[PAA-Discuss] [Texas PPC Discussion] Convention Information regarding Steering Committee's recommendation of Boyd Ritchie

[Bob Turney]

Friends,

First, many apologies for your receiving the news about the Steering 
Committee's recommendation from Boyd Ritchie before the Progressive Populist 
Caucus' announcement.  Communications guidelines were discussed at our March 
Steering Committee Meeting in San Marcos to prevent just such a mishap but 
simply disregarded yesterday when a PPC Steering Committee Member advanced 
the announcement before our Secretary prepared the announcement for the 
membership and the website.

On Monday, May 29th, the Steering Committee of the Progressive Populist Caucus 
participated in a conference call and voted to make a recommendation to the 
Progressive Populist Caucus membership that we endorse Boyd Ritchie.  The 
recommendation is simply a recommendation, not an endorsement.  The 
recommendation will be discussed at our caucus at 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 3 
and may or may not be accepted by the membership.  It is up to you, the 
membership to accept, reject or revise the recommendation.

When the steering committee conference call began, I was prepared to introduce 
discussion for no recommendation because most of  the initiatives agreed to 
by Boyd Ritchie are all reasonable expectations that I believe any candidate 
for TDP chair would find acceptable.  However, Boyd Ritchie's current 
position as TDP Chair gives him the unique advantage as the only candidate 
who can advocate debate within the Convention Rules Committee of our two 
resolutions, Public Support for VVPAT and Personal Privacy Protection (TEAM)
in return for our recommendation and it is for this reason that I did not 
debate the recommendation.  In other words, this is politics, plain and 
simple.

I'd like to call your attention to a fantastic workshop that Bill Crosier, our 
fellow PPC member and leader of the Progressive Action Alliance has 
organized.  The Pre-Convention Workshop for Progressive Texas Democrats will 
be held on Saturday, June 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Heights Branch 
of the Houston Public Library.  All progressive Democrats should attend this 
workshop if at all possible.

Our next meeting is Monday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Heights Branch of the 
Houston Public Library where we will review SE Texas' strategy for the 
convention.

Recommendation For Endorsement of Boyd Ritchie - 
http://www.texaspopulists.com/node/1157

Steering Committee Correspondence - http://www.texaspopulists.com/forum/sc

Pre-Convention Workshop for Progressive Texas Democrats - 
http://www.paa-tx.org/node/1606

Texas Democratic State Convention 2006 Complete Details - 
http://www.texaspopulists.com/node/102

-- 
I look forward to seeing you "in the street".

-Bob Turney
SE Texas Chair
Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party
Houston at TexasPopulists.com
www.TexasPopulists.com