[Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2016-15: Censure John Moore

Sean O'Toole sean at kingfieldcapital.com
Sat Oct 22 09:42:43 EDT 2016


As an alternate representative to a very thoughtful and always vigilant 
David Demarest, I rarely vote on LNC motions. However, on matters as 
important as upholding the principles of the Libertarian Party I believe 
that it is important for all of us to offer our opinions.

Mr. Moore was the great hope of many Libertarians as an alternative way 
for Libertarians to enter the lawmaking side of politics so that finally 
we might show the country what Libertarian principles, when put into 
action, can do. I’ve been of the belief that this back door means of 
gaining elective office is doomed to failure as it is always difficult 
to act on principle after being elected with and serving with those of 
the old parties — parties built not on principle but, rather, on doing 
what is necessary to get elected and stay in office.

Virtually all of us identified with some other party at some time in our 
lives before becoming Libertarians. Most of us made the transition 
slowly as beliefs instilled in us as youngsters toppled one after 
another. This is normal behavior and thinking and we all expect to see 
it in our newly converted friends.

Elected politicians are an entirely different matter, however. There is 
no time to morph from the ways of the old parties to principled 
libertarianism when immediately faced with legislation that, while 
favorable to many constituents, violates our principles. In such cases, 
I believe it is incumbent upon our party to take an immediate and harsh 
stance as the alternative is for the elected principle-breaker to define 
libertarianism and our Party in their own way. (You can be assured that 
Mr. Moore’s Republican opponent is painting Moore and the Libertarian 
Party as pot smoking tax and spenders as we debate this motion.)

There is little that the LNC can do to influence our members that serve 
as elected politicians. A censure is our way of telling the voters and 
the media that Mr. Moore’s actions do not align with Libertarian 
principles. I vote YES.

___________________
Sean O’Toole
sean at kingfieldcapital.com
(816) 739-2737
On 22 Oct 2016, at 1:19, Alicia Mattson wrote:

> I am as upset as the rest of you about the two votes in question, but 
> that
> doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to vote yes on this motion.
>
> Particularly on the stadium vote, Assemblyman Moore held the power of 
> the
> deciding vote.  Had he voted no, it would have failed instead of 
> passing.
> We had a Libertarian in a position to make a big real-world 
> difference, and
> it didn't happen.  Facepalm.
>
> IF it's true that his motivation was to play to his constituency in 
> hopes
> of getting re-elected, I wonder how he will feel about the votes in
> hindsight in the event that he is not re-elected.  What's the point of
> being there if you can't vote your conscience?  That's why on the LNC 
> I
> also vote the way I think I ought to vote even if other LNC members 
> stage
> organized email campaigns from their friends.  Should we be offended 
> at a
> public official playing to his constituents if we do the same thing as
> party officials?
>
> I have several issues with this motion.  I particularly appreciate Mr.
> Moellman's questions, and I think we probably should have had a
> conversation with Mr. Moore before we flung a motion into the wind.  I
> don't think it's sufficient to just hear how other people represent 
> his
> position to us.  We should get it straight from him.
>
> I am not thrilled about the wording in this resolution.  "...convey a
> strong message to all and sundry..." ?  Who talks like that?  We're
> discouraging others from switching to the LP until they completely 
> agree
> with us?  With which of us?  Because we don't all agree, either.  I
> probably would have added that his vote was effectively the deciding 
> vote.
> Etc.
>
> Censure is an action taken by a group against a member of that same 
> group.
> Mr. Moore is not a member of the LNC.  Have we even confirmed that 
> he's a
> member of the national party?  As of the national convention in May, 
> our
> records did not yet indicate he had signed our membership 
> certification.
> We know he switched his party registration in NV, but that doesn't 
> make him
> a member of the national party.  We wouldn't censure Donald Trump or
> Hillary Clinton because they're not members of the LNC or even the LP.
>
> The state affiliate that nominated him has already censured him, so 
> what
> does this accomplish for the LNC to pile on?  We can't make him return 
> the
> money.  Is it just to make ourselves feel better?  Is the LNC going to
> become the purity police that monitors every local/state/federal 
> elected
> official and passes resolutions about them?  I am concerned about 
> starting
> such a trend.
>
> If we hadn't already donated the funds, I'd vote to rescind that 
> decision.
> That ship has sailed.  I wouldn't vote to donate to him again.  I'm 
> not
> certain that this motion accomplishes anything productive.
>
> -Alicia
>
> On Fri, Oct 21, 2016 at 10:20 PM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> We have an electronic mail ballot.
>>
>>
>> *Votes are due to the LNC-Business list by October 31, 2016 at 
>> 11:59:59pm
>> Pacific time.*
>> *Co-Sponsors:*  Harlos, Demarest, Hayes, Vohra, Starchild, Goldstein,
>> Redpath
>>
>> *Motion:*
>>
>> Whereas Nevada Assemblyman John Moore, a former Republican who in 
>> January
>> 2016 switched to the Libertarian Party while in office, has during 
>> the past
>> month voted not once but twice in the span of as many days to raise 
>> taxes
>> on his constituents, including a vote to support a "More Cops" tax 
>> which
>> the Libertarian Party of Nevada has tirelessly and thus far 
>> successfully
>> opposed, and a vote to provide a $750 million subsidy to finance a
>> billionaire-owned sports stadium at the expense of, among others, 
>> indigent
>> persons renting weekly rooms in motels; and
>>
>> Whereas the elected leaders of our state affiliate party in Nevada 
>> have
>> rightfully voted to censure Assemblyman Moore for these egregious 
>> votes; and
>>
>> Whereas we wish to convey a strong message to all and sundry that 
>> while we
>> welcome sitting legislators in the Republican or Democrat parties who
>> decide to switch to the Libertarian Party as an act of conscience, we 
>> do
>> not welcome them if they intend, as members of our party, to continue
>> voting and acting like Republicans or Democrats;
>>
>> Therefore be it resolved that the Libertarian National Committee 
>> hereby
>> censures Assemblyman Moore for his recent votes in support of tax
>> increases, requests that he return the $10,000 campaign contribution 
>> which
>> the LNC this season voted to send him, and admonishes him to 
>> henceforward
>> be a better champion of the values held by members of the political 
>> party
>> with which he has chosen to affiliate if he intends to remain a 
>> Libertarian.
>>
>>
>> -Alicia
>>
>>


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