Bruce,
The issue of meeting in luxury hotels goes way beyond the issue of out-of-pocket costs to the attendees. I'm thinking about the costs to the party. Eliminating the overhead and restrictions of an expensive hotel would allow us to:
-raise money for the party by selling our own food and drinks instead of having the substantial amounts that Libertarians spend on these things strictly going to the hospitality industry
-have greater flexibility in how we use and decorate the venue, what hours we can hold events, use of sound, etc.
-lower package prices without the fear that hotel costs won't be covered
-have more successful fundraisers because Libertarians would have more money left in their pockets
-have much more space for vendors without the overhead that space would cost in a hotel, allowing us to bring in massive quantities of them for free or at rock-bottom prices that would in turn attract even more attendees
-create a more visible presence for non-Libertarians using or passing by the venue
-cultivate the aesthetics of a real grassroots political movement instead of the aesthetics of a social club
Yours in liberty,
<<< Starchild >>>