LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF PINELLAS COUNTY

November Meeting Minutes - 11/21/2019

Written by secretary on Nov 22, 2019

1. 7:00pm - CALL TO ORDER - Matthew Skopek called to order  7:00 pm
   1. Introductions
      1. Matthew Skopek
      2. Sebastian Blumberg
      3. Marcia Powell
      4. Rebecca Carter
      5. Thomas Robert Cuba
      6. Stephen Paul Deiter
      7. Susan DeBuhr
      8. Michael Culligan
      9. Brad Bittner
      10. David Ballard Gettis Jr.
   2. Minutes - approval of October
      1. Approved - name updates
   3. Announcements
      1. No announcements
2. 7:10pm - OFFICER REPORTS
   1. Chairman - Absent
   2. Secretary - N/A
   3. Treasurer - Information was not sent. We will be updating this next month.
      1. Encouragement of Donation
      2. Marcia Powell donated $5.00 cash
      3. Rebecca Carter donated $5.00 cash
      4. Sebastian recurring donation.
3. 7:20pm - NEW BUSINESS
   1. Confirm and promote the Libertarian Party - December 12th
      1. Skopek: December 12th is the Libertarian party. We've done this for two years. It's been very successful the last couple of years. We usually get anywhere between 30 and 50 people. We want to confirm and put in the event. The last two years we've done the Copper Shaker which is owned by Libertarians. The owner has come  out and given a round of drinks. They do not charge us to be there. They usually hook us up with appetizers. Core members need to be promoting it. Matthew Skopek usually brings 10-15 people himself.
         
         Skopek is in favor of the same location - The Copper Shaker: 169 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 at 7pm December 12th.
         
         Must be booked - Matthew Skopek will be booking.
   2. Volunteers to reach out to candidates and invite to forum hosted by the LPPC
      1. Scott was working with the venue on this. Marcia got too far behind, she wanted to do something before Thanksgiving. Wanted to reschedule to January. Marcia will continue to work on that and coordinate. In terms of reaching out she has met with 3 candidates working on city council and is continuing her work.
         
         ATTENTION: NO MEETING IN DECEMBER 19TH!
          
      2. Michael Culligan - SPC forum possibility. In this conference room, it has 4 large screens and all audio-video equipment. Candidate forum. We can get some time frames and start blocking stuff off right away. We can do it on early January. It won't work first week of January or second week. 
      3. Thomas Robert Cuba - Arrangements should be set to an executive committee and then we can move on.
   3. January Convention - Voting privileges
      1. Current policy is you have to attend 2 meetings and then that makes you a voting member. January meeting is the convention meeting. During that meeting we vote all new officers to run the Libertarian party of Pinellas County. If you have attended this meeting and at least one other meeting you can vote in the January convention meeting.
      2. Marcia Powell is thinking on running for chair.
   4. LPF Convention 2020 - Orlando
      1. We should be buying our tickets. It is on the third week in February. They are already selling tickets for the convention itself and for the hotel. It's really important and it's good to support the Libertarian party of Florida. February 21st - 23rd at the Holiday Inn and Suites 5905 South Kirkman Road, Orlando FL 32819.
      2. Regarding voter registration, you have to write LPF as your voter registration to be a member of the Libertarian Party of Pinellas  County.
4. 7:35pm - MEMBERS  / OPEN FORUM
   1. Brett - Thoughts on moving the county forward
      1. The purpose of what I wanted to discuss was a thought exersize and that is: "Why do we exist?" Why do we as a group exist? This is our time to share, they have varying reasons to exist.
         1. We exist to push the party forward.
         2. I'm not happy the way the government is operating! I don't think any party is great but Libertarian is the best one I can find.
         3. Anything that pisses off Republicans and Democrats can't be all bad!
         4. There is no particular ideology that is moral. I am personally part of the Libertarian party despite its flaws, it's the only organization advocating for those views.
         5. Shilling liberty.
         6. We exist to push policies in a Libertarian direction.
         7. It's hard for us to get on the media, little by little we can start bringing in Libertarian principles to influence state politics.
      2. Why is it that is what you believe?
         1. Marcia: The reason for government is to protect our liberty.
         2. Everyone is in the idea of having a cultural shift.
      3. We're looking to shift the culture.
      4. How do we do that?
         1. We are looking to have a variety of missions segmentally to create this cultural shift.
         2. If you're going change the cultural shift, ultimately this changes government.
      5. What can we do to support the individual missions?
         1. With books
         2. What do we do to bring people in? Being active in the community? Showing those how we live? Posting on Facebook? Getting into arguments with Libertarians and non-Libertarians? Does knocking on doors help? What feeds into those activities that works toward those mission pillars?
         3. Activities should help align to achieve our overall vision.
      6. Parting thought: When you are taking action, think about them and think how it supports.
   2. Thomas Robert Cuba: The kinds of things you can mention in your closing, the dynamics of selling this party over that party are best accomplished by identifying political issues. If I were to select a pivotal issue, it would be the repeal of the 17th amendment because this would serve to educate and draw people into the concept of preserving liberty. To make our unified goal to the 17th amendment people can identify with an outcome and not a contest of "we're better than those guys."
      1. What would help this party and there is a disparity of diversity. But the 17th amendment is what most people could agree on. Qualification of senators. Anything that we pick, we're picking someone elses issue. If we select a specific issue, we gain an identity and a separation. We give the place where people can run to.
   3. Our organization is there to get people willing to run for office. One of the biggest struggles is getting candidates to run for seats. Having an issue that we can rally around, that is something a candidate would say and not us. We would be supporting us and endorsing us. Our whole goal is to run around and make them successful. Work individual platform decisions based on what we're running for. Libertarian party is going to support for a candidate representing the Libertarian party and that is our main goal.
   4. St. Petersburg does  elections in November. In the district they run in November. Do we have a chance to run people in November? Some person is running for District 13 but I don't think the deadline has passed. The deadline to qualify has not.
5. 8:00pm - ADJOURNMENT - Call to adjournment Brett moved, Stephen-Paul Deiter seconded. Ended 8:02pm