Santa Clara Libertarian Volume 27, Issue 3 March 1999 For Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -------------------------------------------------- Inside This Issue * Chair's Column * Publicity Chair's Column * Letters to the LPSCC Editor * LPSCC Speakers Bureau * LPC Officer Election Results * LPC Report * Libertarian Article Published * Schedule * Officer List * Membership Form -------------------------------------------------- Chair's Column Let's Get Growing! Marv Rudin LPSCC Chairman Now that the local and state annual conventions are over, it's time to roll up our collective sleeves and get down to business implementing the CEGAP - Cost Effective Growth Action Plan we committed to at the January elections, especially the testing of Operation Everyone in which YOU will play the major role. But first I'd like to tell you about a better method of running for party office that was devised just three months ago and it's already proving popular with you members. Elect-a-Plan Is Already Making a Difference? They say, "The future is for those who plan for it". Well nobody believes that more than your Chair. In the last three months I planned and carried out a new and more rational way to organize our party at both levels - region and state. It's called "Elect-a-Plan" (EAP), or "it's not the man, it's the plan." EAP eliminates the major drawback of the normal process in which members independently decide to run for the various offices, and after being elected are thrown together and expected to perform as a team. While most of the officers can function without a lot of cross cooperation, this process is especially difficult for the Chair. He appears to be responsible, but may have little influence over officers who were elected independently of him. It's essentially responsibility without authority, a management no-no, and can be very frustrating for the chair, and devastating to getting a coordinated performance from the organization. After the election, lengthy debating and bickering can occur in establishing a plan and budget that may not settle out until a good portion of the term has expired. The "Elect-a-Plan" method of running for office is to assemble a team committed to a plan before the elections takes place. On election night it offers the voters a clear choice of voting for candidates who have a plan with specific measurable goals and methods, instead of voting for people with only resumes and hoping they figure out what to do after they are elected. On Jan. 13th, EAP was used to elect all but one of our present LPSCC officers committed to implementing our CEGAP plan (Leyla Hanson, the exception was luckily a real find as Treasurer). And at the LPC Convention in San Jose on Feb. 15th, EAP was used to elect three new members of the LPC ExCom which in combination with the five big-region reps are expected to tilt the body toward a more balanced organization than it was last year when the chair put all his eggs in one basket. "Operation Everyone" is Coming to YOU Soon! You - yes YOU, not them but YOU, and YOU, and YOU - all of you members out there - are about to be the cause of some very rapid growth for this party with practically no effort. You are going to be the "one" in Operation Everyone. WE are working on the design of an Operation Everyone card (OEC) that will arm you with the best and lowest cost sales means conceivable - (1) the Nolan chart & quiz; (2) a convincing sales slogan; (3) the address of the LIFE web site; (4) our phone number to call to register Libertarian. You will pass out these cards to people you encounter in your normal daily affairs without going out of your way. During the test phase, when recipients of the OECs call our number to register, someone will take the call (probably me), enter their name and address, and email it in to the Secretary of State, or use the SOS' # 1800-345-VOTE, causing the SOS to mail out a post paid registration form to the requestor. Initial Small Scale Test of OE For the initial test, you will receive a free 1-ounce mailer containing an instruction sheet and between 5 and 10 cards depending on the final size and weight of the OE card. Don't throw the OE test envelope away or set it aside - it will spoil the test if you do. As soon as possible after receiving them, put the cards in clear view where you dress in the morning so you'll remember to put them in your pocket or purse when you get ready to go out each day. When out, whenever the opportunity arises naturally, hand the cards to colleagues at work, neighbors, people at your club, shop keepers, and anyone else who strikes up a brief conversation with you. You can do it without saying a word, excepting maybe to say "Here - take this and read it when you get home." That's all there is to it. I've done it many times with the Web/LIFE cards and they are accepted without fail. In the twinkling of an eye they flip the card into their pocket and it's a done deal. After that what happens? We don't know yet for sure until the test is over, but if you pass out all your cards, and even 1-in-100 card recipients registers LP, it's a winner! Measuring % of Cards Getting New Registrants Now you may wonder, how will we know the registration percentage for this test using all our Santa Clara County members to pass out cards? With the help of about ten volunteers on John Inks' Telephone Team (JITT) we'll find out, simply by them calling all new registered Libertarians and asking them if they got an OE card that caused them to register. There are about 600 members in our local party. If we pass out 10 cards each, the total will be 6000 cards out. If 1% of those receiving the cards register LP, we'll have 60 new LP registrants. We typically get about 30 to 60 new registrants a month from unknown causes. If all card passout takes place in one month, JITT will need to call maybe 120 new LP registrants. If we have 10 telephoners, they'll need to call just 6 to 9 phone numbers each because about a quarter to a half of the registrants don't give their phone number. To get the final percentage of cards causing registration it will be estimated by assuming that the proportion of new registrants from OE cards will be the same among the unphonable registrants. I'm targeting the end of March for the mail out to you and will ask for all cards to be out before the end of May. We'll get the list of new LP registrants between the end of March and the end of July, and run the polling by JITT the first part of August, and have the report by the end of August. If it's 1% or better, the next step will be to ask the LPC to back a test asking our 5000+ Libertarian registered voters to pass out cards. This could establish a low cost predictable engine of growth for the party because although getting dues paying members from registered voters with repeated mailers is predictable at about 10%, a systematic way to attract new registered voters in volume - the first step in the process - hasn't been developed yet. -------------------------------------------------- Publicity Chair's Column Join in the publicity Frank Groffie LPSCC Publicity Chairman Greetings. I've taken on the job of publicity committee chairman in 1999. I'm asking if you'd like to help on our committee. There will be lots to do this year to publicize our ideas and our party. We will be writing letters and articles for newspaper publication, calling radio talk shows, staffing a booth at the county fair this August, advertising, writing news releases, perhaps even creating a public-access TV show. Here's what you can do: * I'm developing our publicity program for the year. Do you have any suggestions for publicizing the LPSCC? * Right now the greatest need on our committee is for a talk show task manager and talk show callers. This is a task for party members who have always wanted to break through onto the local radio waves and talk with Geoff Medcalf, Gene Burns, et al. Or who have already done so! Ideally, we'll have a cadre of 3-5 people who share strategies and successes with each other, call the talk shows, coordinate their efforts, post their results on our internet echo and in the newsletter, all with the goal of getting our message on the air about once per week. To start things off, I'll soon start a local radio program guide summarizing the local stations, their talk show hosts, time slots, political orientations, interests, and manners. But, hey, if someone wants to jump right into the job and start by taking over this task, be my guest. * I've already had my input published in a Joanne Jacobs op-ed piece in the Mercury. Perhaps you caught it on Jan. 25, 1999, on p. 7B. This was my first contact with her, and it represents my way of beginning a relationship with a possible closet libertarian-leaning member of the Mercury's editorial board. And today I received a call from Letters Editor John Swartley, requesting some information before possibly publishing my letter responding to the gun-control editorial that appeared Jan. 22, 1999. Perhaps by now you've seen the letter. And I sent technology writer Dan Gillmor a letter thanking him for taking a strong pro-encryption stance in the Mercury recently. What can YOU do? Many hands make light work (old Indian saying). Let me know if you want to help and be on our letters task group. We'll shoot emails among each other, giving advice and editing help. A few months ago, Marv Rudin, Dave Bonino, and I did this successfully with an article (by Marv). * It's a little early yet to be tightening the hinges on our county fair booth, but keep in mind it's in August and consider whether you'd like to manage this task in '99 or at least help staff the booth. It was a blast in '98. * Any other help you can lend? Would you know how to create a public-access TV show? Want to help write news releases? Here's how to contact me: by email at FGroffie@aol.com or by phone (evenings) at (408) 935-9652. I, the party members, your children, and the Founders stirring in their graves all thank you. -------------------------------------------------- Letters to the LPSCC Editor Dear Editor: I was shocked by the wording of the article, "Bylaw Controversy" in the February issue of the SCL. It came off looking terribly one-sided by omitting the following important facts, the absence of which caused my character to appear in an awful light: * It didn't say my ruling that the LPSCC By-laws preclude electing the LPC rep (which provoked the controversy) was completely correct. When Secretary Ray Strong read Section III of the Bylaws titled "Elected Officers" it demonstrated to all present that the LPC Rep is not an elective office. It was incontrovertible. But you didn't report that. Readers are invited to check the By-laws on our web site at sc.ca.lp.org. * It didn't mention that Ray then read Section VII, "LPC Representative," which says that the LPC rep may be appointed by the ExCom. Again - look it up. So my refusal to hold an election for ExCom Rep wasn't a "tactic" as you said, but a policy - one of adhering to our By-laws while those demanding an election that night clamored to rely on the past illegal practice of electing the LPC Rep. But you didn't report that. If our By-laws conflict with the LPC by-laws, the solution is not to ignore ours but to change them to comply. But rather than using a "tactic" as you put it, I opted to cooperate with the "hagglers" when I acquiesced, although the By-laws don't say that the Central Committee can pass anything if it is contrary to the By-laws. * I stated that not once in the past two years has LPC Rep Joe Dehn ever asked any of us on the LPSCC ExCom what we wanted the LPC ExCom to do. But you didn't report that. * I repeatedly said to the dissidents "I can not violate our By-laws." But you didn't report that. On top of those omissions, there were some distortions as follows: * The interpretation that my insisting on adhering to the By-laws, "seemed like a sneaky attempt", while not mentioning the fact that those clamoring to not adhere to the By-laws were clearly in the wrong is purely and simply inaccurate, unfair journalism. "Sneaky" means doing something hidden. It wasn't sneaky of me to follow the By-laws and announce that we wouldn't be electing a rep that night. That was in front of everyone and asserted for all to see and hear. That's not "sneaky"! * Terry Savage did not lead the "opposition to this legal wrangling" as the article says. He was one of several wranglers who were vociferously clamoring for an illegal election that night, while I was trying to move on to the delegate elections or to complete the meeting. But he and the others persisted endlessly in challenging my valid ruling. That's wrangling. Next time Mr. Editor, please be more balanced by reporting from the viewpoint of both sides of an issue. Marv Rudin LPSCC Chair -------------------------------------------------- LPSCC Speakers Bureau Ron Berti LPSCC Speakers Bureau Specialist February 10 saw the inaugural meeting of the LPSCC speaker's bureau at Coco's restaurant in Sunnyvale. The 2-hour meeting drew 16 people, who were entertained by speeches from Victor Vurpillat, Bill Carr, Don Cormier, Marv Rudin, and me. Among the attendees were three visitors from the NRA Member's Council, two of whom were persuaded to register Libertarian by a recent article in the Willow Glen Times by our Newsletter Chair. After each speech, the speaker was given plenty of feedback about how well it was received and some pointers on how to improve the speech for the future. Both Bill Carr and I are currently active in Toastmasters International, a self-help group organized around improving public speaking skills. Victor Vurpillat gave the attendees an upcoming speech he would be presenting shortly to a graduating class at UC Monterey, emphasizing personal responsibility and the overall benefits of a society predicated on liberty. Bill Carr demonstrated great skill on a topic pointed at Libertarians rather than outreach. Marv read from the LIFE Book's preface. Don Cormier discussed a debate he had attended about campaign finance reform at a local high school, adding that his opponent, a political science professor whose personal preferences were for significant regulation, presented a significant challenge to his efforts. I described the goals of the new organization. "We can make a difference presenting the message of liberty to audiences all over the valley. These are often folks that are totally unfamiliar with the ideas and perspectives we can present. It's great to see so many local Libertarians here tonight, excited about spreading the word." The primary immediate goal of the organization is to develop a small cadre of volunteers who are excited about speaking in front of all kinds of groups, to support their individual efforts at improving their own speaking skills, largely within the every-other-month meetings, and to obtain speaking engagements at Kiwanis, Elks, Rotary, schools, and elsewhere as available. Any member of the LPSCC who can help obtain such an engagement is encouraged to call Ron Berti at (408) 255-0248 to arrange for a speaker. Eventually the club may develop a web site, which will act as a 24/7 beacon for local groups seeking speakers. Other eventual plans include the posting of a series of speeches on a common site so that we can build on each others "prior art". I also emphasize the use of a $12 book, The Cato Handbook for Congress. This lets us leverage millions of dollars of research, aimed at rolling back the Leviathan State, and lets us speak with confidence, with specifics, on a wide range of topics. The next meeting will be March 10 from 7 to 9 PM, once again at Coco's in Sunnyvale. If you are interested in attending, you can expect 3-4 quality speeches on various Libertarian topics, each followed by thorough verbal evaluations. Victor Vurpillat said "we try to leave a little time at the end for general purpose discussions, which bring a bit of camaraderie and fun." If you have ever considered what it would be like to strike a blow for Liberty, come join our event. You'll be sure to have a good time, and you may find yourself with a new hobby. -------------------------------------------------- The New LPC Executive Committee In case you have not seen the results of the LPC Officer elections, here they are: Chair: Mark Hinkle Northern Vice Chair: Rodney Austin of Fresno Southern Vice Chair: Ted Brown of San Gabriel Secretary: Sandi Webb Treasurer: Eric S. Lund At-Large members: * John Scott Ballard of San Bernardino * Elizabeth Brierly of San Jose * Jose Casteneda of South Gate * Steve Marsland of Pacifica * Perry Martin of Los Angeles Jonathan Richter of Fresno and our Steven Alexander of Santa Clara were elected At-Large Alternates. -------------------------------------------------- LPC Report Jascha Lee LPSCC Newsletter Chair Well, I attended my first State Convention recently. It was quite an experience. I would arrive shortly after 8 a.m. to participate in the General Session in which party business was decided (bylaw and platform changes and the election of new officers), then attend a luncheon, and listen to an excellent speech. After lunch, it was on to presentations about libertarian hot button issues. Around 6:30 it was time for a couple of drinks and then dinner. Run Unz, T.J. Rogers, and other luminaries filled my mind (the hotel did an admirable job of filling my belly). All in all, it was a worthwhile experience. -------------------------------------------------- Libertarian Article Published Willow Glen Times runs LP article Jascha Lee LPSCC Newsletter Chairman This has been a good time for local Libertarian publicity. We've had letters published and the State convention featured in the Mercury News. Marv had an article printed in the Engineering News Record. With all this to choose from, how should I pick what to run? I know, I'll pick the one I wrote (being Editor has its privileges)! This article came about as a result of our Chair's dogged determination (and hounding ability). He got the publisher to agree to run a piece on Tom Spielbauer's campaign to elect the public defender. Unfortunately, Tom does not live in Willow Glen (a prerequisite), so he needed a tie in. As luck would have it, one of his backers does. As fate would have it, this backer's wife had the unfortunate timing to write a nasty letter to the publisher demanding that he stop delivering his "trash" to their yard. Things didn't look good! Luckily for us, the publisher still wanted to run a Libertarian article (mainly to get Marv off his back), and since I live in Willow Glen, he called me and told me to write something about Willow Glen and Libertarians. And this is what I wrote: Willow Glen a big Libertarian stronghold When I bought my home here in Willow Glen, one thing that I was relieved about was the lack of complicated set backs, and other requirements that seem to be sprouting up like weeds. Perhaps back when Willow Glen was established, neighbors talked to neighbors and worked things out rather than calling the police or getting City Hall to pass laws. Maybe this ethic continues? I think in part it does. One reason is the fact that the Willow Glen zip code (95125) contains the fifth largest group of registered Libertarians in the county. I know I cringed whenever I heard a politician proudly describe how he was expanding some government program or criminalizing yet another harmless activity. I was ranting and raving when reading the morning paper. I started thinking about how the current size and scope of government flies in the face of the founding fathers' intentions. It was getting so that my wife was tired of me just complaining. She said it was time to put up or shut up. I researched my options and discovered libertarianism. I then decided to become active in the local Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party, the third largest political party in America, subscribes to the principles upon which our nation was founded, namely individual liberty and limited government. We believe in those famous words, "That government is best which governs least". It holds dear to the concepts laid out in the Declaration of Independence, that we, as individuals, have natural rights (among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) and that government's only legitimate function is to secure those rights. The Libertarian Party is working to restore these principles to American government. I would like to explain my opinion of when and how our government started to derail and why the Libertarian party is the remedy not only for our city but also for our great country. Our Founding Fathers established a republic headed by a government with a short list of eighteen powers, held at bay by a system of checks and balances set forth in a written Constitution. I believe we departed from this framework when Franklin Roosevelt implemented the New Deal expanding government's powers. To square the New Deal with the Constitution, Roosevelt loosely interpreted the commerce clause as meaning the Federal government has power over anything remotely connected with inter-state commerce. The Federal government now uses the "commerce clause" justification so routinely that the concept of enumerated powers is largely irrelevant today. It was a Frenchman, over one hundred years ago, who foretold the nature of tyranny to which our republic is prone. See if you recognize today what Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about over 150 years ago: "After having thus successively taken each member of the community in its powerful grasp, and fashioned them at will, the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with a network of small complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided: men are seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting: such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd." Today we have the paternalistic Republicans and the maternalistic Democrats. They look to Europe for inspiration. Europe, in which the people have developed such a sense of entitlement that the unemployed strike for better vacation pay! What they fail to understand is that a truly civil society cannot be imposed. That the more government takes on, the less people do. That only through voluntary associations and voluntary civic action can a people blossom. When the rule of law is enforced and property rights are respected, voluntary interactions conducted every day by every individual result in spontaneous order. As government takes on more and more of what was once voluntary, these ties between people crumble. It is no wonder that our social fabric is fraying today, that which held it together is no longer your neighbors next door, but some government agency someplace you don't know where. Although I sleep easier now that I live in Willow Glen, these are the kinds of thoughts that keep me up at night. If you share these concerns or are frustrated with the direction we are heading, here are some resources for you. To contact the Libertarian Party, call (800) ELECT US. To take the "Worlds Smallest Political Quiz" to determine where you are on the political spectrum, go to http://www.self-gov.org. For the true politics junkie, visit the Cato Institute web page at http://www.cato.org. If you want to get involved at the local level, call (408) 243-2711. -------------------------------------------------- Schedule Speakers Meeting The Speakers Meeting is held the second Wednesday of the month (for March, that would be the tenth) at 7 o'clock at Coco's Restaurant. Come and critique a libertarian speech. For details, see page 4. Business Meeting Business meetings are held every third month. The next will be April 14th. These are meetings in which, with a quorum, we are able to conduct official party business. Executive Committee Meetings These meetings have gone virtual. They are being conducted via email now. -------------------------------------------------- Officers Chairman, Marv Rudin, (408) 736-5626, autel@prodigy.com Vice Chairman, Victor Vurpillat, (408) 923-1600, vvurpillat@hotmail.com Secretary, John Inks, (650) 941-4167, john.inks@lmco.com Treasurer, Leyla Hanson, (408) 732-9205, riekershoe@aol.com Membership, Tim Trammell, (408) 281-0476, janis_trammell@imicorp.com Campaign, Ray Strong, (408) 268-8466, tmkx01a@prodigy.com Publicity, Frank Groffie, (408) 935-9652, fgroffie@aol.com Fundraising, Markus Krummenacker, (650) 493-2531, kr@n-a-n-o.com Activities, Bill Carr, (408) 973-8571, billcarr@ricochet.net Newsletter, Jascha Lee, (650) 933-7324, jascha@sebastian.com State ExCom Rep, Thomas Spielbauer, (408) 279-3336, thomas@spielbauer.com Alt ExCom Rep, Joe Dehn, (650) 858-1842, jwd3@dehnbase.fidonet.org Judicial Committee: Don Cormier, (408) 296-7264 Jon Hugdahl, jon@NoMoreTax.com Chris Evensen, (408) 356-5816 This newsletter is the publication of the Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County, a non-profit political organization. For further information, call (408) 243-2711. Or see our web page at http://www.sc.ca.lp.org. Do you have something to say, and want it to reach all the Santa Clara county Libertarian members? Submit a newsletter article! lpnews@sebastian.com or 2301 Shibley Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125-4068. We especially appreciate articles related to local Libertarian news or activities. -------------------------------------------------- The Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County Membership Application Please print out and mail with payment to: Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County 3249 Stevens Creek Boulevard Suite 207 San Jose, CA 95117 Please Print Name: ______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________________________________ I choose to set my dues at: $25 Basic ________________ $100 Sustaining ________________ $250 Sponsor ________________ $500 Patron ________________ $1000 Life ________________ Plus an additional contribution to the LPSCC: $___________ Monthly pledge ________________ $___________ One-time donation ________________ Total: ________________ Payment Method ___________ Check payable to "Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County" ___________ VISA ___________ MasterCard Credit Card #: ____________________________________ Expiration Date: ____________________________________ Cardholder Name: ____________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________ The Libertarian Party is the party of principle. To assure and affirm that our party never strays from its principles, we request our members to sign the pledge below. (Non-signers cannot vote on party business). I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals. Signature: ______________________________________________