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Ron Paul still in fight for higher delegate count.
Send this Important Letter to the GOP
Revolution March 2008
*RONVOY TO DC TRANSPORTATION PLANS CONFIRMED!!*
Well, the charters didn't work out...but that's okay! We've found a new, more affordable option, that will be more flexible all the way around!
We have decided to go with 12-, 8-, and 7-passenger vans, from each of the Ronvoy cities.
We have the vans reserved, and the rates are confirmed! No more worries! YOU have until June 30th to pay for your reservations! AND! Pay by June 15th, and get a free Revolution March Ronvoy to DC (Route City Name) T-Shirt OR a Revolution March 2008 hat!
This requires that from each city group, one person in each van must be over 25, with a valid driver license and a major credit card in their name to pick up the vehicle. We will finalize the payment with our card, but a major credit card must be present at pick up. If you are going in the vans, and you are willing to drive, please let me know so we can assign you correctly!
We have the confirmation numbers for the vans - they have already been reserved. All total, the cost is less for the vans than the charter would have been - the charter was at $360 per person. For some, this was a great option - but for others, not so great. The new rates are the best for all, I do believe, and ALL of the new rates are less than $360, some are under $100 including fuel!
The rates, when posted, will be roundtrip, including fuel and unlimited mileage. Keep in mind that rates do not include tolls along your route, or parking in DC, although parking is FREE at MOST Metro stations in DC.
Each traveler who pays by June 15th will also get a free Ronvoy to DC t-shirt or hat! We are asking for people to indicate the t-shirt size, or if they prefer a hat instead, when they make their payment, if they are paying before June 15th.
We actually like this option better, as it allows you to be as flexible as you care to be with your driving route - with unlimited mileage. However, it is IMPERATIVE that we follow the pre-determined Ronvoy routes, as there will be SOME, for instance, who will be departing from Milwaukee, who are "catching" a Seattle Ronvoy van. So, it is important that we stay on the schedule, and stay on the routes as much as possible! At the very least, we need to END UP in each liaison city at the correct location and time! (These specific local liaison locations are still being determined - they will be announced as soon as they are available. If you are interested in being the coordinator of a local location for the Ronvoy, please get in touch with me!)
I apologize again that the charters did not work out for our needs. The company was unwilling to extend the deadline, and they wanted to "reconfigure" the rates if we did not pay our deposits by this past Friday.
*If you are planning to take the vans on the Ronvoy, PLEASE RSVP to "attend" <http://ronpaul.meetup.com/1881/calendar/7973393/> this meeting NOW.* There will be a SECOND "meeting" scheduled to make your payment by or on June 15th, and then another for payments made after June 15th, but before or on June 30th. But PLEASE RSVP NOW if you are planning to take the vans, so that we can determine demand, and if we need to add additional vans to a route, we know that now. Using the itinerary, please choose the Ronvoy route your departure city is on, and RSVP, and in the comments, please mention the specific city at which you will catch the Ronvoy.
Lodging is being confirmed. Hotel rates will be posted soon - but we are also working on booking the campgrounds near DC. Camping and lodging for the Ronvoy cities will be posted soon too.
*Finally, VERY IMPORTANT!!!* IF you are planning to attend any of the workshops planned for earlier in the week, please do NOT plan to take the Ronvoy to DC. The Ronvoy to DC schedule is based on arriving in the Washington, DC area on Friday, July 11 and departing on Sunday, July 13 to reverse the Ronvoy home. The earliest routes are departing the west coast on Monday, July 7, and will return on Thursday, July 17. If you need a separate reservation made for a group traveling on different dates, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you!
*We look forward to seeing all of you in DC!*
See the Awesome Revolution/Freedom March Video in left column of this page.
- April 22nd, 2008
.....a stunning GRASSROOTS REVOLT!..... a chance to return to the traditional core values and principles that made our country great: (details)
April 17, 2008
US & CANADIAN GOVERNMENTS RENAMING "NORTH AMERICAN UNION" TO FOOL CITIZENS:
(details)
I think this is a fabulous way to stay in contact with local freedom fighters! Please check out the site, freedomfortress.net, and join. (Lauren Walker, ronpaul-888@meetup.com)
This is a brilliant idea! Read synopsis in the left column. (Ron Cadby)
---------- Forwarded message --------------------------------
From: Matt Whitlock
Date: Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 7:09 PM
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Subject: A new tool to carry the Ron Paul R3volution forward
I recognize that much scrambling is going on in the movement to build something to replace the costly Meetup system. My take on this, from what I have been able to gather, is unconventional. All of the potential solutions out there that I have seen, and most that I have heard about, continue with the concept of groups.
Groups form a hierarchical structure. They establish divisions, or boundaries, between subsets of the population. When attempting to organize atop an existing bureaucracy, such as the Republican Party, groups divided by state and county make sense. However, when attempting to organize an organic, grassroots movement, the group divisions are essentially arbitrary. I therefore think we should consider alternatives to perpetuating the artificial boundaries that the group structure imposes.
* The alternative that I envision is a communications network based not on groups but rather on locations and distances.* Unless I'm writing on an issue pertaining specifically to my county, I don't really want to talk to everyone in my county, but rather only to those people who are within a particular distance of myself, which could very well include people in other counties! *For some topics I want to reach only people very nearby, and for other topics I want to reach a larger area.* On the receiving end, I don't always care about events going on clear on the other side of my county (counties in Florida are large), so I would prefer to "dial down" the messages I receive to include only those originating closer to myself.
Such a system wouldn't replace the group-centric system of Meetup or Google Groups, but would instead be a parallel system serving a different purpose. Many discussions need to take place on a county or state level, and those discussions should be held via the group system, whichever one or ones we wind up choosing. However, many discussions would be better focused around individual locations with no regard for arbitrary political boundaries.
As a software engineer, I naturally had to implement this idea I've had. The active and fully-functional system can now be found at www.freedomfortress.net.
In the coming weeks, I will be working on adding an event system to Freedom Fortress. This will allow users to place a pin on the map, choose a date, and enter a description of their event. Then members within a given distance of that event will receive notification of the event via email. Members will additionally be able to select a range of dates from a calendar widget and see the corresponding events on the map. Clicking one of the pins on the map will pop up a bubble showing the description of the event.
Another idea, which Nathan Estey, organizer of the National Ron Paul Organizers Meetup, came up with and related to me, is a member directory. Members could optionally choose to be published in the directory and could enter some keywords related to their profession and skills. Then other members could search the map by keyword to locate members with a particular skill.
And all of this operates without the need for segregating the member population into groups.
I think there is great value in having one of our own build the tools we will use to organize and communicate. Literally anything is possible, and we won't have company XYZ telling us, "deal with it," when we mention a shortcoming or request a new feature.
I would enjoy your feedback and thoughts about the concept.
In liberty,
Matt Whitlock
Software Engineer
Gainesville Ron Paul Meetup Group Coordinator
University of Florida Ron Paul Meetup Group Coordinator
