GA Agenda Setting

[seemoreglass09]

There have been some major changes to the Occupy Chicago General Assembly since our movement began in September, and the GA is entering a new chapter. Chicago Occupiers have finally realized that they are empowered to take autonomous actions, and fewer and fewer actions or causes are brought before the GA (rightfully). While we once met twice daily, seven days a week, we now meet only twice a week. We no longer have the hard work of creating the infrastructure of our movement and no longer need daily meetings.
The General Assembly is now a place where major issues affecting Occupy Chicago are discussed, where major actions are approved by the community, internal structural decisions are made in an open and transparent way and where expenditures of Occupy Chicago funds are approved. The decisions that still come to the GA are the big ones and it is important that all those who invest their time and energy in the movement know what decisions are being made so that they can make sure they have the opportunity to have their voices heard on the issue.

(proposal begins here)

Therefore, I propose that the Secretariat Committee resume setting agendas. Agenda for the following GA will be finalized by the prior GA. That means that by Wednesday, Saturday's agenda will be set and by Saturday, Wednesday's agenda will be set. GA agenda should be announced at the prior GA, posted on Occupychi.org, the occupy Chicago facebook page and @occupychicago. Procedure for emergency proposals should remain the same, and ALL OTHER GA PROCEDURES WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED.

(end formal proposal)

I, Samwise (I made this account before I changed my Nom De Révolution), am planning on taking on these responsibilities, though I hope not to do so alone. As always, I consider this posting a rough draft and welcome all input and suggestions on how to improve this proposal. I won't be at GA this Saturday, but will be able to propose it next wednesday with the hope of a vote by the saturday following.

[m_x]

I am right there with you and will also help make this happen.

That said fug autonomous actions using the OC name, next thing you know well be marching for Rahm.

[seemoreglass09]

But Rahm's such a great guy! Why wouldn't we march with for him?

[Tomr]

Thanks for doing this. I'd like to help. Can we have an open meeting at the end of each GA to hear agenda item proposals, work on setting the agenda? Agenda then is proposed and approved at next GA.

Has there been a functioning secretariat at all over the last 2 weeks?

If we are experimenting with new forms of democratic organization then what exactly did we learn last week? ..because I was at two consecutive GA meetings where two different small groups of people convinced the GA of about 50 to vote on completely opposite sides of dumping or keeping our free rent office at 501 Cermak. I kept saying that this is a bigger issue and we need to make it an open organizing space if we keep it because it has not been an open organizing space so far. At one point in the winter, keyholders were not even coming to GA meetings to open the door on 7th floor. That is not just lazy or irresponsible, that's like a boycott at best of the only public decision making body of occupy chicago.

I'm still waiting to hear from Mandy especially - since she was making a hard sell to get rid of Cermak before May as if it was a financial emergency - the rational behind changing her mind on this. I'd also really like to hear from everybody else who came to the GA on Wed to support keeping Cermak and getting another vote for it. I always liked Cermak and attended some great meetings there and met a lot of amazing people who've been great to work with. I also got the cold shoulder and treated like an idiot by people who'd never seen me before because I was ignorant of the history and workings of occupy chicago...or I just didn't know where the light switch was. The space and the organization get all twisted together so that you can't tell them apart sometimes. We're smart critical thinkers, can't we shine that on our own shit and deal with housing in an open and democratic manner?

Freedom,
Tom Rainey