[Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2017-02: Historic Preservation Committee

[Alicia Mattson]

Since this committee dissolves at the end of the term, it's extra clear,
but remember that we have Policy Manual Section 1.03.2 which sets an
expiration date for all committee appointments.  If we didn't have that,
there is a default expiration in RONR spanning pages 502-503 of 11th ed.

- Alicia



On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 6:58 PM, Joshua Katz <planning4liberty at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Folks, I take responsibility for not paying enough attention until now to
> notice what I think is a serious problem with the wording of this motion.
> In actuality, the problem I'm going to point to is not fatal for this
> particular motion, for reasons I'll discuss below, but I have to point out
> that, in principle, I have a concern about it.
>
> It was previously asked if a motion of this sort creates a chair for
> life.  That problem was dealt with here by limiting the life of the
> committee.  Presumably, the intent of the motion is that the committee's
> real job will be recommending to the LNC a more permanent structure of some
> sort to keep this happening, together with a set of things that need to be
> done.  So far, so good.
>
> My objection, and we should be cautious about the precedent being set
> here, is the "...to appoint up to 4 others."  When a power is delegated, it
> often is lost by the delegating body, unless it is taken from the
> committee's hand, which requires a higher vote threshold (unless done
> during a partial report or a report has been missed).  A person who is
> empowered to appoint up to 4 others is empowered to appoint 0 others as
> well.  Thus, such language gives permission for a person to be a committee
> unto themselves, even when this is not intended.
>
> In this case, there are many reasons this isn't a problem.  Most
> importantly, there's just no reason to suspect that the person involved
> would do such a thing - but this is a poor reason for creating potential
> problems.  The committee also is not empowered, and can only make
> recommendations - the worst that a dictatorial chair could do would be to
> gain some agenda time and the imprimatur of a committee, both of which
> could be dealt with.
>
> So, I don't see this concern as a reason not to vote for this, but I do
> want to make a note for future reference that we should avoid this
> formulation in places where it could matter.
>
> Joshua A. Katz
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 7:58 PM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> We have an electronic mail ballot.
>>
>>
>> *Votes are due to the LNC-Business list by January 23, 2017 at 11:59:59pm
>> Pacific time.*
>> *Co-Sponsors:*  Goldstein, Harlos, Demarest, Bittner
>>
>> *Motion:*  The LNC establishes a Historic Preservation Committee to help
>> preserve and publish historical documents of the party and to manage
>> LPedia.  This committee is granted a budget of $5,000.  Caryn Ann Harlos is
>> appointed chair with authority to appoint up to 4 others.  This committee
>> will expire at the end of the LNC meeting preceding the 2018 LP National
>> Convention.
>>
>> -Alicia
>>
>>
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>>
>
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