[statecom-discuss] Facing some hard truths about our party

[Betty H. Zisk]

Ron: Your message is important and visionary. I am sorry that you cant
deliver it in person because it is exactly this kind of thinking that
Strategic Planning Group was designed to catch. I would ask you, however, to
finish your thoughts with a positive suggestion for action--which is also
what we want. Are you implying that the answer lies in your sometimes
preferred strategy of town referenda votes? If you are then please spell it
out--which towns under what condiditions have used or are able to use this
strategy and with what degree of success? (Please note that I dont ask idly.
I have written a book on the state referenda process, now out of print alas;
I am one of the few progressive scholars that believes in that process. I
realize it has sometimes been used in the past for racist purposes as other
(black) scholars have charged.That doesnt mean it is invalid for
progressives.)

If on the other hand you are implying a different sort of strategy, please
spell it out as well. Your and my paths dont often cross and that is too bad
as well. I wish you could take into acct that there is a strong minded
female constituency out here as well. Of course Eli shares the statements he
receives with other members of the Strategic Planning Group and is committed
to diversity in our midst. I am not a militant feminist; in fact I have made
a career even under John Silber of being gentle on that topic. But I cant
help but noting your preference for addressing important topics to a male
population. Greens since I have known them and joined in activism since 1986
have an unusually high proportion of males--I am not sure why since our
founding mothers included Petra Kelly and Charlene Spretnak, both of whom I
number among my heroes. But sobeit. I am just asking you to note the
presence of several active and bright women as well.  Betts Zisk--in
solidarity with your courage.

-----Original Message-----
From: statecom-discuss-bounces at green-rainbow.org
[mailto:statecom-discuss-bounces at green-rainbow.org]On Behalf Of Ron
Francis
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 6:17 PM
To: statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
Subject: [statecom-discuss] Facing some hard truths about our party


(Eli or Mike, if you read this please bring it to the Strategic Planning
meeting as I will be hosting a potluck at my house during the SPWG meeting)

On problem facing GRP:

I agree with Mike that something is amiss with the GRP.  But I would say
that it has less to do with process and more to do with approach.

There are some basic facts that we need to face:

Over the last 5 years or so:

1) We have spent an enormous amount of energy on candidate approaches at the
statewide level and have little to show for it: we are not larger or
stronger at the state or local level, we are not more vibrant, and there is
nothing to suggest that any of our past statewide activities will
springboard us into more relevance.

2) We have spent a lot of activity on the statewide abolish poverty theme,
as a non-candidate approach, and  we have little to show for it:  we have
zero or little growth in organization based around this idea and few people
know about or identify the GRP with abolishing poverty.

Basically, our two dominant venues for expending involvement have not
worked.

The minor spin-off effects of either the enticing statewide candidate
approach or the dramatic abolish poverty theme, are too negligible to be
considered fertile ground for party growth.

If nothing else we need to seriously consider abandoning these two
approaches; we now know for sure that these approaches do not mobilize
people;.. to be blunt, they are a failure in terms of organizing people.

The candidate campaigns have not led to any significant building of local
entities around candidate approaches and they didn't 5 years ago either.

The abolish poverty theme approach has not led to new local entities
focusing on poverty issues and it didn't 4 years ago, or 3 years ago, or 2
years ago.

Bottom line is that we need a dramatic change in how we expend energy;
statewide experiments are not working to build our party.

Fool me once shame on you, ... fool me twice shame on me,....  fool me three
times and I'm in denial.

Instead of spending 80% of our energy on these approaches, let's be bold and
change course.

Ron Francis
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