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General Assembly Minutes - November 16, 2024

Facilitator: Sarah Beth Brooks
Stack: Sean Laney
Minutes: April Junio


Committee Reportbacks
1. Darrell Parker, Finance - We are still broke, though I do have a check for 100 dollars in my pocket, it will take 8 business days for that money to become available. There is enough money in the Golden 1 account to cover truck rental until Saturday. We have been getting moderate donations, got $17 today. We need at least $50 a day to maintain this occupation as it stands. Please be proactive in asking for donations in the cyber world as well as the real world so that we could cover this cost instead of overburdening a finite number of individuals.
Q (Sean Laney) What online donation company are we currently using
A we are currently using wepay. There is a link on the occupysacramento website
POI (Chris) several weeks ago we went over the insane amount that Wepay charges us I was under the impression that we would be moving to PayPal as there is a lesser charge for maintaining the account, who do I talk to to make sure that happens?
A Anthony Bondi set up original wepay account. He is not at the occupation today.

2. Tiffany Clark, NVC - I am excited that after GA, we will have this certified NVC trainer talk to us about ways we might adjust our General Assembly processes in ways that we might like.

3. Faygo, Food - I would like to tell everybody that we have been running low on food donations lately. Any canned goods, fresh vegetables, crockpots, hot plates, things of that nature would be very appreciated. Also bread, sandwich supplies, and other nice edibles. I do a lunch between 1 and 2 and a dinner sometime between 7:30 and 8:00 everyday. So please help make sure I can keep the occupation fed.
POI (Darrell) For those who wish to donate, specifically the crock pot and hot plates, please check your local goodwill, because they have them for about $10.

4. Greg Adams, Education - For those of you who haven’t given your 99% stories, please do. I would also like to announce the intention to form a library committee.
POC (Sean T) Would the library committee be separate from the education committee
A YES

5. Sean Laney, Education - I support Greg in his action to have an independent committee, from my perspective as chair of education, I’ve spoken with the other members from the education board and they support it as well. .

6. Sean Thompson, Legal - Yesterday the police gave us notice that we would start acquiring J Walking tickets. They also issued a j walking ticket. It appears that this is serious and we should all be careful about being caught j walking specifically at night.
POC - what exactly is Jay Walking? Would you please explain it to us all, we are children and ask for this knowledge
A He has a point, J walking is crossing the street when you’re not a crosswalk that says it is okay to walk. If the crosswalk does not say walk and you walk that is j walking. if you are not at a crosswalk and you walk, that is j walking.
Q how close do you have to be to the crosswalk
A be inside the crosswalk, there is an amount of feet that you can be outside the crosswalk, will get info for you later

7. Chris MacDonald, Media - So on Saturday, we have a day of action, more specifically, an evening of action, we are planning and have distrubuted an action in regards to our action for the night, media has outreached to other occupations to try and get as many people as humanly possible in our park. The theme for the evening will be wealth, inequality and we will be hosting , with the assistance of education, a few showings, documentaries, that relate to the income wealth gap as well as reaching out and trying to locate educators in the fields of sociology, economics, history, so that we can try annd have an evening full of education and community. Went to Berkeley and marched with 1,000 students at first and the 7-10 thousand students and occupiers on the steps of sproul hall. Also the shooting does not appear to be related to occupy cal but rather it was an altercation between an individual and a police officer.
Q I would also like to invite occupy chico occupy stockton occupy elk grove and occupy yourself
Q my name is patrick i’m from oakland occupy we do have a rally and march planned this saturday at 2 so it may be hard for oakland occupy to join sac occupy in solidarity. if you have additional informaton u would like us to communicate with find me.
Qmissed it - the event will be here in ceaser chaves plaza. not park, plaza. we willstart at 8. there id unuin action planned that day
POI SEIU is something we are supporting and they have a permit.
POI we have a flier of their event. their event goes from 12-2 and then we march to gov loft.
Last item, we are also designing flyers for our event at 8pm if you are able to distribute those and recirculate info through your own personal email lists, fb, twitter, eveerybody needs to know about this.

8. Mary, Information - I will be starting back to work tomorrow, I will not be able to be here til 4. I have Nick here, he has offered to help me set up the information booth and run it for me until I can come down here. So everybody, this is Nick, that is all.
POI - Hello, everybody, my name is Nick, since I am new to doing info table, if there is anybody from media that can get me up to date on all issues on all occupies,
POI - NY times today had an excellent recap of the recent raids on the occupy encampments around this country.

9. Sarah Beth Brooks, Legal - This morning charges were dropped against many of our occupiers, specifically those with single arrests. Those with multiple arrests are still having charges filed so I’d like to remind you that we do have ongonig court cases and 85 people have been arrested, we must support those people in court. It is very early in the morning, but we still must show up because many of them sat on this street corners until late horus in the night. Now about facilitation - there will be a facilitation teach in friday at 3;30 here in the plaza, we will be covering general facilitation, taking minutes online, nonviolent reduction of conflict, and other occupy wall street standards. this will be a 90 min teach in, and I urge you to join me because I cannot facilitate every GA forever, this is not sustainable, so please join me to learn how to take action by being a facilitator.

Stack Closed

Old Business

I. Sean Thompson - Modify people’s mic so that it will only be at the discretion of the facilitator based on the consensus of the body of the GA. Otherwise, people’s mic may not be used if the speaker wishes not. It will only be used when the body or the speaker feels that it is necessary.
Stack
1. Mair- I am a visitor, my connections with friends in occupy wall street, my understanding is that part of the process of using peoples mic is that when we use it, everyone is part of the people speaking. some people don’t say when they can’t hear. They can’t hear, so they don’t know they can’t hear.
2. Sean - On the issue of having a hard time hearing, we already have solutions, move closer to the speaker, use the speak up signal. If too many people do not hear, they can demand the peoples mic.
3. Sarah Beth - the motion says that it is to the facilitators discretion, facilitator or people can choose to use peoples mic
4. Cesar Aguirre - I feel it would be helpful to make some more specifications as to when we should and shouldnt be using the peoples mic. I’d like to propose a friendly amendment that there should be a maximum amount of participants when we are not using the people’s mic. Anything more than 25 people. Friendly amendment If the GA is more than 25 people, it’s people’s mic.
POI - we have 33 people here, and I know that we do not need it now, I am suggesting a number more like 55, that’s okay.
5. Sean - 55 person amendment can be amended in the future.
6. Patrick - I’m here tonight in solidarity with occupy sacramento and to learn from occupy sacramento, so please don’t consider my POI as telling you how to run your occupation. In occupy Oakland and SF, please keep in mind how important as a security issue the peoples mic is when we need to gather around and use peoples mic to protect ourselves and those around us.
7. Charles - I’m here representing humanity. I am greatful to be here, I thank you all for your attencdance and your cooperation. The peoples mic is evidence of that cooperation, it is a valuable tool and amazing resource, I recognize it as a social phenomenon. We must educate others throughout the world to use this ability in a manner suitable to discussions. Education, edification, and learning, for the benefit of everyone. I love the peoples mic, in addition, I ask for the benefit of efficiency, to place your questions in written from. I have placed a motion on the agenda thank you.
8. Chris - I had an opportunity to visit SF and oakland and Berkeley and occupy cal, and the realization that I had, although while very valuable should only be used in instances of emergencies and dissemination of information, that is to say, that you would not be repeating my point right now. To clarify, the reason I was so against this motion is because the will of the body had decided that people’s mic would be used at all times. hopefully that’s not the case at the end of this stack.
9. Anne - I have some basic concerns, have tried to use audio gesture when I could not hear. I have not had it work, and I don’t know what else to do. I also believe that slowing our process down is sometimes a good thing. I also believe that we grow ourselves as a group, that in our country and in our culture, individualism is highly valued maybe to the cost of the group. So by slowing us down, we get to be one. I do understand the frusteration that people are feeling. I want vvery much for there to be a solution that works for everyone. The number 55 to me seems high, I would feel more comfortable if I had an effective way of ensuring that everyone could hear and that people would not be frusterated. I also have a concern that we will never get off of this decision making.
POI (sean)- your suggestion that you can’t hear seems impossible to me. The number 55 seems low to me but I felt like it was a good settle and could be adjusted in the future.
10. Tiffany - one group of concerns seems to be related to the idea that when we use people’s mic, we are speaking with one voice, we are promoting solidarity, I like that. My concern is that when there is no discretion taken into account, that choice ends up not being met, it’s a need that goes unmet and it ends up reducing solidarity and ends up reducing connection, process, and focus. Increases frusteraton. Second major area is not being able to hear - people who cannot hear can see mouth moving and not hear can raise their hands wildly. Discretion of facilitator will allow facilitator to implement peoples mic, 55 people is not the only way to use peoples mic
11. Matt - Let’s get this over with
12. Mair - POC is this based on facilitators discretion with peopls mic, this isn’t keeping with participatory democracy, one person decides on things that affect everyone at the General Assembly
POI - motion says discretion of facilitator based on consensus from the body.
12. Jordan - Everyone on stack makes me come up with a good compromise - bullhorn can be used when people can’t hear to make sure people can hear. Friendly Amendment - could bullhorn be used when someone wishes not to be repeated and they cannot be heard.
POI - if you stand close to a bullhorn, you can deafen people. in order to overcome potential auditory damage you’d have to push crowd back or aim it up, which causes a funnel to be made, does not allow for sound to be heard.
POI - unecessary amendment, it’s already automatically an option
POI - Sean, people’s mic kills my brain, cannot pay attention for this long. I deny the friendly amendment.
13. Kurt - I have not been coming to GA for some time, because I feel like a schizo from all the voices in my head. Can we please vote now.
POI - Have you noticed that a lot of people here have not been at the GA for a very long time
VOTE
FOR - 32
AGAINST - 2
MOTION PASSES

II. Sean Thompson - Occupy Sacto to officially recognize satellite at old city hall as well as Cesar Chavez Plaza. Occupation of the grass areas all around all of old city hall.
VOTE
FOR - 33
AGAINST - 0
MOTION PASSES - unanimous consent

New Business -

I. Chris MacDonald - EMERGENCY ITEM
Starting on day 1, we had 300-400 people involved, now we have too much structure and organization. Proposal that are nonviolent and support OWS can be recognized as Occupy Sacto... We can’t condone or condemn that behavoir. Its an idea that we all own and can share in. Removing the requirement that work groups have to come to the General Assembly to contribute to the occupation. Those systems are what killed us and got us to that point to begin with. This will lessen the bureacracy in place. Our current structure has caused too many people to turn away, too many structures, rules, and guidelines. It doesn’t make sense, we’re ruining something that’s good and bigger than any one of us. PROPOSAL - Any nonviolent acitons in support of OWS and Occupy Sacramento can be recognized as occupy sac. No person or persons are Occupy Sacramento, it is an idea we can all share, but no one owns.
Stack
1. Sean Thompson - Due to rumors that I’ve heard, I want to add nonviolent and non property damaging FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. (No damage to any sentient being or property)
2. Tiffany - given the magnitude of thise issue, I’d like to see this not pushed through in one night, but have more time to talk about it
3. Matt - This proposal needs more work because if anybody went around without our okay in the name of occupy sacto, with something that we don’t agree with, I’m worried about being misrepresented,
AMENDMENT - No major collaborations, official alliances, and endorsements can pass without the right...
MODIFY AND HAVE IT READY FOR A VOTE ON SUNDAY.
Chris - Officially withdraw motion - apologize for wasting GAs time.. Amend and explore any possible loopholes so that we can close them, find me after GA.
POI - Amy has spoken to me about this particular issue - there have been a certain amount of looking down on emergency GA stuff.
II. Matt - participate in gathering involving california dispensaries, show support for dispensaries.
vote to agendize this issue.
VOTE
FOR - 17
AGAINST - 2
PROPOSAL ADDED TO SATURDAY’S AGENDA

III. Sean Thompson - Hold GA’s on the street from now on
Stack -
1. Matt - The acoustics and lighting are amazing
VOTE
FOR - 22
AGAINST - 0
UNANIMOUS CONSENT - PROPOSAL ADDED TO SATURDAY’S GA

IV. Matt Jacobs - Move Take back the park party event to the 24th EMERGENCY GA PROPOSAL TO ADD TO AGENDA
Stack
1. Sean - no one has to do anything illegal on saturday
2. Mair - Why can’t we do both events
3. Christina - Redding would realy love to come join us - we have no resources left, we’re broke, how are we gnna feed them, how quikcly can we brief them on legal process. Propose another 7 days planned to organize and coordinate the event
POI - if we don’t vote on this it will continue as planned on saturday
4. Jordan - we could tell those coming to come with supplies since we do not have what is sufficient to support EVERYONE
VOTE
For - 22
Against - 1
Proposal added to Agenda

EMERGENCY ITEM
1. IV. Matt Jacobs - Move Take back the park party event to the 24th
Stack
1. CK - we need more planning
2. Sean - when we started this movement we were doing direct actions, so much morale and growth, growth has been dismal, we are known for being very organized and pulling shit together, why not dive in
3. Chris - To the point of supplies, materials, etc, when going to other occupations, all supplies used were personal supplies. Organized chaos is awesome.
4. Jordan - This event will be outreach, people will come
VOTE
For - 2
Against - 16
MOTION FAILS - Rally will continue on Saturday

Announcements
Matt - we have a rally 8pm saturday
Darrel - Other people are driving the truck and he needs to be aware of it.
Sean- We are taking back the park on Saturday and we need to spread the word.
Tiffany- There is a nonviolent teach in this Sat at 3.
Sean - The police know i am the legal liason, so talk to me if the police provide information about anything.
Mary - There have been instances of unused fliars. We need to act out events if fliars have been provided for them.

ADJOURNMENT