WILLIAMSON

Control Fixed Costs

Our party coffers are getting smaller and smaller as our sustaining members and frequent donors continue to dwindle. Just like every family has to adjust their budget when their income decreases so does our party. I will ask our treasurer to work with our executive director and look at our fixed cost. Going through each and every fixed cost and examining what needs each item meets. Then I will take this information to you, the party faithful, and find out what you need out of each of these items. After we discover what needs we must meet we can explore the least expensive way of reaching our goals.

For example, our national office cost upwards of $11,000 a month. We need to meet the needs of our executive director, office staff, and party members. We want them to be able to do the work of our party, but we want the work to be done in the most cost effective manner. I would suggest gathering information from all our members and see what is most needed in an office. Do we need an office front? What type of parking do we need? Does the office need to be in Washington, D.C.? How important is it for the office to be located near an airport? How much square footage do we need? Etc. Then I will ask you and the executive director to prioritize each need and together we can locate the most cost effective office to meet our top priorities.

While talking to State Chairs over the last few months I have been told by a few that our data base is full of waste. You told me that you receive a data dump full of outdated contact information causing you to spend money on mailings to address that are no longer valid. While no data base is going to be perfect, I will ask the national committee to look into seeing if there is a better, more cost effective way of keeping more accurate data so our state parties are not loosing money on mailings that are simply returned to them.

When we lower our fixed cost we can free up money to advertise, gain ballot access, support candidates, and grow our party.

Communication

The most important job of a Representative to our national committee is to listen to those they represent. As your Representative I will contact state party leaders and inform them of the upcoming issues that the committee will be addressing. I will listen to their thoughts and ideas and take their recommendations to the committee. I will be available to any party activist who wishes to speak to me. After listening to their needs I will work with other national committee members to find solutions to the problems. As your Representative, never again will our region have a blank report submitted to the national committee. Our region is doing great things I am proud of and I know reporting these activities will inspire other activist around our nation. By sharing successes and failures local activist can barrow ideas and adjust them to fit their local needs.

Cooperation

For far too long our national committee has spent too much time and energy on witch hunts, obstructing minority voices, and arguing the finer points of parliamentary procedure. I will work with all those who you elect to our national committee and will fight for any committee member whose voice is being shut down. I will ask that the national committee issue a moratorium on the use of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised and suggest the committee explore other options of running a meeting so that order is kept, but all voices are heard.

Fund Raise

It takes money to raise money so we must have our fixed costs under control. When activist see that their money is being spent wisely they will be more likely to donate more. As sustaining membership rises so will our parties income. We can not survive simply on membership dues. We will have to continue to raise more money. We can not ask for money from our members with the promise of spending it on one thing and then spend it on another. During the last year our national web page had a plea for donations on the top and center of our web page that stated, help us elect candidates in 2009. It worked well and the party exceeded its stated fund raising goal. However our FEC filing shows a total expenditure on candidates as zero. (click here to see the FEC report line 23) This was pointed out to me by several activist who had donated and felt disappointed that none of their money went to candidate support.

Dr. Paul has shown us that a lot of money can be raised $10 at a time. While large contributions are nice, a large number of smaller contributions are better. People who donate small amounts once are more likely to give again and again. They are more likely to believe the money is being spent wisely, and are more likely to donate something even more valuable then their money, their time.

I am not promising millions and millions to be raised. This would be foolhardy. I am promising that I will work with you and the national committee to put us on the path of financial increase and stop the downward trend our parties donations have taken. I do not have all the solutions, and that is why listening is so important. Our party is comprised of thousands of talented, unique, and creative individuals. I will listen to your suggesting and ideas for increasing our party donations and take them to the national committee.

Strengthen State Parties

Our party will only see sustained growth when we grow our party from the bottom up. We may see a spike in membership during presidential election years, but as the excitement of the election wears off many of these members drop out. When we strengthen our state affiliates we strengthen the whole party.

While talking to the state chairs from our region, I was amazed at how some of our state parties memberships are dwindling. As your representative I will listen to the issues that face your state. Some of these issues can be addressed by the national committee which can provide states affiliates with better database information and activist and leadership training.

I will facilitate communication between party leaders in our region. While what works in one state may not work in another, creative people can adapt many ideas from other states and avoid mistakes made by others.

Support Activist and Candidates

Activist and candidates are the ones who do the heavy lifting for our party. Without activist spreading the message and candidates running for office we would be a club not a political party. Activist and candidates help grow our party from the bottom up. The national party should never stifle the creativity of these individuals but can help them in their work. As your Representative I will listen to activist and candidates and find out what our national committee can do to support them.

Our party can have free, printable issue brochures available to those who wish to download them and use them in their activism. Our party can also use the vast amount of talent of our members and host training sessions and webinars for the newest of our members who have been brought into the party through our outreach.

With lower fixed cost more money should go to our candidates. Besides financial support our national party can offer web page templates, web page hosting, and candidate training.

Advertise

To depend solely on major media to spread the message of libertarianism and expand name recognition of the Libertarian Party is foolhardy. The major media outlets simply will not cover us. To spread our message we need to tap into the vast individual talents that already exist in our party and produce professional radio, T.V., and print ads. These advertisements should be made available to our state affiliates who can best determine how and where to use them in their area.

Before we can consider making this expenditure we must first control our fixed cost and increase our donation. (see above)

Outreach

End the Fed, Anti-War, and Tax Revolt rallies are springing up all over the place. Each day more and more people are waking up to the libertarian idea of self-government. We have been handed an opportunity like never before to grow our party.

Our party will grow from the bottom up. Our national committee should support the state and local activist who are reaching out into the gaping void left by the other political parties who have moved to the extreme ends of their party.

The best way our national committee can assist the local activist is by listening to them providing training, and providing free downloadable brochures.

Prepare for Convention

One of the few requirements our bylaws place upon our national committee is to have our convention. The cost of convention is approximately 1% of our national parties two year budgets. It is reasonable that our national committee set aside 1% of our income over two years to pay for convention. With this money already budgeted as an expense all the money made at convention will be profit. This will allow us to have no floor fee for delegates and prevent us from violating our own bylaws. It is reasonable to charge for convention activities such as meals, speakers, workshops, etc. It is unreasonable to charge a fee for a delegate to have access to the delegate floor in order to vote.

Click Here to see campaign statement on current proposed floor fee