Minutes of Charlotte Area Green Party's Meeting of 1-12-02 Written by Kathryn Kuppers, coclerk Charlotte Area Green Party January 16, 2002 Wally Kleuker asked the CAGP to be a sponsor of a symposium organized by the Coalition for Peace and Justice to be held the first week in April at the Unitarian/Universalist Church on Sharon Amity in Charlotte. There was unanimous approval of the request by the seven members present, including Wally himself, who was determined to be a member with voting rights because of his attendance at several events at which the CAGP had an endorsed presence. It was suggested that the wording of the bylaws in the section about determining membership be changed from “sponsored” events to “endorsed” events because the term “sponsored” events is not broad enough to include all the events that the CAGP would like its members to be involved in. There were no minutes to read of the December meeting. Treasurer, Mark Ortiz reported that there was $153.50 in checking and $31.61 in cash. It was decided that a clerk will send out requests for nominations for the upcoming election of CAGP officers. The election will occur in April at the regularly scheduled meeting . We hope to have plenty of willing nominees available. It was decided that some members of CAGP will draw up a letter to send to the U.S. Senate commission that is investigating the lapse in air defense that occurred on September 11. It will be written in the format of questions that need to be asked, rather than in the format of any specific theory on what may have actually occurred. This letter will be posted on the yahoo group, charlotteareagreens@yahoogroups.com for approval by members. There will be a Martin Luther King Day parade in downtown Charlotte on January 21 around 10:30 AM . Wally Kleuker will send out more information about this to the yahoo group. Judy Aulette, Harry Phillips, Greg Jocoy, and Kathryn Kuppers agreed to help plan materials for and /or man the table for the CAGP at the Earth Day celebration at UNCC on April 22, 2002. Anyone else interested in the event should contact Gail Thomas at UNCC ,or Judy Aulette who will be the main contact from CAGP in planning for this event. “Charlotte Talks” holds a forum Thursday, January 17, 2002 at 9:00 AM about the new arena proposal . Alan Burns and Harry Phillips will contact WFAE to see if a representative from the CAGP might be allowed at the table. Gregg Jocoy discussed public access television which by law must be made available by the cable companies to just about anyone. He suggested that greens should make use of this opportunity. Gregg Jocoy also suggested that the CAGP could put forth a candidate for the Soil and Water Conservation Board, which has 3 elected and 2 appointed members .( This is true for NC too, i.e. having 3 elected and 2 appointed members. Gregg was not sure.) Bruce Henderson is the environmental writer for the Charlotte Observer. Harry Phillips will talk to him about CAGP writing 6 articles for the OP/ED page about environmental issues, to be published every other month. Suggested topics are: 1. Bicycling and the Long Range Transportation Plan 2. Use of depleted plutoniun in local power plants 3. Merchant power plants 4. “Green Power” options and getting off the power grid 5. Clearcutting of Eastern pine forests. With 4 out of 5 coordinating members present, the committee appointed Gray Newman as new outreach coordinator, replacing Ken Ivens who does not respond to Email. Gray intends to contact the approximately 150 persons on the old list and see who might still be interested in receiving information about the Charlotte Area Green Party. Steve Tafel will remain the other outreach coordinator. Alan Burns, Mark Ortiz, and Kathryn Kuppers reported on their impressions of Lisa Thurman’s candidacy for the US Senate and on the NC Green Party executive committee meeting at which she was endorsed by that committee. There were two members of the NC Green Party who are not EC (executive committee)members present; Susan O’Neil and Kathryn Kuppers. The EC consisted of Doug Stouber, Steve Matherly, Mark Ortiz, Nancy Wood, Lisa Thurman , and Alan Burns It was agreed by the EC that a formal nomination must wait until the annual convention of the general membership of the NC Green Party. Lisa insisted that she HAD to inform her county Board of Elections of her intention to run as a write-in candidate in February, although Mark said she had been misinformed, and the deadline is much later in summer, plenty of time to wait for a nomination from the convention. Mark and Alan emphasized how important it is to have a good write-in vote showing in 2002 in order to push the Democratic-controlled NC legislature towards considering instant run-off voting to avoid having a third party spoil the chances of such Democratic candidates as Presidential hopeful (we predict) John Edwards. Two other candidates may possibly challenge Lisa at the NC Green Party convention , Srini (unknown last name) and Paul Delaney. Neither of these candidates attended the meeting in Charlotte reported on above. Paul felt he would not be welcome, and Srini has not responded to Email invitations. One of the Democratic candidates for US Senate, Cynthia Brown, is very green in her outlook, but will probably not win the primary, and is barred by NC law from running as an Independent after losing the primary. There is a new “Committee to Defend Free Speech and the Bill of Rights” in Charlotte. They will sponsor speakers Ahmad Daniels , who was forced to resign from his job with the city of Charlotte for an editorial letter questioning the new patriotism since 9/11, and another Goodwill worker from Florida who was fired for stating his opposition to the War on Terrorism, at UNCC later this month. The next meeting of the Charlotte Area Green Party will be held February 9, 2002 at the downtown library in the Dalton Room at 1:00 PM.