Minutes of the May 12, 2014 EC telephonic meeting at 7PM.

Executive Committee attendees: Co-chairpersons: S. Michael DeRosa and Rolf Maurer; secretary: Barbara Barry.   Absent due to illness: co-chairperson: Linda Thompson and Christopher Reilly, Treasurer.  No other know attendees.

Attendees determined the following:

  • Next SCC date/time/site: Monday, June 2nd, 2014 at 7PM at Portland Senior Center.
  • 6/2/14 SCC suggested agenda:

1.  Review  and approve the minutes of the: a) 3-26-14 SCC meeting and the May 3rd 2014 GPCT Annual Meeting;  and b) accept the minutes of the:  5-12-14  EC meeting.

2.  Treasurer's report from Christopher Reilly.

3.  Secretary’s report from Barbara Barry.

4. Reports from our three (3) representatives to the GPUS:  Tim McKee  and  S. Michael DeRosa. Selection of the 3rd rep to the GPUS due to a 4 way tie for this slot.

The following each received one nomination: Linda Thompson, Baird Welch-Collins and Jean deSmet.  “Jose Cartaro” was also nominated but is not a registered GPCT voter per the current SOS voter list.

5.  Any proposals/resolutions from chapters or from five CTGP Members or from the EC.  

6.  Discuss the Saturday, May 3, 2014 GPCT Annual Meeting and Internal Elections.  Official results from the Internal Elections Committee. Donations.  Pros and cons of the meeting.  Attendees suggested the following for GPCT actions to focus on: education reform (Common Core regulations), local self sufficiency, campaign finance reform, divestiture of polluting major corporations, divestiture from big banks; CT public bank, student debt relief, pet guardianship, financial equality e.g. minimum wage, living wage, fair taxation; Algonquin Pipeline action; judicial reform, and supporting GPCT campaigns.

7. Determine process for selection of GPCT representatives to the reach out and consider forming alliances with: a) NJ, NY, RI and MA regarding the Algonquin Pipeline;  b) other CT environmental organizations, c) CT legal organizations and d) other organizations who share our concerns; and e) to Canadian Greens.

8.Selection of CTGP members to the (GPUS) National Committees (none were selected at the 5-3-14 GPCT Annual Meeting due to time restraints).

Accreditation (AC): reviews state chapter which petitions to join the GPUS; reviews criteria for state delegates to GPUS annual meetings and conventions.                                

Annual National Meeting (ANMC):  working on the 2014 GPUS Annual Meeting:

Ballot Assess (BA): discussion of efforts/difficulties/strategies/successes of the state Green Parties gaining ballot access:    

Black Caucus:                                                 

Bylaws, Rules, Polices Procedure (BRPP): for the GPUS officers and national committees:

Coordination Campaign (CCC): distribution of GPUS money to Green Party public office candidates.

Dispute Resolution (DRC):  mediation of any disputes within the GPUS organization.

Diversity (DC):  strategies and actions to urge/maximize diversity within the GPUS.

Eco Action (EA): develop strategies for the GPUS regarding ecological matters.              

Finance (FinCom): review and determine how to spend the money of the GPUS organization.

Fundraising (FC): raises money for the GPUS operations.                                      

Green Party of the US internet news: acquire and write articles for the GPUS website.

International Committee (IC): develops/promotes GPUS positions re: world issues.  

Latino Caucus: 

Merchandizing Committee (MERCH): determines and acquires items for the GPUS.   Media Committee (MC): writes GPUS press releases.                                             

Outreach (OC): interacts with other groups who may have similar interests of the GPUS.

Peace (GPAX): discusses/develops strategies of how the GPUS may promote peace throughout the world.

Platform (PC): promotes positions on issues for the GPUS which are consistent with Green Party Ten Key Values.

Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC):  develop strategies to support any GPUS presidential candidates. 

Women’s Caucus:   

9. Update of GPCT Mailing List: GPCT has the March 4th 2014 Secretary of the State Voter Registration List and feedback from mailed ballots.

10. GPCT fundraising events:   a) c) Harvey Wasserman, anti-nuclear activist since at least Three Mile Island event…for two fundraising events: Waterford, CT chapter is seeking a site for one event and Fairfield chapter is seeking a site that would also be fairly accessible to New York Green Party members and others;  Mr. Wasserman has agreed to come pending logistics. 

11. Review of GPCT sponsored events: a) Stamford Chapter: Moving Beyond Reaction to Reason, Mental Health and School Safety After Sandy Hook; Saturday, 3-29-14 from 1:30PM to 3:30PM at The Ferguson Library-Harry Bennett Branch, 115 Vine Road, Stamford, CT, 06905,  203/351-8292.Presented by: AbleChild.org: Parents for Label & Drug Free Education.  Sheila Matthews,a CT parent, is a co-founder of this nationally recognized non-profit organization. She regularly testifies at state and federal levels in defense of youth mental health freedom and also has been featured in TIME (9-10-11) and has appeared on CNN, Fox, as well as numerous radio stations throughout the country.                                                                                                                                        b) The Justice Party of CT and the GPCT are co-sponsoring: One Nation-Under Surveillance: Building Networks of Solidarity in Defiance of NSA Spying & the Erosion of Democratic Rights.    (See Addendum III.)

Saturday, March 29, 2014 from 10AM.  At CCSU (Central CT State University), Torp Theater, Davidson Hall, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT.          

Keynote Speaker: Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist: Christ  Hedges.  Numerous Workshops.  For more information: Justice Party Connecticut (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

c)  Adam Hughes and Joanne Sheehan of Hands Off Appalachia (http://handsoffappalachia.com/)is on hold pending their availability. This organization has demonstrated against UBS’ financing of mountaintop removal in the affected states (including Stamford, CT) over Thanksgiving and are supported by Dan Fischer and Capitalism vs. the Climate.                                                                                                                           d) May 11, 2014 event at Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT: Ardeshir and Eleanor Ommani, founders (along with Richard Duffee) of the American-Iranian Friendship Committee.(https://www.facebook.com/AIFCIran; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTCU-EpJSqM&list=UUtIQil-e9wzT_fxySy1y3nw&index=31). Discussed the current state and history of American-Iranian relations. They are both lively and scholarly speakers and frequently travel back and forth between the two countries.                                         

12. Updates regarding: a) from the Waterford Chapter: literature to make Millstone nuclear power plants in Waterford, CT safer. b) literature promoting renewable energy (sun, wind and geothermal) and the minimization of nuclear, coal, oil and gas energy;  c) opposition to: fracking, the Keystone XL pipeline and expansion of the Algonquin Natural Gas Pipeline in: CT, NY, NJ, MA and RI. Here's a link to the Spectra Energy description of the project:

http://www.spectraenergy.com/Operations/New-Projects-and-Our-Process/New-Projects-in-US/Algonquin-Incremental-Market-AIM-Project/

13. a) Need GPCT volunteers to act as liaisons with like-minded organizations and for CT legislative agenda actions: energy (e.g. anti-fracking, anti-nuclear and for renewable energy such as wind, sun and geothermal); ballot access; healthcare inclusive of Medicare and other suggestions. b) DB: regarding complaint to SEEC regarding lack of counting of write-in votes in the randomly selected CT towns of: Hartford, Bridgeport, New Canaan, Seymour, Stamford and West Haven. c) SMD: update  his meetings CT state legislatures.

14.  a) GPCT candidates for the November 4th 2014  election for the offices of:  governor, lieutenant. governor, treasurer, secretary of the state, attorney general, comptroller;  Congressional Districts: 1 and 2; State Senate and state representatives.

b) set date for GPCT Convention to vet and select GPCT candidates.

15. Suggestions from the GPCT Bylaws Committee from members:  Rolf Maurer, Cora Santaguida, Christopher Reilly, Barbara Barry, S. Michael DeRosa and Jeffry Larson.  

16. Update about mesh for our website.

17.   a) GPCT chapter development: reactivation of the Greater New Haven chapter on 1-9-14 after 18 months of inactivity;  b) other chapter reports: Fairfield, Greater Hartford, Greater Norwich, New London and Waterford, CT; and c) written approved minutes to the CTGP secretary.

18.  Selection of the date, time and site of the next SCC meeting.  The last Monday in June is 6-30-14 and the last Tuesday in June  is 6-24-14.  There are five Tuesdays in July.

19.   Other suggestions.    

GREEN PARTY TEN KEY VALUES: non-violence, respect for diversity, grassroots democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, decentralization, community-based economics and economic justice, future focus and sustainability, personal and global responsibility, feminism and gender equality.

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