Minutes from the 7-25-06 SCC CTGP meeting, quorum met
Portland Public Library, 20 Freestone Avenue, Portland, CT 860-342-6770
**** from 6:10PM until closing at 7:45PM (summertime hours) ****
Voting attendees by CTGP Chapters: Central: Vic Lancia; Fairfield: Paul Bassler, Richard Duffee and Patricia Kane; Greater Hartford: Barbara Barry, Mike DeRosa and, Christopher Reilly; New Haven: Charlie Pilsbury; New London: Andy Derr and Christopher Nelson; Northeast: Jean deSmet. Tolland: Tim McKee.
Non-voting attendees: Nancy Burton of Fairfield; Clifford Thornton of Greater Hartford; Amy VasNunes of Northeast and Ken Krykeske, paid campaign coordinator.
Facilitator: Tim McKee.
A. Preliminaries:
1. Introductions of attendees and chapters. Timekeeper was Andy Derr.
2. Identify attendees who are NOT voting representatives.
3. Adopted ground rules.
4. Approval of tonight’s proposed agenda; no deletions: Addition #8: State of CT representative Diane Urban, Republican from Stonington, was asked to seek at this SCC meeting by Ken Kryskeske, paid campaign coordinator and Jean deSmet, a CTGP co-chairperson. Addition #9: meeting with former Westport Mayor Diane Farrell at her U.S. Senatorial Campaign Headquarters per Ken Krykeske, paid campaign coordinator.
5. Approval of Emergency 6-19-06 SCC and 6-27-06 SCC meetings.
6. Approval of 7-10-06 EC meeting. .
7. Treasurer’s report by Christopher Reilly: as of 7-25-06 have $6290.00. KK has received pay for his 2nd month of work at rate of $4000/month. Question from Chris Nelson: How did Judy Herkimer, CTGP previous treasurer distribute/deposit the previous $12,000 lump sum donation? Christopher Reilly and Barbara Barry to try to clarify.
B. Reports:
1. KK: CTGP petitioning drive so far: have handed in 11,200 signatures with 3000 reviewed and 2175 certified. Pearl Williams of the Elections division of the Secretary of State’s office has been on vacation the past 1-2 weeks. KK plans to hand in another 2000 notarized signatures on 7-26-06 for a total of
90000 signatures handed in to be counted
Strategies: will be in Bridgeport on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights; Hartford on Monday, 7-31-06;
Ralph Nader to make 4 stops in CT on 8-2-06, including Waterbury and Hartford to campaign against U.S.Senator Joe Lieberman.
8-9-06 party at the home of Steve Fournier of Hartford to mark closure of getting petition signatures.
KK’s suggested long term strategy for campaign: a) get new people and new constituents.
b) KK’s proposal for mass transit campaigning: ads on the insides of buses cost $25/month and could be done in other languages, as suggested. BB suggested that this be done in Downtown Hartford at the Old State House as it is the central hub for all buses that travel into or Within Hartford. This would expose state-wide CTGP candidates to prior CTGP voters for the local CTGP officials and candidates. KK declined as he wants to focus on New London and New Haven. c): do local environmental clean-up days across the state. AD: As New London does yearly.
VL suggested handing out literature at bus stops.
MD: look into potential affordable billboards on Routes 91 and 95.
AVN: suggested candidates speak on Latino radio shows.
2. CTGP candidates a) MD, candidate for Secretary of State: my website is up today and will have MP3 done soon and will have link to the ACLU website. My website: www.smichaelderosa.org. Website for the Secretary of State is difficult to navigate.
b) Cliff Thornton, candidate for Governor: will continue to do speaking engagements; Univsion TV wants $35/an ad; have done some Latino radio shows and will continue.
c) Richard Duffee petitioning candidate for U.S. 2nd Congressional District: have 1785 signature, need about 4500 signatures due to a rejection rate of 30-34%, at this time. That is need another 180-200/day until 4pm 8-9-06.
d) Nancy Burton candidate for Attorney General: attending electricity summits in Hartford. Nancy states CT Attorney General Blumanthal takes the status quo positions. C-SPAN will be covering some of the energy summits. Nancy to be speaking in New Britain on 7-26-06.
3. CT Representative Diane Urban, Rep. spoke: I won by 35 votes when I first ran for this office and did not win my hometown. Since then I have been unopposed. I am a Republican because my father was one. He is now dead but I want to honor him. I have gotten awards from about 3 groups. I support: a) results based accountability i.e. you start with the results you want and work backwards to achieve the results; environment based. Using an incremental process is the way to get things done. It also is an educational process.
I voted for the CT 2005 Campaign Finance Bill as we have to start someplace.
I am petitioning for the U.S. Senate. If Lemont wins, I will drop out. If Lieberman petitions,
I am out. I am running for U.S. Senate and for re-election as CT representative…as CT laws permit. I am against the war in Iraq. It is Rumfeld’s and Bush’s war. I will send my only son/to war, over my dead body.
MD: How do you feel about the 20% petitioning requirement for petitioning parties. With 50% rejection rate, a party would need the signatures of 40% of all voters to get 100% funding. No other state has or had this requirement. Ms. Urban: I really don’t know about the numbers about that. I took the advise of Representative Caruso (co-chairperson of CT Elections Committee).
RD: when Collin Powell spoke before the U.N, he knew the information he was presenting was incorrect. He and the Bush administration might have committed crimes against the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Charter.
4. U.S. Green Party report by CTGP representatives: Tim McKee and Charlie Pillsbury: Need 2 voting CTGP members to go to the GPUS July Convention in Tucson, AZ on 7-27-06.
John Batista has requested to be a voting member.
Convention business: focus will be on 2006 GP candidates, long-term workshops, no platform issues
MD: voting representative should be held accountable and follow democratic principles.
CP proposal approved by consensus: any CT voting rep. to the convention must come to the next 8-06 SCC meeting to advise CTGP of events/issues/concerns/what happened at the convention.
Consensus: Voting members to be: Cliff Thornton, CTGP candidate for governor and Tim McKee, his campaign manager and CT representative to GPUS.
MD proposal approved by consensus: allow $500 to cover the expenses of Cliff Thornton.
5. Articles and petition papers for the "CT Green Times" newspaper can be sent to Mike DeRosa, as soon as possible.
6. The following were not done due to time constraints:
(5 minutes) Update regarding CTGP website.
(5 minutes): Update regarding CTGP listservs.
Soliciting ideas/people from the chapters for our 2007 legislative agenda/V.O.T.E.R.