The LPC Executive Committee voted last June to support a dues increase at
the National Level. Even though the LPC endorsement of the measure has no
impact on the LNC, the Committee felt a vote of support would show that at
least one state affiliate besides Indiana would favor such a move). As an
Alternate regional representative on the Committee, I think it is highly
inappropriate for us to interfere with the LNC business since we have our
own representative on that Committee (Joe Dehn) who could convey our
sentiments, since we elected him to represent us. But I suspect that the
Committee did not feel Joe would be personally supportive of a dues
increase, so they seem to have wanted to send a message to the LNC that the
Executive Committee felt it was in order, under our current financial
situation.
I voted against the resolution, but it passed anyway. I have voted against
every LPC proposal except one so far this year, but as an alternate, my vote
doesn't always count, and those of us on the committee who feel likewise are
in a significant minority. To paraphrase Ron Paul, they call me "Dr. No."
I sent the following message to the Committee in response to the vote:
Re: Due as I say, Not as I Due (was "Dues)
For the LPC to raise its dues is the ultimate hypocrisy.
As long as I can remember, Libertarians have been criticizing politicians
for raising taxes and expanding government when they should be cutting taxes
and reducing their lavish spending to balance the budget. But when it comes
right down to it, our LPC leadership behaves no differently than the
Democrat and Republican politicians we are supposed to be fighting.
It isn't the money involved here that concerns me. It's the principle.
This year, I have given the Libertarian Party at the National, State and
Local levels more than $300 out of my pocket, far more than the minimum $35
annual dues. And we're only 6 months into this year. I have responded to
each of Geoffrey Neal's fundraising appeals and the National Ballot Access
drive. I have volunteered my time and paid my own expenses to attend LP
events and meetings. I would probably be willing to pay up to $100 a year in
dues, if I felt the Party absolutely had to do this. Now, I admit that as an
activist, I am not your average LP member, and I don't expect the rank and
file to donate at that level or to be as active as I am (though it sure
would be nice...). I expect that each member of the Executive Committee does
at least as much as I do in this regard, and probably more (I'm not a
pledger, for example). I'm not trying to be "holier than thou" here.
But it isn't the money that is the issue.
Until the LP demonstrates that it can manage its own finances better than
the average government bureaucrat, I don't think we should be calling
ourselves "The Party of Principle" if we're not willing to live by those
principles. When times are tough, you make the tough choices. You tighten
your belt. That's what we've been advocating as long as I've been a member
of the LP. If we're not willing to "walk the walk," we have no business
"talking the talk." It makes us look like hypocrites.
A major factor in our support of the Gray Davis Recall is his unwillingness
to cut government spending back to the levels we had in the 2001-2002 fiscal
year, which according to Tom McClintock, would mean we would have only a $9
billion deficit, not $35 billion, or go back to the spending levels of the
1998-1999 fiscal year so we would have no deficit at all. It makes perfect
sense, and Gray Davis' mismanagement of California's finances justifies
throwing him out of office.
But if we can't follow our own advice, we have no business giving the same
advice to others.
Terry Floyd, Treasurer
Libertarian Party of California, East Bay Region
Alternate Executive Committee Representative