Updated March 31,2000
GPNJ Convention Proposals
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The Green Party of New Jersey Updated March 31,2000 GPNJ Convention Proposals |
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| Type of Proposal | Summary | Submitted by |
| Bylaws Revisions | Decision Making Authority within GPNJ: Executive Committee is subordinate to Green Council; Green Council is subordinate to Convention of members | Steve Welzer |
| Bylaws Revisions | Amend bylaws to establish two classes of membership, "active" and "paid." Electoral candidates should meet both criteria. | Nick Mellis |
| Resolution | Provision for Continuation of Consideration of Proposals at Green Council if time runs out at Convention | Roger Sedmont, Rich Raimonde, Paul Williams |
| Resolution | Replace "Demilitarization" with "Disarmament" in GPNJ Literature | Roger Sedmont, Rich Raimonde, Paul Williams |
| Resolution | Reparations for African-Americans | GPNJ Diversity Committee, Joe Mosley, Joe Fortunato |
| Resolution | The Green Party of NJ position on Police Brutality, Repression and Criminalization | Joe Fortunato |
The By-Laws of the Green Party of New Jersey require publication of any proposed change to the by-laws 30 days in advance of the Annual Convention.
Submitted by Steve Welzer
within Section 2 -- Definitions
"Council" means the New Jersey Green Council as described in Section 6.
within
Section 5 -- Executive Committee
Section 5.8 -- Authority The Executive Committee shall be subordinate to a Party Convention and to the New Jersey Green Council in terms of decision-making authority. Decisions made by the Executive Committee can override decisions made by subordinate Party decision-making bodies. In regard to day-to-day operations and decision-making requirements, within the policy and procedural guidelines established by Convention and Council decisions, and within any other limitations established by these Bylaws, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to decide all substantive and procedural matters that significantly involve the Party as a whole. This shall include but not be limited to the authority to (a) delegate decision-making authority or specific tasks to a Standing Committee or to a Special Committee; (b) make recommendations to or issue guidance to a Standing Committee or to a Special Committee; (c) request specific actions by a Standing Committee or a Special Committee; (d) delineate the responsibilities of each Standing Committee and decide any jurisdictional issue that is not resolved by the affected Standing Committees; (e) appoint Executive Committee Staff; and (f) expel or discipline any Member for good cause, pursuant to Rules and subject to the review of the Membership Committee.
within Section 6 -- New Jersey Green Council
Section 6.3 -- Authority
The New Jersey Green Council shall be subordinate to a Party Convention in terms of decision-making authority. Decisions made by the Council can override decisions made by subordinate Party decision-making bodies. The Council shall have the responsibility of deciding matters related to the procedural conduct or ethical behavior of Executive Committee members.
within Section 7 -- Conventions
[this is a new Section 7.3 and thus would bump down current 7.3 to 7.4, etc.]
Section 7.3 -- Conventions hold the highest decision-making authority Decisions made at Party Conventions hold the highest authority, i.e., decisions made at Party Conventions can override decisions made by subordinate Party decision-making bodies.
Submitted by Nick Mellis
As of January 1st 2001, all candidates for public office running under the Green Party banner (state-wide or in congressional races) must be active and paying members. Active is defined as someone who has attended meetings (of their local) and has been visible in helping the Greens locally to help their local party grow. The responsibility remains with the person who is heading either a local or county meeting and can provide proof that the candidate did in attend at least 60% of the meetings held. Active shall not be defined as someone who simply writes a check and does not physically participate and presumes to have paid their way into running a campaign under the Green banner. A paid member shall be defined as a person who has paid to belong to the GPNJ membership prior to the campaign they are interested in running.
Submitted by Roger Sedmont, Rich Raimondi, Paul Williams
At or near the end of the Convention agenda time devoted to considering proposals from members, the presiding Chairperson may determine that we will probably not finish these deliberations on time and shall announce:
"Due to time constraints, consideration of proposals will now be suspended and will be re-started at the next Green Council meeting. All Party members may participate at this expanded Green Council meeting and are empowered to vote on any carryover proposals; however, no new proposals or other business from the Convention will be in order."
Decisions made on these carryover proposals at this expanded GC will be considered as having the same effect as any decided at the Convention. The expanded GC meeting to consider any carryover proposals will be held on a Sunday at a location that can accommodate all interested party members such as the Labor Education Center in New Brunswick.
Submitted by Rich Raimondi, Roger Sedmont, Paul Williams
We ask that the GPNJ strike the word demilitarization from all future GPNJ materials and we discontinue the distribution of any in print. As an alternative, we ask that the following be substituted: "that GPNJ supports global disarmament that is step-by-step, mutual and verifiable. GPNJ urges that the United States join other nations and sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, as well as the International Anti-personnel Landmine Treaty."
[Friendly amendments / revised language will be sincerely considered by sponsors of this resolution.]
Submitted by the GPNJ Diversity Committee
including Joe Mosley and Joe Fortunato and by Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People's
Organization for Progress
Comment from Joe Mosley:
I believe that anyone voting on this proposal should
have information regarding the content of HR 40, hence I have added in
capital letters additional wording and enclosed in brackets words that should be
removed.
The Green Party of New Jersey believes that African-Americans have a legitimate claim to reparations for the cruelty and exploitation that group of people suffered during centuries of slavery, and for 150 years of racist oppression and discrimination which have followed. African-Americans must be compensated for the labor that millions of people were forced to give during the period of their enslavement, and for the suffering and loss they have had to endure for generations due to its legacy.
IN OKLAHOMA A BIRACIAL COMMISSION HAS JUST CONCLUDED THAT JUSTICE DEMANDS THAT REPARATIONS BE PAID TO THE VICTIMS OF OKLAHOMA'S GREENWOOD MASSACRE. We demand that the United States Government recognize this legitimate claim to reparations and begin the process of compensation.
As [a first] THE NEXT step towards reparations, we call upon Congress and the President to pass and to sign into law H.R. 40, A BILL "TO EXAMINE THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY," SUBSEQUENT "DE JURE AND DE FACTO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FREED SLAVES AND THEIR DESCENDANTS," THE IMPACT OF THESE FORCES "ON LIVING AFRICAN-AMERICANS" AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONGRESS ON "APPROPRIATE REMEDIES." PASSAGE OF [a] THIS bill, sponsored by Congressman John Conyers, [which] would establish a commission to study reparation proposals [for African-Americans]. THIS IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE THE MAKING OF A WELL-REASONED CASE FOR BROADER NATIONAL RESTITUTION WILL DO WONDERS FOR THE SPIRITS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS.
Slavery and the slave trade in the Western Hemisphere was one of the most horrific episodes in all of human history. For hundreds of years, millions of Africans were forcibly brought to this country against their will and enslaved. Their labor, for which they were not compensated, enriched this nation. In 1860, the greatest amount of capital in the United States, larger than industrial and banking capital combined, was created by slaves. African-American slave labor created tremendous wealth for America, wealth which would be valued at trillions of dollars today. And, in addition to being super-exploited, slaves were prevented by law from accumulating any wealth of their own.
After the Civil War, there was no program of compensation or land reform put into place for America's ex-slaves. With the abolition of slavery, a system of legal white supremacist segregation and discrimination was put into place that continued much of the unjust economic exploitation and racial oppression of Black people, right into our lifetime. African-Americans must be compensated for the suffering and losses of slavery, for the agricultural peonage known as sharecropping, for the convict labor-lease system known as the chain-gang, for the expropriation and destruction of property during white racist riots, like that which took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1920s, and for economic discrimination as a result of Jim Crow segregation. The Green Party of New Jersey supports the call for Reparations Now and supports the effort to pass H.R. 40, the reparations bill FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS.
Submitted by Joe Fortunato
The Green Party of New Jersey RESOLVES TO stand with those who have been and remain active in both the Statewide and national movements against police brutality, repression and criminalization. We agree with those, such as Amnesty International, for example, who have recognized that police brutality is a national epidemic. We recognize that this scourge of police brutality hits hardest in communities of color. We believe that the problem is systemic, not just a case of a few "isolated incidents", or a problem of "a few bad apples" on some police forces. We have seen through efforts of groups like the Stolen Lives Project, for example, which have compiled documentation of over 2,000 incidents of police killings of civilians over the last few years, that the problem is massive and national in scope. We support those who have taken to the streets to call for justice for Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, as well as for New Jersey victims such as Earl Faison, Stanton Crew, Strawberry Daniels and Michael Anglund, to name just a few of those who have been victimized.
The Green Party of New Jersey also RESOLVES TO oppose repression in the United States and in New Jersey. We oppose the laws and decisions on both a Federal and State level, which have limited our rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, as well as our rights to privacy. We view as ominous the increasing government use of cameras in public places, as well as recent court decisions that have called into question the basic Constitutional right to remain silent when accused. We recognize that there are political prisoners in the United States. We reaffirm our call for a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and call for a moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty in New Jersey.
Finally, THE GPNJ RESOLVES TO oppose the criminalization of our youth. We recognize that there are now over two million of our people incarcerated in the United States, the overwhelming majority being people of color. We oppose draconian drug laws that have criminalized so many of our young people. We further oppose the privatization of our prisons, which has created a situation where longer and more incarceration of inmates means more profit for corporations.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE GREEN PARTY OF NEW JERSEY OPPOSES POLICE BRUTALITY, REPRESSION AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF A GENERATION.