Libertarian Party of San Francisco Agenda: September 11, 2010
Meeting Location: San Francisco Main Library, 1st Floor Conference Room
Meeting Starts 3:00 pm
Welcome and Introductions/New Agenda Items :05 3:05 pm
Officer Reports :05 3:10 pm
Treasurer: Les Mangus
Secretary: Jawj Greenwald
Vice Chair: Ron Getty
Chair: Marcy Berry
Committee Reports :05 3:15 pm
Internet Communications/Social Networking: Rob Power
Initiatives/Ballot Measurers: Ron Getty
Membership: Marcy Berry
Outreach: Starchild
Political Candidates’ Report :05 3:20 pm
Activists’ Reports: What have we done for Liberty lately? :05 3:25 pm
Announcements :05 3:30 pm
Old Business
Report on September 4 Rally “Principles Over Politics”: Attendees :05 3:35 pm
Formal vote on Ballot Measures: Ron Getty :30 4:05 pm
Publication of final votes. Publicizing measures we support.
New Business
LPSF Budget for future operational and outreach needs: Marcy Berry :30 4:35 pm
In-Meeting Activism: Facilitated by Rob Power :20 4:55 pm
Ideas for on-line activism (LTE’s, Readers’ Comments, etc.), and
fastest ways to accomplish each task. Bring your laptop if you have one.
Minutes of the LPSF Meeting of September 11, 2010
Members Present: Marcy Berry (Chair) , Phil Berg, Francoise Fielding, Ron Getty (Vice-Chair), Jawj Greenwald (Secretary), Tim Kuklinsky, Leslie Mangus (Treasurer), Rob Power, Richard Winger.
Guest: Jason Williams
Officers’ Reports:
Chair: Marcy Berry reported on a bequest of $3,459.77 which the LPSF received as residuary legatee under the will of deceased LPSF member Christen Wegener. She followed up on commitments made to the Patrol Special Police by writing and attending public meetings in their support.
Vice Chair: No report
Treasurer: The LPSF has $5,883.54 in its coffers.
Secretary: No report. Marcy Berry posted some notes of the August 14 meeting online, in the absence of the Secretary at the last meeting.
Announcements: Richard Winger reported that a motion for a preliminary injunction against implementation of “Top Two” elections (ballot measure Proposition 14, passed in June) was pending in SF Superior Court. [It was denied September 14. – ed.]
Phil Berg reported that his campaign was progressing well.
Michael Edelstein and Starchild probably attended the September 4 Principles over Politics Rally featuring Ron Paul, but neither was present to report on it.
Committee Reports:
Internet Communication/Social Networking: Changes to our website and improvements to our facebook page are being implemented in an attempt to use social networking sites to increase our influence.
Membership: Marcy Berry reported that no new members joined this month.
Old Business:
Initiatives/Ballot Measures: We formally voted our positions on the initiative/ballot measures to appear on the November 2 ballot. Ron Getty presented a capsule summary of the final list of measures that will appear on the ballot. Since they had been discussed at the previous two meetings, comment before our vote was brief. Our formal recommendations as follows:
PROP. AA Adds a $10 vehicle registration fee to fund transportation related projects
Recommendation: NO (Unanimous)
PROP. A Earthquake Retrofit Bond Measure
Recommendation: NO (unanimous)
PROP. B City Pension and Health Plan Reform to require greater employee contributions
Recommendation: YES (Vote: 6 yes, 1 no)
PROP. C Requires that Mayor attend Board of Supervisors’ meeting monthly
Recommendation: NO (Vote: 2 yes, 6 no)
PROP. D Allows non-citizen parents to vote in school board elections.
No Recommendation: (Vote: 4 yes, 2 no, 2 no position)
PROP. E Allows election day voter registration for local elections.
Recommendation: NO (Vote: 0 yes, 6 no, 2 no position)
PROP. F Changes term for elected members of the Health Service Board so as to stagger
No Recommendation (unanimous)
PROP. G “Fix Muni Now” measure that changes current system whereby MUNI workers’ pay is average of top two transit wages nationally.
Recommendation: YES (unanimous)
PROP. H Prohibits elected officials from simultaneously being members of SF political party central committee.
Recommendation: NO (0 yes, 5 no, 3 no position)\
PROP. I Trial program to open 400 Saturday polling booths funds.
Recommendation: NO (1yes, 6 no, 1 no position)
PROP. J A 2% increase in the hotel tax until 2014.
Recommendation: NO (unanimous)
PROP. K Closes current loophole by applying city hotel tax to online or airline bookings.
Recommendation: NO (unanimous)
PROP. L “Sit/Lie” law prohibiting sitting or lying on public sidewalks
Recommendation: NO (2 yes, 5 no, 1 no position)
PROP. M Requires police stations to implement community policing and foot patrols. Special Note: If this ordinance receives more votes than sit/lie, sit/lie will not be implemented.
Recommendation: NO (2 yes, 5 no, 1 no position)
PROP. N Increases real property transfer tax.
Recommendation: NO (unanimous)
Ron Getty will post these recommendations on the website and Rob Power will announce them in a postcard mailing to the full membership.
New Business
Use of $3460 Bequest. We discussed the best use of the funds just received from the Wegener bequest. Given how little money in the form of dues is coming in, it was agreed that at least half of it should be held as reserves to support our normal operations, and the rest dedicated to local activism, e.g. support of local campaigns and ballot initiatives that will directly benefit the LPSF.
In-Meeting Activism. Rob Power gave a few pointers on how to submit a letter to the editor of our local press.
We went round the table and each recounted a blow for freedom that we had struck in the previous month. [For lack of anything else, my release of over 30 raccoons in the Presidio qualified as “standing up to power”. I managed to do it without arrest by the park police who twice stopped my car to idly question me. –ed].