Progressive Democrats of NC Meeting

January 31, 2009

The meeting started with several NC Democratic Party candidates making a pitch to the group and fielding questions. David Young, who is running to be state chair, was questioned about the possibility of Shuler running for US Senate. Mr. Young did not think that was going to happen. Mr. Young said that he supports collective bargaining for state employees as it is part of the NC Democratic Party platform. He also said that he would do a nation-wide search for executive director and that the treasurer would post finances of the party on line.

Kevin Smith is running for 3rd Vice Chair. He wants to focus on transparency in the party operations, especially in financial operations. He proposed putting the budget on line (making it password protected) and asking for input. He wants to see the Party HQs in every rural county, and he supports Delmus Parker’s principles.

Tony McEwen is also running for 3rd Vice Chair. He announced after the endorsements were made by Progressive Democrats of NC Executive Committee. He said that he is involved in environmental groups and worked for Representative Watts.

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The candidates for NC Democratic Party offices left and the meeting was started officially. There were about two dozen in attendance.

Heiderose Kober, President, presided over the meeting. The first order of business was announcing the PDNC Executive Committee endorsement of Delmas Parker for 2nd Vice Chair and Kevin Smith for 3rd Vice Chair. These endorsements were presented to the meeting, voted on, and passed unanimously. A vote was taken about the possibility of endorsing for the Chair, and the group decided not to endorse for Chair. There was a discussion on Stella Adams, who is running for 1st Vice Chair, and the group voted to endorse Stella Adams.

Resolution to endorse Delmas Parker’s Principles was deferred to new business.

Resolution to support HK on J was passed (listed below), and the information about the event and the 14 points will be distributed to the SEC membership.

Next item of business was to elect someone for Treasurer to fill the vacancy in that position. Nick Divitci was nominated by the Executive Committee and he was voted into office. Another item of business was to make the position of PDA State Representative a part of the PDNC Executive Board. This would require a change of the bylaws. This was passed, and the bylaws will now read:

Article IX. Executive Committee

Section 1. Composition

There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of all Chapter representatives, the officers of the organization, the Immediate Past President, and the PDA State Representative for NC. The Executive Board shall act on behalf of the membership and the organization between Annual Meetings.

Under new business, we discussed and endorsed Delmas Parker’s Principles in Building the NC Democratic Party (listed below). There was discussion on changing the name of the “Vance-Aycock” dinner to the “Vance-Doughton” dinner. It was felt that we did not know enough about Doughton to make this recommendation, so a resolution will be presented to the SEC meeting to change the name of the “Vance-Aycock” dinner and to consider “Doughton” as a possible replacement. (These resolutions did not get discussed and voted on at the SEC meeting because we lost a quorum.)

There was also a discussion about putting a progressive in a Secretary of the NC Democratic Party. Meeting ended and all went to the State Executive Committee meeting.

Resolution in Support of the NC NAACP’s H-K on J (Historic Thousands on Jones St.) Rally and March on Saturday, February14, 2009

Whereas, the NC NAACP is this year celebrating its 100th anniversary of fighting for the rights of the African Americans, low income people, and other victims of discrimination in our state, and, in so doing, exemplifies the goals of the NC Democratic Party; and

Whereas, the NC NAACP and its over 80 partner organization are organizing the third annual H K on J rally and march on February 14th in Raleigh to bring the 14 points of the People’s Agenda again before the state and the legislature and to step up pressure for their enactment;

Therefore be it resolved that the North Carolina Democratic Party strongly endorses the H K on J rally and march again this year and will communicate such to its members and elected officials and strongly urge them to attend.

Resolution in Support of Nine Principles in Building the North Carolina Democratic Party

Whereas, we embark on our greatest challenge and opportunity in living memory--both as a party and as a country--and need to build a Party that serves all people and cultivates a sense that individual politics do count and every vote does matter; and

Whereas, the platform and resolutions adopted by the North Carolina Democratic Party are evidence that the Democratic Party still best addresses the life concerns of ordinary people and that our professed values and ideas speak to the problems and needs of working families from all walks of life across the state; and

Whereas, the North Carolina Democratic Party--while working closely with executive or legislative office holders--needs to remain independent and be transparent, accessible and accountable to its grassroots base.

Therefore, be it resolved that the State Executive Committee of the Democratic Party supports the following principles:

To build the party from the precinct up, allowing issues to percolate from the local precincts to the county, district, and State Executive Committees where decision and prioritization can be reached, and a legislative action agenda formed representing the rank and file, the grassroots membership, of the Democratic Party; and

To place greater emphasis on grassroots, small donor contributions, and use internet opportunities to augment fundraising, putting procedures and internal controls in place to insure an open and transparent audit of the budget including contributions and expenditures with a detailed analysis provided on-line for grassroots membership; and

To tie the party together statewide through the interface between technology and grassroots activism, to employ sophisticated internet techniques to recruit volunteers and raise funds, and to poll activists and voters so that we may better respond to their ideas and needs; and

To tap into the energy of issue groups, including peace, environmental, reform groups, as well as people of color, to form broad electoral coalitions; and

To organize a task force in each of the three regions--an umbrella organization modeled on the Western Task Force--to bind together, under the direction of regional political directors, and the County parties in our western, central and eastern regions with a common agenda and unified effort. Each region best understands local needs and can best design programs to address those local needs. Each region would be autonomous in designing a regional program for effective political action. District directors will report to task force chairs, and will be funded through tax check off funds; and

To revise and amend the Plan of Organization to better link our party's platform and resolutions to action by Democratic legislators; and

To provide for virtual State Executive Committee meetings and conventions in each of the state's regions by using distance learning links at selected community college sites in the eastern, central, and western regions; and

To share revenues with county parties through the tax check-off committee based on an accountability formula in each county such as voter turnout, performance or voter registration; and

To develop more democratic institutions at every level of our election process -- starting with campaign finance reform.

Photo: Jerry Meek at the podium, just before the election of a new Party Chair. I am sorry to see Jerry Meek go - he did great things for the Democratic Party, and he was totally supported by the progressives when he ran for office and while he was Chair.