PGP Personnel Committee Minutes

Pacific Green Party - Coordinating committee minutes
Wednesday, September 1, 1999, 6:35 pm - roughly 8:45 pm
Salem (party office, 333 State St.)
Minutes by Fillard Rhyne

Present: Blair Bobier (cc), Lori Burton (cc, co-chair),
John Jones (cc) , Xander Patterson (cc, co-chair),
Nan Perigo (cc), Fillard Rhyne (secretary),
Bill Smaldone (cc), Trey Smith (treasurer).
Absent: Lisa Hamerlynck (cc)
Guests from the Democracy Project: Harry Lonsdale
Other guests: Della Smith

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Official decisions made
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1999-067.The committee agrees to put a link to the Democracy Project
web site (www.afdoregon.org) on the party web site. (Without
objection.)
1999-068.The committee formally invites Harry Lonsdale to the November
convention. (Method of demonstrating agreement not noted.)
1999-069.The committee endorses the Democracy Project generally, with
the understanding that no specific initiatives are endorsed
at this time. (Method of demonstrating agreement not noted.)
1999-070.The committee authorizes Trey Smith to purchase a bulk mail
permit when money becomes available. (Method of
demonstrating agreement not noted.)
1999-071.The committee approves Andy Davis’s pre-written letter to
Michael Powell. (Some verbal assent; no voiced objections.)
1999-072.The committee agrees that the Pacific Green Party will apply
for full membership in the Coalition for a Liveable Future if
we can supply a person to attend the meetings, which is a
requirement of full membership. Otherwise we will apply for
an associate membership. (Method of demonstrating agreement
not noted.)
1999-073.The committee approves a $15 annual donation to ONE/Northwest
in recognition of its providing the CC email list. (Some
verbal assent; no voiced objections.)
1999-074.The committee approves in concept that the party should use
union labor. (Approval inferred.)
1999-075.The committee directs Fillard Rhyne to announce within the
party that anyone who is interested in administering the
party elections held in mid-2000 should step forward by
October 1, 1999. (Some verbal assent; no voiced objections.)
1999-076.The committee approves the application to form the Portland
Metro Chapter.

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Review of action items from previous meetings
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Nan - Create postcards to be mailed in August.
—-Done; the postcards were present at this meeting.

Blair (and Nan) - Work on new generic/introductory PGP brochure.
—-Blair is working on the brochure and hopes to meet with Ralph
on 9/9/99 to finish it.

Blair - Contact Joe Keating and Deborah Howes to ascertain their
continuing involvement as ASGP delegates and obtain a report
from them for the next CC meeting.
—-See next action item.
Blair - Bring to the next party convention a clarification of
ASGP delegate status, perhaps in the form of a proposed
bylaws amendment. (This item not “due” at 9/1 CC meeting.)
—-At the November convention, Blair will propose a bylaws
amendment prescribing that ASGP representatives be elected to
two-year terms, with one of the positions initially filled
for a single year so the terms will be staggered. The
proposed bylaws amendment will also require that the ASGP
representatives submit monthly reports, notify the party
before important ASGP votes, and forward important email
messages to the CC. Between now and the convention, these
requirements will be implemented by executive authority.
(Note: Since the above was phrased as an announcement rather
than as an item for committee decision, and since no
committee decision was made, the secretary interprets the
“executive authority” Blair cited as referring to his
personal authority as coordinator of the liaison/ambassador
committee.)

Blair - Give Xander Patterson contact information for a specific
Native American who may wish to give advice on which Native
American people and organizations to contact regarding the
“unplug video poker” initiative.
—-Done.

Xander - Write a letter to the Native American Tribes of Oregon
as directed by the May 15 convention. Send a draft to the CC
by email.
—-Letter sent to an individual Native American recommended by
Blair. No response.

Xander - Follow up with the Portland Alliance on changing the
address on their Pacific Green Party listing.
—-Done. The change takes effect in the September issue.

Xander - Send to Bill Smaldone a list of discussion points for
talking with individuals (in person and by phone) and asking
them to register.
—-Done.

All new committee chairs - Write own job descriptions and send to
Fillard Rhyne by August 1, 1999.
—-Blair, Lori, Xander, Nan, and Bill did this. John is working
on his. No word from Lisa.

Fillard - Forward job descriptions to CC in a single email.
—-Sent but not received by all CC members. Will send again,
with updates.

Fillard - Give Blair contact information for Matt Shields.
—-Done.

Fillard - Give the current generic PG brochure master to Eric
Bagai, along with instructions for printing. Specify lighter
green paper than used before.
—-Done; the brochures were present at this meeting.

Fillard - Modify letter to the elections division as described
above before sending.
—-Done. No response.

Fillard - Tell Brian Setzler that the CC will evaluate his
request for a $100 allocation for tabling expenses when he
has itemized what it would be used for.
—-Done.

Lori and Fillard - Contact local groups and explain that if they
want to be formal chapters, they need to apply to the CC for
that status (as specified in the bylaws).
—-Done.

Lori - Ask local contacts to emphasize the voter registration
drive.
—-Implied in Lori’s other communications.

Lori - Give information on the 8 new committees to the local
contacts, and ask them what they are interested in and what
they want to work on.
—-See next action item.

Lori - Bring names of county contacts to the next coordinating
committee meeting so they can be appointed as county central
committees (to take advantage of certain laws involving
requesting lists of members from the government).
—-Fillard is getting Lori information on the new committees and
on what it means to be on a central committee. She will
distribute the information to the county contacts.

Lori and John - Disseminate information on upcoming
events that can be used as outreach opportunities.
—-Done by Trey.

Trey - Make a list of ballot measure initiative petitions, and
compile whatever information he currently has about them, for
use in “scorecard” suggested by Chuck Fall.
—-Done. Xander sent a whittled-down version.

Trey - Learn how to add items to web-based calendar.
—-Nan is doing this.

Trey (and general) - Continue giving information to John Jones
and Lori Burton on upcoming events that can be used as
outreach opportunities, in as tidy/compiled a manner as
possible.
—-Trey sent out lists.

Bill - Begin recruiting a fundraising committee of 6-10 very
reliable people, with the intent that they will make
telephone calls from a coordinated script to designated
geographic areas. We may need to pay them.
—-Bill sent a letter asking for volunteers. Three people
replied - Donna Frasier, Brian Waters (Polk County), Ron
Brandstetter (Portland). Bill suggests we hire people.

Andy Davis - Write a letter for ILWU 5 as described above.
—-Done.

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Action items to be reviewed at next meeting
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Blair - Attempt to email the CC the proposed text of the new
brochure.
Blair - Notify Joe and Deborah of the new ASGP guidelines
announced at this meeting.
Bill - Contact Joe Keating for help finding people to hire for
telephone fundraising at 30% over a base rate. (”Base rate”
means that if they aren’t productive, we pay them a certain
amount and then presumably dismiss them.)
Bill - Work on a script for telephone fundraisers to use.
Bill - Write up a draft policy statement regarding the PGP’s use
of union labor.
Bill and Xander - Ask people they know to look for interns to do
things like research which races are the best for us to run
for.
Xander - Ask Lisa whether she can address November convention
process issues at the next CC meeting.
Fillard - Ask Lisa to assemble CC handbook.
Fillard - Forward job descriptions to Lisa to go into the CC
handbook.
Fillard - Send the May 1999 convention minutes to John.
John and Lisa - Write own committee coordinator job descriptions
and send to Fillard Rhyne.
Fillard - Resend committee coordinator job descriptions to the
CC.
Fillard - Provide Lori with information on the new committees and
on what it means to be on a central committee, for
dissemination to the county contacts.
Lori - Ask county contacts what they are interested in and
whether they would like to work on specific committees.
Lori - Ask county contacts whether they want to be appointed as
county central committees. Bring names of those who say yes
to the next CC meeting so they can be appointed. (This will
enable the party to invoke certain laws involving requesting
lists of members from the government).
Nan - Discuss modification of the Activist Calendar with Andy
Reid.
Nan - Ask our web people to announce the reregistration drive on
our web site.
John - Talk to Jim Gomez, a professional painter who is a friend
of his, who might be willing to help make banners. If
possible, we’d like 6 silk-screened banners.
John - Submit a budget for the November convention.

Gather information pertaining to classified advertising in the following
newspapers:
Xander - Portland Alliance
Xander - Portland State University student newspaper
Xander - Reed College student newspaper
Xander - Lewis & Clark College student newspaper
Nan - Oregon State University student newspaper
Lori - University of Oregon student newspaper
John - Southern Oregon University student newspaper

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Apparent agreements
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The party will hire people to fundraise by phone. They will use
a script for at least the beginning of their conversations.

The party logo showing the state and a tree down the left-hand
(west) side will have the silhouette of a mountain across the
bottom. The previously-used straight line is regarded as too
artificial.

In designing the party brochure, Blair Bobier may assign
descriptive words or phrases to different monetary contribution
levels.

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Highlights of other discussion
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Presentation by Harry Lonsdale of the Democracy Project. The
Democracy Project is attempting to use initiatives to gain more
power for the people. They currently have three focus areas:
o Enact campaign candidate finance reform.
o Keep corporate money out of candidate campaigns and
initiative campaigns.
o Preserve initiative rights.
The Democracy Project would like 1000 volunteer signature
gatherers. They ask that PGP members volunteer; they ask that
the PGP encourage its members to volunteer; and they ask that the
PGP endorse its initiatives.

Richard Knablin has agreed to be the agenda collector and contact
person for the November convention’s agenda, and to work with
Lysbeth Borie. After an 11:00am check-in, the convention will
begin at noon Saturday (11/20/99) and end at noon Sunday. The
main budget item will be Lysbeth’s pay of $100 (minimum wage)
plus child care (a 4-year-old and a 1-year old). Richard’s phone
and fax are (541) 756-0386; he doesn’t have email; and his US
mail address is 555 Delaware St., North Bend, 97459.

Discussion of convention process issues. Concerns included:
o That we currently follow different procedures at each
convention;
o That we need to settle on a specific process;
o That we spend too much time at the beginning of each
convention on process issues and should limit ourselves to 30
minutes, or to 10 minutes;
o That the CC should come up with a specific proposal;
o That we need to address process issues at each convention and
can’t just skip over them.

As of June 30, 1999, the PGP has 622 registrants.

The US Postal Service has canceled the PGP bulk mail permit
because they lost a piece of documentation we sent them.

The current postcard mailing will cost about $300 to send first
class. It doesn’t qualify for bulk mail.

Xander suggests asking for at least $1 from anyone who signs a
petition.

Nan suggests contacting the National Progressive Politics Network
to work with us in the Spring for fundraising.

Several party members are having email trouble.

Assuming that Ralph Nader becomes the Green Party candidate,
logistics should be easier in 2000 than in 1996 because Nader
plans not to seek exemption to as many of the disclosure laws.

In 1996, Greg Kafoury donated $5000 to the Nader campaign, and
hired the staff.

Lori and Xander are putting together packets for county contacts
with initiative petitions, registration cards, and similar
materials.

It was suggested that we delegate much of the CC’s work to
executive staff.

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Next coordinating committee meeting
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The next meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, October 6
6:30 pm
Salem (party office)

Suggested items for the beginning of every agenda
General - Read statement of principles.
Fillard - Review action items from previous meetings.
Suggested items for this particular agenda
Bill - Discuss policy for party use of union and non-union
labor.
Lisa? - Process at the November convention.
Lori - Coalition for the Liveable Future
Bill - Welcome to students present at meeting.
Suggested items for the end of every agenda
Fillard - Review action items from this meeting (if desired).
General - Group hug.

(I would encourage the person who facilitates the October 6
meeting to post a deadline for receipt of agenda items, like
Xander did for the July 21 meeting.)