[mobglob-discuss] Say NO to the 15% Transfer Cap.

[Alan Ward]

            The following article appears in the Vancouver-Kingsway
            NDP newsletter, an issue being sent only to NDP members.
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BC NDP
LET'S ELIMINATE THE 15% CAP ON TRANSFERS

by Andrew Adler

    An unfortunate November 2002 BC NDP Executive decision imposed a 15% cap
on the number of transfer members that a constituency association can have.
     Transfer members are members with all the rights of members who live
within the constituency except the right to vote at candidate nomination
meetings -- an anti-stacking provision that we support.

     THE 15% CAP ENDS THE NDP TRADITION
OF GRANTING ITS MEMBERS THE CHOICE
OF WHERE TO BECOME ACTIVE.

     What is worse, the cap severely limits a constituency association's
ability to recruit new members to the NDP.  It also hurts the party's
ability to reach out to groups and communities hitherto marginalized.
     It is this second consequence of the 15% cap that mostly affects
Kingsway.

     Kingsway has about doubled its membership by bringing to the NDP not
only our neighbours but also people from other parts of the city whom we
meet in the struggle for social justice.  These are people who would not
join the NDP were it not for their personal and political ties to Kingsway
activists.
     And just as Vancouver-Kingsway is affected, we are sure other
constituencies are.

     Our Kingsway Executive took the constituency's concerns to the January
2003 meeting of the BC NDP Executive and will now put the matter before the
March meeting of Provincial Council.

     WE ARE CALLING ON PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
TO RESCIND THE 15% CAP.

    We call on constituency associations to endorse our motion, and on all
NDP members to become versed in the matter.
     Please attend Kingsway's March study session (Thursday, March 6 at 7:30
at the IWA Hall) to discuss the 15% cap on transfers and deregistration.
     Please attend also the March meeting of Provincial Council.
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Please attend the MARCH 15-16 meeting
  of the BC NDP PROVINCIAL COUNCIL:
      Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia, 801 West Georgia &  Howe in Vancouver
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday Mar. 15 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday Mar. 16.
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO ALL NDP MEMBERS.  JOIN US!
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Please attend Kingsway's March 6th study session at 7:30 p.m. at the IWA
Hall
2859 Commercial at 13th:
ISSUES OF INTERNAL DEMOCRACY
IN THE BC NDP
        Should BC NDP constituency associations retain
      those features that make them potentially
      accessible and empowering of NDP grassroots?
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Contact Vancouver-Kingsway NDP at:
Ph: 604-224-1249; Fax: 604-872-6776; Email:  arward at interchange.ubc.ca
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