The harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club meets tonight to consider a parliamentary procedure that could lead to an an early endorsement for state Sen. Carole Migden, who faces a challenge in next June's primary from Assemblymember Mark Leno. Not surprisingly, the sleaze is flying
We haven't endorsed in this race, and we won't until next spring, but I have said, repeatedly, that both sides ought to play fair and keep it clean and try to avoid doing long-term damage to the progressive community. If Migden manages to disenfrancise Leno supporters at Milk, it will be one of those ugly moves that hurts the club's credibility.
Everyone tries to pack club endorsements. The Milk Club rules are designed to block that, and this may be an unintended consequence. But there are plenty of people who are clearly legit, long-term members of the Milk Club, and if there's any question about who gets to vote, it ought to be decided in a way that is as democratic as possible.
Migden's a former club president, and has a lot of strong Milk allies. She's been a Milk person for years, and Leno has been much more closely allied with the more moderate Alice B. Toklas Club. Migden doesn't need to play any games here; Leno's the underdog for this endorsement anyway.
By the way, perhaps the Milk Club members could ask Sen. Migden why she's so fond of Republican Don Fisher,, and whether she will take the $7,200 he's given her campaign and turn it over to the Yes on A/ No on H campaign.
And to keep the debate lively, they can ask Assemblymember Leno why he's so supportive of Mayor Gavin Newsom.
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Comments (20)
“It would cause too much dissension in the LGBT community,” Leno once told me after I encouraged him to think about running for Mayor against Newsom.
Funny.
The Milk Club endorsed Quintin Mecke without too much fanfare. But tonight’s showdown between Leno and Migden felt like a street brawl.
Replete with political tension, procedural gymnastics, an attempted political fix, and plenty of shouting, Carole Migden walked out with an overwhelming final vote to conduct Milk’s endorsement vote on December 11th. Of course this was after Leno forces left after Milk Club President, Brian Bassinger, called the original 130-80 vote void and announced the meeting adjourned. I was even embroiled in the controversy when the Chair refused to recognize my motion to sustain the majority vote.
This was a night that will be remembered for years. Have you ever wondered why two of the most stalwart gay progressives, Harry Britt and Howard Wallace, hate each other? It’s because of nights like tonight. (They both were in attendance on opposite sides.)
After tonight, it’s clear that Leno’s challenge is further dividing the community. And that is definitely bad for progressives.
Posted by Chris Daly | October 23, 2007 11:38 PM
With all due respect Supervisor, I am wholly unable to wrap my mind around how after a few years in office you've gone from a crusader against machine politics to the most prominent San Franciscan voice against voters having a choice. I just don't get it.
Last night was disgraceful. You had Rafael Mandelman declaring that Milk was Migden's club, yet she had to resort to dirty tricks to rig the vote to get an endorsement? I expect the GOP to pull such stunts (i.e. Impeachment, Bush v. Gore, Ohio 2004, CA electoral vote initiative). But this is the worst I've seen from a San Francisco Democrat in the post-machine era since Migden's infamous Ghost Voting scandal.
IMHO, you've been way off on this race from the start. It wasn't so long ago you wrote, "[Carole Migden]'s also up double digits, so it's time we call this one for Migden and get on with the job of putting a progressive in the Mayor's Office."
Yet within a month of that statement, it looked ridiculous as a non-partisan poll was released saying 43% thought Migden should resign and only 30% believed she should remain in office -- much yet be blessed with another election "victory" by forfeit. And by then you'd already stated it was too late in the calendar for a viable progressive challenger for the Mayor -- who received a Migden-esqe walk despite your best efforts.
Even more ironic, is the fact that in the debate over the future of the Democratic Party, your talking points are the same used by those in the DLC who clutched their pearls when Joe Lieberman was *gasp* actually forced to campaign.
In fact, after last night's theater on the lengths Migden will go to in her quest to maintain the power she has attained without a competitive election, we should all be glad that California has a spoiler safeguard to prevent her from starting a "California for Migden" party to disregard the primary vote ala Lieberman.
You were right in 2000 (that's why I voted for you). I respectfully disagree with you on this race for the exact same reasons.
And I can guarantee who is going to win: the voters! For the first time since Migden left for Sacramento so many years ago. No amount of Don Fisher investment in Migden can stop that. Which is something I'd expect you to applaud.
* Proud to work for Mark Leno
Posted by Bob Brigham | October 24, 2007 01:12 PM
Regardless of personal position, Tuesday night’s meeting of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club was an embarrassment to the legacy of the club’s namesake. President Brian Basinger was clearly far too biased in his support of one candidate to lead the meeting. Basinger’s lack of honest leadership was a complete embarrassment which sent a clear signal—majority does not rule so long as the President disagrees.
The fact of the matter is that Basinger flamboyantly moved to disregard the clubs overwhelming support for Senator Carole Migden. Basinger repeatedly failed to recognize speakers who supported Migden, while acknowledging some Leno supports multiple times. Though Migden won by a 2-to-1 majority, chaos ensured. Basinger initiated a parliamentarian bitch-fight, with the purpose of negating the will of the large majority.
Basinger was clearly aware of his bias, as he informed club Vice-President Paul Mooney that he would not chair the meeting—a correct step which Basinger failed to take. It doesn’t matter who you support in the State Senate race—this should remain a democratic process where majority rules. What happened Tuesday shamed Milk’s legacy and shamed the Club’s past Presidents, and Leno should condemn Basinger’s actions.
After all, Leno promised not to divide us.
Re: Fisher, if it wasn’t for this race, Migden would be working across the state to fight the GOP in swing districts. Leno knew that, and it leads one to wonder where the systematic vision is.
Posted by PeterL
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October 24, 2007 03:09 PM
Since before the time most of us remember, Alice Club/BMW have been engaged in a heated battle with the Milk Club. Mostly it is focused on issues (like development/rent control/condo conversions) but it is also queer candidates, especially running against each other. It is always pitting progressive against moderate. It has been Leno, mostly-against Britt against Hanson, but with BMW it is also Ammiano, Daly and now both against Migden.
The recent attempt by the Alice/Leno supporters to infiltrate the Milk Club has been on everyone’s radar for a couple of years. Many of us want to bring our queer community together to fight important battles like an inclusionary ENDA, marriage equity, affordable housing, transit first policies, universal healthcare. But the reality of our history, our present, and our future is that we also have major disagreements about critical issues like rent control, condo conversion and TICs, displacement and gentrification, development policies, taxation, homeless policies, immigration, crime prevention policies, living wage, worker’s rights, etc.
We respect that some long time members have issues about Carole Migden. But, that said, the overwhelming majority of our membership wants to vote early on this race. At this point, we are increasingly confident that the club will support Migden. Her strong and effective history of fighting our battles in Sacramento can’t be ignored just to make room for a termed-out assemblyman. Go to her we The sooner we resolve this issue—the sooner we can move on to pay attention to issues that are urgent and need our attention. To continue to be diverted to artificially swell the membership ranks – and both sides have done this- and then engaging in the BMW strategy of “demolition” is doing our club a huge disservice.
We want to be transparent here, we support Carole Migden. Several of us told Mark early on that his getting into the race would end up here---dividing our community. The entire Migden/Leno situation reeks of the sexist reality that there are disturbing double standards imposed on female leadership. This is especially true on the left. Instead of being called effective and strong----women are, even in this day and age, called bitches or other demeaning descriptions. Instead of praise for aggressive advocacy-- women are categorized as bossy and pushy. Migden has been one of the most effective progressive leaders we have had. As such, she has made enemies. Some of the same enemies as Ammiano and Daly.
None of us agree with everything she does. In addition to the obvious Alice/Milk issues-even a few long time members in our club have valid (though mostly personal) reasons to not support her. We are going to disagree on some things. However, it is consistent and right to hold an early endorsement vote. Our club voted an early endorsement of Ammiano. There are club members who had issues with that-but they cast their vote and then moved on. We have gotten overwhelming support through our political action committee, our eboard and our general membership by following our proscribed process. The vote at last nights meeting was close to 130 to 80 to early endorse. This process has followed the rules precisely. Any claim to the contrary is just not true.
The Leno supporters are desperate to stop the voice of our club. The Milk Club has long been the standard-bearer for progressive candidates and issues in the queer community. We have worked with our progressive allies on so many issues and our partnerships have been increasingly effective. Now those who disagree with us are trying to silence our voice and make a mockery of our process. In true BMW style-they accuse us of the very tactics they are using. If they can’t take over the club, they will try to silence us.
Don’t let them silence us.
Enrique Asis,
Krissy Keefer,
Michael Goldstein,
Shona Gochenaur
Rafael Mandelman
Debra Walker
Past and current Milk Club officers and community activists.
Posted by debra walker | October 24, 2007 05:23 PM
Stacking the club with East Bay attorneys who are clearly there for one reason and one reason only -- forcing an early endorsement of Carole Migden -- is not what the Milk Club should be about.
I have no problem with active Milk Club members who support Migden, and are willing to have an honest dialogue about the issues. But last night's charade was an attempt to pack the house and intimidate us into foisting an early endorsement.
How dare you try to play the moral high horse after what you pulled last night?
Posted by Paul Hogarth | October 24, 2007 05:42 PM
ugh. To the editors: don't give an endorsement to either Leno or Migden, regardless of your opinions. It's safe.
Posted by expatriate | October 24, 2007 06:33 PM
I first joined Milk in '95. The Milk endorsments are usually competitive. As for last night, Leno lost. Period. Even if you carve out the new members, Midgen still wins. And for the record, I saw more than a few new members joining at Leno's request. So, it was not all those big bad East Bay attorney's "stacking" the club. Gimme a break!
Posted by David Serrano Sewell | October 25, 2007 12:13 AM
To be clear:
There was a vote on the early endorsement question. It passed.
A member was recognized by the Chair and made a Motion to Reconsider and it was seconded.
I was consulting with both sides as to the procedure for the motion and did not recognize any of the people yelling at that time.
Both sides agreed that the motion does not require a vote and puts the question over into the next regularly scheduled general membership meeting.
I have always been a big supporter of Supervisor Chris Daly and have always defended him at every opportunity, especially when he has been mischaracterized in the press. In this instance, I want to clarify the Supervisors mis-statement saying that I had declared the original vote void. It is not voided, it is carried over to the next regularly scheduled general membership meeting. That was per the aforementioned motion that both sides agree was in order.
Migden's side proffered an Objection to the Motion. It did not get the 2/3 majority required to override so the motion to reconsider prevailed. This is the end of the question and no further voting is allowed on the subject at the meeting.
A member was recognized by the chair and a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. I called the meeting adjourned as per our regular way of doing business. We were also over time at our room rental and the building was closing.
After the meeting was adjourned some folks who did not like the outcome were attempting to hold their own impromptu rap session in order to take a second bite of the apple. This is out of order. The meeting was adjourned. Even if the meeting had not been adjourned, there cannot be a second vote on the objection to the motion.
Posted by Brian Basinger | October 25, 2007 02:20 AM
The bottom line is, both Mark and Carole are good candidates and valuable progressives representing us at the state level. Each is an honorable pick, and I have a private one. Publicly, I think progressives should strongly consider dual endorsements. But with two talented politicians battling it out, of course we're going to have spectacles like the last Milk Club meeting--it's almost their job, they've declared, they're supposed to try to win.
What's disturbing is that two hundred people and most of the progressive power players showed up for a procedural move to choose between these candidates at a club that influences a tiny percentage of the voters in the State Senate district. When, things as they are, none of it matters.
Back in real life, rent control will almost certainly, things as they are now, be repealed early next year. There will be a state initiative combining emminent domain restrictions and rent control repeal, and last year a much more extreme version of the same bill lost by only a couple of percentage points. Rent control does not have broad support outside of San Francisco. We can expect displacement of hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans, including most of the readers of this paper, and most of the voters for progressive causes. The voting characteristics of the city will be more like suburban Sunset than the Mission within 2-3 years.
What's your plan? Carole, Mark, Aaron, Chris, Debra, Rafael, Scott, etc, etc. have you figured out how you're going to win in a town that will start voting Republican within a couple of years? Or do you have a plan for getting support for rent control in the Central Valley, for mounting a serious state campaign to preserve the city? Those are the two ways forward available to us, and that choice is the one that matters.
Posted by Greg Shaw | October 25, 2007 11:43 AM
Folks: I know this isn't always easy, and there are all kinds of deep historic divisions (as Debra mentioned above) between Milk and Alice, and there are deep historical as well as current political issues and alliances that make the Migden-Leno race tough.
But let's remember: This kind of argument, while painful, can also be healthy from time to time, and I've seen some very, very heated Milk Club debates in my 25 years or so of covering this stuff, and in the end, the club will survive (if San Francisco does).
I think Greg has a key point here: The city is under immense pressure right now, and is changing dramatically, and if rent control is repealed, it will be hard to image how rapidly things will change.
So let's keep things in perspective -- the Migden-Leno debate is important, but it doesn't have to divide the community on the bigger battles.
Posted by tim redmond | October 25, 2007 04:53 PM
I agree with you Tim. And with you Greg. We all knew when Mark first decided he was running that this race would divert precious time and attention away from every other race and issue.
It has. Very few Milk Club members are helping with passing A—we are too occupied fighting each other. Do you think that is intentional? I do think this race matters. Do I like that we have to fight the battle. No. But for me it is a battle for a progressive Milk Club. Not Malice-Milk.
I want to correct the mistaken information shared by Brian Bassinger. The results of the club vote was an overwhelming vote of support of an early endorsement vote on December 11-the same date as the club endorsement for the February 2008 primary. There was a procedural attempt Tuesday to delay the issue, which should have, in my opinion, been ruled out of order. Brian attempted to adjourn the meeting without us actually voting on adjournment, but ultimately the 130-80 (approx) vote was upheld. It was contentious—but it is over. We will have a Milk early endorsement on December 11.
Sorry to bore you with the details—but this is a blog.
This race is not going away folks. But for the time being----go out and volunteer to get Prop A passed and Prop H defeated. There are horrible state initiatives in the formative stages that we must come together to defeat. March against the war tomorrow at 11 am at the civic center and then go walk a precinct.
Posted by debra walker | October 25, 2007 07:41 PM
I agree that the Milk Club folks would have been far more productive helping out Prop A pass this week than fighting with each other. That is true.
But you can't blame that on the fact that Mark Leno is running against Carole Migden.
Instead, blame it on Migden for trying to foist an early endorsement on the club -- when it is clear that members are divided. Early endorsements are only appropriate when there is an overriding consensus in the Club for one candidate. Here is not the case.
And as a progressive Milk Club member who has railed for years about the Alice inflitration of the Club, I am genuinely offended that people are trying to characterize this as a progressive vs. moderate race. It is not.
Where were you, Debra, and the others when Alix Rosenthal ran against Bevan Dufty??? I only begged Rafael for years to run against Bevan when the District 8 Supervisor was voting against pro-tenant bills in a majority tenant district.
I was only met with deaf ears, and calls for queer unity. Some of the same Milk Club people who are now railing against an "Alice" infiltration were celebrating for years how the 2 clubs are getting along so well.
Mark Leno has built bridges with the Left in the last 6 years that he has earned the respect from people like me who campaigned for Harry Britt. He is the go-to guy in Sacramento for every progressive cause, and we can't afford to lose him to term limits.
As for Carole, I respect her history and what she has done -- but I honestly can't tell what she's done in the Senate for the past 3 years. Nor has she made much of an effort, frankly, to let us know because she's never around. Until Mark challenged her, she would only send an aide to events.
Posted by Paul Hogarth | October 25, 2007 10:06 PM
The recent meeting was like a flashback of the paralyzing and pruning period of the Milk Club years ago. Demonizing,railroading, and polarizing antics resulted in many inspired and hard workers fleeing.The exiting seemed welcomed despite it weakening club efforts for that list of gut issues which beg attention.
We need to elevate leaders who magnetize people into movements and political processes. Leaders set a tone. Process counts. Its not just product. Its not just checkbooks and power.
We are not the enemy.We are the solution and the difference on all those gut issues that need we worker bees. The very bees that are discounted,with no or limited or token access only at election times.... because we lack checkbook/power leverage.
Yes we noticed...for years. That hasn't changed. Election times are feedback time on both product and process. Both candidates have credits for accomplishments and efforts.But big differences in process.
No one has a monopoly on having a vision of the future, though at times you would think it was just the mouthy leaders that know the trail.
I reject the gender difference/double standard allegation. Its not ok, whether man or woman, to be unaccessible, dismissive, rude, or have a checkbook/power lense. That does not nourish and sustain participation and contribution to the movement. That has a pruning effect.
The railroad antics,dismissive and disrespectful treatment toward many worker bees demonstrated at the meeting, underscored why Mark Leno has momentum in unseating a sitting incumbent. One of the candidates is accessible, listens, has respectful and appreciative engagement with contributing community members. You can disagree on an issue and know that you're still in the loop.
And not just at election time. Big difference. The push out/drop out process that prunes progressive strength does not have to be tolerated. These election cycles give us an opportunity to let those in power know, we notice the difference, and we will hold you accountable.Process counts.Hank Wilson
Posted by Smoothstone
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October 26, 2007 12:09 AM
I would delete the "We will hold you accountable." I'm attracted to the positive potential of Mark Leno, as opposed to being hostile towards Carol's style/process. I want to see a leader with a style than magnetizes people into participation and contribution. Mark has demonstrated that ...for years. Hank Wilson
Posted by Smoothstone
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October 26, 2007 12:35 AM
My dear colleague Debra Walker seems to be utilizing a tactic that says if you repeat something enough times, it becomes true.
It is correct that the membership voted in favor of a motion to set a December 11 special meeting. However, immediately after the adoption of this motion, I as the President, recognized long time member Paul Melbostad, who moved to reconsider the motion and to commit it to the minutes. It should be noted that this person had voted with the majority. That motion was seconded by multiple parties. (That another member of the club attempted to shout out a motion to adjourn is irrelevant, because the president did not recognize that member. The president recognized the member who made a motion to reconsider and commit to the minutes.)
Once that motion was seconded, prior to any call for adjournment, the approved motion to set the December 11 meeting was immediately suspended and of no effect. A vote was not required on the motion to reconsider. Rather, under Robert's Rules, the issue could no longer be taken up at the same meeting, and it could only be reconsidered at a subsequent membership meeting, the next such meeting to occur in January.
Another member then objected to consideration of the motion to reconsider and commit to the minutes. That objection, under Robert's Rules, required a 2/3 vote. The membership voted on the objection, and less than 2/3 voted in favor of it. The objection therefore failed.
At that point, the motion to reconsider and commit to the minutes was in tact. Upon a motion and second, the president then adjourned the meeting, which had come to an end based not only on the president's announced adjournment but also because the time limit for the meeting, per the agenda, had expired. It should be noted that adherence to the time limits had been a primary concern of the majority of the membership throughout the meeting, particularly the families with children present at the meeting.
After the adjournment, the Migden faction then stayed behind and attempted to convene an illegitimate rump meeting, one in which another club officer inappropriately declared himself chair. In that meeting, the Migden folks renewed their objection to consideration of the motion to reconsider and voted to support that objection.
This action was illegitimate for two reasons. First, the meeting had already been properly adjourned, and the Migden supporters had no authority to convene a new meeting or convene an adjourned meeting.
Second, even assuming that the meeting had not properly adjourned and even assuming the club officer had the authority to declare himself chair (both flawed assumptions), the renewed objection was illegitimate and therefore void. Once the membership rejected the first objection to consideration of the motion to reconsider, that objection could not simply be made again at the same meeting. Under Robert's Rules, you can't just keep making a motion over and over again until it passes. You have one opportunity to get your motion passed. If it fails, then you have to wait until the next meeting to raise the motion again.
Migden partisans on the eBoard now state, after the fact, that this inappropriate second objection was "in effect" a "suspension of the rules." The Milk Club bylaws do not contain a provision permitting for suspension of the rules, and Robert's Rules are clear that suspending the rules is only permitted if the organization's bylaws make provision for such a suspension.
As a result, the current status is that the motion to set the December 11 special meeting is suspended and of no force or effect whatsoever. The motion to reconsider and commit to the minutes can be voted on at the next membership meeting in January.
Thus, the Milk Club did not set a December 11 meeting. There is no December 11 meeting. Any members or officers of the Milk Club who purport to hold a December 11 meeting, for purposes of endorsements or anything else, are doing so illegitimately, and any endorsement coming out of that "meeting" will be illegitimate, in violation of the Club's bylaws, and frankly, illegal.
The reason we find ourselves in this divisive place at this time is because two of our former presidents - Debra Walker and Michael Goldstein - along with others conspired to engineer an end-run around the eBoard's fair and open process that we had been using all year in deliberating the question of whether or not to have an early endorsement and when.
Any attempts to subvert the process are in bad form. It is especially lacking in decorum for former presidents to exhibit that type of disrespect against the current leadership of the club they used to preside over.
We could have come together around an early endorsement but Debra and Michael had to go the extra mile and push thru an approach that cuts existing Club members out of the ability to vote without consulting the eBoard or even notifying the membership that we were going to consider an early endorsement. I fought this at the time because it is unwise, unnecessary and divisive. The result is not difficult to predict.
I am not alone. At least one eBoard member and our membership chair have publicly withdrawn support for Carole Migden because of the over-reaching tactics of her supporters on the eBoard.
They could have chosen an uplifting approach but instead chose to be divisive and it backfired on them. Over-reaching and division often do.
This only added insult to injury in an environment in which an eBoard member misappropriated the membership database and gave it to Migden's campaign. If I recall it was used to promote a campaign event hosted by Debra Walker and others.
I have tremendous admiration for Senator Carole Migden. I especially admire her public speaking skills and would love to be more like her in that area. More than one of her supporters on the eBoard have compared me to her, a point that I take some pride in. I have spoken with her about the direction some of her supporters seem to be taking in the Club and counseled her that she might want to try to reign them in because I feared the direction they were headed. I wish she had been able to take my advice.
I still counsel her supporters to maintain their civility. Many of her supporters' behavior was in clear violation of our bylaws and is grounds for removal from the Club. I will not hesitate to invoke that power if any further behavior like what was witnessed occurs at future meetings.
The upside of all of this is that this eBoard is gaining a thorough knowledge of our bylaws and is quickly becoming experts at Robert's Rules of Order. Something that will help all of us as we continue on our paths of growing into leaders for the LGBT and progressive communities.
The Club is once again in a pivotal position, is large, vibrant, has a respectable financial position, has made tremendous progress in our administrative infrastructure, and we will soon be having an office for the first time in our history. At least for this we can be thankful and have gratitude.
I am confident that the eBoard members can forgive a momentary lapse in judgement by some eager partisans and come together in a productive way that puts the Club ahead of any particular candidate, working toward a respectful resolution.
Brian Basinger
Posted by Brian Basinger | October 26, 2007 04:17 AM
"I am not alone. At least one eBoard member and our membership chair have publicly withdrawn support for Carole Migden because of the over-reaching tactics of her supporters on the eBoard." - Brian Basinger
We don't have a "Membership Chair" so that is a flat out lie!
Tim Durning
Treasurer
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Posted by Tim Durning | October 26, 2007 03:04 PM
"The reason we find ourselves in this divisive place at this time is because two of our former presidents - Debra Walker and Michael Goldstein - along with others conspired to engineer an end-run around the eBoard's fair and open process that we had been using all year in deliberating the question of whether or not to have an early endorsement and when." - Brian Basinger
This is also untrue. I have been to every E-Board Meeting this year. The only time an Early Endorsement was discussed was after the PAC overwhelmingly decided to move forward with an early endorsement process on Oct. 2, 2007. You need to get your facts straight before posting this junk.
Tim Durning
Treasurer
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Posted by Tim Durning | October 26, 2007 03:10 PM
"I still counsel her supporters to maintain their civility. Many of her supporters' behavior was in clear violation of our bylaws and is grounds for removal from the Club. I will not hesitate to invoke that power if any further behavior like what was witnessed occurs at future meetings." -Brian Basinger
You are joking, right? You have managed to bungle legitimate complaints by either stacking the E-board with partisans or not doing anything at all. Now you are going to threaten the majority of the membership with expulsion because they don't support your candidate for State Senate? At least you won't be in office much longer. That's something to look forward to.
Tim Durning
Treasurer
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
Posted by Tim Durning | October 26, 2007 03:53 PM
First of all, I would like to say here publicly that there would be no question about what was said or done at this or any other meeting if the Club's Recorder, Rick Hauptman, was actually doinng his job and taking minutes. He has been seen at a few meetings lately writing things down, but no one seems to know what or where anything is posted, and Mr. Hauptman MUST be removed from the eboard before he is able to add to his long list of "accomplishments" another thing that he HASN'T done.
Yes, it's true, while I do an incredible amount of work for the Milk Club, I am in no way, shape or form the "Membership Chair." I have no desire to be an officer in the club and am only a volunteer, albeit an overworked one.
I too am upset by the number of people who otherwise have no interest in the club whatsoever who came and joined just to affect a procedural vote. I can see nothing democratic about this.
I can see no reason to call the 12/11 meeting a "special meeting" since it is nothing more than a regularly scheduled meeting that had to be rescheduled because it fell on Christmas. The term "special meeting" should be reserved for meetings that are indeed special, like the third one in a month that we called to revisit the question of a Mayoral endorsement.
I believe that Senator Migden would have carried the club without all the divisiveness of Tuesday's meeting and would have looked so much better for everyone involved.
I believe that since it is known that our President, Biran Basinger, is a Leno supporter, no matter what he says or does will be construed as being something "for" Leno. I myself voted against the process happening on Tuesday night and was accused of being "against Migden." What a democratic shame that someone cannot vote her conscience without being accused of something. Since I have withdrawn my public support for any candidate, no one can accuse me of anything further when I voice my opinion. It was not the Leno people who caused me to do this.
I believe that President Brian Basinger has done much good for the club and also to raise awareness of our very existence. Our Annual Dinner this year was over the top and a great fundraiser, thanks to President Basinger's efforts. All this while still maintaining his position at the Aids Housing Alliance and doing all that work as well.
I believe we should all shut up and get back to work. I myself have to enter into the Milk Club database all those folks who formerly had no interest in the club and will most likely show no interest after this race is over.
Respectfully,
Terrrie Frye
Posted by Terrrie | October 26, 2007 04:19 PM
Again folks---go out and work on a campaign this weekend!!!
Here are the details for this week:
Dear Yes on A/ No on H supporters,
This Saturday and Sunday, we're expanding our weekend activities to make sure we get our pro- transit, pro- environment, pro- healthy city, pro-worker message out loud and strong, far and wide. With less than two weeks til election day, we've got to get out there. So, come by yourself or grab a friend, wear some comfortable clothes and shoes, and spend a morning with us dropping Yes on A/ No on H lit in precincts all over the city- making the difference in what the Guardian, the Board of Supervisors, Environmental organizations, Labor, and Communities are calling some of the highest stakes campaigns in decades.
When: Saturday 10 am-2 pm AND Sunday 11 am-3 pm
Where: Meet at 350 Rhode Island (Entrance is on Kansas between 16th and 17th)
RSVP: Let us know you're comingTransitnottraffic@gmail.com or (415) 357-1479
If you can't make it out Saturday or Sunday, come phonebank instead!
Mon,Tues,Weds, Thurs from 5-9, Sat 1-5 and Sun 4-7.
350 Rhode Island (Entrance is on Kansas between 16th and 17th
And we will be having a Milk Endorsement meeting on December 11--so put it on your calendar.
See you out there this weekend!!
Posted by debra walker | October 26, 2007 08:03 PM