GRP Statecom Special Teleconference Minutes September 24, 2019

People present: Joshua Gerloff, Roni Beal, Matt Andrews, Brian Cady, Hal Brown, John Andrews, Mike Vaglica (Alternate), Charlene DiCalogero, David Rolde, Elie Yarden

Quorum is 7, reached.

Facilitator: Charlene

Minutes: Brian

Agenda: Delegate Selection Procedure (DSP)

JohnA: explanation of DSP. Oct. 1st deadline. Invites Questions.

David R. reports trouble getting into call.

Danny F’s concern relayed by Josh G. The bar should be low re candidates getting on the ballot. Danny is opposed to arbitrary exclutions ie financial/donation minimums, etc. The candidates have done enough: they have broadcast their message, attended ANM Presidential Forum and the Black Caucus Forum, etc. That should be enough. Would vote ‘No’ if the decision made tonight excludes candidates from the ballot.

John A: Presidential Election Plan (PEP) determines Pres. Candidates, not DSP

David R: When do we make the decision of which  pres. candidates get onto the ballot?

JohnA: PEP will be determined ~Jan 2020.

MattA: Who sends the DSP to all candidates? Page 5, section 1.4 ‘… the number of seats in 2016 is expected to be 11.

John A: should be “2020 number of seats should be 9”

JohnA: Question about why candidates aren’t allowed to choose all the delegates: the plan was originally written in 2012 as a compromise, so that candidates select some but not all delegates.

CharleneD: emailed comments, typos, Sect. 8 credentialling – birthdates needed?

JohnA: patching up wording possible. Accreditation committee sets rules, including birthdates. Incomplete documentation from some states, history of delegates selection snafus.

CharleneD: urges support for the DSP. Who gets emails sent to candidates [at] Greenrainbow.org?

DavidR: presidential candidates select up to 4 possible delegates.

JohnA:

1. Pres. Candidates send in names of (4?) preferred delegates.

2.… after primary, Pres. Candidates can select their 4 delegates from the qualified list.

PCWG will correspond with candidates… who must respond to MA and 40 other states.

ElieY: primary ballot write-in versus ‘no preference’: will there be a “no preference” option?

John A: I’ll look into it.

HalB: After, please spellcheck.

CD: grammatically has issues, saw no spelling errors

CD asks for roll call for consensus on DSP:

JoshG calls roll

JA Y

MA: y

RB: y

HalB Y

BC: y

CD: Y

JG: Y

DR: Y

MV: Y

EY: Y

unanimous 10 for yes

Decisions Made:

DSP motion Passes by consensus.

Adjourned.

People Present: Dan K, Roni B(facilitator), Joshua G(stacker), Danny F, (David G), David R, Brian C(notes), Priscila E, Elie Y, Charlene D, Hal B,

Topics Discussed:

- ‘Ban Legalized Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide’ Proposal

- Eliminate Military Proposal

Decisions Made:

Re: Ban:

Consensus fails – roll call vote:

Roni No

Hal No

Brian No

Charlene No

Priscila Abstain

Danny F No

Joshua G No

Dan K No

Elie Y No

David R Yes

1-8-1

Call for the Total Elimination of the US Military:

Straw vote requested, done by roll call:

Roni B No

Hal B No

Brian C Abstain

Charlene No

Priscila No

Danny F Yes

Joshua Yes

Dan K Abstain

David R Yes

Elie Y Abstain

3-4-3 Straw vote result

Tabled -

Proposal: Both Vegan and No Military proposals tabled as old business.

Consensus fails:

Vote:

Roni B No

Hal B Yes

Brian C No

Charlene Yes

Priscilla Yes

Danny F Yes

Josh G Yes

Dan K Yes

David R Yes

Elie Y No

7-3-0

Both 'Eliminate Military' and 'Go Vegan' Proposals tabled as old business for Fall Statecom .

Round robin meeting evaluation…

Hal: was surprised and excited that so many of us can fall on different sides of issues with constructive intent.

David R: StateCom members in favor of killing people.

Charlene: you know that’s not true.

Location: Tent City Apartments, Boston

• Attendance: John Andrews, Matt Andrews, Hal Brown, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Dannyl Factor, Joshua Gerloff, Brian Harris, Dan Kontoff, Mike Pascucci, David Rolde, Jed Stamas; Mike Vaglica, and Elie Yarden.
  • With 14 voting members in attendance, quorum is reached!
• Guests: David Gerry, Tech Committee Chair; Eileen Sheehan, Treasure of the South Coast Chapter; Linda Thompson, Former Connecticut Green Party and National Outreach Committee; Carol Sotiropoulos, Central Mass Green-Rainbow Chapter Secretary and Priscilla Espinosa, Central Mass GR member.
  • Facilitators:Hal Brown and Jed Stamas.
  • Timekeeper: Charlene DiCalogero
  • Minutes: Joshua Gerloff in the A.M. and Brian Cady in the P.M.
  • Vibes watcher : Elie Yarden
  • Stacker: Hal Brown

Credentialing:

• Alternate members Jed Stamas, Mike Vaglica and Mike Pascucci are seated.
• Elie: concerned about representative meeting. Too many Boston area people.
  • Danny: delegate someone to research the issue.
  • David Rolde: will do research.

Modify/Approve Agenda:

• Danny: Committee reports should include GPUS Committee reports.
• Agenda: approved with no concerns.

Previous Minutes Approval:

• Statecom Minutes 2019-01-26 are approved with no concerns.
• Statecom Minutes 2019-03-07 are approved with no concerns.
• Danny: Regarding online editing of the minutes via google docs, we can’t be sure no one has edited recently. How do we know that it wasn’t edited this morning?
  • Standing rules amended so that online editing of Statecom Minutes closes one week prior to Statecom Meeting.
  • Josh will update the Standing Rules of Statecom to reflect this change.

Next Meetings:

• Next Statecom Teleconference is May 30, 2019 7pm.
• Next quarter's Statecom Meeting:
  • Facilitators: Elie Yarden and Linda Thompson.
  • Where? Not sure. Ask South Coast. Ask Central Mass.
  • When:  Saturday, July 13th or Sunday, July 14th.

Appointments to State Committee:

• Linda Thompson and Priscilla Espinosa are appointed as Statecom Alternates.
• Eileen Sheehan wants more information before committing.
• Statecom terms expire spring 2020, after results of Presidential Primary and State Committee elections.

Annual National Meeting Working Group report:

• FYI: There are two committees:
  • ANM Committee of the GPUS. GRP Members Hal Brown and Darlene Elias serve on this committee.
  • GRP ANM Working Group. GRP Members John Andrews, Hal Brown, Darlene Elias and Joshua Gerloff serve.
• Hal: We have fundraiser venue: VFA Gerry 5 in Marblehead,MA. Fundraiser will benefit the GPUS.
• There are 68 submissions for workshops with only 35 slots to fill. We will know who made the cut in 2-4 weeks.
• A local theatre group could perform the play “Cry Innocent”, however the cost of $600-800 is out of our budget. Might ask people to kick in.
• GBC Cochair Jamie McLaughlin wishes to perform music at the ANM.
  • Josh forwarded the request.
• Communications, media, live stream and record all the workshops.
• Linda: Darlene says we need money to get people of color to anm. Fund is lower than last year. Please donate.
• There is a GPUS Scholarship Fund and a GRP Participation Fund.
  • GPUS National Committee has few scholarships to be allocated among 40 states. There is little chance of a Massachusetts resident getting National Funds.
  • GRP participants should also apply to the GRP Participation Fund, which is administered by Adcom.
  • What is the process for submitting a Participation Fund request? What does Participation Fund cover? Can cover registration, travel, babysitting.
    • Table for Adcom, which will address by drafting an application form and setting a deadline.
• What should GRP be doing? 
  • Goal of 40 GRP attendees. Send out an email blast. Put it on the GRP website. Get chapters talking about it.

Urgent Matters:

• Linda: Motion: GRP endorse the report back from Venezuela speaking tour in Massachusetts in May  by Bahman Azad, who led the U.S. Peace Council delegation to Venezuela, and other speakers. This tour is being organized and sponsored by the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and others We want as many groups as possible to support this.
  • David Rolde: GBC is member of No Foreign Bases Coalition. GBC members joined the rallies in DC and the Boston-Venezuela Solidarity rally. Will forward contacts. Lee Schlenker from Boston Venezuela Solidarity Committee will speak.
  • Jed: There was a demonstration in Northampton. Lois Gagnon spoke. Ongoing meetings in Western Mass. Individuals and Chapters can sign the pledge. Jed signed and signed as chapter the “No on NATO” Pledge of Resistance. There are a number of pledges around this issue.
• John: Motion to Amend the Proposal: We support the actions to oppose US action in Venezuela and leave to Adcom to take up details.
  • David Rolde: Concern about the amendment.
  • Danny: John is keeping it broad. We have unifying principles, that we oppose military actions against Venezuela.
  • John:”But who are on the speaking tour?”
  • David Gerry: Ajamu did this on his own with the Green Peace Action Committee.
  • John: We are voting to support a group we don’t know about. Let’s keep it broad so Adcom is not locked in to a group that Statecom locked on.
  • Linda: This coalition will unify all of the anti-war groups. Early signers on: UNAC, Karen Cokely. Abama Asa who organized the bases coalition.
  • Danny: The proposal with amendment supports actions. We are the only political party to support these actions.
  • David Rolde: The reports back from Venezuela are good.
  • Charlene: This is an educational program. We probably don’t need a blanket statement. Support the original proposal to support the event.
• John: The amendment takes a stand against US actions on Venezuela. So a GRP speaker can say we have a position against actions against Venezuela, aggression against Venezuela. 
  • Matt: Adcom voted to endorse the pledge of resistance re Alliance for Global Resistance.

• • David: John, will you change your amendment so we do endorse this tour, but in addition we take a position on Venezuela so Adcom can endorse other future Venezuela initiatives?
    • John: Yes we endorse the tour
• Concerned members stand aside.
• The motion as amended passes with no concerns.

Chapter Reports

• Central Mass Green-Rainbow Chapter (CMGR): Charlene: Since Winter 2019 Statecom, CMGR has met twice with an average attendance of 8 people. Currently working on the CMGR Biennial Awards, the chapter identifies people or groups who do good work in Massachusetts. Constructing a short course about the GRP because new members need more grounding in structure and history of the party. Youngest members conducting interviews and surveys. Success in Shrewsbury on town legislation banning single-use plastic and styrofoam. Four members are elected officials. Five members serve on state level committees. One person holds an appointed position. One member, Matthew Moncreaff is running unopposed for Select Board in Princeton.
• Assabet River Valley Chapter (ARVC) Danny: The chapter is focused on electing candidates. One member ran for State Rep, and one member ran for State Senator. One member, Tar Larner,  ran unopposed for reelection and won with 99% of the vote, 1100 votes He is the first elected Green anywhere in the US in 2019. Another member ran for office in Acton in a 3-way race for 2 seats. They lost by only 31 votes. There was a tragedy in the chapter: the sibling of member died in prison as an addict and received no drug treatment in prison. The chapter is active protesting outside the prison to end prisons as we know them, drug treatment for all in prison and the right to vote in prison.
• Pioneer Valley Chapter: Jed: The chapter will meet in Greenfield. Nothing definite about candidates for office. Dealing with local issues: the closure of hospitals in rural areas re: union issues and social justice. Members participated in a Say No to NATO rally. Frank Jeffers is improving the Green New Deal by looking at the Iceland GND. Still working on the State Bank issue. Networking with other groups. Joyce was reelected to Whately Town Selectboard while on sabbatical. A Green, Vince O'Connor, not a chapter member, was elected to Amherst Town Council.
• South Coast Chapter : Eileen Sheehan: The area of SCC focusis Bristol County. Usually 4 people attend meetings.SCC meets twice a month. Two chapter officers, Sean Connell and Justin Roca, are currently on sabbatical. Working with Voter Choice MA (VCMA) to get state and local laws passed. Working for Health Care for All. Also working to ban plastic straws and bags.
  • Danny: Does SSC endorse Democrats?
  • This is time for reports, not discussion.
• North Shore Chapter: Joshua: Since Winter Statecom, the NSC has met twice with an average attendance of 3. Two of our members, Hal and I, serve in several GRP Committees and both in a GPUS Committee each. We help Dan Kontoff feed the homeless in Boston. Josh also works with another group called Better Mass Transit.
• Greater Boston Chapter: Mike Pascucci: The chapter has 10 core members. At a February meeting, they discussed internal processes, decision making and chapter goals. Members attend anti-war and anti-imperialism rallies. Chapter also works for peace in Korea and Venezuela. Members attended a NO to NATO mobilization in Washington DC.
• Young Greens Umass Boston: Charlene: Cochairs Jordan and Julianne are graduating this year so the chapter is working to recruit new members. They hosted a VCMA event. Jordan is also active with Extinction Rebellion.

Working Committee Reports

• Communications (Com Com): Hal Brown, Chair: The committee will be busy with the ANM media effort. Will invite Salem Access Television to cover the ANM. Committee created a page on the GRP website to explain why you joined the GRP. Added a Calendar of Events to the GRP homepage. Discussing an effort to teach chapters to use Nation Builder.
  • Brian Cady: One chapter member should have access to NB  and be able to send out notifications fortheir chapter to people just within their region.
• Membership, Diversity and Volunteer Recruitment (MDVR): We are contacting GRP voters in cities/towns with strong GRP registration with the intention of activating them and forming new chapters.
  • Matt: Active J (GRP) voter totals are going below 3000. The “defunct” political designations G (GPUSA) and F (Rainbow Coalition) have climbed. People are picking it because of the name. 
• Fundraising and Finance (Fun Fin): Brian Cady: We meet third Friday evenings of the month, and have met three times in 2019. Average attendance is 3.666. Minutes have been sent to GRP Secretary Joshua Gerloff.
• Candidate Development and Legal (CDLC): No report from Maureen Doyle.
  • Charlene: Tar Larner is the first GPUS victory in USA.! So far in 2019, there were 2 GRP candidates in elections: Tar Larner won his election, and the other didn’t. There is another candidate in Princeton, MA who has announced. And there are a few more inquiries for candidacy. We don't print names until people announce their candidacy. We have all 6 completed surveys from all 6 GRP 2018 candidates.
  • John: Will do a report with survey analysis. Sometimes there are private comments and irrelevant information, so we digest and put out what is significant.
• Annual Convention Planning: Matt:
  • The Theme of the 2019 GRP Annual Convention is “Green New Deal for Peace, Justice and Democracy.” 
  • Workshop proposals: There are two rounds of workshops: Round 1: Jill, Ajamu and Howie; Round 2: With people in the party. 
  • We are behind on publicity: we need to put the GRP Convention on the GRP homepage. Get rid of / make pics smaller on the homepage slider.
  • Can we put a link to register for Convention on the homepage?
  • Howie Hawkins will speak at Convention.
    • Danny: Can Statecom recommend to Convention that email invitations be made to other presidential candidates as well?
      • Jed: Seems biased to Howie by only inviting him.
        • Danny: He has formed exploratory committee. Might answer after convention.
        • Charlene: Howie speaking to specific item. Convention has a tight schedule and will not welcome us tinkering with their agenda.
          • Danny: The  invitation should be made. If they accept, we can deal with it then. We should send invitations. Howie is popular, but other candidates should be invited.
      • John: This issue is coming up nationally. We say “This isn’t a campaign appearance. We are inviting you for other reasons.” There was a Presidential forum in Pennsylvania and 3 people were asked to speak as candidates, but they did not include more recent candidates. Who to invite? Do they only have an exploratory committee or no campaign? Are they in the race yet? This isn’t easy. Can I send a video or Skype to the forum? It gets messy. We can reserve time for all candidates at our Convention, which we have no time for, or we are better off saying Howie is not there as a candidate. Otherwise, I can give names for 6 people, who have a stated interest in running. Asking Convention to insert these on the agenda is too much.
    • Brian Cady: too close to Convention.
    • David Rolde: exploring running for president.
    • Charlene: Invite to attend: does this schedule them in per se? It will probably be a courtesy.
    • Danny: Statecom request Convention send invites to all 6 individuals who have expressed interest in running.
    • Priscila Espinosa (on Convention Planning Committee): We need to know ASAP because of logistics.
    • David Gerry: ANM will have a Presidential forum.
    • With blocking concerns, Statecom moves to a vote. Seven in favor, Six against.
  • Decision: Statecom urges Convention committee to invite all other Green presidential candidates.
  • David R: What is the deadline for proposals to State Convention?
    • Matt: deadline has passed.
• Legislative Committee. Mike P: So far, Legcom has met twice with 6-7 attendees. Discussed the Green New Deal for Massachusetts, State Bank and Working Family Mobility Act. Typically meets the first Monday of the month.

GPUS Committees

• Animal Rights Committee (ARC): Josh: Vegan and Vegetarian labels are not hurting Democratic candidates or campaigns. They are acknowledging ecological consequences of animal agriculture and the health consequences of the consumption of animal products on human health. The Green Party is not current on this issue.
  • Priscila: Regenerative Agriculture is broad. Not removing the topsoil prevents runoff, saves water. AOC is plugged into regenerative agriculture, is part of grassroots movement, she was talking about it.
  • Danny: I am Vegan and animal rights activist. Communities are creating the “right to farm “ status, creating agricultural commissions to produce local food, codify the domestication of animals, people who domesticate animals. We would support local organic farming, but once we start talking about animal captivity, no. 
• National Committee: David Gerry: National Committee of the GPUS has an open window for GPUS Platform change submissions. April 1-Sept 31. Will be taken up by the National Committee this year, voted on at 2020 Convention. Ten year old elected to National Committee. Debate re: age minimum. Complaint from a European Green party member (not the EU Greens) to GPUS re presidential campaign. BRPP Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee seeks to change Presidential Nominating Rules so that all delegates to the Presidential Nominating Convention are Green. One delegation had a Democrat.
• Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC): John: Proposed revision to official recognition of party. Created listserv for all Presidential Candidates so we can pass information to them. Seven individuals have declared and are not joke candidates: Allan Auguston, Howie Hawkins, Dario Hunter, who else?. There will be a Presidential Forum at the 2019 GPUS ANM on Friday night. PCSC has proposed two workshops: “The Spoiler Effect” and 2020 strategy. Names of anyone else who wants to run for the nomination, please let us know. PCSC concerned about finding a strong candidate. The Democratic Party will viciously attack third parties with help from the corporate media and other groups, so our presidential candidates need to be prepared. The candidate may not be a good fundraiser for ballot access like Jill was. Jill put a lot of money into ballot access. New candidates may not give to that effort. We will encourage the candidate to do what they can.
  • Danny: has committee reached out to Jesse Ventura?
  • John: We sent an email with a  copy of the letter of interest, which he has not returned. There is no way of knowing if he is serious without it. After his Mexico trip, he might consider.
• Platform Committee: Elie: Tim Willard is the new Cochair. Currently reconciling proposals that conflict with other portions of the platform. The change in schedule allows them more time to complete revision of the 2018 platform. Platform is submitting proposals that will deal with invasiveness by outsiders (proposals from “outside” that are irrelevant).

2019 First Quarter Financial Report; 2019 Budget Presentation and Approval:

Brian: budget proposal is written as a single “pot” of money.

David Gerry: state and fed accounts.

Matt: we should send dues form, make copies. Gretchen was interested in making membership card.

Charlene: what does participation fund come out of,  state or federal funds? Can participation come out of federal? The budget is really 2 pots, and federal is harder to spend. Candidate fund is clear about state or federal, everything else is less clear.

Elie: recommendation: include addition income from additional fundraiser. Question: federal fund: is there a way of mailing a check and specifying to federal fund and therefore doesn’t take away limit? BC: I don’t know.

Matt: income. Dues = $4000. Largest budgeted income on the sheet. Chapters must table at events. Get people to pay dues at chapters. Do donations/dues include Convention registrations?

Elie: wants GRP Membership cards.

Danny: Fiduciary requirement on someone re: dues form, no. Tone down “Loyalty oath” (“must adhere”, must support 10 key values and platform). Let’s be more friendly.

Matt: this language is in the bylaws A lot of people are registered but don’t consider themselves members.

Charlene: agree, letter of law. Can still register J and be a party member without paying dues.

Matt: registered to vote and being a member in good standing, not connected to the GRP. Membership status. Spirit. 4000 members areregistered J, but few active.

Jed: your money goes to help us. Should be more inspiring.

Elie: motion to adopt the budget. Danny second.

Matt: will we meet these fundraising goals? We need to make commitment to raising money.

Charlene: What are our limits beyond candidate expenditure on fed fund?

Elie: critical year, we may raise money. Must aim high. Where's these revolutionaries?

John: Federal restriction may not be such an issue; there is some flexibility. If you want to spend a lot of money on fed cand, can't go into state fund for fed cand. Discretion of the  treasurer: they may put unrestricted donations in state or fed. Courtesy to donors, which fund would you like to put it in?

Amendment: change dues revenue from $4000 to $2000.

Concern about budget? no. 

Brian Cady: have group form business plan for achieving our goals.

Appointments to GPUS Committee

• Maggie Zhou to International Committee for the purposes of developing policy and making Green Party connections around the world.
  • Danny: I oppose her reappointment to the committee. Concerns, has done things that she said she wouldn’t do. Initially heard good things from GBC members, that she is a warrior for peace, that she believes in the 10 Key Values, but she sends emails of allegedly conspiratorial nature. She assured Statecom that once on the International Committee, she will make clear that she is only throwing stuff out for thought, but it is not clear. The substance of her emails is offensive: she sent out an email with a hateful video from a Christian advocate who spouted hateful things, some guy from Nahant. Danny asked Maggie about whether she would deny or question her theories that some of these school shootings did not occur. Maggie also scrutinized the moon landings which we know actually happened.
  • Mike Vaglica: Diversity in opinion. She puts forth effort. On International Committee and GPUS.
  • David Rolde: She says things that are important. Re email danny says: David Rolde ”no one in GRP supports trump's.” she supports debunking for info purposes. We shouldn’t not  appoint her based on her informing.
  • Charlene: She never reports back to us re: International Committee.
  • Brian Harris: Any conspiratorial claim is a distraction from real issues. There is a real elite class. Conspiracy distracts from reality.
  • Mike P: I find many of the conspiracy theory posts to be disgusting (such as claiming Sandy Hook was a hoax with crisis actors), but she has also posted some things I find to be at least interesting. But she doesn’t report back from International Committee. Can't support her continuing.
  • Dan Kontoff: you have to represent us well. She is a spokesperson. Must rep.
  • John: I pressed her at her last appointment: “We aren’t appointing you to get these emails.” She said she wouldn’t, but she does. She sent an email in September 2018 that the USA had set up a lab in Russia to manufacture biological weapons to send to Al Qaeda. This doesn’t belong in the GPUS. She needs to have judgement to participate in our committees. Another email about the Boston marathon bombing, that it was carried out by the CIA and that the injured were state players. These are not an expression of the facts and this shouldn’t be inflicted on GRP or GPUS. It doesn’t reflect well.
  • Matt: do we have somebody we should appoint?
  • Danny: plenty of committees that don’t have delegates, we don’t need to have one.
  • John: conspiracy theories promote aggression.
    • David Rolde: direct response: The biological weapons lab is in Georgia not Russia.  Georgia is not a part of Russia. Georgia is a separate country. And the U.S. really does have a weapons lab in Georgia and is producing weapons being used by Al Qaeda in Syria and with which to threaten Russia.  That email was one of the best things Maggie has sent. If Maggie’s appointment is so contentious, I think we should table this discussion to a phone meeting when Maggie can call in.
    • John: Georgia is in a territorial dispute with Russia. The video she shared was leaked by a Georgian official. If the Chief sanitary inspector can prove that this lab exists, that’s fine a fact whatever.
  • There are blocking concerns about appointing Maggie to International Committee.
  • Statecom moves to a vote: In favor 3. Opposed 8. Abstain 2. Maggie is not reappointed.
  • Josh will inform Maggie, International Committee and GPUS Secretary.

GRP Name Change discussion

Carol S and Priscila Espinosa:

GRP members honor name in the merger. 2 parties’ values match and union was ideal.

Carol presents her GRP Name change proposal.

No one should have to guess what we are about. We are proposing a name change to clarify misperceptions. It’s more meaningful to be in conformity. Some people prefer grassroots.

Mel King is cool with keeping the Rainbow in the logo.

Elie: Admit to prejudice. Mentors in this party. Yo Obler. Gary HIcks. Merelice, from Rainbow Coalition and also Mel King. Mystic River Greens, when this merger was proposed, outrage, thought it would make them gay. Merging because we couldn’t attract black people, people of colornot concerned with ecological issues. Last gbc meeting, why are you here, because of the rainbow. Don’t want to lose people.  This party suffers from amnesia.

Danny: Very well thought out proposal. Well presented. Administrative: if goes to Convention and passes, without enough discussion with Secretary of Commonwealth. this could disenfranchise everyone registered J.

Danny: motion that Statecom recommend the matter be tabled until 2020 Convention.

Matt: Green-Rainbow is confusing name. Name is a tool for marketing.

Carol:: offer amendment to Danny's motion: would be more effective to get this to chapters. Straw vote proposal, vote about what we think about it, get the temperature of the GRP, and move the proposal forward.

Danny: last time change made, mistakes were made.

David Rolde: I can see both sides. How did Mel King react? Afraid that rainbow people would leave, or take a racist step. There are people still registered rainbow coalition (F). There used to be a Rainbow Caucus that met within the GRP.

Danny: Motion to shift timetable. 2 votes: straw vote at Convention, work, Secretary of Commonwealth work and final vote at 2020 Convention. Ian Jackson sent some legal concerns.

John: understand symbolism, the rainbow didn’t mean what it means today. The name is hurting our volunteers and candidates. We’ve lost the rainbow to lgbt movement. Want to help candidates and members. Need a simple name. Candidates say “printed literature mistakes” the press messes up all the time. We have no ability to educate everyone.

Dan Kontoff: It’s not about the name, it’s about how we approach people and how we recruit  them. Need to reach out with communication skills. Go to events. Not just superficial.

Jed: as a candidate, saw it was confusing to voters. Get in habit of saying Green-Rainbow, and get down the history of the name and merger. Must appeal to more diverse voters. People respond to independent party. Commonwealth party.

Mike V: concern with name change: the explanation impacts the spiel. People have short attention span. You lose people by explaining too long.

Brian Harris: I know what the Rainbow Coalition party is because I’m a history teacher. It was against a neoliberal trend in the dem party. Millenials have no idea about it. Shouldn’t lock ourselves into a historical moment.

Charlene: our history: AFAIK we are the only merged/joined party. Also, “we are state affiliate of GPUS” is a short, easy explanation. LGBTQ people of color would have a problem with the name change.

Priscila: interviewing elders. Why is this the party for you? This is the party of inclusion. Honor the legacy and the rainbow.opportunity to connect with the next generation. Mass dist survey will help with future marketing of GRP.

Elie: origin of the rainbow of mlk, spoke of a vision that most closely resembles vision of the green parties, Mel King took this from MLK, Jr.

Danny: Motion: a timetable, strawpoll  in 2019, vetting, and vote in 2020.

Matt: clarification. We overuse straw polls. We should give Convention option to form a committee to explore this possibility. Straw poll is non-binding, more for temperature, and opinion.

John: Carol can take friendly amendments. The Convention vote should be to create a plan. Need to develop a position, and plan, and vote on it in 2020. Vote on forming a plan.

Danny: wording in the charge too bold “yes we do this” then we’ve left behind the idea whether we want to do this in the first place. Convention should express the opinion that we want to do this. Some people may not make it to convention.

Danny: withdraw motion. Will leave to proposers to modify.

Carol: whatever the wording is. Legislative approach for January implementation.?

Priscila: we are a small party. In favor of name change. Not in favor of confusing anyone in the party re: presidential election. How do we get people to re-register??

Recruiting candidates for 2020 (CDLC) - 10 min

Charlene: want more people running for state rep. Running local cands is good. We need more state rep cands. How about 6 in 2020 for a critical mass?

JOSH: Someone to oppose US Senator Ed Markey to achieve 3%.

Dan Kontoff: Need charisma, to inspire people. 

Committee Membership Regulation discussion

• Danny: working com membership. Our working committees are open to all GRP members to sit in on unless in executive session. And all GRP members may join a working committee. Can we put this into our standing rules? A recent instance, someone wanted to be on a working committee: applied to be on the committee, they were not included on the listserv and blocked from serving on committee. We have listserv guidelines. But we have nothing on the book for preemptively blocking members from serving on listserv or committee. I’m talking about membership in GRP Working Committees and the procedure for excluding if one violates standards.
• Matt: Distinguish between types of committees Convention is highest decision making body of the party. Do we want anyone to volunteer? Important power being delgated, decisions being made: may want to  vet people.Convention Com is run by 2 people.
• Danny: MDVR less power?!
• David Rolde: In the past, Convention asked Statecom for times dates place. They have too much power. We haven’t delegated that much power to the committees.
• Charlene: vetting process for CDLC MDVR and Convention.
• David Gerry: When there is a listserv submission request, I check out email address, verify the subscription. If I don’t know who these people are, then they aren’t subscribed. You can’t just subscribe [without being a recognizable member].
• John: On GPUS National Committees, Cochairs must know who the membership is and have an official list. Sometime they call for email votes. Who are these people?! Also beware of committee stuffing, i.e., a candidate wants all the money and a week before their kickoff, people show up to committee meetings with ulterior motives.
• Danny: applicant sends email to cochairs of the committee, who decide that a person should not be on the committee, and they don’t tell the committee. So applicant can’t say anything because they are excluded from listserv and can’t say anything. Cochairs took unauthorized actions. Want to put into standing rules to codify, to say that people who want to be on committees must be given due process. Motion to incorporate into standing rules.
• Charlene: Convention has a cycle there must be a best time to apply.
• Danny: the matter/applicant must be brought to the committee. For a GRP member to serve on a working committee, contact the com, shared to entire com, and com must a decision in a reasonable amount of time, and here directly from the applicant giving APPLICANT DUE PROCESS TO BE HEARD.
• John: bylaws read about working committee: any member of GRP may serve on a committee. When someone volunteers to serve they are on it.
• Danny: withdraw? Motion? In this case or in another case, would have to let you join. Adcom made an error in not instructing Convention to allow David Rolde to serve. 
• Danny: Motion: Statecom instruct Adcom to enforce the bylaws and request the David Rolde be allowed to serve on the com.
  • David Rolde don’t want to serve now, but later. 
  • Danny: where there is a situation is not let on a working committee, Adcom will instruct the cochairs to enforce the bylaws. 10.3 instructing cochairs of the com to allow applicant on the com.
  • Bc: not sure what to do about it. Does this make us a better functioning party if cochairs resign?
  • Vote 10 for. 1 against. Abstain 0
  • Decision: Statecom instructs Adcom to enforce Bylaw 10.3.

Indexing Policies and Resolutions Working Group

• Matt will send email

Round Robin Feedback

• Josh: time reports. Location selection online. Facilitator selection randomized.
• John: time.
• Danny: Great job facil. I like how we triage things.
• Matt: painful. Good decisions. How to improve our process.
• BH: bogged down with procedural issues.
• Mike P: good decisions. Wow on facil. Agenda jammed. It’s okay for facilitators to make decisions to end agenda items  so they end on time.
• Charlene: struggle. Time keeper is hard. Setting up an agenda is an art not a science. Offline decision making.
• Brian Cady: reports should be done in writing early and submitted for questions. We could be more trained on how to work well as a committee.
• David Rolde: Georgia is not invading Russia,
• MV: I was there. Get tired after 6 hours.
• David Gerry: hate being member of statecom because gets off topic. Get off track.
• Dan Kontoff: Time keeper stronger. Talk to the issue. Why are we here? Here to grow. Must have an open mind.
• Elie: good. Accomplish real things. Gives me hope: her group is looking at what are we? self reflection.
• Hal: Strong opinions, but we want to cooperate, and accomplish meaningful work.
• JS: learned a lot. Facilitator is hard job. Negatives, shelve proposals, wasted paper
• 3:35pm Adjourn and cleanup.

Decision: Statecom urges all/most Green presidential candidates be invited to speak at ANM by vote: 7 yes, 6 no, 0 abstain.

Whiteman Room of The Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew, 8 Church Street, Greenfield, MA 01301

• Event Page - Date, time, place, map, RSVP
• 2019 Summer Statecom Proposal Page

Decisions Made:

Jasper, Jed and Garret accept nominations for Statecom.

Motion: Give Convention Committee, in collaboration with CDLC/Presidential Election Working Group, leeway to choose a date for 2020 GRP Convention at the back-up location Worcester First Unitarian Church. Approved.

Francis Jeffers, GRP Appointee to GPUS EcoAction Committee, has been notified of his waning appointment. He will  seek reappointment.

Motion: Statecom endorse the creation of GRP Retreat Working Group to look into this matter and report back to Adcom on progress.

Next Statecom Teleconference is August 29, 2019.

Fall 2019 Statecom meeting will be October 5 at the Worcester Friends Meeting House.

Fall 2019 Statecom Co-Facilitators will be Joshua Gerloff and Dan Kontoff.

Process To Join Working Committees. Charlene is tabled for next time.

Proposal: Violence to Animals Must End Now by Joshua Gerloff is tabled for next time.

Proposals: GRP Will Oppose Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide and GRP Will Call for the Total Elimination of the US Military are posponed til teleconference.

Chapter Reports are tabled. Please send chapter reports to [email protected].

Attendance: Roni Beal, Hal Brown, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff, Dan Kontoff, David Rolde, and Elie Yarden. With 9 voting members in attendance, quorum is reached! Q: 9/7

Recognition of alternates: Jed Stamas and Priscillla Espinosa are seated. Q: 11/7

Appointments:

• Jasper, Jed and Garret accept nominations for Statecom.

• Jasper and Garret are now Statecom Alternates and are seated.

• Jed accepts nomination for full Statecom Member. Jed is seated as full member.

Charlene: Statecom Alternate not required to attend Statecom meetings, but if you attend, we seat you and you may vote and have consensus power. Right now, there are no Statecom members from Pioneer Valley. We should be gender balanced and there should be diversity. Members are required to attend meetings. There are 4 seasonal meetings and 4 telecons.”

Assign Roles:

• Minutes: Joshua Gerloff
• Stacker: Hal Brown
• Vibes watcher: Charlene DiCalogero
• Timekeeper: Maha Gray
• Parliamentarian: Danny

Approval of Agenda: Approved as amended by consensus.

Approval of minutes of previous meetings: Approved by consensus.

Greetings by Co-Chairs of the party

• Charlene: This is a collective action issue. A political issue. This is why I’m a GRP. There are various groups. We have a critical role to play in recruiting and running candidates. Cannot allow all of this, the drivers of climate change. Major shift in how we do everything. How to put GRP front and center. We are the only party who can deal with this.
• Maha Gray: Thank you for being patient with me. New to this. Maha joins the table.

Current Campaigns for Office

• Charlene: No official announced candidacies. There are certain lines you don’t cross when running a campaign (there are rules). Campaign Development and Legal Committee (CDLC) makes sure you don’t have to shut down your campaign. Mistakes can be made so consult with us (CDLC).
• David: Running for President.
• Garrett: Running for District 1 State legislature. I’ve attended State Meetings, have contacted the FEC. He campaigns in Spanish. Have not raised money.
  • David: running in different district than where you live.
    1. Garret: Don’t have to live in the same district. You have to be 21 
       1. Jasper: Is it ethical to run in a district you don’t live in? Garrett thinks so.
       2. Danny: Is Garret in touch with CDLC? Charlene: yes.
          1. Garret: Brief communication to the State.
• Danny: Applied to be on Assabet town governing body: the Planning and Development Committee, which is not interested in affordable housing and greenspace. First person to apply had a contrary position. The committee met outside of open meeting law. They had to apologize and had to redo Danny’s appointment. Filed Suit with Attorney Steve Ballard (member of GRP). 
• Dan Kontoff: Want to run for Mayor of Boston against Marty Walsh.

Reports from working committees:

• • AdCom: Participation Fund Task Group: Proposal supported by Adcom. Needed communication with ANM. Given some support to 7 GRP Members to attend ANM. Support from National on registration costs.
  • Communication & Media: Hal: Trying to figure out how Nation Builder works. Email blast. 
  • Legislative: David: Meeting monthly on the phone. Discussing bills before the state legislature. In May, endorse a bill for non-resident people to get a drivers license, endorse bill to change Columbus Day to Indiginous Peoples Day. How do we go about getting on the Adcom agenda and endorsed? June meeting endorsed more bills that will notify GRP. Endorsed more indigenous. How to proceed?
  • Convention Planning: Roni: Joyce Palmer-Fortune resigned. Roni prepared to resign, would continue to support new people. Minutes criticizing Joyce and Roni. Convention is a lot of work. We do not have a venue for 2020. Need to book First Unitarian Church in Worcester as a backup. Need a fallback place. Today would be a good day to plan the day and book Worcester. Don’t scramble at the last minute.

    • Motion: Give Convention Committee, in collaboration with CDLC/Presidential Election Working Group, leeway to choose a date for 2020 GRP Convention at the back-up location Worcester First Unitarian Church. Approved.

      1. Charlene: second.
      2. Jasper: Why take decision from Statecom?
         1. Elie: this is a presidential year, things are required of a convention, rules to satisfy, necessary to follow certain rules. We don’t have the  info in our hands.
         2. John: involved with delegate selection. The connection to convention is loose. Our presidential campaign involves decisions by Adcom and statecom and will happen before march 3. These are not important restraints.
            1. Elie: What are the state rules that need to be followed , special rules?
               1. John: There are rules imposed on GRP, require statecom to make some decisions, and Adcom, GRP must send in an official letter to the state, etc.
      3. David: Local chapters might want to host in their area. And Convention Committee excludes people.
         1. Danny: David asked to be on convention and was excluded, and how do excluded members involve themselves in decision of where and when convention?
            1. John: Statecom can delegate final decision re all conduct of convention. Statecom is required to approve the fact that we are having a convention. Convention Committee should bring rules before Statecom.

• 11 yes. 1 opposed. 3 abstain. The motion is approved by a majority vote.

• • 1. 1. David: thinks it’s too early to book. The date should be decided by statecom.

Secretary Report: Josh:

• Francis Jeffers, GRP Appointee to GPUS EcoAction Committee, has been notified of his waning appointment. He will  seek reappointment.

Reports from local chapters

• Matt: Meeting in Linda T’s house in Framingham. 5 people. Interested in forming a chapter. Dinner party. Immigrant rights stuff, etc. Framingham / MetroWest Chapter.
  • Move chapter reports to the end.

Presentation and discussion of plans for GRP retreat. Late summer or early fall.

• Only preliminary discussion. Retreat about GRP Members coming together and discussing priorities. Idea stage.
• Charlene: Need at least one other person who wants to be involved in the planning. Will need more people to help with logistics..
• Elie: 1980, explaining the crisis we are in now. The ecological vision is missing from our party. People are afraid of thinking.
• Dan Kontoff: Retreat would be more about building our community. No commitment to the rules. Will help us to grow.
• Danny: Not calling it a convention, this body has no power to change our bylaws. We can call it a summit convention, it would have power. Otherwise it can only make recommendations. We must decide, plenty of reason to get together and meet each other. There is a lot of talent in this room. A program that id’s substantive issues. Danny: has concern, unless we approve by Adcom or convention, we are only laying down ideas.
  • Maha: culminate in decisions that will apply to that year, next year and 5 years. The retreat is not a decision making body.
  • Priscilla: Is retreat have to do with suggestions? A retreat for team building, and strategically plan and identify ourselves. Who are we as Greens?
    1. Maha: Direct response: Same concerns, same time, same discussion, strategic thinking, We feel adrift and need to latch onto something.
  • Matt: Making recommendations is underselling what happens at retreat. Need a space to create proposals. Sent an email: “Must have a process. 20 questions with what should we be working on?” A structured retreat that asks the right questions.
  • John: Maha and Matt make good points. A meeting with no results?!?! Our proposals pop out of nowhere and we must confront them vs. what proposals are important to us? Must poll our members. Online poll and get opinions to guide us.
• David: Retreat is an informal gathering, getting to know each other, do we take stacks etc like Statecom, can the retreat be widely accessible?
• Garret: “Bee Democracy” about Bees for how they decide things. They do it by enthusiasm.
• Priscilla: As a new member, I have a pro background in human resources. Mentorship line. An onboarding process, where the elders of the party are developing the new members. Anticapitalist can learn something from business, keeping strategy alive, enthusiasm, with strategy, we look at the beginning of the strategy but not the middle and end strategy. We are a small group with people and human resource problems. SMART goals. Being inclusive.
• Maha: What can we do today that starts the planning of the retreat?

• Motion: Statecom endorses the creation of GRP Retreat Working Group to look into this matter and report back to Adcom on progress.

  • Jed: Second.
  • Charlene: Friendly amendment: can go to Adcom.
  • Danny: Adcom as caretaker/tracker of it. Adcom will track it.
  • John: Friendly amendment: Call it a working group. Every wg should have some entity they report to ?? Reports to Adcom. No concerns, approved by consensus.

Treasurer's report: Brian Cady 

• Matt: accounting balance is under bank balance, did you not deposit a check? A missing deposit that BC didn’t report. Someone may not have cashed a check written by us.
• Want to move to double entry accrual basis. Inherited Single entry.
• We have already made a decision to spend $1398 on ANM Part Fund.

Ranking of Proposals, Discussion of concerns

• Charlene: Ranking proposals. 4 proposals. When there ismore than one proposal, facilitators ask Statecom members to comment, voice concerns, and rank.

Urgent matters:

• Charlene: Trump is a criminal. This is so egregious. Credible evidence that he is a thief, a rapist. We’re told there are 2 things you can do. Impeachment, or wait for the next election. It is not just this man alone. This is a women’s issue--men get away with sexual assault because of sexism.Third option, because country is being stolen: The GRP and GPUS should demandTrump resign. This body consense or vote as necessary on telling the national party that we should demand that Trump resign.
  • Jed: Research into sexual harassment etc re Trump, warrants more investigation. Media not covering these allegations. 
  • Frank Jeffers: Extreme emergency, the military would be in protective custody, and Pence would be president. Climate change is poised as  national emergency. Army corp of engineers. Major disasters.
  • David: Trump is not the problem. Focusing on trump as the problem, bad for grp or gpus. Republicans are always vilified as the worst person ever. Nixon worst person in  history.
  • Dan K: Two conversations. Asking Trump to resign. We lost respect all around the world. Get the ANM to make a statement and we would gain strength.
  • Maha: Asking Trump to resign because of his crime or policy. Focus on the crime, then we have scope talking about the resignation. Focus on crime of policy?
  • Jasper: 1. Huge problem: Gay and Trans people are also victims of sexual harasment and assault. 2 what can the gpus/grp do? He’s not going to resign just because we say so.
  • John: This is not a strong statement that will help the Green Party. Seem like we are not clued in to what's going on. Democrats have weaponized the impeachment process. Agree with David, not the personality, it’s the system. Dems will say we have to get rid of Trump no matter what. Strategic mistake. Making Trump the stand-in for evil. Must work on nuances.
  • Priscila: What can we do at National Level about Trump destroying. Put vulnerable people in a bad place. International violations and codes re agreements. International laws? Is this dilemma international? The Hague: he should be tried there. Crimes against humanity.
  • Roni: Let’s take a break….
  • Charlene: Appreciate the conversation. Especially Priscila’s ideas. Withdraw the motion. Everyone please think about this. This is about his crimes.
• David: This is not appropriate for Urgent Matters. Inappropriate. Charlene: Not finished, and this is urgent.
  • Danny: is this an urgent matter? We need a much larger discussion. We are as against Trump as anyone else. We don’t fall for the idea that we should pass motions that would exonerate Obama for deportation. This needs more thought and is not an urgent matter.
  • Dan: Bring a draft statement to ANM. Statement as a party about this.
  • David: Urgent matters: criteria: legal matters, statecom as it sees fit. Motion that this isn’t proper. Danny: second. John: Would support that this is not proper. Inappropriate. Would have opinions if a proposal.
  • Jasper: Opportunity to run Dario Hunter against Trump. First time a candidate that will inspire the masses. He’s been elected before. I’ve been voting Green for a while. If we want to inspire people, Dario has charisma and more.
  • David: Should state what the urgent matters are. Decide what the motion is.
  • Charlene is first motion on the table. Disagree that there has been no new news. There are new accusations of rape against Trump. And continue news that men are in organizations where women are not being heard. This is urgent for women. Waiting for the fall? Missing the headline: Rape is a serious crime. 
  • Danny: I disagree with the call for resignation vs impeachment, which is the democratic process we have. The crime is that the Democratic party is not calling for impeachment. We must make procedural decision and call for impeachment.
  • David: Motion to table this item, not proper item for urgent matters. 5 yes for table. 6 for not tabling. 3 abstain. Move forward with Charlene’s urgent matter.

Set date and location of Fall 2019 meeting

• Next Statecom Teleconference is August 29, 2019.

• Fall 2019 Statecom meeting will be October 5 at the Worcester Friends Meeting House.

• Fall 2019 Statecom Co-Facilitators will be Joshua Gerloff and Dan Kontoff.

• Maha might get his Temple Cafeteria Sundays up to 4 PM. Cost not sure.

• John will send out facilitators manual.
• Charlene: Some things in there that are out of date?
• John: Process for ranking proposals.
• Recruit more women, non-binary.
• More mentoring

CDLC Presentation on plans for Presidential election year. Actions required of state committee

• John: Someone appointed as co-chair of this group. No telecon yet. Joyce can be contacted about where we stand.
• Legal requirements to get someone on the ballot. Stuff we must do.
• Delegate selection plan.
• Presidential nominating conv
• Selections of names for primary ballot.
• Encourage participation by members.
• Recruit delegates.
• Assign delegates to the candidates.
• 11 votes from massachusetts.
• These people are electors for the GRP.
• Fill out a form, with a certifying form by that person's town clerk that they are GRP registered.
• Accreditation Committee vets our delegates.
• Deadline for submitting delegate selection plan is October 1, 2019. Next important thing on the schedule.
• Charlene: Joyce felt like if she had the people  on her committee, she could have had info for this meeting. Yasmine has volunteered.
• John: John and Joyce have experience. Our current feeling, is we don't have to change too much, just change the date, little modification from 4 years ago.
• Elie: When is reapportionment due? Geographical apportionment..
  • John does not apply to this
  • Charlene: We lost party status. Does it still apply since we gained and lost party status. 
  • John: Spend money on printing these ballots. Assign delegates to candidates based on this. Assign geographical delegates in proportion to vote. 
• Danny: When submit list to Secretary of the Commonwealth? John: Early January
  • Danny: Clear who the candidates were. This election is not so clear. Requirement of raising so much money. Are we revisiting these requirements?? GRP should err on the side of inclusiveness.
  • Charlene: I encourage people to run for Statecom on the ballot. Can be elected on the Presidential Primary Ballot, Regional Convention [ roni elected at a regional in 2016], or elected and appointed at Statecom.

Process To Join Working Committees. This proposal is tabled for next time.

• http://www.green-rainbow.org/charleneisgreen/process_to_join_working_committees_when_working_committees_may_accept_decline_or_remove_members
• Most committees will accept members, but felt like codifying the process. There may be a reason to decline a member. Need to give working committee a process. Respectful disagreements, vs disruptive members.
  • Questions?
    1. David: working com has the right to accept or decline. Must there be a reason for declining? Consensus process.
    2. David: Are all com meetings open to the public? So declined can still watch/listen?
    3. Dan: Work things out in a peaceful way.
    4. Danny: Opposed to this proposal, but a lot of it is well intended. What I like: listserv guidelines, which already outline unacceptable behavior, no insulting language, a list of 10 things: we should look at that and extent these guidelines to include the in-person part of working committee meetings, statecom, etc. We need rules of conduct re personal insults and harassment. We would have this and listserv guidelines. 2. This may require a bylaw change. 3. Concerned about a new rule that we may exclude someone who may not have served before.
    5. Elie: Concern: GRP Inclusiveness. Ecologically sound politics. Access to private information. Software: that is secure and allows a committee to access private info and only accessible to people who are responsible. Allows us to do research. We don't want to share this info with anyone.
    6. John: If person is rejected can appeal to Adcom and be appointed to the committee. Forced into committee, encounters hostility. There must be provision, can appeal to Adcom. The Working Groupmay not have had a good reason. Process for removing a member after they have been a member, add: “An appeal can be made to Adcom to appoint/reinstate to a committee.” Under 5, it says it must submit a reason to Adcom. Right of appeal. Adcom can appeal in a timely manner.
       1. Friendly amendment under 5.
       2. Friendly amendment that an appeal can be made.
       3. Adcom may invite a person to discuss whether they thought this was fair?
       4. Maha: Agree with John there must be a way for redress. Adcom has a lot to do. Spending a lot of time on process. Lose time in meeting. Judiciary committee to handle redress.
       5. Charlene: this proposal is focussed on membership, does not handle who can be on the phone call and on the listserv. Committees have a time aspect, a committee can’t take on new members when they are busy, explaining things, etc. Some of the things that have nothing to do with the person applying for the membership. Can’t get anything done. Trying to address issues that don’t come up every time.
       6. Elie:  Committee has criteria for membership, a level of security of responsible people. Can we do the research under confidentiality? A commitment to not sharing important info.
          1. John: We say that this is private and don’t share, etc.
       7. David: Opposed to proposal. No good intent. This is about cliques in coms.
       8. Matt: The committee should post its vacancies/no vacancies because they can just decide they are full on the spot if someone they dont like and block them.
       9. Straw poll: With mods: whether the member shall be accepted in point 3 . Add appeal to Adcom if excluded and Adcom make a decision to ask the committee to accept the member. 7 in favor. 5 opposed.

Proposal: Violence to Animals Must End Now by Joshua Gerloff is tabled for next time.

• http://www.green-rainbow.org/joshuagerloff/violence_to_animals_must_end_now
• I was appointed to animal rights com of GPUS. This is about our platform, our values; non-violence, but we use animals; about animals, all violence must stop.  We believe we need to eat them, but it is not necessary. That we do is wrong. Reasons: wrong to eat or use; all use of a human would be wrong; animal does not make it ok.  All of the reasons are legit. Nutrition -- we don’t require any nutritional component from animals. Eating animals is bad for us. Children of 10 have fat in arteries. Can cause heart attacks.  Harming children. Seafood tainted with microplastic, like velcro. Microplastic is a chemical cocktail. 2: plastic bag bans; half of plastic pollution in ocean is fishing gear. We have environmentalists.  Evidence against animal ag contributing to Global warming is large. Rainforest--for grazing; methane emission from cows, methane worse than CO2. Scientists put together animal ag generate 51% of greenhouse gases.  Greens and liberal democrats -- say they agree with science; we should not stick head in the sand; we believe in science. Look at numbers. Convergence of emergencies -- top 15 causes of death are preventable with a plant based diet,like heart attacks.  UN climate change report--deadline of 12 years to prevent 1.8 C increase; otherwise, species doomed; we use concern for planet as a talking point. Are we only going to accomplish if we win an election? This statement -- we oppose violence to animals. We need to address this.  Paris accord not going to do anything.
  • Maha -- I am Hindu; Hinduism and non-violence; ok with vegetarianism, but not veganism.  Hindus eat butter. We recognize veganism is better, but vegetarians/Hindus may not be into that.  Don’t push too far into veganism. Violence against animals is bad...I grew up on a farm, we treated the animals well.  Industrial farming is horrendous, but the traditional way of Hindu farming is different. A lot not like that, even in India.  We should reword it. We can say veganism is the best way to go, but vegetarian is still improvement. Ahimsa butter, means cows well taken care of.
  • JASPER -- bad health, bad policy, morally off the rails.  I eat cows, cows are plant based. Human beings designed to eat meat.  Lots of bad ways to eat animals. We should take a position against cruelty.  Americans consume too much meat. There are ways of farming that are better for the environment; there are animal products produced without coercion.  Some farms the cows milk themselves. To say no animal products is the only way to avoid violence against animals-- not true. Pitting constituencies against each other.  Only vegans should be in the Green party. Vegan couple talked to me for hours.
    1. Danny--don’t stereotype.
  • Priscilla -- I am plant based; but veganism has become a belief system.  Veganism has risen. There is a large number of people who don’t believe in evolution...my concern is putting animals equal to/over people, whose human rights are not considered.  Pets have become social cause...some people support animals but ambiguous about people...even at a local level, like access to jobs. I think veganism is also not sustainable, because plastic clothes--fast fashion.  Vegan clothes do not last long. Focus on nutrition, environment. Putting veganism as a moral choice is not new. Old traditions, Jainism, etc.
  • Garret--GCC has spent years trying to teach the younger generation to become food self sufficient.  I am a retired farmer. My son, now an educated farmer. I was shocked when he started adding animals to the farm.  The people from Europe destroyed indigenous ag; meat was involved, but not heavy meat. Fields in trouble---used to not know--you put out sheep to eat scrubs, then cows, then chickens, etc. This should be rewritten, not as veganism, but as ag policy. 
  • Dan Factor -- I support this proposal.  We draw a line when inhumane behavior is protected by religion.  Feminism, women’s rights; religion does not trump human rights. We are not for genital mutilation just because religion supports it.  Stereotypes against vegans are wrong, like vegans yell, don’t support black lives matter. If we vote no,we should change our key value from non-violence to non-violence against humans.
  • Matt -- beyond the scope of the proposal.  There are vegans that don’t support the Green party.  I would be more comfortable if it said promote vegan-based policies.  Right now, meat based policies, creating poor health. We should be promoting vegan-based policies. I don’t see anybody else going into this. Worth supporting, but messaging is important.
  • Dave Rolde -- I have four concerns; I agree with Jasper and Priscila; I like non-violence; some counterfactual claims;  animal ag is not the #1 force behind climate change, other causes of pollution/climate change (GMOs, etc); animal ag could be done sustainably; counterfactual claim that meat is unhealthy; propaganda by sugar industry; sugar a bigger problem. 3rd--this is a class issue; wealth interested in vegan, poor eat meat. Disabled people may be discouraged from bringing service animals.
  • Dan K--there are some things I learned;  some people are more educated. Poor people don’t have education to eat healthy; could be cheaper to eat meat. Red meat causes health problems; I have cut back my red meat. Alternatives to milk: soy and rice milk.
  • Elie--I have been studying this proposal for a month.  Over time, it has changed. Current version: attack on the political agenda of the party.  Can’t say animals look for meaning in their lives. Implies humans are not animals. Are we opposed to other animals hunting? Vibes--personal statement.
  • Charlene--I appreciate Maha’s statement as a way to go; as someone not from Protestant background, I’m sensitive to you’re bad, we’re good.  Maha made a good suggestion, veganism is something we want to promote, support; hard to say what percentage of global warmingis animal ag vs. other contributors Food is deeply cultural; 90s in Pittsburgh--African heritage people asked me to a meeting--wanted to know if they could buy chicken. I told them it’s their community. I think we need to be a lot less judgmental.
  • John--I think we have to message it; there is an absolutist/moralistic thing to it. We need to avoid; it would be bad for our party’s progress.  Politically it doesn’t win friends. However, if it is said we need to reduce our meat consumption, I would sign up for that. Some of our candidates won’t support. I realize some people do see it as moralistic...some people say, if you’re not a socialist, you’re not a green...but this is absolutist, way of rejecting people.
  • Priscila--I support this in intention, but I have a problem with the language.  To force the philosophy...hurtful to 70% of the population. To say this the only way to have a Green lifestyle...broaches on a lot of people’s belief systems...to say my belief system is better than your belief system.
  • Josh--I don’t know if I can speak to everyone, but...over a trillion animals we kill annually want to live; they value their lives. Humans--are certain amount care about animals, some don’t. I listed the reasons; like all animals if you were to kick them, they would avoid pain.  Asks for straw poll.
    1. Josh--table and rework.  Difference between tabling and vote. Should there be a vote.
       1. Danny F - formal motion to table, which means it would come back next time. Concerns with tabling.
       2. Vote on tabling--automatically comes back without resubmission.  Vote to table passed. 11 yes, 2 no, 1 abstain.

Proposals: GRP Will Oppose Euthanasia and Doctor-Assisted Suicide and GRP Will Call for the Total Elimination of the US Military are posponed til teleconference.

• http://www.green-rainbow.org/6774/grp_will_oppose_legalized_euthanasia_and_doctor-assisted_suicide
• http://www.green-rainbow.org/6774/grp_will_call_for_the_total_elimination_of_the_u_s_military
  • Proposal: Military submitted in 2018. Grandfathered? 

Report of work group on Salem ANM

• John: July 25, 2019: Register for this thing. Very important. GP ANM. 36 or so workshops. Lee Camp of Redacted Tonight will be at the fundraiser. Salem.gp.org and you will see agenda, workshops, location, reg. Please reg in advance. Reduced rate for registration and you can still apply for waiver. As low as $25. Friday evening pres forum. Free lunch on Saturday.
• Hal Brown: ANM probably won’t come back anytime soon.
• Elie: Salem has more registered GRP than any other town on the North Shore.
• John: meet fellow greens.
• David: There is criticism about Howie Hawkins getting unfair attention about ANM. David wanted to do workshop on suicide from disability rights perspective.
• Josh re transportation. Looking for drivers.

Chapter Reports are tabled. Please send chapter reports to [email protected].

Round-robin feedback on meeting

• Elie: More efficient Statecom meetings. Think politically not personally.
• Roni: Thank you for your help.
• Hal: very intense.
• JOSH: Lively conversation. No proposals passed.
• Jed: Divisive start. Confusion about what the vibes watcher works. The role of vibes watches for resolving conflict.
• David: Unpleasant.
• MA: How to control the vibes. Outsourcing a single person to jump in a referee after problem. A choice to respect the rules. Set the tone. Strong conversation, debate is healthy but reserved for political, not personal.
• John: Thank you for copies and flyers. Proposals/presentation should have names to indicate who. Print language re expectations of behavior. Better process for getting proposals ready for Statecom: must go through committees beforehand. GRP should think about how proposals: Is there another way to get more 
• Dan: MASSHOLE!!!  Facilitate things in the real world, There is more than facilitating. Always here to learn. Make mistakes.
• Danny: Thank you Roni! Thank you Elie! And Secretary! Thank you people for food etc. A lot of statements about vibes. Good meeting. 1. Let’s continue to remember we are statecom reps, we rep a region. Talk to people about our proposals, etc. Let’s stay in touch with our electeds.
• Priscila: vibes got out of hand. The second half was better. Commend people for being conscientious and mindful. You can about values. Some kind of pledge to behavior expectations at meetings. Reminder: a reiteration. People learn in different ways, visual cues. Have to hit these ruts and misunderstandings to learn.
• Charlene: A lot of good work. Let’s focus just on the political things.
• BC: Discussion  far reaching. Heated at times. How to avoid that. Thank you all for participating.
• Garrett: Appreciate being here. Wonderful. Variance in philosophy, felt included.
• Jasper: There is a learning curve. Not a bad thing to on the fly appoint people to committees. 1. This graphic about consensus is good. 2. Experienced members need to explain things, this will encourage more participants.

Adjourn 4:27 PM

May 30, 2019 Spring Statecom Call Minutes

Attendance: John Andrews, Matt Andrews, Roni Beal, Hal Brown, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff, Dan Kontoff, David Rolde, Jed Stamas and Elie Yarden.

Quorum is 8 voting members. With 10 voting members in attendance, quorum is reached!

Roles: Facilitator: Hal, Time: Matt, Minutes: Josh

Approve agenda:

• Agenda is approved by consensus with modification.

Linda Thompson seeks appointment to GPUS Outreach and Diversity Committees

• With no concerns, Linda Thompson is appointed to Outreach and Diversity Committees.

“Clarified Process for Appointing People to GPUS Committees” Proposal: Josh

• Proposal is amended that the application is understood to be welcoming ie filled out while in dialogue with GRP members.

• Matt Andrews: Shouldn’t be relying on a piece of paper to be welcoming. We need to be having conversations and helping them through the applications.

• An amendment to strike that people appear in person or by speaker phone; fails.

• John: We need to appoint on a belief  that applicants will do a good job. We have an obligation to know the person and their abilities. We need to help the GPUS committees by appointing capable people.

• Roll call vote: GPUS Appointment Procedure passes unanimously with 10 votes in favor.

Statecom regional representation

• Elie and D. Rolde
• David won't be present so move to July 14??

Party name change ad hoc committee needs members

• Roni joins.

• Danny: Been talking to Attorney Michelle Tassinari at SOC Elections Division. Happy to be a liaison with her and get back to the committee.

Convention report:

• Roni submitted report to Statecom business list.

Announcement: Elie: Summer Statecom Greenfield July 14, 2019, Sunday.

Round Robin:

• Danny: Thank you to Sec for quorum, role call votes and notetaking. And Hal for facilitating this telecon: has a steady and non-confrontational demeanor.

• Hal: The agenda had confusion. Thanks to everyone for working with me.

• John: Appreciate we stumbled through, but got it done. How to handle things. Josh reworked the proposal. Made clear.

• Elie: Thanks Josh for clarity. Formatting is important.

• Josh: Thanks for participating. This was a good call.

• Bc: Thanks Hal for facil and Josh for notes, role call, etc.

Adjourn

Attendance: John Andrews, Matt Andrews, Roni Beal, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff, Mike Pascucci, David Rolde and Elie Yarden.

• Quorum is 8: With 10 voting members on the call, quorum is reached!
• Guest: David Gerry.
• Facilitator: Matt.
• Notes: Josh.
• Time: Elie.
• Approve the agenda: the agenda is approved.

Clarified Process for Appointing People to GPUS Committees

http://www.green-rainbow.org/joshuagerloff/a_clarified_process_for_appointing_people_to_gpus_committees

Charlene takes notes for this part of the meeting.

Josh Gerloff as sponsor of the proposal gave a brief overview of what the proposal is, and why he made it.

Facilitator opened the stack for questions only before proceeding to amendments and discussion (NOTE: proposal was tabled after questions and a few suggestions made.).

Qs to proposal sponsor

Danny: Have you looked at suggestions made this evening via email from John and David?

Electing GPUS National Comm Delegates is separate from this process and happens at State Convention.

Josh: no, I didn’t see them.

David Rolde: What is guidance from GPUS about recommending people for GPUS Committees?

John: GPUS says State Committee needs to recommend people to working committees, but doesn’t specify how.

David Gerry: GPUS says each state committee has to have a written democratic process for recommending people. We can decide what that process is.

Josh: There were rules I wasn’t aware of when I took the job of Secretary.

John: What does 48 hrs in advance mean? Why not send email?

CD: Do you mean “no sooner” or “no later” than 48 hours before the StateCom meeting? Are these Working Committees?

DG: All GPUS Committees other than the National Committee are Working Committees.

CD: Would you like to withdraw this proposal and work on it some more before re-submitting?

JG: Yes, I’d like to put in a little more work.

EY: Suggestions: Not all subcomms of National Comm have same rules for app’t. For those with no other specification, I suggest:

1. Post on website: names of all people serving and date of term
2. Secretary informs delegate of expiration 3 mos before end of that term. At next statecom, we will act on it.

BC: suggest the topic be tabled, and allow Josh, John and others work on revising.

CD: called for roll call vote on tabling this proposal.

MA: Robert’s Rules of Order does not allow discussion of tabling. We don’t use those rules, but we also don’t have an alternate procedure.

CD: We could go down a rabbit hole of discussing whether to table. Let’s go ahead and consense/vote.

JA yes

MA yes

RB yes

BC yes

CD yes

DF no

JG yes

MP yes

DR no

EY yes

Proposal is tabled.

Moved to discuss Budget at 8:15pm

Discussion of budget: principles, info gathering, proposed revisions

Brian Cady spoke about some changes he made to the proposed budget introduced at Winter 2019 Statecom, which he also submitted via email.

• There was some discussion on the proposed budget.
• Budget will be vetted by chapters and committees, that the numbers make sense to their activities.
• Budget will be finalized at Spring 2019 Statecom.

Meeting Feedback

• Elie: Less floundering!

Adjourn 8:52 PM

GRP State Committee Meeting Minutes, January 26. 2019
Location: St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, 435 Central St., Acton, MA. Hosted by Assabet River Valley GRP chapter.

The meeting commenced at 10 am.

Call for Quorum:

• Seven members are required for quorum. We have it at 10!

Modify/Approve Agenda:

• Add Co-chairs' report. Approved by consensus with addition.

Approve Previous Minutes:

• Fall Minutes 2018-09-30: Approved
• Emergency Statecom Telecon 2018-10-25: Approved
• Statecom Telecon 2018-11-14: Approved
• Emergency Statecom Telecon 2018-12-21: Approved

Next Meetings:

• Telecon: March 7, 2019 7:30PM.
• Spring Statecom:
  • Preferred date: April 7, 2019.
  • Second choice: April 6, 2019
  • Next Meeting Co-facilitators: Hal Brown and Jed Stamas. Sean Connell will advise.
  • Mike Pascucci and Matt Andrews will work on Greater Boston venue.
    • Armory in Somerville? Boston?
    • Reminder: All statecom meetings should be wheelchair accessible facilities.
• ATTN: Chapters: Please submit 3 potential places for Statecom and Convention.

Co-Chair report: Charlene:

2018 Election Analysis: John Andrews:

• Re: 2018 statewide elections, 3 candidates for statewide office: Juan Sanchez for Secretary of the Commonwealth, Jamie Guerin for State Treasurer, and Jed Stamas for State Auditor.
• 3 GRP candidates spent less than $7000 vs $3.03M.
  • Jed: Suzanne Bump Incumbent Candidate for State Auditor accepted campaign contributions and gave that to other Democratic campaigns. Is this money laundering: funnelling money to exceed campaign finance limits. Bump as auditor is responsible for fiscal responsibility and ethical spending.
• John: Juan 3.8%, Jamie 3.5% and Jed in a 4 way race 2.6%. We lose when a Libertarian (?) runs a strong race.
  • Ebony: Because the GRP achieved 3% of the vote, we should demand update of RMV online political party registration.
• John: In some municipalities we are the SECOND party, out-polling Republicans. Correlate with Jill Stein vote at  least 80%. Anything over .5 is strong correlation. Jamie Guerin correlated in a different way: Maybe more campaigning there in PV? Maybe she was in the press more?
  • Jed: No, probably Jamie because of Dan Fishman endorsement.
  • Mike V: WGBH protest where Dan endorsed Jamie.
• John: Chart that takes the vote of 351 communities and shows how the numbers correlate. Juan did great in Holyoke his hometown. Juan did great in Pioneer Valley. Clusters in Boston, Ptown GLBT came out? Where will you run strong? Look at this map. Strong in Somerville.
  • Danny: Lowell and Lawrence: places where we don’t have chapters, places economically challenged, Juan did  well in Merrimack Valley areas, why is there no chapter. Lawrence 7%.
  • Elie: Red Triangles work out where our membership is strong, Lenox and Pittsfield. When you do the correlation with GRP Membership.
• John: Bubble map: Diameter . Big bubble = Boston. Concerned with 3%. Need to run well in Boston, Worcester, Springfield to bring in the votes.
• John: Strong correlation with Juan and hispanic voters, caused people to give him a  vote. Correlation with Zakim, no anger at Galvin. Main Correlation: Multilinear variables. Media whiteout was a main constraint. Juan ran stronger in home town Holyoke. Hispanic name. Confident with a down ballot candidate that we can get 3% of the vote. Gov and Lt Gov different: more difficult to achieve 3%.
• Email John for a copy, etc. label non official. Concerns: Kind of long? Is it ok? Confidential.
• Action item: pass to Com Com and Gretchen.

Response to WBUR On Point slander of Green Party: Charlene:

• August 10, 2018 On Point Week In Review News , Jack Beatty, news analyst for On Point, went on a tear, “...cannot underestimate the nefariousness of the Green Party.” Sent email August 24, 2018 and Sept 24, 2018. Matt Andrews made a call to the receptionist. Might have a record of his call. 3 contacts.
• WBUR has periodic Executive Administrative Council (EAC) meetings that are open to the public. Charlene, Josh, David Spanagle and Dick Vaillette went to the meeting.
• Charlene asked for an apology to the GPUS/GRP for what Jack Beatty says are facts: these were outright lies. For example, Jack Beatty attributed Gore's non acceptance of the Presidency to Nader spoiling the vote in Florida: Gore gave up due to lack of back bone.
• We want airtime and more opportunities to present our candidates: WBUR didn't cover any of our candidates in 2018!
• Gave them a deadline of Sept 25, 2019 for response.
• We sent follow up email Sept 24, 2019.
• The GRP received a response Sept 25, 2019 from Sam Fleming: he avoids discussing facts vs making stuff up, no response re Jack Beatty’s claims and outright lies. Says Jack was “tough on us” and apologizes for not covering Juan Sanchez.
• Don’t have to decide anything now, but what do you think?:
  • There is still something they can do about it: they can still invite Juan onto the show.
  • Jed: During the campaign, WGBH shut candidates out of the debates. We had coverage in the Western Mass media. Larger issue: involves all of NPR: the Senate debates shut Shiva out of the debate.
  • Elie: The problem is a bigger one: loss of memory. Media most guilty. Lots of healing needed by GPUS. Memory loss effects politicians. People don’t want to remember things.
  • Dan: Reporters only care about their jobs. Need to keep approaching them and push them to cover Juan.
  • Mike V: Let young people know what we are doing. Reach out to college media.
  • John: media activism: main problem is media blackout. We can get around being outspent. Boston Globe terrible for a long time. In 2008, Jill was being shutout. GRP obtained a list of debate sponsors, which we then publicized: people who donated to WGBH caught wind of this and pressured those sponsors to back out of debate. Pass this tactic on to long standing working group. We must keep up the pressure on media.
  • Mike P: We should have a list of friendly media and send PR and statements.
  • Dan: Dig magazine reaches a lot of people: Jason Primus at E5 is an editor?
  • Charlene: We have / will send a copy to GPUS: this can escalate this nationally. Other thing to remember: need to go public with this. How few media outlets cover 3rd party news. But there is public money involved, we can pull power moves. WBUR doesn’t have a public complaint policy, when you get a complaint, how quickly do you respond.
  • Jed: May have an ombudsman WBUR has one whose role should resolve complains, they know about it. Jed tweeted to all the addresses they are aware.

Annual National Meeting Working Group Report

• Hal: The GPUS ANM Committee is talking about themes. Looking at off campus venues for  fundraiser. The ANM 2019 Website will be up soon with a link for submitting workshop proposals. Hal asked Tamar about OCPF legal issues concerns. She will address specific questions.
• John: ANM 2019 will run July 25-29. We must encourage as many GRP members to attend: through media activism, etc. Let’s set a number goal of GRP members attending, help people in keeping track of the registration deadlines / status etc. We can promote this on our own list. We can bolster the Participation fund to defray the cost for our members. John invited Pirate Party Jamie O'Keefe to do a workshop, but they make workshop speakers pay registration.
• Elie: make an appropriation for publicizing advertising this ANM meeting, find a way of making this newsworthy. It’s a Massachusetts event so it should be all over social media.
• Hal: Do we want to record the workshops? Salem Access TV loves to cover political events.

Appointments

• Jed Stamas was appointed Statcom Alternate at Summer 2018 Statecom.
• Mike V nominated for Alternate. With no concerns, Mike is appointed by consensus.
• Brian Harris: First meeting, not particularly politically active. Worked for Bernie. Voted for Jill. This is the level I’d like to be active: locally and state. The Green-Rainbow Party is consistent with my core values. There is so much to talk about. I’m very concerned with money in politics, would like to create a climate for more third parties. I want a pluralistic system.
  • Elie: Would you consider being an alternate? You must be active locally. This isn’t where the action is. We need people active in Somerville.
    • Danny: No concerns with Brian Harris being a full member. People need to find their place.
    • Brian commits to local action moving forward. I’ve always shared these values, but I haven’t put them into action.
    • Mike V: We must be welcoming to newbs. Still trying to get educated. Big commitment.
    • Sean: has been active for 13 years. Get involved and learn.
    • Ebony: Love the push for diversity, youth and people of color, but I also like tough love. People have to come correct. We want diversity and growth, but don’t spare the rod, ok? TOUGH LOVE!
  • Brian H seeks appointment to be a full Statecom Member. With 9 for, 1 against and 2 abstentions, Brian is elected Statecom Member!
• Mike Pascucci nominated for Alternate by Danny: “He is level headed and  concise, really into organization.” He accepts nomination. With no concerns, Statecom appoints by consensus Mike Pascucci to Statecom Alternate!
• David Barkley (Ebony) nominated for Alternate by Elie and Danny. With no concerns, Ebony is appointed by consensus Alternate to Statecom! David Barkley works for unions.
• Karen Boutet nominated for Alternate by Danny. Karen: “Attracted by the platform and the grassroots activism.” Danny: “Karen has been an activist for many years around the state doing incredible work.” With no concerns, Karen Boutet is appointed by consensus to Statecom Alternate!
• Darlene Elias’ appointment to the GPUS International Committee ends this month. If anyone wants to be involved in International Committee seek info from the GPUS website.
• Joshua Gerloff seeks appointment to the GPUS Animal Rights Committee. With no concerns, Statecom appoints by consensus Josh to the ARC for 2 years. His term will end February 2021.
• John Andrews seeks reappointment to the GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee. With no concerns, John is re-appointed by consensus. His term will end February 2021.

Martina Robinson memorial

Danny: Remembering Martina Robinson who died recently at 42 years old. She was our Green-Rainbow candidate for Lt. Governor in 2006, but more than that, a disability rights, lgbtq advocate as well. She had cerebral palsy. She was a paraplegic who used a  wheelchair and had some hard times in her last years. She spent some time being homeless, and is case study of how government utterly fails people, in particular people with disabilities. Can you imagine being homeless while being a wheelchair user? Massachusetts does not have homeless shelters that will allow you to have an aide to help you, so she was homeless on the street with no one to help her. Danny helped get  her into a nursing home, and she eventually found public housing. Martina was a hero when it came to advocating for people with disabilities and human dignity. Someone once said of Martina that she had a “servant’s heart, especially for people with disabilities.” She lobbied politicians and media about disability hurdles. We should be honored to have had her in our party. Martina lived in West Roxbury when she died, before that Belchertown, Lowell and Lawrence, and was originally from Pennsylvania.

• Elie: Knew her as a GRP candidate for Lt Gov, was around with her during that campaign.
• Sean: joined the party as a young political student, I hated Democrats. But Grace Ross and Martina were fearless! They had the willingness to jump in. We should model our activism on Martina: there’s no time like the present. Let’s move forward.
• Dan: drove her to GP convention in PA. Worked on her campaign with Grace Ross. There are so many homeless people who use wheelchairs! People with disabilities   don't get rights.

End of year report and Provisional FY2019 Budget: Brian Cady:

• • Brian Cady, GRP Treasurer, is using the 2018 budget as a framework for 2019.
  • Charlene:this is a succinct way to present the budget. We have a Fundraising and Finance (Fun Fin) committee now. ANM discussion mentions the Participation Fund.
  • Danny: what was the beginning balance? Printing needs to be more. Only $400 for convention rent seems low. We must give the Treasurer guidance like last year. Let  the 2018 expenditures be the guide for our 2019 budget. $200 is too low for printing.
  • Hal: Can we collect money other ways besides Paypal?
    • Charlene: People can send in checks, must be careful about cash. Wasn’t able to donate through Paypal, but can donate with a credit card on the website.
    • Brian Harris: Paypal alternatives: Venmo or Cash Out?
    • Dan Kontoff: Venmo isn’t accepting new clients. Alibaba is a bigger cash app.
  • Elie: Was there a change in maximum amount for individual contributions?
    • Brian: went from $500 to $1500 (NOTE post-meeting: the legal calendar year donation limit from an individual is $5,000 for the State Fund and $10,000 for the Federal Fund--Charlene)?
    • Elie: what are limits on contributions? What does GRP want to do for the coming year? In setting goals, a differentiation between state and federal funds?
    • Brian: Federal Fund is used mainly for presidential campaign years.
    • Elie: Is Federal Fund in the budget?
    • Brian: We must have a federal account for that kind of spending.
  • Charlene: Our expense is higher than income?
    • John: We don’t want to spend down to zero, because of unexpected expenses/opportunities, but what about worthy costs environmental, ANM 500 is low, increase to 1000 put in reserve in case we want to spend it when we need to? We need good materials, buttons, paper products?
  • Brian Cady: Money comes in, goes to santander state account. Santander is a depository account bank need to have.
    • MV: Campaign school: why designate money for this but not schools? Need school outreach money.
    • Brian: Campaign School is for teaching us to be candidates, campaign officers, etc.
    • Sean: Santander is statewide, otherwise we would have to change banks if local bank. We make money on Campaign School.
    • Charlene: We don’t do a Campaign School unless we get enough people to sign up. State convention is when people pay dues etc. silent auction, etc. 2019 is an off year, local campaigns, let's drop the budgeted amount.
  • Elie: We need  a budget for political action. We are facing climate change. Need a change in awareness in the political and climate situation. Need more membership. Let people know what the green party is.
  • Sean : Process to request money. Being a treasurer is difficult. Brian can’t know all this. We never have more than $10,000, comes in goes out.
  • Danny: Proposal: Approve a budget for 2019 provisionally with a review at Spring Statecom, based on current conditions and what  we spent last year, with 2 exceptions: bump Participation Fund to $1000. Candidate contributions keep at $1399 in municipal elections but city elections may need more money.
    • Elie: Assigning sums is not something that can be done here
    • John: Danny’s motion ripples throughout the whole sheet. Substitute last years expenses is disrespectful to Brian’s work.
    • Charlene: Given that we don’t have proper budget, we are using the EOY report as basis for 2019 budget. Charlene proposes to increase our income amount to match danny’s proposal.
    • Charlene: Use budgeted column but increase expected income.
    • John: Asking Fun Fin to make good on increased income.
    • Danny: Go by Budgeted Column with Charlene’s and John’s friendly budget.
    • Elie: Who here has experience in institutional budgets?
    • Danny: We have not had a functional Fun Fin in the 10 years Danny has been in the party. Use this as a guide and send to Fun Fin, and Brian can present something back with conditions that call for something else. Need ownership of our budget.
    • Danny: Advocating for budgeted with increasing income and more for printing.
    • Sean: The budget is constantly reacting to the situation at hand. This needs to be a guide. Let's accept this. Accept tentatively.
    • Danny: Accept budgeted plus 2 changes: increase expected income + more for printing. Real situations: Adcom may be hamstrung. Make these changes so it allows Adcom to be flexible. This is not micromanaging.
    • Charlene: we do this every year. Second the motion for a Provisional Budget at $7470 dollars, with expected increase in income.
    • Elie: Brian is new to this. We are not prepared to present a real political budget.

• Summarize: Approve the Budgeted Column with 2 changes: increased income and more for printing = provisional budget. Fun Fin is encouraged to raise more money.

• Charlene: Need to see an increased amount for income, $500-$1000 for Participation Fund, and $200-$100 for printing.

• Elie stands aside. Approved by consensus. Provisionally budgeted.

Bylaws amendment:

• Danny and ARVC: Friendly Amendment: “If one of the purposes of the State Committee meeting is to change a bylaw or to change any part of our Party Agenda , the notice period shall be 10 days. " (the purpose of this is to make sure that this bylaw change is not used for bad faith purposes such as taking advantage of time periods when particular state com members are out town and then altering the whole nature of our party. After all, there is really no instance in which a bylaw or Party Agenda change cannot wait 10 days. The more usual pressing reasons to call an emergency meeting— such as to elect an officer— stays intact. with 5 days notice allowed)
• John: Friendly Amendment: “All Agenda Items To Be Taken Up In This Meeting Shall Be Clearly Identified In The Announcement.”
• Elie: Exclude changes of policy.
  • Danny: There are criteria for special meetings in the Standing Rules  of Statecom.
  • John: Adcom will make the right decision about whether we have a special meeting, so there should be no constraint. Unless we are about to be sued etc, we might want to change our policy before. We must trust Adcom to do their  job.
• John: Concerned about 1 officer calling a meeting.
  • Danny: At least such a Statecom meeting called by 1 person could not change a bylaw or policy. Not difficulty to call a quorum of Adcom.
  • Straw poll: how many concerned with changing prop from 1 officer calling the meeting to 2 officers calling the meeting. None.
• Charlene accepts Danny’s/ARVC Friendly Amendment “10 Days Notice Or As Soon As Quorum Is Achieved For Bylaws Or Party Agenda Change” and John Andrews Friendly Amendment “All Agenda Items To Be Taken Up In This Meeting Shall Be Clearly Identified In The Announcement”.
• Elie had a blocking concern: consensus is not reached and we move to a vote.
• Vote: 15 yes. 1 elie no.  The proposal is accepted with friendly amendments by Danny and John.

Volunteer enumerating Proposal:

• Brian Cady: Creates liaison slots between chaps and coms. Not necessary to fill these now. This creates a structure. Working coms consisting of local chapter reps. Diverse feedback.
• Danny: Brian great job. We value decentralization, encourage chaps to do there own work, is this something the work com can do on its own. Vol basis can contact chapters and arrange things ask things on their own. Are you saying these appointment need statecom approval.
• Brian: want Statecom's permission.
• Danny: not sure this belongs here but will support if Brian thinks this is necessary. Willing to do what you need.
• John: who will do the work? Not sure what this is is. Not sure how to vote. Can’t grasp this.
• Brian: I feel that our urge to group and be solid is amorphous, when i go to local chapter meeting do you know anyone who can handle this specific job.
• Elie: principles of ecological politics. Action of group at local level. Most chapter are successful locally, linked with local problems. Develop in group interaction. Loss of memory here that interferes with our dealing with race. Etc. learn how to work with others,. Look at a problem.
• Brian: this is aspirational. At state level we are weak. People haven’t heard from us unless there is a fundraiser. This doesn’t address the local situation. Need a state volunteer infrastructure.
• Sean: set up an air traffic control position. When chap membs want to get involved with the state party and send to this person?
• Brian: we must invite people to join and ask.
• Dan K: good to have someone who works with all the chapters.
• Josh: Volunteer integrator goes to the chapters and is a directive to identify people in the community and invite them into the party to work for their local chapter as a liason.
• Brian: south coast mem liaison. Go there and think about who we know, who is good at this, this is their strength so invite them in.
• Charlene: elaborate plan for many positions. Some level of interest based on our platform and candidates.. More often you get involved with a local  chapter somehow, but what must proceed this plan, ask our chapters you know your members . first thing: this isn’t a job. How do we relate? Need to give a clear presentation.
• Danny: im For this, MDVR wants to engage in this endeavour. If you need statecom endorsement, probably shouldn’t object.
• Elie: MDVR member: locals are built from local struggle. Wrong way. Another way to do it, I’m at where things are no! Has MDVR supported this. YES.
• Brian: do you know people who are interested and able to .
• Danny: MDVR supports this. We should support.
• Vote: 8 yes. 4 against. 4 abstain. It passes with a ⅔ majority voting in favor.

Reports from chapters

• Young Greens UMass Boston (YGUMB): Charlene: summarize: wrote WGBH for excluding our candidates. Speaker on Arab-Israeli relations. Both Co-chairs are graduating. Trying to recruit more members. Want a  campus event re VCMA.
• South coast: met once: started newsletter. Newsletter every other week, mayoral recall shenanigans, want a green candidate.
• Pioneer Valley: Jed: meeting on wednesday, meeting every month, event civil assistance. action day, in springfield libertarians were cleaning up parks during shut down, feeding the homeless. Dan Kontoffk: food for activists.
• North Shore: http://www.green-rainbow.org/north_shore_4th_quarter_2018_report
• Greater Boston: nothing formal: informally, break from direct action to work on internal, long meeting, what our goals are, get to know each other, address abstentions, what to do between  meetings. Elie: add: in area gbc, school committee engaging as greens but not as a member of the chapter.
• Central Mass Green-Rainbow: http://www.green-rainbow.org/cmgr_4th_qtr_2018_report
• Charlene: attendance of 9 avg. ran 2 candidates . director of mass peace action. Gordon davis working on fully funding education, got our grp sponsorship of one of those events.
• Assabet River Vallley: Core chaper members are Danny:Tar, Karen, Barbara and Terra. Chapter ran 2 candidates in the fall, Danny (State Rep)  and Terra (State Senate). Debriefed those campaigns. Jim Snyder-Grant running currently for Selectman in Acton. Tar Larner running for re=election to the Concord Housing Authority. Both elections are on March 26, 2019. Danny and Terra serve on the Board of Directors of the citizens group Green Acton.The chapter is involved in curbing development, reducing the regions’ carbon footprint and engendering a more sustainable and just lifestyle.
  
• Boston Green-Rainbow City Committee: DR complaint.
• Boston Green-Rainbow Ward committee

Reports from Working Committees and Directors:

• Convention: Roni: climate change theme and solutions. 2019 GND for peace justice and democracy. Jill Stein on committee and will speak at convention. David Spanagel is going to London. Popinchok will be sexton. Jordon Hodges is also on convention committee.
• Com Com: Hal: conflicted with an Adcom meeting? Tom Grzybowski. Software security.
• CDLC: Charlene: two candidates around Acton. 36 considering, municipal, state or federal. Continue to get inquiries. 3 active on CDLC, hoping to reactivate member out of country. Who can be a good candidate in 2020. Need that other candidate. Candidate survey: deadline: Jan 31, 2019. Danny: disappointing. More focused on candidates. We must run candidates! Let's meet in April and hear about candidates.
• Fundraising and Finance: 4 members
• Membership: Since Fall 2018 Statecom, MDVR has met 4 times. We completed the calendar year with the team's focus on the November election cycle. Our post election effort focused on the creation of a Mission Statement to focus our efforts in the coming year. That statement has been accepted by the MDVRC. A proposed agenda for the coming year has been distributed, but will require the committees refinement and ultimate approval in early 2019 to establish our work plan moving forward. On December 21, 2018, John Blumenstiel was appointed Membership Director by Statecom.  The change was made to accomodate Brian Cady's new role as GRP treasurer.
• Tech: David Gerry. Has voter rolls.

Round Robin Feedback

• Charlene: we got a lot done. Sean is a great facilitator. Great start  to the year.
• Dan Kontoff: gay pride lets march! Meeting good. We need a vibes person.
• Brian Harris: Very educational. Jumping in. Looking forward to learning more.
• Hal: great meeting.
• Jed: great facilitation. Much back and forth about props. More on election results and pres election. May have slate for northampton city council.
• RB: sean permanent vibes walker. People need to stop dominating the meeting. They go on and on.
• Brian: good meeting. Thanks facilitators!
• Frank Jeffers: I think everything went well.
• Elie: chief problem is loss of memory. Walking around in a fog. Green Party is not immune.
• Danny: pleasure to have everyone here.
• Josh: I am impressed by the attendance! Also Ralph Walton walked from the train station?
• Ralph Walton: We can view the voter list, now that we are a recognized state party.
• John: Great! Got business done. Facilitators doing a great job. Democrats and Republicans won't do it.

Adjourn at 4:30 PM and cleanup.

Attendance: John Andrews, Roni Beal, Hal Brown, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff, Daniel Kontoff, David Rolde, Ralph Walton and Elie Yarden.

Quorum: Quorum (7 needed) is reached with 11 attending

Guests: David Gerry

Facilitator: Charlene

Note taker: Josh

Stacker: Hal

Timekeeper: Elie

Per GRP bylaws, we need to elect the following positions:

Membership Director: John Blumenstiel wishes to accept this position.

• • John Blumenstiel couldn’t call in tonight, but is willing to serve through 2019 GRP Convention.
  • Elie: He’s a very considerate person.
  • Brian: He has great ideas
  • Danny: John B. is very level headed and mature.
  • Josh: Agrees. He shows up to events. Also puts much thought into our work.

• Statecom votes unanimously (11/11) to appoint John Blumenstiel to Membership Director.

A number of people will staff the Fundraising and Finance committee.

• Fundraising and Finance Committee: Roni Beal, Jamie Guerin, Joanna Herlihy, Dan Kontoff, Jed Stamas and Elie Yarden.
• They will help the Fundraising Director when that person steps forward.
• Would anyone like to nominate someone or run? No suggestions.

Action Item: Discuss this with the chapters. Tell Them we need a Fundraising Director and they will have a lot of help!

• It is better to recruit through the chapters versus email blasts, because we need proven dedication to the party.

Treasurer: Brian Cady has agreed to take on the Treasurer position and commits to serving until GRP Convention in 2019. He also plans to run for Treasurer at the 2019 Convention to serve through May 2020.

• • Brian: “Glad to help and do a good job.”
  • Charlene:  “Pleased that Brian will take this on. We’ve seen his efforts as Interim  Membership Director. This is what it means to be a member of the GRP. Taking care of the membership, steering people to chapters and committees. Alternatives to the Established Political Parties are now met with attacks and attempts to silence us, but we need to look at the bigger picture. Brian has been traveling around the state to vet his proposal. I admire his dedication and support him for treasurer.”
  • Elie: “Brian is very committed. There is no one more ideal for the job.”
  • Josh: “Brian is the best. I fully support.”
  • Danny dropped off the call. (Danny later contacted statecom and said he had an emergency work matter that caused him to leave the call. He says that had he stayed on the call he would have voted yes to elect Brian Cady Treasurer and would have stated that Brian  was particularly qualified.)

• Statecom votes 9 yes, with 1 abstain, (9/10 in favor) to elect Brian Cady the next Green-Rainbow Party Treasurer.

Winter 2019 Statecom will be Sat January 26, 2019 at St Matthews Church in Acton, MA.

• Sign in at 9 am.
• Check, read and comment on proposals.
• Proposals due December 29, 2018.

Feedback:

• Everyone is happy to have a dedicated treasurer!

Adjourn 7:41 PM

Attendance: John Andrews, Matt Andrews, Roni Beal, Hal Brown, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff, David Rolde and Elie Yarden.

Quorum is 7: With 10 voting members on the call, quorum is reached!

Guests: Debbie Clasby and David Gerry.

Treasurer Progress:

• Debbie: met Brian Crawford at his home and went to Santander, did not have driver’s license, which is needed to get on account. Need documents “Articles of Incorporation.”
• Danny: Probably will need OCPF “Change of Treasurer” form which will be signed by the new treasurer.

ANM Update:

• John: Wrote a report of the site visit and assessment. Tamar Yager, ANM Committee chair, conducted a site visit November 8, 2018 with several of the GRP ANM Working Group members: John, Hal and David Gerry. They walked around the Salem State University campus with SSU Conference Director Debra Melnick, ate in the cafeteria, inspected the dorms, the auditorium and the event room. Tamar was very pleased with the tour. The prices are reasonable. SSU can meet all special requests. Debra Melnick was very positive. The GPUS can now sign the contract. In the afternoon, other GRP members, Darlene Elias, Matt Andrews, Jill Stein, Joshua Gerloff (North Shore Chapter rep) and Manny Pintado, joined for a meeting to discuss “How could GRP interact with ANM and make it successful and benefit from it?” Darlene and Hal have joined the GPUS ANM Committee. Must think more about it toward July 25-27. As date gets closer, we’ll need to sign up volunteers to help with registration. We’ll need ideas for workshops. And we need to determine the theme.
• Matt: We can contribute to the ANM as chapters. We have enough lead time to plan our marketing and fundraising. Bring speakers in, can they afford to get there? If we raise money, we can make this a success.
• John: Thursday night, the GRP can host a public meeting. Can invite as many GRP members as possible. We can profit by selling t-shirts and hats. Snag a speaker for that program. They will let us be in charge of Thursday evening.

Does the GRP sign a letter from the GPUS urging the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israel for Crimes Against Humanity?:

• • Elie: Letters to the ICC involve protocols the letter writers were not familiar with. They wanted other parties to sign it, ie EU Green Parties, etc. This is an effort by Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese. No reason to oppose the idea. It’s just not being carried out properly.
  • Danny: Israel is the top recipient of military aid from USA. Direct nexus to US in Israel's Actions. We support international human rights and international law. We believe that governments must be accountable to the world community. I’m not aware of errors, but absent any significant concern, Danny approves signing the letter.
  • David Rolde: GBC endorsed, but the letter should go further, ie ask the ICC to prosecute the US for crimes against Afghanistan. This letter includes historical info. We should sign on. David filled in the Google form on the website with no acknowledgement. Supports signing the letter.
  • Matt: This letter is funny. NSA advisor John Bolton was threatening the ICC, threatening sanctions against ICC, threatening judges if they come to USA. ICC is supposed to prosecute government crimes. They are receiving threats from US. How can we expect them to prosecute Israel if they are being threatened?
  • John: Who is behind this letter? Kevin Zeese (PopularResistance.org) and Margaret Flowers are part of a faction that are trying to take over as much of the party as possible and chase out veterans of the party.
  • David Rolde: I don't want to vote against something we agree with just because this is written by a conservative faction.
  • Danny: If we believe in the content, we should sign. May disagree with motives, but don't disagree with the content. US backs Israel with weapons, so needs to be held to account.
  • John: Who are we signing with? Would sign if GPUS International Committee has signed, but if we are supporting a coalition with Pop Resistance, no.
  • David Gerry: The letter was drafted by the GPAX com and GPUS endorsed it. GPUS Nat com approved a letter written by GPAX, who would circulate around.
  • Roni: Nothing will come of this. The USA is not reprimanding them. Israel doesn’t care.

• Vote to sign: 7 yes, 1 with reservations. 3 no. Vote passes.

Round robin:

• John: let’s get to work.
• Matt: good meeting. Good convo about a political issue. ANM most relevant. Watch this issue. How to address this issue? ICC? GPAX or Int com
• Roni: Good Meeting. Discussion.
• Brian: good
• Debbie Clasby: first meeting. Quite informational. Thank you.
• Hal: good meeting. Important issues. Addressing this to the US government.
• Charlene: sorry so late. Good to hear feedback of the meeting. Pleased
• Danny: It was ok that it  took time to reach a decision since in the GRP we try to reach consensus. Also, congrats to the GRP and Statecom for us becoming a state recognized political party again.
• Josh: tense and confusing, but we made the right decision.
• David Rolde: glad we were able to pass this letter.
• Elie: in order to be an effective org, we need more competence.
• David G.: The endorsement is prob unnecessary. GPUS is reaching out to other Nat GPs and prob didn’t need GRP signatory.

Adjourn.

Emergency Teleconference to Interview and Vote on Appointment of Debbie Clasby as GRP Treasurer

Attendance: John Andrews, Matt Andrews, Roni Beal, Hal Brown, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff and Elie Yarden.

Quorum is : With 9 Statecom members in attendance, quorum is reached!

Guest: David Gerry, Jordan Stewart, Lois Gagnon.

Facilitator: Matt Andrews.

Notes: Joshua Gerloff

Questions for Debbie:

Q: Do you know the job?

   A: She spoke with Brian Crawford and is aware of what is entailed.

Q: How did you hear about the Green Party?

   A: Her daughter volunteered for the Jill Stein for President campaign in California and urged Debbie to get involved.

Q: Are you registered J?

   A: Yes. A couple of weeks now.

Q: What are your feelings of the GRP? Would you have registered if this opportunity had not arisen?

   A: She needs to feel personally comfortable with the people she votes for. She isn’t a confrontational person. But she agrees with the 10KV.

Q: Treasurer is a mandatory member of Adcom. Debbie must be available to attend Adcom twice a month. The Treasurer is not required to become a member of Statecom, which meets 4 times a year in person and via telecon 4 times a year, but it would be problematic if treasurer wasn’t able to attend most Statecom meetings.

   A: Debbie: “No problem!”

Vote:

• Members vote unanimously in favor of appointing Debbie Clasby to be the Treasurer!
• “Appointment to take effect Thurs, November 8, 2018.” Party status may change Nov. 6

Other business

ANM Committee Site Visit to Salem State University.

• John Andrews reports: Tamer Yager will fly in to conduct a site visit of SSU  11/6-11/7 then fly back to Virginia 11/10. She’ll stay at a Bed and Breakfast, walk around the SSU campus, and go around to off campus venues. Probably have dinner with the GRP ANM Working Group and the GRP NSC to talk about how to make the ANM successful. Tamer will also visit Red Sun Press in JP to nail down printing.
• David Gerry reports that GPUS has approved ANM happening at SSU.

Danny Factor for State Representative

• Danny is tabling for his campaign at 4 PM Saturday in Chelmsford. A Lowell Sun reporter will take pics and write an article about his campaign for State Rep.
• Also tabling Sunday 1 pm.

Adjourn.