Note To Kurt Hatcher: The Four Goals Established For MCDP Strategic Planning Were Democratically Determined

This is a note to Kurt Hatcher that I wrote in response to his recent comment on Facebook. Kurt responded to my recent post and expressed his dissatisfaction with the goals established for the MCDP Strategic Planning Committee. He wrote: “A group’s strategic plan should reflect the specific goals that the body agrees upon — not the generalizations crafted by one person. Wouldn’t it be more ‘Democratic’ for everyone to have input?”

Kurt, I want to address your statement that, “A group’s strategic plan should reflect the specific goals that the body agrees upon — not the generalizations crafted by one person.”

I am surprised that you are questioning the legitimacy of the four goals established for the MCDP Strategic Planning Committee. Here is how the democratic process worked in the MCDP to produce a Strategic Committee with these specific goals and with me the specific chairperson of the committee:

  • These four goals, as I explained in my letter to the Central Committee, are those articulated in the preamble and the statement of purpose of the MCDP Constitution that was approved at the 2018 Reorganization Meeting.
  • The preamble and statement of purpose emerged from the MCDP Constitution Committee where I was a member. I authored the original draft as a proposal for the Constitution Committee to consider. Every member of the Constitution Committee studied this draft and several small changes were made. The group agreed unanimously to recommend that the Constitution Committee’s version of the Preamble and Statement of Purpose be included in the revised MCDP Constitution.
  • At the Reorganization Meeting, the newly re-elected MCDP Chairman urged the Central Committee to adopt the recommendations of the Constitution Committee. Every Central Committee member had the opportunity to give input. You were a voting member who attended the Reorganization Meeting and you did not object to the new preamble and statement of purpose. There was unanimous agreement that the new preamble and statement of purpose should be included in the revised MCDP Constitution. It was a democratic process.
  • I was asked to serve as chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee. The purpose of this committee — as explained in a letter approved by Mark Owens, before he asked that I chair the committee — specifically is to show: “how the MCDP can advance the goals established in the preamble and statement of purpose established in the MCDP Constitution.”

Anyway, Kurt, I appreciate the efforts you are making for our party. I think by addressing these four goals the MCDP will be empowered to create a robust 21st century organization that will attract thousands more Democrats into active engagement, included many young people like yourself. The end result of a successful strategic plan will be the election of Democrats to offices that now seem far out of reach. What is of key requirement for the future success of the Democratic Party to is that Democrats find unity. This takes effort and those of us active in the local party organization must lead the way. We must do our best to establish friendships with each other and to be generous in our respect for each other. We must do our best to come together as a harmonious community — not in total agreement, but bound together with a common mission and purpose — bound together by our allegiance to the democratic process, even when we disagree with the results.

 

Share
This entry was posted in Local/Metro. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *