[Lnc-business] book Phoenix flights for Feb LNC meeting

Thu Jan 7 15:50:58 EST 2016

I will stay at whatever hotel is selected.  Please ignore my previous
comment.  Bill Redpath

On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 1:52 PM, Kevin Ludlow <ludlow at gmail.com> wrote:

> All:
>
> This is a comedy at this point.  A bloody comedy.  I seriously think we
> should share the script of this email.  A few points:
>
> 1) To echo Ms. Matton's recent point, these rates are NOT connected with
> the rates the larger 2018 body would pay.  I literally based an entire
> argument against price on that very notion once HB came back and it was
> clear that the prices were ONLY for the weekend of our LNC meeting and not
> for the larger body (as I thought was our entire rationale for getting
> quotes in the first place).  I can get quotes for 20 people over a weekend;
> I can't do it for 1,000 people over half a week.  Please re-read if
> necessary.  That was my beef, but it's what we got and everyone should have
> known that.
>
> 2) Not that anybody has done this exactly - yet - but please do not
> confuse my comments of "we should spend what we need to as a board" with
> "we should spend frivolously".  I have always been quite clear as to what I
> mean between the two and I think any reasonable person should understand
> precisely what I mean.  There are responsibilities this board has (or damn
> well should have).  They cost real money.  Within reason we should not balk
> at paying for those responsibilities.
>
> 3) Which brings me to this, everyone is now balking at a single number!
> $200 for a room.  Why?  Is it more than $75?  Yes.  But given how this has
> gone, I am certain none of you is factoring ALL of the costs.  It's not the
> delta of FREE vs. $200.  It's the delta of whatever OKC would cost vs.
> whatever Phoenix would cost.  You have to spend SOMETHING.  So maybe
> Phoenix is a bit more, it's not infinitely more.  In the end, I am very
> much willing to guess the overall delta isn't all that much - even if the
> rooms are double the cost.  Phoenix is one of the 4 largest hubs in the
> US.  If anybody else is a pilot, you're more than aware that they cover the
> entire SW quadrant.  Southwest flies there super cheap.  If we missed those
> super cheap deals it's because we spent two months discussing it rather
> than doing it (as you'll note was my reason for wanting to expedite this in
> the first place).  So I would ask again, please consider the full delta
> between A and B.  If the $100 or $150 difference is too great for you then
> talk to me and we'll find you a donor.  But I'll say this sincerely and
> possibly to the chagrin of others: I cannot believe that anybody put in
> charge of a $1.4 million dollar budget would balk at $100-$200 of their own
> personal investment for a hotel.  Most of you have had 25 more years to
> save than I have had and I know I can figure it out.
>
> Which all brings me to this final point.  None of this really matters.
> There was a motion made by Ms. Mattson, voted on by the EC, and was pretty
> overwhelming adopted in favor of Phoenix.  Last I checked this board still
> runs on procedure.  I am booking flights to get there.  I will book a
> hotel.  Hell, I will even find a block of 20 rooms myself that has a nice
> conference center in it if that's the struggle here.  It would take me 45
> minutes on the phone to do it.  If somebody is going to argue differently,
> I would suggest you find 3 sponsors and make a motion to change the venue.
>
> And since I have been ambiguous in the past, I want to be clear that I am
> not placing one iota of blame for this on staff.  They did exactly what we
> asked them to do.  I am placing 100% of this blame on the board for this
> lengthy, comical, aneurysm-inducing situation.  We had two months to figure
> all of this out.  Anybody could have found flights in advance.  Anybody
> could have inquired about prices in advance.  And when we finally voted
> yesterday, we even did so with the knowledge of the HB rates namely thanks
> to staff.  So this is on us, plain and simple.
>
> tl;dr: the delta isn't much, you had the info, we took two polls to select
> phoenix, the ec adopted a motion, that should be the end of it.  See you
> guys in Phoenix! ;)
>
> Send all of your complaints to 512-773-3968.
>
> -Kevin Ludlow
> 512-773-3968
> Region 7 Rep
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 12:22 PM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> It is not accurate to assume the rates we were quoted for an LNC meeting
>> are the same as what the COC is considering for the 2018 convention.
>> Offers that high were rejected on the first pass.
>>
>> -Alicia
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 8:46 AM, Nicholas Sarwark <chair at lp.org> wrote:
>>
>>> If the LNC members are not willing to stay at the Arizona Grand due to
>>> price considerations, it may be that this property shouldn't even be
>>> on the short list.  My experience is that convention delegates are
>>> more price sensitive than members of the LNC.
>>>
>>> It's a solid 30 minute drive (without traffic) from the Holiday Inn to
>>> the Renaissance in Glendale.  45-60 minutes is more likely if we cross
>>> town Friday afternoon.  It's only 15-20 minutes to get to the Arizona
>>> Grand from the Holiday Inn, but then we're fitting two bus trips in
>>> the middle of an LNC meeting.  If we stay at the Arizona Grand,
>>> there's only one trip.
>>>
>>> -Nick
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 9:37 AM, William Redpath <wredpath2 at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > I agree with Dan Weiner.  $200+ per night is out for me.  My
>>> understanding
>>> > is that there is a very inexpensive option in Oklahoma City.  New
>>> Orleans
>>> > would probably be better than this, too.  Also, has anyone priced
>>> flights to
>>> > Phoenix in February?  Bill Redpath
>>> >
>>> > On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 11:16 AM, Daniel Wiener <wiener at alum.mit.edu>
>>> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> I'll second what Sam said.  I'm not planning on spending $189+$20+tax
>>> per
>>> >> night for a hotel room.
>>> >>
>>> >> Dan Wiener
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 8:11 AM, Sam Goldstein <
>>> goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com>
>>> >> wrote:
>>> >>>
>>> >>> I thought Robert said we could meet at the Holiday inn airport again.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> On Jan 7, 2016 11:10 AM, "Wes Benedict" <wes.benedict at lp.org> wrote:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Yes, the LNC-EC voted to have the meeting in Phoenix.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> The hotel in the Helms Briscoe proposal has rooms for $189 per
>>> night,
>>> >>>> plus $20 per night resort fee. Plus tax.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> There is a 32 room-night (could be 16 rooms 2 night each) mandatory
>>> >>>> minimum if I read the proposal right. You pay penalties if we don't
>>> make it.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> We are about to ask Helms Briscoe to book it.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> I just want to make sure most of you plan to stay at the hotel so we
>>> >>>> meet our mandatory minimum.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> If not, please speak up. If so, speak up. We need to see if 14 of
>>> you
>>> >>>> will book rooms for 2 nights. Two rooms will be booked for staff.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> It might be worth it for Kevin Ludlow to set up a poll to see who
>>> agrees
>>> >>>> to stay at the hotel, and if there is going to be a large penalty,
>>> then we
>>> >>>> locate alternatives. I respect Mr. Ludlow's preference not to use
>>> cost as a
>>> >>>> factor in choosing hotel locations, but the party will have to pay
>>> the
>>> >>>> penalties if enough of you don't stay at the hotel (unless other
>>> LNC members
>>> >>>> agree to pay the penalty if we don't meet the minimum).
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Barring obvious clear opposition, Friday (tomorrow) morning
>>> 1/8/2016 we
>>> >>>> will have Helms Briscoe initiate the contract prep and signing for
>>> the
>>> >>>> Arizona Grand Hotel.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Thanks,
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Wes Benedict, Executive Director
>>> >>>> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
>>> >>>> 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
>>> >>>> (202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
>>> >>>> facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
>>> >>>> Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> On 1/6/2016 11:51 PM, Roland Riemers wrote:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Praise the Lord!
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> ________________________________
>>> >>>> From: Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
>>> >>>> To: lnc-business <lnc-business at lp.org>
>>> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 10:16 PM
>>> >>>> Subject: [Lnc-business] book Phoenix flights for Feb LNC meeting
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> I'll have the EC minutes out soon, but for those of you anxious to
>>> book
>>> >>>> flights for the Feb 20-21 LNC meeting, the Executive Committee
>>> decided to
>>> >>>> break the stalemate on the question and voted to have the meeting in
>>> >>>> Phoenix.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Now you can book flights.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> -Alicia
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>> >>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> >>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> >>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>> >>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> >>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> >>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>> >>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> >>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> >>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>
>>> >>> _______________________________________________
>>> >>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> >>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> >>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>> >>>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >> "In general, we look for a new law by the following process. First, we
>>> >> guess it (audience laughter), no, don’t laugh, that’s the truth. Then
>>> we
>>> >> compute the consequences of the guess, to see what, if this is right,
>>> if
>>> >> this law we guess is right, to see what it would imply and then we
>>> compare
>>> >> the computation results to nature or we say compare to experiment or
>>> >> experience, compare it directly with observations to see if it works.
>>> If it
>>> >> disagrees with experiment, it’s WRONG. In that simple statement is
>>> the key
>>> >> to science. It doesn’t make any difference how beautiful your guess
>>> is, it
>>> >> doesn’t matter how smart you are, who made the guess, or what his
>>> name is.
>>> >> If it disagrees with experiment, it’s wrong. That’s all there is to
>>> it.” --
>>> >> Richard Feynman (https://tinyurl.com/lozjjps)
>>> >>
>>> >> _______________________________________________
>>> >> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> >> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> >> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > Lnc-business mailing list
>>> > Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> > http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>> >
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Lnc-business mailing list
>> 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
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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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