[Gpca-votes] Discuss: ID 133 - Election: Coordinating Committee, unscheduled vacancy, one female seat, remainder of July 2016 - June 2018

[GPCA Votes]

*REVISED: Note that there are now three choices, two candidates (Nicole
Castor and Deatra Cohen) and “No other candidate”.*

*Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
<gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*

Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote.

Ranked Choice Vote ID: 133
Ranked Choice Vote: Election: Coordinating Committee, unscheduled
vacancies, one female seat, remainder of July 2016 - June 2018
Number of Seats: 1
Ranked Choice Vote Administrator: Laura Wells
Discussion Dates: 10/02/2017 - 11/12/2017
Voting Dates: 11/13/2017 - 11/19/2017
Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time

*Background:*

This election is to fill one unscheduled vacancy for one female seat on the
GPCA Coordinating Committee http://www.cagreens.org/committees/coordinating
resulting from resignation by Adia Williams, elected in June 2016
http://sga.cagreens.org/vote/irvresult?pid=88 to serve the remainder of the
two year term running from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018. The Coordinating
Committee's Duties and Authority are found here
http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_8-1_Duties_and_Authority

When such unscheduled vacancies occur, the Coordinating Committee shall
publish a Notice of Vacancy and Call for Candidate Submissions to the
active County Organizations, as per GPCA Bylaws 8-4.5
http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_8-4_Elections This was
sent on July 10, 2017.

According to GPCA Bylaws 8-2.1, "The Coordinating Committee shall be
composed of up to 24 voting members, with 12 men and 12 women. Six men and
six women shall be elected each year to serve staggered, two year terms"
http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_8-2_Membership and 8-4.1
"Elections shall be conducted each year by the Standing Green Assembly
using Ranked Choice Voting with a No Other Candidate option, with the six
week discussion period beginning on the first Monday of May and the one
week voting period commencing immediately thereafter"
http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_8-4_Elections 8-4.3(b)
adds that the election as it is posted to the Standing Green Assembly shall
include: "A full and detailed explanation of Ranked Choice Voting, an
explanation of the No Other Candidate option, and an encouragement that
delegates make their choices seriously and a reminder that they do not have
to fill all seats unless they feel there are enough qualified candidates."

Ranked Choice Voting is explained here:
http://www.fairvote.org/fair_representation#ranked_choice_voting_pr •
http://www.fairvote.org/reforms/instant-runoff-voting •
http://sfgov.org/elections/marking-your-ballot (click “Ranked-Choice
Voting”) • http://www.acgov.org/rov/rcv/ . Ranking 'No Other Candidate'
(NOC) means once NOC passed the approval threshold, no further candidates
will be elected, other than those (if any) who have already been elected
before NOC reached the threshold.



*Candidates:*No other candidate
Nicole Castor
Deatra Cohen



*Bio and Statement - Nicole Castor:*My name is Nicole Castor. Coming from
the “#demexit” wave, I joined the Green Party in July 2016. Having been
registered Democrat for over seventeen years, my dissatisfaction and
disappointment with the supposedly-progressive Democratic Party led me to
finally realize that the needs of common people, the planet and future
generations will neither be addressed nor met from within the corrupt and
corporately-run two-party 'system’.

I was born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey, a culturally-diverse
community which helped to shape my perspective and worldview. I had moved
to California as a teen, spent a few years on each coast, and eventually
settled down in California because of its affordable public colleges.  I
attended a community college and transferred to California State University
Sacramento, earning my BA in Sociology in 2008. My studies helped me
recognize and address key issues affecting the marginalized in our society.
Throughout college, I was active in my community, and often participated in
various demonstrations and protests. Once I started a family, after
college, my involvement toned down a bit as I dedicated my time as a
stay-at-home-mom, focusing my activism on raising a couple of little
radicals who will shape the system in their time!

As my children are growing, I am now afforded more time to come back to the
community involvement I’ve missed so much. After registering Green last
year, I have been fortunate to meet others with a common deep concern for
society. I quickly became involved in re-activating the Green Party of
Sacramento County. Because of our hard work, we became a recognized County
Council and are establishing a Green presence and visibility in the
Sacramento area by joining committees, coalitions, and participating in
events, actions and demonstrations.  We have been vocal about Homeless
Rights issues when attending City Council meetings, had been mentioned in
the local news for our participation in a recent “Reclaim MLK Day” march.
As an individual, I had also had the opportunity to speak in support of the
Green Party on the local Fox News and in an online Bloomberg View article [
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-09-23/two-part
ies-aren-t-enough-for-all-u-s-voters].

I currently hold a seat on the steering committee of the Sacramento
Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights, am on Student Career Options
Committee (countering military recruiters in high schools), an adjunct of
Sacramento Area Peace Action.  I had given marginal help on the organizing
committee for the Sacramento May Day March and provided supplemental
support on the organizing committee for March on Monsanto Sacramento.  As
well as my own involvement, I strongly urge others in the County Council to
collaborate with other coalitions.

In addition to the policy side, I was chosen as our County Council
Co-Coordinator by the other Sacramento County Council members. That has
helped me to gain an appreciation of how the party itself needs to be run,
which was then further expanded when I attended the March 2017 GPCA General
Assembly in Bakersfield, where I met similarly-committed Greens from around
the state – contacts I hope to work with in the years to come.

Most recently, I was honored to host, with my county, the most recent GPCA
General Assembly in Sacramento.  The tremendous amount of work involved was
worth every minute to see such a large turn-out of our state Greens.  It
had been expressed by some that it was an incredibly productive and
positive meeting.  The council and I were incredibly proud of the results
of our work, and to see everyone attend, working in harmony.  Maybe it was
too hot to argue, or maybe it was a great mix of people who felt the love
and care which went into making that meeting possible.

What do I wish to accomplish on the Coordinating Committee?

The single-most important thing to me, in my work with my county Green
Party, always comes down to integrity: integrity of the party and integrity
of principles.  I want to make it clear, my intention to serve at the state
level is not based on petty factional politics, but rather to a commitment,
which is bigger than Green Party, but of course, Green Party is part of
this.  This commitment is to make the world a better and more equitable
place for future generations.  This will only happen through social
movements, having political diversity in Congress, engaging disenchanted
voters and non-voters, strategic growth of the party with substance, rather
than bolting growth which favors quantity over quality.  I possess a strong
ideological theoretical framework, from which I base my decisions, a mind
of my own which does not take sides.  I feel that this is crucial to our
party’s survival- to value what is right over what is popular, and to refer
to our key values and the pillars which support our platform, to guide our
decisions.  I did not come to GPCA for recognition, personal gain or to be
commissioned as an activist.  I came to do my part in facilitating the
changes necessary for social justice, by deepening my involvement with the
party.

The Green Party can be a truly transformative political party -- if and
only if it remains true to its principles.   I strongly believe in the
Green Party's Ten Key Values and see those as the most important basis of
how we should operate.

I also understand the necessity of the basic administrative work that the
Coordinating Committee is responsible for, work that empowers the rest of
the party – from ensuring our state meetings happen in a timely manner and
are well-run, to appointing people to important committees, to recognizing
new county parties and more. I am ready to attend the monthly Coordinating
Committee teleconferences and do my share of those administrative tasks.


*Bio and Statement - Deatra Cohen:*

I’m interested in serving on the Coordinating Committee because I believe
passionately in the potential of the Green Party of California to be the
force for political, ecological, social and environmental change that it
should be. One of the ways we can accomplish this is by ensuring the
Coordinating Committee, as the backbone of the state party, is healthy.
What do I mean by healthy? Transparent, inclusive, democratic.

I was a public librarian for over twenty years. My work history includes
extensive organizational experience with strategic planning, partnering
with other municipalities, budgeting, coordinating events, facilitating
meetings, fundraising, mentoring graduate students, data collection, and
report writing, to name a few key responsibilities.  Over the course of my
career I served on long- and short-term coordinating committees, both local
and distributed.

On a more personal note, I saw daily, through my work with library patrons
of all ages and ethnic and economic backgrounds, that we all want to be
listened to, heard, and understood, and that we all need a basic level of
compassion. In the interest of transparency, inclusivity, and democracy, I
welcome uncomfortable conversations, the ones we’ve long been taught are
lacking in decorum. Isn’t it time we talk to each other with a fearless
compassion that breaks down the barriers and assumptions that have held us
back for far too long? I invite you to ask me anything regarding my bid for
this position. I will respond with as much candor and compassion as I can
muster!

Deatra Cohen
Green Party of Yolo County

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Full details are available at:

http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_cc_vacancy_female


*Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
<gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
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