A New Path

What should we do to rise above our challenges?

- Listen to our members and activists, the people in the trenches who are doing the real political work of our party. Listen to their hopes and aspirations. And pay attention. Mobilize the Libertarians! The National Committee should create effective working groups of Libertarian volunteers, with LNC members in support, to advance the party's business. Reach out with advertising. Put our party's name and message in memorable sound bites in
front of hundreds of millions of Americans.

- Recruit and Support Candidates. Focus our resources on doing real politics. Make sure we have active Libertarian Parties all across America. Create strong parties in the 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and everywhere the American flag flies. Follow up 'warm contacts' and generate more of them. Dr. Mary Ruwart has shown direct mail to people who contact us pays off; direct mail to rented cold lists does not pay off; most new members spontaneously join via the internet. We should adjust our outreach to agree with reality.

- Spend our money wisely. When our donors see that our money is being spent effectively and as promised, they will be more forthcoming with future donations.

- Reduce fixed costs. Our money needs to be focused on doing real politics.

- Fix LNC Meetings: The LNC should spend its time on real business, not meaningless parliamentary rules wrangling. Rules of order should be a comfortable sweater, not a strangler's noose.

- Zero-base budgeting. Our plans and efforts must be matched to our available resources in a thoughtful way.

- Pay attention to reality. Membership and income numbers are sending a message.