[Lnc-business] Policy citations for our review
Elizabeth Van Horn
elizabeth.vanhorn at lp.org
Sat Feb 24 12:56:33 EST 2018
Caryn Ann, you wrote:
The deciding factor there was our contractual agreement with Adobe that
you must be present to administer all meetings. Libertarians keep
contracts and that was unworkable. Nick was perfectly amenable in
letting other groups use it and making that widely known until that
came up. You could not be expected to attend all those meetings. I
think that personally was a bad deal to sign up for and that there
are
much better conferencing options (and cheaper) that could be used by
more people, but that wasn't the issue then. When adobe renewal
comes
up, there are far better options that don't require reliance on one
person.
-------------
Was the possibility of caucuses using the Adobe platform, which is
contracted with the LP, ever discussed by this board? This is another
instance where party assets are okd for use, and this board should have
been made aware. So, I'm asking, was this discussed by the LNC?
Also, for the record: The LPCaucus would have soundly rejected any
offer from LP national to use LP assets in this manner. (If such an
offer had been made) Principles matter, we'd find it wrong to compromise
our principals, even to benefit our group. The LPC doesn't approve of
frivolous use of LP assets. It doesn't matter if there's an ill-advised
contract and an item isn't used much. It's inappropriate to let
caucuses avail themselves of items paid for by the LP members.
---
Elizabeth Van Horn
On 2018-02-24 04:56, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
> ==Earlier this term, Mr. Sarwark instructed staff to provide to Ms.
> Harlos the login information for the LNC's Adobe Connect account
> so
> that the Radical Caucus could use it for their caucus meeting.
> Staff
> then sent me a request to remind them of the login information.
> We
> don't have an LNC policy specifically about the use of party
> assets
> by
> caucuses, however I objected based on the recurring theme of the
> other
> LNC policies, and this offer was not being extended to all
> caucuses,
> and the idea died there with Ms. Harlos agreeing that the Radical
> Caucus would find another meeting option.===
> The deciding factor there was our contractual agreement with Adobe
> that
> you must be present to administer all meetings. Libertarians keep
> contracts and that was unworkable. Nick was perfectly amenable in
> letting other groups use it and making that widely known until that
> came up. You could not be expected to attend all those meetings. I
> think that personally was a bad deal to sign up for and that there
> are
> much better conferencing options (and cheaper) that could be used by
> more people, but that wasn't the issue then. When adobe renewal
> comes
> up, there are far better options that don't require reliance on one
> person.
> ==Policy Manual Section 2.03.4 : Conventions==
> This is speaking about national party conventions and delegates.
> == Policy Manual Section 2.03.5 : Credit Card and Expense
> Reimbursements==
> == NOTE: This allows travel reimbursements for "officers".===
> That is a good point and a very good catch but in context it
> certainly
> is in the context of the reality that officers will have to
> regularly
> do this and there was to be no question that it could be reimbursed.
> It does not say or imply that others could not be only that such was
> not an expected guarantee. The main take away here is Party related
> activities.
> == Policy Manual Section 2.03.9 : Related Party Reporting==
> And the treasurer had all this noted for the next report which is
> when
> it would have been included as per this section.
> == Policy Manual Section 2.08.2 : Limitations on Party Support for
> Public
> Office==
> Not running for public office.
> ==Policy Manual Section 2.09.6 : Limitations on Party Support for
> Party
> Office
> "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=== [emphasis added]
> I have not declared and this section obviously again means
> information
> and services related to that campaign. Or does that mean you can no
> longer ask for services or information that have nothing to do with
> campaigning unless it is offered to me (if I declared)? Of course
> not. This is about providing support for campaigns for DECLARED
> Party
> candidates. I was neither campaigning nor was I declared.
> == Policy Manual Section 3.03.1 : Affiliate Relationships
> "Special agreements with states require the approval of the
> LNC."==
> I also have no idea what this means, but I cannot conceive of any
> intent in which it would apply here.
> No policies were violated. You can have your opinion that wrong
> discretion was used and that is fair. And subjective. I followed
> the
> rules and directions and got the appropriate approvals.
>
> On Sat, Feb 24, 2018 at 1:37 AM, Alicia Mattson
> <[1]alicia.mattson at lp.org> wrote:
>
> Below I'm going to quote a number of LNC policies that we
> should
> keep
> in mind for evaluating the subject of the day.
> There is a large body of LNC policy establishing a framework of
> keeping
> things on an even playing field. Some of the policies were
> specifically written after real-life experience with a
> situation
> that
> generated objections.
> Our policies require fairness regarding use of party assets by
> pre-nomination candidates for public office, or for internal
> party
> office. Our policies forbid giving some national convention
> delegates
> financial advantages over others. Our policies require that
> "special"
> agreements with affiliates (agreements not offered to all)
> require LNC
> approval. Our policies require advance approval of related
> party
> transactions and then various financial disclosures beyond just
> FEC
> reporting.
> Earlier this term, Mr. Sarwark instructed staff to provide to
> Ms.
> Harlos the login information for the LNC's Adobe Connect
> account
> so
> that the Radical Caucus could use it for their caucus meeting.
> Staff
> then sent me a request to remind them of the login information.
> We
> don't have an LNC policy specifically about the use of party
> assets by
> caucuses, however I objected based on the recurring theme of
> the
> other
> LNC policies, and this offer was not being extended to all
> caucuses,
> and the idea died there with Ms. Harlos agreeing that the
> Radical
> Caucus would find another meeting option.
> I think the current situation may run afoul of some of our
> policies
> below, but we shouldn't have to write a policy to anticipate
> every
> potential idea that might arise. There's enough collective
> experience
> on this board that good judgment should be able to spot the bad
> optics
> here.
> Policy Manual Section 2.03.4 : Conventions
> "The Party shall not directly or indirectly compensate or
> otherwise
> underwrite or subsidize the convention travel, lodging
> (excepting
> room
> upgrades which the Party received at no cost), entertainment
> costs or
> speaker fees/honorariums of any Convention delegates. This
> policy
> shall
> not prohibit the Party from underwriting organized convention
> events
> offered to all donors of a particular level. Nor shall it
> prohibit
> delegates from receiving complementary meals or access to
> convention
> events in rough proportion to their level of volunteer work.
> All
> volunteer compensation must be approved by the Convention
> Oversight
> Committee, and contemporaneously published when actual
> compensation is
> received."
> Policy Manual Section 2.03.5 : Credit Card and Expense
> Reimbursements
> "... Travel expenses incurred by officers for the explicit
> purpose of
> conducting Party business (excluding those incurred for the
> purpose of
> attending LNC meetings) may be reimbursed. Business travel
> expenses
> not pre-authorized by the LNC must be deemed necessary and
> approved in
> writing by the Chair to qualify for reimbursement. All travel
> expense
> reports are to be audited by the Treasurer, and approved by the
> Treasurer and the Chair."
> NOTE: This allows travel reimbursements for "officers".
> Policy Manual Section 2.03.9 : Related Party Reporting
> "For each related party engaging in one or more financial
> transactions
> with the Party, all interim financial statements shall include
> a
> report
> of the status, nature and current and year-to-date amounts with
> respect
> to such transactions, including contributions, expenses, loans,
> commitments, guarantees or any other transaction."
> Policy Manual Section 2.04.3 : Contracts and Contract Approval
> "All contracts or modifications thereto shall be in writing and
> shall
> document the nature of the products or services to be provided
> and the
> terms and conditions with respect to the amount of
> compensation/reimbursement or other consideration to be paid.
> ...
> No
> agreement involving a financial transaction with a related
> party
> shall
> be executed unless first approved by the LNC. Any such
> agreement
> shall
> be disclosed in a conflict of interest statement."
> Policy Manual Section 2.08.2 : Limitations on Party Support
> for
> Public
> Office
> "Party resources shall not be used to provide information or
> services
> for any candidate for public office prior to the nomination
> unless:
> * such information or services are available and announced on
> an
> equal basis to all Libertarians who have declared they are
> seeking
> that nomination,
> * such information or services are generally available and
> announced
> to all party members, or
> * the service or candidate has been approved by the state
> chair."
> Policy Manual Section 2.09.6 : Limitations on Party Support
> for
> Party
> Office
> "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 members."
> Policy Manual Section 3.03.1 : Affiliate Relationships
> "Special agreements with states require the approval of the
> LNC."
> NOTE: I am not certain the exact motivation for adding this
> language,
> but it may have been one of the following. It could have been
> during
> Project Archimedes in which states with partisan voter
> registration
> were targeted for membership drives because there already
> existed
> a
> list of people in that state who are philosophically aligned
> with
> the
> party. It could have been a situation during the Unified
> Membership
> Program in which an affiliate combined state-specific mailings
> with LP
> News. It didn't cost the LNC additional expense. The
> affiliate
> paid
> the marginal cost of the extra postage, and the LNC paid the
> same
> postage they would have otherwise incurred for LP News.
> -Alicia
>
> References
>
> 1. mailto:alicia.mattson at lp.org
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