[Pnp-wg] Proposal for NPWG

[Jeff Peterson]

On Prop 1:

1. Doesn't do what its title or preamble claims.
2. Could result in seriously skewed delegate counts.
3. Includes verification provisions that are questionable.
4. Precludes development of a standardized allocation formula.

On Prop 2:

I have no serious objections and could support this one if I can do so 
without also support Prop 1. It is lacking any recognition that state 
parties may allocate proportion of their delegates to be selected by 
identity caucuses, but I agree with the general intent and don't see 
this omission as a fatal flaw.

Jeff Peterson
WI

On Jul 17, 2005, at 11:47 AM, Elizabeth Arnone wrote:

> Here's an opportunity for consensus.  What are your objections?
> Liz
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeff Peterson" <peterson@lakeland.ws>
> To: "Steve Greenfield" <bicyclesax@earthlink.net>
> Cc: <pnp-wg@gp-us.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 11:28 AM
> Subject: Re: [Pnp-wg] Proposal for NPWG
>
>
>> I don't believe these proposals represent the consensus of this 
>> working
>> group. I am opposed to including them in our recommendations, except,
>> perhaps, in the form of a minority report.
>>
>> Jeff Peterson
>> WI
>>
>> On Jul 16, 2005, at 4:22 PM, Steve Greenfield wrote:
>>
>>> On May 6th this Working Group filed its interim report. In that
>>> report, specifically in sections B & C, we reported general agreement
>>> on shortcomings in the 2004 nominating process and a list of 
>>> potential
>>> solutions to those shortcomings, particularly in section C where
>>> potential solutions to the apportionment and delegate binding
>>> processes were proposed. We had also achieved general agreement on 
>>> the
>>> need for GPUS to provide resources to member states for improved
>>> conduct of the process of determining Green opinion on candidate
>>> selection. We agreed to return to these concepts before filing our
>>> final report, and recently Steve Kramer, a co-facilitator of the 
>>> NPWG,
>>> suggested to the National Committee that the NC delay discussion and
>>> voting on solutions proposed by three or more member states of GPUS
>>> until such time as that final report is issued and discussed.
>>>
>>> Towards that end, I offer the following proposals for approval of the
>>> NPWG for inclusion as written in the recommendation section of our
>>> final report.
>>>
>>> Steve Greenfield
>>> New York
>>>
>>> PROPOSALS FOR STRENGTHENING INTERNAL DEMOCRACY IN THE GPUS
>>>
>>> BACKGROUND:
>>>
>>> To maintain our party's unity we must institute internal democratic
>>> reforms that ensure that all viewpoints are respected, all members 
>>> can
>>> participate fully in the institutions of the party, and all decisions
>>> truly reflect the will of the Green Party membership.
>>>
>>> In order to strengthen internal democracy in the Green Party of the
>>> United States, we ask the National Committee of GPUS to approve the
>>> following proposals:
>>>
>>> PROPOSAL 1:
>>>
>>> The Nominating Process Working Group calls upon GPUS to strengthen
>>> internal democracy by adopting a national policy based on
>>> the principle of one person, one vote.
>>>
>>> To facilitate the adoption of one person, one vote, we call on GPUS 
>>> to
>>> require all accredited state parties to estimate the size of their
>>> state membership relative to other states, and that a neutral
>>> commission be set up to evaluate the claims made by each state.
>>>
>>> ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE
>>>
>>> It is imperative that all members in the Green Party recognize that
>>> our national decisions reflect the true will of our members and that
>>> their
>>> opinions and votes are fully counted and respected.
>>>
>>> The Green Party internal structures must correspond with the 
>>> principle
>>> of one person, one vote. No member of the Green Party may have more 
>>> or
>>> less representation than any other Green Party member when selecting
>>> the party's presidential ticket and its national leadership bodies.
>>>
>>> State representatives to national leadership bodies and selection of
>>> delegates for national conventions must correspond to the principle 
>>> of
>>> one person, one vote. Any existing regulations that conflict with 
>>> this
>>> principle are invalid and must be adjusted to correspond to it.
>>>
>>> The principle of one person, one vote must be respected along with 
>>> our
>>> principles of gender parity and diversity on the issues the party has
>>> declared relevant for our nation and our time.
>>>
>>> DETERMINING STATE MEMBERSHIP SIZE
>>>
>>> Before the Green Party can implement one person, one vote
>>> representation, we must develop methods to fairly determine the
>>> membership size of each state. Given that more than half of the 
>>> states
>>> in the United States do not allow citizens to register for any third
>>> political party, each state party will have to use different methods
>>> for estimating membership sizes.
>>>
>>> States can estimate their membership size using registration numbers,
>>> number of elected Greens, votes cast for local, statewide, or
>>> Presidential Green candidates, or whatever method they deem
>>> appropriate. All estimates by any one state must be contrasted with
>>> estimates from all other states to determine the overall percentage 
>>> of
>>> delegates allotted that state.
>>>
>>> NEUTRAL COMMISSION TO CERTIFY MEMBERSHIP SIZE
>>>
>>> Based on the principle above, a special commission should be
>>> established that, as clearly as possible, represents the Green Party
>>> members and its differing political currents, geographic spread and
>>> other factors such as gender and race. The commission will be 
>>> selected
>>> by the National Committee and will meet every two years in
>>> odd-numbered years.
>>>
>>> Each state will be asked to provide an estimate of their membership
>>> size based on any combination of direct and/or indirect methods they
>>> deem as appropriate. The commission will review each state's claims
>>> and their premises. They will either agree or make their own 
>>> estimate.
>>> In cases where there is disagreement between the commission and a
>>> state, every attempt will be made by both parties to resolve the
>>> dispute.
>>>
>>> Once the membership size for each state has been certified by the
>>> commission, these values will be used to determine the proportion of
>>> representation each state gets in our national governing bodies and 
>>> at
>>> the national convention.
>>>
>>> Representation for delegates and for election of the National
>>> Committee members will follow the certification of membership state 
>>> by
>>> state in a formula that will be based on a one person, one vote
>>> criteria.
>>>
>>> PROPOSAL FOR DELEGATE SELECTION  TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION
>>>
>>> PROPOSAL 2:
>>>
>>> The NPWG calls upon GPUS to strengthen internal democracy in the
>>> selection of delegates to our leadership bodies and to the
>>> presidential nominating convention, based on the principle of one
>>> person, one vote.
>>>
>>> To facilitate this process we call upon the GPUS to require that the
>>> selection of delegates to our national convention respect the vote of
>>> the membership by ensuring that:
>>>
>>> 1) The number of delegates pledged to each candidate is proportioned
>>> according to the vote, whether a state uses primary, regional caucus,
>>> or a state nominating convention to choose a presidential nominee.
>>>
>>> 2) A delegate may not go to the national convention representing a
>>> candidate (or proposal) that they did not vote for in their state's
>>> primary or caucus, unless specifically bound in writing to vote for
>>> that candidate (or proposal).
>>>
>>> 3) During the first round of voting at the national convention,
>>> delegates must vote for their designated candidate (or proposal
>>> position) to ensure that the will of the membership is respected.
>>> Should a second round be necessary, the delegates from any state may
>>> cast votes in accordance with instructions from their own state party
>>> organizations should such instructions be issued, or be free to vote
>>> their conscience if no such instructions are given. In all subsequent
>>> rounds, delegates are free to vote their conscience based on what 
>>> they
>>> believe is the best for the Green Party.
>>>
>>> 4) Where possible, state Green Parties should hold official primaries
>>> to facilitate the greatest possible participation by their members.
>>> Where no primaries exist, every effort should be made to ensure that
>>> all state party members receive ballots. The GPUS should help
>>> facilitate these efforts in cases where the states have limited
>>> resources to poll their membership. In all cases, the GPUS should
>>> report the number of voters  participating in a state election and 
>>> the
>>> number of votes received by each candidate on their website.
>>>
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>>
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