[GPSCC-chat] 2014-12-18 meeting of the Green Party of Santa Clara County

[Spencer B Graves]

Please send additions, corrections to the list.  


Steve Chosen, President of Californians for Electoral Reform (cafe.org):  ~1997 attended meetings of a Charter Review Committee in Santa Clara County.  They decided to buy equipment to support ranked choice voting, confirmed in 1998.  (ref:  The International IDEA Handbook of Electoral System Design — now online — shows what electoral systems are in use where.  This book is available online now.)  

1.  We should ask City Council members how they feel about IRV, especially pointing out that IRV for special elections would eliminate the need for a second runoff election.  

2.  We need to talk with the Board of Supervisors regarding savings from eliminating the need for a second runoff election.  

3.  Steve would not recommend at-large systems to go to IRV.  Instead they should go to Proportional Representation.  

** Santa Clara County is upgrading their election equipment.  We should write letters, etc., when the 


> On Dec 18, 2014, at 1:41 PM, perrysandy at aol.com wrote:
> 
> GREEN PARTY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
>  
> Proposed Agenda Thurs.  Dec. 18, 2014
>  
>  
> 7:00 pm – Speaker:  Steve Chessin, President of Californians for Electoral Reform will speak about planning to advance instant runoff voting (IRV) in Santa Clara County in 2015.
>  
> 7:30 pm – Begin meeting -- Select Facilitator & Note taker:  Spencer 


> , Time keeper:  Caroline 


> , and Vibes watcher(s):  Sandy


> ; Select Agenda Preparer for next meeting:  Warner 


> ; Affirm or modify draft agenda (5 Minutes)

> 7:35 pm - Introductions and Announcements (10 Minutes)
Warner Bloomberg
Caroline 
Sandy 
Tian 
Jim Doyle, Treasurer
Spencer 
Sanda Everette, national since 2003; 
Brian 

Treasurer’s $868.39 balance.  Telephone = $40 per month.  If we get one phone call per month… Jim recommends we drop the phone.  Warner will put it on the agenda for next month.  
>  

> Discuss whether or not to host the June GPCA Plenary in San Jose to take advantage of the fact that the US Social Forum is taking place here from June 24 – 27, 2015. List the tasks involved in hosting and discuss with Sanda the possibility of assistance from other Bay Area Greens. Some of the key tasks include: venue, accommodations, arrangements for the state coordinating committee dinner on Friday night. (25 Minutes)
30 min

SANDA:  

1.  Since the San Francisco meeting, all the subsequent state meetings have been primarily organized by the state wide coordinating committee.  Therefore, the counties do not have to be responsible for the entire event.  

2.  Our primary business at the June meeting is the budget. In this case we’d do workshops on Saturday inviting people from the US Social Forum.  The budget meeting would be Sunday.  

3.  Four people on San Mateo County Council.  

4. Need a place with vegan options within walking distance of the US Social Forum for the dinner Friday evening.  

5.  Proposed:  The Green Party of Santa Clara County will host the June 27-28 state meeting with help from the Coordinating Committee.  We have consensus on the proposal. 

UNRESOLVED CONCERNS:  Many feel that the Saturday meeting should be open.  

** NOTE:  Sanda says the state meetings are only open to Greens.  We might try to organize workshops for Friday to draw others from the Social Forum.  

** Social Forum will rent space Wednesday through Saturday. 

** Would there be Green workshops within the Social Forum open to all.  

** Do we need two days for a meeting or only one?  

** Do we need a separate location for Sunday?  (Could the State Greens coattail on the Social Forum space contract?)  

** Would the United Way building be available for Sunday?  


SANDA questions for the Coordinating Council:  

1.  1 day meeting vs. 2 — or admitting strangers for the first day.  (closed meeting for Sunday budget meeting only) 
2.  Use the same space as the Social Forum?  (Ask Sandy.)  
3.  What about food?  


Sandy:  This is a great opportunity to recruit members.  People coming to the Social Forum do not have a party — other than the Greens.  

Warner:  Concern:  To the extent that the host committee would have to do a lot of running around.  

** We could use emails and phone calls to invite Santa Clara registered Greens to the Social Forum — and invite them also to help organize (but without pressure).  

We need to clarify the tabling issue with the organizing committee.  

Three issues:  Facilities, food, local housing (home stays) 

Q:  What will be the charge for attending the Social Forum?  


** Delegates:  Caroline, Tian, 
Alternates:  Brian Good, Jim Doyle

*** Seaside, Marina:  Reserve a motel ASAP.  

** County Council can appoint other delegates.  


> 9:00 pm – Discuss GPCA & GPSCC participation in the USSF (15 minutes)


Friday, Dec. 26:  Tian is having a party.  

>  
> 7:45 pm - Treasurer’s Report – Jim Doyle (5 minutes)
>    
> 7:50  pm - Report on Single Payer Work – Caroline and Sandy (15 Minutes)


	  (skip for now) 

>  
> 8:05 pm - Report on Climate Change Work -- Caroline (15 Minutes)
>  
> ·         EPA clean power plants--they received 8,000,000 comments--more than any other issue.
> ·         What happened about the Palo Alto resolution to ban fracking?


	  ** Tian will ask Dana and / or Gerry to forward our resolution to the Palo Alto City Council.  


> ·         Nebraska Supreme Court doing ruling on route for KXL in next few days
> ·         Oil train meeting Jan 24 at San Jose City Hall:  Ash Kalra (sp.) 


> ·         East Bay Fracking Rally Feb. 7


** Caroline to provide more info later.  

>  
> 8:20 pm – Select delegates for the Monterrey GPCA Plenary Jan. 23-25, 2015 (15 Minutes)
>  
> 8:35 pm –  
>  
> 9:15 pm – Report on tabling at the Dec. 6 SJ Peace Fair – Caroline (5 Minutes)


	  Sad:  8 foot table.  made $32.  less than the table fee.  


	  Jim:  Overall, hardly any of our tabling events bring in enough to cover the fee.  

>  
> 9:20 pm – Report on the De Anza GP – Sandy (5 Minutes)


	  ** getting 8 - 10 people every week.  


	  Co-sponsoring MLK Freedom Games, Sat., Jan. 17, 10 AM - 4 PM, Onetta Harris Community Center, East Menlo Park, 100 Terminal Ave (Willow, Hamilton, Chilco, Terminal Ave.):  MLKfreedomgames.jottit.com <http://mlkfreedomgames.jottit.com/> 


	  Tried to give a donation to Rev. Pinkney’s defense.  DeAnza college tried to block.  


*** put on the agenda for our January meeting.  

>  
> 9:25 pm – Any other tabling plans Jan. 2015 (5 Minutes).



	  MLKing Train:  Jan. 19(?).  We usually have someone handing out literature but no tables.  


	  ** Can we get Santa Clara U. Greens going in time to table for Earth Day.  

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