Coordinating Committee minutes, January 7, 2013

Coordinating Committee members present (12): Victoria Ashley (East Bay), Marla Bernstein (at-large) June Brashares (at-large), Maxine Daniel (at-large), Sanda Everette (at-large), Mike Feinstein (Los Angeles), Dave Heller (at-large), Barry Hermanson (San Francisco), Tim Laidman (at-large),  Matt Leslie (Orange/Riverside/San Bernardino), Alex Shantz (North Bay), Kate Tanaka (at-large)

Coordinating Committee members not present (5): Cindy Asir (Silicon Valley), Sasha Karlik (at-large),  Michael Rubin (at-large), Cynthia Santiago (at-large), Lauren Sinott (at-large), 
 
Quorum: Quorum reached at 7:37 with 10/17 present:  Victoria Ashley (East Bay), Marla Bernstein (at-large) June Brashares (at-large), Maxine Daniel (at-large), Sanda Everette (at-large), Mike Feinstein (Los Angeles),  Dave Heller (at-large), Barry Hermanson (San Francisco), Tim Laidman (at-large),  Alex Shantz (North Bay)
 
Tanaka joined call at 8:06
Leslie joined call at 8:55
 

2) Roles

Facilitator: Alex Shantz
Minutes taker: Mike Feinstein
Time keeper: none
Vibes Watcher: Tim Laidman
 
Approved by consensus
 

3) Approval of Agenda 

Proposal (Feinstein): Add - Decision: Addition of GPCA Legislative Demands to to purposes of June 4th Bylaws Interpretation Establishing the Standing General Assembly 
 
Approved by consensus
 
Proposal (Brashares) Add - Decision: Extend SGA discussion period two weeks 
 
Approved by consensus
 
Proposal (Brashares) Add - Decision: Threshold for Bylaws Changes - Amendment to June 4th Bylaws Interpretation Establishing the Standing General Assembly; Proposal: That the June 4th Bylaws Interpretation Establishing the Standing General Assembly be amended to meet the current bylaws requirement that amendments to the bylaws must be approved by at least 80% of the General Assembly for ratification of bylaw amendments. 
 
Victoria Ashley (East Bay) - Abstain
Marla Bernstein (at-large) - No
June Brashares (at-large) - Yes
Maxine Daniel (at-large) - Yes
Sanda Everette (at-large) - No
Mike Feinstein (Los Angeles) - No
Dave Heller (at-large) - No
Barry Hermanson (San Francisco) - Yes
Tim Laidman (at-large) - No
Alex Shantz (North Bay) - No
 
3-6-1 Not added to agenda
 
Proposal (Brashares) Add - Decision: Approve signing on with other groups calling on the CPUC for a Nuclear-Free New Year & permanent shutdown of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
 
Approved by consensus
 
Full agenda approval
 
Approved by consensus with one stand aside (Brashares)

Brashares - felt agenda should have included item she proposed to be added regarding Threshold for Bylaws Changes

 
4) Approve minutes 
 
- Approval of minutes from December 3rd CC meeting (Feinstein)
 

Approved by consensus with one stand aside (Brashares)

Brashares - felt not all input she gave for December minutes were included 

5) Decision: Approval of CC 2013 meeting schedule (Feinstein) 

Proposal: That the following calendar be approved:
 
December 2 teleconference
November 11 teleconference
October 7 teleconference
September 9 teleconference
August 27 teleconference
August 5 teleconference
July 1 teleconference
June 3 teleconference
May 6 teleconference
April 1 teleconference
March 4 teleconference
February 4 teleconference
January 20 retreat
January 19 retreat
January 7 teleconference
 
Approved by consensus
 
 
6) Decision: Amendments to CC-sponsored SGA proposals (Shantz, Brashares, Feinstein) 
 
Proposal (Feinstein): That Proposal #15 "Bylaws amendment: Article 5 County Organization" (http://files.cagreens.org/vote/propdetail?pid=15) be amended by adding "and/or has chosen at least one delegate to the Standing General Assembly in that GPCA Fiscal Year" to the existing "5-2.1(b) The County Organization has selected delegates to at least two of the last four General Assemblies;" so that it reads "5-2.1(b) The County Organization has selected delegates to at least two of the last four General Assemblies; and/or has chosen at least one delegate to the Standing General Assembly in that GPCA Fiscal Year"

Approved by consensus with two stand asides (Brashares, Hermanson)

Brashares, Hermanson are not in agreement about establishment of SGA

 
Proposal (Shantz, Brashares, Feinstein): That Proposal #12 "GPCA State Legislative Demands 2012" (http://files.cagreens.org/vote/propdetail?pid=12) be amended to read:
 
Green Party Policy Demands to the California State Legislature/Green Party Legislative Agenda 

The Green Party urges the California State Legislature, in which there is now a historic 2/3 super-majority of Democrats in both houses, to address several key issues confronting our state. The Green Party advocates a ‘Green New Deal’ of specific solutions that would heal our planet, invigorate our democracy, increase fairness in our economy and ensure health-care for all. 

The Green Party seeks to align itself and work in coalition with kindred individuals and social movements who support these changes, and to build support for them among Californians at large and within the legislature, in order to help ensure their passage.  

1. Climate Change

Climate change is the defining crisis of our time. We must take action to ensure that future generations have a liveable planet, including:

• Robust promotion of conservation, efficiency and renewable sources, including financial underwriting for new technologies for energy conservation, production and storage, and for distributed generation and community-scale 'islanded' smart grids.  'Islanded' smart grids means both local generation and storage, and development of micro-grids which can continue to function if much or all of the rest of a regional grid is disabled, and which can supply or receive surplus electricity from other micro-grids
• Promptly close and decommission the state's nuclear power plants at Diablo Canyon and San Onofre. (http://www.cagreens.org/ga/resolutions/close-california-nukes)
• Implement a carbon tax instead of cap and trade. (http://www.ecology.com/2011/09/11/dont-sell-pollute) Cap and trade is an invitation to powerful interests to avoid making needed change, sells the right to pollute and harms already overexposed communities; while a carbon tax automatically shifts the market in favor of green solutions and rewards greens businesses and workers.

2. Electoral reform

California’s Democracy is strongest when all voices are heard and when voters have the greatest opportunity to vote for and elect people who truly represent them. As a priority, the Green Party calls for :
 
• A ballot initiative to overturn Proposition 14, The Top Two Elections System.
• Legislation to restore the right of Californians to cast write-in votes in the general election -- and have them counted.
 
The Green Party also believes that California should move to change its electoral system to one of multi-seat districts with proportional representation for the state legislature; ranked-choice voting for single-seat, statewide constitutional office; with public financing of all ballot qualified candidates, including free media time.

3. Progressive taxation

The passage of Proposition 30 was only a temporary, short term and insufficient approach to California's finances. The state's structural budget deficit remains and long-term, structural solutions are in order to address it.  The Green Party:
 
• Supports immediate efforts to lower the threshold to approve new taxes from 2/3 to 55%
• Supports efforts to rectify the historic inequity under Proposition 13 where owners of commercial properties evade paying fair market value by leasing such properties rather than reselling them.
 
The Green Party’s legislative agenda includes addressing the state's structural budget deficit and issues of fairness and equity in taxation through progressive reforms to the tax system, including a progressive income tax; natural resources extraction taxes such as an oil severance tax; pollution taxes like a carbon tax; closing corporate loopholes and eliminating corporate welfare; and legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana - all while cutting income taxes for the average worker and payroll taxes for small businesses, so that we incentivize work and a healthy environment, penalize pollution and waste, and keep the unearned profit out of speculation and monopolies.

4. Health Care

Healthcare is a human right. The current federal health care law, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and known informally as Obamacare, puts insurance companies in charge of providing healthcare to citizens. The Green Party rejects that approach and calls for:
 
• A system of Universal, Single Payer Health Care for California.
 
Greens note that California legislature Democrats passed a "single payer-healthcare" bill on three occasions when it was expected to be vetoed. The first two attempts were vetoed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats pulled it the third time when Schwarzenegger threatened to veto it again. Single-payer was reintroduced again in 2011 when Democratic Governor Jerry Brown took office, but at that time, Democrats failed to get enough votes to pass it. Now with a super majority of Democrats in both houses, no reason not to pass it.

5. Living Wage

The Green Party believes every person who wants to work is entitled to a job that pays a liveable wage. The original minimum wage enacted under FDR's New Deal was intended to be a liveable wage, but today it is far from that, and this is exacerbated by reduced social services in the state for those in need. As a result, many Californians who work hard and play by the rules are unable to sustain themselves.

In the name of fairness to those hard-working Californians and as a powerful stimulant to the economy, the Green Party:

• Supports immediate efforts to raise the minimum wage up to or greater than San Francisco's minimum wage and index it to inflation; and
• Supports efforts to swiftly enact a real living wage for California

Approved by consensus

7) Decision: Set date and location of next GPCA General Assembly (Shantz)

Proposal (Shantz): The the CC schedule the next GPCA General Assembly for the weekend of June 22-23 in Napa, California. 

Approved by consensus
 

8) Appointment: Rich Zitola for IT Committee 

Appointed by consensus
 

9) Appointment: Miguel Sanchez for Personnel Committee 

Victoria Ashley - No
Marla Bernstein - No
June Brashares - Abstain
Maxine Daniel - No
Sanda Everette - No
Mike Feinstein - No
Dave Heller - No
Barry Hermanson - No
Tim Laidman - No
Matt Leslie - Abstain
Alex Shantz - No
 
0-9-2, not appointed
 
 
10) Report: Campaign for a Healthy California (Hermanson)
 
Hermanson is a Green Party representative to the Campaign. The Campiagn has set a goal of having a Single Payer Inititiave on the ballot by 2017
 

11) Decision: Addition of GPCA Legislative Demands to to purposes of June 4th Bylaws Interpretation Establishing the Standing General Assembly (Feinstein)

Proposal: That the June 4th Bylaws Interpretation Establishing the Standing General Assembly be amended to include a #3 as follows:

3) Establish a set of Green Party Policy Demands to the California State Legislature/Green Party Legislative Agenda 

Approved by consensus with two stand asides (Brashares, Everette)

Brashares is not in agreement about establishment of SGA

Everette is not clear about role of the Coordinating Committee in advancing the mission of the SGA 

12) Decision: Postpone SGA voting period for two weeks (Brashares) 

Victoria Ashley - No
Marla Bernstein - No
June Brashares - Yes
Maxine Daniel - No
Sanda Everette - No
Mike Feinstein - No
Dave Heller - No
Barry Hermanson - Yes
Tim Laidman - No
Matt Leslie - No
Alex Shantz - No
 
2-9-0 not approved
 

Process Proposals (Shantz): That decision-making be continued to take up this item at 9:35

Approved by consensus

13) Decision (Brashares): Approve signing on with other groups calling on the CPUC for a Nuclear-Free New Year & permanent shutdown of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station - and june will send a letter to Barbara George Womens Energy Matters to that effect

Approved by consensus

Informal discussion continued after end of formal meeting time about these two items:

Consideration of GPCA Northern and Southern California Gathering Dates

Discussion of party with San Francisco Greens during weeend of CC retreat
 

These items were not heard owing to time concerns

14) Decision: Carrying out tasks that were previously Marnie Glickman's responsibility (Brashares, Laidman) 

15) Report: Treasurer 

16) Report: Standing committees 

17) Report: Working Groups