{news} minutes of Feb 2005 SCC meeting(quorumless),part 1 of 3
edubrule
edubrule at sbcglobal.net
Thu Mar 3 22:30:27 EST 2005
Minutes of Feb 22, 2005 SCC meeting--Wesleyan University, Fisk Hall, 7:10-8:50pm
Attendees:
1. Central Connecticut chapter: Vic Lancia, Vincent Maruffi
2. Hamden chapter: Aaron Gustafson (facilitator), Kelly McCarthy(NV), Francis Braunlich
3. Hartford chapter: Ed DuBrule(NV), Mike DeRosa, Barbara Barry DeRosa, Rob Pandolfo, Albert Marceau
4. New London chapter: Andy Derr, Chris Nelson
5. Northeast chapter: Jean de Smet, Chris Demorit
6. Northwest chapter: Elizabeth Brancato
7. Tolland chapter: Tim McKee
Also attending: Ana Lachelier of West Hartford, Connecticut; Fred of Middletown, Connecticut
A quorum was not reached.
Treasurer's report (read by Aaron)
"2/21/05
"This month's report is longer than usual so bear with me.
"Over the last month we had receipts of $1,213.39 and expenses of $500.52. Currently we have a balance of $1,601.66.
"Receipts:
"Joyce Chen for State Rep. $637.42
"Green Party US 312.00
"Elect Nancy Burton 123.97
"Fall fund raiser 75.00
"Other 65.00
"Total......................................$1,213.39
"Expenditures:
"Office in Hartford rent $250.00
"Office in Hartford phone 50.82
"Office in Hartford electric 46.77
"Reimbursements 74.24
"PO Box (6 months) 38.00
"Credit card processing 36.04
"Toll Free Number 4.65
"Total.........................................$500.52
"I received a letter from the New London Court of Probate naming the Green Party as a beneficiary in the matter of the estate of Margaret M. Cramer. I called the CT State Elections Enforcement Commission about this. They informed me that we could not receive the money from an estate because they consider it a business entity. I have been in contact with Jake Schneider the treasurer of the Green Party of the United States. They can accept the donation and he told me they would then donate the money to us. This is obviously good news for the Green Party of Connecticut. I talked to the lawyer handling the estate and he estimated that our portion would be from $12,000 to $15,000. He also estimated it would take 3 to 4 months to settle.
"While this money is good news for us it is also something that we need to think about very seriously. We should develop a budget to decide how this money should be used. We also need to keep in mind that this is a one time donation and be careful that we don't depend too much on it for ongoing expenses that we can't continue to raise funds for. We should think of what we have been wanting to do but couldn't and also consider our debt. I suggest a special committee be formed.
"Personally I think it would be nice to put some money into upcoming campaigns, and especially consider New London candidates since that is where this woman was from. We might also consider sending some money back to the Green Party US since they are willing to help us with this. It would be nice if we kept enough money to cover the chapter balances that are due the chapters. The worst thing we could do is fail to budget and then end up with no money again.
"Since we have not approved a budget, I as treasurer have to decide what I can spend money on based on what I think are SCC approved expenses. I came up with a table on what I understand our ongoing approved expenses to be.
"Item Monthly Costs Yearly Costs
"Half of Office Rent $250.00 $3,000.00
"Half of Office Phone estimated 25.50 306.00
"Half of Office Electric estimated 24.00 288.00
"Property taxes for items in office 6.42 77.00
"Toll Free Number estimated 5.00 60.00
"Post Office Box estimated 6.33 76.00
"Credit Card Processing estimated 42.00 504.00
"Chris Reilly Reimbursement 74.00 888.00
"Domain Names estimated 3.33 40.00
"Total $436.58 $5,239.00
"Other than small expenses that the executive committee can approve other expenses will need to be approved by the SCC. In addition we are obligated to pay for chapter expenses that are within their chapter balance. (Unfortunately we don't have the money to pay for all these balances.) If there are approved expenses that I don't know about please forward them to me. Include the SCC minutes showing the SCC approval.
"These are the currant chapter balances I have:
"Central: $ 689.99
"Fairfield: 1,119.30
"Hamden: 54.00
"Hartford: -1,644.02
"New Haven: 1,059.53
"New London: 156.67
"North East: 155.10
"North West: 2,075.88
"Shoreline: 15.00
"Southeast: 204.56
"Tolland: 118.85
"West Hartford: 129.00
"Western: 276.50
"North Central: 71.40
"Our obligated balance is $4,481.76 (this total includes being reimbursed for negative chapter balances).
"As always please consider being involved in the Fundraising and Budget Committees.
"For more information on the CT Green Party Finances you can call me at 860 379-0632, email me at green at spazmo.com or look at this webpage: http://www.kirajoy.com/CTGP/CTGP_Treasurer.html
"Bob Eaton
"CT Green Party Treasurer"
Andy, of the New London chapter, said that he had never met Margaret M. Cramer (the woman who put the Green Party in her will). He said that she had written a letter to the editor during election season saying that people should vote Green. Aaron pointed out that the treasurer's report lists a chapter balance for the Southeast chapter but that this chapter no longer functions.
Chapter reports:
(a) Central Connecticut--had salon (to talk about "what matters"); talked about issues such as jobs leaving Middletown. Hopefully this salon will happen every month. (The salon was an activity planned by Greens and others.)
(b) Northeast--started taping for TV show.
(c) New London--its website contains information on the availability of their TV shows to others; planning fundraising and strategies for elections; may have a Green on the planning/zoning commission.
(d) Northwest--Bill C. Davis campaign; in March may hold event on sprawl (center-edge).
(e) Hamden--will run two candidates for town council; trying to set up an improved working relationship with New Haven chapter concerning campaigns
(f) Hartford--working with New Britain Green mayoral candidate; Mike and this candidate appeared on a New Britain radio show. A Hartford Green may run for Hartford Board of Education. Demonstrations/vigils planned on Social Security issue--possibly Thursday March 10 at noon outside several Social Security offices including Hartford and New Britain--trying to coordinate this action with other chapters.
(g) Tolland--trying to establish Manchester chapter, which may run candidates.
Internal elections committee report (Jean reported, with some information contributed by Ed): Mike DeRosa, Aaron Gustafson, and Kelly McCarthy have declared they are candidates for co-chair; Barbara Barry DeRosa has declared she is a candidate for secretary; there is no candidate yet for treasurer; Tim McKee and Tom Sevigny have declared they are candidates for US Green Party representative. In the past the ballot has contained three positions for US Green Party representative, and the third-highest vote-getter served as the alternate. Alternatively, the internal elections committee could ask if anyone is interested in running specifically for the alternate position--this person, if elected, would only serve if one of the US Green Party representatives resigned or was unable to go to a meeting.
Legally we need to treasurer to exist as a state party. We probably won't hold elections until person(s) declare their candidacie(s) for treasurer. Vic said he could put out the word that we need a treasurer on listserve(s); Aaron said this has been done already on the Hamden chapter listserve.
There is a proposal (Appendix 1) for spending for the internal elections. Should this proposal still be offered, with its proposed spending amounts and mailing plans, if there are no contested positions (that is, if there are three co-chair candidates running for three co-chair slots, etc.)? Though in the past "none of the above" has also appeared on the ballot, and people have been given the option of putting write-in candidates on the ballot. An alternative might be to mail out a newsletter (perhaps in a newsprint format, like the old "CT Green Times") which contained information on the annual meeting, the need to go through the formalities of electing our officers, and other information about what's going on in the CT Green Party. Jean said that we have to have an annual meeting, by law.
Out internal elections were held last March; how long should the current officers serve if we do not hold internal elections in March? One attendee said that the bylaws state that officers serve for one year; another attendee said that the bylaws are silent on this question.
Within the internal elections committee, the idea of a nominating committee for internal elections has been raised. One pitfall with this idea, however, is that such a committee might put forward a single set of candidates, and such a system might tend to discourage others from declaring their candidacies.
The internal elections committee has filled out an application with the US Postal Service for the ability to do mailings at nonprofit rates. (This may not be exactly the same as "bulk mailing rates".) If this application is accepted, chapters and candidates could probably make use of this permit.
Report from Women's Caucus (Elizabeth Brancato): met February 12, discussed possibilities for selecting officers without doing a costly mailing, such as each chapter contacting many chapter members (at a minimum all those who voted in the 2004 internal elections; all people who do work for the chapter yet may not come to chapter meetings should be contacted). Next meeting planned March 18, place to be determined.
US Green Party representatives' report (Tim): national is soliciting proposals for an annual meeting to be attended by US Green Party reps. National is still discussing possible punishment (eject from national Green Party?) of Vermont, which put Nader on the ballot, not Cobb.
VOTER (Mike): many people testified at a hearing at the state capital on the paper ballot trail hearing February 14. A group from VOTER went to see a representative of Governor Rell--she favors the paper trail bill. Common Cause, CCAG, the League of Women Voters, and certain Democratic Party town committees support a paper trail. The government elections committee is considering the issue of under what circumstances an audit of the paper trail ballots would be done.
The Secretary of the State's office has to buy 769 computer-based voting machines within weeks. In the next election we will probably see one electronic voting machine (per the Help America Vote Act) in each voting precinct.
The Working Families Party put a bill in for permanent ballot access.
Ana said that there will be a panel discussion titled "Connecticut's next voting machines" on March 16 from 7-9pm at the West Hartford Town Hall.
Legislative report (Mike): There are four bills in the legislature dealing with expanding access to health care. Two are single-payer bills, a third expands the HUSKY program, and the fourth ("Pay or Play") would mandate that employers of over 100 employees that didn't offer health insurance would have to pay a tax. There may be hearings.
Selecting a replacement on the Process Committee for Rachel Goodkind, who has moved from Connecticut: this was not considered, except that chapters were reminded to seek people who might be interested and that the replacement must be a female, since the two remaining Process Committee members are male and at no time may all three members of the PC be of the same gender. See Appendix 2.
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