To the Libertarian National Committee and all Lovers of Liberty:
My name is Carrie Eiler and I hail from the state of California, a place so oppressed by tyranny during the Covid era that a new crop of highly-motivated libertarian activists were born; a primary example being our LNC Chair, who rose to become an inspiring leader in Los Angeles, then California, and now should rightfully be directing strategy at the national level. The state of California is proud of the national Chair and believes in her capabilities and vision. I came to this board to proudly support our Chair in her efforts to grow the Libertarian Party and bring it to prominence within the political sphere.
My desire in serving on the LNC was to use my marketing acumen, of which I have 30+ years experience, and for a time I was able to do so. I have been serving dutifully, seven days a week, a minimum of four hours per day on average, since I was elected in February of 2022, in addition to homeschooling my children and helping grow a family business. It has been my great pleasure to offer this service in the pursuit of liberty, which will always remain my number one goal in activism. My motivation to be effective for liberty is also the reason why I am submitting my resignation today.
In recent months, an ever-larger proportion of my time and attention has been required, not to serve the Libertarian Party in the ways I am most qualified to benefit the organization, but instead, to mediate and attempt to help heal dysfunction amongst board members and staff. After last night’s executive session, I now have little hope that the majority of this board desires to properly resolve problems that prevent me from returning to optimal productivity. Instead, it appears that many are leaning toward making changes that would render my goals impossible.
I will not be thwarted from my mission to make an impact for liberty in this critical time in history, which is why I have decided to focus my efforts on my roles within the Libertarian Party of California. I am excited to collaborate with my supportive colleagues there, who serve with me on the Strategic Planning, Legislative, and Communications and Media committees. Even though my role on this board is at an end, I will continue to finish out the projects for national to which I have already committed. I am not leaving you in the lurch.
It should be clear to everyone on this board that the Libertarian Party of California has reached its breaking point regarding the treatment of its LNC representative, the LNC Chair, and the ongoing undermining of our mission and the LNC Chair’s vision to achieve it. That is why I am recommending to the LPCA Operations Committee and their Executive Committee at large to appoint Adrian F Malagon in my stead. It is my belief that he will be far more effective in addressing the problems plaguing the LNC board at this time, given his effectiveness when encountering similar issues in California.
Thank you for all of the good things we were able to accomplish together. Please wish me great success in my ongoing work for LP Commiefornia.
Of course Carrie can “request” her replacement. So can you. Anyone can “request” anything. It’s a free country.
And the word she used was “recommend.” Anyone can do that too. I suppose Joe Biden can recommend her replacement, if he wanted to.
Carrie did not claim any authority to choose her replacement. She merely made a recommendation.
So…two questions about this:
Question 1: Does Carrie have any authority in requesting that someone else is appointed to fill a vacancy that she created?
Question 2 (and follow-up): Did Carrie bother to offer up the position to her Region 4 alternate Joshua Clark? If not, has he expressed whether or not he would like to become the regional representative?
It’s not my region nonetheless, but my journalistic inquisitiveness just happened to bring forth those questions, plus prior history of regional alternates being bumped up to regional representatives after a vote from the region’s member state affiliates, much like when Mark Tuniewicz was elevated to Region 6 representative from his prior role as regional alternate.
Sad but true, The Libertarian Party of California urged a “No” vote on Prop 64, which legalized possession and regulated sale of recreational marijuana.
The Libertarian Party ExComm objected to elements of the regulatory structure mentioned in the proposition. Despite this, many Libertarians voted in favor of Proposition 64, including me, and Gov. Gary Johnson endorsed a Yes vote when he visited California.
The proposition included a proposed regulatory structure because Prop. 215, which legalized medical MJ in 1996, had not spoken to the issue, and the result was chaos rather than a settled legal sales structure.
There are indeed problems with the regulatory structure of the Marijuana market in California. The taxes are too high as well, which led to the Republicans in the State Assembly calling for tax cuts on Marijuana sales. Then a bipartisan bill to cut taxes passed the legislature, and Gov. Newsom signed his only tax cut since taking office as Governor.
The obvious problems with the regulation of marijuana sales has led other calls for reform, but the Libertarian Party has been outside the discussion because (a) they opposed the proposition, and (b) they are more marginal than at any time in the past.
Proposition 64 made one major improvement – it made possession (of small amounts) legal, so Police would not have a legal reason to harass or arrest people for simple possession. Millions of Californians are now more legal than they have ever been, including you know who. And the LPC opposed that.
We don’t need a new party in California. We need a new Libertarian organization that is committed to principal, and its applications in the real world.
I agree that McArdle didn’t have a strong track record. She touted her coalition building as her major achievement in CA. And although I don’t think it was done effectively, she did try to replicate that with her Rage event. I’m not opposed to the idea, but I guess the horrid ballot access situation has a lot of people throwing up their hands and passing on what is traditionally the focus and unique ability of a political party over other types of organizations, which is running candidates.
Gene: “In 2020, when she was Chair of the Los Angeles County LP, not a single Libertarian filed for elective office anywhere in Los Angeles County.”
Also not a single Libertarian candidate on the 2022 June or November ballots in L.A. County. Not on the local level, not on the state level.
Even the Constitution Party (which is not a qualified party) managed to field a candidate on the state level; Don Grundmann ran as an independent, but mentioned his CP affiliation in his candidate statement.
It would be helpful to me if the specific problems with marketing had been included.
There is a manual tried and true body of knowledge on what works in LP ‘marketing’ that may be being unused, mebbe?
“Prop 64 in 2016 which legalized recreational marijuana, and which passed over the opposition of the California Libertarian Party.”
Hi, Gene…what the hay? Why was LP California opposing legalizing pot use? Did I read you aright?
Please explain in itty-bitty words.
Keep up the good work. Hope all is well with you.
I live in California, and have been involved in The Libertarian Party since 1972 – I attended the founding convention in Denver.
I have not seen any evidence that Angela McArdle is “….an inspiring leader in Los Angeles, then California, and now should rightfully be directing strategy at the national level.”
In 2020, when she was Chair of the Los Angeles County LP, not a single Libertarian filed for elective office anywhere in Los Angeles County. The only Libertarian Party candidate on the November ballot was running for State Assembly in Northern California. where he received 45,000 votes for a 25% second place showing.
Nor have I seen any evidence of new activists recruited because of “…tyranny during the Covid era…” or for any other reason. The California Libertarian Party is in the worst shape it has been in since qualifying for the California ballot in 1980. That is partly result of the top two primary system, which has made it hard to get candidates on the November ballot. It has even made it harder to get on the primary ballot.
Even so, there have been issues to support – Prop 64 in 2016 which legalized recreational marijuana, and which passed over the opposition of the California Libertarian Party.
There have been many statist proposals to oppose, and I have not seen any activity in Los Angeles in opposition to new taxes, such as the “mansion tax” in Los Angeles, or in opposition to anti-growth regulations which have made housing unaffordable for hundreds of thousands in California.
I am not familiar with the author of this post, but his view of California activism is certainly at variance with my own observations.