Steering Committee Meeting February 6th, 2023

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TjlKrE4laUFnvDI-rPB8hv-bbFCzB5Akpp0qGzEFpxA/edit

Location: EBDSA Office with Zoom Option!

Zoom: https://dsausa.zoom.us/j/89792215272

Meeting ID: 897 9221 5272

Passcode: 860472

East Bay DSA

Steering Committee Meeting Agenda

February 6th, 2023

7-8pm

Settle in [5 min]
Renee P
Maddy GW
Ian B
Shane R
Hasan A
Mathew L
Benny Z
Max M
Graham D
Nick R
MIchael S

Ella T
Drew B
Bert K
Bob S

Approval of Agenda [5 min]
APRROVED Via ACCLIMATION
Consent Agenda
Resolution to Pay for Tax Prep for Tax Year 2022
Resolution to Fund Interpreter Services at Ximena Peralta Event

Resolution to Pay for Tax Prep for Tax Year 2022

Co-sponsored by Graham Denevan, Shane Ruiz, Ella Teevan, Feb. 1, 2023

Whereas our taxes are too complicated as a small nonprofit to have our volunteer Treasurer prepare, and in the past we have paid professionals about $1000 to prepare our taxes,

Whereas the accountant who previously prepared our taxes is no longer available,

Whereas a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) was referred to us via a member and offered us a quote of $1200 to prepare our 2022 taxes,

Therefore be it resolved that the Steering Committee approves a $1200 expense to prepare the chapter’s taxes for the tax year 2022.

Resolution to Fund Interpretation Services for Event on Chile

Submitted by Benny Zank

Whereas the East Bay chapter of DSA is hosting Ximena Peralta, Vice President of Convergencia Social, on February 25th;

Whereas Convergencia Social is a socialist, feminist coalition party in Chile and the party of current president Gabriel Boric;

Whereas this is a valuable and high profile event that we want to be sure is accessible to Chileans and Latinos/as in the US and abroad;

Whereas video interpretation can range from $100-$250/hour;

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA pay for interpretation services for the event up to $400;

Therefore be it resolved that Benny Zank find an interpreter for the event and coordinate with the International Committee on how to do simultaneous interpretation on zoom.

Vote to settle on Benny and Shane to discuss the date an time for second SC meeting

Resolution for Peace in Ukraine [Tabled to later in the meeting]

Title: East BAY DSA Resolution for Peace in Ukraine

Submitters: Bert K., Bob S., Mike H, Susan S

Co-Signers: Stan W, Michael K, Henry V, Juan C

Whereas the war in Ukraine has been raging for almost a year with no end in sight, with estimates of over 100,000 casualties of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers and thousands of civilian casualties and with the danger of nuclear war greater than it has been since the Cuban missile crisis;

Whereas the war in Ukraine has done great harm to the working class and oppressed people worldwide, as inflation and the cost of living crisis and the food crisis in the Global South have been accelerated by US/NATO sanctions on Russia

Whereas the US has played a major role in provoking the war including: the expansion of NATO eastward to include former Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet Republics; the US-backed Maidan coup in 2014; the civil war that followed; the US arming & training of neo-Nazi Ukrainian groups; the designation of Ukraine as a de facto NATO member; the scuttling of the Minsk accords and subsequent attempts at a negotiated settlement; and the massive arming of Ukraine with tens of billions in weapons;

Whereas we oppose the Russian invasion, our main responsibility as socialists and anti-imperialists in this country is to oppose our own government's escalating proxy war with Russia;

Whereas Congress has approved over $115 billion for the war since February in addition to an obscene $858 billion military budget for 2023. As the DSA IC letter to Congress states “funneling billions of taxpayer dollars to the Pentagon and the military industrial complex at a time when ordinary Americans are struggling to pay for their basic needs …a payout to weapons manufacturers and war profiteers”;

Whereas the DSA IC letter to Congress further states “Endless wars and militarism have diverted trillions of dollars into military spending. Billions of dollars are desperately needed to address vital American needs at home, such as an overburdened health care system, our affordable housing crisis, a failing education system, decaying public transit, and the existential threat of climate change.”; (1)

Whereas the DSA International Committee is a member of the Peace in Ukraine Coalition, which along with other anti-war groups has called for actions in late February to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the war to demand Diplomacy to End the War in Ukraine, Not Weapons to Prolong it; (2)

Whereas we are inspired by the words of MLK when he said “I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of nuclear annihilation.” and noted that “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world - my own Government, I can not be silent.”;

Whereas the DSA national statement on February 26, 2022 states “There is no solution through war or further intervention. This crisis requires an immediate international antiwar response demanding de-escalation, international cooperation, and opposition to unilateral coercive measures, militarization, and other forms of economic and military brinkmanship that will only exacerbate the human toll of this conflict.” In addition, “We call on antiwar activists in the US and across the world to oppose violent escalations, demand a lasting diplomatic solution,”;(3)

Whereas current and retired members of the ILWU recently issued a statement saying “The ILWU must call for an end to the war. Most importantly we must appeal for port actions to the International Dockworkers Council (IDC) and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to refuse to handle military cargo by dockworkers around the world. They both opposed the Zionist massacre of Palestinians last year. They can call for an end to the Ukraine war now. International workers' actions refusing to handle military cargo can stop it.” (4)

Therefore be it resolved that East Bay DSA:

Endorses Bay Area AntiWar actions on February 24th, as part of the National Day of Action called by the Defuse Nuclear War Coalition.(5).
Endorses Bay Area actions that may occur the weekend of March 18 in tandem with the National March on Washington - Peace In Ukraine/Stop NATO. (6)
Encourages chapter members to attend these actions and
Will publicize the actions on internal and external communication channels including but not limited to calendar entries, email blasts, social media, announcement at the January chapter meeting
Will hold a Socialist Night School on the war and/or co-sponsor educational events that are in-line with the DSA National and IC statements to date.
Will reach out to the signatories of the ILWU call to action to help amplify their message and to support any antiwar job actions they may undertake and support an initial meeting of antiwar labor activists in February.

Links:

MOTIVATED BY Bert K

Q&A

MOtion to Amend - Renee P - exise paragraph

“Whereas the US has played a major role in provoking the war including: the expansion of NATO eastward to include former Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet Republics; the US-backed Maidan coup in 2014; the civil war that followed; the US arming & training of neo-Nazi Ukrainian groups; the designation of Ukraine as a de facto NATO member; the scuttling of the Minsk accords and subsequent attempts at a negotiated settlement; and the massive arming of Ukraine with tens of billions in weapons;”

Debate

MOTION VOTE

PASSES - 7 yes, 5 no 1 abstain

RESOLUTION VOTE

MOtion to Amend - Mathew L

Whereas the US bears partial responsibility for the war against Ukraine because the US is responsible for Putin becoming President of Russia. The United States interfered in the 1996 presidential election to ensure that the Russian Communist Party’s candidate didn’t defeat Yeltsin; when Yeltsin resigned in 1999, Putin (Yeltsin’s chosen successor) became Acting President; and

AMend VOTE: {WITHDRAWN}

RESOLUTION VOTE

Move to Vote: seconded

VOTE: PASSES via ACCLIMATION

====================EXECUTIVE SESSION======================

New Business
Amendment to Staff Contract and Fundraising Plan

Discussion
One-Hour SC Meeting Schedule [5 minutes]

Executive Session [30 minutes]

EBDSA SC Executive Session Agenda [DO NOT POST!]

Staffer Contract Amendment