Article V, Section 2:
"H) The SCC shall ensure that, whenever the GPMI passes a motion that creates standing policy or procedure, such decisions are compiled and maintained in a document to be known as the GPMI “Rulebook”, along with any other standing or ad hoc committee policies and procedures submitted. The SCC shall also ensure that:
i) A hardcopy of the most current Rulebook is available for use at every statewide party meeting.
ii) The Rulebook is readily available to all GPMI members and locals
and is maintained in its entirety in at least one generally accessible electronic format (such as flat text, Rich Text Format, or HTML) in addition to any other electronic or non-electronic formats."

• Gender Balance

To achieve gender balance in our delegation to the National Committee, we will vote on separate slates of women delegates and men delegates.

• Method of Voting for Officer Elections

• Union Bug on Printed Materials

During the campaign season in 2000, the Green Party table at Laborfest (on Labor Day, in Detroit) was not what it should have been. Oh, we had literature to give away, and tee shirts and hats to sell, and plenty of enthusiastic people to work the table. The problem was, we were at an organized labor event, showing support for labor and asking for their support, but most of our literature did not have a bug on it to show that it had been printed at a union shop.

It's just not sensible to ask people to be your allies when you aren't willing to at least respect their customs. It's like wearing Nike to an anti-sweatshop rally; we did not fit in.

This mistake was discussed in 2001, and we decided to correct it, though no specific resolution was passed. Nonetheless, we did decide to be conscientious about labeling our printed literature. The union bug (a small-type indication of the union and the local that was employed at the printer) is not the only thing labor activists look for - good stands on the issues also count, and just showing up at the right times and places is important - but it is one thing they do look for. We need to at least be as attentive to this detail as the average Democrat.

For ad hoc flyers and such, copies run off tens at a time from an office Xerox or perhaps a hundred or two at Kinko's, including the phrase "labor donated" on the face of the sheet is an acceptable alternative. Even unions do not go to a union print shop for everything, and having the "labor donated" line is a good way to show we didn't forget about labor rights, even when that's not the immediate issue, even when we are in a rush. This would be needed only on material intended for public distribution. Purely internal documents, such as reports circulated at a state membership meeting, need no label of any sort.

If the item is intended for the public and we pay someone to print it, it ought to be printed at a union shop and it should have the bug on it. The most obvious literature to which this applies is Green Light, but it is just as true for leaflets, flyers, trifolds, pamphlets, buttons, bumper stickers, lawn signs, and so on. This applies to candidates of the Green Party as well.

It is not possible to defend the environment without the active support of wage workers. It is not possible for workers to defend human rights on the job without democratic unions. It is all the same struggle, and the union bug is one way to show which side we are on.

• Vetting candidates

IMPORTANT NOTE -- RESPOND TO QUESTIONNAIRE

IF YOU ARE A CANDIDATE FOR AN OFFICE THAT SERVES CONSTITUENTS OF MORE THAN ONE COUNTY, PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. SEND YOUR REPLY TO ME A.S.A.P., IN PLAIN TEXT WITH ANSWERS FOLLOWING EACH QUESTION AND I WILL FORWARD IT TO THE VETTING COMMITTEE FOR ITS REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION TO THE CONVENTION

If you are a candidate for an office that serves constituents within one county, and there is a local caucusing body (party local or county committee) for your county, they may have their own process. If so, please check with the local Greens. If there is no local caucus held, the statewide convention is the place where you can be nominated as a Green -- so I would urge you to answer the statewide questionnaire.

Local and non-partisan candidates may still reply to the statewide questionnaire. I will forward these replies as well to the GPMI vetting committee and/or the state convention, as time permits. This will, I hope, help us organize and co-ordinate campaigning.

Thank you for your commitment!

John Anthony La Pietra <jalp@internet1.net>



Green Party of Michigan
=======================
VETTING QUESTIONNAIRE


The following is a set of questions for everyone seeking nomination by GPMI. We are looking for prepared and articulate candidates who share and understand the values
of the Green Party.

A simple text reply, in the form of a text file if possible, should be provided to the GPMI nominations committee (the body organizing the nominating convention or caucus) a week
or more before the meeting at which you will seek nomination. Your reply will be circulated within the Green Party and printed copies will be distributed to all voting members at the nominating meeting.

Please use the first line for your full legal name, the address at which you reside, your date of birth, and the office for which you wish to be nominated.

Please provide the names and contact information for three references who have known you for at least three years.

Are you a member of GPMI and, if so, when did you join and why?

What political activities and organizations (parties) have you been involved with recently?

Have you run for office before? If so, when and for what office?

Are you a qualified elector of the district in which you want to run?

When did you file to create a candidate committee with the Michigan Secretary of State or county clerk (as required by Michigan election law)?

Please describe the campaign organization you already have, and how you hope to improve it.

Most candidates come up with some sort of "campaign biography", from a few sentences to a few paragraphs explaining briefly who the candidate is. What's your short bio?

Please say something about your understanding of the Four Pillars or the Ten Key Values of the Green movement, and how they will apply to the campaign issues in your area.

Will you pledge to run a financially clean campaign -- no corporate donations, no PAC money, full compliance with laws about candidate committees and record-keeping?

Are you agreeable to having "Green Party of Michigan" and "www.migreens.org" appear prominently on all your campaign literature, lawn signs, buttons, etc.?

Will your campaign literature, lawn signs, buttons, etc. be produced at a union print shop and have the union bug displayed or, if produced by donated labor, display the phrase
"labor donated"? If not, please explain.

Will you include a GPMI membership form with your standard campaign literature?

Is there is any portion of the GPMI Platform with which you disagree, and if so, how will you handle questions about these issues during your campaign?

• Conduct of business on the SCC

The state convention/membership meeting in Marshall (July 26-27, 2008) made a recommendation on new rules for doing business on the SCC Yahoo group. The rules are:
a. to count for purposes of determining quorum only active members of the SCC, meaning those members who have voted in at least one of the previous four polls; and
b. to consider as a proposal (for consensus or a poll) only an idea which has the support of at least two other members of the SCC. Any SCC member can bring an idea (about some action the SCC should take, such as an endorsement, a statement, etc.) to the SCC for discussion. It becomes a proposal when at least two other SCC members express support.

These two rules were discussed by the whole SCC, and adopted by consensus.

• Yet another