[statecom] Minutes from GRP August 25, 2007 Convention in Boston

[Larry Ely]

Minutes from the Green-Rainbow Party Convention Saturday, August 25, 2007
Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston

{ These minutes only cover the afternoon session after I arrived at c. 2:15 
pm - Larry Ely, Secretary }

{{ Note added 1-23-08:  I sent these minutes in the body of the email on 
9-12-07 to:  AdCom at green-rainbow.org and to
     isis at isisdesign.com.  I am now resending them to AdCom, StateCom, and 
Platform -  and also to Mike Heichman, who just requested them in an email 
to me.  I am also sending them to Grace, John Walsh, Bill Cunningham, and 
Wanda Boeke just to be sure they get them, as they have been active 
engagers in GRP conversations across various topics re the up-coming 
StateCom.  }}

Mike Heichman presented an article entitled "REVISING THE JANUARY 21, 2007 
DECISION BY THE STATE COMMITTEE; ISSUE: WHO WILL AND WILL NOT BE PLACED ON 
THE GRP LINE FOR PRESIDENT DURING THE MARCH 4, 2008 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY". 
He had expressed reservation to Elie about the language adopted on January 
21, and inserted language then that the decision to bar an independent from 
the Green-Rainbow Party line should be reconsidered at the next Convention. 
Item #3 on January 21 stated: "We will not, as a party, endorse or give 
support to independent candidates of candidates of other parties." His 
article before the Convention wanted to change Item #3 to read: "We will 
not, as a party, endorse or give support to candidates of other parties." A 
lot of confusion followed, and lots of debate. For example, there is in 
Massachusetts an Independent Party and this was confused with "independent 
candidates." On the fly his article #3 was reworded (but I do not have the 
exact language) to be recast as to whether to allow unenrolled to appear on 
the Green ballot or not to allow unenrolled to appear on the Green ballot. 
A vote was taken and the result was:
     4 votes for "only Green, not unenrolled"
   25 votes for "Green or unenrolled"
Debate ensued in which Wanda, Elie, Grace, and Jen spoke at some length. 
The vote was taken again.as a straw poll. This time is was:
   7 votes for "only Green, not unenrolled"
  20 votes for "Green or unenrolled"
Final vote:
   7 votes for "only Green, not unenrolled"
  21 votes for "Green or unenrolled"

Greg Garrit of Rhode Island, on the GPUS Presidential Campaign Support 
Committee asked whether the Green-Rainbow Party was clear on the procedure 
for communicating its decisions to GPUS (did not catch the specific detail 
here).

Jerry Kann, a Green of New York state spoke on behalf of Nader as running 
as a Green.

Cynthia McKinney is running as a Green, and spoke on her candidacy.

New elected officers were announced:

male co-chair: Nat Fortune
female co-chair Merelice
communications dir.  Eli Beckerman
secretary  Larry Ely
fundraising dir. nobody ran, nobody drafted, nobody elected
membership dir.  James O'Keefe
treasurer   Dan Melnechuk

National reps. to GPUS

            Elie Yarden
            John Walsh
            Annie Butler
            Martina Robinson
            Patricia O'Brien
           Jamie McLaughlin (alternate)

Submitted: 9-12-07 by Larry Ely, Secretary