Notes for DA China Leadership Meeting December 16, 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------- Attending: Aaron Kruse Samantha Wong -Jim Spear absent Kira Leinonen Cheng Xu James Flanagan -Joshua Lally absent Chris Zombik Faith Gary -Angie Bergeson absent --------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome - Holidays coming up. After the election, we are having a bit of a respite. Attendance and reviewing previous meeting note. - Motion (AARON) to ammend notes to include Cheng attending. Seconded (SAM). - Vote: Cheng, Kira, James, Sam, Aaron, Elizabeth - [Action (ELIZABETH): Publish to wiki.] Update from Chairs - Action Items - outstanding: Global AGM in May 2019. But still tentative until venue is secured. Maybe May 15. Sam and Kat, AP Regional Vice Chair, can help with any questions. Venue is still being secured. [Action (ALL): travel fund available to all members. See if you can attend.] [Action (UNASSIGNED): Outreach to members in flipped districts so they can reach out to newly electeds.] Update from Secretary [Action (ELIZABETH): Update everyone on membership] Treasury Report Donations are still being reconciled. Working out protocol with DA China WeChat. [Action (UNASSIGNED): Tom wants an update from us on our procedures] Open Floor (I) Faith statement: I've learned 3 things about progressive activism since 2016: 1. When we call bullshit, the people we elect listen. Case in point, when Cory Booker and other Dems voted with Big Pharma in 2017, social media exploded with info about how much money they'd taken from the pharmaceutical industry. I could practically hear the shock, surprise, and panic in Booker's voice as he tried to justify his vote. He's been trying to regain his progressive bonafides ever since. 2. The failed attempt to repeal the ACA. Once people get a taste of the benefits of progressive policies, it's impossible to take it away. For all of the Republicans' negative characterization, calling it Obamacare, calling it a "government takeover of healthcare", etc they found out that no matter what they called it, people wanted it. 3. Being able to point to such legislative victories for the people is what will bring out voters in 2020. They need to see results from having voted in 2018. This is why I vehemently oppose the notion that our primary purpose is registering voters in an election year. I see our purpose as manifold every year, up to and including voter registration in 2020. Do people agree? - Aaron: Dems focused message on Health Care and works with folks that don't always vote Dem. Action items - external communications - write to districts that were flipped. On issues like Health Care. Monthly salon - issue focused event - intense work in being publicized. Maybe this is like what James has suggested before. - Faith: Definitely interested in monthly issue focus. Even if it is just on WeChat. Maybe in-person is too hard. But this might also help us focus and make WeChat more productive. I really want people to pay attention to things like the power grabs in Michigan. - Sam: Seems like we could rotate on who is doing this. - Chris: Yes, this is a great idea. Implementation details might be tough. So many we can figure that out and use our monthly calls to move it forward. - Aaron: Yes, we all agree. So in the question of implementation. Faith can you prepare a few topics (4) and post to the leadership chat. We can either implement before the next call or at the next call. --KIRA leaving the call. -- - Faith: Started an exploratory committee for Black Caucus or POC Caucus. A big part of this is related to intersectionality. Example: White women's reaction at the women's march to a BLM message. Maybe we can focus on issues of incarceration or other ways we can make these bridges beyond race, gender. - Aaron: Great! So if you propose some specific topics by end of December/January. [Action (FAITH)]: (II) Next AGM in April 2019. NEC - Nominations & Elections Committee for the election but will not be running. Perhaps: April 14, 2018. Notify our members 30 days before. We can get the NEC together after the holidays. Timing is related to the Global AGM which is still being confirmed for May 15, 2019. (III) In the chat box, Chris asks: "Finances?" About 1000 USD in our virtual account. But still reconciling. Also, need to figure out procedures for WeChat payments, since we are the only country committee using this Lots of things we can do with this money. Events. Events on issues. Debates. Wrap Up and Goodbye Next Meeting: January 20th [Action (SAM): Will book.] Please keep ideas in the leadership chat. Happy holidays.