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. (2-3 minutes): 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. 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. (2-4 minutes): Comments and approval of 11-29-05 SCC minutes: approved by consensus.
6. (5 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 major 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 law either by legistation or lawsuit.
Fairfield by DB: encourages people to file for campaign committees and apply for petition. Discussing 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 in the salon: to show film about the 5000 year history of Africa and Jim Crow laws. Vigil on 12-24-05 was warmly received re: 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. (15 minutes): Women's Caucus report including recent Modified Consensus Training; deleted.
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; 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 Dem and Repub state Party Pac's makes this law likely unconstitutional. CT Green Party to have a meeting in 1-06 with CTCLU, 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 concencus 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. (15 minutes): Budget Committee suggestions/talking points: suggest chapters and EC review and come back to SCC with suggestions.
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 c-chairperson cannot be on the committee, They candidates can be,
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.
7. Cliff Thorton, founder of Efficacy in Hartford: 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. 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.