[Lnc-business] Support for Caryn Ann Harlos' Motion To Rescind

Sat Sep 24 03:11:23 EDT 2016

Members of the Audacious Caucus,

	Thank you for your letter to members of the LNC supporting the motion to rescind put forth by LNC Region 1 Representative Caryn Ann Harlos. I strongly appreciate your defense of transparency, and am entirely with you, although I have not yet seen anything to convince me that the contract between the Johnson/Weld campaign and the Libertarian Party needs to be kept secret even temporarily, let alone after the election is over.  

	If this communication is representative of your views, I'm delighted to hear, from Mike Shipley's follow-up message immediately below (I've included the comments here in reverse chronological order), that your caucus has 153 members, although not being on Facebook I cannot see the list. But I do not believe it is anywhere near as important for a party caucus to be transparent about the identity of its members, as for the national Libertarian Party to be transparent in its governance and operations. Indeed the right to individual privacy is important in a free society and should be upheld except as is needed to keep individuals accountable in their institutional roles.

Love & Liberty,
                                   ((( starchild )))
At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
                                (415) 625-FREE

On Sep 23, 2016, at 11:21 AM, The Mikester wrote:

> Regarding this message posted by Ms Mattson:
> 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msg/lncvotes/B0kyikUSYgU/7M5C4W45AQAJ
> 
> This isn't the first time somebody on the LNC accused the grassroots of being non-transparent. Please know that the majority of our activity takes place in Facebook groups whose membership lists and internal dialogue are available to anybody who cares to participate.
> 
> If one wishes to to know the names of the 153 Libertarians represented by the participatory actions of the Audacious Caucus, they may view them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/905453686158908/members/
> 
> To learn who is in any particular group, click "Members" at the top of one on desktop. On mobile, it varies per device but is also available. To find a particular group just use the search bar. For example if a message arrived from the LP Bearded Caucus, you would be four clicks and a copy/paste away from learning that it has 40 members and who they are.
> 
> Chair Sarwark and Representatives Harlos and Sommes are three among you, but not the only three, who exemplify digital engagement with the grassroots. For leadership in this area, you may look to any of them.
> --
> Mike Shipley
> Phoenix, AZ
> 
> "The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

On Sep 22, 2016, at 8:58 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:

> Thank you for your support.  Also, you have very appropriately characterized the issue at stake, i.e. member and committee rights and the fundamental principle of transparency and avoiding "back room deals" that are the hallmark of the old parties.  I have the additional concerns that this provision was not entered into with full knowledge.  
> 
> Thank you for caring about what is going on with your Party and keeping an eye on the gatekeepers.
> 
> Chair Sarwark is working with the campaign to see if this provision can be taken out.  That will help resolve a great deal of this and then the LNC will have to deal with the intra-LNC issue of whether we should grant such blanket authority in the future.  I have come to the opinion we should not have, and that it was unfair of us to put Chair Sarwark in that sole position.  It so easily can (and did) turn into a lose-lose for him.  This was a responsibility we all should have shouldered.
> 
> At Large members Daniel Hayes and Starchild have co-sponsored my motion.  An additional co-sponsor is needed for this to be heard.  And if not passed, the membership would have the right to appeal to the Judicial Committee.  
> 
> -- 
> In Liberty,
> Caryn Ann Harlos
> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org
> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus

On Sep 22, 2016, at 8:52 AM, Steven Nielson wrote:

> LPAC Members -
> 
> Thank you for your work in ensuring transparency and integrity in political dealings.  These traits will continue to differentiate our party from the Republican and Democrat alternatives.  Though at times the powers that be may see such actions as trivial nuisances, it is exactly this effort that is expected by our membership to maintain a healthy political alternative in these united states.
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> Steven M. Nielson
> Region 1 Alternate to LP
> Former Chairperson 2015-2016,
> Libertarian Party of Washington State 
> 360-662-6362
> 

> On Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 8:30 AM, Audacious Caucus <beaudaciouslp at gmail.com> wrote:
> To the members of the Libertarian National Committee,
> 
> We the members of the Libertarian Party Audacious Caucus (LPAC) wish to express our support for the motion to rescind put forth by LNC Region 1 Representative Caryn Ann Harlos. This motion is a call for transparency in light of some troubling aspects of the contract Chairman Sarwark was authorized to negotiate and sign. We feel this is a play at opacity that is not acceptable. There can be an argument made for tactical aspects of keeping the contract hidden during the campaign, but after it is over, members of the LNC should be able to discuss it with their constituents, and members should be able to view the document as the information can be useful in deciding on LNC representatives, or as a benchmark if the bylaw provision for a stock contract comes back around.
> 
> We hope that you will choose wisely and support the rescission, not as a personal attack on the Chair, but as a support of transparency to set an example for the old parties.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> The Members of The Libertarian Party Audacious Caucus.
> 
> Be Audacious!
> 

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