[Lnc-business] Accountability and frugality on LNC meeting expenses

david.demarest at lp.org david.demarest at lp.org
Fri Jan 26 07:41:22 EST 2018


Starchild, the presence of both the Executive Director and the Operations Director has proven indispensable at virtually all LNC meetings. Likewise, the presence of the Development Director, as needed, has helped the LNC make decisions, particularly recently. Wes, Robert and Lauren have done an excellent job of representing the staff from their individual perspectives to provide critical input for LNC deliberations. Now that the LNC has stepped up to the plate by providing the necessary financial and logistical resources, paid staff performance is exceeding expectations. Their presence and direct input enhances the ability of the LNC to get meaningful stuff done.

Starchild, I understand and respect your wise fiscal constraint concerns. As you say, we need to set a good example through a vigilant and persistent effort to guard our critical financial resources. Penny-wise and pound-foolish (excuse my hyperbole) is not a recipe for fiscal responsibility.

Thoughts?

~David Pratt Demarest
Region 6 Representative

-----Original Message-----
From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of Starchild
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2018 10:54 PM
To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] Accountability and frugality on LNC meeting expenses


David,

	Hmm, it looks like you somehow dug up an old email from last year!    :-O

	However, the issue of requiring the LNC to be informed within a reasonable length of time after each meeting of the total cost to the party of that meeting and the breakdown of expenses making up that cost, including amounts paid for flights, shipping, food, etc., remains sadly relevant, as this still has not been happening. If you are amenable to reforms that help ensure we aren't engaging in false advertising when we say things about frugality and so forth in our fundraising communications (as exampled below), excellent! I would welcome your or others' suggestions on motion language. 

	Even though there would seem little point at present to limiting staff to no more than three being paid to attend each LNC meeting because we rarely if ever have more than that number present (I don't see a real need to fly more than one staff member to attend meetings, as we can always contact the others by phone if they are needed, as we do with counsel, the FEC consultant, etc.), if you aren't willing to go lower than three, this could still be a useful safeguard in the event that the party grows larger in the future and some future chair seeks to have more than that number attending at party expense.

Love & Liberty,

                                      ((( starchild ))) At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
                           RealReform at earthlink.net
                                  (415) 625-FREE


> ------------------------------------------------
> 
>   Moved, that no more than one party staff member maximum be flown to the
>   August meeting at party expense, that staff looking into meeting
>   locations be directed to prioritize looking for locations that will not
>   require any room rental fee or related fees/obligations (e.g. buying a
>   certain amount of food, filling a block of hotel rooms, etc.), and that
>   the LNC be informed within a reasonable length of time after each
>   meeting of the total cost to the party of that meeting and the
>   breakdown of expenses making up that cost, including amounts paid for
>   flights, shipping, food, etc.
> 
>   ------------------------------------------------

On Jan 25, 2018, at 8:27 PM, <dprattdemarest at gmail.com> wrote:

>   I will co-sponsor, but only if the motion is amended to three staff
>   members approved in advance by the Chair or some other approval
>   mechanism acceptable to the LNC body. The rest of the motion content is
>   excellent. The Executive Director and the Operations Manager should
>   always be there. The logical third staff member would often be the
>   Development Director but could be other solo appearances, but only if
>   justified by the agenda and approved in advance by the Chair.
> 
> 
>   ~David Pratt Demarest
>   Region 6 Representative
> 
> 
>   From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of
>   Caryn Ann Harlos
>   Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 6:00 PM
>   To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>   Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] P.S. – Re: MOTION: Re: August LNC 
> meeting
> 
> 
>   I will co-sponsor
> 
> 
>   On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 4:33 PM Starchild <[1]sfdreamer at earthlink.net>
>   wrote:
> 
> 
>   In support of this motion, I'd just like to share a few quotes from the
>   latest LP fundraising letter signed by our chair, which happened to
>   arrive in my mail today:
> 
> 
>   "We have a small team and we are very thoughtful about how we use our
>   resources."
> 
> 
>   "We always seek to produce high quality work on a thrifty budget."
> 
> 
>   "When you give to the Libertarian Party, you can rest assured that we
>   work hard to get the maximum effect from your investment." [boldface in
>   original letter]
> 
> 
>   I urge my colleagues on the LNC to join me in seeking to ensure that we
>   live up to these claims when it comes to that part of the party budget
>   which most directly relates to us as representatives, and not give
>   anyone reason to accuse us of telling our donors one thing but doing
>   something different in practice.
> 
> 
>   Love & Liberty,
> 
>                                    ((( starchild )))
> 
>   At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
> 
>                                 (415) 625-FREE
> 
>                                   @StarchildSF
> 
> 
> 
>   On Mar 14, 2017, at 3:02 PM, Starchild wrote:
> 
> 
>   I'm fairly agnostic on where we meet Joshua (though see below), but if
>   it were to be Minneapolis, I'd be much more interested in hearing about
>   what the Cyrstal Libertarians accomplished with their city council
>   majority once they had it. We've all heard plenty about how to get
>   elected (including, for those who called in, the informative
>   teleconference you and Brett Bittner hosted just a few weeks ago on the
>   topic), but we pay too little attention, in my opinion, to what
>   Libertarians actually do once in office. Important to remember that
>   winning office is a means to an end, not the end in itself. The goal is
>   to advance freedom. The more we can show that to be happening when
>   Libertarians hold office, the more reason voters have to elect us.
> 
> 
>   As usual with our meetings, I'll look more favorably on locations that:
> 
> 
>   • save the LP money by not paying for meeting room rentals and related
>   expenses (e.g. catered food/beverages)
> 
>   • have locals willing to host traveling LNC members or others coming to
>   the meeting in order to avoid/reduce lodging expenses
> 
>   • have party affiliates who want to host an LNC meeting in their area
>   and haven't done so before or recently
> 
>   • have tie-ins with local (L)ibertarian activism or events
> 
> 
>   Related to saving the party money on this meeting (and on future
>   meetings by improving meeting cost transparency), I also make the
>   following motion, and ask for co-sponsors:
> 
> 
>   -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>   ------------------------------------------------
> 
>   Moved, that no more than one party staff member maximum be flown to the
>   August meeting at party expense, that staff looking into meeting
>   locations be directed to prioritize looking for locations that will not
>   require any room rental fee or related fees/obligations (e.g. buying a
>   certain amount of food, filling a block of hotel rooms, etc.), and that
>   the LNC be informed within a reasonable length of time after each
>   meeting of the total cost to the party of that meeting and the
>   breakdown of expenses making up that cost, including amounts paid for
>   flights, shipping, food, etc.
> 
>   -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>   ------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
>   Love & Liberty,
> 
>                                    ((( starchild )))
> 
>   At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
> 
>                                (415) 625-FREE
> 
>                                  @StarchildSF
> 
> 
> 
>   On Mar 14, 2017, at 7:27 AM, Joshua Katz wrote:
> 
>   I suggest Minneapolis, which is near Crystal, Minnesota, where
>   Libertarians used to be a majority on the city council.  This would
>   enable us to have a session, maybe over lunch, where we can hear about
>   how they won that majority.
> 
>   Joshua A. Katz
> 
> 
>   On Tue, Mar 14, 2017 at 9:22 AM, Sam Goldstein
>   <[2]goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>   Dear LNC members,
> 
> 
>   Many of us are in the midst of planning our summers and I think it is
>   time
> 
>   that we take up the issue of where to have our meeting scheduled for
>   August 19-20, 2017.
> 
> 
>   I'm in favor of moving west for this one.  Let's get the ball rolling
>   with suggestions of locations and sites so we can narrow it down over
>   the next couple weeks and perhaps have a decision done by our April
>   meeting.
> 
> 
>   Thanks and
> 
> 
>   Live Free,
> 
> 
>   Sam Goldstein
> 
>   Libertarian National Committee
> 
>   Member at Large
> 
>   8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
> 
>   Indianapolis IN 46260
> 
>   [3]317-850-0726 Phone
> 
>   [4]317-582-1773 Fax
> 
> 
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> References
> 
>   1. mailto:sfdreamer at earthlink.net
>   2. mailto:goldsteinatlarge at gmail.com
>   3. tel:(317) 850-0726
>   4. tel:(317) 582-1773
>   5. mailto:Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>   6. http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>   7. mailto:Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>   8. http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>   9. mailto:Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>  10. http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>  11. mailto:Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
>  12. http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
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