The LPNM Blog: October 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Allen Cogbill, In Memoriam

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the passing of our beloved Treasurer, Allen Cogbill. Allen passed away unexpected on October 25 from a recently-contracted lung disease. Allen served the LPNM as Treasurer, doing a fabulously superb job of bookkeeping, for as long as I have been associated with the Party. He was a dedicated Libertarian who lived his principles, and was a good friend to us all.

Allen, thank you for having enriched our lives with your presence. We are going to miss you.

Marty Swinney
State Chair, Libertarian Party of New Mexico

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Why I Oppose the New Mexico Denial of Bail Measure, by Freddie Joe Nichols III

Why I Oppose the New Mexico Denial of Bail Measure

Coming up on the ballot on November 8th is a ballot measure called, New Mexico Denial of Bail Measure, Constitutional Amendment 1. The measure's goal is to allow police time to investigate dangerous crimes while keeping the defendant locked up by denying them bail. It definitely sounds good at face value, "to protect community safety."

To be fair, the measure attempts to fix a few issues that we have currently like removing the portion that requires people who were previously convicted of 2 or more felonies to automatically be denied bail of 60 days after incarceration if they are accused of another crime, and also ensuring that non-violent offenders can be released even if they don't have the financial means to post bail. These changes would definitely be great wins in terms of due process, but there's more.

The measure removes the limit on how long the state can deny an individual bail. So, if a judge deems someone who has been accused of a crime to be a "danger" they can deny them bail indefinitely. Let me say that a different way. If someone is accused of a crime and hasn't had a trial to prove their innocence or guilt, a judge can still decide that they are dangerous and keep them locked up forever. The idea that a judge, or any state agent for that matter, can decide to keep an individual imprisoned forever just because they think that individual is dangerous is a major violation of due process. I'm sure during the American Revolution, King George III would have claimed all of our Founding Fathers were dangerous and imprisoned them forever if he were given the chance.

This measure, as with most measures, has some good and some bad. In my opinion the bad outweighs the good, and we will have better opportunities to address these issues going forward. Anytime I see "to protect community safety" at the beginning of a bill I start looking for the rights they are trying to infringe on this time. I can't in good conscience vote for something that has the potential to allow the state to indefinitely detain a person who has not been tried by a jury of his / her peers and convicted of a crime. I will be opposing New Mexico Denial of Bail Measure, and I encourage each of you to do the same.

In Liberty,
Freddie "Joe" Nichols III
Candidate for NM State Representative District 54

FOR FURTHER REFERENCE

NOTES

Approximate reading level – 14.2

Copyright © 2016 Libertarian Party of New Mexico, Libertarian Party of Chaves County, New Mexico, Libertarian Party of Eddy County, New Mexico, Libertarian Party of Otero County, New Mexico, and Freddie Joe Nichols III. All rights reserved.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Vote NO on the UNMH Mill Levy

Vote NO on this mill levy.

Tell UNM to get that ∅95 million from the legislators' pensions, the film subsidies, the Local Economic Devlopment Authority, oil and gas subsidies, NMHIX, the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, among other places.

The politicians love to load up the bond issues and mill levies with the popular stuff – buildings, infrastructure and "services" that "must" done by government, because "no one in the private sector can or will do them" – police, libraries, senior centers, community centers, sewers, storm drains, flood control, and so forth.

We all know that's hogwash, to put it delicately.

Once the politicians load up the bonds and levies with the popular stuff, that frees them to use more from the general budget for their pet projects, their legalized vote-buying schemes (each City Councilor in Albuquerque is allocated ∅1-2 million annually for "needed improvements in their district), making sure that someone in the inside loop gets the contract for the next "necessary" project.

And when was the last time that taxes in Bernalillo County actually went down? Between the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, we're paying some of the highest gross receipt taxes in the state – currently at 7.3125 percent.

Now they expect us to pay even more?!

Tell the politicians that for every new tax they want to impose upon us, at the very least, get rid of an equivalent tax, so that the overall burden doesn't increase.

Or – and I know this will be taken as pure insanity by the Political Classholes – they could actually CUT taxes a bit. (AND cut some spending, too? Would that really be too much to ask?)

NOTES

Approximate reading level – 12.5

Copyright © 2016 Libertarian Party of New Mexico, Libertarian Party of Bernalillo County, New Mexico and Mike Blessing. All rights reserved.
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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Quote of the Day for Tuesday, 4 October 2016

"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's Liberty teeth and keystone under Independence. The church, the plow, the prairie wagon, and citizens' firearms are indelibly related. From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences and tendencies prove that to insure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. Every corner of this Land knows firearms and more than 99 99/100 per cent of them by their silence indicate they are in safe and sane hands. The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference and they deserve a place of honor with all that's good. When firearms go all goes, therefore we need them every hour."
~ C. S. Wheatley.

Copyright © 2016 Libertarian Party of New Mexico, Libertarian Party of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, CNM College Libertarian Club and Mike Blessing. All rights reserved.
Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises.
This blog entry created with Notepad++.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Frank Clinard, R.I.P. (1933-2016)

Frank Welch Clinard Jr.

Obituary

Frank Welch Clinard Jr. passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on August 30, 2016 at Sombrillo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Los Alamos. The cause was complications of Alzheimer's Disease.

Frank was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He grew up enjoying hunting and fishing with his family in the mountains of North Carolina. He received his Bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering in 1955 and his Masters of Science in Metallurgical Engineering in 1957, both from North Carolina State University. He went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science from Stanford University in 1964. Frank began his career at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1964 and retired in 1989. His works as a research scientist and materials expert were recognized around the world. After his retirement he consulted for private companies and taught Materials Engineering at New Mexico Tech.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife Elva Hyatt Clinard. Frank and Elva loved Beagles and since the 60's always had two, with the older Beagle "training" the younger one. They also shared a passion for race cars. They traveled all over the world and enjoyed spending time in their cabin in Colorado.

Frank was a member of the Libertarian Party since 1976 and ran for New Mexico State Senate on the Libertarian ticket in 1992. He served as the Public Relations Director for the LPNM after that.

Frank was preceded in death by his brother David M. Clinard and his parents Frank W. Clinard Sr. and Helen Hazel Hauser. He is survived by a niece and two nephews.

Memorial arrangements will be made at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Published in Los Alamos Monitor on Sept. 27, 2016

– See more at: http://legacy.com/obituaries/lamonitor/obituary.aspx?n=frank-welch-clinard&pid=181604257

Please view or sign the memorial guestbook.