The purchase price is a matter of public record: $825K – and the sale netted about $615K.
The current value, with a small investment for repairs ($25-50K) – would have netted about $800-825K – reducing the losses by about $200K – an excellent ROI. Yes, they could have fundraised (from one major donor) for this. They could have taken a loan. They could have borrowed from a donor.
If they sold a couple years ago – when a certain someone suggested – they would have perhaps received $900K plus.
The organization – as a matter of fairness even if not required by law – should have offered the donors to this project the opportunity to direct where these funds should go:
a) Paying off current debt & upcoming immediate expenses
b) Ballot access for 2026 & 2028
c) Left ion a fund for a future HQ
d) Returned to donor
Since 2022 it was known the building would be sold. It was going to happen because this board & last did not want to have a permanent presents in the DC area like the other 2 legacy parties. They did not believe in the message “we’re her to stay & be in your faces” – they did not want to participate in the political process of the federal government or trying to influence bills or messaging on a national level.
They should disband as a national party & simply operate at the state & local level.
They went over the last 3 or so years from needing several years to win back donors & members to perhaps now needing a decade or more to re-build.
The entire thing is sad.
The 1444 Duke Street location in Alexandria was always the wrong office for the party. Part of a non-descript brick office block with any significant external signage or visibility prohibited, it lacked anything to make it a community fixture.
And there was a lack of imaginination within the party leadership to make it even what it could have been. Most LNC members and staff were apparently more interested in having a “professional” office space than in turning it into a 24/7 community space and hotbed of libertarian activism. Sometimes the “safe” conformist route is the wrong answer.
When I proposed holding regular community events there, or even LNC meetings (to save the party hundreds or thousands of dollars per meeting in room rental fees), I was told there wasn’t enough space. Because it would have meant reconfiguring the interior for more open space at the expense of staff workspaces. So I’m not sorry to see it go, even if the sale was handled poorly and they didn’t get what they could have for it.
Sooner or later the Libertarian Party’s finances will recover, and there will be talk of a brick-and-mortar office again. When that happens, I hope our party will have learned a lesson from this, and get it right next time by doing at least one of three things – preferably all three:
1) Build our own office. Partner with Habitat for Humanity or another similar non-profit to build our space from scratch using our own volunteer labor. This would be a chance to build not only a space custom-suited to our needs, but community and solidarity at the same time, by doing it in the most self-reliant, libertarian way. When completed, we would have a real sense of group accomplishment, of being able to say “We built this!” to future generations of Libertarians.
2) Locate in the Free State. The New Hampshire LP (or at least its leaders’ social media messaging) may have been an embarrassment lately, but the Free State Project continues to roll along, and its future looks promising. If the Libertarian Party were to open shop there and make itself the party of independence for “The Shire”, the synergy could be amazing. It could resucitate our party in a crucial state, the freest in the country, and prompt even more libertarians to move there and keep the r3VOLution on track rather than let it be hijacked by conservatives who want to pull up the ladder and slam the doors shut in others’ faces.
3) Instead of an “office”, create a 24/7 activist/community center. Have a space where anyone can drop in anytime to hang out and watch pro-freedom films, hear speakers, stuff envelopes, create Libertarian art, use the radio and music studio spaces, store protest signs and other activist materials, host parties, and throw neighborhood/community events to promote Libertarian candidates and local pro-freedom issues. Make a space that feels like the nexus of a busy, exciting campaign or movement every day, and Libertarians and others will want to come and get involved.
Excellent and positive suggestions!
Robert, I get that you are bitter. I have a lot of that too, but advocating the dissolution of the national party is not the way. It does need a complete restructuring to be more accountable to the membership. We can be grateful that McArdle demonstrated that in spades.
Disbanding LNC/National LP would mean no more national LP POTUS candidates.
That’s the only issue I can’t get past.
No, candidates could still run as libertarians and get on the state as they always do. the LNC doesn’t put a candidate on the Presidential ballot, the states do.
Hi Dan.
I understand States have different ballot access requirements for local, state and federal elections.
I meant “National” as in having a National Liberation Party, in which all recognized LP State affiliates send delegates to convention and choose one LP candidate which will be on the ballot of all the States, of those which have secured State ballot access, as the LP “National” candidate.
Daniel, that is not correct in Colorado. I find it odd you don’t know that after everything that has done on. A national committee has to sign the paperwork in Colorado. That may in fact be true in other states – I don’t know, but it is certainly true in Colorado.
Hardly anyone in the DC metro area knew that the Libertarian Party had an office in the DC metro area. So few people knew about it that I would not call it having a presence there. It made zero difference.
The Libertarian Party has a greater presence in the DC metro area when the affiliates in DC, Maryland and Virginia have candidates on the ballot.
There was talk of selling the office in 2022 and certain people in the party threw a hissy fit over it even though by 2022 it was clearly apparent that the office waa unnecessary.