An Open Letter to Region 4 State Leaders

by: Scott Williamson

Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 00:30:11 AM MST

What if Apollo Ohno showed up on race day without his skates? The crowd yelled and screamed to him that he was not wearing his skates, yet Ohno was too busy concentrating on defeating his opponent that he did not notice that he was not even prepared to skate in the race. We have LNC members who are too busy concentrating on their perceived enemies that they do not even notice that they are not prepared for the race. While some tout their stellar mastery of Roberts Rules and others brag about their computer skills (that turn out to be not so great) they do not even seem to notice that they have state affiliates that are hurting. They turn their head and ignore the dwindling membership. While donations diminish they attempt to bandage the hemorrhage with floor fees for delegates to our National Convention.

I am offering our members solutions to our problems:

• Put a moratorium on LNC's use of Robert's Rules. Treat fellow LNC members with respect and dignity and allow all voices to be heard.

• Examine our fixed costs to discover why our party spends upwards of 35 % on overhead and, at best, 15% on real politics of campaigns, ballot access, media relations, etc. Determine the most cost effective way of meeting our party's needs and spending the savings on real politics.

• Offer training, brochures, and a better database to our state affiliates. Create advertisements for TV, radio, internet, and print that each affiliate can use at the local level. Strengthen our party nation-wide by strengthening each and every state affiliate.

• Grow our party by standing firm on libertarian principles and reaching into the gap created by the other partys' shifts to the left and right.

• Represent our region not just sit on the LNC as another vote. I will communicate often with State affiliate leaders keeping you informed about the actions of our national party and listening to your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Facilitate the sharing of ideas between state leaders and proudly reporting the great successes of our region to our national party.

• Start listening to our members, state affiliates, and other activist. Recognizing that the best solutions to our problems will not come from those who are elected in Saint Louis. Harness the untapped talent of individuals in our Party by encouraging them to help the LNC to solve our greatest problems.

These are just a few ideas that I have that can help set our Party on a new path to a bright future. I will need help setting our party on this new path. That is why I am asking you to attend your State affiliate convention, become a delegate to the national convention, and support my candidacy. I ask that you also vote for Charles Wilhoit for Alternate. Together, Charles and I will work as a team to give you twice the support, twice the listening ear, and double the hard work.

Charles and I look forward to seeing you in Austin for LSLA!

For more information visit the campaign web site www.electwilliamson.com

The Party and the Pendulum

by: Scott Williamson

Sat Jan 30, 2010 at 19:27:33 PM MST

A pendulum swinging back and forth never moves forward.  We can have a national committee full of self described "radicals" that refuse to let any "reformer" have input. The following convention the "reformers" can take over the national committee and shut out the "radicals". In the end we are back where we started.  We will never manage to move forward if part of the national committee spends its time trying to silence members who disagree with them. We will not survive if we continue to allow LNC subcommittees to hold meetings in which some members were excluded because other members disagreed with them.

The Libertarian National Committee needs to live up to the libertarian philosophy of personal liberty. We have to accept that our fellow libertarians will sometimes disagree with us.  We can only create a libertarian society when we spend less time as a party fighting over how we word our message and more time spreading our message.  

The party must stand firm on its principals of individual liberty and personal responsibility. With the Democrat pendulum swinging to the left and the Republican pendulum swinging to the right, some argue the Libertarian Party needs to rush into the void. By moving our party to the left or the right we are just creating another void "up". We cannot and should not compromise our philosophy to fill a void. Where would this leave our party when the Republican or Democrat pendulum swings back? Instead of moving into the void we should reach into the void. Through outreach and education we will bring those who are left politically homeless by their parties into the Libertarian Party.

We should never mistake the Libertarian National Committee for our Libertarian Party. Our party is not a committee of seventeen.  Our Libertarian Party is the people who run for office, donate money, and volunteer their time. The party is those who are activist working to change the world. Our Libertarian Party is us.

Our Libertarian National Committee needs to listen to our members, the people who elect the committee, to listen where they want their donations spent and on which path they want to go. Then our LNC should lead the way. Our National Committee should learn what our party actually needs from a national office and then find an economical way to meet our needs.  When we listen to activist on the front line and meet their needs we will move our party and our society into a bright future of freedom.

Scott Williamson is a candidate for LNC Regional Representative and can be contacted at scott.williamson01@comcast.net

Wilhoit Declares for Regional Representative Alternate

by: Scott Williamson

Sat Jan 16, 2010 at 16:52:54 PM MST

I am a Recruiter by nature as well as by reputation. I am proud to say that I recruited Scott Williamson as a candidate for LNC Regional Representative from Region Four. I promised Scott that I would do everything possible to help him achieve his goal, both in being elected in St. Louis and in doing what he promised in his candidate announcement. http://lpmndc.org/index.php?op...

I  decided to become a candidate to be a more active supporter for Scott. I choose to be in the Arena, not just the Cheering Section.

I share Scott's goal completely. I agree with everything he said in his candidacy announcement. We are independent of each other as candidates, yet we are a Team in spirit. If elected, we promise that one or both of us will attend every LNC meeting. I have no intention of being a mere "Stand By" Representative. I will be Scott Williamson's working partner.

Charles Wilhoit is a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy and is a Captain, U. S. Navy (Retired). During his 29 years of active duty he commanded three ships, a Destroyer Squadron and one shore activity. Charles is past Chair of his county Libertarian Party, a past Chair of the Libertarian Party of Tennessee (LPTN) and currently serves as Chair of the LPTN Membership Committee. He was once a candidate for the Tennessee State Senate and for Governor of Tennessee.

To repeat Scott's own words: "I look forward to continually hearing your ideas and working with you to bring about a libertarian society. Together we can change the country. I ask for your support and look forward to meeting you in St. Louis, if not sooner."

Charles Wilhoit can be reached at: likelytn@aol.com.  Phone: 865-448-6493. USPS: P.O. Box 156, Townsend, TN 37882  

Williamson Declares for Regional Representative

by: Scott Williamson

Wed Jan 13, 2010 at 16:34:23 PM MST

Last month, I contacted State Party leaders and grass roots activist. I said I was listening. What did you want to tell me? You told me ballot access, outreach, local campaigns, and activist training were at the top of your agenda. I've heard your message.  I believe I can help set our party on the path that you asked for. I am excited to announce my candidacy for Regional Representative for the current region four.

Our National Committee's first responsibility is a fiduciary one. Committee members have a moral obligation to insure the party's money is spent wisely. It is not only how much money you spend, but what you are spending the money to do. As a Regional Representative I will seek to change where the LNC spends our money.  More of our money should be spent on the work of politics. A key issue is transparency, donors need to know where their money is spent.

You can lose an election and win a campaign. In many states we gain ballot access if a candidate wins a percentage of the state wide vote. If we spent money in these states on statewide campaigns we could gain ballot access in that state. This could lead to spending less on ballot access in Presidential election years and free up more money for campaigns and for ballot access in those states where it is the hardest to gain ballot access.

As your regional representative I will continue listen to what you have to say. By keeping in regular contact with state and local leaders and sharing your good work with the party as a whole, I will facilitate communications between the states in our region, so you can adopt what is working from other states and avoid things that are not working.  

The hard work of politics is done by those who volunteer their time and money. It is you the local activist who spreads the message of individual freedom and personal responsibility. It is you the local activist who digs deep into your own pockets to support candidates and issues. Our National committee should be helping you more. The National Committee should provide online, free, usable brochures, web page templates for our candidates, and training for people who want to run for office or campaign for an issue.

As we continue to reach out to those at tax revolts, antiwar rallies, gun festivals, and audit the Fed groups we will expand our party membership. We need to harness the talent and experience we already have in our party and offer training to those who wish to join us in our fight for freedom.

These are just a few ideas that will set us on the paths you advocated in your letters and phone calls last month. I am excited about the future of our party and have the energy to help lead the way. I look forward to continually hearing your ideas and working with you to bring about a libertarian society. Together we can change the country. I ask for your support and look forward to meeting you in Saint Louis, if not sooner.

The current Region 4 includes Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Scott Williamson is currently the S.T.A.R Representative of Outright Libertarians USA, Chair of Outright Libertarians Nashville and the Secretary for the Libertarian Party of Nashville and Davidson County. He is often a guest on Queer Talk Radio and Out and About TV political round table where he promotes the libertarian philosophy to the GLBT community. Scott holds a degree in Political Science and resides in Nashville, TN with his partner Brian Rhinehart.  Scott Williamson can be contacted at scott.williamson01@comcast.net