These guys rock. Soerra Club is not just transparent, they're crystal clear. Here's their info:
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your patience. It’s been a particularly busy week, which included the successful staging our Boulder City Council Candidate Environmental Issues Forum (http://rockymtn.sierraclub.org/ipg/political/envForumplate.shtml) on Wednesday evening, and the Wild Step Fundraiser earlier today (http://www.rmc.sierraclub.org/hike/).
Here are answers to your questions:
1. Do you evaluate all candidates or just some? If just some, what are your criteria to pre-select the candidates you will consider?
The local Sierra Club (i.e., the Indian Peaks Group of the Rocky Mountain Chapter) sends each Boulder City Council candidate a questionnaire. If a candidate does not return our questionnaire or respond to follow-up emails and phone calls, we assume they are not interested in our endorsement and we do not pursue the endorsement further. The Sierra Club then evaluates all candidates who express an interest in having a Sierra Club endorsement.
2. What are the steps in your process? (ie, questionnaire, candidate presentation, etc.)
The Sierra Club’s process includes the questionnaire, a 45-minute candidate interview, a public candidate forum, evaluation of incumbent candidate voting records, and assorted other sources of information (including reading David Thielen’s blog). Sierra Club’s criteria for endorsement include (1) candidates’ overall environmental record, platform, and knowledge of city policy issues; (2) performance on environmental concerns as an incumbent; and (3) ability to run a credible campaign and prospects for winning. Depending on the number of candidates in a given council race, the strength of their candidacy, and the time constraints of an all-volunteer committee, the political committee decides by majority vote how many of the candidates it will move forward to the interview stage of the process. For example, in 2007 there were 23 candidates for 7 seats. The political committee interviewed what it perceived to be the 14 strongest candidates. In 2005 there were only 10 candidates. That year, Sierra Club interviewed all 10 candidates. This year we interviewed 10 of the 12 candidates who expressed interest in a Sierra Club endorsement.
All candidates are also invited to participate in a free and open-to-the-public Environmental Issues Forum. The Sierra Club, along with other local environmental organizations, has been hosting this moderated, question and answer forum for the past three council elections and we hope to continue it in future years. This year, in addition to the 1.5 hour Q & A session, there was a 45 minute social period for the audience to meet the candidates and ask them questions in an informal “meet and greet” setting. All candidates are invited to this forum whether or not they make it to our interview stage.
Once the candidate interviews and forum are completed, the political committee meets to discuss and vote on candidate endorsements. The committee makes its endorsement recommendations to the Indian Peaks Group Executive Committee based on a majority vote. The Executive Committee then makes its candidate endorsements based on a minimum 2/3 majority vote for each candidate. Those endorsements are then forwarded to the Rocky Mountain Chapter (the state organization). The Rocky Mountain Chapter’s Administrative Committee does a second review of the endorsement and votes on it; they also must approve the endorsements by a 2/3 majority. These voting procedures comply with the national Sierra Club’s rules on making political endorsements.
3. If you give them a questionnaire (if any), can you provide a copy? And can you provide the answers you received from each candidate?
I’ve attached a copy of our questionnaire and a copy of the questions that were asked at the Environmental Forum. The Forum questions were jointly written by the Sierra Club and other participating groups. Since we did not tell the candidates in advance that we would make their questionnaire responses public, we cannot make them public. However, candidates are certainly free to post their responses as they see fit. Our political committee discussed this and in the future we will alert candidates in advance that we may post their responses.
4. Who are the people in your organization that vote on who you select?
Indian Peaks Group Political Committee: Steve Welter (Chair), Rebecca Dickson, Sarah Silver, Barry Satlow, Janet Salmons, Cole Kiersey, David Conley, Sharon Conley, Deirdre Butler.
Indian Peaks Group Executive Committee: Deirdre
Rocky Mountain Chapter Administrative Committee: Jenny Kedward (Chapter Chair from Pueblo), Steve Welter (Chapter Vice Chair from Boulder), Kirk Cunningham (Chapter Conservation Chair from Boulder), Myrna Poticha (Chapter Executive Committee member from Greenwood Village), Maggie Pedersen (Chapter Executive Committee member from Glenwood Springs).
I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have questions.
All the best,
Steve
Download Sierra Club Questionnaire 2009
Download Final Enviro Forum Schedule & Questions
