Libertarian Poll Tax?

A notice in the local paper here in Connecticut caught my eye yesterday. The Libertarian Party of Connecticut will be holding their state convention this coming Saturday in Bridgeport.

The notice lists some of the speakers, including a congressional candidate and a constitutional scholar. But, what jumped off the page was this: “Tickets are $45.”

I have been to political conventions before, both as a staffer and as a delegate. The way one secures a seat is by being elected at the caucus in your hometown or in a primary election. I understand that newer parties may need less formal arrangements, but charging admission? It seems downright un-American. I remember libertarian Senate candidate Rand Paul having trouble with parts of the Civil Rights Act. Are his Connecticut partners creating a new kind of poll tax for influence within their own party?