[Sosfbay-discuss] [Fwd: Proposal for a New Statewide Green Party Registration Drive (1st Draft)]
spencerg
spencer.graves at prodsyse.com
Wed Feb 10 08:57:07 PST 2010
A raffle or some other contest, as suggested below, might generate
a few additional recruits, but I doubt if it would be enough for us to
replace one of the two major parties in registrations and winning
elections.
To grow, I think the Greens should support a variety of self-help
initiatives: Select hot-button issues, research them carefully, and
organize a campaign (or combine with existing campaigns) to help people
do something different.
My first target in this is "Just Say 'No' to Abusive Banks"; I
have two one-page summaries of what I've done so far, which I
distributed at the Feb. 3 meeting; I can can send these to anyone who
is interested. I'm on the agenda to say more about this at the next
Santa Clara Greens meeting, Wednesday March 3rd, 2010
(http://www.cagreens.org/santaclara/#Current%20Topics).
I've also registered "greenresearchwiki.org", which currently
autoforwards to "prodsyse.com", but which I want to convert into a wiki
to support the production of Green issue position papers, complete with
references that cite the opposition's best arguments and provide
evidence questioning their validity, similar to Wikipedia. We could
summarize these into brief handouts with pointers to
"greenresearchwiki.org" for more information, inviting people to present
contrary evidence, first as one- or two-page fliers, then as bookmarks,
which I'm told are much easier to give away than an 8.5 x 11 sheet of
paper or a tri-fold. Franklin D. Roosevelt won in part on just this
kind of position papers (called "Rainbow Fliers"), which helped "put
ginger into workers", according to Mary Dewson, a lead organizer for
FDR's campaigns (Bess Furman, 1949, Washington By-line, Knopf; pp.
229-230, 281-282).
Comments?
Best Wishes,
Spencer
Wes Rolley wrote:
> Here is an interesting proposal about registration. And, it has an aggressive
> target, to essentially double GP registration to reach 250,000 by 2012 with
> major steps along the way.
>
> The initial cost to is for the county to put some $$ into a contest. I have
> seen a note from David Cobb that says he would rather see County contribution
> changed to personal contributions and that he would put up a share.
>
> I know that everyone is very busy on GA work, but this will come up as part of
> budget discussions at the GA and we should be prepared to respond. Personally,
> I think it is a good idea.
>
> Wes
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Proposal for a New Statewide Green Party Registration Drive (1st Draft)
> Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 18:15:13 EST
> From: Rioryon at aol.com
> To: june.brashares at gmail.com, whastings at earthlink.net, jared.laiti at gmail.com,
> blkcloud at sonic.net, earthworks_works at yahoo.com, thebor at cagreens.org,
> lisa at losangelesgreens.org, sanda at greens.org, barry at hermansons.com,
> civillib at comcast.net, david at duhc.org, lindap_a at verizon.net, lwlaura at yahoo.com,
> tnharter at aceweb.com, dan at votehamburg5.org, bill at iiipublishing.com,
> dadcab at sbcglobal.net, marnie at greenchange.com, napagreens at aol.com,
> dsilver at suddenlink.net, katetanaka at aol.com, funking at greens.org,
> gregjan4 at yahoo.com, mfeinstein at feinstein.org, wrolley at charter.net,
> jims at greens.org, wsb3attyca at aol.com, m_zehr at hotmail.com, truekahuna at comcast.net,
> gincase at gmail.com, paul at deltagreens.org, gardenbeekeeper at yahoo.com,
> timc2 at sbcglobal.net, cbrouillet at igc.org, davidquinley at aol.com, squehee at ucla.edu,
> adrienne at monitor.net
>
>
>
> *Introduction*
> **
> Hello All,
>
> Many of you have already spoken with me about the general idea expressed in
> the proposal below.
> Here is the first draft of a concrete proposal to increase Green Party
> (GP) registrations. Please review and consider the proposal as a way to reverse
> our downward trend in GPCA membership, activism, donors and candidates.
> The activation of this proposal on a broad statewide basis, could have a
> significant effect on targeted elections, overall party activism and
> participation, and an increased flow of contributions. And who knows at what
> point we might reach a critical mass tipping point for significant change ?!
> Your feedback, affirmations and concerns are welcomed.
>
> Peace/Unity
>
> tim smith
> Sonoma county
> rioryon at aol.com <mailto:rioryon at aol.com>
>
>
> **
> *Proposal for a New Statewide Green Party Registration Drive*
>
>
> In a recent article in the San Francisco Bay Guardian, January 13, 2010, one
> of the CA Green Party founders, SF Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi speaks to the need
> for current GP members to return to the party-building days of the early 1990's...:
> <http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php
> entry_id=9646&catid=&volume_id=452&iissue_id=467&volume_num=44&issue_num=15
> <http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php%20entry_id=9646&catid=&volume_id=452&iissue_id=467&volume_num=44&issue_num=15>>
> "Mirkarimi recalls the early party-building days when he and other
> *'Ironing Board Cowboys'* would canvas the city on Muni with voter registration
> forms and ironing boards to recruit new members, activities that fell away as
> the party achieved electoral successes and got involved with policy work.
> 'It distracted us from the basics,' Mirkarimi said. Now the Green Party has
> to again show that it's capable of that kind of field work in support of a broad
> array of campaigns and candidates: 'If I want to grow, there has to be a
> companion strategy that will lift all boats.'"
>
> At the 20-year Anniversary of the California GP's founding, last Saturday, a
> recurring theme was the comradery and esprit de corps that was built in the
> 1990-1 campaign to qualify the GPCA for the ballot with a registration drive
> that proliferated throughout the state.
>
> Now more than ever, with GPCA registration numbers slipping from a high of
> 167,000 in 2003 to 111,000 in the last SoS report, GP activists need to return
> to the streets, to register new voters and recruit new activists into the GPCA.
>
> And the *TIME IS RIPE* ! For instance, last week while riding my ironing
> board at a couple different local corrals (grocery stores) i registered 16 new
> Greens out of the 20 voters registered - and about 10 of those indicated an
> interest in becoming involved with the GP. While those numbers may be anecdotal
> in nature, there are signs they are significant in potential scope. They
> indicate massive dissatisfaction amongst voters and citizens with the policies
> of the Republican and Democrat corporatocracy. Voters and citizens want peace,
> health care reform, jobs and better wages for working people, adequate funding
> for education, and environmental protection for the increasingly endangered
> planet we live on.
>
> Voters and citizens are willing to make the change to a party that supports
> those policies, by "voting" with their party registration, if we are willing to
> approach them openly, while listening to their concerns.
>
> But let's face it, many Greens are already overwhelmed and over-burdened by
> their individual workloads. What is needed is a way to jump-start a new
> registration drive - an incentive-based proposal to reverse the trend of
> diminishing GP numbers, activists, donors and candidates.
>
> That is the purpose and goal of this Proposal :
>
>
> *Ironing Board Cowgirls and Cowboys Ride Again*
> **
> The GP shall incentivize GP registrations from March 8, to May 23, (ie 75 days
> between the March GPCA GA and the 15-day close of registrations before the June
> Primary) with a 3-part series of prizes.
>
> There shall be 3 categories of prizes.
>
> 1) - One Category for the 5 counties with the highest percentage increase in
> registration between the last SoS report and the May 15-day close.
>
> 1st Prize : $150 Clearinghouse credit
> 2nd Prize: $125 " "
> 3rd Prize: $100 " "
> 4th Prize: $ 75 " "
> 5th Prize: $ 50 " "
>
> Total Cost : $500
>
> 2) - Another Category for non-professional activists (ie contestants in this
> category may not be professional signature gatherers), including 5 cash prizes
> for the highest number of registrations turned in between March 8th and May
> 23rd. Minimum total registered : 30.
>
> Grand Prize $400
> 1st Prize $250
> 2nd Prize $200
> 3rd Prize $150
> 4th Prize $100
>
> Total Cost : $1,100
>
> [Note : Individual Contestants shall receive a credit of one registration for
> every contact name, phone number, and/or email address of new GP registrants
> turned in to and checked by the county/regional contest administrator. The new
> GP registrant shall verify (by phone, email or in person) to the administrator
> that he/she is interested in becoming active in the local GP, by A) attending a
> meeting; B) receiving regular GP email communication; or C) donating at least $5
> to the local or state GP organization.]
>
>
> 3) - The final Category is for Professional signature gatherers who are
> registered Green for the June Primary.
> Note - there are literally hundreds of professional signature gatherers
> currently working on statewide and local initiatives. This is an enormous
> resource of potential activists to tap into. This Category of prizes is
> designed to do that.
> 6 cash prizes for the highest number of registrations turned in between
> March 8th and May 23rd. Minimum total registered : 50.
> Grand Prize $500
> 1st Prize $300
> 2nd Prize $250
> 3rd Prize $200
> 4th Prize $150
> 5th Prize $100
>
> Total Cost : $1,500
>
> [Note : Individual Contestants shall receive a credit of one registration for
> every contact name, phone number, and/or email address of new GP registrant
> turned in to and checked by the county/regional contest administrator. The new
> GP registrant must verify to the administrator that he/she is interested in
> becoming active in the local GP, by A) attending a meeting; B) receiving regular
> GP email communication; or C) donating at least $5 to the local or state GP
> organization.]
>
> *Grand Total Cost : $3,100*
>
> *Goal :* 120,000 GPCA registrations by the SoS 15-day close report before the
> June Primary.
>
> *Funding :* At least 20 counties shall be asked to contribute $100 - $200 and
> there will be a request made for any balance needed from the GA in March. The
> GROW WG may also be able to contribute some funding.
>
> *Administration of Contest :* At least one GP member from each county or region
> shall be appointed by the counties or regions to administer the contest in their
> jurisdiction, to collect the registration forms (or copies), to keep track of
> and to vet the contestants.
>
> *Reminder :* Individual Contestants shall receive a credit of one registration
> for every contact name, phone number, and/or email address of new GP registrant
> turned in to and checked by the county/regional contest administrator. The new
> GP registrant must verify to the administrator that he/she is interested in
> becoming active in the local GP, by one of the following 3 activities, A)
> attending a meeting; B) receiving regular GP email communication; or C) donating
> at least $5 to the local or state GP organization.
>
> *Notes :* A) - If this proposal is successful, stemming and turning the
> registration/activist/donor ebbtide, it could be employed again to support a
> registration drive with a goal of 150,000 GP registrants, or more, for the June
> to November election cycle. And it is hoped and is altogether conceivable, that
> we could set in motion an activist centered momentum, allowing us to reach a
> quarter million - 250,000 GP registrants - by 2012 or earlier.
> B) - tim smith shall not be eligible for any prizes.
>
> --
> "Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better
> and you don't,
> then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente
>
> Wes Rolley
> 17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
> http://www.refpub.com/ -- Tel: 408.778.3024
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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--
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Operating Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph: 408-655-4567
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