[Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2018-22: PROPERTY RIGHTS RESOLUTION

[Joe Bishop-Henchman]

I vote no.

I oppose socialism, support property rights, and think syndicalists (to 
use a more precise term for them) are naive, wrong, and internally 
inconsistent. If one of their tiny number is a candidate for office in 
Michigan, I think it's fair if Michigan sought to expel them or remove 
them from the ballot. If one of them in a position of LNC authority 
espouses views advocating violence or destruction of individual rights, 
I think it's fair to consider censure or removal.

Neither is the case here. This resolution either reaffirms our platform 
- using some odd language that throws Georgists and mutualists under the 
bus too - or it expands our platform and turns the LNC into a purity 
police of Libertarian beliefs.

Mr. Olsen mentioned real instances of people hesitant about joining the 
party because of the rise of these syndicalists. That gives me pause. If 
I were talking to such a person, I'd point out our platform as it stands 
and let them know that the weirdo socialists couldn't even fill one 
Uber, let alone pose any threat to our party. Would such a person be 
more reassured by a "reaffirmed" Platform than the current Platform? Are 
our SoP and Platform so weak that this group has managed to shake the 
foundations of our Party?

I encounter people all the time who aren't sure what the Libertarian 
Party stand for because of our various strains of thought and our 
inability to focus on electing candidates. A non-binding resolution 
doesn't fix that. It actually makes it worse - signalling that we the 
LNC can't keep our eye on electing candidates, or at least on promoting 
Libertarian solutions to the problems of the day.

In the four days, Ms. Harlos has written and sent 68 emails on this 
matter and Mr. Smith has posted 20 Facebook posts on this matter. 
They've decided this is their number one issue and want it to be the 
LNC's number one issue.

If we're looking to demonstrate Libertarian relevance to voters, I would 
instead suggest one of the following could be our top item for 
discussion, action, or marketing this week:

*China announces 25% tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, in 
response to President Trump considering higher tariffs on $200 billion 
worth of Chinese goods. The total negative effect of enacted and 
announced tariffs in this tariff war is 465,000 lost jobs and $150 
billion less in economic growth.

*The U.S. Senate is poised to approve H.R. 6157, which increases 
Pentagon spending to $675 billion for this upcoming year. While federal 
spending is being boosted, the U.S. Treasury is expected to borrow $955 
billion this year, up from $519 billion last year.

*$1.7 billion was spent on lobbying in Washington, DC in the first six 
months of this year, the highest since 2010. There are 9,785 registered 
lobbyists in the nation's capital, or 18 for each member of Congress.

*Electric power was restored to the entire island of Puerto Rico today 
for the first time since Hurricane Maria hit 328 days ago, a woeful 
testament to the commonwealth's dependence on the federal government.

*Wildfires continue to devastate northern California, destroying 
thousands of homes and claiming 31 lives. Regulations prohibit timber 
companies from clearing out dense forests and removing an estimated 129 
million dead trees, leaving a tinder box.

*50 schoolchildren on a field trip were killed and 80 were wounded in a 
Saudi airstrike in northern Yemen that hit their bus last Thursday. The 
victims were age 6 to 11. U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo, on the phone 
with the Saudi Crown Prince a few days later, thanked the Saudis for 
their help in Syria and Iraq.

*President Trump revoked the security clearance of one official who has 
spoken out against him, and fired an FBI official who spoke out against 
him.

*California's Supreme Court struck down San Diego's decision (approved 
by 65% of voters) to put city employees into a 401k retirement plan 
instead of an antiquated and costly defined benefit pension plan. In DC, 
the WMATA transit agency lost a similar arbitration dispute. Taxpayers 
will have to pick up the tab in both instances.

*Socialist Venezuela today defaulted on another $1.125 billion in bonds. 
Several dozen opposition figures have been rounded up for "questioning" 
following a drone assassination attempt on Maduro earlier this month.

*New Zealand banned foreigners from buying property as a way of 
"solving" high housing prices. U.S. cities may look at the idea next.

*North Dakota will vote on marijuana legalization, after LP activist 
Dave Owen and his org LegalizeND got the issue on the ballot this week.

*And of course, our many great candidates who need donations, 
volunteers, and attention as they work to be elected and re-elected. 
Imagine how much money we could raise for them or activists we could get 
for them if we were e-mailing 68 times or posting 20 Facebook posts 
about them instead?

Relating to the last point, over the next few days I'm going to 
personally donate $68 each - one for each of Ms. Harlos's emails about 
socialist entryism in the last four days - to ten LP candidates in 
winnable or ballot-access-important races across the country, and 
publicizing it to my network to encourage others to give as well. If all 
27 of us were to do the same, that's an injection of $18,360 and a clear 
demonstration that this LNC has its priorities in order. If all 27 of us 
were to get our networks to do the same, that may make the difference 
between winning and not winning. I welcome anyone joining me in this 
pledge, regardless of how they vote on this resolution.

JBH

------------
Joe Bishop-Henchman
LNC Member (At-Large)
joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837

On 2018-08-15 05:56, Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business wrote:
> We have an electronic mail ballot.
> 
>    Votes are due to the LNC-Business list by July 22, 2018 at 
> 11:59:59pm
>    Pacific time.
> 
>    Co-Sponsors:  Caryn Ann Harlos, Richard Longstreth, Steven Nekhaila,
>    Justin O’Donnell, Joshua Smith
> 
>    Motion: Move to adopt the following resolution:
> 
>    WHEREAS, the Libertarian Party supports the free market and 
> therefore
>    the right of privatization of property as an extension of the
>    individual;
> 
>    WHEREAS, the Statement of Principles of The Libertarian Party
>    explicitly supports the right to private property ownership, 
> including
>    the right to do business utilizing that property as capital;
> 
>    WHEREAS, the Libertarian Party strongly supports the rights of
>    individuals to own private property including land, structures, 
> natural
>    resources and other private space through homesteading, purchase, 
> and
>    other lawful libertarian means;
> 
>    WHEREAS, ownership of private property, including but not limited to
>    land and housing, does not require continual or personal use to 
> exist
>    as justly owned property unless otherwise abandoned;
> 
>    WHEREAS, these have been part of the principles of the Libertarian
>    Party since its inception;
> 
>    THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that socialist and communist property
>    ownership schemes, including the collectivization of property, 
> unlawful
>    usurpation of property, and incorrect characterizations of private
>    property, unless otherwise voluntarily agreed by all parties, are
>    incompatible with the philosophy of the Libertarian Party.
> 
>    =============================================
> 
>    Important Bylaws note:
> 
>    Resolutions require passage by 3/4 vote as follows:
> 
>    Article 7:
> 
>    ***
> 
>    The National Committee may adopt public policy resolutions by a ¾ 
> vote
>    with previous notice or by unanimous consent without previous 
> notice.
> 
>    =============================================
> 
>    You can keep track of the Secretary's manual tally of votes here:
>    [1]https://tinyurl.com/lncvoting.  Votes are noted with a link to 
> the
>    actual ballot cast for verification. You can find the time that the
>    manual tally was last updated at the bottom of the sheet.
> 
>    Please notify me of any discrepancies.
>    --
>    In Liberty,
>    Caryn Ann Harlos
>    Libertarian Party and Libertarian National Committee Secretary -
>    [2]Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org or Secretary at LP.org.
>    Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee - LPedia at LP.org
>    A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>    We defend your rights
>    And oppose the use of force
>    Taxation is theft
> 
> References
> 
>    1. https://tinyurl.com/lncvoting
>    2. mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org