To pay or not toupe?

As a Libertarian, I want you to keep as much of your money as possible.

And some of your are - rightly - confused about the $25 fee that's been mentioned in the press we've gotten ... so I thought I'd clear that up.

I was going to talk about confusion BETWEEN parties today, but I'm having a little trouble either finding or creating a concise list of party stances ... so instead I'll talk about confution WITHIN this party.

Anyone that meets voter registration guidelines in New York State may register as a Libertarian with their local board of elections. I have done so and encourage all of you to do the same. Just download this form and fill it out. Since we didn't get 50,000 votes for our last candidate for governor, John Clifton, we don't have "ballot status." Instead, you have to select "other" and write in "Libertarian."

And when it comes time to vote in 2008, I hope that all who have registered as Libertarians keep in mind which of the candidates shares the majority of our ideals. I hope that come November, 2008, we have a bonafide Libertarian choice at the ballot box, like we did in 2004 with Michael Badnarik.

So far, nothing has cost you a dime.

But here's where that $25 comes into play: In order for the NY Libertarian Party to grant official permanent status to our new chapter, we need dues paying members. We're required to have seven. So far, I know we have a handful. I hope we get a bunch more.

When we have our organizational convention (hopefull in January), we'll invite anyone who's interested in the Libertarian Party to come on out and say "hi." We'll allow anyone who's registered Libertarian with the Board of Elections to take part in the discussion. But when it comes down to voting on a board (Chairman, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, whatever we determine neccesary) and on bylaws (Rochester's got great bylaws), you'll have to be not only registered LP with the local BOE, but also a dues paying member. We won't charge dues locally, but the state mandates it on their end. Those are the rules the state gave to me ... I'm just passing 'em along. Board members themselves, must be dues paying members as well.

So to summarize, if you want a leadership position, pony up $25 for your state dues. If you want to vote on a leadership position, pony up the $25 for state dues. If you just want to help out, it's free. But keep in mind that the money the state committee gets goes to promote the Libertarian Party in New York and you should want to do that anyway. Also, keep in mind that until seven of us pay our dues, we can't have that convention. Don't wait for someone else to do it. Do it yourself.

The fun doesn't end at the convention. Bob and I plan on bringing in speakers to Niagara County and spreading freedom like wildfire. More on that soon. (I'd say tomorrow, but I kind of bombed with the comparison thing, so I'm not promising anything).