Headquarters is to be sold. There is an unnamed bidder, whose offer lead to a loss of $225,000.
The LNC has voted to sell the LNC Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, for which we paid $825,000 in 2014.
How much is it now worth? Xome.com estimated a sales price of 1.058 million. Homes.com estimated a price of
1.62 million. LNC Member Andrew Watkins claimed to have an unnamed buyer offering $600,000, a figure well below the outside estimates, meaning that the LNC would lose $225,000 relative to the original sales price.
It is noteworthy that the building has not been put up on public fora as being for sale. Selling the building at a major loss, without determining if there were other bidders, would be a gross breach of fiduciary responsibility on the part of the LNC.
The LNC did vote to sell the building. The vote was 8-1, with six expressed abstentions. The sole No vote came from Keith Thompson. In an issue this important, it is inexplicable and inexcusable for an LNC member to have no opinion on the sale. The abstainers were Darr, Harlos, Nanna, Redpath, Yeniscavich, and Ford.
The claim was advanced within the LNC that the roof had severe water leaks, so that the front offices flooded, leading to property damage. Allegedly the LNC did not have enough money to repair the roof. We are advised by Robert Kraus that the roof was still within its guarantee period, so that the contractor would repair it. The claim that the leaks started in 2021 has been contested by former employees, who maintain that they had worked there as late as 2023, and at the time there were no leaks. The LNC has been spending several hundred dollars a month on cleaning fees for the building. It is difficult to understand how the LNC would not have been notified by the cleaners about the alleged flooding issue.
What are the financial implications for the LNC? They appear to have several hundred thousand dollars on hand. At the moment, as a very round number they are in the red for $50,000 or so a month relative to their normal donations. However, by spending down money received for the building, and spending down their other cash on hand, the LNC would appear to run out of money roughly at the time of the next National Convention.
Xome.com estimated a sales price of 1.058 million. Homes.com estimated a price of 1.62 million.
I think it’s jumping the gun to call this a “scandal.”
Are Xome.com and Homes.com like Zillow and Redfin? Their estimates are worthless.
Anyone who wants to know if the building was sold at below market rate should hire a professional appraiser. Or maybe three, to get a good ballpark figure.
It is noteworthy that the building has not been put up on public fora as being for sale.
What do you mean by “public fora”? You mean the MLS (multiple listing service)?
Even if the building wasn’t on the MLS, you don’t know whether the LNC contacted realtors and multiple potential buyers behind the scenes. Some realtors deal in “pocket listings” (listings not on the MLS). They have their own contacts, and know which buyers are in the market for certain types of property.
Hi George: Can you get this draft version off-sent inadvertently-and keep the final version with Spencer Dias and Rachel Danner on ?
I can’t tell which comment you mean by ‘this draft version” Can you give me the day it was posted as listed with the comment.
The one with Spencer Dias and Rachel Danner was the final. Thanks-you got the right one on here. Jones needs a reply-anyone who would vote for George Wallace is no Libertarian. Implied about the 10% is correct in the context of that is what Trump was afraid of. I might add judging from this also those in Jones camp were afraid of
Mr. Ketchen, I don’t know what “camp” you think I am in, but while my level of support for libertarians has ebbed and flowed over the years – I voted for them for President twice, not back to back, and for other offices a number of times – I’ve never either hoped or feared that they would get anywhere close to 10% for President. In fact, in 2020 and 2024 they did better than I predicted before the election, and in 2012 and 2016 I think I was about on the money in my prediction ahead of time for them.
The Prohibition party on average got under 2% of the vote. But the 18th Amendment made half-percent ethanol illegal, the economy collapsed. The various communist parties averaged about 2% with a jump to 9% in 1892, yet added a Manifesto income tax coercing all of us individuals. These two recorded events–with thousands of others–prove that leveraged libertarian spoiler votes are what change laws. Our vote shares rocketed until republican zealots counterattacked.
Mr. Phillips, I’m not sure what your comment has to do with mine. I was responding to Mr. Ketchen and his contention, based on the 1% results in 2020, that there was plausible reason to either hope or fear that the libertarians would capture 10% of the cumulative presidential popular vote in 2024. Whatever percentage of the vote you think they might have to capture to make major changes in policy through the “spoiler effect,” logic dictates it has to be higher than the 3.3% they got in 2016.
As to your comment, I’ve seen a number of explanations for the depression, but have never seen anyone claim prohibition was the cause, given the decade lag in start times.
I’m confused as to whether my comment from last night was approved or not. A link to it appears in the index of comments but not the comment itself, but instead the link goes to the article. There seems to be a similar issue with one of Mr. Flood’s comments which was made after mine. I mentioned that Jo Jorgensen got just barely over 1% for President and not 10% as Mr. Ketchen seems to imply. There were additional details.
I see your post.
Thank you, the glitch appears to be fixed and I can now see both comments posted properly, mine as well as Mr Flood’s, which were previously taking me to the original post when I clicked on them in the index of comments.
If she had gotten 10% of the vote, the current regime would’ve never been able to take over in 2022, and a libertarian might have won the 2024 election by a decision of Congress.
Crossing 10% of the vote would completely upset the current duopoly. Nobody would be able to get a majority.
That said, if something messed up on one of my comments, then that’s just life. Computers fail, and sometimes the spam detection software thinks that we are spamming when we are not.
And sometimes I think George just presses the reject button to keep people on their toes. 🙂
(Just kidding!)
Your speculation is not math but conjecture. History shows that major Constitutional enactments were made because of leveraged, law-changing, small (2%) party spoiler votes. Elementary probability theory exercises (See Beckmann, 1967 p.27) show that close races between looter candidates are thrown to uncertainty by barely more than half of a 10% category (wealthy, intelligent, libertarian, you choose). Adding a small, persistent organized therd party to cater to the minority wrecks enactment of fanatical coercive agendas because people understand THEY win if they vote FOR what THEY want. It worked for things as wrong as prohibition and socialism; it cannot fail to work for Liberty, and has been all these years. Only treachery, as we’ve seen, sets us back.
Borrow money on the equity. Fix the roof. Paint the walls. And sell it for market value.
This is common sense.
True. I was a roofing contractor before I graduated. Excel makes bidding easy. Honest contractors provide photos of work done and names and job addresses of references sorted from database of particular job types. This minimizes guesswork. Letting parasites wreck and rob is the height of dereliction.
Reads well, but the real question is this: can they kick the “bad guys“ out and rebuild their reputation?
A lot of damage was done to the New Hampshire reputation by that idiot and his confrontations with federal authorities, as well as I’m sure many other acts that some of us aren’t even aware of.
Attempting to salvage your state party is certainly an undertaking that deserves respect. And those of us who have given up on the party that should not be called the party of principle these days certainly wish you luck. We just don’t believe it is possible at this point.
Look at it from the socialist and nationalsocialist perspective. Their hatred for each other is the key to leveraged Libertarian spoiler clout. I listen to what the looters say about one another and contrast that with the minimization of deadly coercion. They feel the pressure of spoiler votes more than any other thing–including their own violent gangs. Observe, their first approach to any disadvantage is to send infiltrators and impostors with entrapment and sabotage schemes to eliminate the very thought of a real choice existing. Visit their meetings…
Mr. Ketchen, regarding the 2020 presidential election results – unless you meant some other office, in which case you should clarify – you are off by nearly an order of magnitude. Jorgensen was the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 election, in which she finished third in the popular vote with about 1.9 million votes, 1.2% of the national total. That’s a far cry from 10%, which the libertarians never even came close to – their high water mark was a bit over 3% in 2016; they were at roughly 1% in 1980, 2012, and 2020; and every other time they have been at half a percent (rounded to the one tenth of one percent) or less.
I actively supported the last two non duopoly candidates for President who broke into double digits as a percentage of the cumulative popular vote – Ross Perot in 1992 and George Wallace in 1968. I’ve also actively supported and voted for Libertarians for President twice – Ron Paul in 1988 and Bob Barr in 2008. I supported other minor party and independent presidential candidates from the American (Independent), Reform, and Constitution parties.
This was utilizing Trump’s own propaganda line-consistent with his usual blowing everything out of proportion. The online pages before and after the 2020 election were full of this blather and paranoia about Libertarians on precisely that fear (and that fear continues to be furthered with the subversion of the party by the Mises Caucus). Also from your posts you are a Conservative NOT a Libertarian. I note from one of your posts that you would never claim to be a Libertarian again-you never were. And you shouldn’t claim to be for an alternative to the duopoly: George Wallace would be happy with Trump. Bob Barr was one of the subversions of the Libertarian Party over the years I was referring to. Ron Paul was also part of the problem. Your attempt to fact check me failed-I was referring to Trump’s fear(inside intelligence on something-I should have made that very clear-glad to have caught you jumping on something-I sometimes put those things out to trap those like you). This is a very frightened little man surrounded by clowns. And Libertarians are a success if we are that feared by the likes of that!
I’m not sure which online pages you mean. Can you be more specific? Which libertarian candidate threatened to get 10% for President, how and why? Looking at the contenders for their most recent nomination, I didn’t see one that posed any hope or danger of approaching 1% let alone 10%.
As for whether I’ve ever been a libertarian, I don’t care. In my experience they’re usually eager to tell me I am – I’m for cutting about 90% of government, score in their section on their little quiz, etc – unless and until I agree, at which point they are equally eager to tell me I’m not. Having gone through that ringer twice, I have no interest in arguing either side.
As for whether I oppose duopoly, I’ve voted against duopoly presidential candidates more often than not, but it depends on who both the major and minor parties put up. I’ve always opposed limiting the choices to two even those rare times when I found one of the big two to be my least bad option all considered.
My point was that I’ve supported nonduopoly options for President many times, including the last two that got over 10% of the cumulative popular vote, and don’t see any basis to have hoped or feared anything in that range last year or 5 years ago. There was some plausibility to such predictions in the summer of 2016, but not as the election actually approached, as I likewise foresaw.
Trump does not fear libertarians. He knows exactly how to control them, and knows exactly how to scam them.
Again: Statement by Arthur W. Ketchen
Founding Chairman
Libertarian Party of New Hampshire
1972
Today I wish to state my endorsement and unqualified support for Spencer Dias for Chairman and Rachel Danner for Vice Chairman of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire. This would put the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire back on track as the Party Of Principle.
As in 1972 when the Libertarian Party was founded we are confronted by an unbalanced petty little tyranny in Washington which is bringing on big omnipotent government on the large scale. And harassing and attacking the states. Any one with any knowledge of history should remember that it was the wage and price controls of Richard Nixon which brought about the creation of the Libertarian Party in retaliation. Now we have another petty tyrant whose tariffs by executive order strike at the very heart of what is America. This is taxation without representation. My great great uncle on an April morning stepped out on Lexington Green over this issue. I can do no less for my part.
Obviously the incumbent Communications Director of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire(along with the slate of candidates supporting him)spreads a lie when he cries “left” at every criticism of his inept and destructive term in office. But he is part of a puppet regime which was established in the Libertarian Party because in the 2020 election the petty little tyrant now in Washington had an abject terror at Libertarians taking 10% of the vote. The Libertarian Party in 2020 did make a difference!
And it is indeed time to get rid of this KGB style plant who has to dial up Elon Musk for his marching orders. He is the one who is way out in”left” field! This has been only the latest episode in the battle with the conservatives(truly) of “right” or “left” who have from it’s inception constantly fought the Libertarian Party,subverting it’s message and existence. That is a long story and I am happy to reply to any questions on that.
It is time for the Libertarian Party,beginning in New Hampshire to return to Reason,Liberty and Law and Order. To being The Party Of Principle. Vote Dias/Danner for a future!
Call: 1-804-337-2841
If the brand and image of the LP is damaged beyond repair, the brand and image of LPNH is toxic waste encased in radioactive casks.
LPNH is much more like Chernobyl. Someone needs to just pour concrete over it and permanently evacuate the area.
If the LNC is going to start doing Libertarian Party stuff again, I hope that they get a reasonable price for the building.
If they’re just going to continue as the MAGA JV team, the less they get for it the better.
But either way, the party would benefit from having a less expensive physical office located outside of the DC area.
The official assessment from the City of Alexandria has this breakdown of the value:
Land: $583,866
Building: $268,721
Total: $852,587
For those interested, the Map-Block-Lot Number is: 073.02-08-17
In many areas of America the tax assessment value of a property are lower than the market value.
In that regions case, it appears to be higher. The DC area market is taking a hit, starting last year.
The building has yet to be sold. I agree that if the building is to be sold it should be placed on the market and allow anyone who wants to make an offer to buy it put in an offer. The LNC should then accept the best offer.
If anyone doubts the damage party members should be able to go there and inspect the building. They could even bring a video camera and post the video online.
What’s the scandal? It seems premature to label this as a scandal.
The scandal is that those actions were not done before a vote. The scandal is that representatives did not polling or consulting with constituents at large and voted to sell without hearing or acknowledging concerns. The scandal is that there has been an agreement to sell and no clarity on what can be done with the funds when that happens.
If it smells scandalous, especially on the heels of an embezzling chair, it probably is.