Report from Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties

Goals and Strategy Meeting

Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Feb. 19, 2011

Return to GPCA_Strategic_Action_Plan page.

Participants

Cameron Spitzer	Susan Dridi	Dana St. George
Caroline Yacoub	Barry Marchessault	Warner Bloomberg
Gloria Purcell	Sanda Everette	Valerie Face
Lois Duperault	Cheri Duperault	Alan Duperault
Gerry Gras	Brian Good	Tian Harter
Fred Duperault	Barry Hermanson	Jim Stauffer

Introduction

The following are excerpts from the invitation to this event:

The state party would like to engage county Locals in an exercise to help establish long-term goals for the party. By agreeing on a set of goals, we give the party definition and purpose. From those goals we develop strategies for their implementation.

The state party wants to hear what Locals think our long-term goals should be. This requires some degree of open discussion, but the exercise must remain moderated by the theme of realistic goals. For every suggested goal, the presenter should have some idea of a strategy to implement that goal. Basically, the question to answer is, "What should the GPCA accomplish in five years and in ten years?"

Discussion Notes

First, goals were listed and benefits of those goals were added. Then, the goals were reviewed and annotated with "needs" required to implement them. These "needs" are the basic elements of implementation strategies. Finally, the "needs" were analyzed for common threads across the goals. This defines core resources and tasks needed to affect the over-all goals and strategies.

Goals and Needs

In discussing the benefits of each goal, common themes emerged: party growth, visibility (e.g. name recognition; publicity; reputation), promoting Green values / making political statement, and recruiting and supporting candidates.

Goals:

Legislation - propose, write, and support
Needs:
• People and computers for tracking
• Qualified legislative authors
• Lobbyists and communications

Public Concerns - issues that are of the highest concern to the public at-large; responses to current events
Needs:
• Surveys, petitions, and public discourse to identify concerns; parse for viable, not contrived, concerns
• Relate to candidates' campaigns

Visibility / Recognition - public figures to promote the party; create/participate in significant political actions, generating publicity; wider use of Internet for broader reach
Needs:
• People and materials for tabling
• Use of Internet
• Activities/action that get attention
• Outreach to other organizations
• Impressive candidates
• Money for promotional tasks
• Identify key issues and articulate Green positions

Recruit Candidates
Needs:
• Find viable prospects; use personal and organizational contacts; name recognition desirable
• Better support from party

Increase Registration
Needs:
• People and training for voter registration
• Determine reasons people want to be Green; reasons why people reluctant to change registration
• Use of Internet
• Visibility and recognition

Electoral Reforms - finances, voting systems, ballot access
Needs:
• Identify specific reforms; overturn "Citizens United" lawsuit; repeal or reform Top-Two primaries (Prop 14); reinstate Fairness Doctrine; initiate public financing
• Create or support effective legislation
• Visibility and outreach

Build and Strengthen Locals
Needs:
• Contact all registered Greens; technology for outreach; regional events
• Articles in Green Focus on party building
• Understand reasons to join and stay active in the party
• Support from state party
• Local press coverage (letters to editor, actions and events); leverage off other organizations and schools

Common Themes

The following resource "needs" were found to be common to most goals:

• Fund raising
• Staffing - volunteers and paid staff
• Visibility and recognition
• Use of Internet
• Viable Locals and resources from state party