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2009 LPF Convention Report - by Libertarian Party of Sarasota Chair

By Libertarian Party of Sarasota Chair,
Bill Van Allen Jr.

What a great convention!

We had almost 100 in attendance at the business meeting, with just over 50voting delegates at one point. With so many delegates, there were still parts ofFlorida that weren't represented, and some areas that were strongly represented.Duval, Orange and Seminole counties had the most representatives, with Hillsborough, Pinellas and Okaloosa also being represented well.

Your new 2009 Officers of the Libertarian Party of Florida:

• Chair - J. J. McCurry
• Vice-Chair - Vicki Kirkland
• Treasurer - Jack Tanner
• Secretary - Mark Clifford.

Members of the LPF Executive Committee (EC)

LPF Region Reps and LPF At-Large Reps

• At-Large Rep 1: Char-Lez Braden
• At-Large Rep 2: Sean Concannon
• At-Large Rep 3: Jeff Hunt

2009 LPF Regional Representatives

• Region 1: James Tall
• Region 2: Alex GeorgeRegion
• Region 3: Nik RitchieRegion
• Region 4: **open**Region
• Region 5: Ray McGeeRegion
• Region 6: **open**Region
• Region 7: Phil LaibeRegion
• Region 8: **open**Region
• Region 9: Michael Gilson-deLemos (MG)Region
• Region 10: Karl DickeyRegion
• Region 11: James Coakley

For a map of which counties are in what region, go to:http://www.lpf.org/regreplrg.htm

If you know any Libertarians residing in counties in regions with an **open**seat on the EC, please give them a call and let them know there's an opportunityto get involved at a decision-making level in the state party. The EC meets viaconference call on the first Saturday of every month, and has met quarterly inperson near Orlando.

The EC has the power to appoint Libertarians to an openRegion Rep position whose primary purpose is to build county affiliates withintheir region. It only takes two people to start an affiliate, one to act asChairman and one as Treasurer.

There are guidelines available to help those twopeople get up and running, and it is possible to get seed money to aid the newaffiliate from the LPF. Anyone interested in establishing an affiliate shouldcontact their Region Rep, and anyon interested in serving as Region Rep shouldcontact one of the At-Large Reps.

The delegates had a very productive business meeting, clarifying wording in theLPF Constitution, LPF Bylaws and the LPF Standing Rules to support candidatesfor local, state and national office, to aid affiliates upon request, and toallow the LPF to conduct activities like get-out-the-vote drives, membershipdrives and fundraising in affiliated counties as has been a part of theConstitution for years, but has been passed by in the interest of affiliateautonomy.

The LP in Florida is not a top-down organization wherein the stateparty tells the affiliated county parties what to do; we're more of agrass-roots organization in which the county parties have always had, andcontinue to have, a great deal of leeway in how they recruit candidates, raisefunds, recruit members, contact members, etc.

However, since the 2008 election resulted in great strides being made towardmaking the U.S. of A a totalitarian-socialist nation under an all-powerfulcentral government, the LPF has decided to become more involved in membershiprecruitment and candidate recruitment and training for the 2010 election. If wedon't raise our political voices LOUDLY and NOW, it is very likely that we will NEVER AGAIN have the opportunity to defend our rights as guaranteed by theUnited States Constitution and limit the power of the federal government totransgress those rights.

And to be effective in elections, we need numbers andarticulate candidates. There is no time to build the organization like thepresent, and it is increasingly likely that what we don't do now, we may neveragain have a chance to do.If you think this sounds like conspiracy-theorist hyperbole, please read thearticle below all the way to the end.

You will NOT believe how much thegovernment fears freedom-lovers.

This is NOT A JOKE.http://www.restoretherepublic.net/article.php?article_id=1273Here's a short description: The MIAC report specifically describes supporters ofpresidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr as "militia"influenced terrorists and instruct the Missouri police to be on the lookout forsupporters displaying bumper stickers and other paraphernalia associated withthe Constitutional, Campaign for Liberty, and Libertarian Parties.

Getting back to local news, there is a new libertarian group in Manatee County.You can read about them at http://www.manateelibertarians.blogspot.com/

Time for my 7:00 p.m. Sarasota LP conference call.Anyone wishing to join in can do so by calling (712) 432-1600and entering the access code 1071180#.

Working to Restore Liberty In Our Lifetime,

Bill Van Allen, Jr.Chair, LPSRQ

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better thanthe animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counselor arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sitlightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!" --Samuel Adams (1722-1803) aka "The Father of the American Revolution"

2009 - Libertarian Party of Sarasota: Still an LPF Affiliate

(2009) The Libertarian Party of Sarasota County Florida is still an affiliate organization of the Libertarian Party of Florida (LPF), registered with the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections.

We are maintaining our bank account and mailing lists. However, we now have only two officers (which is OK because only two are required by LPF Bylaws) which are Carrie Herring, Treasurer and Chair, Bill Van Allen Jr.

We have a new website at: http://lpsarasota.webs.com/index.htm


We welcome Sarasota Libertarians to join our eList at:

http://lpsarasota.webs.com/joinourelist.htm

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LPSarasota/ (NEW)

Vote Nov 4th - Florida Constitutional Amendments

If you're undecided about how to vote on the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot Tuesday, maybe this will help your decision.

At the October conference call, the LPF Executive Committee discussed them at length and has made the recommendations below.

• Amendment 1: Declaration of Rights - YES
• Amendment 2: Marriage Protection Amendment - NO
• Amendment 3: Changes and Improvements Not Affecting the Assessed Value of Residential Real Property - YES
• Amendment 4: Property Tax Exemption of Perpetually Conserved Land, etc. - YES
• Amendment 5: removed
• Amendment 6: Waterfront Property, etc. - YES
• Amendment 8: Local Option Community College Funding - NO
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Bill Van Allen, Jr.
  Chair, LPSRQ
  At-Large Rep 1, LPF

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lpsrqnews/message/750