To Philly 4 Bernie: Rules Committee

Hi ! My name is Brian Ertz.
I've been asked by the Bernie Sanders campaign and the elected Idaho state delegation to serve on the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee in Philadelphia. I am not a millionaire (not even close), I have no corporate sponsors (not even close). I'm a single father of two beautiful children buried in student loan debt. I've been homeless, have known how far food stamps will stretch with my kids, and have a deep and intimate understanding of the imperative of this budding political revolution.

As such, I'm asking for your help to get me to Philly to cover travel and lodging expenses so that I can work with other committee members to advance far-reaching rule changes to the Democratic Party.

During the Idaho State Democratic Convention I drafted several succesful petitions on behalf of the Idaho Bernie Sanders delegation including a reform of Superdelegates apportionment and a petition requiring the state party to formally endorse Bernie Sanders. I also advanced petition calling upon a state rule change that would require the state party to publish any joint fundraising agreements the state party entered into prominently on its website, and to abstain from entering into any joint fundraising agreement where doing so would benefit one Democratic candidate over another. The petition brought the state convention to a screeching halt for several hours as establishment fixtures of the party scrambled to procedurally kill it by skirting a vote. Unfortunately, they succesfully tabled the rulemaking change. 

I believe that the Democratic Establishment hopes to treat the national convention as political theater, a staged showing of unity and a coronation. The national convention must be more than that.

I am committed to doing my part to ensure that substantive amendments to the rules get put forth that will level the playing field in future primary contests by advancing resolutions for the Democratic National Committee that (a) provide for a more fair schedule of debates with mechanisms in place to revoke the DNC chair's discretion where abuse of the debate schedule occurs, (b) use DNC's material state support/leverage to compel states to open up the primary process to unaffiliated voters, (c) reform the Superdelegate process to better reflect the will of the people, prevent registered lobbyists from serving as Superdelegates, and to enforceably prevent Superdelegates from publicizing their vote prior to their state contest, (d) take standing direction from the Bernie Sanders campaign and (e) make other changes to the Democratic primary process that will reduce the influence of and reliance on Big Money in Democratic nomination contests.

*Background*

Personal:



I'm a single father of two beautiful children whose love of wildlands and wildlife inspires a personal and political zeal. 

It is my belief that the candidacy of Bernie Sanders, and its galvanization of a principled and far-reaching political revolution, represents this generation's best hope for saving our democracy from corporate corruption and the living planet from catastrophic climate change.

Professional:

I've been an environmental and social justice activist for over ten years working primarily on issue campaigns and initiatives in the Intermountain West. I have extensive experience with public interest oversight of administrative and legislative decision-making processes, have helped to found and consult a number of nonprofit activist organizations, an ongoing effort which has included drafting and implementing thoughtful bylaws, internal policies, and other rulemaking processes.

I have a keen passion for recognizing how the design of rules, proceedures, and other decision-making processes can serve to empower an authentic democratic sentiment, or in the alternative how they too often favor those with financial resources, insider access, or other anti-democratic actors and influences.

The Task at Hand:

The Rules Committee issues a report to the Democratic National Convention recommending the Permanent Rules of the Convention, the Convention agenda, the permanent officers of the Democratic National Convention, *amendments to the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States,* and resolutions providing for the consideration of any other matter not provided for in the Permanent Rules of the Convention and not contained in the reports of other standing committees.

I hope I can count on your support to get me and all of our Bernie delegation to Philly !