Volunteer for 2012 national convention in San Francisco

Hi Scott,

  I hear you are collecting names of possible convention volunteers and
wanted to let you know that I would volunteer at the 2012 LP national
convention if it is held in San Francisco. I could also offer crash
space at my place for Libertarians from out of town who weren't
staying at whatever venue is selected.

  I also know of any number of interesting speakers who, because they
are local to this area, could potentially be available to address an
LP national convention held in San Francisco at no cost, including but
not limited to:

• SF public defender Jeff Adachi, a liberal who recently became a
pariah in the leftist establishment for spearheading Proposition B, a
pension reform measure
• A representative of the Patrol Specials, San Francisco's uniquely
quasi-private police force that's been around since the Gold Rush and
which some in the SFPD are trying to eliminate
• Cannabis movement leader Dennis Peron, main author of 1996's
groundbreaking Proposition 215 that made medical cannabis use legal in
California and who has spoken at a California LP convention, or the
authors of the recently defeated but high-profile Proposition 19, who
are based in Oakland just across the bay
• A number of leaders in the sex work rights movement, some of whom
have also spoken at a California LP convention, including Carol Leigh,
Robyn Few, Maxine Doogan, and Carol Queen
• Patri Friedman, grandson of Milton Friedman and head of the
Seasteading Institute
• Speakers from the Pacific Research Institute, which is located in
SF, or the Independent Institute, which is located in Oakland
• Members of the active Students for Liberty chapter at UC Berkeley,
also just across the bay
• Representatives of the movement against U.S. government military
involvement overseas, from AntiWar.com which is based here, the War
Resistance League, or even Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel
Ellsberg, who lives in Berkeley
• An operator of a libertarian private school, the School of Choice,
located in the San Jose area
• A representative of the GLBTQ gun rights group Pink Pistols, which
has an active local chapter
• A police accountability activist whose child was shot and killed by
the SFPD or someone else from the active local police accountability
movement (Copwatch is based in Berkeley, and well-known defense
attorney John Burris who has taken on the police many times is based
in Oakland)
• A representative of the active local immigrant rights movement
• Members of the Burning Man community (the Burning Man organization
is based in San Francisco as are many of the festival's seminal
figures mentioned in Reason editor Brian Doherty's book on the event)
• Matt Gonzalez, the political independent and former president of the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who almost became SF's mayor in
2003 (he lost 53-47%), and is an honest leftist who recently endorsed
both the aforementioned Prop. B and John Dennis, the libertarian-
leaning Republican who ran for Congress against Nancy Pelosi
• A representative of the Emma Goldman Papers archive at UC Berkeley
• Jim Elwood or Jim Peron of the International Society for Individual
Liberty, which is moving back to the Bay Area from Arizona
• PayPal founder Peter Thiel (not sure if he'd speak for free, but I
believe he's in the South Bay; I recently saw him talk at a
libertarian conference in southern California and was impressed)

  And there are many others, including local Libertarians who have
spoken at various libertarian events, such as psychologist Dr. Michael
Edelstein, author of Three Minute Therapy, Sharon Presley of the
Association of Libertarian Feminists, myself, ballot access expert
Richard Winger whom you obviously know, Rob Power who is head of
Outright Libertarians, etc.

  I have no personal opinion on the advisability of holding a
convention here versus in Dallas or Las Vegas, since I have not seen
any proposals or details, but wanted to let you know of some of the
resources available to the San Francisco area.

  What is your role in the convention planning process, and who else is
working on this? Is there a specific venue or venues in SF that are
being considered? Please keep San Francisco Libertarians updated of
any developments.

Love & Liberty,
        ((( starchild )))

Hi Starchild, this e-mail is just to you. I am filled with admiration for you for writing this convincing e-mail for Scott Lieberman.

The proposal is for the Hyatt Regency at the San Francisco Airport, so technically it isn't a proposal within San Francisco county, but obviously it's close.

Thanks, Richard. But now that I hear it's at an airport hotel, I'm rather less enthused. That area is culturally dead. Virtually nobody there except business travelers. Maybe we'd be better off just having it in Las Vegas or Dallas after all. Why does it have to be a Hyatt?

Love & Liberty,
        ((( starchild )))