Minutes of the 3-26-14 SCC meeting.  Quorum was met.  Location:Portland Senior Center, 7 Waverly Ave., Portland, CT 06480                                               Facilitator: Barbara Barry

GPCT attendees by chapter:  Fairfield: David Bedell, Rolf Maurer, Hector Lopez.  Greater Hartford: S. Michael DeRosa, GPCT co-chairperson, Barbara Barry, GPCT secretary, Christopher Reilly, GPCT treasurer. New London: Ronna Stuller.  Waterford: Baird Welch-Collins.  Also: Allan Brison. Non-GPCT speaker: Ed Heflin, Cos Cob, CT

1.  Consensus: approved the minutes of the: a) 2-26-14 SCC meeting;  and b) accept the minutes of the:  3-19-14  EC meeting.

2.  Treasurer's report from Christopher Reilly. Balance: $1266.57

3.  Secretary’s report from Barbara Barry: Addendum I: CT S.B. 237 past hearings and list of co-sponsors for it.  Addendum II: GPUS is now forming a “GPUS Adoption Reform Caucus”.  Purpose: discuss issues related to coordinated national actions and current issues.

4. Reports from our three (3) representatives to the GPUS: SMD: no significant news.  Absent: Linda Thompson and Tim McKee.  

5.  No: proposals/resolutions from chapters or from five CTGP Members or from the EC.  

6.  Discuss the Saturday, May 3, 2014 GPCT Annual Meeting and Internal Elections.  Offices to be filled: 3 for co-chairperson, one for treasurer, one for secretary; 3 members to the GPUS; GPCT representatives to each national committee: (see agenda item # 15).  Deadline for GPCT members to place their names for candidacy for any of the above positions is to be in writing to this secretary by the close (typically about 9PM) of the SCC meeting on Wednesday, March 26, 2014Have the 3-4-14  Voter Registration List from the CT Secretary of the State. GPCT has requested that chapters forward their latest list of GPCT members inclusive of street and email addresses and phone numbers to enhance this voter list.  CR, Ronna Stuller and BAB volunteered to develop/design the ballot i.e.mode of notification and do the notification. Typically candidates may provide a short candidate statement for inclusion in the ballot and may put a larger candidate statement on the GPCT website. Donations will be requested on the ballot with the statement that donations will be used for: candidate literature, campaign education and support for the GPCT website. Ballot will also denote that the GPCT does not accept campaign contributions from corporations. Develop agenda for typical meeting times from 11am to 5pm (total time when the room is available at the Portland Senior Center).  BAB will seek volunteers for the Internal Elections Committee to check mailed-in ballots at annual meeting and validate any ballot requests by the 5-3-14 attendees. 

Proposed agenda:11am to Noon: set up tables: for the selling of GPCT merchandise( T-shirts, books, historical posters, tag sale), handouts and socialization; Noon: facilitator to review agenda; attendees to introduce themselves; review of GPCT activities for the past 12 months; candidate statements; Q & A of candidates; Voting for candidates; Break for potluck food and beverages; review of suggested bylaw changes by the Bylaw Committee; Attendees to provide feedback about future focus; GPCT Budget Committee to help address goals; update who will volunteer to represent the GPCT to other organizations with similar agendas and report to the GPCT;  any declared GPCT or potential GPCT candidates may address the attendees. (A GPCT Convention will need to be scheduled later this summer to vet and endorse the selected GPCT candidates for the November 4th 2014 elections. Candidates could be: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state, comptroller; Congressional Distrists 1 and 2; and state and municipal offices.) Internal Election Committee report of ballot results; breakdown tables and clean up; depart from build no later than 5pm.

7. Update of GPCT Mailing List: GPCT has the March 4th 2014 Secretary of the State Voter Registration List. It has been requested that chapter provide their own updated member information including emails to the GPCT list via the secretary for the 5-3-14 Annual Meeting.

8. GPCT fundraising with possible speakers:   a) Adam Hughes and Joanne Sheehan of Hands Off Appalachia (http://handsoffappalachia.com/)is on hold pending their availability. This organization has demonstrated against UBS’ financing of mountaintop removal in the affected states (including Stamford, CT) is supported by Capitalism vs. the Climate.           b) Ardeshir and Eleanor Ommani, founders (along with Richard Duffee) of the American-Iranian Friendship Committee  is pending their availability.(https://www.facebook.com/AIFCIran; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTCU-EpJSqM&list=UUtIQil-e9wzT_fxySy1y3nw&index=31) for a fundraiser 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.         c) Harvey Wasserman, anti-nuclear activist since at least Three Mile Island event…for two fundraising events: Waterford, CT chapter is still seeking a site for one event and Fairfield chapter is seeking a site that would also be fairly accessible to New York Green Party members and others;  Mr. Wasserman has agreed to come pending logistics. 

9. Presented by the GPCT: a) Stamford Chapter: Moving Beyond Reaction to Reason, Mental Health and School Safety After Sandy Hook; Saturday, 3-29-14 from 1:30PM to 3:30PM at The Ferguson Library-Harry Bennett Branch, 115 Vine Road, Stamford, CT, 06905,  203/351-8292.Presented by: AbleChild.org: Parents for Label & Drug Free Education.  Sheila Matthews,a CT parent, is a co-founder of this nationally recognized non-profit organization. She regularly testifies at state and federal levels in defense of youth mental health freedom and also has been featured in TIME (9-10-11) and has appeared on CNN, Fox, as well as numerous radio stations throughout the country.                                                                                                                                        b) The Justice Party of CT and the GPCT are co-sponsoring: One Nation-Under Surveillance: Building Networks of Solidarity in Defiance of NSA Spying & the Erosion of Democratic Rights.    (See Addendum III.)

Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 10AM.  At CCSU (Central CT State University), Torp Theater, Davidson Hall, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT.      Keynote Speaker: Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist: Christ  Hedges.  Numerous Workshops.  For more information: Justice Party Connecticut (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

Consensus: attendees approved the $50 fee to be a co-sponsor at this event.    

10. Updates regarding: a) the Waterford Chapter:is developing literature to make Millstone nuclear power plants in Waterford, CT safer.Have a researcher who will be providing information to the chapter. b) opposition to: fracking, the Keystone XL pipeline and expansion of the Algonquin Natural Gas Pipeline in: CT, NY, NJ, MA and RI. Here's a link to the Spectra Energy description of the project:

http://www.spectraenergy.com/Operations/New-Projects-and-Our-Process/New-Projects-in-US/Algonquin-Incremental-Market-AIM-Project/

11. Possible issues which we can use to educate people and fundraise: RM: advocate parental rights to choose health care for their children in response to the pilot program in Stamford sponsored by Gov. Malloy. Program: use of non-health care school employees who will be authorized to diagnosis and advice parents what medications they should provide their school children.  (See # 9 a) above.)

12. DB: update regarding GPCT complaint to SEEC regarding lack of counting of write-in votes for our GPUS 2012 presidential candidate (Jill Stein, MD) in the randomly selected CT towns of: Hartford, Bridgeport, New Canaan, Seymour, Stamford and West Haven: Hartford discovered a total of 33 write-in votes from all Hartford districts. Only complaints came from two of the multiple Bridgeport districts so Bridgeport only checked these two districts. A total of 3 write-in votes were found in these two districts. As of this time, the SEEC had not advised if they will fine either or both of these towns

13. Ed Heflin, of Cos Cob, CT spoke regarding how CT could benefit from the formation of a CT State Public Bank.  The oldest state bank in the U.S. is the Bank of North Dakota which was established in 1918. It is a prototype.  Typically federal taxes, fees and other monies will be spend on the within and outside the U.S.  Therefore, CT will get back from the federal government limited amounts of money.  If however, a CT State Bank is established, all the state taxes, fees, sales tax and other monies can be used within the state.  Thus keeping CT money in CT for whatever it chooses e.g. improve infrastructure, increase green activities and businesses, expand credit to businesses, job development, improve standard of living, and continue social works. NOTE: other parts of the world use postal banks(on Japan, Germany and Spain) which are controlled by their governments not by commercial banks as it is here in North America. Wall Street has no reason to return money to CT because it is in the business of making money for itself and some for shareholders. Currently: RI and VT are considering state public banks.

14. Deleted due to lack of time: Suggestions from the GPCT Bylaws Committee from members:  Rolf Maurer, Cora Santaguida, Christopher Reilly, Barbara Barry, S. Michael DeRosa and Jeffry Larson.  

15. Deleted due to lack of time: Update about mesh for our website.

16. Deleted due to lack of time: CTGP member reports re: (GPUS) National Committees.

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):  working on the 2014 GPUS Annual Meeting: Tim McKee and John Went.

Ballot Assess (BA): discussion of efforts/difficulties/strategies/successes of the state Green Parties gaining ballot access:  S. Michael DeRosa & Edward Schwing.  

Black Caucus:                                                 

Bylaws, Rules, Polices Procedure (BRPP): for the GPUS officers and national committees: 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: 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, Justine McCabe and S. Michael DeRosa. 

Latino Caucus:  Hector Lopez.                                      

Merchandizing Committee (MERCH): determines and acquires items for the GPUS.  Rolf Maurer and Hector Lopez.                

Media Committee (MC): writes GPUS press releases.                                             

Outreach (OC): interacts with other groups who may have similar interests of the GPUS: Linda Thompson.       

Peace (GPAX): discusses/develops strategies of how the GPUS may promote peace throughout  the world: Hector Lopez and S. Michael DeRosa.

Platform (PC): promotes positions on issues for the GPUS which are consistent with Green Party Ten Key Values:  Justine McCabe  and Amy Vas Nunes.

Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC):  develop strategies to support any GPUS presidential candidates. Timothy McKee.

Women’s Caucus:  Martha Kelly. 

17.  Deleted due to lack of time: a) GPCT chapter development: reactivation of the Greater New Haven chapter on 1-9-14 after 18 months of inactivity;  b) other chapter reports: Fairfield, Greater Hartford, Greater Norwich, New London and Waterford, CT; and c) written approved minutes to the CTGP secretary.

18.  Selection of the date, time and site of the next SCC meeting.  Today’s attendees and the EC recommends that that next SCC meeting be determined by the May 3rd elected EC members.   Note: Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, 2014.

    

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.

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