REGION 40, LIBERTARIAN PARTY NEWSLETTER, APR 98

Dear Fellow Freedom Lovers:

First: Our last meeting on Wednesday, March 11, 1998 was very interesting. We met a new restaurant because the last restaurant went vegetarian.

Second: Protest: On Wednesday April 15, 1998, we will have a confrontational protest of income taxes. We will begin our activities in front of the main post office on Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo, CA., at 4:00 P.M. We will move thence to the other San Luis Obispo post office at 1655 Dalidio Dr., and continue until we exhaust ourselves. Everyone come for the excitement and bring a placard or poster.

Third: Meeting Dates. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 08, 1998, at 7:00 P.M., in the Golden China Restaurant, 1085 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, CA. We will have two candidates for the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, Marquis Miller and Anthony Azevedo, speak and answer questions. Please come and join in the fireworks.

Fourth: I need volunteers to help at Farmers Market in San Luis Obispo on Thursday nights. Please call me if you will help.

Gary L. Kirkland
4620 Portola Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
e-mail: gkirkland@thegrid.net
(805) 466-2742

Libertarian Party of California
San Luis Obispo County, Region 40
Regular Business and Dinner meeting notes
March 11, 1998

    Gary Kirkland, Reg. 40 President, commented that "the election results in the Special Election for the 22nd CD were discouraging and only tells us that we need to redouble our efforts". Gary is still interested in having some "stealth" candidates. If anyone is interested or knows of a good prospect please let him know.

     David Bersohn, candidate for the 33rd AD, distributed a Wall Street Journal op-ed article on Bill Gates. David said that the LPC needs to find some deep pockets for fundraising, such as Bill Gates or John Roscoe. We need to cultivate such people in order to get enough money to effectively run campaigns. David said that a good candidate like Bob Bakaus needs to have funds to run a credible campaign. David reported on a libertarian who owns a store and has his shopping bags imprinted with LP messages. David asked if we could do that here. Perhaps pass them out at the Farmer's Market.

     A discussion of a motion by Gary that David study the feasibility centered on whether the group could compel David to act if he did not wish to do such a study. The motion failed. Those interested may report back to the group at a later date. Treasurer's Report

     Bill Mirken reported there is $141.81 in our regional bank account. Reg. 40 gets a check for about $30 each month from the Unified Membership Plan between the LPC and the LP (national). Bill said that we would have more money but Howard keeps robbing us to buy literature for the outreach efforts and inquiries. Those present agreed that such robbery is terrible! Doing political things. Disgraceful! We will continue this as long as funds hold out.

     The group briefly discussed the possibility of another yard sale. The last one lost money due to the cost of ads. We need to find a better location and good donations that will bring in money. Junk does not sell well although one never knows. If one has a good, well traveled location for a yard sale let Gary know.

     Gail distributed a list of all the members of Reg. 40 according to the state and national database managers Jon Petersen, LPC N. vice Chair, provided to us. Bill and David both noticed errors in the data. Gail asked everyone present to send any corrections to the SLO City officers by mail or email. Dick V. and Gary will see to entering the list to our own database so we can begin to contact all of these individuals every month. Gail gave copies of the list to Howard (as Sec), Gary (as President), David (as a Candidate), Bill (as Treasurer) and Dick (Chair). Gail retained one (as a candidate).

     Kathleen asked, "Do we do any protests or demonstrations?"
Answer: "Yes, from time to time and every April 15th Against the Income Tax."

     Kathy then asked, "Does it makes any difference to do this? Are we addressing the loss of personal freedom? Because if we are I do not see or hear about it."

Responsive comments were:
* We need to build activism at the local (regional) level.
* Media ignores reality of what is going on and has gone on in the realm of the loss of personal freedom.

     Howard reported that Republican Gorden Klenn wants to meet David Bersohn. He will arrange for them to meet. Howard will be available on April 15th for the Tax Day Protest. Howard needs more literature to send out to the names that come in to us as inquiries. Gail said we need to verify that those names go to the national LP before or at the same time that they come to us and then see what is already being sent and avoid sending duplicate material. Howard will be doing the Templeton Farmer's Market as often as he can to reach out to the community members.

     Diane is the Chairman (I do not give in to PC gender wording. Gkl.) of an annual all day Jewish celebration which will be at the Santa Maria Fairgrounds in Oct. We are all invited.

     Ed Moss showed a copy of, "A New Beginning", by Ed Clark, the LP 1980 Presidential candidate, that he found for $.50 at the Goodwill Store. Ed reminded us to watch for and distribute such books as Richard Ringer's, Restoring the American Dream and those by our presidential candidates. Ed said the LP celebrates 27 years as a political party in 1998. He said that Lois Capps won due to the 1 million dollars spent on her behalf. "If it is to be done, it is up to us" Ed said.

     Howard said that, I and everyone I have seen run for office are preaching to the choir (a universal Libertarian problem) - no matter how many people we speak to, doors we knock on, we only get our own party members votes and therefore we should concentrate on local office - educate at the grassroots level.

     Gary asked Ed to be the Archivist for Region 40. Ed declined.

     Ed said, "We need to cultivate activism. We are not out there; therefore we are not out there. Tax Day Protest is too late."

     Gail distributed information and explained the following:
    1. ISIL conference in Berlin in Aug. 1998,
    2. Sec of State handout for campaign,
    3. Smoker's Rights handout sample that we could print and use,
    4. "Back Us for Congress, Operation Coordination" meeting at her home in AG on Mar 28, 1998,
    5. Insight subscription forms,
    6. "How to Have a Million Dollar Tax Day Outreach Rally" which she will order and have the materials printed for our use,
    7. LNC Mar 7-8, 1998 mtg. Summary, Gail reported that she and Dick attended the Arroyo Grande City Council mtg., Health Commission mtg. and Arroyo Grande General Plan Revision Workshop.

     Gail said that in order to build activism in SLO City we need to:
    1. have an accurate database of all our members, which we should be able to do now that we have the list from the LPC-LP Database manager.
    2. send out an informational packet to all Inquires, new members, good letter writers, etc.
    3. Continue our outreach booth in SLO and consider others such as Templeton (which Howard is starting up soon).
    4. Get this newsletter out each and every month.
    5. Maintain a bank account (done).
    6. Have a plan to raise money.
    7. Be active in the political arena (Initiatives, Candidates, Lobbying, Attending City Council mtgs., etc.)
     8. Regular, Publicized Productive and Interesting Public Meetings. PLUS have regular meetings of the leadership to plan strategy and projects.
     9. Organized outreach plan.

     Dick Venable reported that he had 270 signatures but because someone did not report to SLO City, they asked for a filing fee. He declined to pay a fee and will not be on the ballot. We learned later that he could have held the check until the he reported the numbers. Now it is too late to do anything about the mix-up so he will not be running for the State Board of Equalization, District 2.
4. A manual for candidates will address such issues for future Candidates. The publisher will complete that manual during 1998 and 1999 for release in July 1999. LPC Convention

    Gail Lightfoot successfully ran for reelection to the LPC Executive Cmt. on a platform of clear communication with the regions. The LPC Chair placed six names on the ballot. Only 4 of those were elected to the 7 positions. The delegates elected some that they know will provide a check on the LPC Chair's actions. This sent a message to the LPC Chair that he must consider the wishes of activists to increase activism not just push his 3Ms (Members, Money with Mailings).

     Dick remains the Communications Director for the LPC, the Bakaus for Congress and the Lighfoot for Sec of State campaigns.

     Howard mentioned that he offered to post signs for Bob but never heard back.
Dick said he (Howard) got all the signs there were (in other words no one made signs for Bob due to lack of funds).

Letters to the Editor
     Lots of dialogue between Capps and Bondonaro with no mention of Bob Bakhaus made letter writing very important and show that we must coordinate our letters to get more into print. Letters by August S. and David B. appeared as well as one by Dick. Local print media rejected Op-ed articles on the Libertarian position on the Issues covered in a 6 part series by Gail Lightfoot as they will only print one letter per month from any one person. Next time we will send such letters out one each month or use different individuals to submit the letters daily. By creating a Letters Tree we can take good letters and have the next person in line submit the ltr. so media will print it. This will get us into print more often.
     Gail Spoke to a Political Science class at Alan Hancock College.
     Someone asked Gail about the SLO City bid to host the 1999 LPC Convention. The LPC ExCom has not made that decision. The LPC Chair wants to have the convention managed by the state party rather than a region or an outside contractor. They received our proposed bid well but made no changes to the Resolution prohibiting speakers or events conflicting with business sessions. Gail will present our bid to the ExCom at the April mtg., as well as continue the bid into the year 2000.
     A motion to send a congratulatory note to Steve Kubby passed with no opposition. Dick will see to that task.
     Parties cannot give money but can promote the campaigns.
     A motion that we hold a Tax Day Protest beginning at the downtown SLO Post Office at 4 PM on We April 15, 1998 and move to the Madonna Post Office when the SLO PO closes passed without dissent.
     Dick and David will do Press Releases.
     The next mtg. will be at 7:00 PM the Golden China (1085 Higuera, SLO) April 8, 1998.
     Bill said we need to have speakers from the opposition.

     Mtg. adjourned at 9:00 PM.

Officers

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