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

Sat Oct 22 12:56:14 EDT 2016

I intend to vote on this matter, however I do not intend to do so until
we've heard from Assemblyman Moore.

Brett C. Bittner

Region 3 Representative
Libertarian National Committee

brett.bittner at lp.org
317.643.2566

**This message sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.

On Oct 22, 2016 08:44, "Sam Goldstein" <goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com> wrote:

> I vote Yes.
>
> This would have been one of the best opportunities to vote on principle
> and to make
> a major impact on big government that the LP has had in our history and
> Mr. Moore
> failed miserably.
>
>
>
> Sam Goldstein
> Libertarian National Committee
> Member at Large
> 8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
> Indianapolis IN 46260
> 317-850-0726 Phone
> 317-582-1773 Fax
>
> On Sat, Oct 22, 2016 at 8:58 AM, Patrick McKnight <
> patrick.joseph.mcknight at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I vote yes.
>>
>> Patrick McKnight
>> Region 8 Rep
>>
>> On Oct 22, 2016 8:14 AM, "David Demarest" <dpdemarest at centurylink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Thank you Alicia. I agree that the death penalty deserves a separate
>>> email thread of its own. I also was not aware of the numbers on the death
>>> penalty plank vote. Nevertheless, I would consider 364 to 105 overwhelming
>>> but disappointingly not high enough considering the moral implications as
>>> spelled in the full text of my testimony as follows, which, by the way,
>>> turned out to be an extraordinary opportunity to publicize the LP in
>>> Nebraska:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> “Mr. Secretary,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> David Pratt Demarest, 10812 Park Meadow Plaza #133, Omaha, NE 68142
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I am Secretary of the Libertarian Party of Nebraska and Regional
>>> Representative on the Libertarian National Committee.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I am here today as a private Nebraska citizen to support the retention
>>> of LB268 that repealed the Nebraska death penalty as confirmed by the
>>> override of the Governor’s veto. However, I can tell you that Libertarians
>>> overwhelmingly support the repeal of the death penalty not only for
>>> practical reasons but more importantly for moral reasons. I am personally
>>> aware of *NO* Libertarians in Nebraska or across the nation that
>>> support the death penalty.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Much evidence has been presented today demonstrates the indisputable
>>> failure of the death penalty as a deterrent compounded by the financial
>>> burden it imposes on taxpayers and the extended pain and suffering it
>>> visits on victims. To add insult to injury, victims lose twice and end up
>>> revisiting the pain, anguish and suffering with no closure because of the
>>> undue focus on deterrence, punishment and vengeance on the perpetrators
>>> instead of seeking restitution for the victims. The immoral use of the
>>> death penalty to obtain false confessions was dramatically illustrated by
>>> the infamous Nebraska Beatrice 6 case.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I am here, however, to speak to the overriding moral issue. In addition
>>> to the barbaric nature of state-sponsored killing, the risk of predictable
>>> executions of some innocents is beyond morally unacceptable, it is
>>> unconscionable! Further, the possibility of the death penalty being used as
>>> a *political football* to obtain reelection votes raises a host of
>>> ethical questions. To those who might be tempted to advocate the death
>>> penalty for political purposes, you need to reexamine your conscience
>>> and your political, personal and moral priorities.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> To voters in the audience, I urge you vote your conscience, vote to
>>> “Retain” LB268 and vote to uphold the death penalty ban in Nebraska. It is
>>> not just practical. It is the only moral choice!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I have been selected for poll worker duty. I have to vote early and have
>>> already voted. I am proud to tell you that I voted to retain LB268 to ban
>>> the death penalty from Nebraska. I hope you will too!”
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] *On Behalf
>>> Of *Alicia Mattson
>>> *Sent:* Saturday, October 22, 2016 3:15 AM
>>> *To:* lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2016-15: Censure John Moore
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> DD>> In the introduction to my testimony, I mentioned my positions with
>>> the LNC and the LPNE and I said that while I was there to testify as a
>>> private citizen, Libertarians are overwhelmingly against the death penalty
>>> and that I was personally aware of no Libertarians in Nebraska or across
>>> the nation that support the death penalty. <<DD
>>>
>>>
>>> Not to change the subject or start a debate on the death penalty...just
>>> addressing a factual detail that came up in the example situation.  At the
>>> national convention there was a counted vote on the adoption of our death
>>> penalty plank, and there were 364 in favor and 105 opposed.
>>>
>>> -Alicia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 22, 2016 at 12:44 AM, David Demarest <
>>> dpdemarest at centurylink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> I will delay my vote until we hear from John Moore. It may be that
>>> merely offering the motion to censure will achieve our intended purpose to
>>> express our outrage. In the meantime, however, we need to consider Ken’s
>>> salient point about taking into account an elected official’s duty to
>>> represent the views of his constituents and the articulate responses by
>>> Caryn and Alicia.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I must say I am bothered by the reference to the 60% of constituents
>>> favoring the position that Assemblyman Moore voted for as justification for
>>> his misguided votes. As Caryn has correctly pointed out, we have a duty to
>>> reflect the principles of our party. More importantly, we have a duty to
>>> reflect our personal principles of conscience that hopefully are reasonably
>>> consistent with our party’s principles. Even allowing for the fact that no
>>> two Libertarians are going to agree on all details of all principles,
>>> Assemblyman Moore’s votes go beyond the pale. Here is a recent example from
>>> my personal experience on the cronyism evils of basing political positions
>>> and votes on the consensus of constituents regardless of any considerations
>>> of principles and morals.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Last week I testified against the Nebraska referendum to reinstate the
>>> death penalty at a legally mandated District 2 hearing. The Unicameral,
>>> with the support of Libertarian Senator Laura Ebke, narrowly overrode
>>> Governor Ricketts’ veto of the bill that repealed the death penalty.
>>> Governor Ricketts then used a “substantial” contribution from his personal
>>> fortune to sponsor the ballot referendum to reinstate the death penalty
>>> that was the subject of the hearing. In the introduction to my testimony, I
>>> mentioned my positions with the LNC and the LPNE and I said that while I
>>> was there to testify as a private citizen, Libertarians are overwhelmingly
>>> against the death penalty and that I was personally aware of no
>>> Libertarians in Nebraska or across the nation that support the death
>>> penalty.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Republican State Senator Merv Riepe, a Ralston High School classmate of
>>> mine, testified that his opinion poll showed that his constituents favored
>>> the reinstatement of the death penalty *three to one* with the clear
>>> inference that he intended to reflect his constituents’ views [regardless
>>> of any moral considerations]. I looked Senator Riepe squarely in the eye
>>> and responded with the following passionate testimony:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> “… the possibility of the death penalty being used as a *political
>>> football* to obtain reelection votes raises a host of ethical questions.
>>> To those who might be tempted to advocate the death penalty for political
>>> purposes, you need to reexamine your conscience and your political,
>>> personal and moral priorities.”
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The point is that reflecting the “consensus of the constituents” for
>>> obvious reelection purposes is not an acceptable or moral justification for
>>> Assemblyman Moore’s two egregious votes. Let’s see what Moore has to say
>>> but keep in mind that our duty is not only to our party’s principles but
>>> also to our personal principles.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ~David Pratt Demarest
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] *On Behalf
>>> Of *Alicia Mattson
>>> *Sent:* Saturday, October 22, 2016 1:19 AM
>>> *To:* lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2016-15: Censure John Moore
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 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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>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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