GA notes 12-24-11 By Shannon Stark Guss in Occupy Tulsa General Assembly · Edit Doc Occupy Tulsa General Assembly 12-24-11 Notes for 24 December 2011 REVIEW OF PROCESS Shannon: going over censensus procedures. How people can plug in. rights and responsibilities. Hand signals. Mike: the nature of the “block.” What does it mean and when do you use it. Need to create an atmosphere or culture where people feel free to ask questions and contribute. Shannon: Quaker model discussion. James: Progressive Stack and “step up/Step back” policies discussed. Processes Recap’ Announcements/Report Backs: Mike: brought treats for the group. Cheri: (Recording the meeting) Accounting workgroup.. points of clarification on proposal.. need to include money order. need to included a running list of capital donations and where that list will be kept. Mike: clarification, money orders added to aid with individuals that want to remain anonymous with their donations. Occupy the Courts phone call – gave timeline to do press releases. Mike: What is Occupy the Courts. Shannon: Citizens United, gives Corporations “personhood” and free speech rights and took away limitations and accountablility for indirect campaign “contributions.” If you don’t play the the “unfair” rules, then you lose. Mike: make it clear that we should not focus on just corporate money, but also PAC and other organized groups giving indirect campaign contributions. Shannon: Occupy the Courts is bringing awareness to corporate personhood and citizen united part played in that issue. Mike:(c) Citizens United was not just about corporations, but about money. Corporate personhood was actually created by Santa Clara vs National railroad. Eli: movement focuses on getting the money out of politics in multiple ways, this is one way to focus on one of the problems. Part of the system of problems. Barney: Understands Mike’s point, president of Wal Mart is a single contributor, $20 million, personal donation, not Wal Mart. Not necessarily about corporate personhood in that instance. Shannon: event at the federal courthouse. facebook workgroup. Laura: MLK parade, deadline was 31st. go with the OKC parade. New movement, but still need to pay respect to the Non violent Civil Rights movement. Shannon: Facilitators/Mediators workshop prior ro each GA as well as the process recap. Mike: clarity on statewide GA – Do you need volunteers? Eli: contact Amanda Hammack, hopefully the Central Library Agenda: (P) Accounting Proposals with clarifications (Carried) (P)Calendar Model of Activities (carried) (D) Two Occupation Groups (in process – work on “High Road” proposal) (removed) Occupy the Courts (removed) Facilitators/Mediators Process (D) Occu-House (recognition carried) (P)Media Communications (sent back to workgroup) (P) Monthly calendar of events (consensus on general idea, no themes discussed) Temperature check on going for one hour (good) Temperature check on proposals first, discussion items second. (good) Accounting Two clarifications Revote (passed) Calendar/Themes Helps plan the future up to 12 months ahead. Eli: can it allow for flexibility? James: Yes Laura: Would it stop us from standing on other issues? Eli: No, it helps structure and plan. Peggy: We missed MLK, Jr. day because we weren’t planning ahead. Laura: like it because it helps us plan Shannon: not just structure for planning, but the other part is to help clarify our message to the public. Any person can look at our activities in the future and start thinking about participating. e.g. Corporate Personhood and related issues. It is flexible, but it helps clarify – clarify – clarify. passed Media Communications: In order to deal with and gert beyond the 2 occupations, we need a media policy. Laura: Vote on riseup for options about Media policy. Under documents – Policy on speaking to the media (basically, individuals can say anything they want, GA should oversee all statements by either spokesperson (message facilitator) or written statements only. Laura like the idea of a rotating spokes person. If you are not a spokesperson and media contacts you, you decline to comment until it comes back to the GA. Eli: feels there’s a bit too much red tape. May need a rapid fire response at times, Media workgroup could have some authority. James: recap, so work group can make decisions Nick: May have someone come out to the Occu house to make a statement about why we’re not out. Mike: agrees with Eli, don’t need to come with every piece of info. Some decisions made by work group is good. Q?: How does the media work? Don’t they look for a person they can rely on? Cheri: authorized to make statements within a scope. Report back. Can make statement about OWS issues, under umbrella. Proactive statement may need to be approved ahead of time. It starts with an amount of trust. Laura: We’re not asking for approval of every comma or how we get message out. We just don’t want to make statements that the GA isn’t misrepresented. Eli: autonomy Mike: events planned ahead can be anticipated, programmatic things can be trusted. Time factor, spontaneity, doing that draws media attention. James: recaps that there is a feeling that this can go back to workgroup with the idea that more autonomy would be OK. Can comment as individuals. Laura: contact info – check out riseup…. Mike would like invite Cheri: AWG weighed complete accountability and control versus flexibility and not Eli: table James: proposal for them to write a proposal (passed) Occuhouse Solidarity Square is a voluntary occupation still, info table, lightweight and portable something, re-occupation next year. Keep in mind as general announcement. Occuhouse would like general endorsement of the project. Physical labor donations needed, long-term to work with AWG to collect funds for the house.. First step is internal Occuhouse proposals on ownership, internal dealings. Mike: general idea, what is it. Eli: Brittany and Chris bought a house, center, library, workspace Samantha: Tents are outside, work is inside. Mike: where is it? Eli: I’ll get you my number and you can come out. Mike: what kind of labor do you need. Eli: responds, what we need is general endorsement. Josh: it seems like we’ve run out of funds. Can we do a fundraiser? Temperature check: so so James: What does endorsement mean? Eli: that we can ask for labor. Mike: recognize it now, once it is in state that can be used, we can talk about how Tulsa GA gets access. Its a technicality of income. Eli: fundraiser would be for individual, not Occupy House. Cheri: maybe we should look at “affiliation” rather than “endorsement”. Lauren: I’d rather go with “recognize” or “affiliate”. Eli: Just for this GA, this is an independent project. Want some recognition so we can make announcements and ask for volunteers. James: limit “recognition” as meaning that it is appropriate to ask for volunteers. POI (Eli): We need to move stuff from Emily’s house to the Occubode so that it can be inventoried. Mike: suggestion to take pictures of items. Recognition (passed) Two Tulsa Groups: discussed Carried: MWG (Laura) is the point of contact for drafting a reconciliatory document Carried: Cheri and Eli are point of contacts for drafting a proposal Carried: explore other avenues