July 17th, 2019 IRC Meeting

Decisions/Endorsements

Mass. Legislation

• An Act to establish a taskforce to develop a uniform code for police body-worn cameras and their recordings (H.2120) contains language to exemption of body camera recordings from the definition of “public record”. More at:
  • https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/07/11/police-bodycams-public-records
  • https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/10/bill-would-limit-public-access-police-video-massachusetts/OqpSjpHvD86yXd1GbAggAM/story.html

Federal Legislation

• The CASE Act (H2426) would create a copyright infringement small claims court, thus leading to more copyright trolling.

Congress of Corrections

Boston is hosting the Congress of Corrections, Aug 1-6. It will be at the Hynes Convention Center, Halls C&D. It is sponsored by private prison and ICE detention investors.

Projects

Goals for Q2:

• Organize meetups
• Organize election
• Organize Fundraiser(s)
• Organize candidate trainings
• Revise platform

Regional Meetings

jokeefe will post poll for October party conference by Friday.

Leader:

Video Newsletter

Leader: Joseph

• Next pirate news recording?

Democracy and Dogfood (Tech)

July 13th Meeting

• srevilak updated blog theme. jokeefe and srevilak corrected any items that were wrong as a result of the update;
• jokeefe updated our Riot/Matrix client to the latest stable version. Started work on a splash page for discuss.masspirates.org.
• srevilak & jokeefe tested camera / microphone setup and figured out that the reason the recording was so soft in the video we took at the Pirate Planning Picnic was that the speakers were too far away from the microphones.

jokeefe noticed that our CCTV camera map no longer shows the locations of cameras. Will look at it.

Next meeting will be August 10th. Topics are:

• find discussion/voting system;
• update CCTV cameras to include older cameras outside North America we didn't include;
• write an app to record the location/ownership of CCTV cameras;
• set up torrents for PirateCon videos (creynolds);
• post remaining audio for PirateCon talks (srevilak).

Tasks

Fight bills to make the Film Credit Permanent

H.2419 would make the film tax credit permanent. It is supposed to expire in 2023. The bill has 100+ signatures this time around. jokeefe will submit testimony.

Tabled Projects

These have been on our agenda for a long time. How do we make them a reality?

Computer Donations

https://piratenpad.de/p/MassPiratesComputerDonations

FOSS Tutorials

Worcester farm group is interested in having some FOSS tutorials. Perhaps:

• how to do basic labels in GIMP,
• work through a few sample spreadsheets related to seed cost and
• similarly applicable real-world situations, depending on the needs of the group

Basically how to do graph design & product management with open source tools. Malt will put together a one paragraph description of what we need and we can mail it out to ask pirates to help.

Upcoming Events

• 7/16, Voter Choice MA RCV Lobby Day
• 7/17, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting
• 7/22, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting
• 7/29, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting
• 7/31, 6-9pm, Somerville Cryptoparty, The Sprouts
• 8/6, 7-9pm, Mass MeshNet Tech Meeting, Industry Lab, Cambridge
• 8/10, 11am-1pm, Democracy and Dogfood (Tech) Meeting, Arlington
• 8/24, Lowell Pirate Picnic, Lowell
• ?, ?, Holyoke Pirate Meetup, Board Room, Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke

Participants

• srevilak
• jokeefe
• Pirate_Joe
• Malt

Observers

• bonelesspepsi
• davidd
• hvxgr
• MikaelaSuomalainen
• igel[m]
• mikey
• cortex (briefly)

Summary

National Party Updates. Forming as a 527, as that provides more options for raising capital. Busy with development on the national party site. National elections are coming up soon.

Discussion of https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H2120, which proposes to exempt law enforcement body and dashboard camera footage from public records requests. 3-0 vote in opposition to the bill. Steve to draft statement of opposition.

Discussion of CASE Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2426/text. EFF's opinion: https://act.eff.org/action/prevent-copyright-trolling-tell-the-senate-that-copyright-claims-can-t-be-treated-like-traffic-tickets. 4-0 vote in favor of opposing the bill.

Boston is hosting the Congress of Corrections, Aug 1-6. Seems like a trade show for the prison industry. Not sure if there are plans for local opposition.

Questionnairre for regional meeting is up.

Latest video newsletter posted. Next recording: Sunday 8pm.

Minutes

 
21:07 <@jokeefe> Agenda:
        https://masspirates.org/wiki/July_17th,_2019_IRC_Meeting
21:08 <@jokeefe> ids
21:08 <@jokeefe> James O’Keefe, Somerville
21:08 < srevilak> Steve Revilak, Arlington
21:08 < Pirate_Joe> Joseph Onoroski, Lowell
21:08 <@jokeefe> Anything to add?
21:08 < Pirate_Joe> National elections?
21:09 <@jokeefe> Discuss under National Party?
21:09 < Pirate_Joe> Less a review and more of a decision, but as you wish
21:10 <@jokeefe> Review - National Party
21:11 <@jokeefe> Election on the 29th?
21:11 < Pirate_Joe> Aye
21:11 < Pirate_Joe> Plus we have decided that we are going to form the
        national party as a 527
21:11 <@jokeefe> ahoy coretx
21:12 <@jokeefe> not as an FEC committee?
21:12 < Pirate_Joe> That way we will have more options to raise capital
        and distribute it to the different states.
21:12 < Pirate_Joe> Aye
21:13 < Pirate_Joe> The idea will be that we will have to states petition
        the national committee to gain money.  I think we are leaning towards
        a grant-style system
21:13 <@jokeefe> not sure of that or that we are even near that, but ok
21:13 < Pirate_Joe> We have been very busy with the national site and
        will be opening/reopening a merch store for pirate gear and such.
21:13 <@jokeefe> FEC PACs can give money to other federal committees
21:14 <@jokeefe> http://pirate-party.us?
21:14 < Pirate_Joe> I understand and motions strongly towards PACs but
        I was over ruled.
21:14 <@jokeefe> are these meetings recorded anywhere?
21:15 < Pirate_Joe> I would see us grow slow and true.
21:15 < Pirate_Joe> I believe so, speak with Bosun to pull the records
        or I can ask Sayyida to get them for you.
21:16 < Pirate_Joe> That said, my 6 month term is almost done. Whom do
        you think we should nominate next?
21:16 <@jokeefe> The records should be on the wiki
21:16 <@jokeefe> Do you not want to run again?
21:17 < Pirate_Joe> I ran because there was great need and you asked it
        of me.  I would be happy to do as the council wishes.
21:17 <@jokeefe> ahoy Malt
21:18 < Malt> Sam capradae, Worcester
21:18 < Malt> Hi friends, sorry for the delay
21:18 < srevilak> hai Malt
21:18 < Pirate_Joe> Ahoy
21:18 <@jokeefe> thanks for joining us
21:18 <@jokeefe> I think the national party is stronger with your
        leadership, Pirate_Joe
21:18 < Pirate_Joe> I think Sayyida is running for Chair and Bosun is
        a big part of it as well.
21:19 <@jokeefe> anyone else running?
21:19 < Pirate_Joe> I know that we were going to add a Quartermaster
        position
21:19 < Pirate_Joe> I have not asked.
21:19 < Pirate_Joe> Plus we are discussing a new title, Sheriff
21:20 <@jokeefe> what would that role be?
21:21 < Pirate_Joe> Basically, a sheriff would keep the peace, aka
        moderator / state liaison / code of conduct enforcer.
21:22 < Pirate_Joe> Nothing is decided for the sheriff position yet,
        this is totally new.  Currently it is tabled until after elections have
        taken place.
21:22 < Pirate_Joe> I appreciate your support Jokeefe
21:23 < Pirate_Joe> If you would have me continue to run, I will
21:23 < Pirate_Joe> I know Malt showed interest last election.
21:24 <@jokeefe> really should amend the bylaws
21:24 < Pirate_Joe> Plus there may be more positions available
        anyways. Moderator on a national level seems very much like my thing.
21:25 <@jokeefe> Ok. We should review who is running and decide who we
        want to support at our next meeting. Sound good?
21:26 < Pirate_Joe> I would be happy to serve as chair if need be,
        but I also do not want to run if there is others ready and available.
        I could simply attend as a MA rep like before.
21:26 <@jokeefe> ok. thanks
21:26 < Pirate_Joe> Sounds good, let me know.
21:26 <@jokeefe> Moving on to Decisions/Endorsements
21:27 <@jokeefe> Just found out about An Act to establish a taskforce to
        develop a uniform code for police body-worn cameras and their recordings
        (H.2120)
21:27 <@jokeefe> It contains language to exempt body camera recordings
        from the definition of “public record”
21:27 < srevilak> Filed by Denise Provost
21:27 <@jokeefe> Yes
21:27 <@jokeefe> Bill is at https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H2120
21:27 < srevilak>
        https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/07/11/police-bodycams-public-records
21:28 < srevilak> Kudos to Galvin for arguing against it.  (Not often
        that I would give kudos to Galvin)
21:28 <@jokeefe> I know, right?
21:29 <@jokeefe> I think it is fine to form a taskforce. I do not think it
        is right to explicitly ban any police recording from being a public record
21:29 < Pirate_Joe> Normally Provost is a champion of the people.
21:29 <@jokeefe> Her justification is personal privacy, but there is no
        privacy on a public street and anyone could make their own recording
21:29 < Pirate_Joe> Perhaps we can have a rep from this committee reach
        out to her to for an explaination?
21:31 <@jokeefe> She is the only candidate we have had someone run
        against twice. Some of her supporters really didn’t appreciate that.
21:32 < Pirate_Joe> She won't be the last. Plus if she is looking for
        our support then she should be able to answer a few simple questions
        and explain herself.
21:32 < srevilak> hai coretx
21:32 <@jokeefe> From the globe article I linked to in the agenda:
21:32 < Pirate_Joe> That's your district, correct jokeefe?
21:32 <@jokeefe> But the bill’s author said she thought it was vital
        to protect the privacy of innocent people and bystanders who happened
        to be captured on film. And she worried the video could be used for
        salacious entertainment.
21:32 <@jokeefe> “The goal of privacy protection for victims, minors,
        bystanders, and witnesses, I think, has to be paramount,” Provost said.
21:32 <@jokeefe> Though Provost said she knows there is technology
        available to pixelate the faces of people, she worried that technology
        might be flawed.
21:32 <@jokeefe> “It is not clear to me that technology is advanced
        enough to make it possible to disguise the identity of individuals who
        might be compromised by having their images released,” she said. Provost
        said litigants could still potentially obtain the video through discovery
        or a court order.
21:32 <@jokeefe>
        https://masspirates.org/wiki/July_17th,_2019_IRC_Meeting#Mass._Legislation
21:33 < Pirate_Joe> Well, we are for privacy of the people as well. That
        is an argument I do support
21:34 <@jokeefe> Of course, but with language like that they could
        interpret it as only allowing police and prosecutors the right to access
        that recording
21:34 < Pirate_Joe> However, due the public nature of the job, any
        police action that is not an active case should be made public for the
        public's safety
21:35 < Pirate_Joe> H.1991  HD.3835  is a good one too
21:35 <@jokeefe> There have been a number of police shootings where the
        police bodycam recording was the opposite of what the police claimed
        happened.
21:36 < Pirate_Joe> In principle, I am opposed to Provost bill.  But I
        do understand the sentiment of where she is coming from.
21:39 <@jokeefe> Actually, the composition of the committee is really
        biased towards police and prosecutors
21:40 <@jokeefe> 8 police/prosecutors vs 1 rep each from public counsel,
        ACLU and NAACP
21:41 <@jokeefe> Actually, I suggest opposing it
21:41 < Pirate_Joe> the road to hell, jokeefe.  Motion to oppose?
21:42 < srevilak> second
21:42 <@jokeefe> all in favor of opposing this bill?
21:42 < Pirate_Joe> Aye
21:42 < srevilak> aye
21:42 <@jokeefe> Aye
21:42 <@jokeefe> srevilak, would you be able to write our statement
        opposing it?
21:43 <@jokeefe> Doesn’t need to be long
21:43 < srevilak> jokeefe: will try
21:43 <@jokeefe> Thank you.
21:44 <@jokeefe> Next - The CASE Act (H2426) would create a copyright
        infringement small claims court, thus leading to more copyright trolling.
21:45 <@jokeefe> From the EFF:
21:45 < Malt> Whoops
21:45 <@jokeefe> The CASE Act would allow “Claims Officers” at the
        Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. to hear copyright infringement cases,
        giving this quasi-judicial body the ability to issue damages awards of up
        to $15,000 per work infringed or $30,000 per proceeding, and agreements
        which boil down to binding injunctions. And the Copyright Office could
        raise those caps on its own.
21:45 <@jokeefe> Photographers have a legitimate concern about their work
        being taken and used whole without proper payment. But copyright claims
        should not be bulk-processed like traffic tickets—especially not when
        statutory damages under the CASE Act are so much higher than in traffic
        court, requiring no proof of actual harm. And especially not when the
        case won’t be heard by an actual judge, one whose job doesn’t place
        copyright at the center of the legal unive
21:46 < Malt> That's legit a nightmare
21:46 < Malt> It would DESTROY parts of the internet
21:46 < Malt> Memes would be impossibl
21:46 <@jokeefe>
        https://act.eff.org/action/prevent-copyright-trolling-tell-the-senate-that-copyright-claims-can-t-be-treated-like-traffic-tickets
21:47 <@jokeefe> Aye, Malt
21:48 <@jokeefe> Motion to oppose it
21:48 < srevilak> aye
21:48 < Malt> 2nd
21:48 <@jokeefe> aye
21:48 < Pirate_Joe> aye
21:48 <@jokeefe> any opposed?
21:49 <@jokeefe> to opposing it
21:49 <@jokeefe> ahoy coretx
21:50 <@jokeefe> seeing no opposition, motion passes to oppose the
        CASE Act
21:50 <@jokeefe> Boston is hosting the Congress of Corrections,
        Aug 1-6. It will be at the Hynes Convention Center, Halls C&D. It is
        sponsored by private prison and ICE detention investors.
21:50 < Malt> Wv
21:50 < Malt> Wv
21:50 < Malt> We should be there
21:51 < Malt> Let's barricade the doors
21:51 <@jokeefe> I agree. Anyone up to finding out who is organizing a
        protest and how we can help?
21:52 < Malt> I can ask around
21:52 < Pirate_Joe> Could we have Christine check, being the swarmwise
        director?
21:52 <@jokeefe> Thanks, Malt. Two is better than one. I will ask
        Christine to check as well.
21:53 < Pirate_Joe> ^.^
21:53 <@jokeefe> Projects
21:53 < Malt> I know a few folk but not all of them
21:53 <@jokeefe> Hopefully someone knows. Would be surprised if there
        wasn’t a protest
21:54 < Malt> Srsly
21:54 <@jokeefe> Regional Meetings - I posted the party conference survey
        and to email and activists list
21:54 <@jokeefe> No word on Holyoke.  Looking to have a lunch in Cambridge
        next week.
21:55 <@jokeefe> Video Newsletter - Posted the last one
21:55 <@jokeefe> And emailed it out
21:55 <@jokeefe> When should be the next pirate news recording?
21:56 < Pirate_Joe> Sunday night at 7-8 pm is the only time I can do it.
21:56 <@jokeefe> Malt / srevilak?
21:56 < Pirate_Joe> If you would like to record without me, there is
        plenty to discuss.
21:56 < srevilak> I could make sunday night 7p
21:57 < Malt> Sadly I think I'm working Sunday 7pm
21:57 < Malt> Yes I've got a baseball game
21:58 <@jokeefe> We could record two. One me and Malt, and one Pirate_Joe,
        srevilak and maybe me?
21:58 <@jokeefe> When works for you Malt?
21:58 < Pirate_Joe> Well, one would do. I would just mention the previous
        statements we just voted on and discuss them in good detail.
21:59 <@jokeefe> We don’t lack for things to talk about ;-)
22:00 < Malt> No need to wait on my behalf, y'all know I'm a Hardline
        socialist
22:00 <@jokeefe> Does anytime work for you this weekend?
22:01 < Malt> Earlier Sunday I think
22:01 < Malt> Oh wait
22:01 < Malt> I should be good as of 8ish
22:02 < Pirate_Joe> 8pm would be better for me.
22:02 <@jokeefe> srevilak, does that work for you?
22:02 < srevilak> I can do 8p
22:03 <@jokeefe> 8pm or so it is.
22:03 <@jokeefe> Great
22:03 <@jokeefe> Thanks
22:03 < Malt> :)
22:04 <@jokeefe> Democracy and Dogfood
        (Tech) meeting went well. Details are at
        https://masspirates.org/wiki/July_17th,_2019_IRC_Meeting#Democracy_and_Dogfood_.28Tech.29
22:04 <@jokeefe> Next one is August 10th. Restore the 4th Mass. has an
        idea for a site we might want to help with. Getting details from them.
22:05 < srevilak> For next meeting, we should do a Mediawiki update
22:05 < srevilak> it's been a while
22:05  * srevilak will practice on a couple of other sites first :)
22:05 <@jokeefe> Good plan. thanks
22:06 < Malt> Sure
22:06 <@jokeefe> That is all I have at this time.
22:06 <@jokeefe> Anything else or should we adjourn?
22:06 < srevilak> motion to adjourn
22:06 < Pirate_Joe> 2nd
22:06 <@jokeefe> all in favor?
22:06 < Pirate_Joe> Aye
22:07 < srevilak> aye
22:07 < srevilak> will post transcript