[Lnc-business] LNC Member Monthly Recurring Donations

Wed Jun 15 17:42:22 EDT 2016

I respectfully disagree in some respects from Starchild. No matter how much
we may wish it otherwise, running a Party costs money and being on the LNC,
we need to set an example.  Just like it requires a certain level of other
skills that others may not have, due to no fault of their own.  I do note
though that others can contribute on another's behalf, and that although in
disfavour, if we are being offered a generous matching option by M, I would
encourage members to either give or get (yes, I know that phrase is not
popular).

I wish things ran simply on love and peace.  But they don't....

In Liberty,
Caryn Ann Harlos
Region 1 Representative
(Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming,
Washington)

On Wed, Jun 15, 2016 at 3:29 PM, Starchild <sfdreamer at earthlink.net> wrote:

>         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
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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
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>

-- 
In Liberty,
Caryn Ann Harlos
Region 1 Representative
(Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming,
Washington)
Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org
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