This is a heads-up to the LNC that I expect to shortly be asking for co-sponsors for an email ballot to immediately relocate our headquarters to North Dakota. This matter is extremely urgent, for the following reasons:
You may already have read on Twitter the sad news that Wyoming Knott passed away early this morning, after she fell 60 feet from the top of a fracking drilling rig. Wyoming Knott is of course better known as the “North Dakota Fracking Queen” and was an ardent advocate for personal liberties. She was an uncompromising individual who demanded total freedom from any state interference in the booming fracking industry. She will be sorely missed, and our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends and the entire fracking community.
Back in 2003, Ms. Knott apparently altered her will to bequeath a quarter of her estate to the Libertarian Party. At the time her estate consisted primarily of undeveloped land near Williston, North Dakota worth an estimated $375,000. A quarter of that ($93,750) was certainly a generous amount even back then. Today, as a consequence of development of the Bakken Shale Formation which underlies it, that land has appreciated enormously, with a November, 2014 appraisal coming in at just over $6 billion. That would put the value of her bequest to the Libertarian Party at $1.5 billion, although that may have since declined to about $900 million due to the drop in oil prices.
However, Ms. Knott detested everything connected with Washington, D.C., including the fact that the LP’s office was located there. So she added a codicil to that bequest that it would only be effective if the Libertarian Party’s office was located in North Dakota, which to her represented the cultural and ideological opposite of Washington, D.C. She believed that removing the Libertarian Party from the center of government corruption would help it avoid the inevitable rot.
One possibility is that we could challenge that condition in court. But let’s be realistic. Regardless of whether the eventual value is $1.5 billion or $900 million or somewhere in between, there will be scores of lawyers crawling out of the woodwork, anxious to do everything possible to deny us that bequest, if they can cobble together even the slightest pretext. So the sooner we can move our headquarters to North Dakota to prove we are complying with her codicil, the better.
Again, time is of the essence. If all LNC members immediately vote on the upcoming email ballot, we ought to be able to complete it by the end of today. In the meantime, our Executive Director can fly to North Dakota and rent a temporary office to get us started, until we can construct a major new high-rise office building. (It’s been suggested that it be named the Wyoming Knott Memorial Office Building, and my response is “why not”?). If all this gets finished today (on the same day as her death, April 1, 2015) I think it will greatly strengthen our legal position.
Daniel Wiener
The employees will be housed in the same complex as the office. They’ll be stuck inside, so they will have few distractions and will be super-productive.
The polar vortex lasts until mid-June there.
Yes but what do you have against ND?
I heard the estate will be tied up in knots for years.
I would comment more in the future, but the new IPR regime has dictated no comments unrelated to Riley’s wedding.
WY knott?
On moving to ND:
I think not.
LOL, no. By publicizing that the larger donations for a few specific purposes are an option to their email lists, newsletters, blog posts, etc.
By offing people that have big gifts to the party in their will?
I’m surprised I haven’t seen more alt parties trying to take advantage of that ruling yet.
Oh yeah, I think you’re right.
That was @ Matt Cholko # 1:07 pm
I believe there’s actually a new higher limit, or maybe even no limit, for a few select things such as new HQs and conventions due to a court ruling.
FYI for our new(er) writers: it is best to mix in articles you would post on any other day with “special” articles on April 1.
God help us if any actual news breaks on April 1st.
“April Fool?”
No fracking way!
It would be funnier if it were true. The LNC could take its $30000ish maximum each year forever.
I’ve suggested amending Dan’s motion to establish branch offices in Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville. Why be stingy?
April Fool?
“Mr Wiener,
Thank you for providing this information to the state chairs.
I am happy to allocate some of Nevada resources to assist with this matter, specifically, I can assign members of our Legal Committee to review this and provide immediate guidance. I personally have some experience in this matter due to my background in finance and dealing with estate planning issues.
I do agree that action is probably the most important thing at this time. Talking to the estate benefactor is also important as we will get an indication of what their intentions are. Lastly, based on the wording in the will this could be an amazing opportunity for the entire Libertarian Party due to her generosity. Unless it specifically states that the money must go to the Libertarian National Committee, some of the funds could be appropriated to each state affiliate. Otherwise, a sizeable donation like this could sit in escrow (or hopefully a money market fund yielding interest) and disbursements will be made according to FEC regulations which would release only a very small dollar amount each year. Lastly, if the wording is that the money is to benefit the Libertarian Party in general, this could qualify some candidates to be recipients of the donation.
I would suggest a prudent approach to immediately setting up shop in ND and working directly with the ND Affiliate to see if there is temporary office space available which we could use. Having headquarters outside of DC shouldn’t be an issue with anyone. Furthermore, unless specifically stipulated in her will, there is no reason we cant maintain a presence in DC via and office suite.
I am volunteering to assist the LNC anyway I can and I hope the LNC will take advice from people with experience in this specific matter. Please let me know what I and LPNevada can do to be helpful.
Best,
Brett H. Pojunis
Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Nevada”
“Is there a reason that we have to have only one office? We could certainly have our headquarters and or a retreat center in North Dakota and still maintain a branch office in Virginia.
Jeff Orrok
State Chair, Libertarian Party of Colorado”