[statecom] Draft Meeting Minutes for Fall Meeting - October 2, 2004

[Jim Bosman]

As promised.

Jim Bosman
Outgoing GRP Secretary

Draft State Committee Meeting Minutes
October 2, 2004
First Church, Jamaica Plain

Required for Quorum: 23
In Attendance: 18  

Grace Ross (Middlesex)
Aimee Smith (Middlesex)
Lloyd Smith (Middlesex)
Elie Yarden (Middlesex)
Meesh McCarthy (Essex)
Eva Kerr (Suffolk)
Dan Melnechuk (Senatorial District)
Gary Hicks (Diversity)
David Rolde (Middlesex)
Ron Francis (Middlesex)
Gil Obler (Middlesex)
Mark Laserte (Worcester)
Jen Mazer (Middlesex)
Wendy Abeles (Hampshire)
Rob Crowner (Hampshire)
Jason Meade (Plymouth)
Merelice (Norfolk Alternate, credentialed for the day)
Mike H. (Suffolk Alternate, credentialed for the day)

Consulted by phone at end of meeting to reach 23:
Anne Donahue (Middlesex)
Rich Zitola (Worcester)
Samantha Zitola (Worcester)
Mike Gainer (Suffolk)
Jon Levy (Hampshire)

10:55 AM
Following lengthy membership development brainstorming
session led by Ron Francis (notes supplied
separately), meeting begins, despite lack of quorum.

Minutes Review
Childcare proposal is still awaiting final review.
Needs to be formally accepted
Need to fix the PR proposal. Phrase needs to be put at
the end of the first sentence.

Next Meeting Date and Location
Date: Third weekend of January. Sunday, 1/23/05
Location: Berkshire County. Close to the Mass Pike.

State Convention Date
Convention Committee’s recommendation of 4/30-5/1/05
was accepted.
Need to look for ways to lower costs and increase
attendance. Concern about conflict with May Day.
Response that people could plug into a May-Day action
as part of the convention. 
Need to have workshop space and recycling facilities.
Convention Committee is meeting October 4th.
Merelice – either need to raise the money or make it
affordable or cut it to one day.
Grace – Need to give people concrete activities to
plug into to get them to attend.
Lloyd – Fundraise to produce scholarships for people
Aimee – Camp or retreat style or a church, where
people could stay the night.

11:30 AM
Credentialling

Credentialled for today: 
Mike H. (Suffolk Alternate)
Merelice (Norfolk Alternate)

Credentialled permanently: 
Jason M. (Plymouth – changed from Regional Diversity)
Gerty J. (Diversity)
Ebony B. (Diversity)
Lisa and Chicago Richards (Middlesex)
Wendy Abeles (Hampshire – changed from Regional
Diversity)

11:42 AM
Committee Reports

CDLC – will be meeting after the elections to debrief
Convention – will be meeting October 4th
Procedures – will set next meeting date today
(secretary note – did not happen)
New Abolitionists – will set next meeting date today.
Two campaigns are underway.
Communications – Newsletter has gone to printer. Extra
copies generated for campaigns. 14K with 11K being
mailed. 
GPUS – Gil Obler – Lots of issues going on right now.
Only Black and Lavendar caucuses are accredited. GRP
should form same, to support national. Women’s caucus
is in the works, also need  a GRP women’s caucus. Utah
and Vermont refused to put Cobb on the ballot, so the
accreditation committee needs to mediate and resolve
question of whether to kick them out of the GPUS. New
York State endorsed Nader, but didn’t get either
candidate on the ballot. Move afoot to make GPUS
members defined only by voter registration.

Fundraising Report
Liz Hired. Sent out postcards to lapsed donors;
thank-you, give-again letter to recent donors; Phone
calling – database is out of date; fundraising event
in the future; process to remind people their dues at
dues renewal time.

12:10 PM
Legal Report – Grace and Julie met with Secretary of
State’s office. A report will be forthcoming on
Ebony’s write-in campaign. We need to learn our rights
as voters. We need to monitor our polling places on
election day to see that they are set up correctly.;
possible lawsuit; patterns of 11th Suffolk parallel to
Florida; poll workers only get one training, aren’t
interested in helping the GRP; poll workers get food
from Dem. Candidates; state only responsible for
training wardens – wardens then train local poll
workers. “G” designation initiators list is coming to
us after November 2.

Aimee Smith is leaving at the end of the year. Is
alternate female GPUS delegate; also need a person to
serve as liason to UJP.

12:25 PM
Lunch Discussion

12:30 PM 
15 Minutes to go get food

1:00 PM
Presentation of proposals for ranking 

Resulting Rank: GM Foods Initiative first, Statement
and Action on the Presidential Election second.

GM Foods Initiative
Discussion:
Elie – opposed because for Cambridge, the issue to
organize around may be larger than GM foods – want to
be in the leadership for the issue, or any issue, not
interested in coalition with other groups
Merelice – We need other groups for their information
Gil – We can be in a coalition and have a leadership
role
Eva – Working with other groups says we are open, to
attract people to us, and GRP is willing to work with
other groups
Dan – NGOs, single-issue groups are strong because
they can focus on their work. But if we can safely do
political work with non-profits
What about having
membership committee decide which issues are best for
us to work on?
Gary – Party young and small, struggling with our
current objectives and to bring people in. This could
be too much of a commitment. 
Merelice – We endorse and commit to so many causes and
can’t show any successes. This is a valid topic for
consideration but should be part of a growth model not
an outright initiation of another GRP campaign. 
David – Objection to organizations being named in the
proposal
Eva – Echoes Merelice and David
Ron – Need to  wait until after the elections to see
what our strategy will be. Models: Coalition model,
Leadership model. Choice needs to be made locally what
model to use.

Amended Text:

Proposal for GM Organisms Initiative

Based on current technology and corporate culture, it
is proposed that the Green-Rainbow Party spearhead an
initiative for a ban of genetically modified organisms
in Massachusetts.

For some years now there have been attempts to boycott
genetically engineered foods from the markets. The
problem: there is no proof. Neither the big
corporations, the markets, nor the farms have to
supply the truth in the form of labeling and seed
testing. They just tell you something is “organic”,
“fresh”, or “natural”. Just because something is
marked “organic” doesn’t mean it is safe. 
GM or GE foods are not natural. Plants that are
natural have been bred by natural selection. Even
crossbreeding and hybridization are natural. But when
one takes a DNA gun and pokes DNA of a wholly
different plant, animal, bacteria, into it without
really knowing the consequences (ie, we could get
cancer) – that is a genetically modified plant. GE
foods are a crime against nature.
Mendocino County, CA, recently passed a ban against GE
foods; it is time for Massachusetts to do the same.
This initiative should help our party be more
movement-organized. It would be great to work with
other groups too. 
This proposal will be examined by the membership
committee and taken into consideration in developing a
post-election growth strategy. 

2:15 PM

Statement and Action on the Presidential Election

Aimee – This is a good proposal because it can give
more power to
.
Gil – Implies that Cobb-LaMarche is running a
safe-states strategy, but this is not true. Running
hard in battleground states. Wants language to say GRP
joins C-L in rejecting the safe-states strategy.
Dan – Seconds this motion, but for wording to be
worked out between Dan and Gil and sent to Adcom for
approval.
Merelice – Section seems too late
Daveid – Language is similar to other states’
resolutions but willing to accept changes to the
language
Mark – Supports the safe states strategy
Meesh – Wants to be sure language changes are made
“continue”
Ron – Concern along the line of Mark. What is the
reason why we are advocating for an all-out strategy
while we understand there are differences between the
major candidates
Gil – This is not the statement to put on our website
Grace – Need to put on website a statement arguing MA
people why they should vote Cobb.
Elie – Website shouldn’t be about differences twix
Kerry and Bush. Only way progressive Democrat can say
“look at me” is by voting Cobb.
Aimee – Having statement calling other states to act
in such and such a manner is not contrary to
grassroots democracy
Dan - Keep a sentence in about differences between
Kerry and Bush
Eva – We are a safe state asking other states that are
not safe to abandon safe state
Mike – We have a right to run as part of a democratic
society
Merelice – 5 more minutes?
Body – NO
Merelice – Do we want some statement on this matter
somewhere?
Body – Straw poll more than 2/3 approved
Grace – Do we want statement addressed to National?
Body – Straw poll 16 Y, 1 N, 3 Abstain
Gil – Statement on the website prominently?
Body – Straw poll 4 Y, 7 N, 8 Abstain
Gil – Statement in flyers?
Body – Straw poll 4 Y, 9 N, 6 Abstain
Gil – Accept statement as-is?
Body – Straw poll 4 Y, 12 N, 3 Abstain
Gil – Refer to adcom in conjunction with GPUS reps? 
Body – No concerns

Proposal 2B goes to Cobb Campaign 

3:20 PM Grace Ross elected to GPUS Accreditation
Committee by Acclamation

3:23 PM Urgent Matter – GRP Authorized to make
requests for meetings with editorial boards
3:30 PM Accepted by consensus

For Consensus Decisions we will contact by phone 5
people required to reach quorum. Those decisions are:

1)	Authorization to secure meetings with editorial
boards
2)	Grace Ross elected to GPUS Accreditation Committee
3)	Anti-Safe-States Statement to GPUS via Adcom
4)	Accept Convention Committee Recommendation on April
30 – May 1 date for State Conv.
5)	Location of Next Meeting (Berkshire County)
6)	Delegate Credentialling

Checked with 5 people via phone: Anne Donahue
(Middlesex), Rich Zitola (Worcester), Samantha Zitola
(Worcester), Mike Gainer (Suffolk), Jon Levy
(Hampshire). Generally, there was consensus, but some
concerns were expressed. Some of the concerns were the
same concerns that other people had in the meeting but
after discussion were willing to stand aside on. This
is especially regarding the Anti-Safe-States
Statement. “Why should we bother with this. We should
be focusing our energies on Massachusetts.” Also,
approved the January meeting location but wanted exact
location to be settled 2 weeks before the meeting and
to have a ride board, etc.



















		
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