Phoenix Coffee Summit Tackles Money in Politics

A diverse group of over 15 Coffee Party members met in Phoenix on Saturday for a Coffee Party summit on corporate personhood & money in politics. A variety of issues were discussed, most notably the current legislative efforts to address the issue. We were also honored with the participation of US Senate candidate Rudy Garcia, whose introduction made it clear that money in politics is a key issue we need to address as a nation. Over the three hour event, some points of consensus were reached, and more importantly, everyone left a little more informed.

After brief introductions, we broke into three groups to get down to business. Groups were shuffled between sessions to leverage the diversity of perspectives and foster a collective intelligence. The first session was used to lay out the questions and describe the problem. In the second session, the groups were given research materials on three separate topics of discussion: The Fair Elections Now Act, DISCLOSE Act, and Shareholder Protection Act. In the third session, after shuffling the groups, these solutions were shared and discussed along with other proposals, building an even richer understanding.

One consensus that emerged was the significance of The Fair Elections Now Act. Though there were differences about the source of funding and mechanisms for providing a forum for politics, there was broad agreement that the current system is tantamount to legalized bribery and that a system of public campaign funding is needed regardless of any other solutions implemented. The most common position that emerged on the DISCLOSE Act found it to be a "band-aid" in response to the Citizens United case, not really reaching the heart of the problem. While it might help, there was more interest in amendments to clearly separate the constitutional protections of natural persons from protections granted to corporations and other collective entities. The Shareholder Protection Act was found to be a useful way to bring more transparency to political spending of large corporations and facilitate socially responsible investing. Though not seen as a high priority when compared to FENA, and not as visible as DISCLOSE, the legislation provides a significant degree of transparency and accountability to corporate political spending in simple and principled way. It was also noted that a substantial piece of the puzzle was missing: lobbying reform. While all citizens have the right to lobby their representatives, most do not have the legal or institutional expertise of a professional lobbyist or the financial resources to hire professional lobbyists -- an imbalance that would not entirely disappear even after leveling the campaign finance playing field.

Over all, the event was a great success. We learned a lot about current legislative efforts to correct the undue influence of money in politics and discussed alternatives. The most important take-away was support for The Fair Elections Now Act, and in a follow up meeting on Tuesday, a smaller group discussed plans for group visits to representatives across the valley to discuss FENA along with other current issues. We are reminded of the importance of civil discourse and civic participation. In order to be more active citizens, we must all make an effort to be informed on the issues and make sure our representatives know where we stand.

View a summary of the agenda and session format

The Coffee Party to rally in Tempe this Saturday 4/17

Phoenix, Arizona - In recent weeks, citizens across the Phoenix area began to meet at local coffee shops as part of the growing Coffee Party Movement. Participants have welcomed a civil, honest, and respectful dialog addressing the challenges facing our nation. A rally on Saturday will bring together smaller groups from Goodyear, Glendale, Sun City, Phoenix, Apache Junction, Mesa, Tempe, and Chandler. We also hope to attract more locals eager to work toward positive solutions and foster participatory democracy.

Where: Daley Park - Encanto Dr & College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281
When: Saturday, April 17, 2010 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Youth Coffee Party

CIVIL DIALOG. That is what the Coffee Party was founded and at least from experiences I have had is just as lacking amongst youth as in the current generation. As a 12-year-old child, I have an obvious interest in attempting to make sure I am part of a well educated generation.

So I am now attempting to organize a Youth Coffee Party, if you are a College age student or younger weather or not you are already a member of the Coffee Party and are interested in this please tell me via comment or email at samosley@gmail.com and feel free to ask questions.

The Coffee Party movement takes root across the Valley, and a new kind of conversation is starting to blossom

Phoenix, Arizona - April 2, 2010 - Over the past three weeks Phoenicians have come out to demonstrate to the local community their common love for coffee, civility, and their country. Participants have met regularly to discuss the challenges currently facing our nation in an open-minded atmosphere of mutual respect. So far, there have been over 17 meetings in coffee shops and parks, from Goodyear & Sun City to Chandler & Apache Junction and everywhere in-between. Attendance has ranged from 5 to 40 civic-minded citizens at each event. Everyone must pledge to listen politely to their fellow coffee party participants and in turn are encouraged to voice their thoughts on issues important to them.

The Coffee Party is not connected to any political parties, lobby groups or unions. Organizers are volunteers and issues discussed on the national level come directly from bottom up input. The movement strives to be non partisan, embrace a diversity of backgrounds and ideas, and provide an environment that fosters respect between participants even when their opinions differ. We also hope to educate ourselves and our fellow citizens and to propose new solutions.

The discussion has focused on how individuals can impact the direction of policy-making by the government. Participants want their representatives to hear their ideas and be held accountable for their actions in office. Specific topics of concern addressed by participants in Phoenix included electoral reform, campaign finance reform, transparency, and the influence of lobbyists.

Several events are scheduled for the next week and new members are always welcome.

Meeting Notes from 3/31/2010

Meeting Notes from 3/31/2010
Paradise Bakery, 12St & Glendale Ave, 7:00-9:00pm

First there were a few newcomers so we went over all the introductions.

Next we discussed how some members are under the impression that public opinion is that we are a "leftist" or "liberal" group. We talked about how to get more conservatives involved. We wondered if we could change the public opinion, and get people to understand that we mean to be non partisan and inclusive. Several people suggested meeting with the Tea Party. Jason thought we shouldn't try to meet with them soon, but, maybe in a few months.

Then we talked about our issue for the week: lobbying and campaign contributions. Barbara brought a Newsweek article entitled, "Why we need more lobbyists". We were all interested by some of the ideas in the article. Oran typed up his ideas for campaign finance and lobby reform. He also brought some data regarding campaign contributions and the education industry. We tried to make some sense of it, but, weren't sure what it all meant. Cliff brought IRS related materials regarding campaign contributions. He noted that churches can contribute up to a point. There was also some back-and-forth discussion about term limits.

I mentioned a design contest for making government data and processes more accessible and easier to understand for the general public. The link for the contest is here: http://sunlightlabs.com/contests/designforamerica/

Next we discussed various ways to outreach to the public. Both to get more members and also to provide educational materials. We discussed creating a website for the Arizona Coffee Party. Jason purchased a domain. I mentioned that we might want to post meeting notes and other information on a blog.

We decided for next Tuesday's meeting at Paradise Bakery, we would talk about Education (the good, the bad, and any solutions we particularly like). Jason won't be able to attend, so, Oran and I will be hosting it.

We also talked informally about our food system and the recent media relating to food. (Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution tv show, the documentary Food, Inc., etc)

About Us

From our Party's national website:

Our Civility Pledge:

"As a member or supporter of the Coffee Party, I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest, and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas, and I value and cherish the democratic process."

Our Mission Statement:

"The Coffee Party Movement gives voice to Americans who want to see cooperation in government. We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them."

More About Us:

"Coffee Party USA aims to reinvigorate the public sphere, drawing from diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives, with the goal of expanding the influence of the People in America's political arena. We do not require nor adhere to any preexisting ideology. We encourage deliberation guided by reason amongst the many viewpoints held by our members. We see our diversity as a strength, not a weakness, because we believe that faithful deliberation from multiple vantage points is the best way to achieve the common good. It is in the responsible and reasonable practice of deliberation that we hope to contribute to society

Coffee Party USA is made up of people acting independently of political parties, of corporations, and of political lobbying networks. To this point, all products created and hours logged for Coffee Party have been carried out in the spirit of volunteerism. In the coming months and years, we hope to transform our disappointment in our current political system into a force that will return our nation to a course of popular governance, of the People by the People for the People."