FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.JimDuensing.com
Jim Duensing for President
It has long been whispered in Libertarian circles that when we Libertarians actually get a hold of even a small bit of power, we become everything we despise.
There is no better example of that long whispered adage than the Libertarian Party of Nevada's meeting on Cinco de Mayo. It was a teleconference. The agenda was short and sweet. Levels of Membership – Move to Consolidate – Authorize Spending of Funds.
In short order, two thirds of the Executive Committee, who had obviously discussed the matter previously, voted to create levels of membership not authorized by the state bylaws. These new membership levels were a reinstatement of the old restrictive Clark County rules that were in place before the last round of affiliate conventions – where every affiliate reduced its dues. The Agoraphobic Six followed that by voting to revoke the affiliate status of all active affiliates, without the written explanation required by the bylaws. Then, they voted to give the Chair power to make all decisions about all monies and the upcoming convention.
We have become what we profess to oppose.
Now let's look more closely at the vote to “consolidate” as kitchen table caucus member Irv Hopkins termed it.
There are 17 counties in Nevada. Clark County is where Las Vegas is. Washoe County is where Reno is. Those two counties account for most of Nevada's population. The Nevada Libertarian Party has 3 affiliates: Clark County, Nye County, and the Capitol Region (which includes Washoe, Carson City, and Douglas). 5 of the 17 counties covering more than ninety plus percent of the population of the state are organized into three affiliates.
Nye County is the state party's most successful affiliate. It is a southern county contiguous to Clark with its major population center, Pahrump, about an hour outside of Vegas. We have two Libertarians elected to political office in Nye County. Mike Darby is the chair of our local affiliate and the chair of the Town Board of Pahrump. He is the highest elected Libertarian in Nevada, and possibly the whole nation. The other elected Libertarian is Harry Friend who is on the water board in Beatty. Successful Libertarians running in local winnable races with a grassroots operation that almost elected a Libertarian to the County Commission. Sandra Darby earned 42% in the 2010 election in her narrow defeat for a seat on the County Commission.
The Capitol Affiliate is organized and has some activity. I'm not familiar with all of their current activities. However, the Capitol Affiliate is up north. There has always been a north / south divide in Nevada politics. It exists in every party in this state. And, the folks up north are not fans of the small caucus of agoraphobes that have gained control of the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Nevada.
The Libertarian Party of Clark County is the state's oldest affiliate. After the last round of county conventions, the Clark County affiliate canceled all of its meetings. It used to have monthly meetings. Not uncoincidentally, two members of the State Executive Committee that supported the abolition of all affiliates and the centralization of Libertarian power into the hands of the chair are also officers in the Clark County Libertarian Party. Irv Hopkins and Kris McKinster.
The problem is that this small caucus of neo-libertarians is scared of new people joining the organization. You would think that the few volunteers of a small organization with a large job would welcome more hands on deck. But, paradoxically, the members of Nevada's Agoraphobic Caucus are literally afraid of new people joining our three percent political party. They prefer to sit around the kitchen table of all-time chair Joseph P. Silvestri and centrally plan liberty while trying to expel average ordinary concerned citizens from their ranks.
None of the agoraphobes mentioned any actual reason – not even the pretext of a reason – to abolish functioning counties in favor of an attempt to consolidate power that would have pleased Vice Chancellor Hitler.
The relevant section of the official bylaws of the Libertarian Party of Nevada REQUIRE that any revocation of affiliate status be done with a two thirds vote AND a written explanation of any and all votes in favor of revocation. No such written statement was prepared by ANY member of the Executive Committee. None was even offered verbally.
Article VII
b. REVOCATION OF AFFILIATE STATUS
i. The Executive Committee shall have the power to revoke affiliate status if two-thirds of the Executive Committee shall so vote. Members voting to revoke affiliate status must state their reasons in writing.
The vote of the Libertarian Party of Nevada's Executive Committee to revoke the affiliate status of all active affiliates and to “consolidate” power into the hands of the agoraphobes on the Executive Committee was in contravention of the state's own bylaws and is therefore null and void.
As the current and active Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of Nye County, I am going to continue acting in that capacity. As such, I will continue to represent that I am the Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party of Nye County Nevada. I will continue to use the registered trademark of the Libertarian Party of the United States of America as an official representative of the party. I will continue to go on state-wide television programs to discuss Libertarian activities in my county. I will continue the actions planned for our local Pahrump town board meetings, including the Libertarian Party of Nye County's resolution to repeal the town ordinance which requires all businesses to get a business license. This measure would really help our small businessmen and I will continue to push it as is my duty as the sitting vice-chair of the Libertarian Party of Nye County.
I encourage the other counties to remain active.
I also encourage the Nevada Libertarian Party Executive Committee Members to state their reasons for voting for the revocation of all affiliates. One rather loquacious member of the Nevada Executive Committee is also an At-Large member of the Libertarian National Committee and has offered no explanation as to why he thinks it furthers the interests of liberty to attempt to abolish all the active affiliates in his home state. I am quite certain several hard working Libertarian volunteers will inquire why he has dishonored the hard work and sacrifice of so many Libertarians working hard to spread liberty at home.
Roll Call of Votes to abolish all Libertarian Affiliates
Jospeh P. Silvestri – Chair
YES
Wayne Allyn Root (W.A.R.) – Vice Chair
YES
Kris McKinster – Secretary
YES
Michael McAuliffe – Treasurer
YES
Irv Hopkins – At Large
YES
Chris Roberts – Southern Region
YES
David Colborne – Northern Region
NO
Sandra Darby – Central Region
NO