October 2017 - gpca-votes

[Gpca-votes] SGA election October 2 to November 19 - SAVE THIS EMAIL
by GPCA Votes 18 Nov '17

18 Nov '17

Hello Standing General Assembly Delegate, Welcome to the new Green Party of California Standing General Assembly (SGA) email list gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org Please keep this email message handy, and make note of the informational webpage: http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_general_info This email and other forthcoming emails, plus the webpage, will provide you with information you need to know about this SGA election. The SGA election begins on Monday, October 2nd, with a 6-week discussion period. A one-week voting period follows, beginning on Monday, November 13th and ending on November 19th. There are three votes: *(1) Election: Female Coordinating Committee Seat (1)* This item is an unscheduled vacancy for one female seat to fill the remainder of the July 2016 - June 2018 term. http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_cc_vacancy_female *(2) Election: Male Coordinating Committee Seat (1)* This item is an unscheduled vacancy for one male seat to fill the remainder of the July 2016 - June 2018 term. http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_cc_vacancy_male *(3) Approval: Minutes, Bakersfield General Assembly, March 11-12, 2017* http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_minutes_kern_county_general_assembly On October 2nd you will receive emails for each of the votes with detailed information and the six-week discussion will start then on this email list. The one-week voting period will begin on Monday, November 13th, and you will receive instructions on how to cast your votes. Note that this current process is a temporary replacement SGA voting system that should function very much like the one used before. As you see from the banner on the webpages, San Joaquin has generously allowed us to use their website. This new process needed to be developed because the new SGA Vote Administrators were not provided access to the existing cagreens.org voting system by prior vote administrators. In addition, the prior system was not updated with the delegates for the term ending June 30, 2018. Thank you for your participation in the Standing General Assembly. SGA Vote Administrators Victoria Ashley, Solano County Brian Good, Santa Clara County Laura Wells, Alameda County SGA Alternate Vote Administrators Eric Brooks, San Francisco County Mike Goldbeck, San Diego County

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[Gpca-votes] Register for Ventura GA now!
by Tarik Kanaana 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

(This announcement was supposed to go out on the gpca-inform(a)cagreens.org list, but due to problems with that list it is being sent from a personal account) Dear Friend -- Register now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gpca-ventura-general-assembly-tickets-39178128… for our upcoming General Assembly <http://www.cagreens.org/ga> , which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 11th and 12th, 2017 in Ventura County at the Bell Arts Factory <http://www.bellartsfactory.org/> , 432 N Ventura Ave. Ventura, CA 93001 <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bell+Arts+Factory/@34.2863011,-119.299170…> . Registration <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gpca-ventura-general-assembly-tickets-39178128…> is $45 through midnight, Sunday November 5th and $55 afterward, so please register soon. All registrations include lunch and a light breakfast. Meals will include vegetarian or vegan options. We ask that you please register online now - it will save you and the party time, and makes our record-keeping easier and more accurate. A draft agenda is now posted online at http://cagreens.org/ga/2017-11/draft-agenda. The agenda will be updated with more details and links for some of the proposals, so check back. Here is a list of each county’s allotted number of delegates <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wbBmspfpU5GB4C5I36mSPj86xV5djz-DHsb…>. See below for a list of allotments for active counties.The number of delegates allotted for each county is calculated following GPCA bylaw 7-1 <http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Section_7-1_Delegates> using the State of California's February voter count <http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/report-registration/ror-odd-year-2017/>. General Assembly delegates are one-time delegates who plan to attend the state meeting; they can be the same as, or different from, the Standing General Assembly delegates who participate in periodic on-line voting. We ask that counties submit a list of their selected delegates to the State Meeting Planning Committee (agenda-team(a)cagreens.org) no later than Friday, Nov. 3rd. Please be on the lookout for further notices with additional details as they become available. Please help make this GA successful and inclusive by spreading this information within your counties and committees If you have any questions please send them to agenda-team(a)cagreens.org. We hope to see everyone in Ventura County. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ County Delegate Allotment Alameda 9 Butte 2 Contra Costa 4 Fresno 3 Humboldt 3 Imperial 1 Kern 2 Lake 1 Los Angeles 25 Marin 3 Mendocino 2 Monterey 2 Napa 2 Nevada 2 Orange 6 Riverside 4 Sacramento 5 San Bernardino 4 San Diego 8 San Francisco 6 San Joaquin 2 San Luis Obispo 2 San Mateo 3 Santa Barbara 2 Santa Clara 5 Santa Cruz 3 Shasta 1 Solano 2 Sonoma 4 Stanislaus 2 Tulare 1 Ventura 3 Yolo 2

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Re: [Gpca-votes] Party growth
by james clark 17 Oct '17

17 Oct '17

Jeff, Doing community service is an awesome idea. I am the founder of Community Dinner Project, a nonpartisan (started it while npp) activist group that serves an organic meal in front of Sacramento city hall every week before attending the city council meeting. The meal is technically illegal as we refuse to pay the city in order to feed our communities most vulnerable. In the council meeting we advocate for issues of concern within Sacramento, from Black lives matter, to Nestle pumping water locally, to rent control. Our main focus remains centered on homeless rights, especially the #right2rest and access to water and sanitation. Several local greens participate in our events. I am also a well known local organizer who started with occupy Sacramento. Other efforts include my work as a lead organizer for the anti Monsanto project, crunch Nestle alliance, national day against police brutality as well as other coalition efforts. Currently I'm working on a ballot initiative for the city of Sacramento that would help to resolve the homeless situation in Sacramento, while respecting the rights of our unhoused residents. I am also building a team to recall Steve Hansen, the district 4 city council member with plans to replace him. Other things our local party has been doing is endorsement of local activists events, participation in coalition work with local activists, and have a few greens running for office. The truth is that we must employ a diversity of tactics and strategies in order to grow. We must do so with respect to those who are underrepresented by the establishment parties. We must also do so with priority to our core values. By showing integrity, honesty and solidarity with our local communities we can let people see that the Green Party can be the political arm of the movement and that it will work towards meeting the urgent needs of our marginalized communities. If you're interested in learning more about my work a quick Google search of "James Faygo Clark" will give a decent sample of what I've done. On Oct 9, 2017 8:37 PM, "Jess Moorman" <moorman.jesse(a)gmail.com> wrote: Is this important question being sabotaged by junk postings? Do we exercise any control over this recurrent problem? And why not then allow Greens to add their thoughtful ideas on the question? Our rules about what gets posted where are sometimes too reflexively thrown at good questions, but deliberate abuse of a lively thread is never chided. On Oct 5, 2017 6:57 AM, "Jeff Lebow" <jlebow(a)socal.rr.com> wrote: > Stephan, > What can our party do to grow our party’s membership aside from running > candidates in elections? Your ideas? > Jeff Lebow > Orange County GP > > Sent from my iPhone > > -- > gpca-votes mailing list > gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org > https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpca-votes > -- gpca-votes mailing list gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpca-votes

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[Gpca-votes] Discuss: ID 134 - Election: Coordinating Committee, unscheduled vacancy, one male seat, remainder of July 2016 - June 2018 REVISED
by GPCA Votes 11 Oct '17

11 Oct '17

*REVISED: Note that there are now four choices: three candidates (Christopher Cruz, Angel Orellana, Stephen Zollman) and “No other candidate”.* *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org <gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org>* Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote. Ranked Choice Vote ID: 134 Ranked Choice Vote: Election: Coordinating Committee, unscheduled vacancies, one male 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 male seat on the GPCA Coordinating Committee http://www.cagreens.org/committees/coordinating resulting from resignation by Jose Trinidad Castaneda III, elected in June 2016 http://sga.cagreens.org/vote/irvresult?pid=89 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 Christopher Cruz Angel Orellana Stephen Zollman *Bio and Statement - Christopher Cruz:* Hello my name is Christopher Cruz and I am sending this email with the interest of applying for the vacant male coordinating committee seat. I am a student and community organizer. I went Green or "Dem-Exit" following Bernie's presidential primary loss. I used the momentum of the election to call for the first meeting of what would become the "Eastside Greens". Our group is currently an unoffical Green Local, but very active in our home communities of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. I believe that having a young, Chicano perspective as part of the coordinating committee could bring insight into the Green Party of California in regards to issues that effect communities of color. Thank You for the consideration. Christopher C. *Bio and Statement - Angel Orellana:* *[Full application and bio will be posted when received.]* My name is Angel Orellana and I have been a Green since 2016 I would like to apply for the male coordinating committee position. Please let me know about next steps :) Thank you, Angel Orellana *Bio and Statement - Stephen Zollman:* My name is Stephen Zollman and I am applying to be a Green Party of California Coordinating Committee member. As a formerSan Francisco Public Defender, who represented our youth for over eight and half years, I am very concerned about access to quality education, health care and clean environments for our youth. I was appointed to the Sonoma County Child Care Planning Council and served as its advocacy co-chair for two years. I also served on the board of a Sonoma County nonprofit, River to Coast Children's Services board as its fundraising chair for a number of years. To generate more awareness of the need for greater diversity within our leadership ranks, I served as chair of Sonoma County Pride in 2014. I have served the family law needs of our low income through my Veteran owned law firm, as a lead on the State Bar's Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services and currently through representing parents and youth in the dependency system. I would like to work to address the needs of our youth and continue to build diversity within our party. Being on the board of the San Francisco Bay Area National Lawyers Guild and national Military Law Task Force as well as being an officer within the American Bar Association can help facilitate this. I enjoyed serving on this committee previously. Green Party work: - On a National level, I have been active with the Jill Stein for President Social Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jill2016SocialMedia/ as well as working with Michael Dennis and a few others consolidating quotes and articles to be used for social media. [ https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-0/c284.0.200.200/p200x200/1513… ]< https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jill2016SocialMedia/> Jill Stein for President Social Media Team Public Group ...< https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jill2016SocialMedia/> Jill Stein for President Social Media Team has 7,265 members. This is a group for supporters of Jill Stein for President to share ideas and action plans... - On a State level, I am an administrator for the California for Jill Stein page, https://www.facebook.com/California-for-Jill-Stein-1574938662824728/?fref=ts I have also worked to support our candidates like Marnie Glickman and David Curtis. - On a Local state, I have been a Sonoma County Coordinator since 2013 when I established the Guerneville Greens, https://www.facebook.com/groups/528720547163973/ I am also a Council candidate for this June’s election. I am in the process of helping with the social media needs of the chapter. While in SF, I worked to support Francisco Herrera. Thank you for all that you continue to do for the Green Party and for your consideration. I would be honored to receive your vote. ----------- Full details are available at: http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_cc_vacancy_male *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org <gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org>*

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[Gpca-votes] Fwd: Coordinating Committee Application
by Nicole Castor 11 Oct '17

11 Oct '17

Dear All, I had forwarded this to the GPCA General Discussion list and so I will forward it here, as well. This should confirm that I had sent application on time, and according to instructions. Also note that Christopher Cruz also had applied for male seat, and is not listed, either. -Nicole Castor GP Sacramento County ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Nicole Castor" <nmcastorsilva(a)gmail.com> Date: Aug 10, 2017 5:07 PM Subject: Coordinating Committee Application To: <applications(a)cagreens.org> Cc: 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- parties-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.

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[Gpca-votes] Discuss: ID 134 - Election: Coordinating Committee, unscheduled vacancy, one male seat, remainder of July 2016 - June 2018
by GPCA Votes 10 Oct '17

10 Oct '17

*Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org <gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org>* Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote. Ranked Choice Vote ID: 134 Ranked Choice Vote: Election: Coordinating Committee, unscheduled vacancy, one male 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 male seat on the GPCA Coordinating Committee http://www.cagreens.org/committees/coordinating resulting from resignation by Jose Trinidad Castaneda III, elected in June 2016 http://sga.cagreens.org/vote/irvresult?pid=89 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 Stephen Zollman *Bio and Statement - Stephen Zollman:* My name is Stephen Zollman and I am applying to be a Green Party of California Coordinating Committee member. As a formerSan Francisco Public Defender, who represented our youth for over eight and half years, I am very concerned about access to quality education, health care and clean environments for our youth. I was appointed to the Sonoma County Child Care Planning Council and served as its advocacy co-chair for two years. I also served on the board of a Sonoma County nonprofit, River to Coast Children's Services board as its fundraising chair for a number of years. To generate more awareness of the need for greater diversity within our leadership ranks, I served as chair of Sonoma County Pride in 2014. I have served the family law needs of our low income through my Veteran owned law firm, as a lead on the State Bar's Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services and currently through representing parents and youth in the dependency system. I would like to work to address the needs of our youth and continue to build diversity within our party. Being on the board of the San Francisco Bay Area National Lawyers Guild and national Military Law Task Force as well as being an officer within the American Bar Association can help facilitate this. I enjoyed serving on this committee previously. Green Party work: - On a National level, I have been active with the Jill Stein for President Social Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jill2016SocialMedia/ as well as working with Michael Dennis and a few others consolidating quotes and articles to be used for social media. [ https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-0/c284.0.200.200/p200x200/1513… ]< https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jill2016SocialMedia/> Jill Stein for President Social Media Team Public Group ...< https://www.facebook.com/groups/Jill2016SocialMedia/> Jill Stein for President Social Media Team has 7,265 members. This is a group for supporters of Jill Stein for President to share ideas and action plans... - On a State level, I am an administrator for the California for Jill Stein page, https://www.facebook.com/California-for-Jill-Stein-1574938662824728/?fref=ts I have also worked to support our candidates like Marnie Glickman and David Curtis. - On a Local state, I have been a Sonoma County Coordinator since 2013 when I established the Guerneville Greens, https://www.facebook.com/groups/528720547163973/ I am also a Council candidate for this June’s election. I am in the process of helping with the social media needs of the chapter. While in SF, I worked to support Francisco Herrera. Thank you for all that you continue to do for the Green Party and for your consideration. I would be honored to receive your vote. ----------- Full details are available at: http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_cc_vacancy_male *Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org <gpca-votes(a)sfgreens.org>*

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[Gpca-votes] Sign in???
by pkoteen 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Can an admin help w my sign in?My sign in and PW got changed a couple iterations ago in the SGA. I was able to use it but it was a strange one. And now none of my sign in seems to be there. Can someone from admin contact me directly with this information please. Peggy koteen , San Luis Obispo Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

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[Gpca-votes] Party growth
by Jeff Lebow 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Stephan, What can our party do to grow our party’s membership aside from running candidates in elections? Your ideas? Jeff Lebow Orange County GP Sent from my iPhone

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[Gpca-votes] Response to "Party Growth" question
by Dee See 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Hi Jeff, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I'm not an SGA delegate so was not able to see your question. I would like to serve on the Coordinating Committee because I believe that the Green Party of California should be the viable force for good in California it is meant to be. While the GPCA can and must grow, we Greens, in order to allow for maximum growth, have to create an organization that is not only open and welcoming, but transparent and democratic as well. All Greens, but especially new members, deserve a party that gives them opportunities to organize, communicate, collaborate, and contribute to a thriving movement during this crucial moment in our history. To make certain all new Greens are able to find a home and a voice in our party, a number of things need to be done. Currently, the Green Party of California website does not provide adequate information or contacts for anyone seeking more information on how to become active as a Green in the state of California. Having worked for a number of public municipalities, I know first hand that the website is the first line of communication for any organization. It is of the utmost importance to make certain that anyone who searches for an organization must be able to find _essential_ information — who, where, how — as quickly and easily as possible. Another area of concern for me is ensuring that all rural California counties become active so that Greens in California’s heartlands (where threats to our environment, such as resource extraction, exploitation, pollution, etc., and threats to our communities, such ICE raids, extreme poverty, institutional racism, access to affordable healthcare and housing, etc., are severe) have a voice — and a vote — in GPCA affairs. The current protocol for activating new county organizations, and by extension, new Greens, is an extremely complicated and discouraging process, one which, if simplified, would create a much more welcoming atmosphere for those who seek to be active within the existing state structure. I currently serve as communications officer for the Yolo County Council, and am fully committed to ensuring that basic avenues of communication between our council, Yolo Greens, and the broader community are as streamlined as possible — in particular, I strive to make sure that each and every person seeking information on how to get active in our local Green movement will get an immediate, useful, and appropriate response. In addition, I work alongside other Greens (in Yolo and surrounding counties) to forge and strengthen alliances with other progressive causes. Since I submitted my application to the SGA to serve on the Coordinating Committee, I helped organize last month’s Central Regional Gathering, which brought together nearly fifty Greens from all over Northern California to strategize growing the party in the Central Valley and rural California. Thanks to this Gathering, we are in the process of organizing counties in rural Northern California that have never been active, and are building an infrastructure to support Greens running for local, state, and federal legislative office in the Central Valley and further north. I hope this answers your question, Jeff, and please feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance. Deatra Cohen Yolo County Council Davis, CA

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[Gpca-votes] Party growth
by Jeff Lebow 09 Oct '17

09 Oct '17

Deatra, What can our party do to grow our ranks that we are not doing today? Jeff Lebow Orange County GP Sent from my iPhone

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