[Lnc-business] cosponsors requested to have staff manage social media

[Caryn Ann Harlos]

Everyone, prior to last meeting and at last meeting when the issue of
potentially discussing specific volunteers came up, I mentioned it should
be in executive session, and though it was dicta, that seemed to be the
instruction of the Chair last meeting as well.

When a formal request for dismissal or discipline is requested against
staff or volunteers, I do believe that is the proper approach, and thus
unless the Chair specifically instructs differently, I do not think this is
the place.

-Caryn Ann



On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 2:25 PM, Ken Moellman <lpky at mu-net.org> wrote:

> I think the word people are searching for here is "accountability".
>
> ken
>
> On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 3:48 PM, Joshua Katz <planning4liberty at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Candidates aren't, in some sense, staff of the party.  Candidates are
>> selected by either affiliates or, in 2 cases, the convention.  Volunteers
>> are, in some very broad sense, 'staff.'
>>
>> I'm probably more surprised than I should be that we're having a
>> conversation about this.  In a healthy organization, of course you can
>> express productive criticism of both board and management, in ways likely
>> to lead to changes in their actions.  On the other hand, in a healthy
>> organization, no one should expect to publicly make unfounded accusations
>> against board members, with absolutely no constructive component, and
>> remain employed.
>>
>> But I'm disappointed that we're discussing it for another reason.  I
>> think it is so far from proper corporate structure for a board to have a
>> discussion about an individual volunteer, or to be aware that such activity
>> is even going on, that it's hard to even form an opinion.  (Don't worry,
>> though, I managed.)  Boards making personnel decisions about people other
>> than the highest management-level employees is, in my view, poor form, and
>> not helpful.  This is something staff ought to have it completely within
>> their power and discretion to handle.  That's why I am cosponsoring a
>> motion on that very topic.
>>
>> In the meantime, it seems like it's going to take board action to do what
>> any other organization would do as a matter of course.
>>
>> Joshua A. Katz
>>
>>
>> On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 2:02 PM, Arvin Vohra <votevohra at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Can someone explain how a volunteer criticizing a candidate is any
>>> different from a candidate criticizing an LNC member, if both identify
>>> themselves in ways that include their LP credibility? I have no problem
>>> with either, but it seems others do.
>>>
>>> On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 9:05 AM, Sam Goldstein <
>>> goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Of course not, but internal criticism should be internal and not posted
>>>> on public comment sites.  Or if it,  is the poster should not identify
>>>> him/herself as an official of the LP.
>>>>
>>>> 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 Sat, May 27, 2017 at 11:11 PM, Arvin Vohra <votevohra at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> What on earth? Are we suggesting that only staff should be able to
>>>>> comment?? Or that now internal criticism is no longer allowed?
>>>>>
>>>>> I
>>>>>
>>>>> On May 27, 2017 9:02 PM, "Sam Goldstein" <goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> This is outrageous and would join Mr. Starr in requesting that Mr.
>>>>>> Barton immediately be
>>>>>> dismissed from any role in our social media platform.  Mr. Starr has
>>>>>> a long history of
>>>>>> service to the party, and while some members many not agree with his
>>>>>> stances or methods,
>>>>>> I don't think anyone on the current or past LNCs would refer to him
>>>>>> as a Republican.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 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 Sat, May 27, 2017 at 7:40 PM, Aaron Starr <starrcpa at gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Colleagues,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> While we are on the subject, earlier this week our staff posted this
>>>>>>> television news video clip on Facebook as an example of earned media by a
>>>>>>> candidate opposing a sewer tax increase and spearheading a recall effort
>>>>>>> against those elected officials who voted for that increase (
>>>>>>> https://www.lp.org/california-libertarian-interviewed-local
>>>>>>> -television-water-rate-increases/).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Please examine these screen shots (cropped to show only relevant
>>>>>>> portions). Note this comment:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> “Starr is a Republican pretending to be a Libertarian. Why he hangs
>>>>>>> out in the LP instead of just being a Republican (or joining the
>>>>>>> Constitution Party) is beyond me. This is a dude who regularly tries to use
>>>>>>> soft bribes to get his way in the party. Please, LP members of his region,
>>>>>>> vote this guy out. We don’t need him and folks like him. Not at all.”
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Josh Barton, Social Media Volunteer at Libertarian Party
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don’t believe I have ever met Josh Barton. When I hover over his
>>>>>>> name with my mouse I see that his Facebook profile states he is one of our
>>>>>>> party’s social media volunteers.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It’s one thing to disagree with someone over public policy (perhaps
>>>>>>> Mr. Barton favors the Oxnard City Council’s sewer tax increase); it’s quite
>>>>>>> another to lash out with this personal attack.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I understand we get some negative feedback from the public, but
>>>>>>> should we tolerate that from those who are part of the organizational
>>>>>>> structure? Who here believes that it is appropriate for someone touting
>>>>>>> himself as a social media volunteer for the party to be posting something
>>>>>>> like this on our Facebook page as a representative of the Party?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Our staff would never post a comment such as this. They are
>>>>>>> accountable to the LNC and have a stake in our organization’s overall
>>>>>>> success, which makes them largely above the factionalism and personality
>>>>>>> conflicts we witness with some volunteers.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> When you agree to wear the party hat, you’ve agreed to a certain
>>>>>>> fiduciary duty to the organization.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If I were the National Chair, I would without hesitation order the
>>>>>>> deletion of such an offensive comment and (absent a sincere public apology)
>>>>>>> would likely fire any volunteer (or member of staff) who wrote anything on
>>>>>>> our Facebook page like this about any of our candidates or board members.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Aaron Starr
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (805) 583-3308 Home
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (805) 404-8693 Mobile
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> starrcpa at gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *From:* Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] *On
>>>>>>> Behalf Of *Sam Goldstein
>>>>>>> *Sent:* Friday, May 26, 2017 7:03 PM
>>>>>>> *To:* lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Lnc-business] cosponsors requested to have staff
>>>>>>> manage social media
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Alicia,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yes, my concern is that the LNC needs a supervisory presence on
>>>>>>> social media beyond the limited ability of
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> the APRC.  Ultimately, it is the LNC, not staff, that is responsible
>>>>>>> to the members and delegates in convention
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> for the public image of the party.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 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 Fri, May 26, 2017 at 9:48 PM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sam,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So is your desire to just have LNC members/alternates in a
>>>>>>> supervisory role, or in the role of posting public comment?  If it's just a
>>>>>>> supervisory role, I don't think it should be our job to do that, but I'm
>>>>>>> okay with allowing such access to the page.  But I'm not sure I want LNC
>>>>>>> members/alternates making the postings instead of staff.  If a 4th
>>>>>>> co-sponsor was interested with some tweaks, we could hash out some
>>>>>>> alternate language.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Alicia
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Alicia
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 6:00 AM, Sam Goldstein <
>>>>>>> goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Alicia,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Would you consider adding "members and alternates"  to your motion
>>>>>>> following "LNC"?  If so I will
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> co-sponsor.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 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 25, 2017 at 8:38 AM, Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm asking for co-sponsors for a motion to insert a new Policy
>>>>>>> Manual Section 2.06.5 Social Media to read as follows:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Only LNC employees and contractors shall serve as administrators of,
>>>>>>> serve as moderators of, or post content to, the Party’s social media
>>>>>>> accounts. Volunteer content creators may submit content for
>>>>>>> approval.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> At the LNC meeting there was majority support for the motion to both
>>>>>>> do the above and also to create a committee to review our social media
>>>>>>> processes.  I could have supported it, but if we know what we need to do to
>>>>>>> fix the problem, why spend the time to have a committee study it first?
>>>>>>> Just fix it.  I thought there was majority support for the other motion to
>>>>>>> simply turn control of our social media back over to staff.  Turns out that
>>>>>>> I was mistaken, and one person was not willing to turn control back over to
>>>>>>> staff without the creation of the committee, so then the other motion
>>>>>>> failed.  Because I misread the room, an option that actually had majority
>>>>>>> support didn't pass.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now that we have separately created the committee, I want to go back
>>>>>>> and re-visit turning control back over to our staff.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Please note that the motion welcomes volunteers to submit material.
>>>>>>> It does not eliminate their opportunity to contribute.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I want to add some details to the discussion we had in Pittsburgh,
>>>>>>> with two Facebook PR blow-ups on our minds at the time.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Since Pittsburgh, we have had yet another PR disaster.  Granted it
>>>>>>> was not on our official FB page, but on the personal page it was posted to,
>>>>>>> the person's party position was touted right there in the sidebar, and we
>>>>>>> took a lot of damage from it.  The Convention Oversight Committee lost two
>>>>>>> very valuable volunteers over this latest disaster -- volunteers who did a
>>>>>>> lot of work for us in Orlando and were again helping for New Orleans.  Gone.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There are no group votes before volunteers post on the party's FB.
>>>>>>> One person puts it into the schedule, and unless someone else sees it and
>>>>>>> objects, it goes public.  We publish so much material that the APRC doesn't
>>>>>>> always have time to review everything in advance.  Though the group has an
>>>>>>> informal rule against people posting their own material, people sometimes
>>>>>>> do it anyway.  The comments about the military could easily have been
>>>>>>> posted on our page.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There was a very recent incident in which a new volunteer was driven
>>>>>>> to quit on the same day she joined for the crime of suggesting that we post
>>>>>>> more positive material and less negative material.  I don't want to hear
>>>>>>> that the LNC giving final control to staff is somehow disrespecting the
>>>>>>> work of the volunteers, when that new volunteer's desire to contribute was
>>>>>>> so summarily disrespected.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We have some important policies that I don't believe the volunteers
>>>>>>> have even been informed about, and volunteers are not really accountable
>>>>>>> for following policies in the same way that our staff is.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Policy Manual Section 2.09.6:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Party resources shall not be used to provide information or services
>>>>>>> for any candidate for party office unless:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>    - such information or services are available and announced on an
>>>>>>>       equal basis to all Libertarians who have declared they are seeking that
>>>>>>>       office, or
>>>>>>>       - such information or services are generally available and
>>>>>>>       announced to all party member
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Not all party members have access to post on our Facebook page.  Not
>>>>>>> all candidates for internal party office are offered the chance to post on
>>>>>>> our Facebook page.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I think some of our Facebook posts cross the line into personal
>>>>>>> promotion of people who intend to run for internal party office at the next
>>>>>>> convention.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There was a time in the past when staff established criteria to try
>>>>>>> to manage application of this policy, with criteria for what constituted
>>>>>>> "news" or "earned media" that involved a candidate, etc.  I don't believe
>>>>>>> there is any such attention to his policy right now for our social media.
>>>>>>> Some candidates have already declared.  The closer we get to a national
>>>>>>> convention, the more these posts will be perceived as self-promotion that
>>>>>>> unfairly isn't available to their opponents.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So I'm asking for co-sponsors for this motion, to return final
>>>>>>> decision power to our staff, who are expected to know and follow our
>>>>>>> policies, and who are accountable to the LNC.  The volunteer groups can
>>>>>>> continue to generate material just like they do now, but staff would
>>>>>>> schedule the actual posts.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If the Social Media Process Review Committee comes back to us with
>>>>>>> suggestions for reasonable ways to manage this later, we can amend this
>>>>>>> policy.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Alicia
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> 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
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> 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
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> 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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Lnc-business mailing list
>>>> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>>>> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Arvin Vohra
>>>
>>> www.VoteVohra.com
>>> VoteVohra at gmail.com
>>> (301) 320-3634
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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*
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