I am just coming home (and gotten some rest) after my first Libertarian Party National Convention. I am fairly disappointed with the business of the convention. In Florida, we have fights. We dont always get along with each other but after our conventions each year I feel invigorated. We come together at each convention, put aside our differences and act in a manner showing our great integrity. We do not silence the people within our state. We hear all sides of opposition on each issue. We make sure the members (the grassroots) has the ultimate control and can propose the changes important to them from the floor and not just recommendations from a committee. So comparatively it was a let down. So today, I want to thank the members of the Libertarian Party of Florida for this integrity! I am so proud to be a part of such a great group of people!! #1 The rules of the convention, in my opinion, are set up to keep the grassroots quiet. I understand that there is an issue of time but the rules are very restrictive from having any real grassroots input in anything. No amendments may be made for platform and bylaw changes to the recommendations of the committee unless the motion fails. That means if you like the subject but are not happy with some of the wording you must vote no, hope it fails and then bring it back up for amendment to change the wording. New business (which means new items proposed by the grassroots) are left to the end of the committees report IF there is time. The agenda is set so that each committee has a set amount of time and new business is at the end. There are hard breaks so if time runs out then every item that has not been heard is just not heard. The committees have more business then they are allotted time for so there is no room for anything to be proposed from the floor. #2 Even with a hired parliamentarian, the convention was a procedural nightmare. In one instance there was a motion on the floor and the chair just stopped everything to take a vote on whether to recount the votes and have the sates certify they were correct. What is wrong with that is that the motion on the floor can not be stopped unless someone makes a motion to recess. The chair can not make a motion (so him calling for a vote to recount the vote was out of order) and stopped the motion on the floor like it was a recess. The parliamentarian was only there to settle disputes and not stop the proceedings if anything was wrong so these procedural issues kept happening. #3 The majority was silencing the minority on many issues which I had thought Libertarians were against. This was not an issue caused by the LNC. It was a lack of integrity seen in the delegation. When a motion was made on a change recommended by the committee, debate would be opened up and you would see many people come to microphones to speak. Many times the first person called on would move to call the question and that would be seconded by someone in the crowd. There would be a vote, the chair would say it was approved by 2/3 of the delegation and debate would end without anyone being heard. At some point someone asked the chair to at least ask for an opposition opinion before someone could call the question and people would say they opposed and speak about some opposition they had about some unrelated thing (not the bylaw or platform change) and call the question. So the majority of the delegates were running rough shot over the minority and making sure no opposition was heard on many issues. At one point I stood at the microphone closest to us and was taking direction from Florida delegates if they wanted to speak on an issue. Since I stayed there I was first in line and if they happened to call on our microphone first I could speak for the Florida delegate on their opinion. I mainly voted no on a large amount of platform changes because I felt I needed to hear the other side of the argument before I could approve and did not get that chance. #4 A large portion of the delegation would try to influence the votes of others as they were voting. Several times during standing votes people were telling people to stay seated so they could sway a vote their way. I see this as very dishonest and borderline voter intimidation. I believe that every issue and person should win on its/their own merit and not because someone else tried to influence the vote. It was wrong. Also, many delegates were trying to convince people to vote for their friends if a delegate seem to not know anything about some of the candidates. Now for the way I voted for the positions on the LNC: Chair I am no fan of Geoffrey Neale. I was disappointed to see his combative behavior during the convention and I have had disagreements with him as chair over the last two years. I also believe the party needs new people. Nicholas Sarwark had called us a few days before convention and although he was articulate, he said a lot of words without answering any question at all. I felt there was something he was hiding and I immediately saw him as a great politician but not a person of integrity and honesty. At convention I found out that he had been conspiring with many people for months and had not been honest about many of his actions. In the first round I may have supported Brett Pojunis but with him putting in his name at the very end, I had not been able to talk to him about his plans as chair. For chair I voted NOTA Vice Chair I did not know a lot about Sam Goldstein and I did know that he supported floor fees (which I oppose). I also felt that we need new people in all positions. I like Arvin Vohra. I have spoken to him in the past and have always liked him. He lost my vote when I saw that he was also conspiring and acting in a very dishonorable manner. For Vice Chair I voted NOTA Secretary Chuck Moulten lost my vote when he came over to our delegation to make an excuse for the procedural issue I explained earlier. He tried to explain how it was no big deal to not go by the proper procedure and rules. I also realized he was involved in the dishonest behavior of Sarwark and Arvin. I was unsure about Alicia since she wasnt going to vote the way I would like on the LNC, however, when the last secretary failed to keep accurate records and minutes, it was Alicia who stepped in to do a job she did not have to do. Chuck Moulten was very critical of the last secretary not doing the job and tried to equate that to Alicia but when I found out it was Alicia that cleaned up the mess (something the Moulten could have volunteered to do but chose not to) she won my vote. I know I will disagree with her voting but she will provide accurate record and that is very important to me. For secretary I voted for Alicia Mattson. Treasurer There was only one nominee and I voted to approve Tim Hagan. At-Large We could vote for any and all candidates we approved of for At-Large Rep. Some candidates I did not know. Others I felt had simply served too long.There was no one nominated who I would not want to see on the LNC but I wanted new faces more than anything. I voted ONLY for Brett Pojunis (for his strong support of state affiliate sovereignty), Will McVay and Michael Pickens. After two hours of waiting for the vote for At-Large rep, Alex and I had to get on the road to make the 17 hour trip home as we had to work Monday and meet with clients. We left at 2:30pm and missed the Judicial Committee voting. Overall, I am disappointed with what has happened to our national party. Sarwark, Arvin and Moulten decided to run as a slate. They never told anyone until convention which I felt was dishonest in and of itself but they and their supporters were trying to use intimidation tactics and dishonesty (supporters that would be seen as divisive pretended to not know them). Sarwark is part of the Radicals Caucus which he hid for all intensive purposes. Had he been more honest, I may have considered him. As I seen things progress and saw the dishonesty, I was disgusted. This is what the Rs and Ds do to get position and power. To see Libertarians do the same was disheartening. I feel that in a large way, we did not hold an election. We witnessed a coup.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:00:33 +0000