Libertarian News
The LPSC Sponsors a Booth at the Germantown Festival
September 10, 2006
The LPSC booth at Germantown Festival was a huge success. The booth was placed in a great spot. Although we were beat by the sun for the majority of the afternoon, the corner parcel we had was excellent for attracting people entering and leaving our aisle.
Rick Patterson and Hal Rounds on Saturday.
We worked in shifts of 2 to 3 people, which worked pretty effectively to handle the occasional rush on our booth. Although we got a cynical chuckle every now and again when we asked if festival goers would like to take the Worlds Smallest Political Quiz, we were received warmly by the majority of patrons.
I believe we won the hearts and minds of many who had never been introduced to Libertarianism and look forward to seeing some of those friendly faces at a monthly meeting soon. Many candid conversations were held over the weekend with an eclectic group. The inner activist in all of us was tapped.
Keith Carlsen, Danny Zellers, and Bonnie Burgette on Sunday
All in all, around 200 people took the Worlds Smallest Political Quiz, and we gave away around 100 quiz cards for people to take home. We also signed up 30 new people to our e-mail list.
What a rush this weekend was.
-Danny E. Zellers
Tennessee Green Candidates Campaign at the June Meeting of the LPSC
June 26, 2006
The LPSC was treated to a line-up of independents running for Tennessee office this election cycle at its June meeting. In attendance were Chris Lugo, Howard Switzer, and Katey Culver. Each candidate campaigned and then we engaged in a roundtable discussion which lasted well past our allotted time slot.
Chris Lugo, running for US Senate, kicked off the event, highlighting the major points of his campaign platform. Chris's main campaign slogan was "Vote for Peace." Chris illustrated that he is very committed to the cause of peace and proposes a non-intervention policy, including the advent of a Department of Peace. Chris chronicled his involvement with the Nashville Peace and Justice Center as well as his involvement with non-sectarian peace advocates from Iraq. Chris contends that the war has dragged on long enough, and we should exit as soon as possible. With as many as 2,500 US fatalities, 18,000 wounded, and 30,000 Iraqi fatalities, Chris believes our reputation in the region is only reparable if we leave now. Otherwise, he believes that insurgency and disdain for the US will only worsen at time goes by.
Howard Switzer, running for Tennessee Governor, spoke primarily of the Tennessee Healthcare and profiteering. Howard detailed the inequities with the current Tenncare system, and those whom were dropped off the rolls that are sick and in need of care. Howard contends that healthcare is a national renewable resource, and should be treated as such. He highlighted the fact that if we don't educate one another and don't take care of ourselves, the current insurance/healthcare model will fail. He stated profiteering takes too much out of each healthcare dollar and costs are out of reach for many Americans. Currently we are ranked 37th among other nations in the world on healthcare, and this issue is a Green call-to-arms. Howard also focused on education and the creation of "learning communities," where neighborhoods and communities come together and educate one another. Howard also articulated concern for solid wastes, such as packaging, that are generated just to be thrown away that poison our local ecologies, and potentially our food and water sources.
Katey Culver, running for US House of Representatives 7th District, touted election reform as her major campaign message. She touched on the 2004 presidential election results, as well as the struggle we have as independents getting on the ballot. She explained that David Cobb, Green presidential nominee 2004, could not gain ballot access in Tennessee and was strictly a write-in. However, it turns out that Cobb votes in many Tennessee counties were not counted. Her bid for the 7th District House seat is a direct challenge to this fact. As a candidate she will wield the power to challenge the results of her election, if indeed evidence of fraud is present. She also advocates the education of the general public of the election process. With a cited 90 percentile incumbency rate, instruments such as instant runoff voting, as well as reforming elements of the primary process would go a long way in providing voters with choice.
LPSC Chairman Hal Rounds (left), Howard Switzer, Chris Lugo, and Katey Culver
There were several planks of the Green's platforms that struck a chord with Libertarians. One example was the removal of wasteful government agencies and projects and pork-barreling. The end of the drug war, removal of government agencies that have no Constitutional backing such as the Department of Homeland Security was a common theme. Election reform was another point of agreement. Changing the system to be more accessible to independents, instant runoff voting, and adding NOTA to ballots were heralded by both sides. Corporate welfare and profiteering were also areas in which we came together on.
However, there were several points in which we had our political differences. One key difference was the Green's commitment to continue the current form of taxation (non-voluntary Federal Income Tax) that we are subject to today. There were several reasons cited to continue this method of taxation, the overwhelming reason being a fallacy that David Bergland cites in much of his literature, the "people are no damn good" fallacy. The forced taxation of US citizens would be done so that the people would be "compassionate" towards their fellow man. During our discussion the word compassionate came up several times and was applied to an implicit redistribution of wealth to "help" the lower economic classes.
Another point of contention was some of the healthcare proposals cited in the meeting. Creating a single-source healthcare system in which the right to chose is removed was not a popular concept. Also, lesser services potentially being performed by homeopathic services where their medical knowledge and expertise would fall into question, was not a popular option either.
The right to bear arms was an issue that the Green candidates supported; however there was a limit to their support. Ownership of automatic and semi-automatic weapons is an area they disagreed with to a certain degree. Several Libertarians argued that a "well regulated militia", as the Constitution states, cannot be realized without adequate weaponry. In the event of revolution, a tyrannical state would have the upper-hand and undoubtedly squash those fighting for freedom.
Overall the meeting provided candid conversation that cut straight to the core of each of our political philosophies. It is my feeling that this encounter was enlightening and provided a sense of community with our Green friends to the east. It is my hope that the LPSC can form an alliance with our other independent friends, although our principles and goals may differ, to further both of our causes throughout Tennessee.
The next LPSC meeting is scheduled for July 31, 2006. LPSC Chairman Hal Rounds has invited Tennessee State Representative (District 94), Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), as a guest speaker. They will bring to light the headway they have made in the struggle to change Tennessee speed zone statutes.
-Danny E. Zellers
Emory "Bo" Heyward, Candidate for US Senate (TN), and Will Smith, Candidate for the 7th Congressional District (TN), Speaks at the May Meeting of the LPSC
May 22, 2006
The May 22nd meeting of the Shelby County Libertarian Party was a great success!
We had two guests, both candidates seeking to represent Tennessee in federal offices. They both provided excellent, thought-provoking presentations of their positions.
Bo Heyward is running for the U. S. Senate, seeking to fill the place of outgoing Bill Frist. Bo represents himself as a Conservative independent. He is a descendent of one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. He expressed strong disappointment with the unrestrained growth of the U. S. government, and had areas of clear understanding of the U. S. Constitution. He opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants, and government intrusions into the field of health care. He pointed out stretches of federal authority which amazed even the most jaded Libertarians, such as the NAIS, a national animal registration requirement that touches all large animal owners. We need to find out more about this law, which Bo said was part of the Patriot Act.
US Senate Candidate Emory "Bo" Heyward and LPSC Chairman Hal Rounds
Coming from the opposite side, guest speaker William Smith claims to be a Liberal with Libertarian leanings. Not surprisingly to us, we found his Libertarian core closely aligned with the Conservative Bo Heyward in several ways, despite the alleged left-right divide. Mr. Smith is a home-school educator who is running to replace Marsha Blackburn as one of our Congressmen. He displayed an equally deep understanding of the Constitution, encouraging many of us in that regard. Much to my pleasure, he identified the Constitutional source of our Liberty as my favorite part, the Ninth Amendment. When he supported the idea of a minimum wage, he got an earful form the group - and he listened. I sensed a willingness to learn in areas where he had not yet established a strong foundation, and that was encouraging, too.
LPSC Members and 7th Congressional District Candidate William Smith (standing)
We collected $97, and that brings our treasury account to just about $1500. I want to thank Danny Zellers and John Bills for getting these guests - it really made for a great discussion. For next month, Danny is working to bring us another candidate, and we are looking forward to that meeting.
So - Be There!
-Hal Rounds (LPSC Chairman)
Shep Wilbun, Candidate for Clerk of the Juvenile Court of Memphis, Speaks at March Meeting Of the LPSC
March 27, 2006
The Libertarian Party of Shelby County met at its regularly scheduled time of 6:30pm, on Monday, March 27, 2006, at Pancho's Restaurant on Summer Avenue. The speaker, who had started with the DADs of Memphis meeting before ours, continued, and proved an interesting subject.
The speaker was Shep Wilbun, candidate for Clerk of the Juvenile Court of Memphis.
Several of us were impressed with Mr. Wilbun, in ways that we would not have imagined from the way he has been presented in the media. Mr. Wilbun has had several local offices, including a stint on temporary appointment as Clerk of the Juvenile Court. One part of Mr. Wilbun's talk was troubling, and perhaps typical of the problem with government and government officials. He stated that he would use the office as a platform to "improve the community" regardless of the actual purpose of the position. This promises a danger that task - and power - expansion will be one risk of Mr. Wilbun's term if he wins the election.
On the other hand Mr. Wilbun seemed quite responsive to the problems of non-custodial parents (read "fathers.") He seemed to recognize that government can seriously complicate the relationships between parents and with their children, and can cripple the ability of non-custodial parents to give their children the support they need, both financially and in terms of direct participation in their lives.
He described several of the problems and opportunities he already anticipates in the office, and his approach seemed compatible in some ways with the Libertarian emphasis on returning responsibility for dealing with societal problems to the individuals involved and other non-governmental organizations which can actually provide better help with no tax impact. Another specific intent Mr. Wilbun expressed was to file a suit for declarative judgment to determine what the actual functions of the Clerk's office are, and what those of the Court itself are. There is currently some contention regarding conflicts in the roles and authorities, and several offices and functions are duplicated. Mr. Wilbun intends to eliminate the duplications, with either the court or the clerk's office taking each duplicated function, and the other office withdrawing from its mirror activity.
The treasury report showed a balance of over $1500, less the bill for the ads for the Newby's meeting in February.
In other matters, not announced at our meeting, Hal Rounds is working with State Legislator Dolores Gresham to change the Tennessee statutes which delineate how speed zones are set. This effort will help reduce the number of "speed traps" in the small towns throughout the state. The basis of the changes we are seeking are the Federal Regulations, which compel localities to set their speed limits based on engineering studies rather than local politics or fiscal opportunity (i.e. ticket revenue.)
If you are interested in more details, Hal has all you need, so just e-mail him and he'll respond.
Hal is getting support from the National Motorists Association, and is working with Republicans. So far, the main opposition is coming from Democrats. If you are interested in adding some support, please contact your Representative and ask them to sign on as a co-sponsor to House Bill 3851.
We expect another interesting speaker next month - be sure to come!
-Hal Rounds (LPSC Chairman)
Local Campus Outreach Effort During February Meeting of The LPSC
February 27, 2006
The Libertarian Party of Shelby County met in a special setting for our February 2006 session. Rick Patterson took the initiative to recruit students with some potential Libertarian interest, and set up the meeting for February 27 in Newby's restaurant on Highland, near the University of Memphis campus. Only a small group of the usual Libertarian crowd showed up but we were honored to host seven new guests.
The plan was to offer our guests the opportunity to take "The World's Smallest Political Quiz," but at least one of them already had done so. We broke into small groups and discussed issues of specific interest with each of the new visitors. These discussions provided the students with some insight to Libertarian approaches to issues of interest to them.
Other than welcoming comments and a brief description of our activities, the only presentation to the whole grout was Vernie's tale of her harassment by the IRS. We had thought that they were going to merely demand payment of the taxes which they have been demanding for the past several years. They still have never answered the initial questions that Vernie asked regarding the foundational policy and forms conflicts which have always been the issue which Vernie has sought their help clarifying.
In other words, they still have refused to discuss the foundations of their authority to demand our money.
I suspect that their foundation is valid, but it is seriously drawn into question when their response to sincere questions is an outburst of intimidation and harassment instead of helpful answers.
The intimidation and harassment have, in fact, grown since the IRS was defeated in their attempt to criminalize Vernie's questions a few years ago. They are now investigating her for "criminal conspiracy" - another way to describe their attempt to subject Vernie to "double jeopardy" when their first attack failed. We have often used the term "I want your first-born child" jokingly to describe the most heinous of greedy creditors. It's no longer a joke, as the IRS is now going after Vernis's son.
It seemed to me that there was a mixture of shock and disbelief among the students, that our own "public servants" could act in that way, but perhaps their attention will be more alert to the wisps of such facts that occasionally seep out of the press, and they will become more aware of the ominous and frightful things that are going on around us.
Newby's was a gracious host location, and they turned down their sound system to accommodate us. Unfortunately, the residual noise was still a problem, and we will not make this a frequent meeting site.
Our next meeting will return to Pancho's on Summer Avenue, at 6:30 p. m. on March 27th. Y'all come!
-Hal Rounds (LPSC Chairman)
Memphis Councilwoman Carol Chumney Addresses November Meeting of LPSC
November 28, 2005
Chapter Chairman Hal Rounds, Councilwoman Carol Chumney, and Larry Henson
On Monday, November 29, 2005, the Libertarian Party of Shelby County held our monthly meeting at Pancho's Restaurant. The guest speaker was Carol Chumney, member of the Memphis City Council.
In recent months Councilwoman Chumney has been in the local news frequently with to her attempts to guide the city council toward a more active role in straightening our city finances. The Mayor, Willie Herenton, presented the new annual budget with the claim that it was a balanced budget. Mere weeks later, he shocked the community as well as the City Council with the announcement that the budget was in fact millions of dollars in the red.
Ms. Chumney discussed her perspective on this issue, and appeared to take a very conservative/Libertarian position regarding the finances of the City of Memphis. She has worked to discover and expose the processes in the budget which led to the failures. It seems that the mayor took the highest estimate of the city's revenue forecast and drew up the budget with that as the "spend this much" benchmark. As the real revenues of the city will more likely approach a medium or low level, the spending will exceed them, and the city debt will snowball.
Ms. Chumney pointed out that the primary function of the City Council is to approve, monitor, and enforce the budget performance of the executive branch - the mayor. She reported that the other council members apparently have abdicated this duty, leaving the mayor to do as he pleases despite the crisis which has developed.
Ms. Chumney offered her list of proposed budget cuts, a list which has been ignored by her fellow council members.
The Libertarian audience was clearly convinced that the City of Memphis is in a real financial pickle, and isn't doing anything to keep it from getting worse.
Next year isn't a normal city election cycle, but with the need to replace Councilwoman Ford, an opportunity may arise for voting on a referendum to address some of the problems.
-Hal Rounds (LPSC Chairman)