[Lnc-business] Discussion on proposed Motion on Records Move (historical committee)

Tue Mar 21 17:26:48 EDT 2017

Hi Joshua, I could have spent the entire $5K originally budgeted already if
I didn't care to take a lot of care and maximize its value.  It is allotted
for professional scanning of records but I need to know what we have in
order to prioritize properly.  A volunteer started inventorying (another
one will be inventorying on Monday) and thus, the money will now be started
to be spent (though I am seeking volunteers wherever possible - including,
if necessary - me going out and spending time in VA to do some work myself,
not out of the budget, but out of my own personal money).  So the original
funds are for what I promised I would use them for, direct preservation of
the records.  In the time since the motion passed, the committee was
formed, a massive amount of work was done on LPedia (well over fifty hours
put into it - the disrepair it was in for over five years was very very
intensive to fix) to get it ready.  It is near ready - within the next two
weeks. Then the original budget will begin to be spent.  It would have been
financially irresponsible to do so before.  It is planned through a pretty
thorough committee to be spent by years end.  We are being very cautious
and responsible.  The bulk of the scanning will be done in the third and
fourth quarter.  Some has started with volunteers - I will have some work
product to show you well before the next LNC meeting, and of course, a
thorough report will be available for that meeting.

Staff costs will be zero if items moved.  And I believe the cost after
fundraising will be low.  (I would not say zero due to the fungibility
issue as you say).

If they remain, it stays at 5K (not 10K) plus staff costs (I have already
raised over 20%) - the move will eliminate staff costs and provide more
value towards the completion.  Either way, things will get done.  *More*
will get done and *better* if they are moved, but the committee will do
what it has to do either way.  In any event, I will do everything I can to
minimize staff time.  Since Wes' and I original discussions, a good system
has been arranged.  But the shipping (or coordination with a Virginia
scanning company) will have to be done.  If here, I would handle all of
that.

The cost has not doubled - to be more efficient and a better project, that
is the preferred solution, but preservation will take place either way as
originally passed.

I echo what Wes has said - the project will happen, the question is what is
the best product we could have.  The committee appointed is excellent and
there will be results.  I want the best and most results for something the
Party has let lay fallow for many years (and incidentally will calm the
complaints about LP.org to a great extent and head off future ones in
future upgrades).  And the net cost will be low ultimately.  It is not
going to be often (if ever again) that the Party will have someone eager
and willing to do this and who obviously is passionate about it.  I think
Wes is underestimating the exponential value of having it close to me at
3X.  One thing I have proven, I get shit done. A lot.  And either way over
a thousand dollars is coming out of my pocket.  It can go to hotels, food,
and airline, or I can make that contribution to the Party along with
probably twenty thousand dollars of professional time if I took that time
and got paid for it doing another job rather than donating as I am offering.

-Caryn Ann

On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 1:38 PM, Joshua Katz <planning4liberty at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Before venturing an opinion on the two proposals before us, I would ask to
> see what the committee has planned for the $5,000 budgeted already.  I will
> say that I am concerned, especially given past experience, when the cost of
> a project doubles within a few weeks.  At the same time, I am not quite
> clear on why we need to increase the budget by $5,000 at this point when
> the proposal will cost $5,000 and nothing has been spent, so before doing
> so, I want to know what the original money is designated for.
>
> I do appreciate, at the same time, that there is an effort to fundraise
> specifically for this project.  In my view, the cost, even if completely
> crowd-funded, will still be non-zero because of fungibility, but obviously
> will be low.  Since our budget does not fund compensation out of functional
> lines, there's also an unaccounted-for decrease in staff costs associated
> with doing it this way instead of continuing the project but not moving the
> items.  Wes, do you have guess on that - less, equal to, or more than $5k?
>
> Even when things are crowd-funded, of course, it is the responsibility of
> this board to set priorities for projects that should get done, especially
> when staff time is required.  We voted that this is something worth doing
> at a cost of $5k plus stuff costs.  Is it also worth doing at $10k plus
> staff costs?  That seems to be, in large part, the question, I would think.
>
>
> Joshua A. Katz
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 1:15 PM, Sam Goldstein <goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com
> > wrote:
>
>> I would like to amend the motion to designate the Harlos residence as the
>> David Nolan Memorial Library, Museum and
>> Cannabis Cafe.
>>
>> Sam
>>
>> Sam Goldstein
>> Libertarian National Committee
>> Member at Large
>> 8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
>> Indianapolis IN 46260
>> 317-850-0726 <(317)%20850-0726> Phone
>> 317-582-1773 <(317)%20582-1773> Fax
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 1:53 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Also, I stated that if approved, I would sign up for a payment plan life
>>> membership.  I am willing to do that because it will cost me personally
>>> that much to make several trips at my own cost to VA to do supervise and
>>> organize the off site storage.  The Party will get back records usable for
>>> years and years to come and they will be available for Party members. A lot
>>> of other benefits were discussed in the other thread.  If I am right about
>>> this being high by about $1000 (Dunbar can stay at my home in CO), and then
>>> my pledge to give $1,500 over 12 months, we are looking at $2,500 (if I'm
>>> wrong it is $3,500).  Wes believes he can raise it (and if we raise more it
>>> can offset the other approved amount for which I personally have already
>>> raised about $1,200 and once LPedia is up I will get more).  Lastly I
>>> believe the CO storage will be about 15% per month cheaper. All around this
>>> is a good deal for the party if it wants to takes its history and records
>>> seriously (and I cannot underestimate the good will there will be with
>>> members when these records are online).
>>>
>>> As most of you know, I am a professional paralegal.  I have worked large
>>> large document intensive cases. The Committee I appointed are
>>> professionals. The amount of volunteer value that the Party is getting is
>>> tremendous - we couldn't afford it if we were to pay the people working on
>>> this.  Now is the time, and ultimately, I believe it will all be funded
>>> through donations by end of year.
>>>
>>> Members are passionate about this.  I have been quiet on the fund
>>> raising push because I want to have LPedia open first with some great
>>> content (and its getting there- initial "grand opening" will likely be
>>> within two weeks).
>>>
>>> -Caryn Ann
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 11:39 AM, Wes Benedict <wes.benedict at lp.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> My first thought along the process was "gee, Caryn Ann, I sure wish you
>>>> lived in the DC area. All this would be so much easier. Then you could come
>>>> in the office and take care of all of this yourself, and manage the
>>>> volunteers." Then later I thought "you know what, I just moved most of
>>>> these materials (some of them twice). I could easily move them again to
>>>> where Caryn Ann is." Then she and I wouldn't have to call and send several
>>>> emails to each other for each minor step of work on this.
>>>>
>>>> Sure they'll be an added moving cost, but the simplification of doing
>>>> the work for Caryn Ann and me will be greatly facilitated.
>>>>
>>>> Wes Benedict, Executive Director
>>>> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
>>>> 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314(202) 333-0008 ext. 232 <(202)%20333-0008>, wes.benedict at lp.orgfacebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
>>>> Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
>>>>
>>>> On 3/21/2017 1:33 PM, Wes Benedict wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The original idea to move the stuff to Colorado was mine.
>>>>
>>>> I got the idea after several phone calls with Caryn Ann talking about
>>>> how to get various volunteers into the office, talking about what would
>>>> they do, who would answer their questions, then who would pack up what and
>>>> ship to where as needed. We've had one volunteer come in to start listing
>>>> what's in our basement and that one arrangement, as simple as it sounds,
>>>> took many emails and a couple phone calls. "Would we be here Saturday for
>>>> the volunteer?" Answer: "probably from "10 a.m. to 3 p.m." Later: "Looks
>>>> like I can have another staffer here later on Saturday if needed." Later:
>>>> "Oops, not coming in after all."
>>>>
>>>> Coordinating the work of semi-reliable volunteers between Caryn Ann
>>>> Harlos and me is going to take a significant amount of my time even in the
>>>> best of circumstances.
>>>>
>>>> Most of the volunteer help for this project is going to come from Caryn
>>>> Ann, and many volunteers she'll be able to recruit in her state and nearby
>>>> states.
>>>>
>>>> It sounds counter-intuitive on one level, but I think it will cost a
>>>> whole lot less, and save me a whole lot of time, to deliver the items to
>>>> Colorado for a couple years for Caryn Ann to work on.
>>>>
>>>> It's my idea. I think Caryn Ann is going to work hard on this valuable
>>>> project. I think I could raise the funds with a couple emails to cover the
>>>> added cost. And I'd be saving myself a lot of time in the future
>>>> coordinating with Caryn Ann about who can volunteer when and where, and
>>>> where do we ship what, and how do we label what folders what.
>>>>
>>>> I'm only for this because Caryn Ann has already demonstrated her
>>>> reliability and hard work. I would not be for this if just any old
>>>> committee chair asked for it. I'd be paranoid the materials would be
>>>> forgotten forever.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Wes Benedict, Executive Director
>>>> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
>>>> 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314(202) 333-0008 ext. 232 <(202)%20333-0008>, wes.benedict at lp.orgfacebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
>>>> Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
>>>>
>>>> On 3/21/2017 1:13 PM, Sam Goldstein wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Why on earth would we want to pay to move this stuff to CO when the
>>>> party headquarters
>>>> is in the D.C. area?  Are you planning a David Nolan Libertarian Party
>>>> Library and Museum?
>>>>
>>>> Sam Goldstein
>>>> Libertarian National Committee
>>>> Member at Large
>>>> 8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
>>>> Indianapolis IN 46260
>>>> 317-850-0726 <(317)%20850-0726> Phone
>>>> 317-582-1773 <(317)%20582-1773> Fax
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 1:04 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>>>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Okay now that we have discussed the moving of the historical records,
>>>>> I am ready to put forth a proposed motion but am asking for feedback before
>>>>> asking for co-sponsors.
>>>>>
>>>>> Move to budget up to an additional $5,000 (budget line 90) to relocate
>>>>> the historical records in the Duke Street basement and in the off-site
>>>>> storage facility to a location in Colorado to be determined by Historical
>>>>> Preservation Committee Chair.  The facility will be paid by for and under
>>>>> the control of the LNC and will be obtained at a cost equal or less to the
>>>>> price paid for the similar facility in Virginia.  The Executive Director
>>>>> will be directed to send out up to two fundraising letters to cover this
>>>>> expense and the prior budgeted Historical Committee expense (credit to
>>>>> budget line 25).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> *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 <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
>>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>>>> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
>>>>>
>>>>> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>>>>> *We defend your rights*
>>>>> *And oppose the use of force*
>>>>> *Taxation is theft*
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *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 <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
>>>
>>> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>>> *We defend your rights*
>>> *And oppose the use of force*
>>> *Taxation is theft*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>>
>>>
>>
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>>
>
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>

-- 
*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 <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org>
Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
<http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee

A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
*We defend your rights*
*And oppose the use of force*
*Taxation is theft*
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