{news} 1-31-06 SCC meeting of CTGP: quorum meet
B Barry
roseberry3 at cox.net
Sun Mar 5 20:57:26 EST 2006
Minutes from SCC Meeting 1-31-06: quorum requirement met.
Place: Portland Public Library, Wagner Room, 20 Freestone Avenue, Portland,
CT 06480-1818
Phone: 860-342-6770
Time: 7PM to 8:55PM Facilitator: Tim
McKee
Voting Attendees: Central CT: Vittorio Lancia; Fairfield: David Bedell,
Paul Bassler; Greater Hartford:
Barbara Barry, Secretary of CTGP, Mike DeRosa, Co-chairperson of CTGP;
Robert Pandolfo; New Haven:
Daniel Sumrall, Ralph Ferrucci; New London: Chris Nelson; Northeastern:
Jean deSmet; Tolland: Tim McKee
Number of attending chapters: 7.
A. Preliminaries:
1. (2-3 minutes): Introductions of attendees and
chapters. Recruit timekeeper: Vic Lancia.
2. (1 minute): Identify attendees who are NOT voting
representatives: Steve Krevisky, Central CT and
Nancy Burton, Western.
3. (1 minute): Adopt ground rules.
4. (2-4 minutes): Approval of tonight's proposed agenda:
additions: status of current CTGP website and
Deletions: of treasurer's reports of: October, November, December and
January and treasurer's 3rd and 4th quarter
reports to CT Secretary of State's office: due to lack of presence of the
treasurer: Judy Herkimer, or her representative
or information forwarded to the remaining CTGP officers or the SCC body.
Also delete Women's Caucus report due
to lack of any representative at this meeting; budget suggestions.
Mike DeRosa: I have sent numerous e-mails to Judy about getting
together for EC and SCC meetings. But
she has not responded.
5. (2-4 minutes): Review of 12-27-05 SCC minutes by
Barbara Barry: approved by consensus.
6. (5 minutes): Review 1-9-06 EC meeting minutes by
Barbara Barry: approval by consensus.
7. (5 minutes): Current website: has 2002 CTGP
candidates on it and a candidate who withdraw this year.
Limited number of SCC minutes (most current: 9-05) and only two (2) EC
minutes are on website ( 3-03 and 4-03). CTGP needs this website updated on
a regular basis due to periodic events, meetings and to prepare for state
wide slate of candidates. Also need a responsible webmaster due to potential
donations to our website when we run candidates for state wide CT offices.
Ralph Ferrucci to contact our webmaster: Aaron Gustafson, to re-discuss with
him, SCC concerns and CTGP needs and need for improvement. Discuss if he is
still interested in remaining webmaster and/or if any webmaster assistance
is needed. Noted: Aaron has stated in the past, a interest in remaining CTGP
webmaster and that he and Kelly McCarthy will be focusing on the Hamden
Chapter of the Green Party. Aaron and Kelly resigned as CTGP
Co-chairpersons in 11-05. Per Daniel Sumrall: Aaron at last New Haven
Chapter meeting stated the he and Kelly did not
feel like they were getting anything done or being effective as
co-chairpersons so they were going to pull back and focus on the Hamden
Chapter and will remain Greens.
Remaining CTGP officers: Mike DeRosa, co-chairperson, Barbara
Barry, Secretary, Treasurer: Judy Herkimer.
When was the last EC meeting that Judy attended? Barbara: 11-21-05 and some
time just before then. Will Judy pay
bills such as for the convention? Mike suggested that an email be sent to
her requesting clarification about convention concerns of Internal Elections
Committee and SCC. Has Judy paid Chris Reilly as this SCC authorized
months ago? Mike: Chris Reilly said he has been in contact with Judy. Judy
stated an awareness that money has been authorized for
him but that his money will not forthcoming at this time. It is unclear why
an officer of this CTGP has not followed the directives of this SCC body.
Last reports provided by Judy: November report. Mike: Judy has also sent
the 3rd and 4th
quarter reports to office of Secretary of State. So she has fulfilled her
obligations to do those. If she did not do so, she
could personally be fined $50.00. Can we get someone else to be treasurer?
Barbara: we discussed at the 1st EC meeting and another one, Barbara's
perceived need for a deputy treasurer for those times when the treasurer is
unreachable, on vacation or unfortunately incapacitated. Judy declined to
appoint a deputy treasurer. Do our bylaws allow SCC to appoint deputy
treasurer? Mike: not at this time but CT state law allows the treasurer to
appoint a deputy treasurer, if the treasurer so desires. The treasurer has
stated she does not desire.
Reports:
1. (5 minutes, each for): Chapter reports:
Central: Vic Lancia: to have Dr. John H. Clark discuss 5000 year history of
Africa on 2-13-06 at the Salon; chapter
Wants to do something like this periodically.
New Haven: Ralph Ferrucci: wants to speak to any unions as a candidate for
U.S. Senate. He hopes to pay for campaign
Manager and campaign treasurer. Ralph suggested that perhaps CTGP
candidates could speak at each upcoming SCC meeting. This would enhance
better knowledge about each other.
Greater Hartford: Mike DeRosa: will be having a fundraising gathering at
the home of Steve Fournier: Date to be'
Determined. Clash Collective is still keeping the office open for its
lending library. Greens are still developing a food buying group. It may be
seasonal or year round with orders placed on (Greater Hartford Chapter's)
website. Aim is to get 100 people to participate. Anyone interested: contact
us. Mike suggests someone run for CT Senate District #1, as the line is
open.
Mike will be running for Secretary of the State.
New London: ****Chris Nelson: In November election, ran 2 Greens with 19
candidates for the City Council. The Greens beat 2 Republicans and just
missed winning by 120 or 200 votes. Two (2) of our 3 candidates were
endorsed by the
New London Day newspaper and the Board of Education, local public workers
and one of the candidates was endorsed by
The police. Will have a 2-06 forum which presumably will be about:
development, drug war, energy and charter revision.
We continue with cable TV program every Thursday and we're working on
updating our website.
New Haven: Daniel Sumrall: had a speaker discuss the proposed new Cancer
Center at Yale-New Haven Hospital and gained better understanding of
community issues. We continue to doe letters to the editor. Plan electoral
retreat on 2-4-06 so we can plan for the 2006 election and for the 20007
alderman elections. We are drafting policies re: parking regulations in the
city. We hope the development of these will help develop Green policies
and so candidates can use them. New Haven chapter has endorsed the Lawyers
Guide's Freedom of Information proposal to be discussed today. Will be
having a public policy meetings about: Economic development and immigration
and fishing. Hope to have them by middle or end of summer. Place and dates:
to be determined, perhaps New Haven Public Library before the end of 2-06.
Cliff Thornton visited a chapter meeting. The New Haven Independent Paper
gave him good coverage. Also had coverage in the Hartford Courant and New
Haven register. It also coincided with the New Haven Advocate article about
CTGP concerns about the recent passage of "CT campaign finance reform" Plan
to meet every Tuesday at the local coffee house: Booktrader, corner of
Chapel and York to discuss Ralph's campaign. We will post our meetings on
the listserv.
Northeast: Jean deSmet: chapter is working with the Peace and Justice group
to do vigil at Wal-Mart, every month.
Also had good response from students at QVVC (college) with campuses in
Willimantic and Danielson.
Fairfield: David Bedell: Cliff Thornton spoke to 20-30 people on 1-12-06
after press releases and faxes were sent out.
One reporter from the Bridgeport News was there and it was taped for public
access in Bridgeport. We are interested in
Swapping/trading tapes between chapters who participate in public access
programs. However, we are aware of lack of uniformity regarding types of
tapes used, length of tapes, etc. We are willing to put them on our CTGP
website.
U.S. Green Party report by CTGP representatives: Tim McKee: different
Greens in nation will be available to respond to the President's State of
Union address: e.g. John Batista will address the single payer health
insurance.
National Party is still voting/discussing/counting results of last election
for national officers from last summer's convention. They're still counting
the votes/how to count the vote. The specific IRV process has not been
finalized. Have discussed the national presidential election bylaws; work
shops; proposals, business of the party and candidates. Michael Berg, a
strong anti-war candidate and the father of a beheaded hostage in Iraq is
running. Some women may be running in CA.
National Party will have a national meeting in June 2006 in AZ. The
party is discussing how to decide the formula for the number of delegates to
the convention: it is difficult to require registration as a Green as some
states do not allow voters to register. As a Green, do the states with
higher populations and Greens have more say then the states with smaller
populations and Greens? How many active chapters? How many candidates have
you run? Won? Convention will also do bylaws
V.O.T.E.R. report from Mike DeRosa re: 1-06 meeting with CT ACLU/Common
Cause/ CCAG: the new "campaign finance reform" regulation (CFR). Major
parties and minor parties have 3 things in common: a) get on the ballot. b)
candidates must get the endorsement of their party and c) collect a large
number of small donations to get state campaign monies. The minor parties
must additionally get 20% of voters who voted in the last election for the
office in question to sign a petition. Each signature must be verified by
town clerk. This is not required of major party candidates.
Example: if a million people voted for governor in the last election, then
the minor parties, each, must get 200,000
verified signatures. (Since about 20 to 100% of signatures are not verified
by the registrars of voters (because voters think they are registered but
may not be and other throw offs) this would mean getting 250,000 to 400,000
signatures. If all these conditions are met, then a minor party could get
full campaign funding. Getting 10% of signatures would get you partial
funding. Full funding levels are $25,000 for CT house race, $85,000 for CT
Senate race, $3,000,000 for Governor's race. Historically in CT: that
amount of signatures has never been gathered.
Therefore, it appears that this petitioning requirement may be
unconstitutional as it appears to be designed to keep minor parties off the
ballot and without access to state campaign funds. (A violation of 14th
amendment Equal Protection Clause.) The two (2) states that have campaign
finance, Arizona and Maine, do not have the petition requirements. When MA
had CFR law, it did not require petitioning, Talk at the legislature and
from the governor's office is they will change petitioning requirement in
some way.
CCAG,s, Tom Swan: stated at recent meeting that the petitioning
requirements were "reasonable". He offered as an alternative: increasing the
petitioning requirement to get on ballot. Roger Vann from the CT ACLU is
committed to represent CTGP's concerns. Whether or not we wish to utilize
them, is another matter. ACLU is also helping protect the free speech rights
of lobbyists. Brennan Institute is helping the State of CT about this so
cannot work with us. Mike has also spoken with other law firms across the
country. Last SCC meeting: we do not want petitioning at all.
Another provision: if a minor party candidate raises the same amount of
money as the major party candidate, the major party PAC's (or leadership
PAC's of major parties) of CT can give unlimited money to the major party
candidate. This goes against the typical goal of campaign finance reform of
putting caps on campaign expenders.
CT's campaign finance regulation is designed so that if one part of the
bill is found unconstitutional then the
Whole section of the bill is unconstitutional. This may be an attempt to
hide in the bill unconstitutional Trojan horses that will be used to destroy
the clean election fund and blame the destruction of the CEF on minor
parties who are trying to defend their constitutional rights to be treated
equally and fairly.
Note: this same legislature was introduced into Congress by Rep. Rosa
DeLaura, D-New Haven recently showing a disturbing pattern of undermining
true campaign finance reform with fake campaign finance reform.
2. Internal Elections committee for CTGP officers: Jean deSmet:
place: to be determined; date of CTGP convention is likely to be 3-25-06 due
to anti-war rallies across the state on Saturday, 3-18-06. Jean was asking
for names of Greens whom might be most knowledgeable about the process of
nominating candidates and putting on the CTGP conventions. Ralph mentioned
David Bedell and David Agusto. Need ballot designer. Need updated mailing
list from each chapter.
Will mail ballots to, hopefully by 3-1-06, to all regular CTGP
members and all members of CTGP chapters as allowed by CTGP bylaws. No
candidates have come forth so far.
Motion: to allow up to $3500.00 for mailing of the ballots with candidates
"biographies", fund raising request. No blocking concerns and motion
carried.
Need a committee to run our CTGP convention.
3. Potential CTGP candidates: Nancy Burton: was 2002 CTGP candidate
for CT representative from Redding CT. About 6000 to 7000 residents in
Redding. David Bedell, was my campaign manager then and asked Nancy if she
would be interested in running for Attorney General in 2006.
My background: 20 years as an attorney, public interest law, especially in
environmental law. Most recently: trying to close Millstone power stations.
Helped organize a citizens group: CT Coalition Against Millstone which has
helped educate and done legal actions. Just today, the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission rejected our request to re-open the new licensing
proceedings. We have been able to demonstrate the high levels of
strontium90 in cow milk. We are gathering information about cancer deaths
for women and children are the highest in the state and sharing this data
with representatives.. We have taken the milk and the cow to the meet the
governor and Attorney General Blumenthal, with television coverage.
I believe: a) that in any democracy, no candidate should be unopposed
e.g. Mr. Blumenthal; b) having worked closely with Mr. Blumenthal, he is
vulnerable because he has not taken the positions to protect citizens. c)
these concerns have to do with ethics in government: are representatives
ethically protecting/do right for their constituents? This is our (CTGP)
issue. d) I am opposed to the death penalty. Mr. Blumenthal, I felt was
somewhat overzealous in promoting the death
penalty for (the late) Mr. Ross. No one has challenged Mr. Blumenthal or
raised this issue.
Barbara: You currently cannot practice law in the state of CT. How are
your going to address this during your campaign for attorney general?
Nancy: I will again be able to practice law after 11-21-06. I have
practiced law in what I believe to be conservative way i.e. I held to the
law. Examples of challenges to violations of the law: women's right's,
environmental
Issues and Millstone. While working against Millstone, I represented an
indigent, Black person whom was, in my opinion, treated badly. I was able
to get him out of jail. I do pro bono work. I still am able to practice
law in the state of New York.
I met with Mr. Blumenthal about getting Millstone shut down as it was a
public nuisance.
When I ran in 2002, I found people, willing to look at the Green Party as
another place to vote. I ran with the slogan of:
Clean air, clean water and clean government. If we had more time, we can
get more popular.
Jean deSmet: at our convention we will be endorsing candidates for state
wide slate. You
Proposal I.
Presenter: Greater Hartford Chapter.
Contact: Mike DeRosa,
Subject: Freedom of Information request about the CT Green Party.
Background and Purpose: Ascertain possible gathering of information about
the CT Green Party by U.S. government agencies. Sponsored by the CT chapter
of the National Lawyers Guild.
Proposal: The Greater Hartford chapter of the CT Green Party proposes that
the Green Party of CT fully
participate in a Freedom of Information (F.O.I.) request being sponsored by
the CT chapter of the National
Lawyers Guild. This F.O.I. application will request from appropriate U. S.
government agencies, any and all
information about any gathering of information or intelligence on Green
Party of CT activities, candidates, or
other relevant information related to the ongoing activities, meetings and
campaigns of members of the Green Party of CT and its local chapters.
No financial commitments, at this time. No blocking concerns. Approved by
consensus.
*****Addendum: corrections from Chris Nelson, New London chapter:
New London: Chris Nelson reported. In the November election, three Greens
ran for municipal office, two for New London City Council, one for the Board
of Education. The two City Council candidates finished 10th and 13th in a
field of 19 candidates, falling 133 and 225 votes short of election. Both
candidates finished ahead of all but one of the Republican slate. The Board
of Education candidate finished 8th in a field of 13, missing election by
just 50 votes. One City Council candidate and one Board of Education
candidate were endorsed by the New London Day. Both City Council candidates
were endorsed by the public works union, one was endorsed by the police
union as well. We will have a 2/26 forum on the following issues:
development, drug war, energy and charter revision. We will continue with
our cable TV program every Thursday and have updated our website.
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