Proposal 04-11 to officially recognize the Greater Boulder Green Party as a local chapter of the Green Party of Colorado
1. Title: State Council recognition of the Greater Boulder Green Party. Co-sponsors: Robert Kinsey, Aaron Ney.
2. Text: The individuals who have been meeting monthly in Boulder as a prospective local chapter of the GPOC wish to be submitted to the State Council for official recognition.
3. Background: Kevin Alumbaugh, formerly of the Adams/Jeffco chapter of the GPOC, moved to the Nederland area in 2010 and began planning to establish a new local in the Boulder area. There was a local chapter in Boulder several years ago but unfortunately it became defunct. There has been much discussion about the need for a local in Boulder as it has approximately 1000 registered Greens and is known as a liberal community.
Coincidentally Bonnie Ballantyne contacted the GPOC soon thereafter to inquire about a local chapter in Boulder. Bonnie has a long history of community organizing, outreach, and activism and she was surprised that a local chapter of the GPOC did not currently exist in Boulder. Kevin and Bonnie subsequently had two meetings to discuss plans to contact Greens in the area and get the word out that a new local might be starting up.
Following a successful January 2011 meeting there was apparently considerable local interest. At the following meeting in February officers were selected and bylaws were approved. This is a requirement for recognition by the State Council. Due to unusual circumstances on the Council and a temporary moratorium on proposal activity it was not possible to submit a proposal for recognition until this time.
The approved bylaws of the Greater Boulder Green Party are attached. The selected officers are: Bonnie Ballantyne Co Chair Patti Smith Co Chair Emily Eisentrager Secretary Shannon Fritz-Penniman Treasurer Kevin Alumbaugh State Council Representative Bonnie Ballantyne State Council Representative (two additional state representatives are to be named later)
4. Justification/Goals: To establish a local chapter of the GPOC to reach out to the greater Boulder community and promote the Green Party of Colorado and the Ten Key Values. T To create a platform that identifies issues that are important to Greens in the Boulder area and create plans of action to address those issues. To conduct outreach to inform members of the Boulder community that a local chapter of the GPOC is active and hopes to attract new members and qualified individuals to strengthen the party and run for elected office. Outreach efforts would also seek to inform the public of why the Green movement needs the Green Party; that the Green Party accepts no funding from and therefore is not influenced by corporate interests; and individuals who promote a “progressive,’ or “liberal’ political agenda will find their values better reflected in the Green Party platform than that of the two corporate parties or other third parties.
5. Pros: Establishing an official chapter of the GPOC in Boulder could result in significant numbers of new registered Greens and promote the Green Party platform, Ten Key Values, and generate votes for Green candidates. The local chapter could also be effective in reaching out to young people in the community and establish a presence on the CU campus.
6. Cons: None.
7. Estimate of Fiscal Impact: Promotion of a new state local could result in increased donations to the GPOC treasury.
8. Alternatives: Not establishing a new local chapter of the GPOC in the Boulder area.
