Approved minutes of the 1.28.14 SCC meeting at 7PM at Portland Senior Center, 7 Waverly Ave., Portland, CT, 06480. Quorum met. GPCT attendees by chapter: Greater Hartford: co-chairperson: S.Michael DeRosa; treasurer: Christopher Reilly, secretary: Barbara A. Barry; Greater New Haven: co-chairperson: Allan Brison; Waterford: Baird Welch-Collins. Absent: co-chairperson: Linda Thompson. Facilitator: Barbara. Barry.
1. Consensus: approved the: a) 1-7-14 SCC meeting minutes and b) accepted the 1-21-14 EC minutes. 2. Treasurer's report from Christopher Reilly: balance of $516.40. 3. Reports from our three (3) representatives to the GPUS: S. Michael DeRosa: see below. Absent: Linda Thompson and Tim McKee. GPUS 30th Annual Meeting will be held at the site of the 1st meeting: St. Paul, MN on Thursday, July 24th through July 27th, 2014. Need a GPCT representative to the EcoAction National Committee of the GPUS. SMD will contact Michael Westerfield about being our representative as he expressed prior interest in this NC. 4. No proposals or resolutions were presented bychapters or from five CTGP Members or from the EC. 5. A) GPCT fundraising: a) SMD: Harvey Wasserman, anti-nuclear activist since at least Three Mile Island event is willing to do a GPCT fundraiser or two. He awaits feedback from the GPCT regarding: dates, times and sites of fundraising events. It remains unclear if GPCT will need to cover his transportation costs and/or housing. GPCT may wish to have one fundraiser near Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford, CT and another by the Fairfield chapter near the with NY border due to Indian Point nuclear power plant on the lower Hudson River. This may be of interest to the NY GP. BAB: Ronna Stuller and SMD are trying to connect with their Sierra Club contacts regarding their possible interest in GPCT anti-nuclear events. SMD: RM is seeking an early March fundraiser at the Ferguson Library, Harry Bennett branch with speaker: Sheila Matthews of AbleChild.org, a child/parent advocacy organization she co-founded. She will be speaking on the legal and mental health service options of reforms introduced in the state after the Newtown shootings. Also: Adam Hughes and Joanne Sheehan of Hands Off Appalachia (http://handsoffappalachia.com/) to see if they would like to speak at a GP fundraiser held at the UU Society in Stamford for 2/22 or 2/23. They were demonstrating against UBS’ financing of mountaintop removal in the affected states over Thanksgiving 2013 and are supported by Dan Fischer and Capitalism vs. the Climate. Also: RM is thinking of contacting Ardeshir and Eleanor Ommani, founders (along with Richard Duffee) of the American-Iranian Friendship Committee (https://www.facebook.com/AIFCIran; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTCU-EpJSqM&list=UUtIQil-e9wzT_fxySy1y3nw&index=31) for a fundraiser down the road to discuss the current state and history of American-Iranian relations. They are both lively and scholarly speakers and frequently travel back and forth between the two countries. b) GPCT merchandise for fundraising at our GPCT 5-3-14 Annual Meeting: prior GPCT candidate lawn signs, posters and T-shirts and c) request donations from GPCT members and/or activists and by mailing. GPCT does not have an internet payment source so donations will need to be done by check. B) Consensus: develop a GPCT Budget Committee. Need volunteers but discussed having the EC being the Budget Committee at this time.
6. GPCT website: a) GPCT literature to be developed by Barbara Barry for placement on eventual placement on GPCT website. She is to address: GPCT 10 Key Values and Rolf Maurer to do GPCT concerns and solutions about state issues; b) need volunteer to develop a GPCT letterhead and to send it to the EC to be vetted prior to sending to the GPCT website.
7. Development of GPCT: a) strategies, literature and actions to be taken against nuclear energy and for renewable energy (sun, wind and geothermal). BW-C volunteered to write literature about the need for better safety at Millstone and will contact Ronna Stuller of New London chapter for further input. b) attendees discussed the safe closing Milestone nuclear power plant in Waterford, CT and retraining of Millstone employees without reaching a decision. c) legislative activities: SMD and RS are seeking others to help interact with CT legislatures.
8. Update on Mailing List Information inclusive of emails has been changed from Allan Brison to B. A. Barry.
9. a) No one volunteered for GPCT legislative agenda actions: energy (including: fracking, anti-nuclear and for renewable energy such as wind, sun and geothermal); ballot access; healthcare inclusive of Medicare and other suggestions. b) SMD: see ADDENDUM I report about his meeting with CT Rep. Susan Johnson regarding ballot access and ADDENDUM II regarding a Ballot Access News article of August 2010 about our 2005 CT Campaign Finance Law.
10. Political actions to be taken in the near future; discussed running GPCT candidates for our available ballot lines and also petition candidates. Seek candidates for governor, lt. governor and treasurer for the November 2014 offices. Current place holders are Tim McKee for governor; Barbara Barry for Lt. governor and Rolf Maurer for treasurer. Need candidates for the 1st and 2nd, Congressional Districts ballot lines; and other State Senate and state rep. lines.
11. Discuss the Saturday, May 3, 2014 GPCT Annual Meeting and Internal Elections. Site: Portland Senior Center, 7 Waverly Avenue, Portland, CT 06480. Discussed: mode of notification; volunteers, deadline for nominations and agenda: discussed having candidates for internal offices provide their names at the March SCC meeting which would be the last week of March which starts on Monday, 3-24-14. Also discussed using $300 to acquire the Secretary of the State’s Voter List; discussed using a mail list verifying company to improve the SOS’s mailing list. Rationale: SOS does not remove a voter from the list when the voter moves to another CT town… so there may be duplicates on the SOS list. Fundraising items (see the above item # 5 b ).
12. Status of the GPCT Bylaws Committee from members: Rolf Maurer, Cora Santaguida, Christopher Reilly, Linda Thompson, Barbara Barry, S. Michael DeRosa and Jeffry Larson. Pending.
13. Reports from CTGP members to the (GPUS) National Committees. BAB has repeatedly emailed GPUS secretary and NC co-chairperson(s) about GPCT members to NC who were elected at the 4-27-13 GPCT annual meeting for a duration of one year or until the next GPCT Annual Meeting/election…whichever comes first.
Accreditation (AC): reviews state chapter which petitions to join the GPUS; reviews criteria for state delegates to GPUS annual meetings and conventions. Annual National Meeting (ANMC): work on the 2014 GPUS Annual Meeting: Absent: Tim McKee & John Went. Ballot Assess (BA): discussion of efforts/difficulties/strategies/successes of the state Green Parties gaining ballot access: Absent: Edward Schwing. SMD: has been asked by the GPUS BA NC to help reorganize the GP in VT. Black Caucus: Bylaws, Rules, Polices Procedure(BRPP):for the GPUS officers and national committees: Absent:Amy Vas Nunes. Coordination Campaign (CCC): distribution of GPUS money to Green Party public office candidates. Dispute Resolution (DRC): mediation of any disputes within the GPUS organization. Diversity (DC): strategies and actions to urge/maximize diversity within the GPUS: Absent: Linda Thompson. Eco Action (EA): develop strategies for the GPUS regarding ecological matters. Finance (FinCom): review and determine how to spend the money of the GPUS organization. Fundraising (FC): raises money for the GPUS operations. Green Party of the US internet news: acquire and write articles for the GPUS website. International Committee (IC): develops/promotes GPUS positions regarding world issues. Hector Lopez and S. Michael DeRosa advised of no updates except that the GPUS released a 1.14.14 press release stating the GPUS defends the American Studies Association endorsement of economic pressure boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) by on Israel. Reason: need for Israel to observe human rights. http://www.theasa.net/from_the_editors/item/council_statement_on_the_academic_boycott_of_israel_resolution/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4475381,00.html. http://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/blog/academic-freedom. http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_11_28.shtml. Latino Caucus: Hector Lopez: no activity. Merchandizing Committee (MERCH): determines and acquires items for the GPUS. Rolf Maurer and Hector Lopez: no action. Media Committee (MC): writes GPUS press releases. Outreach (OC): interacts with other groups who have similar interests of the GPUS: absent: Linda Thompson. Peace (GPAX): discusses/develops strategies of how the GPUS may promote peace throughout the world: Hector Lopez and S. Michael DeRosa: still trying to reactivate. Platform (PC): promotes positions on issues for the GPUS which are consistent with Green Party Ten Key Values: absent: Justine McCabe and Amy Vas Nunes. Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC): develop strategies to support any GPUS presidential candidates. absent: Timothy McKee. Women’s Caucus: absent: Martha Kelly.
14. GPCT chapter reports” AB: the Greater New Haven chapter has been reactivated at a 1.10.14 meeting of 5 members. Chapter has four activities of: electoral politics; issue activism and outreach; serving on municipal boards and commissions and social events. These activities have two purposes: to build and advance the party and advocate for the issues that we care about. b) Report from the new Waterford, CT chapter by B W-C: have had 5 to 9 GPCT attendees at Waterford meetings of: 9-6-13, 10-27-13,11.26-13, 12-23-13 and 1-13-14. Discussed running candidates in 2014 and 2015; article about nuclear plant issues to be put on Waterford chapter’s website; find green businesses in the area; research Millstone nuclear power plant more. c) Greater Hartford: SMD has been invited to speak at a meeting of ACSME (municipal employees) about the GPCT and GPCT issues and values. GPCT member, David Ionno of Hartford, has been approached by the mayor of Hartford to be on the Board of Education. Attendees also provide written approved minutes to the CTGP secretary.
15. The next SCC meeting: will it be the last Wednesday of February i.e. 2-26-14 at Portland Senior Center.
17. No other suggestions.
GREEN PARTY TEN KEY VALUES: non-violence, respect for diversity, grassroots democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, decentralization, community-based economics and economic justice, future focus and sustainability, personal and global responsibility, feminism and gender equality.
Submitted by Barbara Barry, secretary of the Green Party of Connecticut