July 19th Summer 2015 GRP Statecomm minutes

People present: Roni Beal, Joyce Palmer-Fortune. Daphne Stephens, Mike Heichman, Wes Nickerson, Ian Jackson, Darlene Elias Angel A. David Spanagel, Joanna Herlihy, John Andrews, Kati Betrovsky. David Gerry, Dan Kontoff, Maureen Doyle.  Gus Steeves Merelice, Brian Cady, Plinio De Goes,

Notes: Brian C. Timekeeper: Merelice. Stacker: Gus Parliamentarian: David S.
*Decisions marked with an asterisk.
New members elected & Seated: David K, Kati B, Ian J. Darlene E.?

Agenda: added:
1) MAAPL item,
2) swap afternoon slots for round robin on our vision for GRP in next two years and reports from shepherds of past proposals

Oct statecom usually at Pioneer Valley Holyoke Rows  Oct 17th 2015
Co-facilitator: (Joyce: Local arrangements) and facilitation Kati & Wes,

Old minutes:  Spring 2015
Daphne: Many issues discussed, little decided.
Merelice: Minutes didn’t show who attended, (website does) adcom didn’t return to minutes.
Minutes approved with addition of attendees, and approval of Winter Statecom minutes.

David G: 3 men form Eastern MA, 2 elderly women from central MA,
Merelice: 3 directors are non-voting members
Joyce: Wait to nominate Kati until she reads duties.
Ian: wait till after Holyoke election
Mike H: as adcom diversity rep, Kati is young this is good.
Darlene asks for Holyoke city council endorsement would be 1st Latina, reason Darlene is a green, agrees with the key values. Housing key focus of her action. Lyman Terrace advisory comm. serves on New Hope Housing board. Segregated city. 40 year city resident. little Latina repres. in Holyoke. plans registration drive there. Outreach for green. Comm. Organizing core value. Wants to increase PV Chapter activity, create opportunities for involvement.
Mike H. Local chapter support? Build party? Why unenrolled?
Darlene E. political strategy: many more unenrolled in Holyoke trying to increase chances to get elected. Demographics: Upper Holyoke richer conservative.
Lower wards: 2K voters, poorer
Merelice: please work with CUI in campaign. John A drafted.
Darlene: Likes CUI Holyoke exec dream team = puppet masters behind the scenes, CUI identifies leaders to uplift themselves.
Gus: Unenrolled & on Southbridge city council. Outreach to downtown important.
Darlene: Uplift not on agenda of existing Latino
Dan K: Want major name endorsements with endorsements,
Darlene:  fundraising through GRP.
*Darlene Elias endorsed --
Plinio: Brazilian native, worked for Asbestos defense (of corporations), didn’t like. aimed for teacher position, moved to East Cambridge. Community MAPS mass alliance of portuguese speakers. E. Cambridge is target community to be transformed into ___gentrified. firm getting around anti-condo law in E. Cambridge(?) Aims to be wrench in ‘innovation city’ plan.
Kati B. : party? Who do you hope to represent?
Plinio: Affordable housing, address problematic ‘innovation city’ plan.
Mike H.: Plinio to help build Mystic Chapter.
David S.: ‘Candidate in Cambridge!’ he wrote back after email to him. Concern: need campaign treasurer,
Plinio: CPFB candidate legal entity created: OCPF Candidate committee doesn’t need treasurer.
Dan will connect with people in Cambridge.
Ian: (OT) Need voter registration drives in  Holyoke and Cambridge? OT
Plinio Elie Yarden mentor, Bill Cunningham connection.
Gus: Experience with fundraising?
*Plinio endorsed for Cambridge City Council
---------
Sean Connell
Mike H. We want to encourage people to run, but absence today influential, wants to postpone until Sean C is here.
David G: seconds delay:
Maureen: Sean young, involved in education, would still endorse.
Dan K: would endorse, he still supports GRP should endorse.
Merelice: torn, Oct too late, but He’s known for months, always excuses, apologizes. Treasurer work for GrP problematic. Speaks well, Concerned about meeting deadlines,
Kati B: environmental concern?
Merelice: Serious legal mess left.
David S.: can email/teleconf.(Joyce) statecom endorsement between Oct and now. By endorsing candidate, we let them access to candidate money, at CDLC discretion.
Joyce: move to have someone contact Sean early August.  still possible
David S.
Joyce: concerns expressed, will not stand aside; refer to CDLC , teleconf.
Concerns:
David G: ten day notice required for statecom teleconf.
John A.: motion should authorize CDLC to call Aug teleconf.
Joyce: concerns re: authorizing  re: setting date statecom teleconf.
Merelice: Let’s decide now....
Joyce timing.
Maureen: concerns: deadlines. excuses
Daphne: if Sean gets to  school committee
John A: teleconf quorum, main concern could not ask questions. Could be important race for SE Mass.
Merelice Exec. session? Uncomfortable seconds John A.'s main concern.
Gus - public duty.
*Decided: CDLC will choose date of statecom teleconf Maureen will contact Sean C.
David G. Co -chairs report
Membership drive wanted
Ian: Treasurers report: official federal party designation.
Secretary’s report:
Working Committees reports:
CDLC report: 65 candidates 11 in office
David S explains CDLC report
Brian C explains Membership
Joanna re: Platform & Legislative comm. Issues statements at website need updates. Convention statement. Will follow up with Kati B.
Kati B: Communications: Will set up video interviews at statecomm. What does GRP stand for
Instagram account, twitter account active Facebook. Craft fairs. skype to interview
David G: Comm Director has been inviting volunteers.
Darlene: Internal process for issuing statements? Need to be more regular.... push statements.
Merelice: official spokespeople: = co-chair
Angel :
Kati B.
---
Presidential election plan:
David s. Joyce PF, Ian J, John A.
John A:
Mike H.: Statecom should delegate to Adcom
John A. Already done in restricted sense.
DanK:
JohnA:
Accepted: PEP
JohnA. DSP redone in 2012. 11 delegates.
Mike H.:
Merelice:
John A straw poll
proposed change: 4 points for either GRP candidate or officer
Proposed change: switch points for commitment to attend & Falls into diversity
Mike H. : proposed change applicant chooses gives not 30 points but 20 points.

Ian:
JohnA first set high (30) cuz candidates are elected.
Mike H. Please ask candidates to choose diverse applicants,
*DSP accepted with changes
David S.:  Will need more pswg volunteers  -will ask in January.
 ------------lunch--------------------
Merelice: 3 ways to get on State Comm:
1) Elected delegates: pres primary ballot in 40 MA senate (80) - 2,2,1,#? get papers in Tues., Aug.4th 2015 collect 50 signatures from “J” or unenrolled & within state senatorial signatures - due in Nov 2015
2)  Appointee representatives: supplemented with: by GRP district elections at regional conventions
3) Appointees: Diversity rep.s appointed.
Ian J. planning to run as elected State Senatorial district state comm. Need GRP to run some state comm. members in GRP primaries.

Change source  of proportional representatives
We must learn State Senatorial districts [as well as GRP rep. districts.]
Running for Town, Ward, City committees requires 5 'J’s signatures, to form committee  one needs three elected.
Who’s considering: David S. David G. Wes N. Joyce PF. Ian J.,Merelice . [Danny F.] Dan K.
Mike H: we have to, after mass primary march, 2016 convene

Mike H. town ward city comm forming directions, should be public info.
Ian J. Federally approved.
Roni B: Past convention planned within two months: venue changed to Worcester
Speakers, worked out, planning conventions important, 2016 convention planners need to be chosen. Have to be prepared, good to have female energy, Roni B.: adcom liaison for 2016
convention
Joyce some convention planning not local, some local.
Roni B:
Mike H: 1) thanks for report
2) timing best: after Nov. election
Questions GBC capacity to plan convention.
Roni B. 1st things needed:, location, budget, date
Merelice: regarding convention timing: statecom decided to convention in 2016 May
Vast majority of GRP members in Boston.
Conventions used to be -100-200. Keynote speaker often book a year in advance.
timing best: Late spring strong preference.
location, Boston better.
Joyce: May saw more young people. late Nov. bad for students. - stick with late spring. Boston better.
David S regional conventions needed to vote statecom members.
Daphne S: Boston’s colleges might be venues.
Dan K. Boston Churches not too expensive. TV Media there too.
Maureen: telegram gazette coverage excellent.
Roni B: May convention would be better. Nov would give 18 month co-chair terms.
Mike H. Boston is our hope? Test: Boston Convention leader, local leader needed.
Merelice: location alone is not total local liaison’s task.
Joyce: today needs one committed Boston person to host convention.
David. S. 6-8 involved in last few conventions (2-4?) local people needed 1 chief, 1 local host
Kati B. Speakers -
Joyce: Needed: date, local liaison, budget, speaker  
Roni B: Theme needed, willing to be adcom liaison
Mike H. Boston speaker needs to appeal to diverse people. Cheri Honkala
Staff:  Roni B just liaison, David S. Joyce DanK, Carol Sotiropoulos, Siggy M, Dick V. Joanna H. David G.
Mike H.: Concern, DanK alone from Boston,
David G.: After Memorial day, before
Days that appeal: May 21st, June 4th, June 18th,
Recruit convention volunteers
Reports for proposal shepherds Merelice, , David G, Wes
Merelice: MAAPL founded by GRP, Vida Urbana, ... Crisis continues. re: reactivating MAAPL engagement by GRP. MAAPL now has 70+ member organizations
MAAPL should address Fitchburg Leominster area on responding to foreclosure.
Do we re-commit to MAAPL?
More recently shepherd legislative Working committee....
Other natural legislative foci: ...pipeline,
Joanna: Legislative survey had 5 people, 2 responded, couldn’t agree on date to meet.
Mike H.: interested in legislative comm in a tech way to build alliances with different groups
getting our members involved in small ways. example. contact a state rep’s GRP constituents.

David G: shepherd bylaws change:
Wes:
1) rapid response protocol empowering officers to OK special events. comments?

2) Membership plan implemented Membership Comm. expansion plan

Mike H. need to convene Legislative comm. Education focus
Joanna: willing to convene phone conference.
Pipeline
Budget
Tax expenditures $ tax breaks given
Researching styrofoam
Homelessness
housing
Public bank
basic income
corp influence on politics
climate change
police oversight.
rent control
Vision
Plinio: campaign kickoff party 9:30pm Wednesday 1124 cambridge street,
Ian: see party flush with agenda to move
Merelice: Action not rhetoric, get youth involved
Gus: elected
Maureen:more  environmental
Dan K: focus on rainbow part of GRP
Kati B. youth at colleges
John A: sees dozen green-rainbow chapters at colleges, The path to acheive the impossible
David G Cadidates, candidates, candidates.
Davd S.: meet Bernie Sander s challenge positively and productively
Wes: GRP become irresistable.
Mike H: 1) better job of implementing decisions we make.
2) green vs green-rainbow
Daphne: ...
Joyce: local chapter
Roni: getting everything organized. better transition of co-chairs.

David G: Nat’l Delegate report: Nat’l Comm switched from forum back to mailing list. voting on steering com members. Detroit and Houston considered for PNC.
Gus: Elected official report: Southbridge landfill still in process, long range plan to expand.  denied landfill expansion requirement once. current deadline 2017. leachate plant proposed.

Merelice: Elected official report: town employee living wage with exceptions, exceptions to be expanded. success: (too many people cobble together part time work to make full time life.) huge improvement. Green Caucus of Brookline town Meeting members growing. May 2016 facing re-election
Chapter , town ward comm. reports:
PVC: July 12th supporting Darlene Elias. plan to Saturdays register Holyoke voters. next meeting: August 1st or 22nd,
Nashua river avg. 10 people at monthly meetings: Nashua award process continuing
Assabet chapter: twice month once telconf. once in person, Tar Larner Acton town committee,
Supporting Westford activists, Sept 24th....
GBC: no elected officers for a while. spinning our wheels locally. last meeting excellent Plinio endorsed. Joint meeting with Silver Maple Forest group probably in Sept.
Focus on Cambridge events while Plinio runs.
GreenFest no tabling clipboards. End of August.
Merelice: Greenfest bigger than chapter. Statewide membership opportunities need to be approached statewide. many. What would most benefit Plinio’s campaign. statewide races good time to go to massive big events. GBC Priorities: Abolish poverty,
Wes: congratulate support merelice’s campaign, Mass peace action attended,  tabled, March againts Monsanto, Pride, Dykemarch
Mike: GBC regional chapter establishing Mystic river chapter, plinio as focus suggest emphasis on Cambridge.
GreenFest Aug 21-23rd.
Joyce: Greenfest? Otherthings? Can’t decide now.
Kati: hard to register people at events they want to think about it.
Dan K disagrees who wants to ...
Merelice:
Joyce: who’s point person for GreenFest.
*clipboarding at GreenFest Kati and Dan K co-ordinate.
Closing statement. Cochair: hope next April-2016 new co-chairs walk into a functional group.
Closing roundrobin:
Darlene Elias for Holyoke city council facebook page.
Committee to elect Darlene Elias
POB 10505
Holyoke, MA 01040