Mark Hinkle submits to LP News his reasons for running for Libertarian National Committee Chair

Mark Hinkle, the California rep to the Libertarian National Committee, is running for LNC Chair at the LP National Convention in five weeks.  Below is his candidate statement to be printed in the next edition of LP News.  He has also launched his Chair campaign web site at http://mark4chair.com.  It includes 8 proposed goals for the 2010-2011 LNC, an endorsements page, and a resume of LP activism.

Polls confirm that the average voter is more dissatisfied with the Democrats and Republicans than ever before.  Yet, we Libertarians have failed to capture that discontent and turn it into exponential Party growth.  The answer isn’t a new strategy, a new platform plank, or even more publicity.

The answer is to become an effective organization by creating a small set of aggressive, but realistic, goals, create plans to achieve those goals, and finally execute the plan and accomplish the goals.  Over the last two years, the LNC failed to set goals and thus our membership numbers declined.

Set goals, create a plan, and execute.  It’s a simple concept, but critical if we are to succeed.   Fortunately, I’m no stranger to this concept or its execution.  As LPC Chair, we more than tripled our dues-paying membership from below 2,000 to over 6,000.  We tripled our income, hired an Executive Director and opened an office.  We began a lobbying effort in Sacramento.  We elected a record number of Libertarians to public office via Project Breakthrough.  Each month we sent out fund-raising letters, a quality newsletter, and timely and topical press releases.  And lastly, we achieved a record number of registered libertarian voters under my leadership.

Set goals, create a plan, and execute.

I am the most experienced candidate for LNC Chair and the most successful candidate in terms of membership growth, money raised for the Party, and Libertarian candidates elected to non-partisan office.   I’ve served a total of 10 years on the LNC.  Over the last 36 years, I’ve served in a wide variety of elected Party positions from the local level to the LNC.  I can relate to our activists, because I’ve done just about every imaginable volunteer job within the LP.  I can relate to our donors because I have a track record of achieving goals.  Major donors want to invest in successful organizations and I bring a track record of achievement that assures them that their money won’t be wasted.

As LNC Chair, some of my goals are: 50 state ballot access, 20,000 members with memberships coming from 2 key areas: the young and the rich.  I’d like to see the creation of a Liberty Sales Team to bring in new members and internal education teams to train activists in the nuts and bolts of political organizing.

Because of my experience and past successes, I’ve earned the endorsement of the past LP Chairs:  Alicia Clark, David Bergland, Steve Dasbach, and Geoff Neale.  I’ve also been endorsed by past LP Vice-Chairs: Sharon Ayres and Chuck Moulton, presidential candidate Ed Clark and Vice-Presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen.  Also activists Steve Kubby, Julie Fox, Carla Howell, Less Antman, Vicki Kirkland and elected Libertarians Kate O’Brien and John Inks.

Set goals, create a plan, and execute.

I’ve done it before.  With your vote and support, I’ll do it again.