Idaho Libertarian Times

Yeah I could make it up , but why: Remington Shotguns Solicitation Number: EDOOIG-10-000004

Radley Balko noted this today I looked it up, it is weird, its not what I'd expect department of education to be buying,,, shotguns, from the looks, it isn't the first buy either read the RFP

Synopsis:

Added: Mar 08, 2010 10:39 am Modified: Mar 11, 2010 10:16 amTrack Changes

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) intends to purchase twenty-seven (27) REMINGTON BRAND MODEL 870 POLICE 12/14P MOD GRWC XS4 KXCS SF. RAMAC #24587 GAUGE: 12 BARREL: 14" - PARKERIZED CHOKE: MODIFIED SIGHTS: GHOST RING REAR WILSON COMBAT; FRONT - XS CONTOUR BEAD SIGHT STOCK: KNOXX REDUCE RECOIL ADJUSTABLE STOCK FORE-END: SPEEDFEED SPORT-SOLID - 14" LOP are designated as the only shotguns authorized for ED based on compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory, certified armor and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.
The required date of delivery is March 22, 2010.
Interested sources must submit detailed technical capabilities and any other information that demonstrates their ability to meet the requirements above, no later than March 12, 2010 at 12 PM, E.S.T. Any quotes must be submitted electronically to the attention of ****>****@ed.gov, Contract Specialist (Contract Operations Group), with a concurrent copy to****.****@ed.gov, Contracting Officer (Contract Operations Group).
The following clauses are applicable to this requirement:

This is mere conjecture from here on but think about it:

Weird possibility:  it looks like an off the books black bag operation doing a straw man deal through these guys , question is, who would be desperate enough to run a straw man deal in a public environment like this.  

The other possibility is the Department of education is buying 27 Remington model 870 shotguns with 14 inch barrels.

Question is why?

Podcast #21 James Oaksun talks about the LP, his run for the National LP Treasurer & how he would like to try to fix the party.

Podcast#21 Fri Mar 12 2010, 12:02:38

The following is James Oaksuns agenda shared in an email with me ;

"Here is my concept for zero based budgeting.

Right now, the LNC (or at least the LNC's dominant coalition) divides our money as follows:

40% overhead
30% fund raising
20% what I call "talking to ourselves"
10% building the party (meaning ballot access, events, conference appearances, and the like)

I have this in a pie chart on my website, www.JamesOaksun.com.  I also distributed it in Austin, much to some of the LNC members' chagrin.

I think this allocation is just ridiculous. 

So my idea is to start from zero in an exercise I call zero based budgeting.

To do this, you set every line item in the budget to zero.  All of them.

You start with a clean sheet of paper and you say, what are the absolutely most mission critical things we ought to be doing.

Yes there are some "overhead" functions we have to have.  Accounting/FEC filings, legal, maybe some others.

But we get everything rank ordered.  Then you put price tags on it and say, if we have $1 million what do/can we fund.

And that's what we do.

We've been adrift, we have no strategy, we are shrinking.  We need to revitalize things.
Nobody wants to give of their money and time just to pay the overhead, or send out fundraising letters.  Activists need and deserve activity.

Implications:

1. Example rent.  Last year we spent $141k on rent.  Why.  In fact, my starting point is, why do we even need to have an office period.  I know people who run million dollar businesses from spare rooms in their home. That's where I start.  Justify to the members why we needto have *any* office, and then look them in the eye and say why we need to spend $141k per year on it, especially if we don't own it.  Of course the current management will not do this.  They had their chance.  They have not led.  We Will.
2. Example staff.  It may turn out that certain functions are best fulfilled with a paid staff.  To me, I start from zero.  Why do we need any paid staff.  OK, maybe an Exec Director.  Why anyone beyond them?  Lots of things can be outsourced.  We are a small business essentially, we need to start thinking like one.  Thinking like guerrillas.
3. Example website and electronic communications.  We spend in excess of $100k/yr on this.  Ask me my opinion of the current http://lp.org   site.  Ask me also what http://JamesOaksun.com   -- a site that gets more traffic than all but 3 state LP websites, and almost as much traffic as Wayne Root's site -- cost me.

The step beyond is, of course, the future strategy -- where do we want to go with this, what do we want to become.  And then, how to fund that.  The two exercises are related.  But first, the zero based budget represents a fresh start.
"

http://www.jamesoaksun.com/

Angela Keaton On Freedom Watch 2/20/2010 “Obama Slightly Worse Than Bush On Foreign Policy” // video added March 06, 2010

http://www.peacefreedomprosperity.com/?p=3385

Judge Napolitano and Angela Keaton discuss how Obama is slightly worse than his predecessor when it comes to liberty, foreign policy, constitutional respect and war. In the end, the establishment candidates are interventionist in nature.

Podcast # 20 The Post Austin / Pre StLouis Game Show!

 George Phillies & Carolyn Marbry talk with Dwight & I about Austin, St.Louis & the Libertarian party's future & their plans as Candidates for LNC Chair & Vice Chair

PODCAST#20, Sat Mar 06 2010, 09:53:12

Stay tuned Next Week for our interview with James Oaksun :

Rob Power, Carolyn Marbry , George Phillies , James Oaksun .

George & Carolyn will be on this weeks Idaho Libertarian Times podcast with James scheduled for next week We hope you'll listen.

Sull: N, passses 10-5. [Floor Fee Vote] FEES KILLED.

Almost Live From Mike Seebeck's Twitter account The Floor Fees just died! Mikes Twit post reads as follows:

Mike Seebeck Sull: N, passses 10-5. FEES KILLED.

Mike Seebeck Starr: N, Ruwart: Y, Flood: Y, Ryan: Y, Fox: Y, SB: N, Karlan: Y, Wrights: Y, Lark: Y, Hawk: Y, Lieb: N, Matt: N, Dixon: Y, Jingo: Y,

Now the LNC is working this item;

Ruwart: Motion written by Nolan: "no person who is a declared candidate for LNC officer shall be given a speaking slot as Keynote

Podcast #19 Ramming Speed!

PODCAST #19 Sat Feb 27 2010, 10:03:02

Union and liberal groups decry "small, puny" $15 billion jobs bill, want Congress to shake taxpayers upside-down until at least $180 billion falls out  (thehill.com)                                             http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/82537-left-blasts-reids-15-billion-jobs-bill-as-puny

Unions and liberal groups blast Reid’s $15 billion jobs legislation as 'puny'
By Walter Alarkon - 02/22/10 06:00 AM ET
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/82537-left-blasts-reids-15-billion-jobs-bill-as-puny

It's full speed ahead for Obama's health care plan, which "manages to take the worst of both the House and Senate bills and combine them into something more destructive"  (online.wsj.com)
ObamaCare at Ramming Speed: The White House shows it has no interest in compromise.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575081391789004352.html

Obama was so anxious to listen to GOP, he spent more time talking today than all GOP participants combined. Bonus: Also exceeded total of all other Democrats  (weeklystandard.com)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-democrats-talk-four-hours-republicans-talk-two-hours

Conceding that today's health care summit will be as predictable as kabuki theater, Democrats work on strategy for the real negotiations to follow behind the scenes  (washingtonpost.com)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022405633.html?hpid=topnews

Senate votes to extend PATRIOT Act for another year. How's that for hope and change?  (news.yahoo.com)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100225/ap_on_go_co/us_patriot_act

Polls show that in a generic ballot race, the GOP is poised to pick up the most seats in the House. Ever. As in, bigger than 1994  (yglesias.thinkprogress.org)
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/generic-ballot-points-to-giant-house-gop-win-in-2010.php

Although he took top honors at CPAC, Ron Paul is to the future of conservatism what Keith Olbermann is to the future of liberalism  (reason.com)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/02/24/the-ron-paul-delusion

 Pot in a Box - Claudia Coffey reports DC Couple Gets Pot Delivery from Fed Ex Mistakenly receive $120,000 worth of marijuana
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dc/dc-couple-gets-pot-delivery-from-fed-ex-022610

Report: Vaccines didn't cause Jenny McCarthy's son's autism, because he doesn't have autism. Jenny McCarthy: "My bad"
http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2010/02/26/jenny-mccarthy-says-her-son-evan-never-had-autism/

From You Tube; Paul Ryan: Hiding spending doesn't reduce spending.

I'm not against any of the healthcare reforms proposed as they all seem to put the market in one industry's or government bureaucrats pocket. But this retort by Paul Ryan is the best one I've seen to date, not that anything they'll do will change anything with health care costs.

Massachusetts Libertarian Party passes resolution against proposed poll tax

George Phillies  reports "the following motion was passed unanimously, every member voting in favor, at our State Committee meeting this afternoon.  Also, our State Chair, David Blau stated his opposition in the strongest possible terms, and indicated support for boycotting the convention if floor fees are passed."

"Whereas, the national bylaws of the Libertarian Party set forth the qualifications of delegates to the party's national convention; and

Whereas, those bylaws do not provide for the assessment or collection of any fee from delegates as a condition of floor access or full participation in business sessions; and

Whereas, the delegate apportionment formula specified in the bylaws is primarily based on the number of sustaining, i.e. dues-paying, national party members in each state;

Be it resolved that:

The Massachusetts Libertarian Party opposes in principle the assessment of "registration fees" or other charges to delegates for floor access and participation in the business sessions; and

The  Massachusetts  Libertarian Party calls upon the Libertarian National Committee to adopt a policy of routine budgeting from sustaining membership dues for the provision of meeting facilities for its national conventions;

The  Massachusetts Libertarian Party calls upon the Libertarian National Committee to require that activities and facilities related to the party's national conventions but not part of the bylaws-mandated business sessions be self-supporting on the basis of payments from willing customers or sponsors rather than on the basis of subsidies extracted from delegates."

Missouri LP passes anti-floor-fee resolution;

Breaking News

The Show Me State LP has passed a anti-floor-fee resolution aimed at the National Libertarian party's plan to mandate a minimum $49.00 poll tax for delegates to be let on to the convention floor.  The information I have comes from Thomas Knapp a Missouri party member & delegate at their state convention this weekend, the main foucus of the Missouri vote comes as New York has already voted to oppose the national partys poll tax & California & North Carolina are considering very similar resolutions as well.

    According to Mr. Knapps communique earlier today "We won! Not completely", " What was taken out in amendment was the "objection in principle" to floor fees; what was added was a qualifier to the anti-floor-fee position, "until and unless the national Libertarian Party's bylaws are changed by the delegates in convention." I chalk it up as a victory"

According to Tom, here's what passed, with 11 members in attendance and only one audible
"no" vote:

-----
Whereas, the national bylaws of the Libertarian Party set forth the
qualifications of delegates to the party's national convention; and

Whereas, those bylaws do not provide for the assessment or collection
of any fee from delegates as a condition of floor access or full
participation in business sessions; and

Whereas, the delegate apportionment formula specified in the bylaws is
primarily based on the number of sustaining, i.e. dues-paying,
national party members in each state;

Be it resolved that:

The Missouri Libertarian Party calls upon the Libertarian National
Committee to adopt a policy of routine budgeting from sustaining
membership dues for the provision of meeting facilities for its
national conventions;

The Missouri Libertarian Party calls upon the Libertarian National
Committee to require that activities and facilities related to the
party's national conventions but not part of the bylaws-mandated
business sessions be self-supporting on the basis of payments from
willing customers or sponsors rather than on the basis of subsidies
extracted from delegates, until and unless the national Libertarian
Party's bylaws are changed by the delegates in convention.
-----