[Lnc-business] Social Media Links on LNC page on lp.org

[Justin O'Donnell]

Elizabeth,

The hysteria is the very existence of this debate. There is an argument 
about whether or not we should make it easier for members to reach out 
to the LNC and I think it is absolutely insane that you or anyone else 
would oppose that. And scroll past the emails I don't want to read? Well 
then I wouldn't be doing my duty as a member of this body and properly 
representing my region or the members of the party adequately. While 
some members of the LNC don't have a problem with this course of action, 
I seriously do. What I object to is your incessant need to act like you 
know better, and argue in a condescending manner to others on this body, 
and your decision to get riled up and defensive over a non issue such as 
social media contact. You use the actions of some unnamed bogey man to 
argue your point, but won't even disclose what those actions are 
publicly, so they must not be that bad.

You know why i'm enticed right now? because my email is flooded with 
argument about how people use facebook, rather than discussions about 
the important things. Here are some things that I'm upset we aren't 
talking about, many of which I've tried bringing up in the past to no 
avail or interest from the rest of this body, and many of direct concern 
to my region and the members of the party.

1. Maine has no statewide candidate this year, due to challenges with 
their petition drive that the LNC ignored and provided no assistance 
for. Now without significant fundraising efforts and an expensive GOTV 
Effort they will certainly lose ballot access this fall, setting up the 
LNC for an enormous expenditure in 2020 to get it back. They have 
repeatedly asked for help ,I've repeatedly brought their requests to the 
list, and the LNC routinely ignores them, and says we aren't allowed to 
even simply share their facebook posts fundraising for themselves.

2. CT, managed to get a statewide candidate on the ballot, who's success 
will also impact our necessary expenditures for 2020 presidential ballot 
access, yet it took months to even get an acknowledgement of their 
requests for help, and they were left in a position of having to do 
things in 2 weeks as opposed to 2 months, and have a significantly red 
budget in need of a massive increase in membership or influx of 
donations to overcome, and simply want national help with converting 
memberships both ways between state/national, but they aren't a priority 
to be considered by this body either.

3. NH has contested primaries from straw candidates who aren't party 
members, and Active write in campaigns from major party candidates 
trying to knock us off the ballot, as well as active roadblocks being 
erected by the secretary of state to disenfranchise them and keep their 
ballot status unequal to that of the major parties. Multiple candidates 
have expressed concern that the LNC Candidate support committee has 
never responded to them, and they filled out the support requests, they 
have no idea if the LNC will be helping with their re-election. Mind you 
I brought these issues up to the list back in April, and was told that 
it was inappropriate, and that they had to go through the candidate 
support committee, so I'm actively wondering what the heck is taking so 
long there.

4. NY, challenges have been filed to the signatures of multiple 
candidates, including Larry Sharpe and Tony D'Orazio, in attempts by the 
major parties to kick out candidates off the ballot and keep us from 
being a threat to them.

Now lets take a look outside my own region.

5. Steve Scheetz in PA was successfully challenged off the ballot by his 
opposition, and received no assistance from the LNC in fighting it, even 
after LPPA requested assistance and the issue was brought to the LNC by 
Mr. Merced.

6. New Mexico's incumbent Secretary of State has arbitrarily decided to 
reinstate straight party ticket voting to disenfranchise minor party 
candidates, especially the LP's Senate Candidate, Gary Johnson, who as 
Governor was the one who signed the bill repealing straight ticket 
balloting.

7. In AZ, our candidates needed to conduct a massive and expensive GOTV 
Campaign for write in candidacies just to secure a place on the ballot 
for November, and had to do so with no help from the LNC, but did 
apparently get some funding from democratic groups and aid from 
democrats that we never even discussed providing them.

8. Colorado is fighting a ballot measure (Proposition Y) that 
establishes a redistricting process that specifically excludes third 
party's from participation.

9. Oklahoma just had their first ever Libertarian primary, and now has a 
candidate for Governor, Chris Powell, who could use support from the 
party but hasn't been brought up or discussed.

10. And most importantly I think, With the LNC Ourselves. Last week, 
Alicia sent an email in response to the treasurers report pointing out 
the fact that we are broke. Not just broke, but in the red and operating 
on Negative reserves because of an inappropriately adopted deficit 
budget. So while sure, we can't actually afford to provide a lot of the 
support i'm talking about, the discussion at least needs to be had about 
how we fix this situation. Since Alicia's pointing out of the fact, the 
List has been silent on the issue, no one with ideas or motions as to 
how we go about increasing revenue and getting out of the hole, and how 
we're planning to continue carrying out the responsibilities of the 
party with a lack of resources.


So yes, i'm over the top in my reaction to the ludicrous nature of your 
position in arguing against making contact easier and more streamlined, 
but only because I think it is an utter waste of time to be having this 
discussion, and your objections are baseless if you're so intent on 
keeping them a secret. So either come publicly forward with a real 
objection, or simply don't chime in at all unless it's about something 
important. But the tone of your arguments is personal, indicative of a 
grudge to be had, not with any recognition of the lack of gravity in 
your position. Chuck Moulton was right in his complaints about this 
email list. It has become a cesspool of personal attacks and grudge 
matches, that accomplishes nothing and wastes everyone's time and 
effort. That is where my anger comes from, the fact that we waste time 
arguing about mundane minutia and attacking each other, and don't even 
bother to discuss the real issues facing this organization.



---
Yours in Liberty,

Justin O'Donnell
LNC Region 8 Representative
LPNH Alternate- LNC Platform Committee
Chair- LPNH Platform Committee
Candidate for US Congress, NH-2
www.odonnell2018.org

On 2018-08-31 14:12, Elizabeth Van Horn wrote:
> I strongly disagree, but did read you moralizing against someone else
> bringing up an area of concern.
> 
> Also, other than your over-the-top reaction and that of another
> member, I've seen no hysteria.  Are you becoming hysterical?  If so,
> then perhaps you can scroll past emails you don't want to read.
> 
> ---
> Elizabeth Van Horn
> 
> 
> On 2018-08-31 14:06, Justin O'Donnell via Lnc-business wrote:
>> I affirm, that if it isn't a big enough issue for you to bring up on
>> the list, then it isn't an issue at all. If you think a member of the
>> LNC is saying inappropriate things in their capacity as such, then
>> bring it to the attention of the LNC and the membership, not
>> privately, but transparently so that members can see the nature of
>> your complaints, and provide their input as to its merit. The
>> incessant claim of "We can't do this, because someone is naughty!"
>> provides absolutely 0 context, but to frame yourself as the moral
>> arbiter of speech on this body. No body likes a tattle tale, but
>> people like those who threaten to tattle even less. Stop with the
>> Holier than though attitude in your messages, and if you truly think
>> there is a problem, then bring it to the List. If you aren't willing
>> to bring it to the list, then don't bring it up, because all you're
>> doing is providing a distraction to create a sideshow of hysteria
>> around a non issue.
>>