Paul Dibos, candidate for City Council in District 12
Dibos said he is running for office because Baltimore needs another voice and another solution, and the Green Party is it.
Qualifications – Dibos noted his varied resume and previous activism. He said he got fed up during the second term of the Reagan Administration and moved to France, living under a “socialist state.”
Activism – His activism began at the Maryland Food Co-op, organized by fellow students at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus. He has also been active on Central America issues.
12th District – He described his district as a collection of areas most ignored under the old district structure. “I’m running a very serious campaign. I plan to shake every voter’s hand in my district,” Dibos said. He estimated he would need between 6,000 and 8,000 votes to win the race.
Competition – Paul will probably be running against one of two Democratic incumbents – Bernard “Jack” Young or Pamela Carter. Young is endorsed by the Democrats, and Carter has angered Democratic Party leaders by challenging him, Dibos said.
Transportation – He wants to incorporate ideas from Curitiba, Brazil, which has busways and high use of public transportation. Some consider Curitiba a model of sustainable development.
Racial divide – Dibos believes this is a distraction from the class divide.
Campaign officers – Dibos announced that Alison Gibbons will be his campaign manager. His campaign does not yet have a treasurer. Alan Mattlage of the Montgomery County Greens volunteered to help out the treasurers of all the BGP campaigns with advice, if they need it. He was treasurer for Linda Schade’s campaign for state delegate.
Kay Dellinger asked Dibos a question about the military budget and its impact on city finances, and he agreed that military spending is sucking money out of cities.
Compromise on Endorsement/Nomination Process
- A Baltimore Green Party primary will be held sometime in March 2004.
- Rolling endorsements of declared serious candidates will begin on Aug. 28, 2003.
- Only one person will be endorsed per district, unless a candidate agrees to competition.
- Candidates who filed by 6/30/03 will determine the date of their endorsement vote, in consultation with the Electoral Committee.
- Once a candidate is endorsed, no further endorsements can be made in that race, unless the endorsed candidate agrees to further competition.
- Races where no one has been endorsed are open to competition.
- All candidates who wish to be nominated must go through the endorsement process.
- Candidates who fail to receive the endorsement are not precluded from nomination by primary.
Paul Dibos raised serious concern about the logistics of a March primary – cost and availability of volunteers. Bia Riaz and Dave Greene share his concern.
Chuck D’Adamo estimates it would cost $1,000 to publicize a primary, including the cost of a postcard notice (estimated: $276) and a packet about the candidates.
Rachel Markowitz recommends we remove the word “primary” from the proposal and just say nominations will occur by March 2004. Dibos, Riaz and Greene support this amendment, but Mike Shea objects to it. The amendment is removed.
Shea says the expense of the mailing has already been approved and it could be part of a regular BGP mailing, rather than an additional mailing.
“Primary” language is restored after discussion about the concerns, and Dibos, Riaz and Greene stand aside rather than block consensus on the proposal for a candidate endorsement and nomination process. The endorsement/nominaton proposal is adopted by consensus.
Mattlage requested that the BGP write up the endorsement/nomination proposal that passed and pass it on to the Maryland Green Party.
Literature for Democratic Primary Day, 9/9/03
Vince Tola said he wants to have a flier to give out to voters as they leave the polls during the Democratic Party’s primary day on Sept. 9. He estimates the cost will be at least $600.
Dibos said the flier would not be worth the money. He said dedicated Democrats would be voting on Sept. 9. He also noted the 14-month gap before the general election.
Craig Huntley noted that people who come out for the primary are at least people who vote.
Shea noted that some of those who vote on Sept. 9 will be voting for someone who doesn’t end up winning the primary.
Markowitz suggested a spending cap be placed on the project.
Tola said some Democrats are not real Democrats – some are even Green – but they vote in the Democratic primary because that’s where the action is in Baltimore.
Tola proposes that the issue be tabled until he can get firmer estimates on the cost of the flier, as well as try to solicit donations to cover the cost. He said several BGP members had already committed to making donations to cover the cost. The group agreed to table the issue.
Announcements
- Myles Hoenig announced a protest in support of the Woodberry Woods neighborhood and against the city’s plan to sell forested public land adjacent to Woodberry Woods to Loyola College for a sports complex. The protest will be held Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m. outside Mayor Martin O’Malley’s campaign headquarters in the 5900 block of York Road, across from the Senator Theatre. The BGP endorses the Sept. 3 protest by consensus.
- Dellinger said the Baltimore-based Coalition against Global Exploitation (CAGE) is organizing to protest the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) ministerial scheduled for Nov. 17-21 in Miami. She said CAGE wants the BGP’s help in reaching out to local environmental groups to seek their help in organizing for the FTAA protest. Or, the BGP could just funnel ideas to CAGE, she said. Tola said he has contacts with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network whom he can call. Rob Tufts of the Anne Arundel County Greens said he would provide contacts for environmental groups in Arundel.