Vohra Suspension Motion Fails

A motion to suspend Arvin Vohra (Twitter, Maryland US Senate Campaign Website, Facebook, MeWe) from his position on the Libertarian National Committee has failed.

Current LP chairman Nick Sarwark (Twitter, Phoenix Mayor Campaign website, Facebook) wrote up his opinion on the subject. I thought this part was the most cogent:

When I gave my speech for None of the Above for Chair in Las Vegas in 2012, it was due to the factionalism and infighting I saw on the LNC leading up to that convention. LNC members focused more on trying to oust each other or gain advantage internally than they did on trying to advance the goals of the Libertarian Party. That internal focus resulted in stagnant fundraising, candidate recruitment, and membership numbers.

Since 2014, our committee has been able to move away from the internal factional fighting and focus on moving the Libertarian Party forward. We are improving fundraising, candidate recruitment, and membership. These recent controversies have regressed us back to internal fighting instead of fighting the two old parties. We need to stop the internal fighting and focus on our real opponents.

Sarwark's 2012 speech was in some ways a landmark event in the party's history.  For a good portion of the previous ten years, the majority faction on the LNC had spent far more time setting up intrigues for removing the few radicals and anarchists who happened to be on the LNC -- along with intrigues to make the LP a far more hostile place for anarchists and radicals in general -- than they did trying new fundraising approaches and getting the LP's day-to-day operations in proper order (after basically the same leadership had allowed everything to tank during that same ten years).  It was a landmark because while he was talking, one could almost feel the change in mood among the delegates.  The result was that a different culture emerged in the LP after that convention.

I don't know if Sarwark is a radical libertarian, much less an anarchist. Based on his speech at the Colorado state convention last month, my suspicion is that he is not.

But I don't really care.

Sarwark has been patient and understanding of all sides and an excellent moderator for getting the crowd to pay attention to actual business.

I voted for him for chairman twice because I was one of many who were tired of the internal Machiavellians who simply couldn't keep their focus. I wanted to X out the hyper-factionalists. I didn't get my wish to dump the worst of them altogether, but at least Nick has done pretty well at keeping their desire to dominate contained, and redirect that towards business.

When VC Vohra began writing his controversial articles on his personal Facebook page almost a year ago, what I saw was mostly the same old hyper-factional individuals seizing upon their controversial nature as an excuse to return the party to the slash-and-burn internal culture that was the case prior to Vegas.

Please note that there are also anarchist and radical Libertarians who are in favor of Mr Vohra leaving the LNC.  The above paragraph does not refer to them.  They have their own reasons that are not mostly motivated by partisan hackery, and I understand that -- although I disagree with their position on removal.

I've made my position clear: I say things differently from Vohra. Of course, whatever opinions he puts up on his personal page are his and his alone.

I believe that his comments are infinitesimally less-damaging to the LP brand than the majority of LP candidates have been for most of our existence.   Several candidates in Virginia and almost all other states in years have in the past pushed the national retail sales tax [not to mention our most recent presidential candidate]. Johnson, for his part, suggested that Prohibition should continue, that Finking Feddie should maintain an "enemies list", and that American soldiers should chase hobgoblins like warlord Kony in Africa, among many other off-the-reservation pseudo-alcoholic stumblings.

Bill Redpath -- another sitting LNC member -- in several of his campaigns for federal office,  supported various forms of gun control, continuing to send money to institutions of higher indoctrination, and tax schemes like a "revenue neutral" flat tax.

It was LP candidates who seemed unable to use the "A" word ("abolish") that propelled me into the resurgent Radical Caucus movement in 2005-2006. When we formalized the Radical Caucus, the plan was to help fund candidates who didn't damage the name "Libertarian" and instead advocated a bold, clear, consistent brand.

In any case, the question has been settled for the moment. Hopefully, until the opening day of the 2018 national convention.

At this point, I believe Vohra's most recent comment about school boards was indeed over the line, and if I had said something like that I'd probably resign just so continued controversy didn't distract the organization from more important things.This has indeed become a distraction and a diversion, and it's time for all to move on.

That said, at some point, members of the LP are going to have a reckoning with the increasing hostility shown to anarchist and radical Libertarians.  Almost everything Vohra has said (with the possible exception of his ill-considered comment about school boards) in his writings over the past year have delineated correct, consistent libertarian ideas that are supposed to be part of the alleged "big tent".  Most of the controversy swirling about Vohra over the last year has been a loud call for those ideas to be squelched and thrown out of the tent.


For instance, Vohra's articles early last year criticized soldiers for making themselves pawns in the murderous games of the elites.  Many Libertarians became loudly offended.  Some understood exactly what he was trying to get across, however.

As John Kendrick Meadows said recently (note you will need to be a member of Facebook as well as a member of the particular discussion group to see the comment):

You can't hate war, but worship the people committing those acts of violence, and justify it with "just following orders"....  You can't be anti war and support the pawns of the military industrial complex. Those missiles don't launch themselves. Those planes aren't all autonomous.

[Note: Meadows is Former SSgt USAF Airborne Persian Linguist. 7 Combat deployments, 502 days.]

So, yes, I believe people are using his particular style as their excuse  for what they really object to.  It's not a question of how the message is being presented; it is that the message is being presented at all.

If you don't like what someone says, what's the best response?

How about we all ignore those who say things we don't like, and concentrate on doing what we're supposed to be doing?

One thing we should all remember that Facebook is a social medium, not a political organizing medium.  If growing the Party is your goal, turn off Facebook, grab a few hundred LP flyers and a list of registered Libertarians and Party members in your area (your state LP can probably help with both) and start calling people, and (better yet) visiting them, and otherwise act like you're serious about organizing Libertarians and aren't just playing activist on Facebook.  It starts with *you* and organizing your own home precinct or neighborhood.

If you disagree with one of the 25,000-odd LP members (or one of the the ~50% of them who are on Facebook), the worst possible thing to do is to share their articles, comment on them, or refer to them.  Be the adult, and ignore those who say things to which you object.

Facebook has a "block" feature. Use it.

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For more information about the Radical Caucus, see www.LPRadicalCaucus.org or see the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2497146127/  .
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Originally written April 2018, by Marc Montoni, for the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus.  This version released 2018.

 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Tips for Potential National Convention Delegates / 2018

So You Want to Be a National Convention Delegate!
By Marc Montoni, LP Radical Caucus

1.  BE A MEMBER OF YOUR STATE **AND** NATIONAL LP.

Really, in most states, being a supporting member of your state and national Libertarian Party costs $50 or less for both.

I am in favor of all delegates being allowed to do their jobs without being required to pay a floor fee; however, I am also in favor of requiring **every** delegate to be a dues-paid member of **both** the national and state parties (at least -- in many areas they could also be supporting a local committee as well).

You can help us eliminate the Deformer's "freeloader" argument by making sure you have made at least the basic dues donation for both your national and state membership.

2.  REGISTER.
 http://www.lp.org/convention

You are not required to purchase a package to attend only the Business Session under the LP Bylaws;but be aware that in some years various LNC members attempt to require a hefty fee.

BAD IDEA: Forget to register.

3.  MAKE SURE YOU'RE CREDENTIALED.
Your state LP sends its delegate list to the Credentials Committee, and it is the members of the CC who decide who is qualified to take part on the convention floor.

DO NOT fail to verify that the Credentials Committee has credentialed you, especially if you're planning to attend only the Business Session.

BAD IDEA: To forget your colleagues are human.  Trust, but verify.

4.   RESERVE YOUR HOTEL ROOM!
http://libertarian.nationbuilder.com/location

The convention website says the LP convention rate is sold out.  However, there are people looking for roommates, and there are alternative hotels nearby.

If you seek roommates, begin seeking them now.  The below page was established for the '14 cnvention but people are still using it for this one:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LNC2014Roomshare/

or perhaps: http://www.easynest.com/

BAD IDEA: Waiting until the last minute to make your travel plans.

5.  CARPOOLING
The above Facebook group has rideshares offered & needed also.

BAD IDEA: Failing to figure out how you're getting there.

6.  FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A DELEGATE FROM YOUR STATE
Find out what the procedure will to seek a delegation seat with your state LP.

If you don't win a delegate seat this year, then start working on the next cycle.  Have some accomplishment behind you.  Don't wait to organize a booth, do a fundraising round for the Party, recruit candidates and members, or organize your home precinct.  DO IT NOW.  Next week is too late; next month is too late.  Do nothing and show up at your state convention and those who have done their homework will be first in line for those precious delegate seats -- ahead of YOU.  Get away from the computer, get off the couch, and engage in a real political act.

BAD IDEA: Ignoring your state party's convention call.

7.  SHOW UP AT YOUR STATE CONVENTION, AND SEEK ELECTION TO A DELEGATE SEAT.
SHOW UP at your state LP convention, with your LP activity resume in hand, and do what you need to do to be among those considered for a delegate seat.  This is a fairly complete schedule:

 http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2014/01/libertarian-state-conventions-january-june-2014/

 http://www.lp.org/blogs/staff/2014-state-conventions

BAD IDEA: Failing to show up.

8.  STUDY NATIONAL'S RULES AND PROCEDURES.
Do a thorough read of the Delegation Chair's Manual.

- https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/libertarian/pages/87/attachments/original/1461872272/2016_Delegation_Chairs_Manual_v2.pdf?1461872272

Study up on the Convention Committee structure:

- http://www.lp.org/bylaws-mandated-committees

Here are the Delegate Allocations by state:

- http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/12/libertarian-party-convention-state-delegate-allotments-announcement/

BAD IDEA: Remaining unfamiliar with or clueless about convention procedures.

9.  GET FAMILIAR WITH THE LP NATIONAL PLATFORM
Read through the current LP Platform, such as it is:

- http://www.lp.org/platform

It's a lot shorter that it used to be, and it says a lot less.  Not a bad idea to pick a couple of previous platforms so you understand what used to be in it:

- http://www.lpedia.org/Platform

BAD IDEA: Not being fairly familiar with what the Party actually says.

Take anything said about the LP platform and how it "compares" with the platforms of other parties with a grain of salt.  Review the opposition's platform(s)for yourself:

- https://www.google.com/search?q=2016+PLATFORMS+OF+POLITICAL+PARTIES

BAD IDEA: Remaining ignorant of what our competition has in their platforms.

BAD IDEA: Allowing the individuals on the Platform Committee -- some of whom want us to say nothing about anything -- to make up your mind for you.

10.  KNOW YOUR PLATFORM COMMITTEE
a)  Check out who is on the Platform Committee:

- http://www.lp.org/bylaws-mandated-committees

b)  Review what the majority on the Platform Committee has planned for the Platform; and keep in mind that a majority of the Platform Committee wants the LP platform to say very little:

- http://libertarian.nationbuilder.com/2016_platform_committee_report

c)  This committee had a meeting in March:

- http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/03/libertarian-party-platform-committee-agenda/

d)  Minutes from that March meeting:

- http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016-Platform-Committee-Minutes.pdf

11.  LP BYLAWS
Familiarize yourself with the current LP Bylaws:

 http://www.lp.org/bylaws

BAD IDEA: Remaining unfamiliar with the current LP Bylaws.

12.  BYLAWS COMMITTEE
a)  Check out who is on the Bylaws Committee:

- http://www.lp.org/bylaws-mandated-committees

b)  Study the Bylaws Proposals from the Bylaws Committee, and be sure to review any comments on each proposal:

- http://libertarian.nationbuilder.com/2016_bylaws_and_rules_committee_report

BAD IDEA: Taking every idea in the Bylaws Committee Report at face value.  Some items will have a hidden agenda.

13: Get yourself a copy of Roberts Rules In Brief; optionally the full text of Roberts Rules.

 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780738203072&itm=1
 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780306813542&itm=3

Watch "Parliamentary procedure made simple: how to conduct a meeting".  Available at most large-ish public libraries.  Example:

 http://catalog.henrico.lib.va.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/EVmqRegnAx/Z-HQ/213070085/9

If you can't find it at your local library, don't forget your municipality's law library, as well as school and college libraries.  I saw a few university copies available on this search:

 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=video+parliamentary+procedure+library&btnG=Search

BAD IDEA: Complaining when parliamentary tricks are used to silence and bypass you, and you don't know how to counter them.

BAD IDEA: Relying on the advice of "Registered Parliamentarians", who can't seem to understand the part of their training that dictates they must recuse themselves from offering opinions if they have a stake in what they are interpreting.

BAD IDEA: Relying on the advice of witch-doctor shamans who want you to believe they have special insight *you* could not possibly have.

14.  HAVE A GREAT TIME!
I don't go because I think all of my ideas, candidates for LNC positions, or whatever will all win.  I go because I want to see that crazy remnant I enjoy spending time with so much.  Go for the drinking games, the parties and the socializing, and have a good time.

See you there!

-- end --

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Originally written January 2008, by Marc Montoni <AMCAmbassador@gmail.com>, for the Libertarian Party Radical Caucus.  This version released 2018.  License to use hereby granted under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ .  All use of this or derivative works must include an unedited copy of this attribution statement as well as an unedited copy of the above original article (if used in a derivative work).
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For more information about the Radical Caucus, see www.LPRadicalCaucus.org or see the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2497146127/  .
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Bottom-Shelf Sustenance

[Editor's Note: This article was written in 2010 by Chad Quella, who retains all rights to it.]

With a cartful of our staple groceries at the usual family trip to the Mechanicsville Kroger, we got into the shortest checkout line and waited.  But after a while of staying in one spot and not advancing in line, I began to pay attention to what was going on ahead of me.

It appeared that there was a new trainee on the register with a more seasoned employee beside her, but what had caused the delay was a non-standard transaction that required some hands-on training.  She would get plenty of experience with that type of transaction by the time her customer finished checking out.

Lined-up on the conveyor belt were five separate clusters of items, each topped with a receipt-like strip of paper.  It immediately struck me as poor decision-making that this customer in front of me had selected several gallons of milk, but also several pints of milk.  The milk in a pint bottle of course is more expensive than the milk in a gallon bottle, and anyway I couldn’t imagine what might be going on in this woman’s home that would require that much milk, or even allow it to all get drank before it spoils.  But hey, it isn’t my milk.

There were a few other things too, I recall a package of individually-wrapped cheese food slices, and a tub of cottage cheese.  Big dairy fan, I chuckled to myself.  But there was one last cluster of items, different from the rest in that it didn’t have a slip of paper on top, and rather than dairy, it was a package of seafood salad, a styrofoam tray containing a pair of deviled crabs, and a bag of fresh lobster from the seafood counter.

As I stood and waited and watched, these clusters of food slowly made their way down the conveyor belt being rung up in separate transactions, I realized that the little slips of paper were not coupons or shopping lists, they were being used as payment!

For the first time, I took a look at who was making these purchases.  A couple, probably in their mid-30’s, both quite overweight, sporting sweat pants and t-shirts.  No kids were to be seen.  I began to put together that the paper slips must be some kind of government-issued vouchers, and the pints of milk and other small items were probably rounding out the value of each voucher.  I was informed later that this is the form that WIC benefits are paid in, and the fact that it was the first of the month made this the likely case.

I watched, incredulous, as the gallons upon gallons of milk went back into the cart, and the lobster, crabs and seafood salad were rung up.  The lady produced a card for payment of these items.  I couldn’t see what kind of card it was, but the standard “debit or

credit” question went unasked.  The dairy-laden couple went on their way, allowing the Kroger bagger to take their load out for them, and leaving us to bag our own items.

Now maybe I’ve led a sheltered life, but I don’t recall ever having seen such a thing before.  I went home and googled “WIC lobster” on a whim.  Turns out I’m not alone!  A quick search turned up these results:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/333767-middle-class-food-stamps-9.html

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/grand-rapids-mi/TA3IUSIOJUJT93DGV/p2

Almost right on cue, local media added a little more insight – just not in the way they intended.  First, a story in the 8/10/10 issue of Style Weekly highlighted a Whitcomb Court mother of six, and her monthly early-morning dash to the nearest supermarket to exchange her government-provided purchasing power for food.  The story was meant to call attention to the “food deserts” that exist where, coincidentally, the few food stores that remain do almost all of their business at the beginning of the month, and almost exclusively in government benefits.

Then, our local TV news monster ran a similar story into the ground on their channels 12, 35, and 65 afternoon, evening, and night broadcasts on 9/1/10.  It was meant to highlight another Whitcomb Court resident who was fit to be tied because a government computer system snafu had delayed the automatic deposit of money-for-nothing into her account.

The TV story even went so far as to bemoan the plight of a sink full of dirty dishes – dirty because the woman couldn’t afford to buy soap.  But after she called an automated service for the umpteenth time that day and discovered that she had received her handout, the last shot in the story showed her at last standing over the sink scrubbing a frying pan. 

What the article and TV news report really did for me was provide some perspective on the welfare state and the establishment and political attitudes that produce it.  In neither case did the journalist inquire about how these poor, downtrodden mothers ended up single, living their pathetic existences in government-funded housing, clinging to government-provided money to go to some horrible store and use it to buy bottom-shelf sustenance for themselves and their children.

All they focused on was the fact that they were waiting for that check, and couldn’t wait to spend it when it came.

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Chad Quella lives with his family near Richmond, Virginia.

Getting up to Speed as a New Libertarian in Virginia

Welcome to the Libertarian Party!

Whether you're new to Virginia or new to voting, we would love to help you get 'tuned in' to Virginia Libertarian politics!

Would you like more information to be sent to you about the Libertarian Party?  Just fill out or "Inquiry Form", and we will send you sample copies of our newsletter and get you connected with the local chapter representatives nearest you.

Do you need to register to vote in Virginia?  You can register online directly with the State Board of Elections.  Need to check your registration status?  That can also be done online, directly with the State Board of Elections.

Are you interested in registering as a Libertarian?  No need in Virginia -- we do not have partisan registration for any party.


Would you like to help out with the drive to get the Libertarian Presidential candidate on the Virginia ballot?  Then check out our "Petitioning Instructions" page.  You will find downloadable petition forms and other ballot-drive resources and information.

Are you interested in getting more involved with the state or local Libertarian Party?  Then fill out the "Volunteer" form and we will do our best to get you connected.

Ever thought about running for office as a Libertarian?  Then fill out our "Candidate" form and let us know.

Ready to support the LP and call yourself a "card-carrying member"?  You can join both the national and state parties with one visit to our "Membership" webpage.

There's lots more to be done.  Some ideas are listed on our "Take Action" page.

If you have special skills that you'd like to put to work for liberty, then please let us know!

Memory Lane: Carl Shumacher, Elkton VA

Sometimes a conversation brings up memories of old friends.  One good friend in my life was Carl Schumacher of Elkton, VA.

Carl was a LONG time Libertarian Party adherent.  He was "brought into the movement" because his publishing company (X-High Graphic Arts, Elkton, VA -- which still operates in the same building now) printed many of Murray Rothbard's treatises throughout the sixties and seventies.  He also printed Virginia Liberty for many years (1986-1993).

Carl's wife was Murray's sister.  ((!!))

While I worked at Libertarian Party Headquarters (1989-1993), Carl also printed several things for the national office, such as the 1987 & 1989 LP platforms.

We had them bulk printed, on newsprint.  They were cheap that way.  But they were also heavy.  Both times I had him print the platform, the bundles of platforms  filled my 1980 Ford Fiesta right to the brim, and the rear wheels were basically resting on the snubbers for the trip over the mountains back to DC.

Shumacher was elected to the Elkton Town Council as of July 1, 1978 and served until May 11, 1981.  His first meeting after being sworn in would have been the 7/5/1978 meeting, minutes of which are available here.  He resigned effective at the council meeting on May 11, 1981.  The minutes of that meeting are available here:

Carl and an old buddy of his (don't remember his buddy's name).  Between the two of them, they must have owned about 30 Studebakers.  Carl's company for years printed the Studebaker Drivers Club magazine.  It was one of the few club publications that really had magazine-quality work behind it. 

I attended a bunch of Stude meets with them in the early nineties.  About twenty miles into the very first trip, I realized I had to drive, because they couldn't wait to get to Pennsylvania before breaking into their "snakebite kit" (a box of about a dozen bottles of liquor).

Fortunately they let me do so without complaint, and for the next three years I was their designated driver to shows.  Man, but they could plow through some hooch.  One time Carl's buddy was so blotto by the time we got to the national meet that I had to fireman carry him into his room.  I could never fathom how those guys made it out & back on all of their previous trips.

Carl passed away many years ago, long after I left the employ of LPHQ.

Rest in peace, my friend.

The Elites Will Run You Over, and Not Lose Any Sleep Over It

A couple of years ago, Karen Kwiatkowski  was out campaigning at the Rockingham County Fair.  I had been acquainted with her and considered her to be a friend, so of course when my family and I spotted her, we all stopped to talk a bit.

As I was speaking to her, a bureaucratocade (motorcade) drove into the exhibition area we were in.  The kids were fascinated.

I watched them come in, inwardly chuckling at the arrogance of the elites.

But then the two lead motorcycles with two very over-sized cops turned straight towards my children.  I was expecting them to hard right behind the pavilion, but then they cut diagonally across the grass without really slowing down.  I grabbed my child and pulled him behind me, as we were out of room behind us; we could not back up any further.  The elitists of the state missed me and my 5-year-old old by inches.  I was backed all the way up and holding him behind and beside me.

Couldn't have the governor walking more than a few feet to the big top, now, could we?

It was Bob McDonnell, the state's top Republican.

Besides the kingly driving, I was flabbergasted by the waste of it all.  There were at least twenty cops around the pavilion, and the motorcade disgorged a half-dozen more on motorcycles with disco lights flashing and a few more the big ol' full-size SUV the Guv was riding in.  There were maybe fifty people milling about to meet elected officials, including McDonnell.

You'd think Republicans supposedly interested in smaller government would order the police escort to go fight crime instead of showboating the self-importance of the political class -- and drive himself to the Fair himself in a second-hand, gas-sipping, 41 mpg city Ford Fusion hybrid.

Or maybe even an old, paid-for 1990 Ford Escort or Chevy Cavalier.

Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Organization Loses One!

I was floored to read of the first crack in the stranglehold the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) has on county-state politics.  Kudos to Goochland County.  I don't know how the Board of Supervisors came to the conclusion they did, but it is a pleasing development.

For a long time, I wondered how public debate always seemed to be so well-funded in favor of fatter government and getting more financial lard slathered all over its teeming bureaucrats.  Then I served a term on the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water District, and discovered that a good portion of the money we were given to fund operations was given to an organization called the Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD).  Looking into it further, I discovered that VASWCD was essentially a "Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Organization", or a "TFLO".  A large portion of the annual dues the Lord Fairfax district sent to them were used to fund lobbying efforts at the local, state, and even federal level.  I also learned that even the small bureaucracy that was the Lord Fairfax SWCD wasn't just funding VASWCD, but was also funneling cash to additional TFLO-type groups such as the Shenandoah Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council.

Being a Libertarian, I objected to the District's membership in these organizations every year, because I think it is absolutely wrong for government to lobby government.  Legislators should adjust policy according to the wishes of the citizens, rather than doing so at the behest of highly-paid lobbyists who represent the 1% elite bureaucrats and politicians who presume to know what's best for the rest of us!

Unfortunately, I was the minority on the Board, and as a result the District continues to throw cash at lobbying front groups.

What VASWCD was to the Soil & Water District, the VACO is to county governments.  There are many other similar NGO's for every type of government under the sun.  The Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Court Clerks Association, etc all have some lobbying component, and all of them are one way or another funded by taxpayers.

So VACO is the definition of a Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Organization.  The reason that it and similar organizations should be of serious concern to every taxpayer is this:  the things they lobby for are almost always beneficial to governments and bureaucrats, and almost always detrimental to taxpayers.

County bureaucrats cannot lobby the government while on taxpayer time.  But they can do the same thing by setting up a front organization, call it an NGO, throw some taxpayer cash at it, and perform an ethical skirt-and-dodge.

Political hacks and bureaucrats should not be allowed to grab cash from the government trough, and shovel it at "non-government organizations" ("NGO's") so the NGO can then hire legions of paid lobbyists to work against the wishes of the taxpayer; government should never be given any opportunity to influence itself!

There are literally thousands of NGO's similar to VACO in the United States, and they all exist for one purpose: to get more taxpayer loot (or power) shoveled into their gaping maw.

The legislature should eliminate the ability of local and state bureaucrats or government bodies to lobby any other government body.  Membership in any NGO that lobbies (directly or indirectly) for anything that would favor the individual or originating government should be absolutely forbidden.

In Praise of "Faithless" Electors And Third Parties

The Libertarian Party's first presidential candidate, John Hospers, died at 93 last Sunday in Los Angeles.

Hospers was chairman of the philosophy department at the University of Southern California when he was nominated on June 18th, 1972, to be the new party's presidential candidate. The convention, held in Denver, Colorado, also nominated Theodora "Tonie" Nathan for vice president. Hospers and Nathan were on the ballot in two states and received 3,671 votes. Despite the result, several facts combined to make the campaign absolutely revolutionary:

- Although Hospers did not carry any states, the Libertarians nevertheless received an Electoral College vote. That vote came from right here in the Old Dominion, and it was cast by a man named Roger MacBride of Charlottesville.

- Hospers was the first-ever openly gay candidate for president.

- With MacBride's vote, Hospers also became the first gay presidential candidate to receive an Electoral College vote.

- His running mate, Tonie Nathan, became the first woman ever to have won an Electoral College vote - years before Geraldine Ferraro.

- Lastly, the ideology of the Libertarian Party itself simply had no parallel in any other American political party. The Libertarian platform of 1972 called for (among other things) the repeal of all laws on voluntary sexual relations, drug use, gambling, and attempted suicide; the repeal of all pornography laws; the abolition of the draft; the repeal of the National Labor Relations Act; the elimination of all legal tender laws and a return to a gold standard; the abolition of the Federal Reserve System; the abolition of all government subsidies to business, labor, education, agriculture, science, or the arts; the abolition of all tariffs and quota regulations in foreign trade; the repeal of all compulsory education laws, an end to government operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools, as well as an end to compulsory busing; the abolition of the minimum wage; an end to all corporate and individual welfare; elimination of all foreign aid, and withdrawal and de-funding of the United Nations.

Predictably, MacBride was widely vilified for his Electoral vote. He was labeled a "faithless elector", and worse. However, the Electoral College was intended to be a last check against a manipulative tyrant winning the Presidency. Delaying the one and only meeting of the College for months after the popular vote was a chance for civic-minded citizens appointed by the voters at large to watch, learn, and listen to the winner of the popular vote. If they collectively decided he would be a dangerous, infirm, or poor choice, it was understood they had every right to choose someone else.

In other words, the Electoral College was created to slow down mob rule before handing an intensely powerful position over to a tyrant. MacBride, therefore, was a hero: he was one of the rare electors who took his job seriously. Very late in Nixon's 1972 campaign, it became clear even to many of his ardent supporters that he had seriously abused his power. MacBride acted on that knowledge.

The value of new alternative parties lies in their ability to bring ideas the establishment ignores into the political marketplace. This happened with the birth of the Republican Party in the mid-1800's, with its abolitionist position on slavery. Unfortunately, once abolition was realized, Republicans contrived with Democrats to turn everyone into slaves of the state.

The Libertarian Party formed in an era when the two legacy parties refused to end the draft and the pointless war in Viet Nam, while colluding to debase the currency and strip away cherished rights. Today, Libertarians continue to push for peace and justice; and a Libertarian presidential choice is normally on most state ballots. The political party and the wider movement that Hospers helped bring into being is still a going concern today, 39 years later.

Hospers served as an inspiration for many young people in the seventies, including this author. Although he turned away from the LP and libertarianism altogether and towards interventionism and conservative ideology in his later years, he remained larger than life to many among the libertarian community.

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Abolish Prohibition, Checkpoints and Chases

I had to shake my head in sadness and anger at the front-page headline and article, "Police: Drugs, gun in car", in which Henrico County police tried to justify the slaying of an innocent in the course of their pursuit of a man who fled a checkpoint.

Community activists across America have repeatedly warned police bureaucracies that chases are too dangerous and result in innocent deaths, to no avail. Henrico PD's statement that the chase "complied with written guidelines" is insulting and meaningless. Most people who study American policing are aware that police bureaucracies' statements that an action "followed policy" is simply code-phrasing, acknowledging "yeah, we messed up, but we're not going to do anything about it, and neither are you."

If the same series of actions had been committed by a private individual, that private individual would end up sentenced to jail. For instance, if a security guard attempted to arrest someone at the entrance of a private, gated neighborhood, and that individual then fled with the security guard in pursuit and crashed into a park bench of children, the government police would would then quickly and gleefully arrest the guard for contributing to the slaughter.

No cowboy logic justifies high-speed chases. They are stupid and dangerous in the best of conditions. They should be banned except in cases of violent individuals who present an immediate threat to additional potential victims.

It is arguable that the man never would have run at all if not for his justifiable fear of the unconstitutional and un-American checkpoint. They belong in third-world dictatorships, but not in a nation that thinks of itself as "the land of the free".

At its core, the events that led to Taylor's death can be attributed to Drug Prohibition - itself a constitutional and moral abomination. Prohibition has ruined tens of millions of lives and has cost hundreds of thousands of other lives - millions, if you count a half-century of war, terror and aggression by global narcotics-funded religious and ideological extremist movements, along with decades of drug-related violent crime.

Prohibition's toxic stew includes an aggressive and arrogant drug warrior culture that by itself has killed and maimed tens of thousands of innocents in "collateral damage" - and drug warriors simply don't care about the damage their war causes.

Repeal Prohibition, end the "papers, please" roadblocks, and call an immediate end to all chases except where the suspect is known to pose an immediate violent threat to others. The cost of doing otherwise is simply too high, and no spin by the Henrico PD or its useful 'defenders' can change that fact.

Common-Sense Solutions to Sprawl: OUTLAWED!

Soaring gas prices last summer caused many people to seek out ways to drive less and work closer to home. Unfortunately, seeking was about all they could do. Over the past century of land-use planning, governments have criminalized the construction of compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. The direct result of government wisdom was to make walking, biking, or even using public transport to work, school, and recreation simply impractical, if not un-economic (time has value too).

A recent Commentary columnist in the Richmond Times-Dispatch called for more restrictive zoning to "preserve" green space that she doesn't own. I think she has it backwards.

Sprawl can't be blamed on developers. Developers build because people need places to live and work. It was government that prevented the construction of any more compact, efficient grid-layout cityscapes such as people had built for generations (look at the housing in Richmond's Fan area, for instance). In 1900, a plot of a few acres could house hundreds of people. With the advent of zoning, however, city and county governments have steadily ratcheted density down. This doesn't mean that fewer people will move to a locality -- it just means that to house the same number of people, developers must seek out more and more spread-out virgin land to house them.

With zoning, the following is the normal progression: Zoning starts out by forcibly reducing the number of people allowed to occupy a given parcel of land by introducing minimum lot sizes and adding setback requirements. Then, some shrill minority [often newcomers who wish to slam the door behind them] whine about the precious farmland that is being chewed up as a result of the minimum lot sizes, and scream for passage of even larger lot size requirements. Eventually they get their wish and lot sizes increase to 25, 50, or 100 acres -- the point where only millionaires and government bureaucrats can afford them. This, of course, chews up MORE farmland, so the only 'logical' next step is to simply prohibit any growth of any kind. This progression is in play everywhere in the United States.

There were many reasons zoning codes became a popular import from the European national socialists of the 1890's. Rent-seeking politicians quickly realized that restricting land use could easily be used to exclude poor whites and racial minorities from middle and upper-class white areas; and indeed, some of the earliest zoning codes in the north included provisions for segregated neighborhoods. After the Supreme Court declared such laws un-enforceable in 1948, politicians simply replaced the objectionable provisions with new ones that accomplished essentially the same end using different language.

Other land-use restrictions have further eroded the human-to-land-surface ratio; chewing up build-able surface on every parcel. Setback requirements, for example, and minimum house sizes, such as the ones in Henrico, further restrict the housing stock and force developers to seek out virgin land in less-developed areas.

A look at Henrico County is instructive. Henrico was an early adopter of zoning law (1933) and an early adopter of exclusionary zoning: Henrico ordinances of 1960 outlawed building the small-lot, compact (600 square feet), and efficient entry-level housing such as that which was grandfathered-in around the Fairgrounds and Lakeside areas. This successfully kept blacks from buying into the county because housing prices quickly became inflated beyond the reach of many.

These days, sure, the county supposedly allows starter homes to be built -- but only where they're already standing. With blacks increasingly integrated into the social fabric of society, more and more black families can be found in Henrico neighborhoods. However, the exclusionary intent of zoning law is still there, with a changed focus. Now, it is simply classist rather than racist. The door has been slammed in the face of people with lesser means. You're simply out of luck if you want to split up a parcel into 1/8 acre lots with four or five $80,000, 600-square foot bungalows in one of the trendy West End neighborhoods. Try it and see how long it takes for zoning officials to laugh you out of the building.

Of course, a lot of small houses on compact lots makes bus service somewhat tenable. The 4,000 square foot McMansions with huge setbacks and large lots are auto-centric, and they are what politicians want because they generate more tax revenue.

It is clear that sprawl can be laid at the feet of rent-seeking politicians and the "NIMBY" activists who elect them and pressure them to slam the door on newcomers.

Anyone with common sense would understand that if you artificially restrict the supply of housing in one area, people will go elsewhere to buy their home. Leapfrog development happens when people who want homes can't find any, or find that the ones in the area that they really want have been artificially driven out of their price range. These people continue looking -- further and further away from their desired location.

Besides the severe cost to the environment in the form of sprawl, land-use regulation has relentlessly driven the cost of owning a home upwards. The covetous and loud interest groups that campaign so mightily at "evil developers" and who decry the lack of open or green space from the porch swing on their McMansion, are the people to thank for sprawl. Politicians reflect their constituents.

Zoning, once enacted, is always ratcheted ever tighter, like a noose.

In every community afflicted by the cancer of zoning, residents eventually discover they will have to go to the planning commission to do the most trifling things with their own property -- and the zoning board will see to it that a bunch of meaningless and useless conditions are placed upon them even then. "Oh, you want to put up a new mailbox? Go ahead -- but it has to be one of these approved $1,000 brands, and you have to paint it this color, and you can only put it in this spot here."

In a few decades, zoning will have created a sterile, stuffy, controlled, and boring environment. Our own children will have to leave, because they won't be allowed to build homes or work nearby.

Maybe it's time for change. Not a change in the form of moving control from rightward-tilting socialism to leftward-tilting socialism as in the recent presidential election. Rather, socialism should be dismantled altogether.

Zoning laws should be repealed as the abhorrent affronts to human liberty they are. Those who wish to control property belonging to others should do so the the honest way: buy it, or pay owners to insert restrictive covenants into their deeds. At the same time, the state should cease the practice of building free roads in virgin areas (think I-295 when it was built), and instead leave it to developers and new residents and businesses to pay for their own infrastucture in such areas. These two actions combined will help curtail the explosive sprawl we have today.

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Marc Montoni is a network technician and a frequent columnist on the issue of individual liberty, Drug Prohibition, gun laws, and land-use regulation. He currently serves as the Secretary of the Libertarian Party of Virginia and publishes a commentary blog at FreeVirginia.blogspot.com.


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Slashing Government

Want to reduce the state budget? Here's a half-billion dollar launch pad.

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Someone recently asked me what Commonwealth of Virginia government spending is wasteful and could be eliminated.

I had to think about that for a minute, because I frankly can't see any reason to keep much of anything except a small police force to keep an eye out for local police corruption and maybe a court system of last resort.

But I digress.

Here are a few suggestions for state agencies/activities that could be rather painlessly eliminated:

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1. Virginia Port Authority

http://dpb.state.va.us/budget/vabud/vabud.cfm?vTable=O&vbiennium=2006-2008&vSecretary=Trans&vAgencyCode=407

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "The mission of the ports relates to the state’s long-term strategic transportation plan as well as the state’s strategic economic development plan. The agency, through the Commonwealth, owns and operates marine terminals in Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Newport News. It also owns a truck and rail terminal in Front Royal. It markets these ports to ship lines and businesses worldwide through the headquarters in Norfolk, as well as through other offices across the United States and overseas. Overseas offices include locations in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Cairo, and Hong Kong. Currently, the authority’s budget is from nongeneral fund sources, primarily revenues received from the Transportation Trust Fund and from fees paid by ship lines for use of the ports. The agency does not receive any federal funds."

WHY IT CAN BE ELIMINATED -- Why is the state involved in operating a freight terminal? Overnight and hundred of other companies are already in that business, they make profits, and pay taxes.

ELIMINATION WOULD SAVE: $77,947,316 in 2007.

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2. Department of Aviation

http://dpb.state.va.us/budget/vabud/vabud.cfm?vTable=O&vbiennium=2006-2008&vSecretary=Trans&vAgencyCode=841

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "The department helps airport owners plan, construct, maintain, and operate their airports. The agency also plans the state’s aviation system and promotes aviation and air travel safety. These activities account for more than 90 percent of the agency’s budget. In addition, the department licenses aircraft and airports, and maintains the state government’s fleet of aircraft, which accounts for slightly less than 10 percent of the agency’s budget. The primary funding for the agency comes from nongeneral fund sources such as fuel taxes, and aircraft sales and use taxes. In 2001, 1.4 percent of the agency’s spending was from federal funds."

WHY IT CAN BE ELIMINATED -- For one thing, it's redundant. The FAA, insurance companies, and architects already do all of the above activities the agency does.

ELIMINATION WOULD SAVE: $31,864,188 in 2007.

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3. Human Rights Council

http://dpb.state.va.us/budget/vabud/vabud.cfm?vTable=O&vbiennium=2006-2008&vSecretary=Admin&vAgencyCode=173

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "This agency investigates unlawful discriminatory practices under federal or state statutes. As an alternative to the investigative process, the agency has implemented a mediation program in an attempt to expedite dispute resolution. The agency serves the Commonwealth’s citizens, public and private employers, and localities. In 2001, 3.1 percent of the agency’s spending was from federal funds."

WHY IT CAN BE ELIMINATED -- Redundant. Redress is available in courts; or, better yet, in the offices of arbitrators or mediators.

ELIMINATION WOULD SAVE: $461,177 in FY 2007.

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4. Charitable Gaming Commission

http://dpb.state.va.us/budget/vabud/vabud.cfm?vTable=O&vbiennium=2006-2008&vSecretary=Admin&vAgencyCode=173

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "The agency, created in 1996, is charged with the oversight of raffles, bingo, and instant bingo games permitted to raise funds for charitable purposes. The commission has the authority to issue, suspend, and revoke permits to operate these games and to certify suppliers of gaming goods and services. The agency spends about eight percent of its budget to license Virginia’s 650 charitable gaming organizations and about 30 gaming suppliers. Another 32 percent of its budget goes to inspect and audit the operations of charitable games, and just over 20 percent of the agency’s resources is allocated for activities to enforce the charitable gaming laws and regulations. The remainder of the agency’s budget is spent to conduct hearings, to educate the public and gaming organizations about charitable gaming, and to provide administrative support to the commission. The agency is fully supported by nongeneral fund sources, which consist of the license fees and audit and administration fees paid by gaming organizations and suppliers. The agency does not receive any federal funds."

WHY IT CAN BE ELIMINATED -- Redundant. Redress is available in courts; or, better yet, in the offices of arbitrators or mediators. Not only that, but reputable charities would have their accounts audited anyway by an accounting firm. If the gamer doesn't care where the money goes and chooses to play in a non-reputable charity's game, well, no harm no foul.

ELIMINATION WOULD SAVE: $2,670,827 in FY 2007.

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5. Virginia's Public Broadcasting Board

http://dpb.state.va.us/budget/vabud/vabud.cfm?vTable=O&vbiennium=2002-2004&vSecretary=Admin&vAgencyCode=911

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "The Virginia Public Broadcasting Board provides state support for public television and radio in Virginia and for instructional programming (ITV) viewed by students and teachers in Virginia’s public elementary and secondary schools. Just under 31 percent of the board’s budget is allocated for ITV programming, 33 percent goes for community service grants for public television, and just under seven percent goes for community service grants for public radio. Less than two percent of the board’s funds go for contracts with private nonprofit organizations to provide radio reading services for print-handicapped Virginians. Another 27 percent of the board’s budget goes for repayment of state support for the conversion of Virginia’s public television stations to the new digital standard mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. The board receives no federal funds."

WHY IT CAN BE ELIMINATED -- Redundant. Most Virginians have access to 50 or more channels offered by the private sector. Besides, government can never resist an opportunity to propagandize a captive student audience.

ELIMINATION WOULD SAVE: $3 million / year

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6. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

http://dpb.state.va.us/budget/vabud/vabud.cfm?vTable=O&vbiennium=2006-2008&vSecretary=Comme&vAgencyCode=301

Also see: http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/about/pdf/strategicplan.pdf

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "More than one-third of the agency’s budget is spent to promote Virginia’s agricultural and seafood products. Another 18 percent is spent to prevent and control diseases and pests affecting crops and farm animals through research, testing, grants, technical advice, and direct services to farmers. The agency spends 13 percent of its budget to ensure food safety by inspecting grocery stores, food processing plants, dairies, food storage warehouses, and meat and poultry slaughtering and processing plants. The department also spends nearly a fifth of its budget regulating business practices and investigating consumer complaints about unsafe products and fraudulent services. Nearly 44 percent of the agency’s budget comes from nongeneral fund sources, such as federal grants, user fees, registration fees, and excise taxes. In 2001, 10.5 percent of the agency’s spending was from federal funds."

WHY IT CAN BE ELIMINATED -- Redundant. There is not one single service listed in their report which is not provided by companies in the honest sector. Indeed, many of their services are paid for with user fees -- which means they can easily be privatized.

The most interesting part is where it says 1/3 or its budget is spent promoting agricultural and seafood products. In the private sector, that might be called "advertising".

ELIMINATION WOULD SAVE: $339,490,000 (general fund expenditures only; this doesn't even touch the agency's revenue from service fees) in FY 2007.

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That's already over $400 million in reductions. Not reductions in the rate of increase, but REDUCTIONS. Outright elimination.

Those interested in finding out how Virginia's government spends money, and where it gets it to spend, may wish to bookmark these links:

I. The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget breaks down state spending into easy to read tables; and each main heading is a link that leads to more specific information:

II. I'm not a big fan of the U.S. Census as it is today (see the Libertarian Party's Census Articles, here and here), but they do some good data collection on state governments, including Virginia's.

By the way, this is not directly related to state budgets. But if you're interested in the federal Balanced Budget Amendment, take a look.

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