Progressive Democratic Executive Committee Meeting 11/11/2006
Reed, Helen Clark, Delmas Parker, Matilda Phillips,
Mike Oder, Chris Lizak, Isaac Coleman, David Mills
Pete begins by calling attention to the
agenda: Bios, visions and values:
Matilda: Need to grow our organization,
be a magnet, be a force for NC politics
Helen echoes Matilda
David wants to create state wide agenda and push it
through having key folks in place in legislature.
Chris says using Young Dem organizational plan..wants
to focus on larger cities first where majority of progressives live and build
our membership there.
Susan: Would
like to see other choices for voters in USA. Growing membership
important. Especially need to align with people of color. Anti-war
movement. Incorporate spiritual principles to draw folks in. Build
dual identity chapters w/ PDA as we organize counties.
Pete: Need to
be part of the ethical populism: talk the talk, walk the walk. Money is
controlling politics and we need to challenge that. Vision: Focus
on issue groups and get them involved with The Progressive Dems…become a bridge
for them.
Mike: Bridge grassroots with statewide
agenda
Isaac: Vision is to build membership and better define
PDNC. Getting splinter groups behind progressive
candidates. Recognizing serious problems African Americans, and
people of color, face in education and at all other fronts. Schools
are re-segregating. Confronting corporations and their stronghold
on politics
Delmas: Vision is to bring politics to
the people and strike at heart of power by working thru the State Executive
Committee
Pete: On Greendog site we have 200 or so
names and a mailing list of 900 or so. Mike can download the excel list. Need
an excel spreadsheet with names, county, congressional and legislative district
to develop email list. Run a list enhancement LEAP to gather information
regarding demographics/affiliations we need to understand about our
progressives. Costs few hundred bucks. Helen and Mike will focus on excel list
drawn from PAC list, etc. Matilda to advise. Helen to ask Teresa Blackburn to
help.
is Matilda’s email address.
Pete: Agenda- 1. Develop
Structured list; 2. Shut down greendog website.
-Mike will develop new
website using domain: progressivedems.nc
-Susan proposes we don’t get rid of the greendog symbol
altogether…use it for a mascot
-Chris proposes that we use the term (Greendog
Democrats) to identify our group with progressive values to
draw analogy with Blue dogs, etc.
-Pete asks if we can use the Greendog name to identify our
mission Keep it as a nickname There is no opposition to this
of becoming an auxiliary is nonexistent at this time. We can’t
exceed without leadership buy-in. Ideology as the basis for
auxiliary group has not been tried. We can be an educational outlet
instead.
Chris will ask PJ Purlear to chair the Fundraising committee
and David will serve as a consultant with all board members on deck to
help.
Chris suggests: Outreach
Committee needs to have specific goals
Membership chair will keep up
with dues, county chairs, etc.
Susan would like to find ways to
span the distance in NC and reach across the state. Creating dual
identity chapters to work along side PDA.
How we think about and form
committees? Whose committees will be focused on forming
chapters? What are our specific goals for immediate future?
Susan: Streamlining
communications…starting an e-newsletter which
will be updated on a monthly basis. Work with Mike on website.
Chris wants to look at timetable put as many progressives
on SEC in April. General Assembly needs to be
lobbied.
Delmas wants to identify names of people on the SEC
Goals: need to
build membership of progs on the SEC. Become influential in the
party and connect between counties and states. Identify nonprofit
progressive groups. NAACP rally on Jones Street…stopping the
resegregation, stop global warming, anti bribery and corruption board, focus on
black youth, public health issues, violence in prisons, etc.
Chris makes a motion to join the NAACP
effort…no one
is opposed (also,
all PDNC ExComm members should all become members of NAACP.
Main Objectives: 1.
Control of SEC 2. Lobbying general assembly 3. Getting progressives into
office.
Discussion of Speaker of the
House candidates
Compile names of progressive legislators to be on
internal Progressive Executive Committee List.
Compile names of associates who can influence these
legislators. (Get them to talk with Blue and Hackney)
Start moving important information thru media and
thru Democracy Now, etc. regarding exposure of those legislators whom we need to
keep OUT of leadership roles.
Exit poll was about Iraq War and
Corruption. Corruption can be a key issue in speaker’s race.
Democracy NC, Common Cause can be
counted on to get press out. Our role is to help influence
them.
Growing progressive candidates is
tough. Progressive candidate
training needs to continue as it is very effective. Formulate the
agenda on a brochure
Calendar
November:
Reconnect with our base
December:
Democratic Caucus need a unifying agenda,
influence speaker election
January
20th: NCGA convenes
Jan
28: State Executive Committee meeting in Raleigh: election of
officers
Feb
10: NAACP 10K rally on J Street (anyone who can attend needs to!)
March: precinct
elections
April: County
conventions: elect SEC
members
May: District
conventions
Early May: training for progressive candidates in West and
East (Charlotte and Greensboro) (possibly do one in Goldsboro)
July 12:
deadline for filing for municipal elections
August: Annual
Meeting
Lt Gov and Labor
races
Communicate in brochure and on
web: Why join PDNC? We’re the progressive issue
base. Help select the progressive agenda for the state. Make the
Dem party move the progressive agenda in the legislator Recreate
politics: take the big money out of politics, bring democracy
back
One of our biggest tasks is to
break up the system.
Delmas talks about strings that
run in Southern Politics: fear of govt and fear to stand up against
the big guys. Us vs them. “We found the problem and
it’s those bastards”
Advocating working class values
that Howard Dean espouses.
Elect Progressives. Make the progressive ideal
real.
Bill Fletcher
strategy: be anti racist, anti sexist, work to organize a group
that neighbors can join. Education is
essential. Identification of key organizations
Vision of success instead of
vision of power: relying on Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition idea
Isaac proposes dividing State
into Regions to focus on specific areas
Pete: Look at where progressives already are, look at
where we can get people of color involved (like Goldsboro) Recruit
African-Americans, Latinos to run for office.
Focus on first 12 chapters
Representatives from each county
should belong to the Progressive. Dem chapter or be on a committee.
Pete: Need to have a
dinner to pull together people from various progressive causes to meet with
legislators and lobby for the agenda.
If we can create our agenda and
get it passed at SEC meeting. Same items will be brought up at
NAACP meeting. Put on a lobbying
dinner in late Feb or week after Feb 10 with progressive
leaders.
Immediate Goals
Chris: broadcasting to the PDNC list, getting the real
“trouble makers” involved. Figure out which items we need to focus
on in time to propose for January meeting.
Pete says that the people from Democracy NC, Environmental
Group, etc. should be involved in Issues committee. Chris thinks
this should be generated internally rather than externally. People
who are highly motivated will work. Create buy-ins.
Susan: Work on brochure and get message out to
public. Encourage SEC membership
Mike: get email list out. Push the Progressive pins to
get our name out. Website list, etc.
Membership meeting needs to occur before SEC
meeting.
Isaac: Look at areas where training for Progressive
candidates need to take place
Delmas: reorganization of
state party. Reorganize thru
revising Plan of Organization.. Paying the State Chair a
salary. If Cynthia goes into labor race, use VAN to organize
progressives in the key areas to help elect them. Pete will send
out draft on rewriting the POO.
Nothing succeeds like success.
Helen: Help Susan with brochure. Receive
suggested bylaws revisions and get ready by Jan. for proposal.
David: Getting together materials from 2 organizations and
trying to reconcile it.
What to put on brochure; flat
membership fee to cover PAC and Caucus
Membership needs to be cleared
up. Treasury report: $1000 in each
account. Process with Attorney will cost about $1000.
Pete proposes a monthly board call for updates starting
with Nov 30 at 8PM.
Bylaws on website and need to be sent out to everyone on board by
Helen
