LNC Agenda Update -

The agenda for this weekend's LNC meeting has been revised -

Start time 8 am!

Don't be late! I shouldn't have to be bleary-eyed, cranky AND lonely!

Agenda San Diego LNC Meeting

Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
December 6-7, 2008 Meeting Agenda
San Diego, California

Saturday, December 6, 2008 & Sunday, December 7, 2008

Call to Order 8:30 AM

Moment of Reflection 1 minute
Opportunity for Public Comment 10 minutes
Credentials Report and Paperwork Check (Secretary) 5 minutes
Report of Potential Conflicts of Interest 5 minutes
Approval of the Agenda 5 minutes

Standing Reports
Chair's Report 20 minutes
Treasurer's Report 30 minutes
Secretary's Report 10 minutes

Wayne Allyn Root to Address the LNC 30 minutes
Discipline of Angela Keaton 30 minutes

Staff Report
Staff Reports 60 minutes
Counsel's Report 15 minutes

Action Items Previously Submitted in Writing
0 minutes

Reports Previously Submitted in Writing
Campus Organizing Report (Lark) 5 minutes
Various Regions 5 minutes per

Action Items Not Previously Submitted in Writing

Mission Statement (Hawkridge) 60 minutes
Goals (Lark/Dixon) 60 minutes
Executive Director Search (Colley) 10 minutes
Budget 2009 (Starr) (already submitted in writing) 120 minutes
Convention 2010 (Colley) 15 minutes
Convention Electronic Voting Demonstration (Mattson) 30 minutes
Bylaws Committee Report (Karlan) 10 minutes
LNCC Report (Hawkridge) 10 minutes
Policy Manual Amendment—Authorization of Lawsuits (Lark) 20 minutes
Policy Manual Amendment—Mail Ballot Reporting (Karlan) 10 minutes
LNC Meeting Video Recording & Archiving (Keaton) 15 minutes
Executive Session Minutes/Confidentiality (Fox) 15 minutes
LP News Content (Keaton) 15 minutes

Set LNC Meeting Dates for July orAug. & Nov. or Dec. 2009 15 minutes
Opportunity for Public Comment 10 minutes

Adjournment

Second Amendment Foundation Hits Target

It was one of the most laborious and disgusting clean-up jobs that had to be done after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Finally the Second Amendment Foundation has achieved satisfaction in
its “clean-up” lawsuit against the city of New Orleans for using the
hurricane as an excuse to grab guns from law-abiding citizens.  (more)

Congratulations and kudos to The Second Amendment Foundation!

Unofficial election results - Oregon state races

Here are the unofficial results from the state elections in Oregon . . .

President

Bob Barr / Wayne A Root (Libertarian)

7,631

0.42%

1st Congressional District

H Joe Tabor (Libertarian)

10,992

3.32%

5th Congressional District

Steve Milligan (Libertarian)

4,814

1.44%

State Representative, 26th District

Marc Delphine (Libertarian)

1,503

4.89%

State Representative, 36th District

Jay A Ellefson (Libertarian)

1,162

3.64%

State Representative, 45th District

Jim Karlock (Libertarian)

2,932

11.24%

Thank you, for the dedication of Your Time, Your Treasure, and Your Sacred Honor to the cause, gentlemen.

For those of you who supported these candidates, who donated Your Time and Your Treasure . . . Thank you!  They couldn't have done it without you.

Important Liberty preserved . . .

Both Portland and Seattle have take steps to preserve essential Liberties.
  
This is good; too bad they are intent on infringing more basic rights . . . Seattle's gun ban, and Portland's toy gun ban.    

War Sucks! Veterans, families, art

            
Veterans day was earlier this week.  I know that.  I appreciate the service of our veterans so much.
    
Do you know that there are people here on the civilian front who are making heroic efforts to serve our military?
   
Some of them are the fine folks at AntiWar.com.  It's pledge time for them, and they need your help!
              
AntiWar.com is a 501(c)3, so your contributions are tax-deductible.  These people fight the good fight everyday, doing everything they can to stop this, this and this.
              
This kind of work is not easy - spending all your days immersed in heartbreak, suffering, and injustice requires a special kind of strength.  Show them how much you appreciate it.
       
How much we appreciate it.
         
              
And here in Washington State, there's another hero.  A Vietnam Vet who served his country honorably and admirably.  And decades later, this fabulous artist gave up his job, his routine, all semblance of a personal life to "bring home the troops".
       
He does it in another way . . . Michael Reagan is an artist.  He spends his days (and nights) drawing portraits of Fallen Soldiers for their families.
          
He gets no salary, he works for love, and at great personal expense.  He "feels" each soldier at a level I can't even imagine; but I can see.
   
Look into the eyes of these heroes, and you will too.  It costs about $250 to produce each of these portraits; Mr. Reagan has completed 1200 of them.
     
"It's all about Love and Respect, we will <b>never</b> forget!"

Help fulfill this mission here.

The Top Two Primary has to go!

Washington's current Top Two primary system is a horrible dampener of the democratic process.


Yes, it makes it easier to get on the ballot in the primary - anyone
can do it. Signatures are no longer required for anything except the
Presidential race.


Anyone who wants to run just needs to bring their filing papers down to the office, and file them.


So, what's the problem?


In a district that is overwhelmingly Democrat, the results of
the primary will always be Democrats only in the general election.  The two highest vote getters will usually be two Democrats.


In a district that is overwhelmingly Republican, the results of the
primary will always be Republicans only in the general election. The two highest vote getters will usually be two Republicans.


Which leaves a large percentage of the population with no one to vote for.


In Legislative District 7, for instance, Democrats can just "whistle Dixie", as my Grandmother used to say. Nothing there for them. There are three Republican candidates for the legislature, for two positions. No Ds. No Greens. No Libertarians. No Socialists.


In District 12, same story. All Republicans.


In District 19, same story, different chapter. All Democrats.


Our old "Blanket Primary" had some problems, but we were likely to find a Democrat, a Republican, a Green or a Libertarian on the ballot line.


What would work better? What is more fair?


How about using a system where everyone could vote for the candidate
that they believe to be the best, and also designate the second-best
candidate?


This system is called Ranked Choice Voting, or RCV. Pierce County is using it this year.


It's simple, easy, and effective.  Each of us would vote for up to three candidates in the order we like them.

1.  Joe Smith

2.  Harry Reid

3.  Sylvia Jones


If an overwhelming majority found Harry Reid acceptable as a number two choice, then Harry may win. This plan leaves an overwhelming majority of people semi satisfied.


Rather than 51% (or less - a candidate for Supreme Court won with 28.36% in 1999 - that won't happen with Top Two, though) of the people happy.


Even more than that - this type of election puts an end to the kind of negative campaigning that we have been subject to for the last few years. (I have found this year particularly unpleasant, and changed my vote two days before the election, because of some negative ads.)


Candidates are unlikely to to slam their opponents when they want the supporters of that opponent to vote for them as a second choice.


And the truth is that none of the political parties like the current mess. The only group who does like it is the bureaucrats.  Sam Reed says "we haven't gotten any complaints about the new system".


Let's show them that's not true.


eMail WATopTwo@gmail.com (that's us, so that we can carry hard copy to Legislative Committee meetings), Sam Reed (Secretary of State) and Sam Hunt (Government and Tribal Affairs Committee Chair)


Here's a comma delineated eMail list to cut & paste into your eMail editor . . .


hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov, repsamhunt@comcast.net, sreed@secstate.wa.gov, WATopTwo@gmail.com


Please also feel free to send your letter to any Editor of the Opinion page of a newspaper. The Tacoma Weekly is a friendly one. They have a 450 word limit.