[Sosfbay-discuss] How Did Party in Berkeley Go? Anybody Get a Good Picture of Deacon Alexander?

[Caroline Yacoub]

Okay, we have four years. I would start tomorrow gathering signatures and donations, if I knew 
1)where to get a signature sheet
2)how to file it when it's full
3) where to send donations (how do you keep track of them so you can prove you have $5 donations and not a couple of corporate donations?)
I'm up for that kind of action. I'm perfectly happy to be a foot soldier. I don't want to take a class in how to run a campaign. I'm willing to bet there is somebody out there who can answer my simple questions. Well, why don't you?
Caroline




________________________________
From: Gerry Gras <gerrygras at earthlink.net>
To: Brian Good <snug.bug at hotmail.com>
Cc: sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org
Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 6:41:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Sosfbay-discuss] How Did Party in Berkeley Go? Anybody Get a Good Picture of Deacon Alexander?



Brian Good wrote:

> 


<clip>


> 
>    I was disappointed that so many people abused the strategy session to 
> engage in long rambling reminiscences and I fell asleep twice during 
> that.  


I did not attend.  The main reason I would have gone would have been
for the strategy seesion.  Sounds like I did not miss much.


> I'd had little sleep the night before, and because my car had 
> broken down on the trip up I stank of antifreeze, so I didn't feel very 
> sociable, and I didn't even think of bringing up my strategy issues:
> 
>    1.  A public finance (Prop 15) campaign would be a great organizing 
> vehicle.  If we get just 15,000 $5 donations we get a million dollars to 
> run a professional Secretary of State campaign, just like a real party.  
> If paid staffers choose to use their pay for political activities these 
> funds could be a real energizer for the party.  Since we have 111,000 
> registered Greens today, if we can't get the 15k donors in four years we 
> should just give up.


Or change the org from political party to something else.

Good point.


> 
>    2.  Campaign Finance reform.  The average congressional rep takes in 
> $1.5 million per election, and according to Lawrence Lessig, spends 40% 
> to 60% of her time raising that money which, because of gerrymandered 
> safe seats, they don't need.  Much of this money goes to the Democratic 
> party, and much is paid to consultants who get enormous sums with little 
> transparency.  Since fundraising success is a factor in gaining 
> committee chairmanships and other perks, Reps have to spend their time 
> as party fundraisers instead of solving our country's problems.  The 
> Dems suck.  We don't.


I am not sure what your point is.  I assume that you are trying to
argue for the need to work on campaign finance reform.  If so,
I agree.  I expect to be working for Prop 15, and supporting
the national Fair Elections effort.


> 
>    It was great to hear the inspiring story of how in the early days 
> 79,000 people were persuaded to register for a party that didn't yet 
> exist.  During 2003 antiwar demonstrations it was said that people 
> crowded the registration tables four deep to sign up.
> 
>    Ray said that continuing to run campaigns where we get 5% of the vote 
> was just guaranteeing that we'll continue to be ineffective.  It seemed 
> that few people wanted to hear that.  


I wonder why.

> It was nice to see a reunion 
> amongst the old timers, people chattering excitedly.  But it reminded me 
> of 9/11 Truth conventions where people go to have their dissenting 
> beliefs reinforced by like-minded people.  I wonder if there's something 
> cultish about continuing to convince each other that it's enough just to 
> pull in a few thousand votes.  If we are to convince the mainstream that 
> we are a viable alternative instead of a perennial protest vote, we need 
> to convince ourselves of that first.


Seems reasonable.

Gerry


> 
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> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To: sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org
> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 19:40:12 -0500
> From: alexcathy at aol.com
> Subject: [Sosfbay-discuss] How Did Party in Berkeley Go? Anybody Get a 
> Good Picture of Deacon Alexander?
> 
> I'm surprised this e-list isn't crackling with news about the 20th 
> Anniversary party up in Berkeley. 
> 
> How did it go?
> 
> B.T.W. did anybody get any good pictures of Deacon Alexander?  I would 
> like to post one on my blog. 
> 
> 
> Alex
> 
> 
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