[WestMALocals] Fwd: GDI Proposal #3 Before StateCom| Co-Sponsors Sought

[Owen Broadhurst]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Owen Broadhurst <owen.broadhurst at gmail.com>
Date: Sep 28, 2005 3:30 PM
Subject: GDI Proposal #3 Before StateCom| Co-Sponsors Sought
To: State Committee Official Business <statecom at green-rainbow.org>

As some may have guessed reviewing the wording of some of the proposals I
have appended to the Springfield meeting proposal page, most of the
proposals I have put forward are the very same so-called "GDI" proposals
that are now being considered by several other GPUS affiliates.
 This third proposal is one that would help correct imbalances among the
delegations to both the National Committee and the National Nominating
Convention. My belief is that a new calculus based more on actual party
numbers as opposed to state wide population would help ensure that the voice
of any one Green is not given so much extra weight as compared to some other
Green. Florida, for instance, boasts approximately two-thirds our
membership, and yet has double our representation on the National Committee-
something even many Floridians question.
 Those who would comment on, or hopefully co-sponsor, this effort may do so
from this URL: *http://tinyurl.com/7ubq4*
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*TEXT:*
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*Affirming Support for the Principle of Equal Representation for all Greens
*Tuesday September 27, @02:44PM, by Owen R. Broadhurst
*Subject :* National Nominating Convention Delegate Apportionment
*Summary :*
The Association of State Green Parties (predecessor to the Green Party of
the United States), established a Coordinating Committee at its founding
convention. The Coordinating Committee allocated two delegates for each
affiliated state party. This allocation was modified in 2001 to reflect the
population of each state. That, at least, was the stated goal. This new
allocation assigned one delegate to the body (now called the National
Committee) for every 4 Congressional districts, with a minimum of 2
delegates per accredited state party. As a result, roughly 3/4 of the
delegates are still allocated on a two-per-state basis with the rest
allocated to a handful of state parties from populous states, independent of
the number of Greens in that state. An equally unrepresentative allocation
is used to determine the size of the delegation for each affiliated state
party to the presidential nominating conventions.

It is likely the allocation of delegates for each affiliated state party on
the National Committee will be modified in the next year or so. It is not
clear what criteria will be used to determine how many delegates each
affiliated state party will be given.

What This Resolution Says

This resolution reaffirms our state party's support for the principle of
"One Green-One vote" (OGOV) which means that every Green's vote should be
counted equally, independent of where in the country that person resides.
This resolution urges the National Committee to try to approach OGOV as much
as possible in any future reapportionment attempt, given current legal and
practical constraints.

Why This Resolution Is Needed

National Committee delegates and leaders from a few state parties have
expressed their opposition to the principle of One Green-One Vote.
Therefore, it is important that our state party join other state parties,
going on record in support of this important principle. This will provide
clear direction in favor of One Green-One Vote for any reallocation effort
that might take place in the near future.

*Text :*
The Green-Rainbow Party affirms the need to reapportion delegates to the
National Committee and the Presidential Nominating Convention such that each
delegation reflects, as much as possible, the principle of One Green-One
Vote, where every Green's vote is given equal weight, independent of where
they live. We recognize that there are many factors that make One Green-One
Vote difficult to implement, and that this goal may not be fully attainable
in the short term.

We acknowledge the need for a minimum level of representation from every
accredited and functioning state party, in order to increase the diversity
of voices and to give representation to all Greens.

We further acknowledge that due to the wide range of election and ballot
access laws in different states, it may not be possible to devise a single
formula for measuring the number of Greens -- or even the level of Green
Party support -- in every state.

Nonetheless, we call upon the National Committee of the Green Party of the
United States to make every effort, within the constraints described above,
to reapportion delegates based on the ultimate goal of One Green-One Vote.

We instruct our delegates to all committees, especially the National
Committee and Accreditations Committee to support every effort to implement
an apportionment system that takes the Green Party of the United States as
close as possible to the principle of One Green One Vote.

We further instruct our delegates to the National Committee and other
committees to regularly report back to the state membership on the progress
of the Green Party of the United States toward implementing this resolution.


Yours,
 Owen R. Broadhurst