<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Thanks, Wes. I'm glad you clarified, because your initial message had given me the impression that unexpected and possibly important stuff had come up. Here it sounds like you are talking about just the usual competing priorities. It seems to me that the pressure to reduce newsletter production in favor of doing things like fundraising, writing press releases, improving the website, corresponding with state affiliates, etc., will always be there, and maybe even more so during campaign season when things are presumably busier. If we succumb to this pressure, I think the tendency over time will be to put out LP News less and less frequently. I don't recall, but wouldn't be surprised if the initial move to stop publishing the newspaper monthly and go to a less frequent schedule was prompted by a similar rationale about needing to focus on other stuff, and put forward as a temporary measure, and that this is how we lost our monthly publication.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It's not so much that <i>I</i> miss getting LP News every month, or would miss that extra issue if we drop below publishing bi-monthly, as what I think is best for the party. Although I think the publication could use a broader focus (e.g. more coverage of government injustices, especially those likely to generate passion and outrage, more inspiring stories of people who aren't necessarily big-L Libertarians fighting for freedom, etc.), I would rather see it improved than cut back. You mention membership numbers going down, and that something needs to be done about that. I'd suggest that cutting the most concrete thing we give dues-paying members (a physical copy of LP News), would not be productive in this regard. Especially during a post-election year when we historically expect many members to drop, it seems unwise to short people on receiving this tangible benefit of membership without a stronger reason than the competing demands of the regular workload. That's my 2¢ anyway.</div><div><br></div><div>Love & Liberty,</div><div><br></div><div> ((( starchild )))</div><div>At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee</div><div> <a href="mailto:RealReform@earthlink.net">RealReform@earthlink.net</a></div><div> (415) 625-FREE</div><div> @StarchildSF</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>On Jun 20, 2017, at 4:38 PM, Wes Benedict wrote:</div><blockquote type="cite">
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<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><p>A quick follow-up: I will not be upset regardless of how the LNC
votes on this. I'm a bit flattered (for the organization) that
many of you would feel like you were missing out by missing one
issue of LP News--glad you all want to keep it going and many
thanks to Carla who has served as editor for a couple years on
that. <br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wes.benedict@lp.org">wes.benedict@lp.org</a>
<a href="http://facebook.com/libertarians">facebook.com/libertarians</a> @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lp.org/membership">http://lp.org/membership</a></pre>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 6/20/2017 7:32 PM, Wes Benedict
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:973a8cc6-9f58-9688-065b-ff9db280652a@lp.org">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=windows-1252"><p>The short answer is "everything I do except LP News." But let
me elaborate on some of the things I need to get done that I've
had time giving enough attention to:</p><p>Interviewing prospects and hiring: Press Secretary, Candidate
Support Specialist, Members Services manager (we have a temp
member services manager, Mat, who I want to get back on phoning
for renewals). <br>
</p><p>Working with those new people to insure good integration into
the organization.<br>
</p><p>Our website still needs plenty of improvements, like our
current list of candidates.<br>
</p><p>Well thought-out facebook prospecting ads where we monitor
closely the R.O.I. (you don't want to just spend money and count
views and clicks). Eric produced profitable facebook membership
ads for us in the past. Others haven't been able to do that for
me. <br>
</p><p>More press releases on current issues.</p><p>We've done some prospecting to the Johnson for President 2016
list, but need to do more of that via email, facebook, and snail
mail. Our contract for that data makes the process a bit more
cumbersome than would be obvious. <br>
</p><p>Better integration or at least syncing between Raisers Edge and
our email blast service.</p><p>Our attorney is waiting on me for some info a ballot access
case. <br>
</p><p>A state affiliate is waiting on me for some helpful registered
libertarian data that I'll also make available to other states
if I have time to let them know about it. <br>
</p><p>Membership numbers are going down. Need to work on that more.</p><p>Take the time to respond to Andy, the petitioners, collecting
of names for us to send membership invitations to to say
"thanks, we'll send membership inquiry packages--of the 60 or so
that we've sent in recent years that were legible enough, we
raised $10, so worth doing when we have the names, but not worth
making a top priority compared to just getting our petitioners
to focus and do good work getting signatures." <br>
</p><p>Eric's a big help to me on a lot of important things I need
help with (he's already started making website fixes that used
to take me long to describe in detail--now I can tell him real
quick in person and he's getting things working better). <br>
</p><p>But seriously, I'm overloaded with many major things. Outside
help is sometimes helpful, but not always so easy to use--I've
spent quite a bit of time lately explaining FEC rules and
regulations to people who are helping--takes time with new
folks--some outside help from volunteers ends up taking a lot of
time perhaps counter-intuitively. <br>
</p><p>When I can't give staff the attention they need to make
themselves helpful, it hurts their productivity. I think I'd be
better off having staff work on other projects than that 6th
issue of LP News this year.</p><p>I do try to prioritize. There are 4 major inputs that affect my
prioritization: 1) my thoughts of course, 2) the chairs, 3) the
LNC's, 4) significant opportunities that pop up out of the blue
that are worth taking advantage of. <br>
</p>
We can do all 6 LP News issues if that's what the LNC requests.
It's a minor decision for you all regardless of which direction
you go and will have a minor impact--not a major decision in my
opinion. <br><p>Thanks for asking. <br>
</p><p>I am unable to answer all the emails and calls I get. </p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wes.benedict@lp.org" moz-do-not-send="true">wes.benedict@lp.org</a>
<a href="http://facebook.com/libertarians">facebook.com/libertarians</a> @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lp.org/membership" moz-do-not-send="true">http://lp.org/membership</a></pre>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 6/20/2017 7:06 PM, Starchild
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:486DFDA2-7AC2-4978-A639-D5B1AB1C5043@earthlink.net">
<div><br>
</div>
<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Before
voting on this, I'd like to hear what Wes wants to spend staff
time on that would otherwise be spent producing an issue of LP
News. I don't see how we can make an informed decision on the
merits of the motion without that information.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Love & Liberty,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div> ((( starchild )))</div>
<div>At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee</div>
<div> <a href="mailto:RealReform@earthlink.net" moz-do-not-send="true">RealReform@earthlink.net</a></div>
<div> (415) 625-FREE</div>
<div> @StarchildSF</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div>On Jun 20, 2017, at 6:32 AM, Daniel Hayes wrote:</div>
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<div>
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<div>Once somebody objected this was inevitable. Here
comes a request for cosponsors of a motion by email at
the bottom of this missive .</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Our staff has asked for the discretion to cut an
issue of LP news this year. The rationale seems to be
with lots of transition in staff and some other
projects there isn't the time to do it well. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I was the main driver of reducing the number of
physical issues of LPNews at the December meeting.
That said, Lauren Daugherty our Head of Development
was not in favor of that. She likes to have more
touches in between "asks" for money. It's part of
cultivating donors. Nobody likes to feel like an ATM.
I totally get that though I think there are other
ways to do it and still believe we should start to
transition to an all digital format. That said I
believe in giving our staff the tools they ask for to
succeed.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>In this case, the person tasked with raising our
donation levels and maintaining and increasing our
dues paying members prefers more touches. Our
executive director who has a good understanding of
what a can of worms the LPNews "issue" is has asked us
to cut an issue. I don't think he would do that
without good reason.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Nick has the authority to direct staff(or let our
executive director do it). From the technical aspects
Joshua mentions, there doesn't need to be a motion for
Wes to do this, especially with Nick's ok. Caryn Ann
objects because of underlying arguments made in the
unsuccessful attempt to limit the number of LPNews
issues to 4 during the December 2016 LNC meeting.
That motion failing didn't mandate more issues. It
just did not set a limit of 4. I may be wrong on the
specifics but it becomes moot either way if this
motion passes.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>If we don't amend the budget line, that leaves the
funding there for 6 issues. Let's say things go
smoother or other things shift and Wes changes his
mind on being able to put out 6 well produced issues.
By giving him discretion to select between publishing
5 or 6 issues that removes at least the objection of
going against the sentiment that may or may not have
been codified in December. It also lets him do his job
we hired him for which is to allocate staff resources
with the chair's guidance.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I can already sense that while we may not
technically need a motion, despite how painful email
motions can be, not having one is going to be made
much more time consuming and painful by cries of
"foul".</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>So I am seeking cosponsors for the following
motion:</div>
<div><b>"Move to allow staff the discretion to choose
between publishing a total of five or six physical
issues of LPNews for the year of 2017, subject to
the approval of the Chairman."</b></div>
<div><b><br>
</b></div>
<div>Daniel Hayes</div>
<div>LNC At Large Member</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
<br>
<div>Sent from my iPhone</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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</blockquote>
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