The Declaration That Started It All!

June 27, 2011

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Please order high-quality glossy color copies of the Declaration of Independence for just 5 cents each today. (Minimum $10 donation required.)

We need your order ASAP so we can get them to you by Saturday at the latest. Independence Day is next Monday!

These Declarations are perfect to hand out at neighborhood picnics, parades, and especially at Fourth of July fireworks celebrations where people are sitting around for an hour waiting for it to get dark.

Our Declarations are real easy to hand out. One person can hand out 500 in big crowds in about two hours. As I'm offering one, I just say, "Hi, would you like a free copy of the Declaration of Independence?"

You'll be amazed how many people actually thank you for doing this. People will run after you and ask for extra copies.

The back of the flyer says, "This copy of the Declaration of Independence has been provided as a public service by the Libertarian Party." Then it has our website (LP.org) and our phone number.

Recently we mailed a letter with a sample of the Declaration flyer to most of our current dues-paying members. It's getting a little late to send that order form by mail, so please order online or call us at 202-333-0008 to order by phone right now. Allow 3 days for delivery.

We've posted a downloadable version of the Declaration of Independence you can print on your own. However, you can save time and money, and have much higher quality, and far more durable copies, if you order them from us. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that the high-quality glossy copies we'll mail to you are ten times more durable than home-printed versions, which is especially important for handing out on a hot humid day!

Again, you can get up to 20 copies per dollar you donate, but you don't have to ask for that many. I hope many of you will order less (or donate extra), so we can use the extra money to help cover the cost of packing and shipping all these Declarations of Independence around the country. So, if you donate $50, you can get up to 1,000 Declarations of Independence -- but you may actually want fewer, such as only 200 copies (or even just 10).

To order, please type "Declarations" and specify the quantity you want in the Comment box at the bottom of our membership or contribution page. If you don't clearly specify a quantity, I'll only ship one Declaration per dollar. If you don't type "Declarations" or clearly indicate that you want the flyers, then I won't ship any.

Also put your shipping address in the Comment box if it's different from the address you entered above.

Example 1:

Comment (optional):                                                        

View this message at LP.org

June 27, 2011

Declarations 100

Example 2:

Comment (optional):
Declarations 500
ship to:
100 Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90101

Thanks for helping to advertise the Libertarian Party by donating and getting up to 20 Declarations per dollar. (Minimum $10 donation required.)

The Fourth of July is just a few days away! Donate and order your Declarations today!

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

From The New York Times

FIVE THIRTY EIGHT: Nate SIlver's Political Calculus

June 20, 2011, 9:26 am

Poll Finds a Shift Toward More Libertarian Views

By NATE SILVER

Libertarianism has been touted as the wave of America’s political future for many years, generally with more enthusiasm than evidence. But there are some tangible signs that Americans’ attitudes are in fact moving in that direction.
Since 1993, CNN has regularly asked a pair of questions that touch on libertarian views of the economy and society:

Some people think the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses. Others think that government should do more to solve our country’s problems. Which comes closer to your own view?
Some people think the government should promote traditional values in our society. Others think the government should not favor any particular set of values. Which comes closer to your own view?

A libertarian, someone who believes that the government is best when it governs least, would typically choose the first view in the first question and the second view in the second.
In the polls, the responses to both questions had been fairly steady for many years. The economic question has showed little long-term trend, although tolerance for governmental intervention rose following the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The social libertarian viewpoint — that government should not favor any particular set of values — has gained a couple of percentage points since the 1990s but not more than that.
But in CNN’s latest version of the poll, conducted earlier this month, the libertarian response to both questions reached all-time highs. Some 63 percent of respondents said government was doing too much — up from 61 percent in 2010 and 52 percent in 2008 — while 50 percent said government should not favor any particular set of values, up from 44 percent in 2010 and 41 percent in 2008. (It was the first time that answer won a plurality in CNN’s poll.)

Whether people are as libertarian-minded in practice as they might believe themselves to be when they answer survey questions is another matter. Still, there have been visible shifts in public opinion on a number of issues, ranging from increasing tolerance for same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization on the one hand, to the skepticism over stimulus packages and the health-care overhaul on the other hand, that can be interpreted as a move toward more libertarian views.
The Tea Party movement also has some lineage in libertarian thinking. Although polls suggest that many people who participate in the Tea Party movement have quite socially conservative views, the movement spends little time emphasizing those positions, as compared with economic issues.

Too Little Too Late!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 23, 2011

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222

Libertarians say Obama's Afghanistan policy is a failure

WASHINGTON - Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle responded to President Obama's June 22 speech with the following comments today:

"President Obama's speech was disappointing, but not surprising. The withdrawals he announced are painfully inadequate. Obama's withdrawals, even if they are carried out as he described, will still leave about 70,000 American troops in Afghanistan, probably for years to come. The president is commander-in-chief of the military. He has the power to end the war now, and withdraw all American troops, and that's what he should do.

"The U.S. has no business fighting a war in Afghanistan. Nearly three years ago, our Libertarian National Committee adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of our armed forces from Afghanistan. We are saddened and angry that there are now more troops there than ever.

"Obama talked about 'ending the war responsibly.' I think the word 'responsibly' is a weaselly escape hatch in case Obama doesn't want to withdraw more troops later. He will just say, 'That would be irresponsible -- I need to keep the war going strong.'

"This war causes the Afghan people to justifiably feel a greater hatred toward America. It makes American taxpayers poorer. And it emboldens other would-be aggressors, who can point to American intervention in Afghanistan whenever they feel like doing the same elsewhere.

"There are two big winners from the continuation of this war: Our military-industrial complex, which seems to have the president in its back pocket, and the Afghan government, which continues to enjoy tremendous benefits at the expense of the American taxpayer.

"If anything, Republican reactions to the president's speech were even more ridiculous than the speech itself. Republican Senator John McCain fretted that this withdrawal was not 'modest' enough. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, feeling the need to criticize Obama despite the fact that they basically agree on everything, complained of an 'arbitrary timetable.' Republican House Speaker John Boehner worried about losing our 'gains' in Afghanistan. All these comments show an inability to comprehend an intelligent, modest foreign policy, as well as a serious lack of respect for American taxpayers."

The Libertarian Party platform includes the following:

3.3 International Affairs
American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by governments or by political or revolutionary groups.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

###

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

The Cursed National Debt!

June 20, 2011

Dear Friend of Liberty,

I just noticed this article from the Cato Institute, talking about how Republicans and Democrats are likely to use accounting tricks to pretend they're cutting spending, when they really aren't. Republicans want to give themselves some cover before they vote for more debt.

The article reminded me of our January poll, where the majority of you predicted that something like this was going to happen.

I also wanted to let you know, we've been posting more LP videos on our blog. Here are the most recent ones:

LP at Gay Pride DC 6/12/11
Dept. Of Agriculture - Helen Whalen-Cohen
War On Drugs - Mark Grannis

Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

The War On Drugs Is A Major Failure!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2011

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222

Libertarian Party: 40 years is enough - end the Drug War

WASHINGTON - June 17, 2011 is the 40th anniversary of America's War on Drugs. Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle issued the following statement today:

"On June 17, 1971, President Richard Nixon declared a 'War on Drugs,' which has become a relentless violation of the lives and property of Americans, including many who have never taken illegal drugs. These violations continue under President Barack Obama, an admitted former cocaine user who has shown no hesitation in throwing people into prison -- a punishment he might have suffered had he been caught. Moreover, although promising to respect medical marijuana use in states where voters have approved it, the Obama administration has already conducted close to 100 raids on patients, growers, and compassion centers in those states.

"America's first experiment in prohibition involved alcohol, and is widely recognized as a failure. Approved in 1919, Prohibition I led to a steady rise in both alcohol usage and violent crime. The murder rate rose 50% between 1919 and 1933, peaking at 9.7 murders per 100,000 population in 1933, when the country finally decided enough was enough. Immediately after the repeal of Prohibition I, gangsterism went into a swift decline, with all of the major gangs disappearing within 18 months, and the murder rate dropping every single year for more than a decade.

"Prohibition II -- the War on Drugs -- has been another tragedy. We applaud the efforts of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an organization of current and former police, prosecutors, judges, DEA agents, and others, which issued a 20-page report this month detailing the tragic results of this misguided crusade, entitled 'Ending the Drug War: a Dream Deferred.'

"In their report, LEAP documented some of the measurable costs: over a million people arrested each year, a trillion dollars spent, and drug gangsterism at a level that dwarfs its alcohol equivalent and which has led to a bloodbath in Mexico that is spilling over into the United States. Not because of drugs, but because of drug laws. And over 120 million Americans have used illicit drugs: only the most deluded observer believes the laws have curbed drug abuse, and only the cruelest believes that 40% of the American population belongs in prison. No wonder 67% of police chiefs say the War on Drugs is a failure.

"Ultimately, of course, this tragedy is the result of our government's refusal to allow people to engage in peaceful choices as to what they consume. Even if drug use were to rise upon a return to the American tradition of tolerance that existed before the 1914 Harrison Narcotics Act, our streets would be safer, innocent people would not have their homes raided and pets killed by narcotics agents entering the wrong house, victims of asset forfeiture laws wouldn't have their houses and other assets seized without due process, and resources would be freed to spend on improving peoples' lives instead of destroying them.

"Ten years ago, Portugal decriminalized all drug use, including substances classified as hard drugs. As a Cato Report entitled 'Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies' showed, drug use dropped over the next several years and the Portuguese now use marijuana at lower levels than Americans use cocaine.

"It only took Americans 14 years to realize the insanity of Prohibition I. Both practical considerations and simple human decency demand that our government end Prohibition II now."

The Libertarian Party platform includes the following:

1.0 Personal Liberty
Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and to accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government. Our support of an individual's right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices.

1.2 Personal Privacy
Libertarians support the rights recognized by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons, homes, and property. Protection from unreasonable search and seizure should include records held by third parties, such as email, medical, and library records. Only actions that infringe on the rights of others can properly be termed crimes. We favor the repeal of all laws creating "crimes" without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

###

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

A Sad Note

June 13, 2011

Dear Friend of Liberty,

We sent the following press release earlier today:

John Hospers, first Libertarian presidential nominee, dies at 93

WASHINGTON - John Hospers, the Libertarian Party's first presidential nominee in 1972, died on June 12, 2011 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 93.

Hospers became the Libertarian Party's first nominee for U.S. President at its first national convention in Colorado on June 18, 1972. Hospers and his running mate, Tonie Nathan, each received one electoral vote in the 1972 election from Roger MacBride, a renegade elector in Virginia.

Hospers was a professor of philosophy at several universities, including the University of Southern California.

A brief biography is available at his website.

In 1971, he wrote the book Libertarianism - A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow, which described the libertarian political and economic philosophy.

Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle said, "I've been involved with the Libertarian Party since voting for John Hospers for president in 1972. Dr. Hospers was very influential in the formative days of our party, and we will miss him."

A photo of a 1972 Hospers campaign poster is available here.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

Libertarians Don't Care About The Impoverished?

How libertarianism helps the poor

By Matt Zwolinski   9:29 AM 06/09/2011

Everybody knows that libertarians are greedy capitalists who favor the maximization of profit above all else. “Taxation is theft!” they cry, but the exploitation of the working classes fails to elicit any similar moral outrage. Libertarians, everybody knows, care about the rich to the utter neglect of the poor and vulnerable.
But everybody is wrong.
The reason for the common misperception, of course, is that libertarians oppose many of the governmental policies that are commonly thought to benefit the poor and working classes. Libertarians oppose redistributive taxation, oppose the minimum wage, oppose workplace safety regulations, antitrust laws, and many other restrictions on business. But none of this means that libertarians are indifferent to the plight of the poor. After all, just because you care about something doesn’t mean you want the government taking care of it.
People make three important errors when thinking about libertarianism and the poor.
The first mistake is to believe the government when it claims that its policies are intended to help the poor. They almost never are. The great bulk of redistributive taxation and subsidization goes to benefit interest groups that are politically powerful, not economically vulnerable. Think Medicare, agricultural subsidies, and the mortgage interest deduction. And most existing regulation of business is, paradoxically enough, for the benefit of business itself. Regulation raises the cost of doing business, and so establishes a barrier to entry that benefits large existing firms at the expense of their smaller competitors. Occupational licensing, for example, whether of doctors, lawyers, or barbers, is almost never forced upon an unwilling industry by public-spirited regulators. Rather, it is actively sought after by established members of the profession itself, eager to insulate themselves against potential competition. And politicians are all-too-willing to cater to the interests of the economically powerful. Libertarians, in contrast, believe in free markets, and truly free markets are the enemy of big business.
The second mistake is to confuse intentions with results. Even if government policies were intended to benefit the poor, we would have good reason to expect them to fail. Good intentions often produce unintended consequences. Increased safety regulations at airports lead more families to travel by the much more dangerous method of driving and so lead to a larger number of deaths. Laws that limit price increases on essential goods in the wake of natural disasters lead to fewer of those goods being brought to market and more people having to suffer without them. Government bailouts of failed firms encourage more failed firms. Perverse consequences like this sometimes surprise us, but they shouldn’t. Society is a complex and dynamic system. Politicians lack both the knowledge and the incentive to cope with it effectively. Libertarians propose to deal with it by decentralizing decision-making to individuals who are free to make choices based on their expert knowledge of their particular circumstances. Individuals and corporations should reap the benefits of good decisions, and pay the costs themselves when their choices turn out poorly.
The last mistake is to think that a concern with regulation and taxation is the sole defining feature of libertarianism. Libertarianism is about individual liberty, and while economic liberty is a part of that, it is not the whole. True, libertarians believe that greater economic freedom would benefit the poor, but many of their non-economic reforms would arguably have an even greater impact. Ending the war on drugs, for instance, would disproportionately benefit poor families who live in neighborhoods destroyed by the gang violence created by criminalization, or those who lack the financial and social resources to keep their children out of prison for crimes of mere possession. Reining in American military adventures overseas would not only save taxpayers money (fiscal conservatives should compare the cost of PBS subsides to the cost of a Trident missile), but would benefit especially the working-class families whose children bear the lion’s share of the human costs of war. Finally, libertarians are virtually unique in the political landscape in consistently calling for free trade not just in stuff, but in people. Concern for the poor should not stop at a nation’s borders. And while we might reasonably decide that foreign aid to the world’s poor is ineffective, one of the least painful (and most effective) things we can do to help them is stop preventing them from seeking work and a better life in our country.
Debates about politics and the poor often devolve into arguments between those who favor personal responsibility on the one hand, and those who favor state assistance to the needy on the other. But if effective state assistance is a chimera, then this choice is a false one. Indeed, if state power is almost always used to serve the powerful at the expense of the poor, then our real choice is clear. The single most effective way that we can help the vulnerable is to stop hurting them. We might owe them more, but the first and most important thing we owe the poor is liberty.
Matt Zwolinski is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Diego, and founder of the Bleeding Heart Libertarians blog.

Article printed from The Daily Caller: http://dailycaller.com
URL to article: http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/09/how-libertarianism-helps-the-poor/

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/09/how-libertarianism-helps-the-poor/#ixzz1OvUImMfc

Let's Privatize The Marriage Contract!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 10, 2011

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222

Libertarians say marriage equality only one step toward ending legal discrimination

WASHINGTON - While supporting steps taken over the past several years to end the unequal treatment of gays in the area of marriage, Libertarians say a just society is one in which no law depends on one's sexual identity.

"Permitting couples to marry when they are of the same gender is a step in the direction of equality before the law, but a truly free society would not have government in the business of defining relationships at all," said LP Chair Mark Hinkle. "Frankly, the idea that someone's legal rights should depend on whether they've entered a government-approved relationship ought to be repugnant to all of us."

Hinkle continued, "The Libertarian Party opposed the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) while it was being passed overwhelmingly in 1996 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by Democrat Bill Clinton and has consistently called for its repeal in the intervening 15 years. Because of DOMA, even same-sex couples married in states that permit it face higher federal income taxes, gift and estate taxes, and immigration restrictions than opposite-sex couples, and can have their marriages effectively nullified by another state if they move to it.

"Marriage equality is not enough, however. I've heard some people express concern that allowing gay marriage would send us down a slippery slope. I hope it does. We should settle for nothing less than a society in which the legal code is wiped clean of references to a person's sexual identity or depends on how many sexual partners they have. It is disgraceful that we grant government officials the power to even examine such things, let alone criminalize any peaceful conduct between consenting adults or punish them with unequal marriage, adoption, tax, or immigration laws."

Just as Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans have represented LGBTQ members of those parties, Outright Libertarians (OL) represents LGTBQ members of the LP, but with a big difference. "Our focus is on outreach to non-Libertarians," notes former LP National Treasurer and current OL president James Oaksun. "Full equality before the law is already the consensus position among Libertarians, and has been so since the party was founded. And the party's platform has always embraced full equality before the law. The strength of the LP's commitment to full equality is a great advantage for the party in the LGBT community."

The Libertarian Party platform includes the following:

"1.3 Personal Relationships
Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government's treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships."

"3.5 Rights and Discrimination
We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. Government should not deny or abridge any individual's rights based on sex, wealth, race, color, creed, age, national origin, personal habits, political preference or sexual orientation. Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their own standards and beliefs."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

For information about Outright Libertarians, visit their website.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

###

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

From Wes Benedict

June 6, 2011

Dear Friend of Liberty,

John Edwards was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004, and he was a leading contender for the presidential nomination in 2008. We all now know he cheated on his wife and lied to America about it throughout much of that time. Now he's facing potential jail time if convicted of using campaign funds for a cover-up.

Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner has put on quite a show lately.

The soap operas aren't confined to Democrats. Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently confessed to cheating for decades and had a child he hid from the public for years.

Not that long ago, Newt Gingrich was cheating on one of his ex-wives while haranguing Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky.

A few other names come to mind: Al Gore, Mark Foley, Jesse Jackson Sr., Jesse Jackson Jr., and Mark Sanford.

Some people argue that these people's private lives should not be of concern to the public.

A counter-argument is that people who lie about their private lives are also likely to lie about official business as well. Could they also lie about weapons of mass destruction, or global warming, or the necessity of a trillion-dollar bailout?

So what's my point? That Libertarians are more honest than Republicans and Democrats?

Actually, no. My point is, human beings are fallible, and many of us are dishonest and easily corrupted.

That's one of the reasons why government should have as little power as possible. When human beings have the power to control others' lives, our natural fallibility makes us very dangerous.

What's worse, power tends to corrupt us and make us even more dishonest, conniving, and cruel.

We Libertarians understand that humans are fundamentally imperfect, and we will always be imperfect.

Libertarians aren't simply looking for honest politicians. We are looking for politicians who understand this problem, and who will stand on principle to take power away from government, and return it to the individual.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

From Our Friend John Todd

Calendar of Events for your consideration:

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011; Groundbreaking at 2:00 p.m. on June 8^th for the new Planeview area SAVE-A-LOT Grocery Store located on the southeast corner of George Washington Boulevard and Pawnee.  This project was initially proposed with $900,000 in CID and TIF public subsidies for the developer that were approved by the Wichita City Council last fall.  When the Sedgwick County Commission rejected giving the county’s portion of the TIF generated real estate taxes to the developer, and away from the public treasury, the project appeared to be dead.  The Wichita Eagle recently reported that the Save-A-Lot grocery store owner has now decided to develop the project on his own with his own financing.  Perhaps it is appropriate for those citizens who appreciate businesses’ who develop market driven projects in Wichita, Sedgwick County on their own nickel to show their appreciation to the grocery store owner/developer by attending the groundbreaking ceremony and personally thanking him. See Wichitaliberty.org link for details: http://wichitaliberty.org/wichita-government/in-wichita-corporate-welfare-not-needed-after-all/

 

Friday, June 10, 2011; John Allison, Superintendent of the Wichita Public Schools USD-259 will present, “An Update from USD-259” at the Wichita Pachyderm Club luncheon meeting.  The Wichita Pachyderm Club meets at 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on the 9^th floor of the Petroleum Club in the Bank of America Building, 100 N. Broadway, Wichita, Kansas.  The meeting cost is $10.00 and includes a buffet luncheon. You are invited to attend.  

Monday, June 13, 2011; Americans For Prosperity Foundation is sponsoring a continuation of the DVD presentation of the Ludgwig von Mises Institute’s series of interviews with Austrian economists based on Henry Hazlitt’s book: “Economics in One Lesson”.  The meeting will be held at the Alford Branch, Wichita Public Library, 3447 S. Meridian, Wichita, Kansas from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.  Group discussion will follow the videos.  Attached is a flyer with specifics on the event.  There is no charge for this event.  Please invite your friends to join you for this informative program that will be followed by a lively group discussion.   

 

Friday, June 17, 2011; The Honorable Lawton R. Nuss, Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice will present, “The State of the Kansas Courts” at the Wichita Pachyderm Club luncheon meeting.  The Wichita Pachyderm Club meets at 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on the 9^th floor of the Petroleum Club in the Bank of America Building, 100 N. Broadway, Wichita, Kansas.  The meeting cost is $10.00 and includes a buffet luncheon. You are invited to attend.  

 

Friday, June 24, 2011; Jim Mason, Naturalist, Great Plains Nature Center will present a power-point presentation entitled “Wichita’s Riverside Parks”, based on his book that was published in April 2011, at the Wichita Pachyderm Club luncheon meeting.  Mr. Mason will be available to sign copies of his book at the meeting for those who wish to purchase a copy. The Wichita Pachyderm Club meets at 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on the 9^th floor of the Petroleum Club in the Bank of America Building, 100 N. Broadway, Wichita, Kansas.  The meeting cost is $10.00 and includes a buffet luncheon. You are invited to attend.

  

Friday, July 8, 2011; Dave Trabert, President, Kansas Policy Institute, will present a program, “Stabilizing the Kansas Budget” at the Wichita Pachyderm Club luncheon meeting.  The Wichita Pachyderm Club meets at 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on the 9^th floor of the Petroleum Club in the Bank of America Building, 100 N. Broadway, Wichita, Kansas.  The meeting cost is $10.00 and includes a buffet luncheon. You are invited to attend.

--
John R. Todd
john@johntodd.net
1559 Payne
Wichita, Kansas 67203
(316) 312-7335 cell

We Can Have Economic Growth Without Government Subsidies!

A major win

News that the grocery store project in Planeview will proceed — without tax incentives — is a major win for Wichita taxpayers (June 1 Business Today).
We commend Ron Rhodes and his company for finding a way to make this project happen without asking for tax money. Rather than giving up the store entirely when the tax-increment financing district was vetoed by Sedgwick County, the Rhodes family continued to explore the possibility of building a grocery store here.
The planned Save-A-Lot store will create jobs and serve the needs of the neighborhood without adding to grocery bills through tax increases, which is certainly good news for Wichitans.

SUSAN ESTES
Americans for Prosperity-Kansas
Wichita


Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/06/05/1879226/letters-to-the-editor-on-arts.html#ixzz1OQHzO7rF

Free Online Book!

From The Advocates for Self Government
"Liberator Online"
 June 3, 2011
 E-Newsletter:

Free Book: Libertarian Solutions to Local Political Problems
 
Having trouble finding libertarian solutions to local political problems? Here’s a free short online book that offers a treasury of useful information.
 
Local Problems, Libertarian Solutions by William D. Burt was published by the Libertarian Party in the late 1970s.
 
The book demonstrates how to apply libertarian principles to solve the most vexing problems faced by communities. The author drew upon leading experts in libertarian and free-market solutions in crafting his answers.
 
Chapters deal with the following issues: crime, education, land use and housing, water and sewers, emergency services, solid waste disposal, transportation, and a final chapter on translating libertarian principles into action.
 
Some of the examples and figures may be dated, but the issues, principles and arguments are as fresh as the front page of your local paper.
 
Local Problems, Libertarian Solutions is an invaluable resource for candidates for local office, community activists, and for anyone who wants to be able to provide answers to common questions about libertarianism and local issues. To paraphrase a common slogan: Think libertarian, act locally!
 
Thanks to Russ Nordeen for putting this excellent resource online!

The Republicans Will Never Cut Deep Enough!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2011

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222

Libertarians say Paul Ryan's Medicare plan fails

WASHINGTON - Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle released the following statement today regarding the ongoing debate about the future of Medicare:

"Republican Paul Ryan's plan to 'privatize' Medicare is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

"If Congressman Ryan is so worried about the cost of Medicare, maybe he should not have voted for the huge Republican Medicare expansion in 2003.

"The essential problem with Medicare is that it's a coercive program. All Americans are forced to participate in the Medicare scheme, whether or not they think it's good for them. Paul Ryan's plan does nothing to address that essential problem.

"We believe that Medicare should be terminated. The Constitution does not give the federal government any authority to provide or pay for health care, and besides, forcing young people to pay the bills of old people is just plain wrong.

"At the very least, people should be allowed to opt out of Medicare. No one should be forced to pay taxes into a system they dislike and don't want to use.

"Getting the government out of health care will rapidly cut costs and improve quality for Americans of all ages.

"Unfortunately, there is no way to painlessly 'phase out' Medicare. Senior citizens will have to face reduced benefits. No matter what arguments are presented, some senior citizens will feel that they have been cheated.

"Certainly, no matter what path we take, senior citizens are going to get less -- much less -- than they have been promised by the government.

"To the senior citizen who says 'I paid into Medicare, and you can't cut me off!', I would refer you to this comment from the Cato Institute:

Medicare is less a "sacred bond between the generations" than a pyramid scheme allowing each generation to take advantage of the next. Since the elderly are a politically powerful group, each generation has been able to secure larger Medicare subsidies at the expense of young working-age Americans. Medicare has spawned an average of one tax increase every three years for the past 45 years.

"Rather than perpetuating this system, and throwing enormous debt and taxes onto the backs of our children and grandchildren, and frankly ruining their hopes for good medical care, instead let's suffer the pain now, and end this system now, so that their lives can be brighter, and their health can be stronger."

The Libertarian Party platform says the following about health care:

"We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. People should be free to purchase health insurance across state lines."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

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