OccupySacto.org

OccupySacramento General Assembly Minutes – DAY 56

Wednesday, November 30, 2024 5:50 p.m. PST
Location: Cesar Chavez Plaza

Facilitator: Tiffany
Stack Taker: Robert
Time Keeper: Ellen
Minutes: Michele

F = Facilitator
P = Proposer
R = Reporter (for report back from committee or working group)
PoP = Point of Process
PoI = Point of Information
CQ = Clarifying Question

1. Facilitation
1.1 Welcome
1.2 Introductions
1.3 Explanation of Hand Signals
1.4 Introduction of Agenda - report backs, old business (2 items), new business (none), announcements, adjournment, soapbox

2. Report Backs

2.1 Karen – Resolutions and Statements Committee
Nothing to report.

2.2 Karen – Coordinating Working Group
Karen reported: The working group is soon to be a committee. It met for the first time on Tuesday. It is unlike any other committee – it is made up of representatives of other committees and working groups so that they are able to coordinate with each other – e.g., to make sure schedules don’t collide; that someone is at the plaza every day. It will meet again on Friday to discuss things like food. We are in a rebuilding phase. The working group created and filled out a schedule for staffing the information table.

2.3 Darrell – Finance Committee
Darrell reported: We’re still broke. We will have some money coming in. Based on an assessment of how the money was being spent, a decision was made not to spend the way we had – the truck was a burden and was not providing enough to lift spirits to be worth the cost. The generator is in Darrell’s truck. The committee will allow for distribution of responsibilities to make us more efficient and less dependent on one person or means of transportation. There was a promise of food from the teacher’s Federation for tonight – thank you! We have a little money in the bank and will put it to the body how to spend it.

CQ: What system do we use for contributions?
R: WePay.
Suggestion: UCD has established donation hotlines.
R: That’s a great idea. I’ve bought a cell phone and card, which I’ll donate. I won’t pay for continued use, however. We’ll put it to the body for approval.
.
2.4 Brother Carter – Urban Outreach
Brother Carter reported: The committee is strategizing and organizing. We thank the people across the street who have cooperated with the goals of the movement to keep drugs and alcohol out of the occupation. We are working on ways to get you guys winterized, provide you coffee in the morning. We want everyone to come together. We are trying to get us back on track – set up out here so there are major things going on both days on the weekend and teach-ins the following week, all of them calendared and coordinated with other events, and go to other communities, like Davis and Woodland. There are three events scheduled: December 10 (Human Rights Day - national event); December 14 (no information yet); December 15 (re Bill of Rights). The committee is meeting tomorrow at 6:00 and will get back to us.

PoI: Event for Human Rights Day on Tuesday, December 6, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium.
PoI: When I’ve been on I Street, I appreciate when Brother Carter is out there with his loudspeaker.
R: The police made me stop that, but the Highway Patrol likes it. I’ll put the bullhorn down and yell out the window.

2.5 Robert – Action Working Group
Robert reported: Sara and I drove to Arden Fair the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and put fliers on cars for Occupy. We will do it again tonight, and we are always working on ways to get people down here. We would like to hook up with media regarding Second Saturday.

PoI: Suggest local campuses.
PoI: And local businesses.
R: I go into businesses and drop off cards asking people to come to the City Council meeting.
PoI: Also, light rail.
R: We are also talking about holding banners around Sacramento. Light rail would be a great place.
PoI (Brother Carter): Rick Perry is coming tomorrow – someone will be out doing a small protest.
PoI: A newspaper like Homeward would be good, with the homeless getting the money.
PoI (Brother Carter): I love the homeless passionately, but if anyone can help the homeless, it’s this movement – we can provide for them, feed them – I would like all the money from selling an Occupy newspaper to come to the movement.

2.6 Tiffany – Nonviolent Communication Committee
Tiffany reported: There is a teach-in every Saturday at 3 pm. Please join us.

2.7 Tiffany – Facilitation Working Group
Tiffany reported: I loved the meeting we had. We are talking about putting together an information packet for newcomers. Michele is working on minutes and compiling all minutes and proposals to date.

3. Old Business

3.1 Robert’s Proposal - that a grievance regarding Sacramento’s anti-camping ordinances be added to OccupySacramento’s official list of grievances

CQ (Ricky): The ordinance in general or how it’s being enforced?
P: The goal is to have people be able to occupy the park 24 hours per day with gear.
F: Would you like to suggest a friendly amendment?
Ricky: Ordinances in relation to First Amendment rights.
P accepts the friendly amendment.
CQ: What happens to the grievance?
P: Once it’s on the list, people are free to take actions regarding it pursuant to April’s proposal passed on November 26, 2011.
CQ: Specifically for Occupy or all camping in the future?
P: Add “and the Occupy Movement.”
Darrell: Make sure the language is not subjective.
F: Language as amended?

PROPOSED: the Sacramento anti-camping and curfew ordinances and how they are enforced in relation to the First Amendment and the Occupy movement as a grievance to be added to the official list of OccupySacramento grievances.

P: Accepts the language.
CQ: Are we trying to create a court case or can we talk to the mayor?
P: Occupy people have been going to the City Council and asking, pleading – always refused. This will be a grievance, but there are lots of other actions we can take.
F: This is a list of problems we have, not a list of exclusive remedies.
P: It also helps answer the media questions regarding exactly what we stand for – making a list of grievances is exactly what happened 240 years ago in the American Revolution.
PoI (Brother Carter): We also have a banner with lists of grievances.

Temp check – everyone supports the proposal, except one neutral.
Neutral – will abstain instead.
Vote: 16 for the proposal, 0 against.

PROPOSAL ADOPTED.

3.2 Proposal by Laurie from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), which is the oldest women’s peace organization, started in 1915 by Jane Addams. When she came to OccupySacramento back in the beginning of October someone asked if her group, the Sacramento Valley Branch of WILPF (sacwilpf.org), would no something with OccupySacramento.

PROPOSED: WILPF – Sacramento moves that OccupySacramento: (a) Endorses WILPF Sacramento’s education campaign to educate Sacramento residents and Occupiers nationwide that: the People’s Budget exists; that the People’s Budget allies with Occupy values about making the rich pay their fair share, stopping the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, protecting and improving health care and safety nets, creating good jobs across the nation; that the group of 76 congressional representatives that created this budget has had the backs of the 99% for decades; that they have been hidden from the 99% by the commercial corporate media. (b) Will Livestream WILPF’s presentation at the Sacramento City Council meeting on December 13, 2011, which will include two resolutions we will ask the City Council to pass: (1) Requiring the City Council to grant amnesty for all OccupySacramento arrestees, and cease the arrest and harassment of Occupiers exercising First Amendment rights, and (2) Calling on the City Council to support the People’s Budget, noting that it has identified funds to bring more jobs, affordable housing and affordable education to Sacramento and across the nation. It calls on City Council to publicly convey support of the People’s Budget to U.S. Representatives Matsui and Lundgren, and to Senators Feinstein and Boxer.

CQ: What is the People’s Budget?
P: A budget written by the Congressional Progressive Caucus in response to the deficit. It identifies $7 trillion by taxing the rich and stopping the wars and it saves the safety net.
PoI (Brother Carter): Can you come to the outreach committee meeting tomorrow night at 6:00 at SIEU and present it there?
Robert: This is excellent, well-prepared, and professional.
Karen: This is fine if you agree we can amend it in the future to put things in that couldn’t be put in yet – poverty, housing, homelessness.
PoI: We also want more – this is not enough but is going in the right direction.
CQ: Why this budget and not another?
P: Because several Congressional representatives have proposed it and several cities have endorsed it.
Karen: It doesn’t preclude anything stronger, so it is acceptable.
PoI: It just commits OccupySacramento to support education and livestream.
P: The vision is that with this education plan, Occupiers get information that this budget exists and know some of the faces behind it, who’ve had our backs for years (like Oakland Representative Barbara Lee). They’ve been working under the constraints of the 1%, but once we get the information and publicize it, we may come up with a new symbol and media and more of the 99% may pick it up and it will magnify our power.
CQ: It doesn’t preclude working with the Education Committee here at OccupySacramento and we’re not voting on that aspect yet?
P: Yes.
Temp check: Consensus.
Vote: 18 for the proposal, 0 against.

PROPOSAL ADOPTED.

4. New Business – None

5. Announcements

5.1 Michele requested that anyone who has minutes of general assemblies that haven’t been posted on the OccupySacto website please send them to her at wscrm@aol.com so that she can collect all the minutes and post them.

5.2 Darrell announced that Rick Perry will be at a fundraiser tomorrow at Park Ultra Lounge at 15th and L at 11:30 - $1000 per person (up to $25,000 for photo ops) – put feelers out to see what people want to do – keep an eye on Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/OccupySacramento, for possibility of demonstration. Darrell will be there.

5.3 Ellen announced that there will be a protest this Sunday at 10:30 against the AIPAC meeting at the Radisson.

6. Adjournment – 6:50 p.m.