{news} approved minutes from CTGP 12-27-05 SCC meeting

[B Barry]

Approved Minutes of CTGP SCC Meeting 12-27-05: quorum requirement: met

Place: Portland Public Library, Mary Flood Room, 20 Freestone Avenue,
Portland,  CT   06480-1818

Phone: 860-342-6770                Time: 7PM to 9PM

Facilitator: Charlie Pillsbury.              Timekeeper: Tim McKee

 Voting attendees:  Central:  Vic Lancia; Fairfield:  David  Bedell, Paul
Bassler; Greater Hartford: Barbara Barry, CTGP secretary; Michael  DeRosa,
co-chairperson; Rob Pandolfo;      New Haven: Charlie Pillsbury, Allan
Brison,  Northeast: Jean Desmet,  Tolland: Tim McKee; 

 

A.                                          Preliminaries:

1.                                           (1minute): Introductions of
attendees and chapters. Recruit timekeeper.

2.                                           (1 minute): Identify attendees
who are NOT voting representatives: Cliff Thornton.

3.                                           (1 minute): Adopt ground rules.

4.                                           (2-4 minutes): Approval of
tonight's proposed agenda: no change; additions: speaker: Cliff Thornton,
potential CTGP candidate for governor in 2006. CT campaign finance reforms.
Deletions: # 7 and #8 due to lack of presence of the CTGP treasurer, deputy
treasurer or representative or report to this body.  Also delete report from
Women's Caucus due to lack of a representative.

5.                                           (4 minutes): Comments and
approval of 11-29-05 SCC minutes: approved by consensus.

6.                                           (3 minutes): 12-12-05 EC
meeting presentation by Barbara Barry and approval by consensus.

7.                                           15 minutes): Presentation of
Treasurer's monthly report: deleted.

8.                                           (15 minutes): Presentation of
Treasurer's quarterly report to Secretary of State's Office: deleted.

    

 

Reports:

1. (5 minutes, each for): Chapter reports

Greater Hartford by MD: continue with our office; lending library; Greater
Hartford PAC, c/o 50 Congress Street,  Unit 201, Hartford, CT   06114.
Developing a food co-op: needs to be finalized.

New Haven by AB and CP: developing a website for New Haven chapter; to have
policy development forum in 1-06; trying to get 2-3 people to regularly
respond to the national/local medial on daily and as needed basis about CTGP
concerns in New Haven;   New Haven has it's own campaign finance regulations
for major and the board of alderman, only. (Works on matching basis.) The
New Haven chapter proposed this campaign finance reform after Yalies
supported public finance. New Haven is one of 3 municipalies allowed by the
CT legislative law to experiment with municipal campaign finance. New Haven
Chapter wants to challenge the State of CT campaign finance reform law
either by legistation or lawsuit.

Fairfield by DB: encourages people to file for campaign committees and apply
for petition. Discussed having a Green challenge to Christopher Shay in
district #4 of congress. Chapter to approach Norwalk regarding potential
area to try for instant run off voting. Had the Working Families Party
knocked off the democrats in mayoral race against the Republican.

Central by VL:  to show movie: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price on
1-9-06. Working with Russell (Middletown) Public Library about Black History
Month to present on 2-13-06 at the Salon: to show film about the 5000 year
history of Africa and Jim Crow laws.  Vigil on 12-24-05 was warmly received
regarding: peace on earth: got press coverage.

Northeast by JD: continue with community TV weekly show for just less than a
year. We will be doing 10 key values. Format: skits and Q & A.  Trying to
re-contact the UCONN Greens (who contacted us) to encourage meeting in other
chapters and officers. Continue weekly protest at Wal-Mart with a coalition
of groups including Working Families Party, NOW and Peace and Justice.
Mostly it is Greens that show, regularly.

Tolland by TM: did not report.

 

2.       2. (15 minutes): Women's Caucus report including recent Modified
Consensus Training; deleted.

 

3.       3. (10 minutes): U.S. Green Party report by CTGP representatives:
Tim McKee (Thomas Sevigny has resigned from this rep. & all GP positions as
of 12-05): People are trying to impeach GPUS officers and more candidates
are running for office nationwide;   David Esecu of New Haven Chapter is on
the National Dispute Resolution Committee.

 

 

4. (5 minutes): V.O.T.E.R. report from Mike DeRosa: CT campaign finance bill
was passed at 4am at a special session of the CT legislature and then signed
into law by Gov Rell in early Dec. 2005.  No other campaign finance law in
other states require petitioning for the 3rd parties. This petitioning
requirement and allowing  unlimited "in kind" donations from Democrats and
Republician state Party PAC's makes this law. likely, unconstitutional.   CT
Green Party to have a meeting in 1-06 with CTACLU, Roger Vann and Tom Swan
of CCAG and Andy Soure, Common Cause.   Other groups might be interested in
opposing this: Libertarian and the Working Families Party and perhaps the
League of Women Voters.  If a larger coalition is formed then that might
help to change this law by legislation.  Governor Rell wants to change some
aspects of the campaign finance when legislature resumes in 2-06.
Discussed and consensus achieved: CTGP will challenge this campaign finance
law in the legislature and in the courts.  Goal: Eliminate petitioning and
the unfair financial advantage of the 2 major parties.

 

5.       (5 minutes): Budget Committee suggestions/talking points: suggest
chapters and EC review and come back to SCC with suggestions.

 

4.       6. (20 minutes): Internal Elections committee for CTGP officers
and Candidates for 2006 by David Bedell:

Ralph Ferrucci of New Haven is running against Joe Lieberman, U.S. senator;
Nancy Burton will consider running for CT attorney general, if CTGP asks her
to run.  She has loss her license to practice law.  Nancy does not find any
requirement that the attorney general be an attorney.   She is very eager to
bring up in her campaign why she had her license taken away from her.
Audrey Cole declines to run for any office this year.   David Bedell
suggests Mike DeRosa for Secretary Of State.     

       Discussed CTGP could determine if/who they will run candidates for
state-wide offices at either SCC meeting or the CTGP convention in March
2006.  Encourage these potential candidates to come to SCC meeting.  May
want a Saturday meeting to meet the candidates.

      CTGP Internal Elections Committee is likely to include: Jean deSmet,
Tim McKee, David Bedell, perhaps: Ed Debrule, Andy Doer, Ed Savage, Eric, 

       Discussion:  candidates for co-chairperson cannot be on the
committee, The candidates can be at the CTGP convention: likely to be held
3-18-06 or 3-25-06.  Both are Saturdays.  Try to get the New Haven Labor
Council building in New Haven for site.

 

5.       Potential candidate for CTGP governor: Cliff Thornton, founder of
Efficacy in Hartford: an organization promoting legalization of drugs and
peaceful alternatives to the U.S. "war on drugs". He is also active in all
facets of the fight to reform the criminal justice system. He started doing
public affairs at WWUH and developed Efficacy due to concerns all over the
world. He has spoken to about 4,000 people in 450 venues over the past 3
years.  People do not want to discuss it but it is really our #1 concern. He
has spoken to the city governments of Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury and
New Haven. He gets funding.  GP has best chance to be a 3rd party.
Education and law enforcement budgets are the top 2 budgets in every
town/city.  So decrease the law enforcement budget and you will get more
money for education and other needs. So every year in CT, 35 million dollars
can be used for other things.   .    

 

 

 

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