LPO State Convention Held in Columbus, OH
April 9 - 11 (noon) Posted on 05/16/2010
Wonderful presentations at the Columbus Convention. I recorded a few. Part 1, cued up below, is the beginning of the presentation by Wayne Allyn Root, the Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate in 2008 running with Bob Barr.
Watch Wayne Allyn Root Parts 2 3 4 5 6
Group DynamicsPosted on 05/31/2010
I was new to bylaw and constitution change proposals. I was new to seeing people openly ostracized as attention-seeking troublemakers within an organization. I was new to the concept of parliamentary order, the raising of hands and being recognized, the Articles designated with Roman numbers, the section structure within Articles, and shout outs of aye and nay when changes were put to a vote.
In the bylaw changes, the entire bylaw paragraph is reproduced on paper that is handed to all in attendance. The portions that someone has suggested be changed contain a strike-through line and are followed by the changed text. So, a line such as "no less than thirty days two weeks prior..." means that someone wanted to shorten the time frame, in this case to limit time for organizers to organize. Objections to shortened time frames included the argument that shortened time frames would hinder newsletter production. This change was voted down, as were many changes proposed by a particular party member who simply didn't have a deep grasp of the nuances of legalistic writing style nor the ability to concisely explicate his objections to the status quo.
One change proposer suggested wording regarding who LP members were permitted to endorse in elections was almost completely rewritten on the spot with input from 5 to 8 members in attendance. The final version was still full of confusing negatives: "reserve the right to endorse no candidate for any race or multiple...". I found that the phrase "including, but not limited to," was used to cover every possible condition/situation that the author couldn't currently imagine or which had to be omitted for the sake of space. There were quite a few "may do this or that" phrasings so that no one was held to a strict policy of compliance.
Presentation by Fair Tax Advocate Teresa Geron
Though there was too much unnecessary applause for pandering statements by candidates, all applause was deserved, in my opinion for Teresa Geron during her presentation, "Americans for Fair Taxation." She was knowledgeable and immediately responded to questions regarding the practical operation and application of taxation principles in given situations. I have her on video too.
Here's a video about the Fair Tax on YouTube:
The Making of a Delegate
- Sign an LP pledge
- Vote as a Libertarian in the May Primary
- Send the Chairman a note that you went to the national site and registered to vote
- Have your name placed in the database as a delegate
Miscellaneous Things I Learned
- 82 percent of the federal budget is spending
- The size, scope, and power of the federal government are all problems to installing and preserving lasting reform.
- Politically navigating the middle is not a precedent that the Libertarian Party wants to set or a habit with which party members should be comfortable
- It's okay to network with NARA, gun freedom groups, the Tea Party, and pot smokers, but not so much with other drug users
- Ross Perot was a party of personality; we're a party of principle.