[GPSCC-chat] Draft Agenda for GPSCC Monthly Meeting Thursday January 28th; please comment

[WB4D23 at aol.com]

GREEN PARTY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY 
Draft Agenda for Monthly General Meeting December 17, 2015 
San  Jose Peace and Justice Center, 48 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA  
(Between Santa Clara and San Fernando  Streets) 
[Note:  Until future notice, we will no longer  try to schedule a speaker 
for 7:00-7:30  pm because there is now another group that meets until 7:00 pm 
in the room the GPSCC uses at the  SJP&JC.] 
7:30 pm – Begin meeting -- Select Facilitator, Note taker, Time keeper, and 
Vibes watcher(s); Select Agenda Preparer for next meeting; Affirm or modify 
draft agenda (5 Minutes) 
Introductions and Announcements (10 Minutes) 
Treasurer’s Report – Jim Doyle (5  Minutes); Still need a volunteer to a 
replace  treasurer since Jim Doyle announced in September that he would be 
resigning in  January 
(Additional  5 Minutes) 
State  Party issues:  The GPCA announced  that the state meeting scheduled 
to be held in San Diego January 23-24, 2016 has  been cancelled.  The GPSCC 
still has  five vacancies for the GPCA Standing General Assembly (SGA).   
Status  report on County Council candidates and petition signature 
gathering for them  and GPCA U.S. Senate candidate – Warner and Sandy (15  Minutes) 
Followup  on email list issues – Was the nonoperating link identified at 
the September  meeting repaired? Other issues? – Tian (10 Minutes) (Ongoing 
agenda  item) 
Proposal  regarding amending U.S. Constitution – Rob Means guest-presenter; 
sponsored by  Caroline Yacoub (15 minutes) – Initial process question:  
Will enough GPSCC members attend this  meeting to make a decision on this 
issue?  See copy of proposal following this agenda. (15  Minutes) 
Discussion of status of tabling supplies – (15 Minutes)  
Updating  “Donkey-Elephant” leaflet text – review draft test after 
discussions at the  December 2015 meeting.  (15  Minutes) 
Plans  for Tabling – Need to identify events coordinators -- (10 Minutes)  
Friday  February 12th “This Changes Everything” movie 
Thursday  April 21st SJSU Earth Day 
Report  on Single Payer Work – Caroline and Sandy (5 Minutes) 
Report  on Climate Change Work --  Caroline  (10 Minutes)  
(2  Hours Estimated Cumulative Times.  Goal: Adjourn by 9:30 pm) 
RESOLUTION  ESTABLISHING AS A POSITION OF THE GREEN PARTY OF SANTA CLARA 
COUNTY THAT 1) ONLY  HUMAN BEINGS HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, 2) MONEY IS NOT 
SPEECH, AND 3) WE CALL  FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH THAT 
POSITION. 

WHEREAS,  the people's right to free speech and fair elections are 
essential to democracy  and effective self-governance; however, U.S. Supreme Court 
decisions have  granted multi-billion dollar corporations and other 
artificial entities the same  rights as natural persons to unrestricted spending on 
political speech, thus  severely restricting the ability of federal, state 
and local governments to  enact reasonable campaign finance reforms and 
regulations regarding corporate  political activity; and

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution and the  Bill of Rights are 
intended to protect the rights of human beings – not  artificial entities such as 
corporations which have special advantages not  enjoyed by human beings plus 
the many traditional and necessary rights and  powers provided for by state 
law, and usually put profits for shareholders ahead  of concerns for the 
greater good of society – but the U.S. Supreme Court  decisions extending 
constitutional rights to corporations have resulted in  increasing domination by 
these powerful entities and a corresponding loss of  rights for people; and

WHEREAS, sixteen states and more than 550 local  governments throughout our 
country have passed resolutions or ballot initiatives  calling for a 
constitutional amendment establishing that corporations should not  have 
constitutional rights and money does not equal speech, and the people of  the United 
States have previously used the constitutional amendment process to  correct 
decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court that are widely deemed to be  
egregious, wrongly decided or significantly out-of-step with the prevailing  values 
of the populace;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that it is the  position of the GREEN PARTY 
OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY that A CONSTITUTIONAL  AMENDMENT IS NEEDED TO 
ESTABLISH THAT  
    1.  The rights  protected by the Constitution of the United States are 
the rights of natural  persons only, and that artificial entities, such as 
corporations, limited  liability companies, and other entities, established 
by the laws of any State,  the United States, or any foreign state shall have 
no rights under this  Constitution and are subject to regulation by the 
People, through Federal,  State, or local law. 
    1.  Federal, State and  local government shall have the right to 
regulate, limit, or prohibit  contributions and expenditures, including a candidate
’s own contributions and  expenditures, for the purpose of influencing in 
any way the election of any  candidate for public office or any ballot 
measure, and shall require that any  permissible contributions and expenditures be 
publicly  disclosed.
BE IT  FURTHER RESOLVED that the GREEN PARTY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY calls on 
other  organizations and associations to join with us in this action by 
passing a  similar Resolution.     
--  
Rob Means, Education Work Group, Chairman
Santa Clara County  MoveToAmend, http://scc-mta.org/
1421  Yellowstone Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035-6913
408-262-0420h, 408-262-8975w,  _Rob at MeansForDemocracy.org_ 
(mip://01ef42f8/Rob@MeansForDemocracy.org) 
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