[Lnc-business] LNC Member Monthly Recurring Donations

Wed Jun 15 17:29:04 EDT 2016

	As a putative member of the LP's informal "Povertarian Caucus", I would like to remind folks that if we create the expectation or pressure that being on the Libertarian National Committee should involve giving additional amounts of money to the party, we will be further discouraging those who are not financially well-off from being part of the Libertarian Party's elected leadership. Among other negative effects of such an approach, this would indirectly discourage younger LP members from stepping up to participate, since younger people in this country are usually less economically prosperous than their elders. That would be very unfortunate given that we as a party have a strong need to make the party more appealing to youth.

	The cost of attending meetings means that it already costs several thousand dollars a year to serve on the LNC even without any additional giving. At our recent convention, I purchased a gold package in recognition and commendation of the fact that the convention organizers provided a strong lineup of speakers and that there was no attempt to charge a "floor fee", i.e. require our volunteers serving as delegates to pay a fee simply to attend the party's business sessions* and exercise the vital responsibility of keeping the Libertarian Party a grassroots, bottom-up organization by taking their time to vote on our Bylaws, Platform, and elect leaders. Given these considerations, I am not prepared to make a further monthly pledge at this time. Perhaps if we as the LNC reform some of our spending practices, and/or adopt the long-discussed yet still unimplemented crowdfunding approach that I and others have advocated, I will reconsider.

	However, there is precedent for party members, including LNC members, having their membership dues paid by others, so I presume that other individuals could also make donations to the party in the names of LNC members, were they so inclined. If anyone reading (on the LNC or otherwise) wishes to make a donation in the name of myself or any other LNC member who is not a monthly pledger, so as to raise the lowest amount being pledged by members of the LNC, I for one will not object and will certainly give you public credit for the donation.

	Of course it is possible that M Carling has predicated his offer upon an assumption of the limited ability of some LNC members to give more than they already do, and will not be willing to extend it based on money given on behalf of those members by others. But that choice is up to him.

Love & Liberty,
                               ((( starchild )))

*Despite the lack of a floor fee, I regret to say there were still some problems this year. Most notably, delegates registering for the convention were not informed that they were not required to buy packages, and the online convention registration form may have given the opposite impression. Even one member of the prior LNC told me he was unaware that delegates were not required to pay in order to participate as delegates, until I sent an email bringing the matter to the LNC's attention. I suspect a number of LP members may have been deceived into thinking they had to buy a package – a case of borderline fraud. Delegates not buying a package or paying a separate fee were also turned away from watching the only official presidential debate to take place at the convention, despite the fact that they had an obvious need to be informed in voting on whom to select for our presidential ticket.

On Jun 15, 2016, at 10:31 AM, Whitney Bilyeu wrote:

> I am at $50 per month currently, but intend to increase it once my election campaign obligations in Texas end.
> 
> Whitney Bilyeu
> Region 7 Rep
> 
> On Wed, Jun 15, 2016 at 12:19 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with Daniel here, and particular if M is generous enough to offer this, we should take full advantage.  I am not presently at zero (I am at $10 a month) and was considering increasing that but I had other obligations.  If everyone can commit to make our lowest amount a higher amount than $10, I will raise mine accordingly now and put other things off.  If $10 is going to be the lowest amount anyways... well there is no hurry, so this is a challenge from me to you... let's not have our minimum be $10... whatever anyone else's minimum is (within reason), I will raise mine to be that.
> 
> It would be really nice if our minimum were $50 which would mean that M would generously donate $500/month.
> 
> -- 
> In Liberty,
> Caryn Ann Harlos
> Region 1 Representative 
> (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington)
> Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org
> 
> On Wed, Jun 15, 2016 at 10:36 AM, Daniel Hayes <danielehayes at icloud.com> wrote:
> Libertarians,
> 
> We as members of the board, which in our case is known as the Libertarian National Committee, should be leading by example.  For us to be a successful political Party the reality is it takes money.  Be it to pay staff, purchase literature, obtain ballot access, sponsor outreach events, support candidates or any number if things, it takes money.
> The way in which we as a political party are able to “make” money is by collecting donations.  As members of the board we should take it upon ourselves to help raise that money by soliciting donations.  The first and easiest way for us to get donations is for the members of the board to set up monthly recurring donations to the National Party.  It is a pretty common practice that many boards have minimal levels of expected donation if someone is a member.  We have no such mandate and I prefer we never set such a thing up.  We should however all voluntarily reach into our pockets and set up a pledge each month if you have not already done so.
> 
> A potential added benefit to reaching deep, by making your own pledge, you may almost automatically be able to help bring in a monthly donation 10 times that amount.  During the February 2016 LNC meeting in Orlando at the Rosen Centre, Mr. M Carling informed the LNC that he bases his monthly recurring donation on the donation of the lowest amount paid by any LNC member. He informed us that at times the lowest monthly recurring donation had been as high as $100/month to which he was donating $1000/month in response.  At the time he informed us that zero was the lowest monthly recurring donation by a member and so his monthly donation was zero.  He said he did not include alternates in this calculation.  We have a new board now and I would like to take Mr Carling up on his offer.  As members of the board our donations are a matter of public record and are usually published at the back of the packet staff hands out at each LNC meeting so we all are really on the spot about this already.
> 
> Are the other members of the board willing and able to take Mr Carling up on this offer?  I assume it still stands as he has been a member of the Party for a very long time. Even if it does not, We should have all LNC members including the alternates doing something every month. For the newer members, consider setting up a monthly recurring donation to obtain your Life Membership.
> 
> I have CCed Mr Carling on this thread, so hit, "Reply All".   Hopefully, he will chime in and lend some further encouragement to this effort.  Let’s set the example and take some of Mr. Carling’s money.
> 
> 
> Daniel Hayes
> LNC At Large Member
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