LNC Policy Manual revision

We have a mail ballot concerning the EPCC as indicated in the attachment. Dan Karlan, Stewart Flood, Rebecca Sink-Burris and Admiral Colley co-sponsored.

Section 2.02

COMMITTEE SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

4) Employment Policy and Compensation Committee

Existing language . . .

[The Employment Policy and Compensation Committee shall develop the documents necessary for the administration of the employment of the Executive Director, including but not limited to a performance review. Proposed procedures, including forms, for the Executive Director performance review shall be presented by the Employment Policy and Compensation Committee to the LNC for its advice and consent in the 4th quarter of each calendar year. The proposed procedures shall include the administration of the Executive Director performance review in the 1st quarter of each calendar year. The results of the review and any additional recommendations of the Employment Policy and Compensation Committee will be reported at the first available LNC meeting following the review period.]

Replace with . . .

[The Employment Policy and Compensation Committee shall develop documents, procedures, and guidelines for the effective administration, supervision and development of Staff, including but not limited to job descriptions, compensation ranges, hiring, training, performance reviews, promotion, progressive discipline and termination. The LNC may supersede any such documents, procedures and guidelines by adopting a replacement.

The Employment Policy and Compensation Committee shall also be available to Staff to discuss on a confidential basis the working environment or observed violations of the
Policy Manual.]


Fails 7-7, 3 abstentions

For

Bob Sullentrup
Aaron Starr
Alicia Mattson
Scott Lieberman
Rebecca Sink-Burris
Stewart Flood
Dan Karlan
James Lark

Against

Michael Jingozian
Pat Dixon
Lee Wrights
Mary Ruwart
Tony Ryan
Mark Hinkle
Rachel Hawkridge

Abstain

Bill Redpath
Michael Colley
Julie Fox

REGION 7 REPORT

Submitted to: Libertarian National Committee, July 7 , 2009.

Submitted by: Rachel W. Hawkridge, Region 7 Representative, Libertarian National Committee

This report will provide information concerning activities of the Libertarian Party state affiliates in Region 7 since I last reported on February 21, 2009.


Florida

The Libertarian Party of Florida held its annual meeting and convention on March 28-29, 2009 in Jacksonville, Florida, and elected Mr. J.J. McCurry to the Chair. He will serve a 2 year term. Vicki Kirkland was elected Vice-Chair for a 2 year term, Treasurer Jack Tanner , Secretary Mark Clifford, Director At Large (1) Char-Lez Braden, Director At Large (2) Sean Concannon, Director At Large (3) Jeff Hunt, and regional representatives Jim Tall, Alexander George, Nik Ritchie, Tyler Miller, Geoff Scott, Phil Laibe, Jim Kearney, former Chair Karl Dickey, and James Coakley will all being serving on the ExComm.

Florida continues to have regular, active county meetings, active campus groups, and Facebook groups.

The Chair reports that the big push in Florida is the creation of county affiliates. They’ve gone from 11 in January 2008 to 20 in January 2009, and are now at 25. Congratulations, Team! :o)

LP Florida’s currently Declared Candidates:

Governor: John Wayne Smith
Lt. Governor: Staci Henegar
State House Seat 33: Franklin Perez
State House Seat 42: Jeff Shoobridge

Palm Beach County Commission: Karl Dickey
Hillsborough County Commission: Brandon Newton
Bay County Commission: Geoff Scott
Bay County Commission: Justin Guthrie

Great job, Team Florida! :o)


Hawai’i

Hawai’i held a Convention on May 16th. They’ve elected and seated a new ExComm, which consists of:

Chair Ken Schoolland (whose name you may name recognize)
Vice Chair Larry Bartley
Treasurer John Spangler
Secretary Roger Taylor
At Large Jeff Mallan, Aaron Anderson, Li Zhao, Dave Hudson (who was the lone Hawai’i Delegate to Denver).


And they even have a Consulting Director on staff; Roger Taylor who also serves as Secretary.

They’ve published a newsletter already - http://is.gd/1tYAG, and plan to overhaul their website as well.

Welcome back, Hawai’i! Mahalo!



Idaho

LP Idaho has a new website, and it’s fabulous! Check it out!

The Libertarian Philosophical Brunch monthly series is going well and they have about a dozen regular participants. They just had a lively, but civil three hour philosophy discussion at the last brunch.

Due to the popularity of the brunch, there are plans to start a similar dinner group.

Fantastic, Idaho Libertarians!


Oregon

Oregon’s convention was held at the Shilo Inn Suites Oceanfront Hotel in Newport, OR on March 14 and 15. Gene and I were in attendance. Their new ExComm consists of the following brave souls:

Chairman: Joseph Cornwell
Vice-chairman: Marc Delphine
Secretary: Christiana Mayer
Treasurer: Justin Grover

There were numerous changes made to the bylaws, including deleting the Non-Aggression Pledge (NAP). The one included in Oregon's bylaws was flawed - it said "use of force" rather than "initiation of force", but in light of the MIAC report that was just making the news at that time, I'm not convinced that letting go of NAP is a good idea.

Oregon's Convention was a good time, and a lot was accomplished. We had some fun, dinner with our friends, and listening to a great speaker at lunch on the Heller decision.

Oregon's Elected/Appointed Officials:

Gaston City Council Position 3 - Richard Sager
Colton School Board Position 4 - Marty Soehrman
Beaverton School Committee, Elmonica Elementary Position 3 - Adam Mayer
Tualatin Valley Water District Commissioner Position 4 - Richard Burke
Tigard Water Board Position 2 (Chair) - Charles Radley
Beaverton School Committee, Beaveron High Position 3 - Inessa Hamilton-Lee
Beaverton School Committee, Elmonica Elementary Position 1 - Greg Rohde
Mtn. View Middle School Local School Committee Position 1- Mark Delphine
Elmonica Elementary School Local School Committee, Position 1 - Greg Rohde

Congratulations, Oregon Libertarians!


The Real Washington™

Our new Clark County (Vancouver, WA area) affiliate has a school board candidate. That group has a website, and they’ve done a very nice job.

LPWA continues to put out a monthly newsletter, thanks to editor Michael Wilson, who is no longer in Vancouver. It’s been a great fundraising source for us. We just received an $800 donation and a great page long thank you letter from one member, through that newsletter.

I am working with the Independent Voter’s Coalition to change ballot access laws in Washington. This coalition consists of Green, Progressive, Constitution Party, and of course, the Libertarian Party.

We’ll have an exciting, active presence at Hempfest and it’s Olympia, WA sister festival.

Thanks to all the team in Washington!

Convention Delegate's Manual - 2010 St. Louis, MO

As it looks like the Delegate Manual for Convention '10 may not be printed, please be prepared by reading and or printing.

State Chairs - would you please check your delegate totals, membership totals, etc. and make sure that they are correct?

Bob Sullentrup to statechairs, lnc-discuss Jun 21

Dear State Chairs:

As you may or may not know, convention delegate allocation is based on two factors:

1. The vote totals by state for our most recent presidential nominee and

2. The sustaining membership counts by state six months before the convention.

The Delegation Chair’s Manual posted a couple of months back:

https://www.lp.org/files/Delegation%20Chair's%20Manual%202010.pdf

explains all of this. See pages 22-23 for the delegate allocations. Please review and let me know of any corrections to the presidential vote totals by July 1.

Meanwhile, it has been my practice since I became Secretary to produce Delegation Chairs Manuals for each of the affiliates. I did so because one of the things my predecessor, Steve Givot, said to me when I took over for him 57 days before the Atlanta Convention in 2004 was “you won’t believe the number of simple-minded questions you will get including ‘how many delegates does our state get?’.”

As volunteer leaders of the Party who have achieved our positions because we are responsible and get things done, we all lead busy lives. How could Steve expect people to remember the details of an e-mail they had received back in January? It seemed to me this problem was a simple matter of communication that a DCM could solve. I have never gotten one question at any of the three conventions I’ve served as secretary about delegate allocation or much of anything else administrative that could not be looked up in the DCM. This is important because I tend to be, if you will forgive the Missouri Ozark colloquialism, busier than a one-legged man in an a$$ kicking contest.

My question for you is this. Should I produce hardcopy DCMs for St. Louis 2010 (May 29-31 over Memorial Day)? I suspect someone in your delegation will have a laptop and could be persuaded to download the PDF from the link above. The DCMs typically cost about $15 to produce and ship – courtesy of Diane and me -- and I would otherwise donate the savings to the Party to use for other purposes.

Bob Sullentrup

National Secretary

At-Large Credentials Committee - Apply now!

The LNC will be choosing the At-Large Credentials Committee members at our July 2009 meeting.

Below is the information. If you are interested, please apply ASAP.

National Credentials Committee Member

This position serves the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) to prepare and facilitate the credentialing of delegates to the biennial National LP Convention. There are 10 people on the credentials committee; five are appointed by the LNC and 5 are appointed by the top five states in membership as of 7 months prior to the convention.

Someone serving in this committee is expected to be a member of the Libertarian Party and to attend the 2010 Convention being held in St. Louis over Memorial Day weekend. Attention to detail, a professional attitude, and a customer-service oriented mindset are important qualities in a potential appointee. He or she must maintain complete honesty and a lack of bias to ensure the credibility of the votes and elections held during the course of the convention.

The Credentials Committee is currently working to develop an updated and streamlined credentialing process for the 2010 convention, creating an excellent opportunity for an appointee to hit the ground running and collaborate with colleagues from across the nation. Additionally, the Credentials Committee works with all the states to ensure that a full, accurate list of delegates is submitted by each state starting in January 2010 and leading up to the national convention. Usually a committee member is assigned to work closely with 5 states to help them fulfill their reporting requirements. Once the convention starts, Credentials Committee members take shifts working at the credentials desk to facilitate the check-in and –out of delegates in order to provide accurate counts for voting and other functions.

Required Qualifications:

- Member of the LP
- Attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills
- Professional attitude, honesty, and lack of bias under pressure
- Ability to learn complex systems
- Familiarity with MS Office, particularly Excel
- Reliable Internet access (regular email correspondence will be required)

Additional Qualifications: (not required, but potentially very useful)

- Familiarity with (or the ability to learn) MS Access
- Previous convention credentialing experience

If you are interested in being considered for appointment to the 2010 Credentials Committee, please email a letter of interest and statement of qualifications to the LNC Secretary, Robert Sullentrup, at rwsully@att.net by 01 July 2009. For more information, contact credentials@lp.org.

Campaign season is almost here!

Campaign season is almost here! If you’ve ever thought about running for office, it’s time to start planning.

Libertarian candidates have some choices to make. There are two ways to go.

The first is to run for a small, non-partisan office. This could be anything from a water or cemetery board to a school board. These are very winnable races. Where you don’t necessarily talk about your political beliefs, but you practice them. You influence policy. Make decisions, and actually govern. School boards are a great race for this. Do not expect that people will know that you are Libertarian, do not attempt to change the world overnight. Especially on a school board – this one should be handled carefully, but can be a launching point for a politician to actually get elected to higher office. Someone who has served on a school board for 4-8 years, putting in the time, the hard work, will have some reputation and network that may help to win a legislative, or city council race.

The second is to run an educational campaign. There might be a race in your district that has no opponent, or where you just have a particular passion, but not any real hope of winning. In this type of campaign, you would run a legitimate campaign, maximizing your exposure, taking every opportunity to speak to voters and to get out the Libertarian message. All the while knowing that there is not much chance of winning. These campaigns are generally run for education and information – a way to expose people to Libertarian ideas, and talk about better government.

No matter which strategy you decide on, never enter into a race for a job that you wouldn’t take, unless it is a strategy. For instance, one time Ruth Bennett ran for Lt. Governor on the platform that, if elected, she would abolish the office of Lt. Governor. Jack Tanner, and a couple of our Florida Libertarians, got elected to a board that accomplished nothing, and cost taxpayers a lot of money, and then they shut it down. All brilliant Libertarian strategists. Thank you, gentlepeople.

What do you plan to do? Need help deciding? Go to your county auditor, or secretary of State’s website, and see what offices are up for election this fall.

What sounds attractive or interesting to you? What fits with your interests, skills?

Once you have an office in mind, start doing the research.

• What are the issues?

• Is this office something that has been in the news recently? Corrupt? Incompetent?

• Spending too much money?

• Look up Voter Guide Statements for the race in past years.

• Pay particular attention to the statement of the winner.

• Start to write a statement that incorporates Libertarian values. Be careful that you don’t include any information that, no matter how true or Libertarian, has no connection to the office. (In other words, in a City Council race, you do not mention federal or state issues. This is not where you talk about your 911 Truth beliefs, or your Birther convictions, or your desire to build ZeroG space stations.)

Then start to prepare –

• Get a photo taken – preferably a professional shot. Dress for a professional job interview (it is!), and be cautious about any emblems, symbols, or backgrounds. You want a photo that makes you look relaxed, confident, and approachable. Susan Hogarth reviewed a lot of candidate photos last season – I found it helpful.

• Have you been in touch with your local LP affiliate to ask for endorsement, campaign help, volunteers? Do it now. This is also a good place to start to get help from Libertarians with your Voter Guide Statement and talking points.

• Put together a list of friends, family, business contacts and organizations that you can ask for donations and help. Even people who don’t have money usually have something that they can help you with. Putting up signs. Sending out an eMail on your behalf. Phone numbers of people who do have money. Ideas.

• Get online, and find a domain name. JoeSmithForCongress.org. Do not use JoeSmithForCongress.freewebs.com, or something like that. It should be simple, understandable, easy.

Now is the time to get online, if you haven’t already. Set up eMail accounts through Google which also gives you

• Google Calendar (Great for scheduling candidate events! The entire team can access the calendar.),

• Google Docs (for leaving Voter Guide Statement, photos and position papers, literature for events, etc.)

Get a Facebook account for the campaign. Be sure that it is used for only campaign things. No pictures of you doing beer bongs at a frat party. Which means be careful who you friend. Maybe the campaign account is named Willis Campaign, or Willis for Congress. Or rather than a whole account, set up a Fan page and group for the campaign.

Start a blog. I prefer Wordpress.com. You can download and host Wordpress on your own domain (best), but if not, or to start, get WillisForCongress.wordpress.com. You can move the blog later, or even just link from your website. On the blog, comment on news stories or developments that are current and germane to your race. Always offer a Libertarian solution.

Here’s an example of a blog entry . . .

"Pleasantville’s City Council plans to raise taxes by 30% to pay for the new park and rec center (make part of that sentence a link to the news story).

Since Libertarians prefer to spend within our means, and not burden your children for recreational facilities, I would first solicit private donations (in exchange for naming), then set up a system where users of the rec center would pay fees for classes, groups would pay rental fees to use the facilities, and businesses and individuals could either provide ongoing financial support or maintenance.

In this way, I estimate that we would only have to raise taxes 10%. Of course, my preference would be to wait until we could raise the complete cost of the facility from private sources and community fundraising before we broke ground and then support it through user fees. "

This example, while some would attack it as un-Libertarian, offers both the proposed Libertarian solution and a compromise. (Often, Libertarians in office find that they can reduce government by offering something less than the original “full meal deal”. Being the lone “No” vote may make you feel good, it really doesn’t accomplish anything. Making an amendment to a motion can begin some discussion in a meeting that just “No” doesn’t achieve. Offering people smaller government solutions helps to wean them off the habit of taxes extracted at the point of a gun. Who knows, maybe by the time a voter has read your blog and smaller government ideas for several months, they may actually be ready to face the idea of life without the all-encompassing government control!)

Start to tweet. Sign up at twitter.com. Use one of the link shrinkers to make the link to your blog entry tiny, and tweet it each time you blog. For example – Willis offers small government solution to 30% tax increase – http://is.gd/cBni. #tlot #liberty Don’t forget the appropriate hashtags – those #tlot and #liberty words at the end. They’re a “filing” system for twitter. More info on hashtags.

Now that you’re blogging, and tweeting, use the tweets as your Facebook status. This is a great way to stimulate discussion among your Facebook friends, and teach more about Libertarian philosophy. Add as many Facebook friends as you can within your voting district. Search for likely suspects, and add them.

Write letters to the editor that are basically your blog articles. You may have make some minor adjustments for format or clarity. Post them to local newspaper’s forums.

Take a few minutes to go to DonorTownSquare.com, PayPal.com and then ChipIn.com. Set up accounts at all of them. Add the widgets to all of your sites.

Since all of this can be a lot of work, and you haven’t even started the “real life” work of the campaign yet, consider having a truted volunteer of family member function as your “online campaign manager”. All of this can be done by a ghost-writer, even remotely. Your cousin George could be sitting in Berthoud, CO, writing your blog and conducting your online campaign for City Council in Portland, OR.

Now, starts the physical part. Doorbelling. One great candidate that I know started in early spring, walking his neighborhood, knocking on doors, introducing himself.

"Hi, I’m Willis, and I’m running for City Council this fall. I have this piece to let you know what I’m about, and I’d appreciate you taking a few minutes to take a look at it. It has contact information for me on it, and you can call or eMail me with any questions you might have. Have a great evening, and if you think my ideas sound good, I’d appreciate your vote."

He knocked on his neighbor’s doors several evenings a week and some weekends, and won the election in the fall.

Always attend neighborhood events, town celebrations, etc. They are great opportunities for networking and campaigning. And do I need to say it? Always have your pocket sized campaign piece in your pocket, and a slim jim or something when appropriate.

More later – the fun stuff, like public forums, interviews, candidate ratings . . .

Have you ever thought of running for office?

Campaign season is almost here! If you’ve ever thought about running for office, it’s time to start planning.

Libertarian candidates have some choices to make. There are two ways to go.

The first is to run for a small, non-partisan office. This could be anything from a water or cemetery board to a school board. These are very winnable races. Where you don’t necessarily talk about your political beliefs, but you practice them. You influence policy. Make decisions, and actually govern. School boards are a great race for this. Do not expect that people will know that you are Libertarian, do not attempt to change the world overnight. Especially on a school board – this one should be handled carefully, but can be a launching point for a politician to actually get elected to higher office. Someone who has served on a school board for 4-8 years, putting in the time, the hard work, will have some reputation and network that may help to win a legislative, or city council race.

The second is to run an educational campaign. There might be a race in your district that has no opponent, or where you just have a particular passion, but not any real hope of winning. In this type of campaign, you would run a legitimate campaign, maximizing your exposure, taking every opportunity to speak to voters and to get out the Libertarian message. All the while knowing that there is not much chance of winning. These campaigns are generally run for education and information – a way to expose people to Libertarian ideas, and talk about better government.

No matter which strategy you decide on, never enter into a race for a job that you wouldn’t take, unless it is a strategy. For instance, one time Ruth Bennett ran for Lt. Governor on the platform that, if elected, she would abolish the office of Lt. Governor. Jack Tanner, and a couple of our Florida Libertarians, got elected to a board that accomplished nothing, and cost taxpayers a lot of money, and then they shut it down. All brilliant Libertarian strategists. Thank you, gentlepeople.

What do you plan to do? Need help deciding? Go to your county auditor, or secretary of State’s website, and see what offices are up for election this fall.

What sounds attractive or interesting to you? What fits with your interests, skills?

Once you have an office in mind, start doing the research.

• What are the issues?

• Is this office something that has been in the news recently? Corrupt? Incompetent?

• Spending too much money?

• Look up Voter Guide Statements for the race in past years.

• Pay particular attention to the statement of the winner.

• Start to write a statement that incorporates Libertarian values. Be careful that you don’t include any information that, no matter how true or Libertarian, has no connection to the office. (In other words, in a City Council race, you do not mention federal or state issues. This is not where you talk about your 911 Truth beliefs, or your Birther convictions, or your desire to build ZeroG space stations.)

Then start to prepare –

• Get a photo taken – preferably a professional shot. Dress for a professional job interview (it is!), and be cautious about any emblems, symbols, or backgrounds. You want a photo that makes you look relaxed, confident, and approachable. Susan Hogarth reviewed a lot of candidate photos last season – I found it helpful.

• Have you been in touch with your local LP affiliate to ask for endorsement, campaign help, volunteers? Do it now. This is also a good place to start to get help from Libertarians with your Voter Guide Statement and talking points.

• Put together a list of friends, family, business contacts and organizations that you can ask for donations and help. Even people who don’t have money usually have something that they can help you with. Putting up signs. Sending out an eMail on your behalf. Phone numbers of people who do have money. Ideas.

• Get online, and find a domain name. JoeSmithForCongress.org. Do not use JoeSmithForCongress.freewebs.com, or something like that. It should be simple, understandable, easy.

Now is the time to get online, if you haven’t already. Set up eMail accounts through Google which also gives you

• Google Calendar (Great for scheduling candidate events! The entire team can access the calendar.),

• Google Docs (for leaving Voter Guide Statement, photos and position papers, literature for events, etc.)

Get a Facebook account for the campaign. Be sure that it is used for only campaign things. No pictures of you doing beer bongs at a frat party. Which means be careful who you friend. Maybe the campaign account is named Willis Campaign, or Willis for Congress. Or rather than a whole account, set up a Fan page and group for the campaign.

Start a blog. I prefer Wordpress.com. You can download and host Wordpress on your own domain (best), but if not, or to start, get WillisForCongress.wordpress.com. You can move the blog later, or even just link from your website. On the blog, comment on news stories or developments that are current and germane to your race. Always offer a Libertarian solution.

Here’s an example of a blog entry . . .

"Pleasantville’s City Council plans to raise taxes by 30% to pay for the new park and rec center (make part of that sentence a link to the news story).

Since Libertarians prefer to spend within our means, and not burden your children for recreational facilities, I would first solicit private donations (in exchange for naming), then set up a system where users of the rec center would pay fees for classes, groups would pay rental fees to use the facilities, and businesses and individuals could either provide ongoing financial support or maintenance.

In this way, I estimate that we would only have to raise taxes 10%. Of course, my preference would be to wait until we could raise the complete cost of the facility from private sources and community fundraising before we broke ground and then support it through user fees. "

This example, while some would attack it as un-Libertarian, offers both the proposed Libertarian solution and a compromise. (Often, Libertarians in office find that they can reduce government by offering something less than the original “full meal deal”. Being the lone “No” vote may make you feel good, it really doesn’t accomplish anything. Making an amendment to a motion can begin some discussion in a meeting that just “No” doesn’t achieve. Offering people smaller government solutions helps to wean them off the habit of taxes extracted at the point of a gun. Who knows, maybe by the time a voter has read your blog and smaller government ideas for several months, they may actually be ready to face the idea of life without the all-encompassing government control!)

Start to tweet. Sign up at twitter.com. Use one of the link shrinkers to make the link to your blog entry tiny, and tweet it each time you blog. For example – Willis offers small government solution to 30% tax increase – http://is.gd/cBni. #tlot #liberty Don’t forget the appropriate hashtags – those #tlot and #liberty words at the end. They’re a “filing” system for twitter. More info on hashtags.

Now that you’re blogging, and tweeting, use the tweets as your Facebook status. This is a great way to stimulate discussion among your Facebook friends, and teach more about Libertarian philosophy. Add as many Facebook friends as you can within your voting district. Search for likely suspects, and add them.

Write letters to the editor that are basically your blog articles. You may have make some minor adjustments for format or clarity. Post them to local newspaper’s forums.

Take a few minutes to go to DonorTownSquare.com, PayPal.com and then ChipIn.com. Set up accounts at all of them. Add the widgets to all of your sites.

Since all of this can be a lot of work, and you haven’t even started the “real life” work of the campaign yet, consider having a truted volunteer of family member function as your “online campaign manager”. All of this can be done by a ghost-writer, even remotely. Your cousin George could be sitting in Berthoud, CO, writing your blog and conducting your online campaign for City Council in Portland, OR.

Now, starts the physical part. Doorbelling. One great candidate that I know started in early spring, walking his neighborhood, knocking on doors, introducing himself.

"Hi, I’m Willis, and I’m running for City Council this fall. I have this piece to let you know what I’m about, and I’d appreciate you taking a few minutes to take a look at it. It has contact information for me on it, and you can call or eMail me with any questions you might have. Have a great evening, and if you think my ideas sound good, I’d appreciate your vote."

He knocked on his neighbor’s doors several evenings a week and some weekends, and won the election in the fall.

Always attend neighborhood events, town celebrations, etc. They are great opportunities for networking and campaigning. And do I need to say it? Always have your pocket sized campaign piece in your pocket, and a slim jim or something when appropriate.

More later – the fun stuff, like public forums, interviews, candidate ratings . . .

Lp Oregon Convention

The Libertarian Party of Oregon held our convention March 14 & March
15. Here are the list of officers and e-mail information.

Chairman: Joseph Cornwell
jrcorn@mindless.com
Vice-chariman: Marc Delphine
marcdelphine@gmail.com
Secretary: Christiana Mayer
christianamayer@gmail.com
Treasurer: Justin Grover
j.grover@notablevideo.com

Thanks and CONGRATULATIONS to all of these courageous individuals for taking on the working positions! We really appreciate your work for Liberty.

There were numerous changes made to the bylaws, including deleting the Non-Aggression Pledge (NAP). The one included in Oregon's bylaws was flawed - it said "use of force" rather than "initiation of force", but in light of the MIAC report that was just making the news at that time, I'm not convinced that letting go of NAP is a good idea.

Oregon's Convention was a good time, and a lot was accomplished. We had some fun, dinner with our friends, and listening to a great speaker at lunch on the Heller decision.

Plan on attending next year . . . maybe a joint convention - Washington and Oregon?

How will I create more Liberty today?

Here are a few simple ideas to help create more Liberty . . .

1. Watch the legislature's website, and write legislators about bills that infringe on freedom. Once you've written that letter, adapt it a little and send it to the Editor of your local newspaper.
2. Go to the capitol or your city council meeting, and speak about an issue.
   
3. Write a letter to the editor about a news item. Offer a Libertarian solution, or a smaller government option.
4. If you Facebook or twitter, post a message that makes people think about issues related to Liberty. A Facebook or twitter account with hundreds of friends and followers can plant a seed in a lot of minds.
5. Start a blog and cultivate followers. You can use Facebook or twitter to promote. Get reciprocal links to other sites.
   
6. Take your libertarian or freedom oriented magazines and newsletters to coffee shops or libraries, if they have a public reading material basket.
7. Leave copies of our newsletter in the library's newspaper area. Usually it's at the front - where they put the piles of The Weekly and Stranger.
8. Start a discussion group, or a free class to study Liberty.
9. Volunteer to give a presentation to a class at a school or senior center on American History and the founding of the US, or on libertarianism, or voting . . .
10. Post message of positive libertarian philosophy on blogs or bulletin boards, either electronic or hard copy.
11. Put a Liberty message on your car - a bumper sticker or a window sign. Make sure it can be read while driving.

Messages are always better received when they are simple, easy to understand, short, and positive.

Post your ideas or results in the comments here . . . and have a gentle day! :o)

Open borders?

Yesterday, I got an eMail that said “I cannot support the LP because of its “open borders” policy.”

I replied that "Since libertarians believe in freedom and Liberty for all people, "open borders" is an inviolable (IMO) part of our platform."

Later in the day, Hugs and I were shopping for a birthday gift for his 87 year old mother. He found “Ellis Island: An Illustrated History of the Immigrant Experience” at Powell's Books in Portland. While we drove back to Seattle, I looked through it.

The images, both graphic and verbal, are vivid – the farm laborer from Serbia, eyes wide to keep the tears from falling, who was sent back; the story of the little girl who had a rash on her face, and whose coat was marked with chalk to deny entry; the photos of tiny little children’s shoes: from China, Austria, Albania and Greece. Portraits and stories of thousands of people who risked death to travel in steerage; who, hungry, cold and proud, presented themselves for the humiliation and pain of the physical examinations at Ellis Island.

Stories about the monotonous, bland food, which, while filling and plentiful, was the “least common denominator” – that which offended most people the least. (Apparently, the Italians hated the oatmeal, and the Jews kept kosher, of course; and most of the other groups didn’t like the food of one group or another.)

This country was founded by people seeking refuge from religious oppression. For a century, it was filled by groups of people seeking relief from oppression, from poverty, and from war.

They came here, not seeking a handout, nor even a hand up, just the opportunity to work hard, to earn money, and to live free in a free land.

We started with a great experiment in freedom . . . "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore”.

And what have we done with it? We’ve built a fence and slammed the gate, because “you’re too tired, too poor, and there are too many of you huddled outside the gate”.

The unintended consequence of our “we must help those less fortunate” policies have hurt the very people they were intended to help. The United States of America is no longer the refuge of oppressed people looking for opportunity.

As Ben Franklin left the Constitutional Convention, a woman asked him, “….. Sir, what have you given us”. Ben’s response was, “…… a ‘Republic’ ma’am, if you can keep it.”

And we’ve not kept it.

In the attempt to help people, we’ve created a situation where we now want to exclude those who most need help.

A Libertarian solution would be to end the welfare programs that people are afraid we can't afford to offer to anyone who can slip over our borders; and allow peaceful people to travel freely. Private charities could choose who they offered help to.

Because government is not the answer. Freedom works best.

Florida will hold its annual meeting and convention in Jacksonville

                          

The Libertarian Party of Florida will hold its annual meeting and convention on March 28-29, 2009 at the Hampton Inn located at 4415 Southside Blvd in Jacksonville, Florida. (Use the code LIBERTARIAN when you register.)

 
         

If you wish to vote on party business at the convention you will need to be registered as a Libertarian with your county's supervisor of elections office 60 days prior to the convention and have signed the Libertarian Party pledge.

Offices up for elections are:

Chair (2 years term),
Vice-Chair (2 year term), and all
the regional representative positions (1 year term).


Random reviews . . .

Highly Recommend

By A Yahoo! Contributor, 06/11/06

I stayed at The Hampton Inn while in town for business. It is located near all the restaurants, mall & the freeway. The rooms are very clean, especially the bathrooms. They offer complimentary breakfast, free internet access & also internet access in the rooms. The front desk staff is very helpful. I highly recommend this hotel for families & business travelers.

Editorial Review for Hampton Inn – by Robyn Galbos

In Short
Part of the Hilton hotel family, this chain caters to travelers by offering high-quality accommodations at mid-range rates. Amenities include complimentary in-room high-speed Internet access, coffeemakers, irons and portable lap desks. Coffee and tea are offered round-the-clock in the lobby, and a free breakfast buffet with items like muffins, eggs, sausage and fruit is served daily. Fax service is available at the front desk.

   

LPWA Convention Details! Lark, Novoselic, StandupEconomist

 

On March 28, 2009    
 

Convention begins 9:00 a.m.
 

Business Mtg.  10:00 a.m.
 

Plan on spending all day and evening with us!  Dinner, speaker and entertainment included.



Hilton Garden Inn

1800 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, WA

  

Highlights . . .

 
Business Meeting

-Time to elect a new Executive Committee!

 
South of the Border Buffet Lunch

Fajita style Chicken Breast with peppers & onions

Taco seasoned Ground Beef

Spanish Rice, Refried Beans

Pico de gallo, shredded cheese, lettuce, guacamole,

jalapenos, black olive &sour cream

With warm tortillas, crisp taco shells, tortilla chips & Black bean salad

With fresh Brewed Coffee, Herbal Teas, Assorted Bottles of Sodas and Fresh Baked Cookies


Great workshops!

            - Grassroots organizing

            - Social Media

            - Communicating Libertarian solutions to controversy

 

Enlightening speakers!


      
 

James W. Lark, III, PhD is a former chairman of the Libertarian National Committee and presently serves as a regional representative on the LNC for region 5-South. He is a founding director of the Libertarian National Congressional Committee.
 

Dr. Lark is the Local Affiliate Parties' Committee chairman and is heavily involved with campus outreach, both for Virginia and the national party. He has conducted organizing tours and workshops on this. He currently teaches a campus organizing course for the Libertarian Leadership School.
 

Professionally, he is an adjunct professor of systems engineering at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Lark will present an afternoon workshop on basic principles of community/campus organizing; and will be the luncheon speaker with his presentation entitled "Knee-Jerk Libertarianism:  A Cure for a Common Disease."

 

                     

             
Krist Novoselic, former bassist of Nirvana, Sweet 75, Eyes Adrift and Flipper; political activist and Seattle Weekly columnist, Chair of FairVote.org and author of "Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy!"  In the book, Novoselic discusses how Nirvana emerged as the world's biggest band of the early 1990s, how he got involved in politics and why we need electoral reform -- in particular full representation and instant runoff voting.

Krist will be our dinner speaker.

 
A wonderful dinner, with your choice of . . .

     -  Roast Chicken glazed with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce     or

     -  Spinach and Portabella Mushroom Vegetarian Lasagne

Both entrees include . . .

Garden Inn Signature Salad with House Dressing, Rolls and Butter,

Chef’s selection of starch, fresh vegetable & plated dessert

Freshly Brewed Coffee & Assorted Herbal Teas

 
ENTERTAINMENT!

    

 

Yoram Bauman, Ph.D.
The world's first and only
stand-up economist*
As seen on Comedy Central the PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
 

* Among those who may take issue with this claim are "socialist magician" Ian Saville; Robert Mundell, Columbia, who won the Nobel Prize and appears regularly on Dave Letterman; Victor Fuchs, Stanford (pic); William Breit, Trinity; Peter Orazem, Iowa State; Ben Stein ("cited by Akerlof"); Tim Harford, "Dear Economist" author for the FT; Steven Tomlinson, UT Austin; Ariel Rubinstein, Tel Aviv University; David Powell, Boston Comedy Festival finalist and MIT grad student; Paul Solman, PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; Shaun Eli, a comic who graduated from the Wharton School; Steve Zanetti of Freeman H.S. (Richmond VA); and James Kurre of Penn State Erie. Apologies to all, and email me if you belong on this list. PS. As long as I'm apologizing, my video "Principles of Economics, Translated" contains two unattributed quotes ("9 out of 5" is adapted from a line attributed to Paul Samuelson---although apparently he said it about Wall Street indices, not macroeconomists---and "wrong about things" is paraphrased from P.J. O'Rourke's Eat the Rich) and, of course, the Einstein "simple" quote is an intentional misquote.


Other highlights of the day . . .

A Free Market – vendors and information tables

The SoapBox – where you can have a moment with the microphone and a captive audience

Social Gathering – have an adult beverage or lots of hydrogen hydroxide with Libertarian friends

The opportunity to join the LPWA Coffee Club, meet National LP leaders, elected Libertarians and famous comics!

All at the Hilton Gardens Inn in blossoming Issaquah – a jewel on the Eastside of Lake Washington, just a short drive from Seattle.

Get tools to take away and use!

Act now - EARLY registration . . . until February 20, 2009

                    only $109!

The full day, including three meals, an evening of entertainment, workshops, tools, social opportunities and LOTS of FUN is only $119 after Feb. 20th

Special student rate $85

Work/study program for students who will work for 4 hrs  $50 – limited number of students at this rate

Or special dinner deal – Dinner, speaker Krist Novoselic, and comic Yoram Bauman  only $55!

To register -

Go here and make a donation for the correct amount - $109 until Feb 20, $119 after Feb 20, Student $85, Work/Study  $50

Then send eMail to LPWAConvention@gmail.com with . . .

1.  your name,

2.  contact information (address, phone, eMail), and

3.  dinner choice - chicken or veggie.

 
If you want to do a work/study deal ($50 student rate) - I'll need to talk to you about when you wish to work during the convention.

 
It's going to be a great time!  See you then.


We are looking for . . .

1.  Vendors - do you have a book, DVD, or other product?  Want to promote your business?

2.  Advertisers - promote your business or sell your stuff.

3.  Sponsors - In-kind donations or scholarship for students.

4.  Volunteers also cheerfully accepted.     :o)   eMail LPWAConvention@gmail.com


                  

 

 

Oregon Convention Details

  
The convention will be held at the Shilo Inn Suites Oceanfront Hotel -
Newport 536 SW Elizabeth Newport, OR 97365 on March 14 and March 15.
Information and room reservations here.  More information here.  Plan to stay at the Shilo - that's how LP Oregon will pay the expenses of the convention.

There is going to a lunch on March 14 with a featured speaker.  We
should know in a few days who will be speaking at lunch.

This convention has the potential to shape the direction of the
Libertarian Party of Oregon for years to come because of the overhaul
of the bylaws that are being proposed. 

I hope that see you in Newport in March and if you have questions you
can contact me at christianamayer@gmail.com.

Some reviews from Shilo Inn guests . . .

"The rooms were gorgeous, clean and the view was spectacular. I hated to have to leave the next day. The connecting restaurant was also good. For dinner and breakfast."

"The people working there were great and very friendly. A plus of the hotel is that there is always free fruit, popcorn, fresh baked cookies, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in the lobby. The cookies were great, and I think I ate too many of them."

"I recommend this hotel for: Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists

I selected this hotel as a top choice for: Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Gambling / Casinos, Outdoor / Adventure, Shopping"

Gambling?! ;o)  Indoor pool, free internet access.  And Libertarians are usually good for a party on Saturday night.  If there's nothing official planned, then plan on a party.  :o)
  

 

 

 

Florida will hold its annual meeting and convention in Jacksonville

                          

The Libertarian Party of Florida will hold its annual meeting and convention on March 28-29, 2009 at the Hampton Inn located at 4415 Southside Blvd in Jacksonville, Florida. (Use the code LIBERTARIAN when you register.)

 
         

If you wish to vote on party business at the convention you will need to be registered as a Libertarian with your county's supervisor of elections office 60 days prior to the convention and have signed the Libertarian Party pledge.

Offices up for elections are:

Chair (2 years term),
Vice-Chair (2 year term), and all
the regional representative positions (1 year term).


Random reviews . . .

Highly Recommend

By A Yahoo! Contributor, 06/11/06

I stayed at The Hampton Inn while in town for business. It is located near all the restaurants, mall & the freeway. The rooms are very clean, especially the bathrooms. They offer complimentary breakfast, free internet access & also internet access in the rooms. The front desk staff is very helpful. I highly recommend this hotel for families & business travelers.

Editorial Review for Hampton Inn – by Robyn Galbos

In Short
Part of the Hilton hotel family, this chain caters to travelers by offering high-quality accommodations at mid-range rates. Amenities include complimentary in-room high-speed Internet access, coffeemakers, irons and portable lap desks. Coffee and tea are offered round-the-clock in the lobby, and a free breakfast buffet with items like muffins, eggs, sausage and fruit is served daily. Fax service is available at the front desk.

   

Florida State Convention!

LP Florida's Convention is scheduled for the weekend of March 28th.  Hold the date - it should be a great program, and I hope that you'll be there!  Where, costs, and more information soon.

Oregon State Convention!

LP Oregon's website is undergoing a complete rebuild, and it looks absolutely fabulous!  Check it out.

State Convention Agenda

1. Call to order at 9:00am on Saturday March 14, 2009

2. Credential Report from Secretary

3. Officer Reports
• Chairman
• Vice-Chairman
• Secretary
• Treasurer

4. Committee Reports
• LPO Audit Committee

5. Guest speaker on libertarian issues.

6. Amendments to LPO Constitution and Bylaws

7. Recess at Noon for lunch and the convention will resume at 1:30pm.

8. Speakers on libertarian issues 20 minutes

9. Resume Amendments to LPO Constitution and Bylaws

10. Recess at 5:00pm till Sunday

11. Call to order at 9:00am on Sunday, March 15, 2009

12. Elections to LPO office
• Chairman
• Vice-chairman
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Judicial Committee

13. Guest speaker on Libertarian issues.

14. Resolutions and other business

It sounds like a great program, and I hope that we'll see you there!  Where, costs, and more information soon.

LPWA Convention! Announcement

On March 28, 2009     

Convention begins 9:00 a.m.

Business Mtg.  10:00 a.m.


Hilton Garden Inn
1800 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, WA

Highlights . . .

Business Meeting    - Time to elect a new Executive Committee!

South of the Border Lunch Buffet

Great workshops!
        - Grassroots organizing
        - Social Media
        - Communicating Libertarian solutions to controversy

Enlightening speakers!

A wonderful dinner, with your choice of . . .
     -  Roast Chicken glazed with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce     or
     -  Spinach and Portabella Mushroom Vegetarian Lasagne 

ENTERTAINMENT!

Learn HOW to run and win a local campaign!

Get tools to take away and use!


Act now - EARLY registration . . . until February 11, 2009
                    only $109!

The full day, including three meals, an evening of entertainment, workshops, tools, social opportunities and LOTS of FUN is only $119 after Feb. 11

Special student rate $85
Work/study program for students who will work for 4 hrs  $50

To register -

Go here and make a donation for the correct amount - $109 until Feb 11, $119 after Feb 11, Student $85, Work/Study  $50

Then send eMail to LPWAConvention@gmail.com with . . .
1.  your name,
2.  contact information (address, phone, eMail), and
3.  dinner choice - chicken or veggie.

If you want to do a work/study deal - I'll need to talk to you about when you wish to work during the convention.

It's going to be a great time!  See you then.