SPONSORS: Charlene DiCalogero, Co-chair GRP and State Committee member; co-sponsor, Roni Beal, State Committee member, Central Mass chapter

VETTING COMMITTEES:

FLOOR MANAGER: C. DiCalogero

SHEPHERD: C. DiCalogero

SUMMARY: For at least the last 4 years in which I have been an elected member of State Committee (the last two also as party Co-chair), David Rolde has disrupted the work of the Green-Rainbow Party at the state level, and damaged the reputation of the state and national Green Party. As a member of State Committee at its meetings, at Administrative Committee meetings as a representative of the Legislative Working Committee or as a member of chapters or other committees, and through his public activities as an identifiable member of the GRP State Committee, I believe he has alienated many members and leaders of the GRP.

By his public behavior and statements, which violate a number of our 10 Key Values, while simultaneously continuing to act as a member of the State Committee, I have received evidence that he also discourages people from joining the party and potential candidates from running GRP.

Even after multiple concerns from different party leadership have been expressed directly to him, David Rolde continues, whether intentionally or not, to exhibit destructive behaviors.

BACKGROUND:

Evidence

1. 10 KV violations

a. Respect for Diversity

i. anti-Jewish statements against a candidate (Danny Factor, 2016, at endorsement request meeting, at which vibes watcher Greg Williams interrupted his attack and declared that David should be removed from State Com) and Jewish people in general (there is “Jewish privilege;” “Jews are not oppressed”)

ii. of 6 candidates requesting endorsement at StateCom summer 2018, questioning only the Muslim and Middle Eastern candidate on Israel-Palestine, which was racist, possibly sexist, and irrelevant. He did not ask any other candidate that question. The candidate was running for State Rep, which is not focused on international relations.

b. Nonviolence <p>

i. State Com October 2019, elimination of the military proposal: David refused to accept Charlene’s amendment to institute a nonviolent defense system because “the United States does not deserve to defend itself.” Such a position is inherently violent, racist, sexist, etc., because it exposes everyone in this country to attacks from other countries that would likely follow implementation of such a policy, with no organized means for response.

c. Grassroots Democracy

i. David consistently and publicly supports the violent dictator Bashar Al Assad of Syria, who has been responsible for numerous human rights crimes including 85,000 civilian deaths. <p>

ii. He supports authoritarian regimes in China and other countries: he opposes the Hong Kong democracy movement as “an attack on China” at the 2019 GBC meeting attended by Charlene DiCalogero and Maha Gray, co-chairs. While opposition to US foreign interventions is consistent with the GPUS platform, the promoting of governments whose behavior grossly violates the Ten Key Values is inconsistent with support for those values.<p>

iii. David denies that the Tienanmen Square massacre of Chinese students by PRC soldiers occurred (GBC meeting 2019 as above). This shows an unwillingness to stand up for the key values of grassroots democracy and nonviolence, as well as a respect for documented history.

2. Attacks on leadership, lying about people’s actions or affiliations, lying about issues under consideration for consensus by committees

a. lied about provisions of the Death with Dignity bill during the AdCom telecon of 2019 that he wanted the GRP to oppose, then during the Round Robin accused everyone else on the call of wanting to kill people. David Gerry says the bill contains none of the provisions that David claimed were in it.

b. accused Matt Andrews of being pro-war (dates and places?), CD of being a Democrat at October 2019 State Com. He has no presented no credible evidence, or evidence of any kind, for these accusations.

c. Claimed at the October 2019 State Com that Gene Sharp, a well-known theorist, researcher and trainer in nonviolent direct action, was “in the CIA.” He presented no evidence for this accusation.<p>

d. David for years was not a member of any Working Committee, as required by our bylaws. Instead, he criticizes and attacks people who are doing significant work for the party, such as an unfounded accusation against the State Convention committee of bias of favor of some presidential candidates. His accusation wasted time and energy that is needed to do the work of reconstituting the State Committee, planning Regional Conventions, supporting candidates, etc. His rallying of other disruptive GPUS candidates to the 11/7/19 State Committee telecon meeting resulted in a meeting that personally attacked the GRP appointee to the Presidential Campaign Support Committee and resulted in almost none of the intended agenda being addressed and the meeting went well over (1-2 hours over) the agreed-upon time.

Such behavior is abusive and excludes people who have neither the time nor the energy to stay on unproductive and endless phone calls.

e. general disruptiveness and behavior unbecoming a State Com member

i. screaming continuously at the female co-chair and StateCom in general during State Com call with a State Com member in July 2018, during which meeting he was the vibes watcher.

ii. In response to Charlene DiCalogero’s co-chair message, StateCom Oct 2019, of the great victory of Worcester Climate Emergency Declaration: “it’s not a great victory.” It’s unlikely he knows what’s in the declaration, or who was involved in writing it and getting it passed. The impact of such dismissive statements are to lower morale of the body, and to undermine the female co-chair’s leadership.

iii. David frequently interrupts speakers at State Com meetings, alleging “vibes,” which is often not a matter of interpersonal conflict, but his disagreement with the speaker’s political or practical perspective. It is disrespectful to State Com members and others who are trying to share their viewpoints, discourages honest discussion, and appears to be frequently directed at the women (witness attack on Priscila Espinosa, Oct 2019 State Committee).

iv. At the 2019 State Convention, when a keynote speaker was introduced, David responded with jeers and boos. This is no way to treat speakers invited as guests by the GRP, and who are traveling some distance to speak to our meetings without requiring a speaker’s fee. And it embarrasses the volunteers organizing the meeting, forcing them to apologize to the invited speaker (reported by C. Sotiropoulus, May 2019).

v. David’s interruptions are frequent, as you can see from the multiple instances cited from a single meeting. They often constitute some form of an attack, and effectively disrupt and postpone the business of StateCom and other meetings.

Response by State Committee and other bodies, and results of David Rolde’s actions David has been given numerous opportunities to redeem himself and has shown no capability to respond positively or to act collaboratively. He has caused irreparable harm by alienating active and potential members, and provided ammunition to Green Party detractors with his negative comments on social and mass media. Rather than having significantly changed or improved his behavior in response to concerns raised, he appears instead to have escalated his attacks.

TEXT OF MOTION: In accordance with GRP Bylaws, v. January 26, 2019, Section 8.6, and due to multiple and egregious violations of Sections 4.1 and 5.6 presented, we request that State Committee take the following actions:

1. If David Rolde resigns from the State Committee previous to the meeting at which this motion is considered (per phone conversation between C. DiCalogero and David Rolde, 12/9/19), as described in GRP bylaws Section 8.7, and all other state-level positions or bodies to which he may belong: that he be removed and banned from all GRP-hosted listserves, Facebook pages and other social media. David Rolde will be prohibited from participating in these positions, bodies and media now and in the future.

2. Should David refuse to resign, we ask that the State Committee remove him from State Committee, and that he be banned from GRP-hosted listserves, Facebook pages or other social media, now and in the future.

We further request that David Rolde take the following actions:

1. End his campaign to be the presidential nominee of the Green Party of the U.S., and

2. cease his baseless attacks on the GRP and the GPUS.

He is unqualified to be the GPUS nominee by experience, by knowledge, by temperament, by political outlook, and by his non-collaborative behavior toward the members of the GRP and GPUS.

He declared at the presidential candidates’ forum at the July 2019 ANM, Salem State University, Salem, MA, that, “I am running in the 2020 Green Party US presidential primaries as a protest candidate against the so-called “USA” and its phony presidential elections.”

This shows an intention to take advantage of the GPUS primary process to promote his own ideas rather than seriously seeking a position of leadership, unity, and party-building which is the Green Party’s purpose in sponsoring a presidential process. He cannot be a serious candidate for President of the United States while asserting a belief that the U.S. should not continue to exist as a nation. Such a candidacy is not supported or justified by the 10 Key Values or the GPUS platform.

IMPLEMENTATION:

1. Tech Committee members and/or Communication Committee members, or any others having the ability to remove David Rolde from the GRP website, listserves, Facebook pages, Twitter and any other social media run by the GRP, remove or block his access, as soon as possible after the State Committee decision. They shall notify the co-chairs when this is completed.

2. The Secretary of the GRP will send written notification to officers of all chapters of David Rolde's removal from the State Committee as soon as possible.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

REFERENCES AND ATTACHMENTS:

GRP Bylaws, v. January 26, 2019, Section 8.6. State committee representatives may be removed with a 2/3 vote of the state committee. The individual being removed from the state committee shall not be allowed to vote.

GRP Bylaws, v. January 26, 2019, Section 4.1 “Members of the Green-Rainbow Party must adhere to the following standards: uphold the Ten Key Values and the Bylaws and Structure of the Green-Rainbow Party, be honest and forthright in all dealings, and be scrupulous in the handling of Green-Rainbow Party and/or GRP chapter funds.”

GRP Bylaws, v. January 26, 2019, Section 5.6. Participants in meetings of the Green-Rainbow Party are expected to treat each other with civility and consideration.

Human Rights Violations during the Syrian Civil War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_violations_during_the_Syrian_Civil_War

https://www.davidrolde2020.org/platform.html

https://www.davidrolde2020.org/about.html Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, United Nations, 2 February 2015

https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/A.HRC_.28.69_E.pdf

Communist Party of China

Moderates:

Final remarks:

While I feel it necessary for the good of the party to submit this motion, I bear no personal ill will toward David. I believe as elected and appointed leaders, officers and members of the Green-Rainbow Party that State Committee members have a responsibility to ensure as much as possible the good and democratic functioning of the only U.S. party for “People, Planet and Peace.” At this critical moment in U.S. and world history, we cannot afford to allow malicious attacks on the party, whether from inside or outside our membership, whether from sincere beliefs or from ulterior motives, to cripple the ability of the party to function well and attract support.

TITLE: GRP will oppose mandatory vaccinations

SPONSORS: David Rolde & Jed Stamas. Additional co-sponsors welcome

CO-SPONSORS: Joshua Gerloff

VETTING COMMITTEE: GRP Legislative Committee

FLOOR MONITOR & SHEPHERD: David Rolde. Additional help welcome

SUMMARY: Green-Rainbow Party should oppose all laws that call for mandatory vaccinations, forced vaccinations, vaccinations without the patient's consent, and vaccinations of children without consent or knowledge of the parents or guardian. Green-Rainbow Party should oppose all laws that deny people a right to attend school or work at their job based on not being vaccinated.

BACKGROUND: Many people are concerned about negative health effects of vaccines, and about laws that force people to get vaccinated or to have their children vaccinated. There are currently bills before the Massachusetts house of representatives (H.4096) and Massachusetts Senate (S.2359) that would remove the religious exemption for vaccinations for children attending school and that would generally make it more difficult for people to refuse vaccinations. The Steering Committee of the Maine Green Independent Party, in February 2019, adopted a resolution: "In some cases vaccines have prevented deaths or serious diseases. In other cases documentation exists of fatal or lifetime debilitating injuries to people, especially infants. Accordingly, we oppose any law mandating vaccines, which fail to take into account either sovereignty over our own bodies or important medical variations including allergic reactions." See https://mainegreens.org/news/press-releases/168-green-independent-and-libertarian-parties-release-joint-statement? It is time for GRP to take a position opposing coerced vaccination.

TEXT OF PROPOSAL: Whereas vaccines can produce serious negative health effects and disabilities, Whereas vaccines can cause the disease they are supposed to prevent, Whereas some vaccines are tainted or contaminated with toxic or carcinogenic substances, Whereas vaccines are generally not tested for safety with double blind studies or to rigorous standards required for testing other pharmaceuticals, Whereas the risk of injury from some vaccines is greater than the risk of contracting and being injured by the disease that the vaccine was created to prevent, Whereas flu vaccines are sometimes ineffective for the current endemic strain, yet still can cause negative health effects, Whereas the MMR vaccine is not available as three separate vaccines that would lesson risk of injury if injected separately Whereas executives from big pharma mega-corporations such as Merck which produce vaccines have "revolving door" careers as government officials in regulatory agencies such as the Center for Disease control Whereas U.S. federal law grants legal immunity to vaccine makers (pharmaceutical companies), and vaccine makers cannot be held legally or financially liable for injuries caused by administering the vaccines they produce Whereas the Green-Rainbow Party believes that human beings have a right to bodily autonomy and to choose their own medical care, The Green Rainbow Party hereby shall stand in opposition to all laws and bills and referenda that call for mandatory vaccinations, forced vaccinations, vaccinations without the patient's consent, and vaccinations of children without consent or knowledge of the parents or guardian. The Green-Rainbow Party shall stand in opposition to all laws and bills and referenda that deny people a right to attend school or work at their job based on not being vaccinated, or that otherwise serve to coerce people to accept vaccinations that they don't want. And the Green-Rainbow Party shall support bills and referenda that would strengthen people's rights to choose which vaccines they accept or reject to be administered on themselves and their children. The Green-Rainbow Party will implement this proposal as described in the subsequent IMPLEMENTATION section

IMPLEMENTATION: GRP Communication Committee and/or Adcom will publicize GRP's position against mandatory vaccinations as detailed in the TEXT OF PROPOSAL section. This shall be done within two weeks of adoption of this proposal by GRP State Committee. The GRP Legislative Committee will research state laws and bills and advise GRP on which state laws and bills pertinent to vaccination should be opposed or supported to be in compliance with GRP's position opposing mandatory vaccination. In the future, as GRP Legislative Committee's functionality increases, Legislative Committee will also 1. research federal laws and bills pertinent to vaccination, and 2. consider writing our own proposed legislation or referendums in opposition to mandatory vaccination. When GRP Platform Committee reconvenes and becomes active, Platform Committee will incorporate GRP's opposition to mandatory vaccination into the GRP Party Agenda and/or future GRP platform documents. GRP representatives to GPUS Committees will be instructed to advocate for GRP's political position in opposition to mandatory vaccination at the GPUS level.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Minor

REFERENCES AND ATTACHMENTS: Forthcoming. To be added.

TITLE: 2020-21 Budget; Annual Goal, Plan Fundraising and Budget Protocol; & 2020 Fundraising Plan.

SPONSORS: Brian Cady, Elie Yarden, Mike Vaglica,

VETTING COMMITTEES: FinFundCom, Adcom

FLOOR MANAGER: Brian Cady [email protected]

SHEPHERD: Brian Cady 

SUMMARY: Guides funds acquisition and dispersal in 2020-21, and creates Annual Goals, Plan, Fundraising and Budget Protocol.

BACKGROUND:

As Elie Yarden eloquently stated last year, budgeting is best guided by plans chosen to achieve agreed-upon goals. This presidential election year, presidential convention expenses will alter the typical year's budget.

A.2020-21 Proposed Budget.

Budget Narrative: comments on the dollar amounts listed below.

Dues - Reduced anticipation, based on last year's revenues.

Donations - In line with last year's revenues.

Candidate fund expeditures - for about three candidates.

Participation - $2,000 for access to presidential nominating convention, $1,000 for various other access assistance.

Legal Expenses - Nominal, Haven't had to spend this lately.

Internet/Nation Builder - In line with last year.

Bank Fees - In line with last year.

Office supplies - In line with last year.

Postage - In line with last year's expenses

Printing - Paralleling 2018 expenditures.

Statecom - Rent - Paralleling 2019 expenses.

Promotions - Including mailing to campus organizations, outreach events statewide, & video production, as well as early 2020 fundraising mailing.

Merchandise - Sales - Better paralleling 2019 revenues.

Merchandise - Purchases - Paralleling 2019 purchases.

Convention - Donations - Paralleling 2019 proceeds.

Convention - Auction - Paralleling 2019 proceeds.

Convention - Rent - Paralleling 2019 rent.

Convention - Speaker Expenses - Paralleling 20919 expenses.

Convention - Food - As in 2019.

Convention - Supplies - As was spent in 2019.

B. Annual Protocol -

Rationale: Annual budgeting should be guided by, and fundraising informed by, an annual plan, which should pursue agreed-upon, stated goals. Goals > Plan > Budget & Fundraising.

The elected Co-chairs select potential goals, and propose a plan to get there – They have been elected by the annual convention. and represent it, which gives them some authority.

Fall Statecomm agrees to, or modifies, those goals.

Working committees and Chapters review the plan, in light of the goals, and suggest plan changes.

Then Adcom collects and assemble a revised plan, and return these to chapters and working comittees.

Working Committees and Chapters use goals and plan to make working committee and Chapter budget proposals.

Then FinFundComm assembles the various budget proposals into an annual budget,

Adcom sequences budget line items by priority into a prioritized proposed budget

Winter Statecom addresses this proposed budget and passes a budget.

C. Fundraising:

FinFundComm uses agreed-upon budgets, with priorities, to inform donors what the donor’s next gift would pay for, specifically. ( “We’ve reached priority #2, xxxx, so your next donation would go to priority #3, yyyy”)

TEXT OF PROPOSAL:

A. 2020 Proposed Budget, with prioritized projects.

2020 Budget Projects, Prioritized:

1st. Campus Outreach Mailing.

2nd. Video Production.

3rd. Participation funding for going to GPUS Presidential Nominating Convention.

4th. Statewide Event Outreach.

5th. Participation Funding for Statecom and Annual Convention attendance.

B. Protocol for Annual Goals, Plan, Fundraising and Budget  – Proposed Timeline:

Early-Sept. Co-chairs proposes next year’s goals, & plan; prepares goals for Fall Statecom.

Mid-Sept Statecom selects & approves annual goals. Goals Done.

Early-Oct Adcom asks Working committees, local chapters to review, & comment on annual plan.

Late-Oct Adcom revises, plan, returns to working committees. Plan Done.

Early-Nov Working Comittees respond to revised goals & plan with Committee budgets.

Mid-Nov Adcom receives plan and committee budgets, conveys budgets to FinFundComm.

Early Dec FinFundcomm assembles, from Committee budgets, the next year’s budget.

Late-Dec Adcom receives and reviews plan and budget, & sequences budget items by priority.

Early-Jan 1st Statecom meeting addresses year’s plan and year’s budget. Budget Done.

Mid-Jan FinFundComm begins Spring Fundraising, with mailing/dialing.

Early-Feb Donors receive Spring Fundraising Appeal mailing.

March Donations/Pledges received. Fundraising Done.

C. Fundraising Mailing to Donors, to be received early February, thus mailed late January, printed mid-January, and drafted early January.

IMPLEMENTATION:

The 2020 process uses an abbreviated, accelerated version of this annual protocol. Passing this proposal would adopt the annual goal, plan and budget protocol for future years. FinFundComm will lead 202021 Fundraising efforts.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

A. 2021 Starting Balance projected to be $356 dollars, plus $2,000 Operating Reserve.

B. Annual protocol: Various, but no new expenses.

C. 2020 Fundraising effort. $500 mailing to donors, to be received early February.

REFERENCES AND ATTACHMENTS: