growing) of your
 >  fellow GRP members submitted a statement: "regarding 2008 presidential
 >  primary ballot history and urgent request for solving problems" in
 >  accordance with Section 11.4 of the By-Laws.
 >
 >  This section of the By-laws states: "Minority Opinions. Significant
 >  minority opinions within the Green-Rainbow Party will be recorded and
 >  communicated to other national and regional Green organizations as
 >  appropriate."
 >
 >  It was sent to the Secretary of the GRP this past Thursday, February
 >  28th, 2008, as the person responsible for recording our documents and
 >  requested to be communicated to you.
 >
 >  We understand from the Secretary that while he understands that this
 >  bylaw says "will be communicated" that he is not doing so because he
 >  was so requested by the co-chairs.
 >
 >  The only duties that the co-chairs perform without the full
 >  participation of all adcom members that we can find in the bylaws are
 >  listed under 9.10 and do not include deciding about the communication
 >  of minority opinions (they include official spokespeople, set adcom
 >  agendas, arranging various facilitation, notifying adcom members of
 >  meetings and ensuring adcom members are doing their duties).
 >
 >  We hope that you receive the Statement with the history and urgent
 >  request for action soon.
 >
 >  Sincerely,
 >
 >  James O'Keefe (on behalf of the signers of the aforementioned
minority opinion)
 >  Membership Director, Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts
 >  _______________________________________________
 >  Locals mailing list
 >  Locals at green-rainbow.org
 >  http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/locals
 >