Official Publication of the Libertarian Party of California — Vol. 3, No.3, June 1996 Declare your Independence If you have not yet made your reservations for the 1996 National grassroots level. These are separate from the convention and have Libertarian Party Convention to be held July 3 through 7 in Washington, separate registration fees. D.C., you had better get a move on. The convention hotel, Hyatt Those interested in meeting, listening and talking to pro-liberty lead¬ Regency Capitol Hill, is filling up fast. ers, thinkers, doers, writers and scholars will have a wide variety from There will be something for everyone at the convention. which to choose. Among them are Doug Bandow, Richard Boddie, If you are interested in shaping the future of the party, there are the James Bovard, John Buttrick, Jon Coon, Karl Hess Jr., Jacob Homberger, Platform floor debates, presidential and vice-presidential nominations, Nancy Lord, Stephen Moore, Tonie Nathan, Grover Norquist, James and elections of the National Officers and National Committee mem¬ Ostrowski, Alan Perlman, Robert Poole, Sheldon Richman, Mary Ruwart, bers. Nadine Strossen, Michael Tanner, Clifford Thies, Richard Timberlake, If you are interested in becoming a more knowledgeable political and Richard Vedder. candidate, veteran Sal Guzetta presents a two-day intensive course on Topics range from lowering taxes, through free market money, wel¬ professional campaigning just before the convention. In the same vein, fare, the drug war, health care to privatizing social security. the State Council of Chairs is putting on a Leadership Conference at the For those who are more interested in food and entertainment, there same time which will include sessions on communications, the Federal will be breakfast meetings with speakers, the presidential banquet and Elections Commission, dealing with the IRS and fundraising at the see Celebrate -p. 4 Delegates to decide: LP State Leadership Conference Time to at The Council of State Chairs will host a two-day State setting goals for your organization and then integrating an Leadership Conference just before the 1996 Libertarian Party effective communications strategy to meet those goals. Convention in Washington. Leaders from state party organi¬ 1:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. “can the cult”? zations, their affiliates, and campaign organizations will find The Federal Elections Commission valuable information here for grassroots organizing. Organiz¬ How do you operate within the law? This seminar will Ever since the Libertarian Party adopted the Statement of ers of the convention have made arrangements with the Hyatt focus on FEC regulations, when state and local affiliates of a Principles written by John Hospers in 1972, there have been so that those attending these events may check into the hotel see Leadership -p. 6 periodic calls to eliminate the phrase “cult of the omnipotent early for the seminars and get the group rate. state” in the first sentence. Proposals to do this have been Four sessions will be presented over the two days. In this issue introduced at several past conventions, but have never suc¬ Tuesday, July 2 - 8:30 a.m. - Noon ceeded because a 7/8 majority is required to amend the State¬ Chair’s Col. p. 2 Dasbach runs p. ment of Effective Communications 5 Principles. Statement A study in how to be more effective with internal (news¬ p. 3 Rep. may switch? p. 6 This year, the issue will be brought up again. Also pro¬ letters, events, leadership development) and external (news Matching funds p. 4 LP facts p. 8 posed is the addition of two words — “and liberties” after the releases, advertising) communications. The program will look See “Can the cult” and Statement - p. 3 Libertarian Non-Profit Party of California Organization 655 Lewelling Blvd., #362 U.S. Postage San PAID Leandro, CA 94579 Anaheim, CA 92803 Permit #681 Time Dated Materials Address Correction Requested 01- via*" Notes from the Chair Getting It Done With Gail: Looking ahead by Gail Lightfoot Allocation of July 2 - 7, 1996 is the Libertarian Party 1996 Presiden¬ tial Nominating convention in Washington, DC. This is the first year that the Libertarian national con¬ delegates vention was not held the preceding year. The candidates California has more than twice the number of delegates to needed to be selected in time to petition to get the Party the National Convention as the next highest, and almost as and the candidates on the ballot in various states. Be¬ many as the next three contenders combined. cause of that change in timing of the convention, it has With 112 delegates, California far exceeds Pennsylvania’s been three years since Libertarians last met in Salt Lake count of 48. Others in the top five are Texas with 38, Michi¬ City. gan with 35 and New York, 29. The LPC accounts for 15 Hey, that means it is three years since Richard E. percent of the total national delegation. Venable and I married in Pismo Beach ! And he has not Delegate numbers are determined by national party mem¬ (yet) decided I am totally nuts to be doing all this work bership figures from each state. for the LPC ! Delegates and Alternates Elsewhere in this issue of LPC News is the list of Gail elected Delegates for California. Each of the elected del¬ Lightfoot egates has been notified and asked to verify their atten¬ dance. Additional names of individuals who plan to at¬ newspaper, LPC News, as is until later this year when tend the convention should be submitted to the LPC new bids will be reviewed in a two-meeting process Published for Secretary or Chair so they can be seated as Alternates that allows for interviews with the bidders. the Libertarian Part}' of California when we all get to DC. We have 112 seats to fill, so if you Bidding Process to be formalized this year Editor in Chief: Gail K. Lightfoot can go to DC (and can find lodging at this late date), The LPC will establish, by Standing Resolution, a Managing Editor: Richard E. Venable please join us. You won’t be sorry. process for the solicitation, evaluation and review of Production Manager: Richard E. Venable Presidential Aspirants bids for contract services. This will then be added to Graphics and Layout: G&R Graphics, Pismo Beach Publications I know of at least 6 individuals who intend to place the ExCom members’ introductory material so that it Oversight: George Reis Tel: (714)644-3686 E-mail: [email protected] their names in nomination at the convention. Only four can be followed in the future. Address of those were on our primary ballot and most of the Reg¬ Database and 800 number upgrading changes and subscriptions to: Libertarian Party of California istered Libertarians and many of you readers knew little LP members nationwide are looking and talking 655 Lewelling Blvd., #362 or span about what we want our nothing about those four. Unfortunately the time Inquiry process and our San Leandro, CA 94579 between our March Database Primary and the July convention Management to be capable of providing. Information regarding editorial guidelines means we are How just now getting information on some of many bells and whistles do we really want and and written submission to: the candidates. Others will will we campaign at the convention really use? This is a subject of some interest LPC News but not to the members-at-large. If you read the national because of the need to interact effectively with pros¬ P. 0. Box 598, Pismo Beach, CA 93448 news tabloid, LP News, you may seb more information pects and members to increase our overall political FAX: (805) 481-9083 E-mail. [email protected] on the potential candidates there. impact with voters. Contributing Editor: I will endeavor to see that you get a full report on the Members of the LPC ExCom will be holding spe¬ Gail Lightfoot, LPC Chair convention inner workings and all the candidates in the cial meetings to formulate strategy that can be imple¬ Contributors to this issue: mented August issue of LPC News. Since the deadline for LPC by the LPC as it functions today. I will be Stephen E. Dashbach, NLP News falls during the time we will be in DC, you can be taking our ideas to the LP Council of State Chairs Michael E. Dunn,. Reg. 38 sure the events there will be uppermost in our minds. when we meet again in DC. Mary Kahn, Reg. 01 David F. Nolan, Reg. 30 LPC Periodical If you have ideas on these or other topics, contact Pamela Pescosolido, Reg. 10 I am pleased to announce that the LPC Executive Com¬ any of the LPC ExCom members to pass those ideas Submission deadline for July issue: June 5, 1996 mittee (ExCom) decided to continue the current tabloid on to all. Use this form to renew your membership, to increase your donation or to give to a friend LPC Payment by: □ Check □ VISA Membership Form I choose to set my yearly dues at: □ MASTERCARD □ $25 - Basic membership Libertarian Party of California, # Exp. (inch state newspaper) 655 Lewelling Blvd., Signature □ $50 San Leandro, CA 94579 □ $ More (Must be above basic Please membership) print name as it appears on your credit card Name □ $35 Household Membership List all names plainly. Each must sign pledge to vote. The Libertarian Party is the party of principle. Address □ $20 Add National Membership (save $5 ) To affirm publicly what we believe - and to ensure that our □ $500 Life Membership party never strays from our principles - we ask our mem¬ City/Zip □ $ : Pledge bers to sign this statement with pride. □Monthly DBimonthly DQuarterly I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of Phone(s) (Note: Renewal dues are waived for members achieving political or so¬ who meet cial goals.