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OccupySacramento General Assembly Minutes for Saturday October 15th, 2011 5:30PM

AGENDA:
I. Welcome
II. A. Consensus Building Intro/ Hand Signals
III. B. Previous Consensus Decisions
IV. Proposals (Old Business to be voted on)
V. A. Should we Occupy after the 15th? (TODAY)
VI. B. Should there be a rally Tuesday (10/18) at 5pm preceeding City Council meeting at 6?
VII. C. Adopt NY List of Grievances?
VIII. D. Adopt Working Draft of Occupy Sacramento Declaration?
IX. Motions (New business to be voted on at next GA)
X. Committee Reportbacks (past activity)
XI. Announcements (future activity)
XII. Adjournment

BEGIN GA:
Facilitators: Sara Beth (moderator), Deb (minutes/vote count), Matt (stack/vote count)
I. Welcome
II. - More than 1700+ cities are assembling worldwide
III. - Reminder to please be respectful of speaker
IV. - Review of Agenda (see above)
V. Consensus Building Intro/Hand Signals
VI. - We have adopted a model similar to the NY system
VII. - Hang signals review
1. Agree
2. Disagree
3. Unsure
4. Block – very serious. Represents ethical or safety concern that would result in individual leaving the movement. Rare.
5. Point of Process – indicates speaker is off topic/agenda item.
6. Point of Information – immediate fact relevant to current speaker.
7. Wrap it up – indicates redundancy and need for speaker to move on.
8. Can't hear you
- Stack Line
1. located at the front of the Assembly when stack opened
2. Give person facilitating Stack name and point you would like to speak on (keeps GA on topic)
- Previous GA Consensus Agreements
1. One GA a day at 5:30 PM
2. two-thirds equals consensus
3. all votes that affect broader movement postponed until 10/15 (this meeting)
4. new motions brought up at GA cannot be voted on until next GA
I. Proposals (previous GA motions to be voted on at this GA)
II. - Should the occupation of Caesar Chavez Park continue past 10/15?
1. 1. Yes (consensus reached)
- Should there be a rally Tuesday (10/18) at 5PM before City Council Meeting?
1. Yes (consensus reached)
- Should Occupy Sac adopt NYC Declaration of Grievances? Should we adopt Working Draft of Occupy Sacramento Declaration?
1. Reading of NYC Declaration of Grievances
2. Explanation of Process
3. Open Stack (on NYC DofG):
1. a. Michael: millionaire who can't retire, movement vital, agree with NYC DofG
2. b. Chris: wouldn't be here w/o NYC DofG, can adopt both, NYC DofG starts discussion, “living breathing doc”
3. c. Matt: American to have fed and local statements, we have our own specific issues, should adopt both
4. d. Cameron: NYC DofG makes valid points but have to get main points out, more than just corporations, list inadequate, more focus on our own problems
5. e. Bob: bunch of guys in line, NYC DofG was moving, to see others in all states is powerful, should adopt and draft our own to address both sets of issues
6. f. Aaron: from Davis, we should adopt in solidarity, they are the reason we are out here, should draft local
7. g. Bill: Sac and other occupations are autonomous, are operating on our own needs, by adopting we are including into our own occupation, by endorsing we support it and stand behind it.
8. h. Sam: not just about corporations, about government serving corporations, challenge both
9. i. Karen: Should adopt, not all inclusive, should draft and adopt local/state statements, should have resolutions to send to national declaration, yes to adopt
10. j. Jack: should adopt, national and international movement, no local statement, no fragmentation, participate in local activities but keep it national
11. k. Sonny: become neutral, at first supportive, fails to mention marginalized populations (poor and homeless), not opposed, but issues are unaddressed
12. l. Kalan: feels on same page, add lucidity to term corporation, specify abuses of corporate structure, “corporate people” is ridiculous, “F*** Corporations” is unnecessary.
13. m. Kayla: change won't happen overnight, OWS statement is why I'm here, Solidarity.
14. END OF STACK
1. Before voting, address the OccupySac Statement
a. update/pass around statement
b. Reading of Occupy Sac working draft
- reminder: we don't have to do just one
- reminder: working draft, not final
5. Open Stack (on OccupySac Statement)
a. Carter: well-drafted, don't agree with separating from OWS, stand by four documents from OWS, as org. grows more specific drafts, hold off on Sac specific statements, wait for more following
b. Brett: address both, solidarity important, adopt OWS and amend that with our issues, one document
c. Calvin: splintering for sake of local grievances is mistake, will weaken, don't dilute
d. Erin: clarify OWS abbreviation (Occupy Wall Street), inclusiveness, Lincoln hero image problematic, before endorsing, take it apart piece by piece
e. Devan: problem: ethnocentric, we are not divided, we are global, recognize global unity, include other countries, whole world, 1700+ occupations
f. Cameron: it's true we are here because of OWS, as humans we have humanity in common, states have own grievances, CA is powerful with unique problems, stand in solidarity on our own two feet, dissect and full consensus, OWS isn't speaking for us or world
g. Alisha: why not our own, events in Sac affect us day to day, most of things in Occupy Sac Doc aren't local, for solidarity don't vote on local “federal stance,” Hope to join occupations together, no local issues in working draft
h. Jack: fully agree with Alisha, no local issues? Pretty aligned with OWS, specific opposition: all statements should align with 99%, not that many want to abolish the fed
i. Sam: agree with OWS, not Sac, we should draft local demands, we can nationalize banks, have to make this movement internal/eternal
j: Alexis: lang. Must be clearer and more “Californian,” pop. media? Fun and interesting
k. Karen: adopt OWS as foundation to grow on, send Sac statement to committee and make CA-centric, OWS encourages additional statements, self-determinism, send resolutions to NY
l. Russell: today should adopt OWS, brought us all together, Sac statement is redundant with fed issues, we should draft local grievances, whole thing redone, NO CONTRAST w/ OWS
Point of Information: Clarification, vote on NYC DofG, vote on Sac Declaration, “no consensus” leads to 3rd vote to send to committee or die on the floor
m. Andy: <immediate point of process – off topic>
n. Greg: concern: against adopting nothing separate from national
o. Martha: stick with OWS, never one perfect doc, pt. For solidarity, make specific grievances in time, comm. w/ OWS
p. Sonny: think globally act globally
q. Harold: ask to vote up OWS and down Sac Doc, 1 declaration of independence to unite, national support for national grievances
END OF STACK
6. Consensus Vote
a. to clarify, voting down Sac Doc means no statement now, not permanent
b. Consensus to adopt NYC Declaration of Grievances?
- Yes (consensus reached) 85 votes
c. Consensus to adopt Working Draft of Occupy Sacramento Declaration?
- No (consensus not reached) only 5 votes
d. Should Sac. Dec. be sent back to committee?
- No (consensus not reached) 60 for, 38 against ---> Sac Dec. dies on floor of GA

IV. Motions:
1. Open Stack for new motions
a. “C”: propose scheduling committee, would set schedule for next day, inform people of schedule, and receive that info beforehand
b. Russell: use people's mike instead of bullhorn at all future GAs
c. Erin: have peacekeeping and action committee actually exist, report to report backs at GA and be in contact with legal and police liaisons
d. Carter: Create committee to draft Sac (CA state @ some point) Doc to work in tandem with NYC DofG that's already been adopted
e. Martha: instead of new declaration, est. succinct amendments that address specific local grievances
f. Ted: ask for donations on the street/canvas fund-raising
g. Scott: Establish finance committee to transparently track funds and expenditures and handle donations
h. Jack: motion to suspend rules
- point of info: clarify
- means has to be dealt with immediately via Robert's Rules precedent
- Second? No second, motion fails
i. Sam : suggest five future actions:
- occupy homes to prevent bank foreclosures
- occupy picket lines and support strikes to support workers in labor disputes
- occupy unemployment offices to campaign for the extension of benefits
- support the rent strikes of tenants who can't pay their rents
- occupy colleges and universities to fight tuition increases and demand the relief of student loan debt
j. Adrian: Big community bulletin board and table for info and fliers for sister movements
k. Eric: draft local declaration, cast vote for national action as well as local action
l. Sean: - motion to include education w/ community outreach (also include subcommittees like arts and crafts committee)
-motion for liaison officers and logistics officers for each committee
m. Jack: “working groups” distinct from committees, WG not always voted on, and can conduct small independent actions themselves
n. Abraham: add can't hear hand signal <already exists>
o. Karen: form resolutions committee(s) to handle generation of crafted resolutions and statements
p. Brett: - park is a mess, form clean-up working group/committee
- discuss/vote on Robert's Rules official adoption
q. Sean: Ch. 13 committee?
r. Will: recognize Robert's Rules of Order as official process
END OF STACK
V. Committee Report Backs
1. Open Stack for Committee feedback to GA
a. Sara Beth (Legal and Facilitation): - Facilitation Committee Meets 8PM Sunday (10/16)
- Legal needs to see EVERYONE who was arrested
b. Ari, Helen, Bob (Comm. Outreach): Occupy Sac for action and learning, help needs include: more translators (canvas, fliers, answer Q's), tent and bulletin board. Also feeling left out or discriminated against? Come talk to us! Meeting 2:35 PM Sunday 10/16
c. Rob (Media): schedule on Facebook will be changed to Google Calendar on website
d. Russell (Internet Logistics): looking for volunteers, next week big, improve media's ability to get things online, will have IFC chat w/ OWS
e. Matt (Education): teach-ins getting going, know any experts tell us, how Wall Street bundled derivatives, etc.
f. Anthony (Security): successful week, need volunteers, few incidents, level mind and body for peacekeeping, see Anthony to volunteer
END OF STACK
VI. Announcements
1. Open Stack for Announcements
a. Devan: Study area, teach-ins, workshops (ethics, phil., art), book lending library open
b. Greg: 40 books for lend-lease in library area, sign up and include skills, Greg running logistics for Education committee, see him for info or to volunteer, and volunteer skills you can teach
c. Deb: Peace and Conflict teach-in meeting Sunday (10/16) at 4:30PM
d. Sean: talk to me about arrests
END OF STACK
VII. Consensus to Adjourn GA?
Yes!!!!!!!