Approved Minutes of the Tuesday, November 17, 2015 SCC meeting. Quorum met. Time: social from 6PM to 6:30PM. Meeting started: 6:30PM. Location: Portland Waverly Center, 7 Waverly Avenue, Portland, CT 06480 Facilitator: Barbara Barry, GPCT secretary. GPCT attendees by chapter: Greater Fairfield: David Bedell; Greater Hartford: Mary Lawrence, Brian Guy, Jeff Russell, Christopher Reilly, GPCT treasurer, Barbara Barry, GPCT secretary and S. Michael DeRosa, GPCT co-chairperson. Waterford: Baird Welch-Collins and Emily Garfinkel.
1. Approved October 13, 2015 SCC meeting minutes and accepted November 9, 2015 EC meeting minutes.
2. Treasurer's report from Christopher Reilly: a) CT regulations: GPCT account for state and municipal elections and for GPCT operating expenditures: balance: $900+ and b) FEC (Federal Elections Commission) funds can only be used by the GPCT for federal elections including petitioning costs associated with trying to put the GPUS presidential candidate on the CT ballot and any GPCT candidate for U.S. elected office e.g. U.S. Senate or any of the five federal Congressional Districts in CT. Current balance: $400+.
3. Secretary’s report from Barbara Barry: 10-13-15 SCC directive: Timothy McKee acknowledged receipt of 1st written warning sent by him on 11-16-15. SMD received a personal voicemail message about 30 minutes after email was sent. A certified letter was mailed to his home address on November 17, 2015.
4. GPCT representatives to the GPUS National Committee report: SMD: New GPUS website is still problematic use. Two proposals failed regarding changes to GPUS procedures about decorum. The 1st one was on October 25, 2015 and a similar proposal failed shortly thereafter due to lack of quorum. Approved: Linda Cree and Charles Sherrise to be alternate forum managers. Joshua Steele Kelly and Linda Thompson were absent. SMD and ML: reported that they are still trying to present the GPCT proposal to the GPUS for an Animal Rights Committee.
5. Deferred due to lack of proposals from the GPCT: EC or chapter or five individual GPCT members.
6. GPCT results of the Tuesday, November 3, 2015 election are:
Successes: Joshua Steele Kelly, Waterford Zoning Board of Appeals, Alternate with 99.68% of votes against a write-in candidate. New London Board of Education: reelection of Mirna Martinez. She received: 633 votes as a Green and 1085 votes as a Republican. (She was again cross endorsed by the Republican Party.) Hector Lopez, New Canaan Constable: 15.84% in a field of 7. John Amarilios, New Canaan Constable: 10.10% in a field of 7. Redding Constable: Leif Smith: 22.57% in a field of 7.
Unsuccessful: Ben Holden, Canton Selectman (2 year term): 11.95% in a field of 5. Rolf Maurer, Stamford Board of Education: 3.99% in a field of 9. New London City Council: Ronna Stuller: 19.03% in a field of 17 and Timothy Hanser: 20.30% in a field of 17. Billy G. Collins, Waterford Board of Selectman: 3.87% in a field of 4. Kevin P. Kelly Waterford Board of Education: 24.53% in a field of 10. Baird Welch-Collins Waterford RTM (Representative Town Meeting), District 2: 39.07% in a field of 7. Deborah Roselli Kelly, Waterford RTM, District: 28.65% in a field of 8.
Feedback: BW-C: Waterford voters noted differences between the number of votes for candidates in 4 polling places against candidate numbers which were sent by the Waterford Town Clerks to the CT SOTS.
7. GPCT Conflict Resolution Committee: Current members: New London County: Linda Thompson, Norwich; Bud McAllister, New London and E. Larry Kern, Groton. Consensus: approval of Jeff Russell for Hartford County and Brain Guy from Middlesex County. Need volunteers from underrepresented counties: Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, Tolland and Windham counties. Committee to meet as needed.
8. GPCT Fundraising Committee: a) October 21, 2015 fundraiser at Wheeler’s Restaurant, Woodbridge, CT with Jeff Cordulack, the new Executive Director of CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association), as speaker. Essentially broke even. b) discussed having a January 23, 2016 Saturday GPCT fundraiser. Snow date: 1-30-16. Possible Topic: How To Petition or Black Lives Matter. Need a speaker and location. SMD to follow-up. c) Bill Kreml, one of 5 people seeking the GPUS 2016 presidential nod is willing to do GPCT fundraiser. SMD to follow-up with BK.
9. GPCT Outreach Committee: reports from GPCT member liaisons with other CT organizations with similar values e.g. Able Child, HempCT, CT Sierra Club, True Colors, Environmental Justice Network, NAACP, farm to table organizations, Northeast Organic Farm Association (NOFA), SURJ=Showing Up for Racial Justice & People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) SMD: a) CT Deputy Majority Leader, Susan Johnson agreed to meet with GPCT members regarding our 2015-2016 legislative proposals sometime in December. b) SMD continues to be in communication with Josh Katz, CT Libertarian Party regarding CT regulations which prohibit out of state registered U.S. voters from being a petition circulator. If the CT SEEC department is unresponsive to the Libertarian Party’s concerns they are likely to bring a lawsuit to the CT SEEC with the ACLU. c) JR: with the Solar Energy Motor Association of CT.
10. People seeking to be the GPUS 2016 presidential nominee is: a) Jill Stein, William “Bill” Kreml, Darryl Cherney, Kent Mesplay and Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry. b) 1st GPUS Presidential Debate with the 5 people seeking the GPUS presidential nod will be Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 3PM (PST) in San Diego, CA. Can hear it at: http://www.cagreens.org/elections/2016/ presidential-candidate-forum-san-diego
11. GPCT Petition School: a) After 1-4-16, BAB and SMD will get the documents from the SOTS which are needed so the SOTS can develop the 2016 GPCT presidential petition form. b) need petition manager as person with locus of control. No volunteer. c) Must be registered CT voter to be petition circulator. d) need to authenticate petitions of the petition circulator when handing in petitions. Instructions are on the back of each petition; e) need list of petition circulators. f) list of people who can authenticate; g) consider paying petitioners in January 2016?…once the official 2016 GPCT presidential petition form is developed by the CT SOTS office; h) consider mailing petitions to GPCT members who may which to be petition holders; i) remind petition holders to make photocopies of petitions after they are authenticated. Reason: to be able for GPCT to challenge if needed. Need 7500 valid petition signatures for president/senate so goal is for 15,000 signatures. j) GPCT seven (7) presidential electors for the 2016 presidential race are: Emily Garfinkel, Mary Lawrence, Cora Santaguida, Allan Brison, Baird Welch-Collins, Christopher Reilly and S. Michael DeRosa.
12. GPCT 2016 candidates: a) have ballot lines for: U.S. Senate; 1st Congressional District and 2nd Congressional District and CT State Senate Districts: # 1, #27, # 33, #36. CT State House Districts: #25, #38, #67
(Cindy Day is willing to run again), #84, #94, #122, #125, #135, #148.
b) may wish to petition for: 3rd CD i.e. Greater New Haven; 4th CD: Greater Fairfield; and 5th CD: Greater Torrington/Danbury: possible candidate: Stephanie Piddock. Consensus: have multiple GPCT nominating conventions as candidates come forward. First Nominating Convention to be immediately prior to the January 2016 SCC meeting.
13. Reports from GPCT representatives to (GPUS) Standing Committees:
Ballot Access (BA): efforts/strategies of the state GPs gaining ballot access: SMD and Jeff Russell: GPUS goal: help states to acquire ballot lines.
Bylaws, Rules, Polices Procedure (BRPP): for GPUS officers & national committees: Absent: Amy Vas Nunes & Joshua Steele Kelly.
Diversity (DC): strategies/actions to urge/maximize diversity within the GPUS: Emily Garfinkel: no report because she was working at time of meeting. She is promoting respect for diversity of students from other countries or cultures at her college (UCONN).
International Committee (IC): promotes GPUS positions re: world issues: SMD, Joshua Steele Kelly and Justine McCabe. JMcC sent update to GPCT news listserv entitled: “the Single-state Solution Is Already Here” in response to a former Knesset member and current columnist for Israel’s Haaretz.
Merchandizing Committee (MERCH): determines/acquires items for the GPUS: Rolf Maurer. T-shirts and other merchandise can be acquired via website.
Outreach (OC): interacts with other groups who may have similar interests of the GPUS: Emily Garfinkel & Linda Thompson: committee needs to focus.
Peace (GPAX): discusses/develops strategies of how the GPUS may promote peace throughout the world: Baird Welch-Collins: not active committee.
Platform (PC): promotes positions of the GPUS which are consistent with GP 10 Key Values: Absent: Joshua Steele Kelly, Amy Vas Nunes & Justine McCabe.
Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC): support a GPUS presidential candidates: Absent: Timothy McKee
Young Greens of the US: engage youth in Green issues and give members a voice within the GPUS. Membership is open to US youths age 14-35 who identify as Green, support the GPUS 10 Key Values and generally agree with the GPUS platform and missions. Co-chairperson: Joshua Steele Kelly is absent.
There are no current GPCT representations on the following 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 2016 GPUS Annual Meeting; Black Caucus; Coordinated Campaign Committee: (CCC): is a standing committee of the GPUS that cooperates with state and local chapters in the support of federal, state, and local Green Party electoral campaigns through a variety of different programs and support functions Credentials Committee (CredCom): The general charge of the Credentials Committee is to facilitate the credentialing of delegates to the Presidential Nominating Convention of the Green Party of the United States; Dispute Resolution (DRC): mediation of any disputes within the GPUS ; Eco Action (EA): develop strategies for the GPUS regarding ecological matters; Finance (Fincom): determine how to spend the GPUS money; Fundraising (FC): raises money for the GPUS; Green National Committee (NC): The Green National Committee is the highest decision-making body of the Green Party of the United States. Membership consists of all voting delegates from state GPs and caucuses; Green Party of the US internet news: acquire and write articles for the GPUS website; Latino Caucus; Lavender Caucus; Media Committee (MC): writes GPUS press releases; National Women’s Caucus; Voting Page; Delegate Apportionment (DAC); Green House Campaign Committee (GHCC): support/webinars for Green candidates for U.S. Congressional House of Representatives; Green Senatorial Campaign Committee (GSCC): support/webinars for U.S. Senate candidate.
GPUS Steering Committee (SC): Co-chairs: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – VA; Sandra Everrette- CA; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – CO; Bahram Zandi- MD; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – NE; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – VA; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – NY: talking about resigning. Treasurer: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – HI. Secretary: Jan Martell- NC.
14. Algonquin Pipeline: Tim McKee, GPCT liaison was absent. There is an event in Danbury scheduled for January 18, 2016 regarding this pipeline.
15. Event of possible interest to the GPCT members: a) Rally for 100% Renewable Energy for 100% of the People: Saturday, November 21, 2015 at noon at Capital Building in Hartford, CT. b) Wake Up Connecticut event with speaker to discuss(at 6PM) why Chernobyl is dangerous. Saturday, 11-21-15 at Hartford Friends Meeting House, 144 S. Quaker Lane, West Hartford, CT.
16. (15 minutes): a) GPCT chapter reports: Greater Fairfield; Greater Hartford: 12-15-15 social event likely at Wethersfield Town Hall at 6PM; Greater Norwich; City of New London: absent and Waterford, CT. and b) written approved minutes to the CTGP secretary
17. Consensus: next SCC meeting and nominating convention to be either 1-11-16 or 1-13-16 depending on location availability.
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, GPCT secretary for the GPCT EC: Linda Thompson, S. Michael DeRosa, Rolf Maurer and Christopher Reilly.