Dear LPC Activists,
The Libertarian Party of California (LPC) is facing a serious crisis due to a lack of leadership, bad judgement, and incompetence. The dismal attendance at the most recent LPC convention is just one manifestation of that crisis.
By comparison, here's a link to an article about the recent LP of Mississippi convention.
http://www.sunherald.com/2014/04/05/5474498/libertarians-at-state-convention.html
The article says they had 80 people attend. The state Chair Danny Bedwell says the real count was 101 (a record attendance).
Undoubtedly that's more than the dismally attended LPC convention in remote Visalia on March 28-30 that only had 46 voting delegates (a record low attendance).
According to March 2014 national membership figures from the LNC, California has 1,724 dues paying members and Mississippi has 91 members.
California has the largest national LP membership and Mississippi is ranked 36th.
Clearly the LP of Mississippi is doing something right and the LPC...., well clearly they suck at getting folks to attend conventions.
Some ideas why:
1. Biloxi, MS, where the LP of Mississippi held their convention, is the third largest city in that state with a population of 50,644 (US Census 2000) whereas Visalia, CA has a population of 91,891 and is ranked 44th in population.
Conclusion: hold your conventions where your members are and not where they are not. Unless you don't want people to attend.
2. The LP of Mississippi listed speakers Governor Gary Johnson and Economist Walter Block on their web site. Whereas LPC's convention web page didn't have speaker names for Saturday Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner! And the same for Sunday breakfast and lunch. Five meal functions with no speakers listed.
Conclusion: list and promote your speakers to encourage people to attend your convention and buy packages that include meals. Unless you don't want people to attend.
3. The LP of Mississippi most costly convention package was $80 (one day convention) that included a Saturday banquet, a LP T-shirt, and a 2 free drink voucher. Whereas the LPC's most costly convention package was $310 (2.5 day convention) that included 5 meals. Even the least expensive package ($40) for the Mississippi LP included the banquet. The least expensive LPC package ($130) did not include any meals.
Conclusion: the law of supply and demand works for LP conventions just as it does everywhere else. The higher the price, the lower the demand! Unless you don't want people to attend, you'd better know your market.
4. Since I'm not on the email distribution list for the LP of Mississippi, I have no idea how many emails notices they sent out to promote their convention. However, I did call their Chair Danny Bedwell. He said they used email to contact 2,500 people, personal phone calls to ALL current members and lapsed members and even newspaper ADS to promote attendance at their convention. Their convention was held at the upscale Beau Rivage Casino and Resort. Prior conventions were held at Holiday Inns, but they wanted to do it up right this time. They also sold 13 tickets to a $300 per person event billed as "Fishing with Gary Johnson" where they split the profits with Gary Johnson.
From the LPC, I received a total of 6 emails from the LPC to promote their convention. From the Texas LP, I've received, so far, 10 emails promoting their upcoming convention in Temple, TX. I plan to attend that convention where I paid $155 for a full package. Note that's half the cost of the LPC's full convention package.
Conclusion: the more you promote the convention, the greater the attendance. And price does matter!
I could probably go on, but it's clear that the "leadership" of the LPC wasn't interested in a well attended convention. Otherwise, they would have held it in a place convenient to many Libertarians, promoted it heavily, and made it affordable. They did none of those things.
And at the convention, they made it clear that membership growth isn't a priority. Nor was fund raising. And certainly not running partisan candidates!
In fact, by their actions or in-actions, it seems their only priority is to shrink the LPC.
Do you find this acceptable?
If not, will you join me to promote a change of "leadership" within the LPC in 2015 or at least light a fire under the current leadership? At the next convention in 2015, all of the officers and 5 of the 10 Executive Committee members will be up for election. In the meantime call or email the current leadership and pressure them into changing their ways or tell them to resign. BTW, 6 new Executive Committee members, including a new Southern Vice Chair (Jonathan Jaech) were elected at this convention. Lets hope their election and new energy will turn the LPC around.
Since none of officers or At-Large members of the LPC's Executive have any contact information up on their web site, it's clear those who control the web site, don't seem to be interested in any contact or input from our membership.
However, you can still use this link to reach someone there: http://ca.lp.org/contact
Hopefully the 6 newly elected folks on the LPC's Executive Committee can turn things around. But, I'm sure encouragement and involvement from you and other long time Libertarians can turn this organization around. We've done it before and we can do it again. If we don't, I don't think it'll survive.
And since the LP's influence is going rapidly in many other states and nationally we're in very good shape, it would be a shame for the largest LP affiliate to go under.
Please don't let that happen. Please join me and lets get the LPC back on track.
I'm open to any ideas or suggestions to restore the LPC to its former glory.
Yours in liberty,
Mark W.A. Hinkle,
LNC At-Large, Former LPC Chair,
And Retired National LP Chair
Tel: 408-779-7922
P.S. Want another indication just how bad things are in the LPC? Current LPC dues paying membership is at 795. 13-14 years ago is was over 7,000.
P.P.S. LPC voter registration is up 3.5%, whereas other large states, such as New York and Pennsylvania are up 30.4% and 24.7% respectively. California is ranked 20th in voter registration growth for those states that allow party registration. Only ahead of last place growth state Oregon at 3.4%.