Libertarian Party NEWS May/June 1987 7 Convention Update: Director's Column Excitement Builds By Terry V. Mitchell This is part of a program to increase National Director, LNC effective communications between national As National Director of the Libertarian headquarters and state and local activists. By Richard Shepard working on the layout for the package. So far Party I bear the responsibility of seeing that • Information packets .are mailed (daily the package will go to everyone on the mailing the daily business operations of the national or weekly, depending on the demand) to Major accomplishments are being made, lists of the national LP and the state parties of office continue unimpeded, regardle~i; of those who call or write in to learn more and excitement about the Seattle Convention Oregon and Washington. Ruth Bennett is circumstances. I am directly responsible to about the LP. 1n the last 90 days requests is building all over the country. We are going to looking into the possibility of getting other lists. the Chair and report to the National have risen from approximately five per Committee. week to 30-probably have an extraordinary evertt! The Convention Services Group has decided ~; because of all the We have two announced candidates for to provide incentives for full participation in The recent mechanical failure of the LP's good press our presidential contenders are President, Russell Means and Ron Paul, and the convention. The first 10 states to register a computer illustrates how an unexpected generating-and the pack itself is now one candidate for Vice-President, Andre Mar­ full . delegate count will win a prize. More "crisis" can be overcome with preplanning, lighter (read less expensive) than in the rou. Marshall Fritz, David Bergland, and details on this, and more surprises.• later. a cool head, and teamwork. past: If you know someone you think is Philip Mitchell will be presenting their new We have made a lot of progress in the last When the computer "went down" it was ready for the LP, send us their name and communications workshop at the convention. few months and we have a long way to go. We regarded by sorrte as not only an office crisis we'll send them one. There will be many additional speakers and must acknowledge our accomplishments and but an organizational crisis as well, evoking •Monthly membership renewals-this debates on the program. Dave Jones and his then move forward to the next tasks. We are .a wide range of (ofteri highly) emotional process has recently been streamlined to program committee are now making the final doing a great job! Our commitment is showing responses, even though a computer is, at the point of mere label · production and schedule decisions. up in our results, and it is looking to me like a best, only a machine-and no more awe­ fo..Warding to the printer/mail house. A brand new boat, called the Spirit of big convention! Let's keep up the good work. inspiring than a good copier or high-tech Currently, this is a year-round process, Seattle, has been reserved for Friday night's As these new tasks and considerations ap­ mailing equipment. unlike California's all-at-once January - Puget Sound cruise. The outing will include pear, we need to think about how to address Analysis of past computer problems membership renewal system--'a program I · dinner and dancing. Tina . Carter has been them. If uponyou, reading this, have an idea or showed that preparation was the key to would like very much to see used here. handling the boat. I have been looking.into the suggestion about these or other concerns, handling unexpected "down time" and • Material orders are very time-con­ costs of D.J.'s and live bands. please contact me so that we can discuss the qualified service personnel was the key to suming: it takes virtually the· same amount Karen Allard obtained permission from Sea­ particulars and see whether we have a match. getting "up" again. Service documentation of employee time to process a $2 order as Tac International Airport to post "Culture of We need: and back-ups of important lists and labels one for $50. I am pleased at the interest in Freedom" information signs in their terminal. -Advertisers for the Registration Tabloid, are kept both on-site and off to protect the spinning off the retail operation. Karen has also been planning for our on-site and possibly an on-site newsletter. database and the continued business opera­ When the LP offices were located in signs, and searching for an appropriate conven­ -Exhibitors (contact Howard Cherry for tion of the LP. D.C., there was a staff of eight. Today we tion souvenir. these). While the computer-and more impor­ have a staff of four, including the Director. We are setting aside space for a libertarian -A word processor for use at the convention tantly, the database-are essential for the Not one of the present staff is responsible art gallery. Libertarian artists who want to for preparing at least two 10-pl\ge committee LP's daily operation, there are many other for only one job-by necessity we all handle show their work at the convention should reports overnight. important functions of the national office a variety of tasks·. J;he most recent change contact Tom Tanaka or watch-for our ad in the -Someone with theater experience who can that you may not be aware of: was the combining of the Financial Entry next LP NEWS. direct the banquet floor show and fund­ •Maintenance of the monthly Pledge and Computer Operations positions. This Program involves Plans for the Registration Tabloid are be~ raiser. more than just daily data combination works well and the previous ginning to take shape. Joe Dehm, Jo Deforest, -An audio-visual company interested in re- · entry (the funds come in many forms-bank single function positions will probably not and Tonie Nathan, all from Oregon, have · · cording the convention activities under transfer, credit cards, checks, and good ol' be available again. agreed to write articles and biographies for the contract. cash); production of statements, production The quest for the Super-Efficient Office package. Marshall Fritz and the Advocates for , -A high-volume photocopy machine for use ~ of Liberty Pledge News, and the actual is an ongoing process, and many of the Self-Government are providing an insert about at the convention. collation and insertion. of the mailing are previous havesteps been made possible by their workshop, "How to Be a Persuasive -More fun (ljust wanted to see if you were handled at the national office. technological advancements. Libertarian Communicator." Tom Tanaka is awake). Liberty Pledge News is one of my per­ Others wait for the necessary financial sonal prides. Out of print when I first support to come in: tackled it, the Pledge now gives not only Last issue I asked you to join with me and monthly pledgersput state chairs and Na­ help purchase the equipment we need to tional Committee members the latest news tool up for the upcoming campaign-many from the clipping service (special thanks to of you did, and we raised over one third of Candidates Address David Saum for underwriting that subscrip­ the amount we need to bring a new com­ tion) and material of special interest that puter network on line. This time let's go for crosses my desk-such as the latest in the throat-and finish the job. campaign software to help the novice candi­ Join in and help me put the finishing The Tough Questions date, affordable list brokers and kinds of touches on a revitalized and revamped lists available, updates on LP acquisitions, national office-your lean, mean, liberty ·. and updates from libertarians overseas, machine! • Major contenders for the Libertarian Party's delivery. He says diat he feels "very un­ presidential nomination faced up to their in­ comfortable"; with the present Libertarian Party dividually toughest questions during the Geor-. platform affirming the right of women to the gia State LP convention in April. choice of abortion. Paul on Tariffs For Russell Means, the question was whether In his campaigning, he said, he would simply he would be able to broaden his campaign state his own view on abortion as just that-his Here is an example of the sort of regular cannot be expected to pay for the defense of beyond the tightly focused issue of the freedom own view-and would emphasize his agree­ comments on current events that Ron Paul Japan or any other country and compete of native people, to embrace the broad span of ment with other parts of the platform. He did plans to put out for the general press during effectively in the world market. Were Japanese libertarian economic and social issues. say, however, that he would not oppose the use his campaign for the presidential nomination competitors paying for their own theydefense, of drugs which permit a woman, on her own, to of the Libertarian Party. This .release was would have His candid answer was that he had a lot of no advantage over their American prevent implantation of fertilized ova. dated April 2, 1987. competitors. studying to do to become wholly familiar with He, too, candidly admitted that he had more "Last week's news about Japan's 'dumping' "Protective tatjffs against Japan will not end libertarian issues-but that he was now doing it studying to do to become familiar with liber­ of microchips on the U.S. market has more Japan's trade adyantage.