[Lnc-business] Proposed Policy Manual addition regarding electronic meetings

[Joshua Katz]

The following are my suggestions:

1.  I would make these the rules for LNC meetings, and the default for
other committees, but allow other committees to set their own rules if they
choose.
2.  I agree with Dr. Lieberman (although likely for different reasons) that
we should simply make meetings viewable.  Not only is it a hassle and a
waste of time to verify listeners/viewers, but this seems it will already
be the case for in-person meetings.  Also, it is more technologically
feasible to allow unlimited viewing via a reflector than to allow a large
number of people to actually be on the call.  Require that people who want
to be on the call (for public statement purposes) verify their identity - I
personally would like to see this open to members, sustaining or not, but
at least sustaining members.
3.  I would set, for the LNC (and for other committees if suggestion 1 is
not taken) the policy that there is a time for public statement, at the
beginning and the end, rather than a majority vote - with a majority vote
required to participate at other times.  Explicitly, the Chair should rule
it dilatory to continue making a request for public comment after every
motion if it has been voted down.
4.  I have had issues with noise on teleconferences, and understand the
need to drop people or mute them.  I would suggest that the Chair (or
presiding officer) be required to inform the body when this is done, and of
the reason.
5.  I would add the following "Except where in conflict with these rules,
applicable statutes, or physical reality, the meeting shall be conducted in
accordance with RONR and the special rules of order that apply to physical
meetings of the LNC (or committee if suggestion 1 is not taken.)"  We could
then strike:  the paragraphs beginning "Each committee member shall be
given..." "The chair may choose..." and "A person (normally the Party
Secretary..." I ask that the Secretary correct me if I haven't done this
surgery correctly.
6.  I am not sure what to make of "temporary absence."  Suppose a member of
the committee doesn't buy, and has no plan to buy, a webcam, and wishes to
participate by telephone.  Certainly such an absence of webcam is not
temporary - but it also can't rightly be called permanent, as it is
certainly a situation that may well be remedied - in fact, it can be
remedied without intent if they purchase a Chromebook, new laptop, etc.
 Why not just say that it's alright to participate by phone?  (In fact, I
question the need to hold any video conference meetings, above and beyond
phone meetings.  Why do you need to see my living room, and my pajamas?)

Those are my suggestions.  I will prepare a potential substitute motion
which I will circulate prior to the meeting.

Joshua Katz

Joshua A. Katz
Westbrook CT Planning Commission (L in R seat)

On Sun, Sep 14, 2014 at 12:32 PM, Scott L. <scott73 at earthlink.net> wrote:

>    “here is my proposed draft of a Policy Manual amendment, to be
> considered at our upcoming meeting.  Remember, we can always modify our
> procedures as we learn from experience.
>
>     Daniel Wiener
>
> Add a new *Section 1.02(7) Electronic Meetings:*
>
> *Pursuant to Article 13 of the LP Bylaws, the LNC and all committees of
> the national party may conduct meetings via videoconference or
> teleconference (“e-conference”) according to the following rules:*
>
>    - *For videoconferences, it is the responsibility of committee member
>    to provide their own compatible equipment.  In the temporary absence of the
>    necessary equipment, or in the case of technical difficulties, a committee
>    member must be allowed to participate by teleconference.  To the extent
>    that it is technically feasible, meetings shall be open to all Libertarian
>    Party sustaining members to listen in on, but those members must first
>    identify themselves and their phone numbers to the person acting as
>    secretary, and their status must be verified prior to the meeting.  By a
>    majority vote a committee may allow a non-committee member to participate
>    on a limited basis.*
>
>
>
> GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
>
>
>
> I appreciate Mr. Wiener’s attempt to put lipstick on this pig (the whole
> videoconference idea, not Mr. Karlan’s contribution to this discussion).
>
> That being said, I still want to comment on Mr. Wiener’s proposed motion.
>
> The stuff I made  red   in the bullet point above could become a
> problem.  We already have spread our staff way too thin.  Now we are going
> to force them to verify the membership status of all of our members who
> choose to exercise their right
>
> to listen in on our antics?  And why involve the Secretary in this
> activity?  If you want to do this, basically you would have staff requiring
> members to e-mail their request to LPHQ at least, say, 2 business days
> before any videocast, and staff would then relay the approved attendees to
> the Secretary for that videoconference.
>
> I understand what Mr. Wiener is trying to accomplish with this bullet
> point.  Since LNC Sessions are now supposed to be directly broadcast to the
> RNC and the DNC on the Internet, why don’t we just stream all
> videoconference meetings onto the Internet?  That way the members of the
> RNC and the DNC can use clips from our videoconferences as comedic relief
> during *their *meetings.  Plus, I assume it is relatively easy to take an
> already existing video stream and broadcast it on the Internet.
>
> Ladies and gentlemen, the reason the LP has not accomplished very much in
> terms of actually changing the laws we live under is because we spend far
> too much time on internal stuff like this, rather than on our Mission of
> electing Libertarians to public office.
>
> I would much rather have the peanut gallery complaining that Libertarian
> State House members are not getting libertarian legislation passed quickly
> enough, rather than forcing them to complain about penny-ante stuff like
> putting our meetings on the Internet for their dancing and dining pleasure.
>
>   Scott Lieberman
>
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>
>
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