FW: [Platform] Platform Comm meeting - How about Sat. Dec. 2,
6-8 PM...& some proposed goals
Mike Heichman
mikeheichman at verizon.net
Fri Dec 1 21:14:42 EST 2006
To: Members of the Platform Committee
From: Mike Heichman
Re: Saturday’s meeting
Date: 12-01-06
Unfortunately, I am not going to attend tomorrow’s meeting. I am
recovering from a cold and already have two other GRP meetings scheduled
this weekend plus some family plans.
I am impressed with the prior organization of this meeting. I hope that
there will be an excellent turnout.
I like the ideas being present and wanted to express some ideas that I
hope will be helpful.
1. I don’t see anything in the proposals that will need approval by the
State Committee. The State Comm. meets on January 21. At this meeting,
we should make a report.
2. I think that the “Outreach Issues Reports” is a great idea. The
Platform Committee should make sure that all reports are consistent with
our “10 Key Values” and not inconsistent with the GRP platform or GRP
Policy Statements. (Note: Since these reports must be consistent with
the GRP Platform, we have come up with a strong incentive to update our
badly out-dated platform. The revised platform should be approved by the
State Comm. and brought to the next annual GRP convention.)
3. I support the Platform Committee’s creation of a template (guide) for
creating Issue Reports. An important note is that the template should be
considered a guide and should not be excessively rigid in creating Issue
Reports AND “approving” Issue Reports that come from other sources,
especially other GRP members.
4. I disagree with Issue Reports going through the process of receiving
State Comm. approval. I believe that this will turn State Comm. meetings
into a debating club. Instead “Draft” Issue Reports should be sent out
to different e-mail lists (including Platform, State Comm. and the
Locals) and there should be a short time (suggest 10 days) for feedback.
5. I like the idea of the Platform Comm. developing Issue Briefings. Is
this the beginning of a GRP Speaker’s Bureau? I don’t think that there
should be presentations before the State Comm. unless it is appropriate
6. These reports should become an important resource for candidates.
Additionally, I see them having many other uses. There is some talk, for
example, about our party filing state legislation for 2007. If we do,
creating Issue Reports for each bill would be very useful.
7. While supporting these reports to be a resource for candidates, I am
against holding our candidates “accountable” to these reports. One of
the important values of our party is “Diversity”. For me, this means
that we want to have ideologically diverse candidates (as long as they
agree with our 10 key values and are not in major conflict with many of
the issues in our platform).
8. I see these Issue Reports as “working and living documents”-in
dialogue with our candidates, the public, etc—changing as the times
change and as we change. I oppose these reports becoming “commandments”.
9. I see Issue Reports being developed along 4 major areas-municipal,
statewide, national and international. Ron Francis had earlier written
about the party developing a generic municipal platform, where GRP
candidates across the state could run on similar issues at the local
level. Similarly, the Platform Comm. can create Issue Reports for
statewide issues (state legislature, statewide offices, etc.) and
national and international issues for congressional campaigns.
(Important Note: In order for us to preserve our recently regained party
status, our presidential candidate and/or our candidate for US Senate
must receive at least 3% of the statewide vote in 2008.)
10. The Platform Comm. should widely publicize how the Committee creates
Issue Reports and encourage our members to submit their own drafts. I’m
sure that many of our members have expertise in many issue areas. This
project has the potential of involving many of our members, because this
project will be a lot of fun (and hard work).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jill Stein wrote:
>Hi Mike. This bounced from the platform committee list. Would it be
>possible for you to forward it? Thx. jill
>========================================
>Hi all.
>
>Apologies for not getting in touch by email sooner. (I've been caring
>for my elderly mother.) I've spoken with Mike Heichman, Steve Baer,
>Nancy Lee Wood, Suel Bartone, John Andrews, Nat Fortune, Joyce Palmer,
>Dave Dionne and with a number of others who've expressed interest in a
>revitalized platform (issues) committee. Since many folks can't make the
>meeting date originally proposed for Thursday, Nov. 30, a number of
>people requested the meeting be postponed till Saturday, Dec. 2. Among
>the two time slots suggested (11-1 and 6-8PM), most people seem to be
>able to make the evening time slot.
>
>In the interests of keeping up the momentum, I propose we go ahead with
>a Saturday meeting at 6-8 PM. For those who can't make it but want to be
>involved, material and a draft agenda will follow shortly, so you can
>provide input in advance of the meeting.
>
>Steve Bear has agreed to host the meeting at his home in Shrewsbury
>(just outside Worcester).
>
>A number of folks have expressed interest in refocusing the work of the
>committee to support two goals:
>
>1. SUPPORT POLICY DEVELOPMENT NEEDED FOR SUCCESSFUL GRP ELECTORAL
>CAMPAIGNS. GRP campaigns have already been doing heavy lifting in
>policy development. But it has been hard for candidates to
>systematically share the fruits of their labor with each other in the
>midst of hectic campaigns. To help in this, the committee will create a
>system for building upon the policy work already done to create a set
>of key issue reports. This will save future campaigns much of the burden
>of re-inventing the wheel on policy development.
>
>2. SERVE AS A POINT OF ENGAGEMENT AND AN OUTREACH RESOURCE for active
>GRPers doing work on a variety of peace, justice and sustainability
>issues at the grassroots level. As such the committee can help activists
>connect with each other around the Commonwealth, and leverage their
>local work to benefit others with similar concerns in their various
>communities. As a clearing house for such work, the committee can help
>make the GRP a critical resource for activists.
>
>An email will follow that contains:
>--A draft proposal to refocus the platform committee on key issues
>(to be discussed at the upcoming meeting)
>
>--A draft meeting agenda
>
>Suggestions on either are welcome.
>Thanks.
>jill
>jstein at massmed.org
>781-674-1377
>================================================================
>================================================================
>-----Original Message-----
>From: platform-bounces at green-rainbow.org
>[mailto:platform-bounces at green-rainbow.org] On Behalf Of Mike Heichman
>Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 5:03 PM
>To: platform at green-rainbow.org
>Subject: [Platform] Platform Comm--steps to prepare for our next meeting
>
>Hi Everyone,
>
>I hope that we will be meeting soon. If I attend, it will be my first
>meeting.
>
>I agree with John's message (below) that we should be communicating with
>
>each other by e-mail if we want to have a successful meeting.
>
>Below are my questions and ideas. I hope that others on this list will
>respond in the next few days.
>
>Mike Heichman
>617-265-8143
>
>Question #1: Will we meet on November 30?
>
>The advantage is that some of us said that we were available for that
>meeting at the 11-11 State Comm. meeting. If we decide not to meet on
>that day, then we will need to find another date, and the holidays and
>winter are coming.
>
>David and John said that they can't make it on that date. I can.
>
>We need to find out how many can make the meeting. I suggest that those
>of you who can, respond in the next few days (How about a deadline of
>this Sunday at 12 PM?) (I realize that there may be some members of the
>Comm. who are already away for the holiday.) Please respond if you can
>make it on 11-30 and if so, where do you live? (The reason for this is
>that (for example) if everybody who can attend lives in the central or
>western part of the state, it does not make sense to meet down the
>Cape.)
>
>Question #2: Where and what time can we meet? Also car pooling
>
>At the State Comm meeting, we said that we would meet at Steve Baer's
>home in Worcester. I hope that Steve can still make it and will respond
>that he can with info on his address and directions.
>
>I will have to drive through significant rush-hour traffic. My
>preference would be to have the meeting from 6:30-8:30. I have a car and
>
>have room for a few more from the Boston area.
>
>Question #3: What is the agenda?
>
>Here are my ideas. (Again, this is my first meeting, so please forgive
>me if I'm off the wall.)
>
>1. Updating the exiting platform
>
>2. How can our platform assist out party (including current GRP office
>holders and future candidates)?
>
> a. Different kinds of "platforms" (generic municipal, congressional,
>
>state legislative, statewide offices)
>
> b. John Andrew's proposal to develop "Outreach Issue Reports"
>
>3. Bureaucratic (Division of responsibilities for the committee, future
>meetings, etc.)
>
>
>John Andrews wrote:
>
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I have a problem with Nov 30 because I'm taking off to help my wife
>>through a medical procedure. Whether I could come will depend on how
>>she is feeling that evening. I'm a little overbooked with meetings
>>anyway, so don't worry about accommodating my schedule.
>>
>>It does seems to me that the Platform Committee should be doing some
>>work by email beforehand in order to make the meeting productive. (To
>>
>>
>
>
>
>>be honest, if no preparation is done ahead of time, I wonder if the
>>meeting is worthwhile.)
>>
>>We also need to build up the participation if we are going to take on
>>some significant work.
>>
>>One proposal that was discussed at the last State Committee meeting is
>>
>>
>
>
>
>>to produce a series of Outreach Issue Reports that would be directly
>>useful to GRP candidates. The Platform Committee could decide to
>>start working on a few of these without State Comm instructions if we
>>thought they would be useful. A first step is to pick the possible
>>topics and get concurrence from other branches of the Party that they
>>are the most needed topics.
>>
>>In this regard, I'd like to note the following poll results that
>>indicate topics that were important in this year's state election.
>>I'd like to see the GRP prepare its candidates to address the topics
>>near the top of this list:
>>
>>-------------------------
>>State House News Public Opinion Poll
>>November 2006
>>
>>Q12. What is the most important issue in deciding how you will vote
>>for governor?
>>
>>Taxes 14.3%
>>Education 14.0%
>>The economy 8.9%
>>Honesty / Trust / Integrity / Truthfulness 6.0%
>>Healthcare/health insurance/health plan 4.2%
>>Immigration 4.2%
>>Unemployment/jobs/joblessness 3.5%
>>Party affiliation / Views similar to my own 2.8%
>>Crime / Corruption 2.8%
>>The state government fiscal situation/budget deficit 2.2%
>>Kerry Healey and/or the way she ran her campaign 2.1%
>>Deval Patrick and/or the way he ran his campaign 2.0%
>>The person who is best for the state / Take the job seriously 2.0%
>>Dealing with Big Dig/Central Artery construction/tolls 1.5%
>>War/security against terrorism 1.4%
>>Change 1.4%
>>Assistance for elderly 1.2%
>>Gay marriage/civil unions 1.2%
>>Affordable housing 1.1%
>>Against a one party government 1.1%
>>Abortion 1.1%
>>Style / The way they conduct themselves 0.9%
>>Social services 0.9%
>>Environment 0.9%
>>Stem Cell Research 0.8%
>>Welfare reform 0.6%
>>Leadership 0.6%
>>Homelessness 0.3%
>>Don't know 8.5%
>>Refused 0.7%
>>Other 6.8%
>>-------------------------------------
>>
>>Of course, there are a few additional topics that we might add to
>>pursue a particular constituency that we view as important to Party
>>growth.
>>
>>- John Andrews
>>jwa at alum.mit.edu
>>
>>-----
>>
>>
>>David Rolde wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>At the Statecom meeting we decided to meet on Nov 30 at 6 or 6:30 PM
>>>at Steve Baer's house in Worcester.
>>>
>>>This actually now is a bad time for me because there is a pro-war
>>>forum at MIT at that time that I would like to go speak out at. So
>>>I'm not sure if I would come to the meeting at that time or not. Is
>>>Nov 30 still the best time for everyone else?
>>>
>>>- David
>>>
>>>On Nov 21, 2006, at 11:24 AM, Mike Heichman wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi Platform Comm Members,
>>>>
>>>>At the 11-11 State Comm meeting, we spent some time (brief) meeting
>>>>in Committees.
>>>>
>>>>At that meeting, we set our next Platform meeting to be on Thursday,
>>>>
>>>>
>
>
>
>>>>November 30.
>>>>
>>>>I haven't heard anything since. Who is coordinating the details?
>>>>
>>>>Mike Heichman
>>>>617-265-8143
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Platform mailing list
>>>>Platform at green-rainbow.org
>>>>http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>>>>
>>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Platform mailing list
>>>Platform at green-rainbow.org
>>>http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Platform mailing list
>Platform at green-rainbow.org
>http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>
>
>
>
More information about the Platform
mailing list