[Locals] "Local Ballots 2008" Sunday Feb 18th conference call 9:30pm

[Ron Francis]

  Dear GRP's,
   
  There will be an informal phone conference on Feb 18th, Sunday night, 9:30 pm, to discuss the "Local Ballots 2008" 2-year Plan that has been circulated.  So far 6 people have expressed an interest in coming to the March 1st meeting in Somerville while several others have expressed a willingness to help.
   
  "Local Ballots 2008" calls for the GRP to use the direct democratic means of local State Rep Ballot Questions, backed by and led by the GRP, and done in many districts around the Commonwealth, in order to establish a particular issue that we are identified with, passionate about and for which there is a root cause analysis (embedded in the language) that distinguishes us from the other parties.  The plan also would necessitate an enhanced effort in local organizing for a year and a half in preparation for the petition drives necessary to execute the sweeping State Rep ballot questions.
   
  The point of the conference call is to answer questions about the plan and suggest improvements to the basic plan and timeline (see below for details).
   
  To participate call 
   
  641 497 7002 code 724655 
   
  I look forward to getting feedback on the plan and discussing in detail the thinking behind the 2 year Plan.
   
  Ron Francis
   
   Background:
> 
> One of the models that the 2004, 2005 Membership Committee of our 
> State Party explored (based on research of how GRP's were being built 
> around the U.S.) was the idea of Party-led local ballot question or 
> questions as a way of developing local chapters. 
>
> As the elected male co-chair of our State party in 2005 and 2006, I 
> participated in this research as part of the Membership Committee 
> during those times. (I'm no longer on the current Membership 
> Committee having shifted to another committee and also mainly focusing 
> on local organizing in West Somerville where I live....)
>
> The idea of Party-led ballot questions was one of six Models that the 
> 2004,5 Membership Committee investigated for building the GRP at local 
> levels. (For the other 5 Models, please see the end of this email).
>
> It is high time that this Party-Led Ballot Question strategy be 
> tried. It might just work ! 
>
> For simplicity I will refer to the plan as Local Ballots 2008.
>
> Here's the basic plan: "Local Ballots 2008"
>
> In order to help the public identify one or two key issues that the 
> GRP really cares about, and
>
> in order to have us distinguish ourselves from the corporate 
> controlled Democratic Party, and
>
> in order to push us gently to focus on local (State Rep) level 
> organizing as the key to sustainable growth,
>
> We would aim to have local ballot questions on one key issue in as 
> many of the 160 State Rep districts as possible. We would ask local 
> GRPs and the state GRP to endorse the ballot question so that the 
> party logo could be used and help establish the widespread geographic 
> coherency of the campaign.
>
> We would choose language that helps the public distinguish the GRP 
> from so-called "progressive" efforts by corporate controlled Democrats 
> using a root-cause analysis to formulate the language of the ballot 
> question
>
> The same question would appear on all 160 local ballots instructing 
> our State Reps to vote a certain way on legislation. Note that it 
> takes only 200 signatures to do such a ballot question in each State 
> Rep district - so it is relatively easy to do if a team of 4 or 5 can 
> be established in each district.
>
> This Spring and we would use a process to identify the one or two 
> issues that we think that many people would be willing to work on, 
> including non-GRP people. 
>
> It is tempting to think that we could do this using many different 
> issues simultaneously since we are a multi-issue entity but the 
> problem would be that no coherent message would come through as that 
> particular passion of the GRP. 
>
> Of course in choosing one issue (outside chance of two issues .. but I 
> think one is better right now), we might lose some people but on the 
> other hand there might be many people out there who aren't involved 
> with the GRP who would get involved because of the power and clear 
> focus of the issue and campaign. So, if we had 20 or 30 people 
> willing to push the idea we would grow, and possibly rapidly, as 
> single issue efforts sometimes do when the general public is engaged.
>
> In collecting the signatures we could highlight our full social and 
> ecological justice platform of course, but the focus would be the 
> ballot question issue.
>
> We would write the language so that everyone is clear on what 
> education work needs to be done over the next 18 months so that we can 
> make a decent showing at the polls. (By starting now it really gives 
> us the time to develop the issues and educational materials so that 
> the public will support us
>
> We can do it !
>
> If 45 percent of voters in Somerville can support the Right of Return 
> as a fundamental human right for Palestinians using sustained 
> education, then certainly we can educate people to support some other 
> closer to home domestic issue at a high percentage. Think positive ! 
>
> Maybe it's living wage, or a root cause housing ballot question, or 
> maybe some ballot question having to do with money in politics, or 
> maybe some ballot question that has already been used. It's not the 
> particular issue that is paramount here. The point is that the public 
> will no longer be confused about where our passion lies and critically, what distinguishes us from the other parties
>
> (Looking forward to 2010: This proposal is intended to develop a dozen 
> or so local ballot questions in 2008 that lead to a measurable vehicle 
> that local State Rep candidates or even better municipal candidates 
> can run on in 2008 and 2010. It is also a setup for a 2010 statewide 
> ballot question that firmly plants in the public's mind what the party 
> stands for. If this plan works it sets up the party to win a 
> substantial percentage of the vote in local races)
>
> So that's the basic plan. Here is the tentative timeline:
>
> Early Spring 2007:
> Put together the Local Ballot 2008 planning committee and develop 
> ballot question language for 5 or 6 issues.
>
> Spring 2007:
> Use some process where we choose which issue we will work on, 
> recognizing that not everyone will agree... that's ok. If the issue 
> is compelling and outreach is done then we will grow.
>
> Develop educational materials and hold several forums to interest GRP 
> members and the general public on the issue. Perhaps culminate in a 
> few large well organized forums, that are organizing driven meetings, 
> in September with big name speakers.
>
> Summer 2007:
> Start distributing the educational materials in public places, forums 
> and wherever. Use usual outreach techniques with colorful flyers, 
> automated phonecalling and email to bring people to organizing 
> meetings.
>
> Immediate Steps:
>
> 1) In two weeks I will hold an informal gathering at my house so that 
> people can discuss this idea. Thursday evening 7pm on the 
> 1st of March. My house is at 44 Benton Road in Somerville. 
> (Directions below)
>
> 2) In four weeks two meetings will be held, one in Eastern MA and one 
> in Western Mass for people interested in this strategy. The meetings 
> will be held on Saturday March 10th, adn then teh other on Sunday March 11th
> respectively. Times and places to be arranged but probably noontime 
> snack meetings.
>
> 2) We will need two people to host the meetings. I am willing to host 
> one meeting at my house on Somerville on either the 10th or the 11th of
> March.
>
> 3) We will need someone to host a noontime snack meeting in Amherst / 
> Northampton Area on the other another date.
>
> 4) We will need some individuals who commit to writing ballot 
> questions on a few issues.
> 
> Here are some criteria that should be considered in developing the 
> text.
> 
> a) The ballot questions must be such as to challenge the ROOT 
> causes of a particular social change issue and possibly associated 
> with abolishing poverty but not necessarily.
> 
> b) The ballot question must try to clearly distinguishable from any 
> initiatives that would be supported by reform minded corporate 
> Democrats - our competitors for social justice minded people.
> 
> Just to get the ball rolling I will throw out one example that I am 
> not particularly wedded to; I am putting it out so that people can 
> see an example. I won't commit on any issue until I can evaluate each 
> one on its merits.
> 
> "Shall the State Represetative from this district be instructed to 
> vote in favor of a living wage law that covers state employees that 
> work over 500 hours per year, the employees of state service 
> contractors that hold contracts worth over $25,000 per year, and 
> employees of large retailers with gross revenues over $1,000,000. The 
> law would call for payment of $10.00 per hour if the employer provides 
> health insurance of at least $2.50 an hour, or $12.50 per hour if not 
> and all amounts are indexed annually."
>
> (Numbers to be adjusted....with more research)
>
> So that's it folks.
>
> I don't know if this will work but it should and I'm willing to put 
> energy in to make it a reality. I will need help however.
>
> Please call if you are interested in spreading the word and helping 
> out. I'm at 617 230-2835. I will send out another email in one weeks 
> time to let people know who has responded and where we are at.
>
> Some specific tasks have been identified that people can help out with 
> immediately.
>
> I believe that if there are 25 people willing to commit themselves to 
> participating in this plan by late Spring then some form of this plan 
> is worth initiating.
>
> I need to hear from people who AT LEAST want to discuss this plan and 
> see if it makes sense for them. I am willing to assemble a database 
> of interested persons. 
>
> Please respond to this email if you are interested. I need your 
> name, physical address (for physical mailings), email and phone.
>
> I'm willing to coordinate initially by assembling the data base and 
> hosting the first preparatory meeting on Tuesday Feb 26th at my house.
>
> Yours in struggle,
> Ron Francis 617 230-2835
>
> Directions to Benton Road:
> By Bus or Walking:
> Benton Road is off of Highland Ave in Somerville. To get to the 
> house you need to go to either Porter or Davis. 
> 
> Davis:
> If you go to Davis you can stand in front of the Somerville theatre 
> and wait for either the 88 or the 90 bus down Highland Ave to Benton 
> Road (about 15 blocks in the bus). You can also walk 15 blocks down 
> HIghland Ave. if youlike). When you get off the bus, take a right and 
> go one block. The house is on the right on a corner. It is white with 
> a porch and swing. 
> 
> Porter:
> If you go to Porter, then cross the parking lot to Elm street and walk 
> up Hancock Street until Summer St. Take a right and walk about 8 
> blocks up hill. Take a left on Benton (just after the church) and go 
> down 3 small blocks. The house is on the left. It is number 44 , a 
> white house with a porch and swing. If you do get lost, call at 617 
> 230-2835 or 617 666-4343.
> 
> By Car:
> Need to get to Highland Avenue in Somerville. Benton Road is off of 
> Highland Avenue about halfway between Davis Square and City 
> Hall. Dunkin Donuts on Highland Ave is close to Benton Road. The House 
> is one block South at the intersection of Bento Road and Gibbens 
> St. Number 44—a white house with green trimming and swing on a 
> porch. If you get lost call 617 230-2835 or 617 666-4343
> 
> Six Models to Develop GRP local entities from 2004, 2005 membership 
> committee work.
> A) Candidate based approaches
> 
> 1) Candidate campaign turns into an issue based campaign
> 
> e.g. a candidate runs for office for State legislature focusing on two 
> or three issues. After either winning or losing the race, the local 
> campaign organization turns its attention to working on a local issue.
> 
> 2) Candidate campaign turns into another candidate campaign
> 
> e.g. a candidate runs for State representative with the intention of 
> building an organization which will be available for the next run of 
> the same office two years later
> 
> Any of these below can turn into a candidate campaign with the right 
> circumstances
.
> 
> B) Issue based approaches
> 
> 3) State level or Local level issue-based campaign run by other 
> organizations but supported by Green-Rainbow Party
> 
> e,g, An organization is running a Statewide initiative campaign or a 
> local campaign based on the issue of “bear baiting”. The 
> Green-Rainbow Party endorses the campaign, makes some resources 
> available to the lead organization and develops connections with these 
> organizations that in turn leads to people eventually becoming active 
> with the Party
> 
> 4) Issue based campaign initiated by the party
> 
> e.g. The Party becomes affiliated with a local campaign or statewide 
> campaign that truly bears the Parties name
> 
> 5) “Concerned Citizen Group”
> 
> e.g. Local group of people that is always on the lookout for issues 
> that come up before local city councils and challenges the council to 
> take progressive views on a variety of issues
> 
> C) Common Project ideas
> 
> 6) Common Project Community Building approach
> 
> e.g. Local groups of people are involved in some non-issue, 
> non-electoral activity that may have a social component. This could be 
> a Potluck discussion group about Green Party values, or the production 
> of a newspaper. In all cases, attention is paid to building a 
> “community” of the involved people
> 
> 
> 
> Organizing Practices
> 
> 
> A) Recruitment
> 
> 1) Use accessible politics (start where people are at on the issue 
> and bring them forward, or if a candidate try to connect to an issue 
> that constituents are aware of and can connect to)
> 2) Have an activity for people to do soon after they have first 
> encountered the Party so that they can immediately begin to 
> participate.
> 3) Tabling in Public places is a good way to get new people involved 
> but follow-up is critical.
> 4) Ask people what they like to do and have a range of activities for 
> people to get involved in
> 
> B) Retention
> 
> 1) Set achievable goals and objectives for the organization.
> 2) Break up tasks into manageable parts so that people can do them 
> in short time period. Be realistic about the time commitments that 
> people are able to do.
> 3) Plan meetings well in advance so that people can attend.
> 4) Remind people about the need to complete objectives and how 
> these objectives fit into the overall mission of the organization; 
> reinforcing the commitment that they are making
> 5) Have social settings that allow people to get to know each 
> other personally. Food can help at meetings (limit time of eating 
> though)
> 6) Have a “new members” meeting now and then
> 7) Have meetings that involved some active component
> 8) Facilitate communication between people.
> 
> C) Growth & Sustainability
> 
> 1) Include people in leadership tasks. Teach people how to use 
> database or how to run the table, or how to speak about the issues 
> comfortably.
> 
> D) Other ??