Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Freedom of Choice? What a Concept!

Freedom of Choice? What a Concept!
by Ron Bjornstad, LPNM Secretary and Sandoval County LP Chair
Letter to the editor to the Albuquerque Journal – Tuesday, 7 February 2012, p.A7
7th letter down from top on web version

Political parties exist for the purpose of endorsing and supporting candidates for political office. It should be up to the individuals who have chosen to belong to that organization to determine to whom they will give their endorsement and support. Why, as a nonmember, should I get to decide who you and your party will support?

No voter is prevented from joining a political party if he or she desires, thus having input into that party's candidate selection. No individual is required to belong to a party in order to run for office, although the state election code does put up sizable road blocks to anyone wishing to run without a party endorsement.

The whole problem of voter disenfranchisement exists because the government sanctions and, in fact actually helps finance, some political parties with taxpayer money. Any party wishing to hold a primary election to determine to whom it will give its endorsement and support, should do at its own expense, not that of the taxpayer.

Any individual or group should be able endorse or support any candidate they choose, without government sanction or financial support, and that individual or the members of that organization should have the sole right to determine the recipient of that support.


NOTES

  1. Original article – 7th letter down from top

  2. Links to this post


Copyright © 2012 Libertarian Party of New Mexico, Ron Bjornstad. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Mike Blessing
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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Follow-up with Steve Terrell (28 Dec 2011)

This posting follows up on previous comments to Steve Terrell.

On 12/28/2011 2:56 PM, Steve Terrell wrote:
>
> Thanks Mike. I was there this morning but didn't get a chance to meet you.

Glad to be of assistance!

> I have a technical question:
>
> I know the LP has a convention in May. I assume the state party will send a delegation. Will you be having a state
> convention before then to chose delegates and who to back among the 10 or so candidates? If so, when will that
> take place?

The LPNM's 2012 annual State Convention will take place on Saturday, 21 April 2012 at the Quarters BBQ at 3700 Ellison NW (see here for a map and directions – http://tinyurl.com/27rhyrn). Most likely we'll have a no-host meet-and-greet the night before, probably at the same location.

Details (speakers' list, agenda, etc.) will be posted here –
http://lpofnm.blogspot.com/2011/11/2012-annual-state-convention.html

> And if some reader of my story tomorrow wants to get involved with this process, what would they have to do?

In order to vote to nominate candidates for public office, they would have to make sure that they're registered to vote as "Libertarian" or "LIB" as the Secretary of State prints on the voter registration cards before they show up for the Convention.

For them to vote in internal party business (changes in the bylaws, party officer nominations, etc.), they need to :

  1. Register to vote as "Libertarian."

  2. Sign up as what the LPNM refers to as a "Caucus Member." Basically, this means that they've signed the Non-Aggression Pledge and paid $25 in dues.

> I assume only registered Libertarians would be allowed to take part in this process (if you do have a state
> convention or whatever). If they weren't already party members, when would they have to change their
> registrations?

If they just want voting rights at the State Convention, all they need to is show up at that Convention with "LIB" printed on their voter registration card, and sign up as a Caucus Member to take part in internal business.

If they want to be candidates for public office on the LPNM's ballot line, they need to :

  1. Register to vote as "Libertarian" before the Governor's Election Proclamation for 2012 comes out. Usually this Proclamation is put out on the last Tuesday of January.

  2. Sign up with the LPNM as a Caucus Member (see above).

  3. Get nominated by their peers at the State Convention (or a County Convention for offices contained entirely in one county).

  4. Download and thoroughly read the candidate guides available from the Secretary of State's office, as they contain all of the details required by the State of New Mexico – filing dates, signature requirements, etc.

    http://www.sos.state.nm.us/2012CandidateGuideInfo.html

______________________________________________________________________
Mike Blessing / 505-515-7015
State Chair, Libertarian Party of New Mexico

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who should — you or someone else?
Freedom is the answer — what's the question?


Copyright © 2011–2012 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing.
This blog entry created with gedit and Notepad++.

Comments to Steve Terrell About Gary Johnson (27 Dec 2011)

On 12/27/2011 2:56 PM, Steve Terrell wrote:
> Hi Mike,
>
> I’m a reporter with the Santa Fe New Mexican. >
> I’m doing a story on Gary Johnson’s expected announcement that he’ll seek the Libertarian Party nomination for
> president.
>
> As state chairman of the NM Libertarian Party, how do you feel about that? I realize there are several other
> candidates, but how would you expect the former governor to do, both in getting the nomination and in the
> general election here in the state?

Sorry I haven't responded earlier.

I'm OK with Gary Johnson seeking the LP presidential nomination. Can't say I blame him if that's what he decides to do, considering that the GOP consistently solicits support in the form of time, effort, and money from its libertarian wing, then tells the people comprising that part of their organization to "Shut up and do as you're told." Those that don't – well, look at how the GOP machine treated Adam Kokesh in the 2010 primary for New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District.

I left the GOP and joined the Libertarian Party back in January, 1994 because of this sort of thing.

I guess that Johnson kept New Mexico in the black for eight years doesn't really matter to most Republicans. So much for their "support" for fiscal responsibility. So the GOP is going with the guy who created the precursor to ObamaCare in Massachusetts instead? So much for their "support" for free-market economics and health-care choice.

Same goes for the Second Amendment – Johnson has never treated gun owners as political footballs like quite a few Republicans (Romney, McCain, Giuliani, Dole, both Bushes) have. Yet the gun vote always seems to deliver for the GOP, and the GOP returns the favor with more abuse. Classic abused-voter syndrome – kind of like how the Democrats treat the gay vote (remember Patsy Madrid's efforts against any sort of same-sex marriages or civil unions back in 2004?).

But the Republicans sure are hot to stomp on Johnson for Gary's stance that the current version of Prohibition against marijuana needs to be rethought, if not scrapped outright. Never mind the fact that over fifty billion bucks are blown every year on it, and it only stops five percent of the drug traffic from producers to end users. Disregard the fourteen states that have set up some form of medical marijuana program through ballot initiatives and referenda. Didn't Obama promise to end the federal crackdown against medical marijuana dispensaries?

Both Republicans and Democrats also seem to be in love with dropping bombs on foreigners, too – especially when it's their guy in the White House giving the orders. That's something else where Johnson differs from both Obama and the "eventual Republican nominee," whether it's Romney or Gingrich.

What about Gary's chances? I think that he's got a good chance of winning the LP's nomination. As for the general election, that depends also on who wins the GOP's nomination to be his opponent. If it's Romney or Gingrich, I think that Gary will get some good numbers.

I hope to see you in Santa Fe tomorrow morning!

______________________________________________________________________
Mike Blessing / 505-515-7015
State Chair, Libertarian Party of New Mexico

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who should — you or someone else?
Freedom is the answer — what's the question?


Copyright © 2011–2012 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing.
This blog entry created with gedit and Notepad++.

Monday, January 2, 2012

2012 Presidential Candidates

Here is a list of those currently known (as of 2 January 2012) to be seeking the Libertarian Party's 2012 presidential nomination. They are listed in simple alphabetical order.

Ralph Allen Beach (South Carolina) — FEC P20002358

Jim Burns (Nevada)

Jim Duensing (Nevada)

Roger Gary (Texas) — FEC P20002770

R. J. Harris (Oklahoma) — FEC P20003364

Ronald Keith Hebert (Tennessee) — FEC P20004230

Shawn James Hogan (Pennsylvania) — FEC P20004024

Gary Johnson (New Mexico) — FEC P20002671

Robert W. Milnes (New Jersey)

James Ogle (California) — FEC P60004322

Carl Person (New York) — FEC P20002895

Dave Redick of Wisconsin (Wisconsin)

Bill Still (Virginia) — FEC P20003828

Joy Waymire (California) — FEC P20004370

Lee Wrights (Texas) — FEC P20002952


Copyright © 2012 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing
This blog entry created with gedit and Notepad++.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Comments to David Weigel about Gary Johnson (21 December 2011)

Current mood: excited

On 12/20/2011 6:11 PM, David Weigel wrote:

> Are you led to believe he's announcing as a Libertarian next week?
>
> thanks
> Dave Weigel
>
> David Weigel
> Slate political reporter

Well, he's been talking about the possibility of running on our ticket for a month or two now.

http://politico.com/news/stories/1211/70727.html
http://tinyurl.com/7m4pzza
http://tinyurl.com/8y29758

Before this, it seems like most of the media wouldn't give him the time of day.

Can't say as I blame him — he's been in the GOP's doghouse since 2001.

I've been seeing this sort of behavior towards libertarians from the GOP's insiders for years now — they solicit our time, effort and cash but they think that we're willing to pitch in without getting anything in exchange, i.e. candidates who express libertarian policy stances.

Then when we withhold that support, they call us "losertarians" and such.

The most asinine part of this is how a lot of GOP candidates pitch themselves as having "business experience." What sort of businessman offers an inferior product, then insults the potential customer for refusing to buy in?

Mike Blessing
State Chair, Libertarian Party of New Mexico
505-515-7015


Copyright © 2011-2012 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises, Webmaster Mike Blessing.
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Thursday, November 17, 2011

2012 Annual State Convention

Libertarian Party of New Mexico

2012 Annual State Convention

Theme – The Way Forward: Rebuilding

Venue – Quarters BBQ
3700 Ellison Dr. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114 – See also HERE

Contact Mike Blessing – 505-515-7015

Friday, 20 April 2012

Although there is no formal program for Friday evening, for anyone wanting to arrive early, the early birds will gather in the Quarters BBQ bar area at about 6:00 PM for an informal dinner / discussion – No-host, pay-as-you-go, dinner, cocktails, and networking.

Saturday, 21 April 2012

11:00 AM Registration and pay-as-you-go lunch, order off the menu – Ø25 per person, to include dinner in the evening
 
1:00 PM LPNM Business Meeting [no charge for anyone attending ONLY the business meeting]
 
  • All who are registered with the State of New Mexico as Libertarians ("LIB" on the voter registration card) can vote during nominations for public office.
  • Only Caucus Members can vote during LPNM business and internal LPNM elections.
  • Visitors do not vote in any actions or activities.
  • Central Committee meeting after close of the LPNM Business Meeting.
  • See below the schedule for more details.
3:00 PM Speaker [To be announced]
  
4:00 PM Speaker [To be announced]
 
5:00 PM Break [so Quarters can prepare for the dinner]
 
5:30 PM Dinner [included in the registration fee]
 Family-style – includes BBQ chicken, ribs, sliced beef brisket, sliced pork brisket, hot links, with various sides, and includes your choice of iced tea, coffee, or soda [other beverages are pay-as-you-go].
 
7:30 PM Keynote Speaker – [To be announced]
 
8:30 PM LPNM Fundraiser Auction [Bring items to donate]
 
9:00 PM Convention [and Quarters] closes

Speakers and Candidates Addressing the Convention Membership

Speakers will have 30–45 minutes to make their case, then should be open to questions from the audience. Audience members are requested to ask questions of the speaker as opposed to making statements. All speakers will be considered to have consented to being recorded, including but not limited to audio or video devices, for posting to the internet (YouTube, etc.).

Handouts for Distribution

The LPNM membership reserves the right to disavow any handouts (handbills, brochures, CDs, DVDs, etc.) offered for distribution to convention membership, as well as the person(s) doing the distributing.

Nominations for Candidates for Public Office

Anyone wanting to vote to nominate candidates for public office needs to make sure that they're registered to vote as "Libertarian" or "LIB" as the Secretary of State prints on the voter registration cards before they show up for the Convention.

So make sure to bring your voter registration card.

Participating in LPNM Internal Business

All you have to do to participate in the LPNM's internal business (changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, internal nominations, etc.) is to do the following (both steps are necessary, regardless of order completed):

  1. Register to vote as "Libertarian" so that your voter registration card reads "LIB" in the spot marked "PARTY" (lower right-hand corner).

  2. Sign up as what the LPNM refers to as a "Caucus Member." Basically, this means that you've signed the Non-Aggression Pledge and paid $25 in dues. You can do this at the Convention itself, as we'll have the necessary paperwork on hand.

  3. Pay the required amount for a convention membership.

Becoming an LPNM Candidate for Public Office

Anyone wanting to be a candidate for public office on the LPNM's ballot line needs to :

  1. Register to vote as "Libertarian" before the Governor's Election Proclamation for 2012 comes out. Usually this Proclamation is put out on the last Tuesday of January. A safe bet is to get this done at least two weeks before the Proclamation is released by the Governor's Office.

  2. Sign up with the LPNM as a Caucus Member (see above).

  3. Get nominated by your peers at the State Convention (or a County Convention for offices contained entirely in one county).

  4. Download and thoroughly read the candidate guides available from the Secretary of State's office, as they contain all of the details required by the State of New Mexico – filing dates, signature requirements, etc.

    See here for the guides – http://www.sos.state.nm.us/2012CandidateGuideInfo.html

  5. Read the Run for Office page at lp.org

Becoming a Delegate to the National Convention

Anyone wanting to be a delegate from the LPNM to the LP's 2012 National Convention needs to :

  1. Register to vote as "Libertarian" before the State Convention.

  2. Sign up with the LPNM as a Caucus Member (see above).

  3. Show up at this convention and signify willingness to be a delegate.

  4. Sign up as a National member.

  5. Download and read the LP National Bylaws and Convention Rules

  6. Request a copy of the pamphlet titled Information for Delegation Chairs and Delegates.

  7. Show up at the National Convention.

Out-of-State Visitors

  1. All national-level candidates (for President, National Chair, LNC spots, etc.) are responsible for covering their own expenses, including but not limited to travel, meals, and lodging. They are, of course, free to solicit financial or other support from individual LPNM members, but the LPNM will not expend organizational resources for this purpose.

  2. The LPNM as an organization will NOT endorse candidates for any office until they have been officially nominated by an accredited affiliate of the Libertarian Party.


Copyright © 2011–2012 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing.
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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Rebuilding and Upgrading the LPNM

I want to remake the Party into an activists' party, with the intent of supporting the central task of taking the libertarian message to the general public. Running partisan candidates are a way to do that, but not the only way. Here's some resources and tips for the membership to help spread the word and develop their rhetorical talents.

  • I've created a YouTube channel for the LPNM. This will be for posting videos that support the libertarian message. These include, but are not limited to, recordings of speakers at LPNM conventions. If you're good with a camcorder, I hereby solicit your submissions here.

  • The LPNM blog remains active. Again, I humbly solicit submissions for that blog (and the newsletter!) in the form of original articles, cartoons, etc., that you've done.

  • I encourage all LPNM members to post notices to their pages on Facebook, Myspace, wherever, of local LP meetings in their area. I've got a few people on my personal pages, but we can reach more people if others follow suit in this. If there aren't any local LP meetings in your area, feel free to start one – it's not that difficult. What do you have to lose by making the effort?

  • The Facebook group that I set up for the LPNM remains active. The Myspace group is unavailable at the moment, as Myspace is apparently revamping their setup for that particular feature. The [LPNM-discuss] Yahoo! Group also remains active as an open forum.

What can you do and what can you "get away with" on my watch? I think that it's best if we apply libertarian principles to the Party's internal workings as well as to our rhetoric and to the policies we advocate. So you're pretty much good to go if you meet these three conditions:

  • You're not breaking any public laws – especially the malum in se ones.

  • You're not violating the Non-Aggression Principle.

  • You're not advocating violations of the Non-Aggression Principle.

I maintain that that Libertarian candidates, officeholders or appointed spokespersons at all levels of government or the Party should refrain from advocating new or more restrictive laws, new or more expensive spending programs, or new or higher taxes. To paraphrase from the medical profession, "First, do no harm."

Recently (28 April), Ron Bjornstad and I met with staffers from the Bernalillo County Bureau of Elections – part of the County Clerk's Office. Things could be looking up on our dealings with them and the Secretary of State. I'll say more about that in future columns.


Copyright © 2011 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Mike Blessing.
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Monday, May 30, 2011

Marilyn Steffen's Radio Interview on the Internet

Current mood: excited

The radio interview with Marilyn Steffen (see last month's issue of New Mexico Liberty or the LPNM blog) has been posted to the LPNM's YouTube account in three parts –

The interview has also been posted to lpnm.us as a single MP3 file –

lpnm.us/MediaFiles/MarilynSteffenInterview-KOOT.mp3

Thanks to Allen Cogbill for posting it to the net!


Copyright © 2011 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing.
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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Who Speaks for the Libertarians? (Letter to the Editor)

Current mood: predatory

Who Speaks for the Libertarians?

Apparently Kenneth M. Brown, former Board member of the Rio Grande Foundation (the same one headed by Paul Gessing), seems to think that he's a mind-reader where libertarians are concerned. I'm citing his recent op-ed piece in the Albuquerque Journal ("Incentives Can Work, If Doled Out Wisely," p. A7).

Here's the comment that leads me to believe this:

"Libertarians hate this governmental intrusion."

While we (libertarians, that is) might object passionately to such governmental intrusions into the economy, I hardly think that the word "hate" applies. We simply look to the historical record and note that when government stays out of the way, the average person "in the street" prospers more than when government is active in "running" the economy. As is often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, "That which governs best governs least."

In fact, we as Libertarians are often divided over how fast to cut the State, how much to cut, and what should get cut first. I like to say that as a minimum, we shouldn't advocate any more growth of government – the State should not expand in power, expense or intrusiveness. We'll let everyone else argue over how much to grow the State.

Brown goes on to say, "A well-designed incentive will create more jobs per dollar of lost tax revenue than would a reduction of, say, two percentage points of a state's top tax rate. The reason is that the incentive could be targeted to one firm and made to be worth much more to that firm than a statewide tax cut, and at a small fraction of the lost revenue."

The fact remains that such incentives have often ended up as boondoggles here in New Mexico. After all of the back-room deals from 2003 to 2011, New Mexicans have every right to be skeptical of any sort of such "targeted incentives."

My question for Brown is simply this: Why should I trust his judgment over what is and isn't a "wise" choice where these "targeted incentives" are concerned? Thus I prefer making the tax and regulatory environment a level playing field, as opposed to Brown's idea of mercantilist preferences.

Mike Blessing
State Chair, Libertarian Party of New Mexico
Phone – 505-515-7015 / Yahoo IM – mikewb1971

Who owns you? Who runs your life? Who should – you or someone else?
Freedom is the answer – what's the question?


Copyright © 2011 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Webmaster Mike Blessing.
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What Does It Take to Get Pulled Over?

Current mood: amused, devious, excited

Florida LP Chairman Adrian Wyllie surrenders license in protest of REAL ID act



Video: In Real ID Protest, Florida Libertarian Chairman Drives Without a License

h/t to Mark Axinn, Chair of LPNY


Copyright © 2011 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights reserved.

Produced by KCUF Media, a division of Extropy Enterprises. Mike Blessing.
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