Endorsements & 5 Reasons not to vote for Mark Hinkle
Apr 12, 2010
Past LP Chairs who’ve endorsed Mark Hinkle:
Alicia Clark, LNC Chair
David Bergland, LNC Chair & former Presidential candidate
Steve Dasbach, LNC Chair and former LNC National Director
Jim Lark, LNC Chair and current LNC member
Geoff Neale, LNC Chair
Dave Walter, LNC Chair
“I have known Mark Hinkle for more than 30 years and have always admired his constant dedication to Libertarian activism. I served with Mark on the LNC and recall him as always looking to reconcile opposing views, seeking compromises that were in the best interest of advancing the Party’s goals, and behaving professionally towards those with whom he disagreed. Given the unprecedented opportunities presented the LP, the Party needs a uniter, and Mark fills the bill.”
Past and Present LNC members who’ve endorsed Mark Hinkle:
Julie Fox, current LNC member & former LPI Treasurer 2001-04
“Since working with Mark Hinkle on the LNC since 2008, I have developed a great deal of respect for him. He has always taken objective, reasonable stances on LNC issues that do not run along the lines of any faction within the party. He serves as an individual and treats others that way. Mark feels as strongly as I do about having a unified party membership in order to build the LP. He has 35 years of experience within the LP, serving, among other positions, as the past LP California state chair and and as an LNC representative for seven years.
Ed Clark, 1980 presidential candidate & LNC member, CA
Dan Karlan, LNC Regional Representative, 4 time NJLP Chair, Current LP Bylaws Chair, NJ
Chuck Moulton, LNC Vice Chair, VA
Sharon Ayres, LNC Vice Chair, WA
Vicki Kirkland, former LNC member, FL
“I am endorsing Mark Hinkle for National Chair. I have known Mark for over 20 years having served on the National Committee with him. Mark is knowledgeable and experienced at the State and County level in all aspects of Party organization and he has great people skills.
Dale Hemming, SD
Jack Dean, CA
Ted Brown, CA
Steve Alexander, LNC Fundraising Chair, Marrou-Lord Treasurer, TX
Other LP Activists who’ve endorsed Mark HinkleJo Jorgensen, former Vice Presidential candidate 1996, SC
“As California LP Chair in the late 1990′s, Mark Hinkle tripled the membership of his state party. He and his team brought in several thousand new members. We need that kind of experience, leadership, and growth for the national party. That’s why I’m endorsing Mark Hinkle for National Chair.” – Dr. Jo Jorgensen
Rodney Austin, CA
Elizabeth C. Brierly, CA Former Editor California Freedom, Past President, & Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association“What impresses me about Mark Hinkle are his unflappability, vision, good humor, management savvy, authentic passion for our cause–and willingness to take on positions of leadership and accountability.
For my past 15 years in the LP, I’ve watched as government & politicians have trashed our economy–culminating in immense dissatisfaction for Americans and the ripest time for the libertarian movement and the LP.
Meanwhile, I’ve watched as Mark Hinkle has continued to develop his skills, and to accumulate the experiences and grow the relationships vital to leading the LP to capitalize on that very dissatisfaction. He is now uniquely positioned to guide the LP in embracing today’s hordes of disenchanted “small L” libertarians who are ready to come home.
It’s time for Mark Hinkle’s long and outstanding record of LP leadership to converge with the national scene.”
Cathi Brown, Past Publicity Chair, Santa Clara County LP, CA
Marla Kojima (Bottemiller), WA
Paulie Cannoli, LP Road Warrior at Large
Richard Cooper, former New York LP Chair, NY
Mark Dierolf, former Hartnell College Board Chairman, CA
Josh Hanson, Secretary of State candidate, IL
John Inks, Libertarian elected to the Mountain View City Council, CA
Steve Kubby, former LP candidate for Governor, CA
Bruce Lagasse, creator of the Karl Bray Award for Activism, NV
Philip Laibe, LP of Florida Region 7, FL
Nancy Neale, national LP convention organizer, TX
Kate O’Brien, elected Libertarian, Simi Valley, CA
Jason Pye, GA
Saul Rackauskas, Secretary, Pima County LP, AZ
Mike Renzulli, AZ
Juan Ros, former LPC Executive Director, CA
Al Segalla, President: Calaveras County Taxpayers Association & Gold County Libertarians, CA
Christopher Schmidt, CA
John Wayne Smith, LP candidate for Governor, FL
Richard Winger, Editor: Ballot Access News, CALess Antman, long time activist and winner of the Karl Bray award for Activism, CA.
“Today’s LP needs a chair with the temperament and proven ability to work with everyone on the LNC and in the party. During his 38 years in the LP, that has described Mark Hinkle to a T.”Carla Howell, President Center for Small Government, MA
“I endorse Mark Hinkle for Chair of the National Libertarian Party. He approaches party business with professionalism and practicality while being committed to advancing a small government, libertarian agenda. His long tenure as an activist is indicative of his commitment to the party’s goals.”
Pat Wright, former LPC Chair who doubled membership from 2,000 to 4,000 in just over a year, CA.
“I worked with Mark a lot while I was chairman of the Libertarian Party of California. The goal was simple, double the party’s paid membership in one year. Mark has the right combination of attributes to create a goal and achieve it; common sense, determination, risk taking, etc. If you want to see the Libertarian Party grow I sincerely endorse Mark Hinkle for national chair.”——————————————————–
Five Reasons Mark Hinkle Should NOT be National Chairby Steve Kubby
1. No matter how he may try to deny it, Hinkle would force the LP to become successful. The shocking truth is that Hinkle was one of the best California State Chairs ever. Under his leadership, membership swelled, people held parties and had fun, and everybody felt a part of what was going on. Just imagine what havoc this kind of success would create for the national LP.
2. Hinkle would distract us with an influx of new members who aren’t recovering Republicans or middle-age-overfed-white guys.
3. Hinkle would draw upon a wide spectrum of groups to build a consensus within the party, thereby denying the LP the drama and intrigue of the current LP administration.
4. Hinkle is terminally honest and is plagued by his commitment to Libertarianism. If he is allowed to serve as National Chair, we could end up with political baggage like “Principles,” and find ourselves mired in pro-freedom, free-market controversies.
5. Hinkle gets along with everyone — which is exactly why he is so dangerous. If Hinkle is allowed to serve as chair, he wouldn’t stop until all the different factions and wings of the LP are working together. Worst of all, he would probably end up attracting Ron Paul people, further burdening the LP with new members and bigger budgets.
In conclusion, Mark Hinkle represents the single greatest threat of success for the LP. To allow him to serve could be a disaster for the Republican and Democratic parties, especially at a time when so many young people are looking for a new and better political alternative.
Our government has been spending more than it collects for many years. This budget deficit has created the almost unimaginable national debt which recently broke the $12 Tillion level. But what is the Real U.S. National Debt and what is it made up of? Here’s an illustration that puts it into perspective showing the current debt of more than 12 trillion dollars plus the unfunded liabilities of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and retirement benefits for civilian and military personnel. This is the legacy we leave our children and grand children, a debt of 184 thousand dollars for every man, woman and child in America or 483 thousand dollars for every household in the United States. And it is rising faster than we can pay it off. The U. S. Government continues to spend more than it budgets year after year, adding to our National Debt.
Here are just some of the goals that the LNC should undertake during the 2010 to 2012 term:
- Ballot Access in all 50 states (to the extent our members are willing to fund it).
- Membership growth among at least 2 key demographics: 1). young adults (we need fresh blood; and 2). business professionals (we need rich blood).
- Create single-issue coalitions with any other liberty-oriented organizations. Power in numbers!
- An online Congressional lobbying effort, something akin to DownsizeDC.org.
- Candidate and affiliate support training akin to the LP.s nationwide .Success. seminars of the late 1990.s.
- Internal education. We need to remind our members of why we exist and what we stand for. Ideological drift will doom the LP to an early death. This must not happen!
- Creation of a Liberty Sales Team: pay Libertarians a finder.s fee to obtain LP memberships.
- Creation of a Libertarian Speakers Bureau to provide Libertarian experts to discuss issues of the day with the media.