LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF SAN FRANCISCO Regular Meeting
May 11, 2024
Attendance
Starchild, chair
Jawj Greenwald, vice chair Richard Fast, LPSF member
Guest Present
Shirley Zhou, www.unitedcomputing.org
Absent
Richard Winger, secretary Terry Nycum, treasurer
The meeting started at 3pm on May 11, 2024 via Jitsi and SF Main Library 3rd floor Paley conference room.
Guest Shirley Zhou of Half Moon Bay spoke on her business. Richard Fast joined the meeting at 3:15pm.
Activist Reports
Starchild attended sex work rights activism in Sacramento protests opposing to oppose laws against loitering with intent to commit prosititution and lobby state legislators. Many legislative aides were sympathetic to decriminalization the Libertarian position, but they were activists didn’t get to meet with legislators directly unable to speak to legislators.
Jawj Greenwald received a harassment claim from a neighbor who stole her cat. She explained that this is an example for the legal system being weaponized for petty reasons.
Richard Fast shared that he is an alternate for Louisiana and Wisconsin at the LP national convention later this month. He has also been talking to Sandra Kallendar about re-populating the Contra Costa LP committee.
Shirley Zhou (guest) talked about criminals using the stock market to pay debts, over-population, and invasive species. She wants to find a candidate who will address these problems. She wants the LP to address these issues in their platform. She wants to build a self-sustainable community. She requested Gov. Gary Johnsons’ contact info to run for president again.
LPSF Resolution re: Trump at LP National Convention
Starchild introduced the following language for a LPSF resolution:
···
“Resolution on Trump
“On May 1, the national Libertarian Party issued a press release announcing that Donald Trump would be speaking at the 2024 national Libertarian Party convention, happening May 23-25 in Washington D.C. ( https://www.lp.org/president-trump-to-address-libertarian-party-concerns-at-national-convent ion-may-25th/ )
“The Libertarian Party of San Francisco hereby condemns this invitation, and adds our voice those calling for it to be rescinded.
“While we would welcome Trump or any other candidate of the 2-party cartel coming to an LP convention to participate in a debate with Libertarian candidates seeking the office for which they are running, that is not what is scheduled in Washington D.C.
“Donald Trump refused to debate Gary Johnson in 2016 or Jo Jorgensen in 2020, and he is not coming to our D.C. convention to debate the Libertarians seeking the nomination this cycle, but is simply being handed a free opportunity to address our delegates – and even being billed as the “keynote speaker”.
“Furthermore, although Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have also been invited to speak at the convention, it appears this was done as an afterthought to justify inviting Trump. Other presidential candidates, including Jill Stein of the Green Party and independent candidate Cornel West, have not been invited.
“The Libertarian Party is increasingly at risk of being associated with the Republican Party and right-wing politics, and we believe this is not only at odds with our mission of promoting freedom and the Non-Aggression Principle, but will harm our ability to appeal to people across the political spectrum.”
There was discussion on the factual accuracy of Trump being invited as an after-thought. Inserted “may have been done” to reflect uncertainty.
Shirley Zhou disagreed with the resolution, arguing that Libertarians should support Trump at their convention, despite LPSF members present asserting he and the LP have irreconcilable philosophical differences, and left the meeting at 4:12pm.
Starchild amended the resolution to say:
“On May 1, the national Libertarian Party issued a press release announcing that Donald Trump would be speaking at the 2024 national Libertarian Party convention, happening May 23-25 in Washington D.C. ( https://www.lp.org/president-trump-to-address-libertarian-party-concerns-at-national-convent ion-may-25th/)
“The Libertarian Party of San Francisco hereby condemns this invitation, and adds our voice those calling for it to be rescinded.
“While we would welcome Trump or any other candidate of the 2-party cartel coming to an LP convention to participate in a debate with Libertarian candidates seeking the office for which they are running, that is not what is scheduled in Washington D.C.
“Donald Trump refused to debate Gary Johnson in 2016 or Jo Jorgensen in 2020, and he is not coming to our D.C. convention to debate the Libertarians seeking the nomination this cycle, but is simply being handed a free opportunity to address our delegates – and even being billed as the “keynote speaker”.
“Furthermore, although Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have also been invited to speak at the convention, this may have been done as an afterthought to justify inviting Trump. Other presidential candidates, including Jill Stein of the Green Party and independent candidate Cornel West, have not been invited.
“The Libertarian Party is increasingly at risk of being associated with the Republican Party and right-wing politics, and we believe this is not only at odds with our mission of promoting freedom and the Non-Aggression Principle, but will harm our ability to appeal to people across the political spectrum.”
Starchild amended the end of the 4th paragraph to say “but is simply being given carte blanche to address our delegates in the manner of his choosing.”
There was a side-discussion on the desirability of detail vs. brevity of in minutes.
Starchild moved, Jawj seconded, to adopt the resolution as previously amended. No objections. Passed unanimously.
Action Item: Richard will post the resolution on the LPSF Facebook account. Starchild will post it on the LPSF X/Twitter account.
Social Media report
Starchild has had technical problems with X/Twitter and this causes him to not want to upgrade have second thoughts about paying to upgrade the LPSF account, as not being a good investment of the party’s assets. The LPSF did vote to authorize the payment at a previous meeting, but left it to Starchild’s discretion.
payment of an upgrade at a previous meeting. LPSF members present decided to table the issue indefinitely.
Treasurer
No update. Neither Starchild nor Richard Fast have not been able to contact Terry Nycum, the current office holder. Starchild said he’d hoped that previous treasurer Greg Michael would attend today’s meeting, but he was not present.
Unfinished Business
Starchild wants to get a social event planned. Paul Breed is a contact with a sound system.
Ballot arguments due in August. See elections website for topics to write about. SFelections.gov will show candidates for SF mayor.
Action Item: Richard will screen the top 10 mayoral candidates for potential recommendation according to any libertarian leaning platforms. Jawj will research ballot measures. Starchild looked up the SF board of supervisors races 1, 3, 5, Autumn B. Looijen might be friendly to us, having previously supported SF school board recalls and the initiative to promote algebra in eighth grade; however, Starchild also pointed out that she may hold socially conservative views that may not agree with the LP platform. Starchild said that in the past, candidates for public office that have libertarian-leaning views have been invited to speak at LPSF meetings and we might do so again this cycle, if a candidate with an appropriate platform was found.
Starchild reiterated that he would not run for public office unless he had at least 10 people to help him. He also owes money to the State from his previous campaign.
Starchild is talking to hoping to talk with “JConr” B. Ortega running for SF District 3 on his criminal justice views. Someone accused Mr. Ortega of falsifying somthing in his past, possibly related to a college Ortega falsely said he attended, and he didn’t seem to deny it. Mr. Ortega seems to have a statist view on crime and policing. Starchild encouraged him to join the Democratic Freedom Caucus, the libertarian wing of the Democratic Party.
The meeting adjourned at 5pm.
The next meeting will be the second Saturday of June from 3-5pm at the 3rd floor Paley conference room at the SF Main Library and via Jitsi videoconference.