PAA Meeting Minutes - January 10, 2008

Submitted by Bill Crosier on January 11, 2008 - 2:45pm. ::

Progressive Action Alliance Meeting
January 10, 2008
Havens Center

Attendees:  Gary Yokie, Don Cook, Lee Loe, Sunil Kothari, Horacio Rodriguez, Bart Boyce, Cheryl Crosier, Cob Carter, Art Browning, Ted Weisgal, Ken Kenegos, Bill Crosier, Kathleen Kain, Willie Simmons.

Meeting Chairs:  Bill Crosier and Kathleen Kain

Minutes of last meeting (12/13/07) reviewed with no corrections.

Treasurer’s Report
December meeting balance was $1987.31.  Expenditures since last meeting were:

  • $180.00 for PAA web site rental for six months
  • $20.00 for meeting space PAA January 2008 meeting (Havens Center)

Income since last meeting:

  • $10.00 for bumper sticker sales

Obligated for payment:

  • $250.00 to help with expenses of the Rally Against the War in Iraq, Nov. 17.   Don will identify were to send this contribution and send the check.

Funds in treasury after obligation are $1547.31.

Meeting Discussion and Decisions
Bart Boyce announced his goal to become a Kucinich delegate to the Texas Democratic State convention.    He would also like to see an alliance of Kucinich and Ron Paul in the general election.

Gary Yokie, the Texas State Coordinator for the Kucinich campaign, reported that he will be attending a court hearing on Friday morning, Jan 11, regarding Kucinich being allowed to be on the ballot for the Texas Democratic primary.  At this point, Kucinich has not been allowed on the ballot because he amended the prescribed loyalty oath on the application  by marking out the words “support the Democratic nominee for president, ever that shall be.”  Gary says that depending on the outcome of the Friday hearing  the next steps would be a suit by Willie Nelson and Kucinich and perhaps Gary Yokie.  If the suit is not successful, then the next steps are to determine:

  • how to get Kucinich as a write-in candidate
  • determine if TDP rules will allow Democratic primary voters to be elected as Kucinich delegates even if he is not on the official ballot.
  • get the word out about how voters can support Kucinich if he is not placed on the official Texas primary ballot

Gary promised to keep us up-to-date on the steps being taken.

Sample resolutions provided during the last statewide election cycles were discussed.  Some of these originated during the 2004 primary and were based on Kucinich’s issues.   Other resolutions were added before the 2006 primary by folks from PAA and other organizations.  The current set of resolutions can be seen at http://www.paa-tx.org/resolutions.  We agreed to review and update the current set and meet again around Jan. 19 in order to have a set of resolutions ready to distribute by January 25th.  Regarding the current list the following individuals volunteered to review and update resolutions:

  • Lee Loe - ”A Renewed Commitment to Peace...”   through “Healthcare Coverage for Employees and Associates within Texas”
  • Cheryl Crosier - “Immigrants Rights”  through “Reform US Energy Policy”  (The suggestion was made that opposition to the construction of the Border Wall be incorporated or a new resolution in opposition of the wall be created.
  • Kathleen Kain - Repeal NAFTA, CAFTA...” through “Workers’ Rights are Human Rights”

Ted Weisgal stated that he would work on a resolution that the Texas Democratic Party produce a statewide publication showing all the Democratic candidates before the general election in November.

Bill Crosier stated that he would collect the resolutions for the meeting on or around Jan. 19th.

Green Party ballot access for the Texas November election was discussed. Don Cook reported that the Green Party in Texas had raised $40,000 to date for the ballot access drive.  They hope to raise and spend $100,000 by the end of the access drive to finance the cost of having both volunteer and paid signature-collectors for the ballot access petitions.  The drive will begin immediately after the March 5 primary and will go for 75 days in an effort the gather 44,000 signatures of individuals verifiable as registered to vote but who have not voted in either the Democratic or Republican primary race.  That means gathering more than 60,000 signatures.  

Don will bring more information about the ballot access drive at the February PAA meeting. In the mean time he wanted us to know:

  • to help, we can contribute funds for the ballot access drive
  • our own Art Browning will be running for a Railroad Commission seat, statewide if the Green Party is successful in getting ballot access
  • the Harris County Green Party meeting will be Jan 21st at St. Stephens Episcopal church, 6:30 pm.

We will discuss and plan for actions to have mass singings of politically persuasive new songs at the next PAA meeting.   So far we have one excellent “Impeach Cheney” song to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?”  written by Lee Loe.

Kathleen reported that she, Bob Carter, and Cheryl were asked to leave the grounds of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church on the Sunday before Christmas when they were handing out information on the Declaration of Peace to those leaving the mass.  They put the remaining copies of the information on cars of people attending the mass at Prince of Peace Catholic Church.  The information suggested that the parishioners request priests and pastors to lead the church in becoming signers of The Declaration for Peace.  See minutes of the PAA Dec. 2007 meeting for more information on the Declaration for Peace.

Announcements
The Day Labor site in Spring needs folks to come in support of the day laborers.   Border Watch members dressed in black, police-like uniforms, carrying video equipment and signs warning thoses seeking work and potential employers that they are under surveillance come to the site.   Supporters are needed to counter the Border Watch intimidation tactics.   Worker supporters are needed very early on Sat. morning at 16350 Stuebner Airline.  Bring your nonviolent attitudes and social-justice hearts.  

There  will be a clean elections meet-up  Thursday, Jan 17, 2008, 6:00 PM  facilitated by Charlie Mauch and Kris Graham.  Link to the clean election meet-up web site.  Contact Kris at        

A no new coal powered generating plants demonstration is being organized by the Sierra Club's National No New Coal Campaign  on Wednesday Jan 16th from   4:30-5:30 pm at the Dynegy headquarters, 1000 Louisiana, (The Wells Fargo Building).   Also the kick-off meeting for organizing against new coal plants is:

  • Wednesday, January 23rd, 8- 9:30 PM
  • Rice University (location on campus TBA)
  • Contact: Susannah Hook-Rodgers     , 713-524-3000   (w), 303-919-3296(c)

 
Remember that each year in the U.S. pollution from coal-fired power plants causes 21,000 hospitalizations, 38,000 heart attacks, and 24,000 deaths.

The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is having three events in Houston in the near future:

  • The 2008 TCADP Annual Conference is Jan 26
  • A Fundraiser at the Angelica Theater
  • A Fundraiser on  February 6: Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston Sara Hickman  with Trish Murphy

Please see Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty web site for more details.

Respectfully submitted with apologies in advance for mistakes and omissions,

Cheryl Crosier