Apply NOW for 2010 Platform Committee
We had unprecedented success re-writing the Libertarian Party platform in 2008. Now Reform Caucus members are urged to apply for appointments to the 2010 Platform Committee to continue to improve it and to hold the line against re-radicalization of the platform. Though it sounds far away, the time to apply for an appintment is RIGHT NOW!
From the October 2008 edition of LPNews:
The Libertarian National Committee is looking to appoint ten people to serve on the Platform Committee in preparation for the 2010 Libertarian National Convention.
Committee members will be expected to expend an appreciable amount of their time in the months leading up to the Convention, and due to the anticipated amount of work, they will be expected to incur considerable travel costs, at personal expense, for meetings prior to the Convention, in addition to attendance at the Libertarian National Convention in 2010.
So that members of the Libertarian National Committee can determine who might best fill seats on the Platform Committee, each applicant is requested to draft and submit via e-mail three proposed or modified platform planks to: platform@lp.org no later than November 16, 2008.
Reform Caucus Victory in Denver
JUNE 5, 2008
LIBERTARIAN REFORM CAUCUS
FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
The 2008 LP Convention in Denver was a huge success for the Libertarian Reform Caucus. The delegates overwhelmingly rejected every attempt to restore the old 2004 platform and instead adopted (with only a few amendments) the entire replacement platform recommended by the Platform Committee. See the new lean and mean LP platform
online.
For the two years between Portland and Denver, the Radial Anarchist Minority criticized the decisions of the Portland delegates to mass-delete most of the 2004 Platform, claiming it was an anomaly convention, claiming their opinions weren't representative of the party members as a whole.
The Denver convention validated the LRC's argument that there is a previously silent majority in the party that is anxious for reform if we just give them the option to vote for it. The Radical Anarchist Minority may be noisy, but when it comes time to count the delegate votes, they're a minority. Minority sub-groups should be welcome in the LP (each of us will eventually find ourself in the minority from time to time on different subjects), but it's time that our party image reflects our membership majority.
With the adoption of a new platform, one of the LRC's three main goals has been accomplished. We will continue to work to repair the Statement of Principles and the party membership pledge.
We still need your help to continue to succeed. Only national convention delegates have the opportunity to vote on these matters. If you've been waiting to see signs of improvement before you joined the LP, the Portland and Denver delegates have given you a clear sign. Now is the time to formally join the LP, get involved in your state party, be an LRC coordinator in your state party, plan to be a 2010
national convention delegate, and help us continue the momentum to create a politically viable Libertarian Party.
Reform Caucus Membership Dwarfs Restore04 Petition Signers
APRIL 9, 2008
LIBERTARIAN REFORM CAUCUS
FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
The Libertarian Reform Caucus (www.reformthelp.org) now has over 1100 members. That’s enough people to fill all 1051 delegate slots at the 2008 national LP convention in Denver.
The Libertarian Reform Caucus is made up of individuals who believe that America needs a real libertarian party, a party that promotes liberty while being conscious of political reality, a party designed to win elections and begin rolling back excess government now.
To accomplish that, Reform Caucus members think the party needs a platform that unites libertarians instead of dividing them, is silent in areas where there is significant disagreement between party members, inspires rather than scares voters, and creates a "big-tent" party for all libertarian-leaning voters who want to call for incremental steps toward liberty rather than immediate abolition of the state.
We have a membership roughly 5 times the size of the Restoration Caucus, whose 200 members want the party to restore the 18,000-word 62-plank 2004 platform, with its calls for personal secession and extra-terrestrial homesteading. The 1100 to 200 membership ratio seems to be fairly representative of the opinion ratios of the libertarian world as a whole, as indicated by a recent survey.
It seems there is a large majority of party members who want to move forward into the dawning era of Libertarian Party relevance and big-tent inclusiveness, rather than backwards to discredited small-pond exclusiveness.
Our Latest Platform Proposal
With the efforts of our members on the LP Platform Committee, the Committee has adopted recommendations for a new platform that recyles language from previous LP platforms to eloquently and elegantly describe what the Bylaws mean by "a libertarian direction" in public policy, stating for each issue a timeless principle that is consistent with both incremental reform and radical ultimate goals.
We also have two earlier proposals:
If you wish to comment on these proposals, please do so through
our Yahoo group, and don't forget to send the PlatCom your feedback at PlatformFeedback@lp.org.
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