I've been a management consultant for over 25 years, specializing in small-business development. So I've dealt with the management and leadership challenges now facing the LPWS. That experience is one reason Jim Campton asked me to consider filling an open position on the SEC. I was appointed, not elected, so I feel a special obligation to tell you what I hope to contribute.

The ''Director'' position is proposed as full-time. Legally, he or she would be an employee, even if paid solely on commission, thus obligating the party for state and federal payroll taxes---with office rent on top of that.

No other state party has a full-time employee. Let's review the math, under the unlikely assumption our fundraising would be as successful as National's. Adjusted for population, our annual budget would increase to $40,000. From that, subtract our current annual budget---including the new members we know we'll get---and there's not enough left to pay the fundraiser, the new payroll taxes, and the office rent. Not even close.

California, with over 2000 members, is large enough to do long-range planning. They don't plan a full-time director until they reach 20,000 members. Until then, like other state parties, they will contract out certain services. Small business does the same thing. Before having a full-time accountant, they contract for bookkeeping or payroll services.

We've been without an Office Manager for four months. We need to restructure the job. Contract out the database management, which Tom Isenberg spent less than 20 hours per month doing. That leaves the Office Manager to simply handle our 800 phone line and mail out information.

Fundraisers paid on commission are a good idea. But why just one? Why not six or seven? The SEC could invite a pro or two to run a training workshop. That would be a businesslike approach.

Another businesslike approach, also taken by leading state parties, is decentralizing. Instead of reducing the SEC per Rich's column, we should be devolving its power (and dollars) down to the county parties, then to city parties, as part of our growth planning. In Texas, the state Chair is restructuring county parties as a check-and-balance to his own power and the power of their SEC. What a radical notion---liberating Libertarians!

The survey I've proposed is also businesslike. It's only the first step in the planning we must start doing. The entire membership must be engaged in this planning---and this is critical---from the very beginning. Until this is completed, any major proposals are premature.