• Home
• Calendar
• Issues
• Minutes
• Archives
• Endorsements
• Join

HARVEY MILK CLUB MEETING MINUTES

Tuesday, Feb 28, 2005 PAC Meeting and Agenda

1. Proposal to expand redevelopment area in Bayview

Resolution: to oppose expansion of redevelopment and send letter to Redevelopment Commission

2. Community Aggregation

Resolution: to reaffirm Milk's committment to community aggregation, join the Community Energy Alliance, send representatives to lobbying on this issue, and send emails to supervisors.

3. Universal Health Care

Resolution: to make this issue one of the tope ten priorities of the club, and to send Sup. Dufty a letter from the club urging him to sign on to the Ammiano proposal.

4. Betty Yee

5. State Universal Preschool Initiative

Resolution: Will vote on an early endorsement of this intiative at the next general membership meeting.

6. Report on Citi Apartments campaign.

1. Discussion about rally against closure of pot clubs by Feds.

2. Discussion of chartering

Resolution: "Any current DCCC member who votes to expel the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club from the Democratic Party or against the Club in procedural votes will not be considered for endorsement in 2006."

3. Discussion of battleship Iowa berthing.

Resolution: The Milk Club reaffirms it's opposition to berthing the Iowa in San Francisco.

4. Voting for eboard will occur at January general membership meeting. Nominations for EBoard:

Greg Shaw, President

Larry Roberts, VP External

Kelly Dugan, VP Internal

John Emery, Correspondent

Kim Knox, Treasurer

5. Susan Kennedy

Resolution: "Through media and local events, the Milk Club will publicly challenge Susan Kennedy's support of the 2005 statewide propositions and the gay marriage veto, and urges LGBT and Democratic Party leaders on a statewide level to do the same."

Forum on progressive campaign tactics: What works? Progressive campaign tactics under the microscope.

1. Events: Christmas Party, Milk Memorial March, and December Forum

2. McGovern Resolution

3. Resolution: to Join San Francisco Peoples' Organization with two caveats

a) SFPO should not use Milk name when advertising endorsements different than our own.

b) we ask that SFPO give us warning if they are considering becoming a candidate endorsing organization.

4. Discussion of online newsletters and memberships

Attendees: John Emery, Greg Shaw, Michael Goldstein, Debra Walker, Paul Hogarth, Jerry Fuller, Paul Ross, Terry Frye, Maxin Doogan, Tom Gallagher

1. Tax and regulate marijuana campaign

2. Proposal for city sex worker anonymous grievances and oversight of police and labor conditions

3. Skyline campaign planning

4. Election news.

5. SEIU school workers potential strike (Ken Glenn presenting):

Resolution: to send a letter of support to the school district urging them to settle

  

Tuesday, Aug 28, 2005 General Membership Meeting

1. The Milk Club supports Supervisor Peskin's legislation to prevent tourist hotels with more than 50 rooms from converting to condominiums.

2. In solidarity with the workers at the San Francisco Chronicle, The Milk Club resolves to urge our members and the public to pledge to cancel their subscriptions to the Chronicle if the Chronicle locks any of its employees out of work, imposes unfair conditions upon any of them or forces any union to strike.

3. The Milk Club has joined the coalition of Citizens to Save the Waterfront, and urges the Port and Board of Supervisors not to extend the exclusive negotiating rights to the Mills Corporation for their proposed shopping mall and office park on Piers 27 to 31 and to reopen the bidding process to seek a project that offers maritime, water-related or recreational uses consistent with the needs of our unique and historic San Francisco waterfront.

4. By-laws were amended to clarify rules for expulsion from the Club and the formation and activities of caucuses.

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 PAC Meeting

The Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. To qualify to vote in the PAC for PAC endorsements to the general Club membership, members who were not PAC-qualified in 2004 must attend 2 2005 PAC meetings (January 4 through August 2, 2005) before the endorsement meeting August 20.

2. Those members who were qualified to vote in the PAC last year must attend one 2005 PAC meeting before August 20. There will be a PAC meeting August

3. To vote, PAC-qualified members must attend the PAC endorsement meeting Saturday August 20 for at least one hour, at which point they will be allowed to vote for the PAC recommendations to the Club.

4. The general Club endorsement vote will be in our August meeting, August 23.

5. The PAC unanimously voted to "adopt" the Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center, Davies Campus in the event of a United Health Care West strike. The PAC also voted to send a letter to Sutter calling for it to join other Bay Area hospitals in meeting the quality, safety, and labor standards designed by the United Health Care West's shop stewards.

The Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. endorse the Health Workers West July 23 pre strike mobilization

2. endorse the human rights ordinance sponsored by Sup. Ammiano in its current form.

3. endorse the SFTU strike on open houses where previous tenants evicted on July 30.

4. endorse and lobby for the implementation of the 1994 Task Force Recommendations on Prostitution

5. authorize the formation of the Fat Liberation caucus
Initial members: Marilyn Wann, Greg Shaw, Heather McAllister, Yalith Fonfa, Margarita Rossi, Natalie Bolero, Rick Hauptman, Esperanza Macias, Jennifer Portnick, Larry Roberts, Carole Cullum, Cheryl Swanson

6. authorize the formation of the tenants and housing caucus
Initial members
Brian Bassinger, Paul Hogarth, Sasha Magee, Tommi Avicolla Mecca, Steve Shubert, Harold Darling, Terrie Frye, Robert Haaland, Jerry Threet, Larry Roberts, Natalie Bolero, Rick Hauptman

7. put the following bylaw changes to the vote of the club at the July general membership meeting:

Change number one: new things members shouldn't do
Add to section VII, E:
"No Member shall
1. Threaten or carry out threats of bodily harm
2. Harass members at a member's home, workplace, in a public forum, or through excessive voicemail and email contacts.
2. Threaten, embezzle, or extort club finances.

Adding reasons to the list of things members can explicitly be censored or expelled for

The current subsection VII, section E states various grievance procedures, but only explicitly says they are for C or D. We want to add the three things listed above to the list (E), and also add (B), which reads:
"B. Members are expected to treat one another with respect and maintain civility during meetings. Every member shall have the right to expect that club meetings and functions shall be safe environments."

Clarifications on caucuses

We want to add section V, F, to the bylaws to clarify confusing language regarding caucuses:

1. To form a caucus, a list of the names of ten members must be given in writing to the eboard.
2. Caucuses should be reviewed annually. At the eboard's discretion, caucuses may be required to requalify. When requalifying, the caucus should show a list of ten members and be reapproved by the club. The intention is that caucuses represent currently active organizational groups within the club.
3. Caucus chairs should be elected annually.
4. A caucus that has not had noticed meetings within the last six months may be asked to requalify.

Tuesday, May 3, 2005 PAC Meeting:

The Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. The Milk Club supports a bag fee to reduce use of plastic and paper bags and efforts to encourage use of reusable or biodegradable bags.

2. The Milk Club comdemns the homophobic, sexist, and racist tactics used by employees of Covenant against staff at SEIU Local 790 and member leaders who are employees of Covenant.

3. The Milk Club supports an Equality California fundraiser to be held at the Independent in the future.
 

The Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. The Milk Club is opposed to any and all cuts to the UC Labor Center, and will sign on to a letter to that effect.

2. The Milk Club is a formal member of the Alliance for a Better California, opposed to the $70 million special election.

3. The Milk Club will send an open letter to Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin in support of his resolution condemning the discriminatory language and practice of Joe O'Donaghue and staff of the Residential Builders Association. In the letter, we will request that specfic mention condemning homophobic statements remain in the final resolution. A representative of the Club will be at the hearing on Monday, May 2. We will send the letter to the BAR, Bay Times, Guardian, and put it in the Gay Vote.

4. The Milk Club supports a gender-neutral bathroom requirement in the Department of Building Inspection code, and will send a representative to the hearing on Monday, May 2.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 General Meeting:

The Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. The Milk Club has formally adopted a new caucus, the Queer Families Caucus.

2. The Milk Club will sign on to a letter urging Les Natali not to close the Pendulum until the conclusion of the City and State's civil rights investigations.

3. The Milk Club supports health care protections for transgender people and urges the state democratic party to adopt a resolution stating their support of adequate, non-discriminatory health care for transgender individuals.

4. The Milk Club will send a letter to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) urging them to move their June meeting from the Westin St. Francis to another hotel which is not currently boycotted by UNITE HERE Local 2. The Milk Club will also call LGBT elected officials and urge them to tell GLAAD that they will not enter the Westin St. Francis during the boycott.

5. The Milk Club supports the anti-sweatshop ordinance and will e-mail the legislative aide in Tom Ammiano's office working on this issue to ask the City Attorney's office to review placing the oversight for anti-sweatshop procurement in the Human Rights Commission.

6. The Milk Club opposes a one-time release on condo-conversion lottery limitations and will co-sponsor the rally against the proposal.

7. The Milk Club endorses the rally at Charles Schwab, a major backer of both the Social Security and Schwarzenegger retirement rip-offs, to be held Friday, March 31 at 11:30 a.m. at 101 Montgomery St.

8. The Milk Club endorses the protest at the Schwarzenegger fundraiser, Tuesday April 5, 6 p.m., at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, 600 Stockton St.

Tuesday, March 1st, 2005 PAC Meeting:

The Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. The Milk Club will send a note thanking Mayor Gavin Newsome for his support of the Local 2 Boycott. It will be an open letter sent to editors of gay press and non-gay media.

2. The Milk Club will send a letter to Mayor Newsom and the Members of the Board of Supervisors supporting the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and its work; will request a meeting with the Mayor's office and Supervisors Dufty and Ammiano to discuss the importance of HRC; and will reach out to the Committee for Economic Equality to discuss partnering to ensure that Equal Benefits Ordinace and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise advocates work together to ensure the strength of HRC in the future.

3. The Milk Club will invite panelists to discuss the Condo-Conversion Ordinance (commonly referred to as the CLT legislation).  If the chosen panelists cannot attend, the meeting will be moved to another time.

4. The Milk Club will invite  transgender equality advovacy leaders to the next general meeting to discuss transgender health care, statewide advocacy, and how the Milk Club might want to become more involved.

5. The Milk Club will send a letter to Members of the Board of Supervisors to ask them to support the appeal of the Harding Theater Demolition, which would send the issue back to the Planning Commission to give more time for public input.

6. The Milk Club endorses the March 19th march against the military action in Iraq, and will publicize the march (11 a.m. Dolores Park to Civic Center) and the labor rally (at 10:30 a.m. in Dolores Park) to its members.

7. The Milk Club will discuss proposed anti-sweatshop legislation in its next General Meeting.

Also, the Club is organizing an informational picket outside the Grand Hyatt Union Square at 345 Stockton (at Sutter) on Monday, March 7 from 2 to 6 pm.  Contact Greg Shaw, gshawsanfrancisco@yahoo.com, if you can attend.

After Our Drug Court Panel Discussion featuring District Attorney Kamala Harris and Public Defender Jeff Adachi, the Harvey Milk Club passed the following resolutions:

1. The Harvey Milk Club is against the Condo-conversion Community Land Trust legislation, as currently proposed by members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

2. The Harvey Milk Club supports State AB 781, sponsored by Assemblyperson Mark Leno, which would limit Ellis Act evictions where the landlord has owned the property for at least five years. In the same resolution, the Milk Club is opposed to the local proposed initiative "HOPE 2" that would increase condo conversions.

3. The Harvey Milk Club supports the UNITE HERE Local 2 Boycott of the hotels in the Multi-Employer Group, will move forward in participating in a boycott domonstration/picket at a hotel and time to be specificed by Local 2, and will invite a Local 2 member activist or staffperson to come to a Milk Club meeting to tell the Club more about the struggle.

4.The Milk Club opposes denying options for health coverage based on body size.  Marilyn Wann and Greg Shaw are authorized to represent the Club on this issue.