I do like Ernest Hancock. He has stayed at my home and I have heard him argue in the 9th circuit pro se in an election law case. But his idea of shutting down the national office doesn't seem like a good idea to me.
I do have sympathy for the idea that the rent at the Watergate office complex is too much and I do think the party national office should move to cheaper hq, but I can't see not having a national office location.
Richard,
I hear you -- I'm personally not sure how not having a national office at all would work. If Ernie agrees to simply move the office to cheaper digs out of DC rather than eliminating it altogether, would you support him for chair?
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Amtrak has a line up to New Hampshire, doesn't it?
If the Libertarian Party's national office were to be moved somewhere
out of Washington D.C., New Hampshire would seem like the logical
choice. But I think more important than which city an office is
located in, is what kind of neighborhood it's in and what kind of
space it is. I think we should be seeking an office that:
• serves as a meeting space for the local party chapter
• is in a high-visibility location where it can display messages and
materials that will be seen by passers-by
• functions as a kind of libertarian community center where pro-
freedom activists and groups both in and outside the LP can hold
meetings, socialize, etc.
• has a bold, non-corporate appearance including lots of space for
people to post their own materials (i.e. an "organic" feel or sense of
being a place with a soul)
• has cheap rent
• is centrally located in a walkable neighborhood and easily
accessible by mass transit
• is geared toward providing tasks for interns and volunteers
• is a friendly, welcoming place for out of town Libertarians to drop
in and visit, sit down and have a cup of coffee, read some back issues
of LP News, etc. (perhaps do some volunteering, pick up some free
literature for distribution, just have a look around, etc.)
• provides temporary storage space for protest signs, activist
materials, etc. (especially if in D.C.)
• is accessible 24 hours
• includes a store where people can buy pro-freedom supplies
(LPStuff.com type items) on site
• includes posted office hours during which LP members can drop in (or
call ahead to make reservations) to talk to specific staffers about
their questions or concerns
I'm not convinced the LP is getting as much utility out of having a
national office as it should be. Under present circumstances, I'd be
open to proposals to close it down, if the money were going to be
better spent. But done right, having an office is an opportunity to
build solidarity and community. It can and should be seen as belonging
to the whole party and to some degree the whole movement, and not just
as being the private space of paid staffers.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Sounds like Mt.
vernon in Baltimore, blocks from Amtrak, 45 miles to downtown DC,
pedestrian.