[Sosfbay-discuss] [Fwd: Re: [GPCA-CC] #2 County poll proposal: Impeachment Rsolution]
Gerry Gras
gerrygras at earthlink.net
Mon May 8 12:48:33 PDT 2006
I see that they are offering to send books to our reps for only $5 each.
If we were to send the book to our 2 Senators and 4 Reps, that would be
only $30.
Gerry
Bob Alavi wrote:
> http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ccr/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2702
>
>
>
> taken from New York Center for Constitutional Rights which is fairly
> active in putting together a comprehensive Impeachment gameplan.
>
> ( http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/home.asp )
>
> Gerry Gras <gerrygras at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> FYI,
>
> Gerry
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [GPCA-CC] #2 County poll proposal: Impeachment Rsolution
> Date: Sun, 07 May 2006 21:37:43 -0700
> From: Michael Borenstein
> Reply-To: GPCA Coordinating Committee
> To: coordinating committee
>
> Dear CC,
>
> This is #2 of two posts from Kent Smith, Navada County. They are long
> but full of upbeat and interesting info on the impeachmnt issue.
>
> We trust this helps the CC capitolize on this importance issue, and to
> emphasize
> how engaging and positive a county polling on this could be.
>
> This post includes a 1342 word essay entitled:
> "IMPEACHMENT: A Great Local Organizing Tool"
> Pease use it, copy it as y'll see fit.
>
> Thanks, Michael-- & Kent
> -----------------------------
>
> From: kent smith
>
> Here's the Update for April from our Impeachement
> Outreach project here in Nevada County, as I promised.
> Then my full report on our 4 months of grassroots
> local involvement follows. Please send these reports
> including the April Update to the CC members. I
> believe it makes a very strong case for the
> Impeachment issue as a proven great local organizing
> tool.
> Kent in sunny spring Nevada City finally...
>
> "APRIL UPDATE.
> At the April 13 Green Party monthly meeting 21
> people came and we continued pushing impeachment. The
> updated Resolution was presented and copies of our
> Letters sent to Congress (as called for in the
> Resolution itself) were shared. We were cheered to
> learn that the Santa Clara County GP had rallied
> around their Resolution in a protest at their
> Congresswoman?s office and used it for Green candidate
> Carol Brouillet?s CD 14 campaign. We were also glad
> to hear that the GP of El Dorado County also approved
> our Resolution at their monthly meeting. Our own
> recent media successes included 2 more KVMR
> interviews, 2 more Letters to the Editor published
> locally, and the 30-minute impeachment TV show cable
> cast 4 times over 2 weeks. We also handed out copies
> of the Resolution at a well-attended progressive
> fundraiser. We also ordered little copies of the
> Constitution to carry in our pockets and quote from in
> our education work.
> Our Impeach/Outreach efforts also continued when the
> local Democratic Women?s Club adopted our Resolution
> on April 1 on a 11-3 vote. Next it will go to the
> Democratic Central Committee (DCC) of Nevada County
> for presentation and predicted passage. Local
> Democrats also promised to take the Resolution to
> their State Convention in Sacramento at the end of
> April. The Democratic Party of California is the
> largest single political organization in the entire
> country with about 7 million members. If it
> officially takes an Impeachment position-- thus
> joining 5 other State Democratic Parties (New Mexico,
> Nevada, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and now Vermont--
> it will be big news nationally!
> We?re riding the Impeachment dragon now and it?s
> lots of fun."
> ---------------------------====
>
> And here is the main report summarizing 4 months' of
> political organizing around Impeachment here in Nevada
> County:
>
> "IMPEACHMENT: A Great Local Organizing Tool
>
> Here in Nevada County Greens have been using
> Impeachment as an organizing tool for three months --
> and the results are impressive. A strong local
> Impeachment campaign can inspire current Greens,
> reactivate old Greens, add new members, and
> passionately reenergize the local Green Party.
> IMPEACH ON THE AGENDA. Starting early in January,
> 2006. we formally put ?IMPEACHMENT? on the agenda for
> the monthly meeting. We sent out the Agenda to our
> e-mail list of active Greens and progressives. We
> sent out press releases about our Impeachment meeting
> to local print media. We also had two interviews
> about Impeachment over KVMR, the local community radio
> station. We publicly invited everyone to attend, not
> just Greens. We also posted flyers in Nevada City
> created by a local Green artist with ?IMPEACH BUSH?
> prominently displayed.
> The result? Instead of the normal 5-6 at the local
> library, we had 16 people, triple the average!
> Expanding beyond the usually core, we welcomed old
> Greens, frustrated Democrats, peace activists, and
> independents.
> THE FORMAL RESOLUTION. At the first meeting we had
> a long and lively discussion about Impeachment itself,
> its mechanics, and its political implications.
> Several people said they were tired ranting about Bush
> at home and welcomed the opportunity to join others in
> actually doing something about it. It became clear
> right away that everyone in the room wanted to remove
> Bush from office. So we easily came to a general
> consensus on the concept of Impeachment itself. But
> different ideas emerged on the specific content of our
> Resolution. We collected the various suggestions
> concerning Who to impeach, What for, When, and What
> next to do. It was clear the large group could not
> draft language acceptable to all in such a short time.
> So we created a special ad hoc ?Task Force? to meet
> separately and come up with a collective draft. We
> left the meeting feeling empowered and energized: an
> official ballot-status political party local had gone
> on the record supporting Impeachment.
> The new 10-person Impeachment Task Force met at a
> well-known coffee shop two weeks later. Personal
> phone calls and e-mails reminded the volunteers to
> attend. This newly created subgroup of writers agreed
> on certain principles: we would use the Resolution
> format so we could bring it before city councils, we
> wanted to focus on ?Constitutional-level? crimes (not
> policy issues or incompetence issues), we wanted to
> reference specific crimes and the specific laws
> violated, and we wanted it short and clear all on one
> page for easy reading.
> We came up with a short list of top ?high Crimes.?
> Everyone at the meeting submitted drafts of specific
> crimes, violations, and legal citations. Another
> meeting was set to iron out the final draft. Using
> previous drafts from the Arcata City Council and
> former Attorney-General Ramsey Clark from Impeachbush.
> com, we came up with a strong and compelling
> Resolution.
> We promoted Impeachment heavily to build interest
> and attendance at the next monthly meeting in
> February. We used our e-mail and phone lists again
> and the local media, print and radio. 30 people
> showed up, more than we?ve had in years. We had
> placed the draft Resolution on our web site ahead of
> time so people could read it
> (www.nevadacountygreens.org). We also passed out
> photocopies for everyone present. After vigorous
> discussion and debate, we had a specific draft
> Resolution we all consensed to. We also agreed to
> incorporate a few other ?friendly? amendments into the
> final text. We all celebrated. We had all taken a
> strong stand together and it felt good.
> IMPEACH/OUTREACH EFFORTS. The special Task force
> decided to meet again between the monthly Party
> meetings to perfect the text. The 10 volunteers also
> started to brainstorm about how to expand media
> coverage for our Impeachment position and how to get
> other groups ( like the local Peace Center,
> progressive groups, and other political parties like
> the Libertarians, the Democrats etc. ) involved in a
> coordinated way. Once we had a list of possible
> actions, individual volunteers took on specific
> assignments. We agreed to carry out our tasks and to
> report back our results at the next monthly Green
> Party meeting in March.
> * Our Impeach/Outreach efforts took 3 major
> directions. First, we wanted to involve other Green
> Party groups. We notified the State Party
> spokespersons and the State Media Committee about our
> Resolution. Sara Amir vetted our news and passed it
> on to our Media folks. IT Coordinator Jim Stauffer
> sent out our call for other counties to join us on his
> 1600-contact ?Updates? e-mail list. And Michael
> Borenstein carried our resolution to GROW and to the
> CC for cosponsorship as an Agenda Proposal for the
> next April State Plenary in Ventura.
> * Secondly, we pushed for expanded media coverage of
> our Impeachment position. State Press Advisor Cres
> Vellucci in Sacramento crafted a press release and
> sent it out to his 2,000+ media outlets. He also
> notified the GP National Media operation in
> Washington, D.C. We had 3 more interviews over
> regional and internet radio station KVMR. We also
> proposed a community town hall meeting and debate on
> Impeachment live and on the radio. We also moved to
> produce a 30-minute Impeachment show on local
> community access Nevada County Television (NCTV). Our
> local group of Green writers has recently published
> several Letters to the Editor on the Impeachment
> issue. We also created new Impeach flyers and
> gathered Impeach buttons and bumper stickers.
> * Thirdly, we started contacting other political
> organizations in our community to share our Resolution
> and request that they take an official stand too.
> Stand up now when it counts. The Nevada County Peace
> Center and the local chapters of Veterans for Peace
> were the first to sign on. These pro-Impeach groups
> will form the nucleus for a broad-based local
> coalition for Impeachment in the future. We were
> rolling.
> In March we again publicized the monthly GP meeting
> widely. Then, on a dark and snowy winter night, we
> had 21 people show up. A dozen people reported on
> their projects and what had happened. There was lots
> of ?good news? to share. We felt fulfilled and
> empowered. We passed around a sign-up sheet and
> invited others to join us. Several new people agreed
> to join our Impeachment Task Force and meet again in
> two weeks at the coffee shop. It?s amazing what an
> empowered and dedicated small group can accomplish
> with a good cause.
> After more e-mails and another radio interview, the
> group expanded to 15 at the next special meeting at
> the Cafe Mekka. We shared ?good news? including the
> national Impeachment movement and our own local
> actions. Our media efforts were expanding and several
> local groups decided to formally support Impeachment.
> We also agreed to set up our first table and speak
> publicly at the local Peace Vigil and Rally March 18
> in Nevada City. We brainstormed new ideas on
> expanding our Impeach/ Outreach. Members volunteered
> for some new tasks. We agreed to undertake our
> individual missions and to meet again at the next
> Green Party monthly meeting in mid-April. The group
> was energized and we felt we were moving forward
> successfully.
> APRIL UPDATE. At the April 13 Green Party monthly
> meeting 21 people came and we continued pushing
> impeachment. The updated Resolution was presented and
> copies of our Letters sent to Congress (as called for
> in the resolution itself) were shared. We were
> cheered to learn that the Santa Clara County GP had
> rallied around their Resolution in a protest at their
> Congresswoman?s office and used it for Green candidate
> Carol Brouillet?s CD 14 campaign. We were also glad
> to hear that the GP of El Dorado County also approved
> our Resolution at their monthly meeting. Our own
> recent media successes included 2 more KVMR
> interviews, 2 more Letters to the Editor published
> locally, and the 30-minute impeachment TV show cable
> cast 4 times over 2 weeks. We also handed out copies
> of the Resolution at a well-attended progressive
> fundraiser. We also ordered little copies of the
> Constitution to carry in our pockets and quote from in
> our education work.
> Our Impeach/Outreach efforts also continued when the
> local Democratic Women?s Club adopted our Resolution
> on April 1 on a 11-3 vote. Next it will go to the
> Democratic Central Committee (DCC) of Nevada County
> for presentation and predicted passage. Local
> Democrats also promised to take the Resolution to
> their State Convention in Sacramento at the end of
> April. The Democratic Party of California is the
> largest single political organization in the entire
> country with about 7 million members. If it
> officially takes an Impeachment position-- thus
> joining 5 other State Democratic Parties (New Mexico,
> Nevada, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and now Vermont--
> it will be big news nationally!
> We?re riding the Impeachment dragon now and it?s
> lots of fun.
> CONCLUSIONS: Impeachment is a great local grassroots
> democracy organizing tool. Used skillfully, it can
> revitalize a Green local, reenergizing current Greens,
> reactivating old Greens, and adding new activist
> members. But it is much more than a Green issue.
> Activists who belong to other third parties,
> Democrats, independents, and political neophytes are
> also strongly attracted to the common cause of
> removing our corrupt rulers and restoring our
> Constitution. Just passing an impeachment resolution
> at an ordinary Party meeting means very little. Using
> the issue creatively by publicizing meetings
> extensively beforehand, inviting everyone to come,
> involving them all freely in the decision-making and
> in the followup actions, and publicizing the results
> widely brings us all together into an expanded and
> powerful political community. Impeachment, I believe,
> more than almost any other issue, has the proven
> potential to make this happen in cities and counties
> throughout California and across the entire country.
> Kent Smith (1342 words)
> __________________________________________________
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