Notes from the Queens Green Party Meeting on August 9, 1999

• Meeting minutes
• Appendix 1: Proposed agenda
• Appendix 2: Announements

These minutes are based on notes taken by Posr Posr.

Present: Harvey Baylis, Adele Bender, Day Starr Chou, Evergreen Chou, Gwen Debrow, Jeannette Evans, Paul Gilman, Paul Graziano, Ronni Greenwood, Richard Jannaccio, Josephine Jones, Nina Kledal, Gregor Knauer, David Levner, Larry Lombardi, Richard Mansfield, Francisco Pena, Francine Newman, Posr Posr, Richard Schweitzer, Mildred Sharma, Joel Shaw

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 P.M.

I. Preliminaries

I-A. Introductions
We went around the room and introduced ourselves.

I-B. Meeting officers
David Levner agreed to facilitate, Paul Graziano to keep time, and Posr Posr to take notes.

I-C. Review of meeting process and voting
David Levner reviewed how Queens Green Party meetings are run. According to our bylaws, only active members can vote, where an active member is defined as someone who has paid dues within the last year and has attended at least two previous general or committee meetings in the last year and at least one previous general meeting in the last six months. In order to make decisions (by consensus or voting), at least one third of the active members have to be present.

Fifteen active members were present at the meeting: Harvey Baylis, Adele Bender, Day Starr Chou, Evergreen Chou, Gwen Debrow, Paul Gilman, Paul Graziano, Gregor Knauer, David Levner, Richard Mansfield, Francisco Pena, Francine Newman, Posr Posr, Richard Schweitzer, Joel Shaw. As of August 9, 1999, there were 23 active members.

I-D. Discussion of the proposed agenda
The agenda was accepted as printed.

II. Old business

II-A. Committee reports

II-A-1. Aviation committee report
No one was present to give the report.

II-A-2. Education committee report
Fran Newman reported that the committee is working on a proposal for multi-cultural education in Queens.

II-A-3. Environmental committee report
Adele Bender reported that she had taken the minutes at the last environmental committee meeting, but that they were too long to read. David Levner added that the City Council had voted to approve building a filtration in the Bronx to filter water from the Croton watershed. In the opinion of the Green Party and many other environmental groups, the filtration plant is unnecessary. David Levner had joined some environmentalists to lobby Karen Koslowitz on the morning of the vote, but she appeared to have a closed mind.

II-A-4. Food and water committee report
No one was present to give the report.

II-A-5. Housing committee report
Adele Bender reported that the NY City Tenant Coalition, which includes several tenant groups, has arranged a meeting with Vito Lopez (chairman of the NY State Assembly's Housing Committee) to discuss Major Capital Improvements. Adele stated that these improvements are usually just deferred maintainence and should not be used to justify permanent rent increases. The Coalition will propose that capital improvements be paid for by temporary rent surcharges.

II-A-6. Land use committee report
Paul Graziano reported that the committee will meet on Tuesday August 31 to discuss his rezoning plan for Flushing. The meeting will take place at Paul's home, 146-18 32nd Ave. in Flushing. Call 939-3913 for further information.

In the meantime, Paul is lobbying the Queens Civic Congress, an umbrella group of civic associations, to support his rezoning plan.

II-A-7. Local Agenda 21 committee report
No one was present to give the report.

II-A-8. Political committee report
David Levner introduced this section of the meeting by stating that the Queens County Green Party had met on Sunday July 18 and nominated Richard Jannaccio and Posr Posr for state senators in districts 16 and 10 respectively.

II-A-8-a. Richard Jannaccio's campaign
Richard is running for state senate in district 16 (Flushing, Jackson Heights and parts of Corona, Sunnyside and Maspeth) to fill the seat vacated by the death of Leonard Stavisky in June. He reported that he has found a Treasurer for his campaign, Evergreen Chou. He will hold an organizational meeting of his campaign committee on Saturday August 14 at the home of Josephine Jones, 43-44 Kissena Blvd. #5P in Flushing at 3 PM. He will hold a fundraising party on Sunday August 29 in Kane's Diner. See the announcements below for details.

David Levner added that he filed Richard's Certificate of Nomination with the Board of Elections on Friday August 6 to put Richard on the ballot.

II-A-8-b. Posr Posr's campaign
Posr reported that his campaign is underway, even though the incumbent (Alton Waldon) has not yet resigned the seat. Waldon is expected to resign when he is confirmed as a judge by the state senate.

II-A-8-c. Other campaigns
David Levner reported that Bo Stevens has offered to run for Queens District Attorney but has said that he does not have the time to campaign. The Queens County Green Party will hold another meeting on September 7 to decide what to do about the District Attorney race. The meeting place is likely to be the Forest View Nursing Home, but that has not been confirmed yet.

II-A-9. School of the Americas committee report
Fran Newman reported that the committee met in July to watch some videos and to discuss sending a van to Fort Benning to the annual demonstration to close the School of the Americas (SOA). David Levner added that legislation has passed the House of Representatives to cut some of the SOA's funding, but the bill to close the school (HR 732) has not been voted on yet.

II-A-10. Social justice committee report
Day Star Chou reported that the committee plans to hold its first meeting in late August. The committee will probably discuss issues such as police brutality.

II-A-11. Video committee report
No one was present to give the report.

II-B. Financial report
David Levner reported that $145 had been received in July, $268.20 had been spent and that the balance at the end of the month was $1720.35. He added that it is normal for more to be spent than received in a month in which the newsletter has not gone out.

II-C. Meeting reports

II-C-1. NY City Greens
David Levner reported that the NY City Greens met on Monday August 2. This proposed organization would be a coalition, alliance or confederation (the exact term has not yet been decided) of the local chapters in NY City. The main item discussed was the proposed organization's bylaws. David had drafted a set of bylaws which were reviewed. Also, an idea was floated to form an exploratory committee for citywide candidates. Nineteen people attended the meeting.

The NY City Greens will meet again on Monday September 27. Call Posr Posr at 718-337-1729 for details.

II-C-2. Green Party of NY State
David Levner reported that the Green Party of NY State had met on August 7 and 8 in Troy, NY. He attended the meeting for both days. Posr Posr, Day Star Chou and Evergreen Chou were present on August 8.

David reported that the following actions were taken:

• Four new local chapters were recognized: Albany, Cattaraugus, East Hampton and Flushing. One new local chapter, Rosendale, was rejected for not meeting the requirements set in the bylaws.
• An international committee was approved. It will meet next in Manhattan on August 18. For more information, call Joel Kovel at 212-414-9611 or 914-679-2756.
• It became clear that the biggest challenge now facing the Green Party is to draft and approve final party rules. This needs to be done by December 1999.
• A resolution was passed to include preferential voting in Green Party primaries in our party rules and to defend these rules in court if we are challenged by the NY State Board of Elections.
• A new section of the bylaws was added to provide for mediation and the disciplining of members who have been bad.
• A new section of the interim rules was added to allow candidates to run on the Green Party line even if there is no Local chapter in their area. Such candidates would have to be approved by the Green Party of NY State Coordinating Council (executive committee).
• There will be a Presidential primary in NY State in March 2000, but a new state law may make it very hard for the Greens to put a candidate on the primary ballot. Some candidates who are considering running are Ralph Nader, Manning Marable, Al Lewis and Joel Kovel. Michael Moore has said he does not want to run.

  Marable may also be interested in running for US Senate. A press release was issued over the weekend announcing that Al Lewis is forming an exploratory committee and is considering a US Senate campaign. There is strong media interest in Lewis' campaign.

• A resolution was passed requesting that members who can afford it make larger contributions than are currently required as dues.
• A resolution to allow any local chapter to mail to all active and supporting members of the Green Party failed.
• A resolution to forbid anti-abortion candidates from running on the Green Party line failed. Day Star Chou pointed out that the exact wording of the resolution would have forbidden Green Party candidates to favor "restricting" abortion.

II-D. Event reports

II-D-1. Republican challenge on Staten Island
David Levner reported that Republicans on Staten Island had used an obscure part of NY State election law (an opportunity to ballot petition) to try to place their candidates on the Green Party line for the 1999 elections. The attempt was declared invalid at a Board of Elections hearing on August 3.

II-D-2. Charter Revision Commission hearing in Kew Gardens
Adele Bender reported that a hearing was held on Thursday August 5 to review the Charter Revision Commission's plan to revise the NY City charter. Almost all the speakers opposed the revisions. The few speakers who defended the revisions, including Claire Shulman and Thomas Ognibene, were booed. Karen Koslowitz decided not to speak. Richard Jannaccio and Adele Bender spoke, and Luke O'Brien spoke as a member of the Green Party.

II-D-3. Hiroshima Day leafleting in Flushing
Harvey Baylis reported that he had joined the Queens Network for Peace and Justice on August 7 to leaflet in Flushing about the dangers of depleted uranium weapons. David Levner pointed out that the Queens Green Party is one of the member organizations of the Queens Network for Peace and Justice.

II-D-4. Rockefeller drug law vigil in Albany
Gwen Debrow reported that a busload of New Yorkers went to Albany on August 3 to protest against the Rockefeller drug laws. Gwen pointed out that the extremely harsh penalties for drug crimes in New York have hurt many families of prisoners. Paul Gilman and Harvey Baylis also attended this event.

III. New business

III-D-1. US Senate exploratory committee
David Levner reported that the electoral committee of the Green Party of NY State has formed a committee to approach candidates for US Senate for the 2000 election. David said that anyone can join this committee. Paul Gilman volunteered.

III-D-2. Con Edison office closings
Adele Bender reported that Con Edison is closing many of its customer service offices throughout NY City and laying off the employees who staffed these offices. Adele forgot to bring a petition opposing these closings.

III-D-3. Green Party courses
David Levner floated the idea of teaching courses on various topics to the Queens Greens and others. He said the first course might be given in September and would be entitled, "How to Effectively Participate in Meetings." It would cost $5 per person with the money going to the Queens Green Party. David asked who would be interested in such a course, and a number of people raised their hands.

III-D-4. Next Queens Green Party meeting
David Levner reported that the Forest View Nursing Home has declined to allow us to hold our monthly meetings in their penthouse. Fran Newman suggested that we try a garden behind a restaurant in Astoria, but Paul Graziano objected because it would be difficult to sit in such a way that we could all see each other. Posr Posr suggested that we might be able to arrange to use a space at Queens Public Television (QPTV) and Gregor Knauer, who is a producer there, promised to look into it.

IV. Announcements We reviewed the printed announcements.

Motion to adjourn. Passed by consensus.

    I. Preliminaries (15)
          A. Introductions
          B. Choose meeting officers
          C. Review of meeting process and voting
          D. Amend and accept the agenda
    II. Old business (72)
          A. Committee reports (38)
             1. Aviation committee report (2)
             2. Education committee report (2)
             3. Environmental committee report (2)
             4. Food & water committee report (2)
             5. Housing committee report (2)
             6. Land use committee report (2)
             7. Local Agenda 21 committee report (2)
             8. Political committee report (15)
                 a. Richard Jannaccio's campaign (5)
                 b. Posr Posr's campaign (5)
                 c. Other campaigns (5)
             9. School of the Americas committee report (5)
             10. Social justice committee report (2)
             11. Video committee report (2)
          B. Financial report (2)
          C. Meeting reports (20)
              1. NY City Greens (10)
              2. Green Party of NY State (10)
          D. Event reports (12)
              1. Republican challenge in Staten Island
              2. Charter Revision Commission hearing in Kew Gardens
              3. Hiroshima Day leafletting in Flushing
              4. Rockefeller Drug Law vigil in Albany
    III. New business (13)
          A. U.S. Senate exploratory committee (2)
          B. Con Edison office closings (3)
          C. Green Party courses (3)
          D. Next Queens Green Party meeting (5)
    IV. Announcements

(The numbers at the end of each line are estimated times in minutes.)