{news} Feedback wanted- National Greens want to create Congressional campaign committees

[Green Party-CT]

Dear CT Greens,
  This is Green national business and i want your feedback. I am leaning towards voting for this to create ways to help our local Senate and House candidates. Please read the proposal and give quck feed back if you have any concerns.
   
  Tim McKee
  National Committee person for CT Greens
  860-643-2282 
   
   
  Proposal ID: 223 
Proposal: Creation of National Green Party House and Senatorial 
campaign committees 
Floor Manager: Marc Sanson, msanson at gp.org 
Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time

Background: The Democratic and Republican Parties each have three 
national
committees with high contribution thresholds, in which each individual
contributor is allowed to give up to $26,700 annually to each
committee.  These committees are the Democratic National Committee, the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (which campaigns for
Democratic House candidates), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee, the Republican National Committee, the Republican
Congressional Campaign Committee (which campaigns for Republican House
candidates), and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

An individual can give more than $26,700 to a national party in a year
by giving to two or more of these committee, but cannot give more than
$61,400 in the aggregate to all non-candidate political committees in a
two-year (odd-year first) period.

All other parties have, at most, one
Federal-Election-Commission-recognized national committee, such as the
Green National Committee.  Other parties are eligible to also have
House and senatorial campaign committees.  None have exercised that
option yet.

The effect of having Green Party House and senatorial campaign
committees would be to substantially increase the total amount of money
an individual can give in a year to the national party.  While an
individual can give up to $26,700 to a party’s national committee each
year, that individual can give up to $61,400 in a particular year to a
national party by giving to the national committee, the House campaign
committee, and the Senate campaign committee of that party.

One can argue whether it is a good thing that the older parties are
allowed to do this.  But, if we are to seriously challenge the two
older parties, we have to use the rules that are available, even while
we work to change those rules.

Just as the Green National Committee has the theoretical power to do,
these committees would be allowed to make much larger direct
contributions to Congressional campaigns than the standard individual
contribution limit, as well as to make large coordinated expenditure
campaigns on behalf of our Congressional candidates.  These committees
would have wide-ranging powers to spend their money on other
party-building activities such as ballot access drives and support for
non-federal campaigns.

But, the main point of having these committees is the opportunity to
raise a lot more money for the national party and compete with the two
ruling parties under the rules they have written.

This proposal was originated by the Coordinated Campaign Committee,
which endorsed this proposal and passed it on for consideration by the
larger party on May 15, 2006.  The Finance Committee then signed on as
a co-sponsor on May 15, 2006.

Proposal: 1. The Green National Committee hereby calls for the creation 
of
the National Green Party House Campaign Committee.  Said committee will
be populated originally through an election called by the Steering
Committee, and operate under the original bylaws laid out below.  This
committee will be a separate entity from the Green Party of the United
States, with its own treasury accounts, but will be answerable to the
Green National Committee in the ways listed in the bylaws detailed
below. The Green National Committee recognizes this newly-created
committee as the national House campaign committee of the Green Party,
and will support efforts for it to achieve recognition as such from the
Federal Elections Commission.

2. The Green National Committee hereby calls for the creation of
the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee.  Said committee
will be populated originally through an election called by the Steering
Committee, and operate under the original bylaws laid out below.  This
committee will be a separate entity from the Green Party of the United
States, with its own treasury accounts, but will be answerable to the
Green National Committee in the ways listed in the bylaws detailed
below. The Green National Committee recognizes this newly-created
committee as the national Senate campaign committee of the Green Party,
and will support efforts for it to achieve recognition as such from the
Federal Elections Commission.

3. If the Green National Committee does not have standard rules in
place for holding ranked-voting elections at the time an election is
called to populate the House or Senatorial campaign committee, then the
Steering Committee will conduct said election under the rules that were
used to elect the Delegate Apportionment Committee.

 
Original bylaws of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee

I. Purpose:

The National Green Party House Campaign Committee (NGPHCC) exists to
promote the campaigns of Green Party candidates running for the United
States House of Representatives, to support ballot access drives to
enable such campaigns, and to support other party-building activities.

II. Composition:

A. The voting membership of the NGPHCC shall consist of 
(i) All members of the United States House of Representatives who
were elected to that office as nominees of state parties affiliated
with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS); and
(ii) Nine additional members, nominated by members of the Green
National Committee (GNC) of GPUS, and elected by the GNC, using the
standard rules for proportional elections set by the GNC.  The
committee members elected by the GNC shall serve until their successors
are elected, but in no case may serve more than fourteen months without
standing for re-election.  It will be the responsibility of the NGPHCC
to call for elections and of the Steering Committee of GPUS to conduct
such elections.
B. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the NGPHCC, and serve at
the pleasure of the NGPHCC.  If the Treasurer is not an elected member
of the NGPHCC, then the Treasurer shall not have a vote.
C. Vacancies on the NGPHCC shall be filled through nomination and
proportional election by the GNC.
D. Any person who is a member of the National Green Party
Senatorial Campaign Committee or of the Steering Committee of GPUS may
not simultaneously be a member of the NGPHCC.

III. Conduct of business:

A. A simple majority of the current membership is required for
meeting process motions and removal of the Treasurer.
B. A 2/3 majority of the current membership is required to make
all other decisions.

IV. Amendments to these bylaws:

Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by a two-thirds majority of
the NGPHCC.  Such proposed bylaw amendments must then be ratified by a
simple majority of the GNC in order to take effect.

-- End bylaws of the National Green Party House Campaign Committee --

 
Original bylaws of the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign
Committee

I. Purpose:

The National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee (NGPSCC) exists
to promote the campaigns of Green Party candidates running for the
United States Senate, to support ballot access drives to enable such
campaigns, and to support other party-building activities.

II. Composition:

A. The voting membership of the NGPSCC shall consist of 
(i) All members of the United States Senate who were elected to
that office as nominees of state parties affiliated with the Green
Party of the United States (GPUS); and
(ii) Seven additional members, nominated by members of the Green
National Committee (GNC) of GPUS, and elected by the GNC, using the
standard rules for proportional elections set by the GNC.  The
committee members elected by the GNC shall serve until their successors
are elected, but in no case may serve more than fourteen months without
standing for re-election.  It will be the responsibility of the NGPSCC
to call for elections and of the Steering Committee of GPUS to conduct
such elections.
B. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the NGPSCC, and serve at
the pleasure of the NGPSCC.  If the Treasurer is not an elected member
of the NGPSCC, then the Treasurer shall not have a vote.
C. Vacancies on the NGPSCC shall be filled through nomination and
proportional election by the GNC.
D. Any person who is a member of the National Green Party House
Campaign Committee or of the Steering Committee of GPUS may not
simultaneously be a member of the NGPSCC.

III. Conduct of business:

A. A simple majority of the current membership is required for
meeting process motions and removal of the Treasurer.
B. A 2/3 majority of the current membership is required to make
all other decisions.

IV. Amendments to these bylaws:

Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by a two-thirds majority of
the NGPSCC.  Such proposed bylaw amendments must then be ratified by a
simple majority of the GNC in order to take effect.

-- End bylaws of the National Green Party Senatorial Campaign Committee
--

Resources: None.  These committees are expected to be a large revenue 
source for
national party building.

CONTACT:  Brent White 

References: Code of Federal Regulations, Title 11, Chapter 1, Part 110
 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/11cfrv1_06.html
Contribution limits 2005-2006
 http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits.shtml

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