[Lnc-business] February LNC Meeting

Sun Dec 20 18:05:04 EST 2015

Norm,

I really enjoy talking with you, loved our chat on the way to the MCO
airport last month, and always appreciate your technology pushes within the
LP.  I also think you're just a really nice guy.  That said, I have to very
strongly argue against your plea here.  Furthermore, now that I have
discovered that this email list can apparently be read by the general
public, I don't feel the plea makes a good case for us and would like to
suggest a strongly opposite view to those reading along.

LNC:

I have now written several responses to the spending mentality of the LNC.
I'm not sure how they're received by the body, but I would like to once
again take an opportunity to inject real-world business thinking into our
team.  I hope I am not dismissed for my age as I've had a fairly successful
run with my businesses and have many, many years to grow.  Since I've had
at least SOME successes, I would like to bring those experience into the
board.  Surely, I cannot be the only person who sees a million dollar
budget as a 'very small' budget.

This recurring theme of having members focus on absolutely nominal dollar
amounts paints a picture that we are a clubhouse of amateurs.  As I keep
harping on, we are going to be seen that way so long as we continue to
focus on the lowest common denominator and ignore business advice that
maximizes the ROI from our donation base.

We can *not* cater our meetings to the needs of the elected body.  That is
not how the process works.  We must cater our meetings to whatever
maximizes our ability to do our job and whatever presents the best
appearance for the Libertarian Party.  There are obviously other factors,
but nominal cost should really *not* be an issue.  If members are unable to
afford meetings then the cold truth is that they lack the basic
requirements for being a board member.  As an alternative, I would argue
they simply need to put in extra effort to raise the money it takes.  It
really blows my mind that the Libertarian Party, of all groups in the
world, struggles with this reality.  We preach it philosophically and then
perpetually ignore it in practice.  Think for a second how angry any of us
gets when the government wants to cater to the lowest common denominator.
We flip the hell out.  We cite all of the reasons on how it's bad for
progress; we illustrate how it removes choice; we illustrate wow it removes
innovation.  We even form a political party to counter it.  And then we go
and do the exact same thing with said political party.

It might appear unnecessary to rant on this merely because a member asks
the body for an *"inexpensive"* meeting, but in my 6 short months on this
board it has become so clear to me that this is a systemic problem.

Among others, I serve on the board of directors for a local theater group
in Austin called "The Rude Mechanicals".  Even we require that our members
give-or-get $600 per year.  For local theater, the mostly poorly paid,
non-business-savvy collective of people in the entire art sphere, they
figure it out!  Why can't we?

So my point is that I couldn't care less if a hotel room is $79 or $129 or
$179.  Further, as a member of this board, none of you should either.  If
it accomplishes the objective that we need to accomplish, then it is the
cost of doing business.  Nobody is advocating we get suites at the Ritz and
that too would be inappropriate.  But penny pinching in this manner is
counter-productive.  If this means you spend an extra $200 / year on
hotels, then that's just what it takes.

I would be more than happy to put together a report illustrating how this
kind of thing is perceived outside of the LNC.  I can assure you it's not
good.  You know why rich people give to rich organizations?  Because they
know the organization knows how to spend their money!  You know why rich
people rarely donate to amateur organizations?  Because they know their
money is likely to get pissed away.  *Saving $20 on a hotel does NOT
indicate to wealthy donors that you know how to save money.  To the stark
contrary, it illustrates that you have so little experience with raising,
earning, and/or spending money that $20 must actually be important to you.
Please think about that.  I'm not making this stuff up.*

Yes, I realize these are harsh words.  Yes, I realize they're likely not
received well by many in this group.  But I did not sign up to be a member
of the LNC so that I could worry about getting perpetually re-elected.  I
write what I write not because it is popular, but because it is one of the
many realities of why we struggle to build our membership.  I would
genuinely like to see this party grow into something bigger than it is.  If
it going to do so then it requires financiers.  ...and it is not going to
get a steady stream of financiers if it cannot illustrate that it knows how
to spend real-world money in a way that makes money.  I would be more than
happy to defend that position if anyone wants to challenge it.

When we start acting like a board that understands how to spend millions of
dollars, perhaps people will be willing to give us millions of dollars.
Until then we're going to get exactly what we appear to be worth.

Finally, I know some very impressive fundraising coaches in Austin.  I
would really encourage us to hire one of these people at some point.  It
would probably cost a couple hundred dollars.  The LNC would do very well
to learn how this stuff works from professionals.  I've had the benefit of
attending a variety of these classes over the years given other boards and
commissions I work with.  I would be more than happy to suggest a firm or
two if anybody is interested.

Un-opinionated as always,
Kevin Ludlow
Region 7
512-773-3968 (please call or text with your complaints :) )

On Sun, Dec 20, 2015 at 1:32 PM, Norm Olsen <region1rep at donedad.com> wrote:

> As a retired person living on a declining (as opposed to fixed) income,
> with interest rates still at almost zero, oil below $40, natural gas at $2;
> I vote for someplace that’s *inexpensive*.
>
>
>
> Norm
>
> --
>
> Norman T Olsen
>
> Regional Representative, Region 1
>
> Libertarian National Committee
>
> 7931 South Broadway, PMB 102
>
> Littleton, CO  80122-2710
>
> 303-263-4995
>
>
>
> *From:* Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Sam Goldstein
> *Sent:* Saturday, December 19, 2015 7:41 AM
>
> *To:* lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Lnc-business] February LNC Meeting
>
>
>
> Alicia,
>
>
>
> Thanks for taking the initiative on this.  I'd be ok with any of the
> sites, although the WA site is very far from Sea-Tac and Atlantic City is
> Atlantic City.  I don't want to have the meeting at OKC.
>
>
>
> Sam Goldstein
>
>
>
> On Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at 1:50 AM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Since we don't yet have a plan for a February meeting location, I just
> emailed our 2018 site search agent asking her to find out if any of the
> short-list options might have available space for the Feb 20 weekend.
> (Cities are:  Atlantic City, NJ; New Orleans, LA; Phoenix, AZ; Bellevue,
> WA)  I indicated that time is of the essence, so they should send us their
> offers quickly if they're available.
>
>
> -Alicia
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 15, 2015 at 4:10 PM, Guy McLendon <guy at mclendon.net> wrote:
>
> I'd go for OK City ...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of
> Wes
> Benedict
> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2015 11:42 PM
> To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] February LNC Meeting
>
> Sam, at least as of a week ago I don't think staff has been asked to
> research any locations. Copying Robert to verify. I proposed San Francisco
> recently but got zero interest from the LNC.
>
> I found a great place in Oklahoma City for $79 per night if you all are
> interested. Best Western Saddleback. Nice meeting space and free breakfast.
> Southwest Airlines doesn't charge change fees if you need to change your
> flight. I flew into the ice storm Saturday after Thanksgiving and the
> people
> there didn't seem to panic even with downed power lines and trees
> everywhere. Was nice to be able to change flight just in case though
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Dec 14, 2015, at 7:49 PM, Sam Goldstein <goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > The date we set for our next meeting is rapidly approaching and we
> > have not yet selected a location.  Can we please get a report from
> > staff as to which locations we are considering?  I, for one, would
> > like to get this wrapped up in the next week so travel plans can be made.
> >
> > Live Free,
> >
> > Sam Goldstein
> > _______________________________________________
> > Lnc-business mailing list
> > Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> > http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
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>
>
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>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
>

-- 
========================================================
Kevin Ludlow
512-773-3968
http://www.kevinludlow.com
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