READ THIS FIRST!

[RU Sirius]

Welcome. Hopefully you have already read the Open Source Party proposal. If not, why don't you go ahead and do so.

Now, a few points...

1) This is not an existing organization but a proposal.

2) This is a rough draft of the proposal. I'm sure there are mistakes. Expect a final draft (there's NEVER a final draft, but a temporary point of stasis) some time probably this week

3) We really want to hear from people who have talents and experiences (and... oh yes... capital) that may be relevant to the creation of an Open Source Party and who would like to make this happen. Contact us directly at [e-mail]

4) Yes, yes... I know. Politlcal parties are hard and getting on ballots is even harder. While I imagine this group taking on the long tedious process of becoming street legal as a political party, I'm also imagining OSP fielding "Unity Candidates" that would go out and try to get nominations from the Green Party, Libertarian Party, and whoever else is standing around. Maybe the Open Source aspect of this is about the process more than the structure.

[Yodhe]

On Point 3 and the issue of capital...... (and relevant to the situation currently occuring in the UK with political donations)

If you are going to have an Open Source Party, then my advice would be you have to have the following.....

i) You have to declare who, when (and even perhaps where) all "donations" over a nominal sum of say $20/£10.

ii) No individual should be allowed to contributed more than $2,000/£1,000, (or make ANY donations through a third
party), within a financial year/period.

iii) No donations should be accepted from institutions/companies only individuals. "People Not Institutions" is maybe a good slogan.

Other points

iv) One of the aims of the OS Party (I can forsee a problem with this acronym, reads too much like Operating System Party!) should be to provide an open source template for other parties. It should be about encouraging politics, and discourse, and multiplicity. Let others (and ourselves) learn from our mistakes/experiences. I personally see the OS Party as potentially being another chapter in the "tale of the tribe", not the end of it.

[carlos duarte]

"to provide an open source template for other parties. It should be about encouraging politics, and discourse, and multiplicity."

wow.. this sounds GREAT!! but why aren't we adding these things to the platform on the wiki?

[Gary F. Moraco]

From current appearance you have something that could actually work.Since I got here and the QuestionAthuoityParty I had misunderstood your ideas and as I read on there's a good chance we could have this going sooner than I imagined.What else may happen,and since your well under way I'll leave it to you to find the means to do this,is invite the Libertarian Party and Green Party to sit in.

[governthyself]

I am seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for N.C. Senate 36. We are very close to regaining ballot access here in N.C. I will have a official campaign site in the near future. My personal site is http://governthyself.com

Thomas Hill
Political Director, Libertarian Party of N.C.
Past Chair, Libertarian Party of N.C.

[Gary F. Moraco]

http://www.insanereagan.com/reagan.shtml