[Lnc-business] Refer 2404 Arizona - potential request for funding

Mon May 22 13:47:30 EDT 2017

I am bumping this for further discussion...

1.  Can we even consider giving money to an initiative group such as this?
2. If so, can I get some support to come up with a motion?

Thank Ken for off-list giving some great ideas and support.

In response to comments, I received this from one of the
boots-on-the-ground activists, Mike Shipley (on how it DOES - though
perhaps indirectly but certainly profoundly) affect ballot issues:

In actuality, this project does have a direct relationship to ballot status
and organizational strength. It arose from my work in the capacity of Chair
of the AZLP Volunteer Coordination Committee. You see, while we do have
statewide ballot access, we only have county (and thereby municipal) level
ballot access in I believe 4 of the 15 counties. Of the remaining 11, we
have 4 that are in a nascent stage who face a daunting uphill climb and
very little to rally enthusiasm when they hold public meetings. If we can
get those 4 to fully active status, we’ll have 8 of 15.

Like many rural areas, they are in sparsely populated areas and they have
trouble drawing a critical mass of locals to really have that spark burst
into flame. Their meetings are low energy and their signature drives
drudgery, not due to any absence of hope and passion of their own (these
are persistent, motivated, and talented people) but simply because showing
up month after month to sit with the same other person tends to be
draining; as does the task of getting whatever minimum percentage of
signatures they have to get from every single precinct in their county.

They need volunteers, and to attract volunteers, they need a project of
statewide importance with an emotional appeal. And even in counties where
we do have ballot access, infrastructure is extremely weak. Retention is
difficult without a project that carries a sense of momentum and urgent
immediacy.

As Chair of VolComm, I saw that we had an opportunity in this, a
non-election year, to use the initiative and referendum process as a
springboard for building infrastructure. This is especially helpful in
counties where ballot access does not exist because the 90 day deadline
creates a sense of urgency that gets them out with their clipboards and
they are carrying their petitions for county level status along with them.
You see, these campaigns have a great many of the same moving parts.

They have the same campaign finance structure, the same attention to detail
regarding signatures and the potential for challenge, the same bureaucratic
processes for interfacing with state officials, and if we succeed in
getting our referendum on the ballot, they provide a ready narrative that
Libertarian candidates (who are more likely to exist if we build an
infrastructure to support their signature drives and campaigns) can
leverage to impact the dynamic of the races in which they appear.

I don’t want to get too sidetracked into strategy because it might come up
in another thread which then I’ll answer in more detail but there is also
the benefit of the strong response we’ve had from grassroots progressives,
and the chance to network with independent-minded people across the state.
The potential to retain them could really benefit those outlying counties,
since this issue undercuts policy and speaks directly to civic engagement
and a cherished constitutional right – and yet, as a market intervention
that raises a political barrier, it is a natural entry point to a larger
conversation about the role of market controls in suppressing ordinary
people.

Having Libertarians be at the forefront on this positions all of our county
affiliates, not to mention the state party, on the cutting edge of the
fight to protect this facet of our state heritage.

Back to the point: I was looking for a project that VolComm could take on
that would fill these needs at both levels, and carry us into the 2018
election with an infrastructure stronger than ever before. That is when the
governor signed HB2404, and I took the opportunity to act.

I couldn’t have known it would take off the way that it has. I would have
been pleased by the effort as a skill building and internal process
strengthening exercise, but I am thrilled that it did, in fact, take off.
I’ve long hoped for a breakthrough like this!! The surge of support from
progressive and independents has been nothing short of breathtaking, and
the excitement I’ve seen among local Libertarians has been just as exciting.

I wouldn’t ask this body for money if I didn’t think it was valuable for
the LP to be seen fighting tooth and nail for something the people of
Arizona consider a priority, and moreover that did not have all the right
elements to be a perfect storm for the ALZP to take center stage. Nor would
I do so if I didn’t think we had a real shot at winning. I have a
reputation as a competent organizer in this party, I have shown that I can
successfully build teams and bring visionary concepts to life. Kim too, in
her own right has a formidable resume.

I don’t spin my wheels on lost causes and as you know from the lawsuits
we’ve dealt with in recent years, with the greatly increased signature
requirements, our ability to utilize even our statewide access relies on us
being able to roll out successful signature drives and without a campaign
like this to build our strength, that simply is not realistic. The team
we’ve put together is solid. We have a Chair, a Treasurer, a Secretary, a
Coalition officer, a Logistics officer, and a Fundraising officer; we have
County Leads in 7 of 18 counties, we have a network of citizen Collection
Points that serve as distribution / field offices staffed with volunteer
notaries, we’ve been endorsed by Take Back Elections, the League of Women
Voters of Arizona, and more (I’d have to ask our Coalition officer). This
is exactly what the Volunteer Coordination Committee was established to
bring to life and I am very serious about using every bit of the momentum
we’ve gained, while we have it, to mobilize as many resources as I can
toward the infrastructural growth we need.

I truly believe this campaign can win, and I also believe that whether or
not we actually do, this push to gather 75,000 valid signatures by
August 8 will
be a catalyst for the AZLP to reach a new level of internal strength and
momentum, including ballot access in several of our county affiliates, to
carry us through 2018 and beyond.

On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 5:26 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com>
wrote:

> PS We help fund lawsuits etc that are not ballot access.... so not unheard
> of to go outside that scope.
>
> -Caryn Ann
>
> On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 5:26 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> You are correct, nothing to do with ballot access but with preserving
>> voter initiatives which is very important to us.
>>
>> thank you for your support on that second idea
>>
>> On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 5:23 PM, Sam Goldstein <
>> goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> As far as I can see this effort has nothing to do with ballot
>>> access/retention in AZ and thus
>>> would be outside any exepectation of LNC funding.  I would not oppose
>>> allowing them to be
>>> included in one of the multiple subject emails that out to membership so
>>> those who are
>>> interested can contribute directly.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 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 Thu, May 18, 2017 at 5:19 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello all, I am not positive this is even anything we can do but it was
>>>> requested and I absolutely support, and in any event, I am sure some ideas
>>>> can be floated here on what we can do to assist or other ideas for this
>>>> tremendous grassroots project in Arizona.  I will get you more information
>>>> as well as I have it.
>>>>
>>>> *If we can* and anyone would be willing to co-sponsor this request,
>>>> please let me know.  Please see attached request from AZLP members Kim Ruff
>>>> and Mike Shipley (national life member).
>>>>
>>>> They have sent me some more information to digest as well and there
>>>> will be a mention in the next LP News as I understand it.
>>>>
>>>> See attached.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *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*
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> *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*
>
>
>
>
>

-- 
*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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