Minutes of the January 2015 General Assembly, Monterey, January 24-25, 2015

Saturday, January 24

  8:00am Breakfast, registration
 
  9:00am Opening, new delegate orientation, quorum count, announcement of Standing Committee vacancies
 
Facilitators: Alex Shantz, April Clary
 
Quorum: Seven of eleven regions represented: North Bay, East Bay, Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay, Central Coast, Los Angeles, San Diego
 
Delegate present: 31
 
  9:25am Welcome from Monterey County Green elected officials: Bruce Delgado, Mayor, Marina
 
  9:30am Agenda approval
 
Approved by Consensus
 
  9:45am  Decision: Bylaws interpretation Regarding 2014-2016 County Council roster (Coordinating Committee)
Approved by Consensus
 
 
10:30am Discussion: Brainstorming session on 2015-2016 electoral strategy for preparation of 2015-2017 The Two-Year Strategic Plan (CCWG, Green Officeholders Network), including
     (1) Identifying uncontested races (Alex Shantz, Board of Education, St. Helena School District, Napa County)
     (2) How/where to run for office, identifying races in which to run
     (3) Lessons from June 2014 primary (Luis Rodriguez, GPCA endorsed candidate for governor, 2014)
     (4) Reactivation of Green Officeholders Network
     (5) Report from GPCA Campaign Fund Support Committee on support of Green candidates
 
11:55am Announcements 
 
12:00pm Lunch, Womens Caucus meeting during lunch 
 
Facilitators: Victoria Ashley, Greg Jan
 
  1:05pm Quorum count: Seven of eleven regions represented: North Bay, East Bay, Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay, Central Coast, Los Angeles, San Diego
 
Delegate present: 30
 
  1:10pm Decision: Resolution: Close the Commercial Property Loophole (Coordinating Committee)
 
Proposal (Feinstein): That the General Assembly approve the following resolution:
 
Resolution: Close the Commercial Property Loophole
 
WHEREAS, Proposition 13, passed in 1978, is unfair in that it allows commercial property owners to avoid paying their fair share and has shifted the tax burden to residential property and away from business, including everyday homeowners and working families; and
 
WHEREAS, the state of California continues to face chronic budget crises in in large part because Proposition 13 has forced the state to rely on more volatile revenue sources than the property tax, like income taxes and sales taxes paid by working families that move in tandem with economic cycles, causing deficits and requiring cuts to vital services that grow our economy and thereby worsening economic downturns;
 
WHEREAS regularly reassessing non-residential property would, according to an analysis of data provided by the California Board of Equalization, generate at least $6 billion in additional revenue for California, and shift the tax burden from homeowners, renters, and working families to corporations and commercial landholders;
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Green Party of California supports commercial property tax reform that will require commercial properties to be reassessed regularly while maintaining residential property owners’ protections under Prop 13; to enact a split roll that would allow more fair taxes on commerical property; and to repeal of the parts of Proposition 13 that require a two-thirds vote for any tax increase at the state level, and replace them with majority vote
 
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Green Party of California will communicate this position to Green elected officials
 
Amendment (Feinstein): In response to concerns from delegates, that be amended as follows:
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Green Party of California supports commercial property tax reform that will require commercial properties to be reassessed regularly while maintaining residential property owners’ protections under existing state property tax law (California Constitution Article 13-A); to enact a split roll, and to repeal of the parts of existing state property tax law (California Constitution Article 13-A) that require a two-thirds vote for any tax increase at the state level, and replace them with majority vote.
 
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Green Party of California will communicate this position to Green elected officials and to the general public.  
 
Yes (24): 33, 34, 35, 36, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66
No (5): 39, 42, 43, 52, 59
Abstain (5): 37, 38, 40, 44, 65
 
Proposal approved 24-5-5 82.8% (3/5 approval threshold required) www.cagreens.org/resolution/property-tax-reform-prop-13
 
  1:40pm Discussion: Brainstorming session on party organizing for preparation of 2015-2017 The Two-Year Strategic Plan. Presentation: Demonstration of Nationbuider and its application for GPCA County Parties and organizing GPCA volunteers (GROW, Clearinghouse Committee, IT Committee, Finance Committee)
 
  2:55pm Announcement of Standing Committee vacancies
 
  3:00pm Breakout sessions for committees and working groups (Media, Platform, Finance, GROW)
 
Quorum count: Seven of eleven regions represented: North Bay, East Bay, Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay, Central Coast, Los Angeles, San Diego
 
Delegates present: 28
 
  4:30pm Decision: Move Tax Platform Plank from Social Justice to Community-Based Sustainable Economics (Coordinating Committee)
 
Approved by Consensus
 
  4:45pm Decision: Brainstorming session on GPCA platform updates for preparation of 2015-2017 The Two-Year Strategic Plan (Platform Commitee, Coordinating Committee)
 
  5:55pm Announcements
 
  6:00pm Dinner on your own (host committee providing recommendations), GPUS Delegation meeting during dinner
 
  7:30pm Evening Program with statewide candidates and local Green officeholders
 
Sunday, January 25
 
  8:00am Breakfast, registration
 
  9:00am Breakout sessions for committees and working groups (CCWG, Green Issues, Bylaws)
 
Facilitation: Sanda Everette, Alex Shantz
 
10:35pm Quorum count
 
Quorum: Seven of eleven regions represented: North Bay, East Bay, Silicon Valley, Monterey Bay, Central Coast, Los Angeles, San Diego
 
Delegate present: 30
 
 
10:45am Proposal: Approval Next General Assembly Meeting Date and Place (Coordinating Committee)
 
Approved (as amended at this link) by Consensus with one stand aside (Kathy Rallings -  )
 
10:55am Proposal: Platform planks: International Trade, 
 
Approved (as amended at this link) by Consensus with one stand aside (Kathy Rallings - too many state meetings help in a row in northern California and the cost of lodging in San Jose)
 
Native Americans (Platform Committee)
 
Approved (as amended at this link) by Consensus 
 
12:30pm Lunch, Optional caucus meetings 
 
Faciliation: Peggy Koteen, Alex Shantz
 
  1:35pm Announcements, including announcement of Standing Committee vacancies, Quorum Count
 
Delegate present: 19 out of 20 remaining 
 
  1:40pm Decision/Discussion: The GPCA and the 2016 Green presidential process (GPUS Delegation)
 
  2:45pm Breakout sessions for committees and working groups (Finance, ERWG, Clearinghouse)
 
  4:15pm Confirmation: Standing Committee and Working Group Co-Coordinators (for any committees or working groups not confirmed in morning session)
 
  4:20pm Closing session
 

Minutes approved by the GPCA Standing General Assembly, May 24, 2015