Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Freedom From Government...
President Obama signed an executive order last week continuing the faith-based initiatives program created by former President Bush. When the program was created, I warned that giving taxpayer money to private religious organizations would eventually lead to political control and manipulation of them. This week has provided some evidence that this was a justified concern.
The logic behind funding faith-based initiatives seemed reasonable to some. Private organizations are much more effective in charitable endeavors than government programs and bureaucracies. Therefore, why not “outsource” some of the government’s welfare-state activities to these worthy organizations? This appealed to many conservatives, especially after the follow-up executive order exempting recipients from discriminatory hiring laws, which assured many that taking federal funds would not jeopardize their control over their own operations. But beware the government program started under an administration you like, for it may look a lot different under the one you don’t. Exemptions that Bush gave, Obama can take away.
But now, dependencies on federal money have been set, operations have been expanded accordingly, and many charities are waiting breathlessly for the administration to tell them what new conditions they will have to meet. With the stroke of a pen, religious charities might not be able to take into consideration a job applicant’s faith, sexual orientation or lifestyle if they wish to remain eligible for that taxpayer money that was so enticing a few years ago. Similarly, if FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) is passed, will Catholic Church hospitals be forced to offer abortion services to retain their federal funding? Can they remain solvent without it?
This is the major problem with basing a private business model on the receipt of government funds. This money does not come without control, or the future possibility of control. We are seeing parallel control grabs in industries that have recently been the recipients of taxpayer largess. Government officials are now discussing executive compensation on Wall Street, banking, and in the auto industry. How much is too much to pay someone? When is a bonus deserved? But because politicians have bought their way into these industries, these are now political decisions. It is easy to utilize class envy to whip up public support for these interventions, but government always slides down the slippery slope. Politicians are also discussing other aspects of these businesses in which they are not expert, such as, what should lending standards be? What sort of cars should we direct the auto industry to make? Once government money infiltrates a balance sheet, “taxpayers” meaning “politicians” have a say in how you operate.
Money is the Trojan horse that government uses to infiltrate and infect organizations. Funding that, on the outset, is designed to strengthen and support, will bureaucratize and regulate in the end. It is sad to see charities now having reason to focus on lobbying, regulatory compliance and paper pushing to get and retain money taken by force, rather than beefing up private, voluntary fundraising activities. Those tempted to join Washington’s ongoing bailout bonanza should instead take the famed advice of former First Lady Nancy Reagan on the acceptance of harmful and addictive substances and “Just Say No” to government money. This is the best protection from government control.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Liberty Agenda...
We, Libertarian Party of North Carolina propose present this agenda for action to the 2009 General Assembly.
1. End forced annexation and stop private property seizure under the power of eminent domain by amending the state constitution.
Forced annexation and the seizure of private property ostensibly for “public purpose” is a violation of the fundamental rights of Americans. Forced annexation is not about providing services, or controlling growth. Forced annexation is about money. Communities should only be annexed with the consent of those annexed. No government, at any level, should have the power to take or seize private property for any purpose, without the express consent of the owner, and without just compensation.
2. Improve public education through school choice and competition.
It has become fashionable to bash public education rather than sincerely seek ways to improve it. There are many good things happening in North Carolina education. The path to continued improvement is to foster choice.
The problem is that anyone who proposes thinking out of the box when it comes to education is beat over the head with the supposed public school mandate in the state constitution.
This selective devotion to constitutional principle is curious, since the legislature freely ignores other parts of the constitution, including the requirement that “all elections shall be free, fair, and open” by restricting the right of people to vote for anyone other than Democrats and Republicans.
3. Restore free, fair and open elections to North Carolina by removing barriers to ballot access.
North Carolina has one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation. These barriers are specifically designed by the Democratic-Republican duopoly to restrict the people’s freedom of choice, and to prevent independent and third party candidates from getting on the ballot. Elections laws also are used to restrict free speech by limiting how much an individual can contribute to the candidate of their choice. The people should have the unregulated and unrestricted right to vote for and support candidates of their choice.
4. End all corporate welfare and subsidies.
Economic incentives and subsidies, more properly called corporate welfare, are an immoral tax on individuals for the benefit of corporate profits. Recent news reports that the Dell computer company may sell their three year old Winston-Salem plant, built with nearly $300 million in corporate welfare, demonstrate that corporate incentives are ineffective as well as immoral.
Conclusion
Ending property theft by government, improving education, ending corporate welfare, and restoring fair elections are only our top four issues, the beginning. The ultimate goal of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina is to reduce the size, scope, and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and consistently oppose any increase in the size, scope, and power of government at any level, for any purpose.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF NORTH CAROLINA
PO Box 28141 Raleigh NC 27611 * 877.843.5762 * www.LPNC.org
Brian Irving, Communications Director, 919.538.4548
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ammo Under Assault...
Ammunition Accountability Legislation
Remember how Obama said that he wasn't going to take your guns?
Well, it seems that his allies in the anti-gun world have no
problem with taking your ammo!
The bill that is being pushed in 18 states (including Illinois and
Indiana ) requires all ammunition to be encoded by the manufacture
a data base of all ammunition sales. So they will know how much you
buy and what calibers.
http://
Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009 unless the
ammunition is coded.
Any privately held uncoded ammunition must be destroyed by July 1,
2011. (Including hand loaded ammo.) They will also charge a .05
cent tax on every round so every box of ammo you buy will go up at
least $2.50 or more!
If they can deprive you of ammo they do not need to take your gun!
All eyes are diverted on talk radio topics, bailouts, television
entertainments/news/
propaganda, while state level legislatures are
placing the second amendment into a grave.
This legislation is currently IN COMMITTEE in 18 states: Alabama,
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and
Washington.
Send to every person in these united states!
To find more about the anti-gun group that is sponsoring this
legislation and the specific legislation for each state, go to:
http://ammunitionaccountability.org/ Legislation.htm
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep
and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against
tyranny in Government." - Thomas Jefferson
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Where The Young Americans for Liberty Stand...
We are the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). As Americans we recognize the God-given natural rights of life, liberty, and property set forth by our Founding Fathers. Our country was created to protect the freedoms of the individual and directed by we the people.
We recognize that freedom deserves responsibility and therefore we hold ourselves to a high moral character and conduct. Integrity emphasizes our stance towards action. Principle defines our outlook towards government. Peace and prosperity drives our ambitions towards our countrymen.
We inherit a corrupt, coercive world that has lost respect for voluntary action. Our government has failed and dragged our country into moral decay. The political class dominates the agenda with a violent, callous, controlling grip. And, for this we do not stand.
We welcome limited government conservatives, classical liberals, and libertarians who trust in the creed we set forth.
WE, as Young Americans for Liberty believe:
| | THAT government is the negation of liberty; THAT voluntary action is the only ethical behavior; THAT respect for the individual's property is fundamental to a peaceful society; THAT violent action is only warranted in defense of one's property; THAT the individual owns his/her body and is therefore responsible for his/her actions; THAT society is a responsibility of the people, not the government. |
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Power Of Natural Effort...
Adam Smith
Describing Wealth...
Lawrence Reed
President, F.E.E.
http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=8374
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Ron Paul Wants You To Be F.R.E.E.
Congressman Ron Paul
Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
December 17, 2008
Dear Friend of Liberty:
The Founders' inspired vision of limited government has been kept alive by the hard work and generosity of Americans who truly cherish individual Liberty... average people like you and me.
In the toughest times... times like we are facing right now in the life of our nation... freedom fighters have always stepped forward for America—armed with whatever it takes and at whatever sacrifice—to answer the call to defend our liberty. That's how America was born and how we, as a free and sovereign nation, have survived.
A major economic crisis is unfolding in our nation. New government programs are started daily, and future plans are being made for even more costly government expansion. All are based on the belief that we're in this mess because free-market capitalism and sound money failed. The obsession is with more spending, bailouts of bad investments, more debt, and further dollar debasement. Many are saying we need an international answer to our problems with the establishment of a world central bank and a single fiat reserve currency.
These suggestions are merely more of the same policies that created our mess and are doomed to fail.
It is unimaginable that Congress could be so derelict in its duty. It does nothing but condone the arrogance of the Fed in its refusal to tell us where the $2 trillion has gone. Every Member of Congress and every American should be outraged that conditions could deteriorate to this degree. It's no wonder that a large and growing number of Americans are now demanding an end to the Fed.
The Federal Reserve created our problem, yet it manages to gain even more power in the socialization of the entire financial system. The whole bailout process this past year was characterized by no oversight, no limits, no concerns, no understanding, and no common sense.
I hear daily from Americans like you who are up in arms about what is going on in our nation. Messages come into my congressional office morning, noon and night. Taxpayers are outraged by the huge bailouts, the massive expansion of government and the refusal by Congress and the leaders of both parties to follow the Constitution.
Many Americans are frustrated—or even outright angry—about failed government policies that just tighten the government's noose around our necks.
The results of the recent election and the socialist policies that we are seeing proposed are indeed reminiscent of FDR and the New Deal and are equally dangerous. Free market economists and historians have correctly pointed out that Roosevelt's horrendous economic policies only served to prolong and extend the severity of the Great Depression by many years. When the market is not allowed to work, government-created economic downturns are only made that much worse.
Since the financial crisi s has become more and more apparent and the attempts by the Fed, and Treasury and Congress to solve the problem have become more desperate, my phone has been ringing off the wall with calls from media outlets wanting to interview me and get my opinions about what is going on and how we need to deal with it.
During the presidential election, do you remember how the media scoffed at my suggestions that we were facing economic disaster? They laughed at my calls for limited government, for abolishing the Fed and the IRS, for cutting federal spending at home and abroad to balance our budget, and my call for a sound monetary system.
Today, with the crisis at hand, they are not laughing any more.
But, if we love our nation, it is not sufficient for us to sit back and say "we told you so."
The task before us is huge. Our challenge is both political and philosophical, but either way the solution must begin by properly educating Americans as to why our current out-of-control, misguided political and financial systems have failed, and what must be done to turn things around.
My Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE) has been waging such an educational effort for several decades. We have had a great deal of success publishing newsletters and books and producing radio and TV programs teaching people about the Constitution and free markets and sound money.
FREE has done much to educate patriots like you and to win the battle for the hearts and minds of Americans young and old. Today, however, given the severity of the crisis we face, we must do even more in our battle to spread the truth It is imperative that we redouble and expand the work and scope of FREE's educational effort. Right now, while people are still looking for answers and even the media is trying to figure out what in the world is going on, we must step in to fill the void that exists and to provide answers and solutions for the problems that face us.
You have been a faithful supporter of the cause of liberty. You understand the serious nature of the threats that confront us and the dangers posed to our freedom and our very way of life.
It is up to us step up and lead the pro-freedom movement, not just in Congress, but in every community and at every level of government and every institution of learning.
Our ability to lead this movement comes from your tax-deductible contribution to FREE. $50 or $100, or even $250 or more if you can afford it, is urgently needed to help fund the effort to turn our government and our nation around... before it is too late.
Leadership is sorely lacking in Washington. It is time for true leaders like us to step forward and offer the vision needed to point Congress and our nation in the right direction... and to halt the assault on our nation's sovereignty.
This is a dangerous time. But it is also an historic opportunity. Please help today with your most generous, tax-deductible gift for freedom. We must act swiftly to fill the leadership void in Washington. The time is NOW and the need is urgent!!!
Please log on to www.FREE-NEFL.com and contribute to the incredibly important work of FREE. No gift is too small... and every donation will help me continue to lead the battle for Liberty.
I'm counting on you.
For Liberty,
Ron Paul
P.S. If you can help with $50 or more, I will send you my "Freedom Report" newsletter for a full year as my "thank you" for your generous help. And for a gift of $100 or more I would like to send you a copy of my book on foreign policy... A Foreign Policy of Freedom.
P.P.S. If you can help FREE with a magnificent gift of $500 or more, I'll send you a personally autographed copy of my best-selling book, The Revolution: A Manifesto.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Gravel Grovels For His Own "Bail Out"...
Mike Gravel
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/12/good-news-for-mike-gravel-regarding-campaign-debts/
I had the opportunity to meet former Senator. Gravel on the campaign trail. He is certainly easy to like. I admire the times in his past, when he walked the way of a libertarian.
Presently, Gravel is way off the path.
Warm And Fuzzy...
Spit it out before it's too late...