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Welcome to the January 2015 issue of the online newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, the Michigan Libertarian. The newsletter is our main vehicle for sharing what's happening for Libertarians in Michigan. You may manage your subscription by going here or visiting our Website old.michiganlp.org).

From Mary
chair@michiganlp.org

"It’s easy to make a living telling the people in control they’re right. — Charles Bowden

A very Happy New Year to Everyone! 2015 is going to be HUGE for the liberty movement in general and the LPM in particular.

Thinking back , I salute all of you who have taken part, who have run as candidates or worked to restore the republic through other means, here as part of the Party of Principle. I was proud to be your gubernatorial candidate this season, as well as chair now for two seasons. It's been more work than I anticipated (doing both) but I wouldn't trade my experience for the world.

Whoever said, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger," was right on the mark. This cycle should stimulate real discoveries and solutions to why the LP (and the LPM) has not achieved its true potential, count me in for my share of the work to make it happen. Some observations.

• Our results were most encouraging, as Greg Stempfle documents below.
  
  
• Liberty Fest on November 8 in Livonia (described below) was a world-class venue with Detroit Renaissance via libertarian entrepreneurship of Rodney Lockwood in the spotlight.
  
  
• The road to 2016 really started Nov 5th. I've learned a lot this election season and we as a party really have to do things better and get more organized.
  
  
• Finally, I'm really looking forward to implementing the many ideas that were put forward at "The Liberty in Action" event on October 25th.

I expect the party will go through some transformation coming up and through the convention, and I expect we will all do what we can to make that transformation proceed in a positive direction.

In Liberty,

Mary

Rodney Lockwood ‘Liberator of Belle Isle’
Addresses 2014 Libertyfest

Mr. Lockwood’s inspiring and informative presentation posted here.

Winners of This Year’s Libbies:

• Producer of Liberty – Arnis Davidsons
• Promoter of Liberty – Erin Stahl
• Spokesperson for Liberty – Mary Buzuma

A special award was also presented to our speaker Rodney Lockwood. He received the first ever “It’s About Liberty I” Award which is to be given to a person who has worked “In Defense for the Moral Superiority of Laissez Faire Capitalism.” 

Greg Stempfle reports via Facebook and posted here:

• Mary Buzuma: 35,570 votes (1.13%), Governor, LPM best ever
• James Lewis: 60,874 votes (1.98%), Secretary of State, LPM best ever
• Jim Fulner: 62,623 votes (2.01%), US Senator, only minor to exceed 2% since Jon Coon
• State House average percentage 4.96%, LPM best ever
• District 61, Michael Stampfler: 2,941 votes (8.88%), LPM best ever since Coon (15.74%)
• State Senate average percentage 4.47%, LPM best ever
• District 20, Lorence Wenke: 7,263 votes (9.03%), best ever for any 3d party
• Congress average: 2.03%, best except 2012 (2.31%)
• Ed Boards: two LPM candidates finish in top three for all races

In summary, “we done good.” Much to digest and look positively upon. Stempfle post.

Will White of the Capital Area Libertarians testified before the House Committee on Elections and Ethics on November 17 regarding HB 5974, which modifies current election law. Closing as follows:

"It is encouraging to see this issue before the legislature, but since all legislators are members of the two parties affected, it is clearly a conflict of interest. Any changes to electoral college votes or the election system should be brought before the voters to decide. The electoral college system is primarily a federal issue anyway, with states only allowed to determine the manner of appointing electors. Ideally all states would use the same system. Enacting legislation like this that benefits the two parties writing it is unethical and violates the very first section of the Michigan Constitution cited above. Excluding entire classes of voters from equal participation in the electoral process is certainly grounds for a legal challenge as a civil rights violation."

Full testimony may be found on this pdf file. And it is expected that a video will appear on Bruce Fealk's YouTube channel. Check with Will White here.

By Scotty Boman

It is an honor to be appointed to the position of Michigan Director of Our America Initiative (OAI). 

The non-partisan 501 c(4) organization was founded by Governor Gary Johnson prior to his 2012 run for United States President.  Their stated of purpose is "to redefine the liberty movement in America. We aim to restore liberty, personal responsibility and economic freedom as the true American values, to coexist as individuals who respect the rights and sanctity of all persons, to foster an environment that allows  each person to pursue his or her individual dreams and happiness without the burdens of unneeded government restrictions."

Initially, I was hesitant to apply for the position because I already had so many plans.  I wanted to mobilize potential activists by calling lapsed members and new volunteers.  There is a huge untapped and neglected opportunity for growth in the Libertarian Party.  Many people just need to hear form us. 

Another project was the need to have a more active presence in Lansing.  State legislators are very accessible, and sometimes a few visits from liberty minded activists is enough to influence their votes, so long as they and their constituents don't have any strong feelings to the contrary.

Well, I learned that Our America Initiative (OAI) is also interested in mobilizing liberty minded people and influencing legislation at the state level.  So this position works well with plans I already had in mind.  As I write this, I need to be clear, however: OAI is a "small-L" libertarian organization; it is not affiliated with any political party or candidate.  While wearing my OAI hat, I can't use my position to promote the LPM, but I can certainly put LPM members to work on the legislative projects of OAI, and that's what really matters... promoting liberty.

OAI is currently focused on five main areas of reform.  The specifics vary from state to state:

* cutting taxes & red tape (regulations)
* rolling back over-criminalization
* restoring educational & health freedom
* respecting personal liberty
* streamlining government

This is an agenda Libertarians can get behind, and it is beneficial to have a non-partisan group through which Libertarians and like minded people of other affiliations can lobby.  Let's face it,  the legislators we meet with were elected as Republicans or Democrats, not Libertarians.  So they are more likely to listen to representatives of a non-partisan group, then of an opposing political party.

Please get with me with all your ideas of how we can leverage OAI to produce the best outcomes. Scotty: scottyboman@hotmail.com.

Guest Column by Neil Patrick of Religious Freedom in Michigan

Dear Friends, In the next few days I will have some announcements about a local community that will help bring about a change in public policy on how alternative families are treated in their jurisdiction.

Up until July when I had my stroke I was very involved in efforts to bring a possible civil actions against the State of Michigan over its current Marriage Laws. In the last few days I have been offered not only encouragement but support in making changes happen quickly within the Detroit area.

In the next few days I will be working with ministers in the area to begin discussions with local leaders in government.Some of these these ministers are clergy of large established congregations in the area. In the early days of my efforts people constantly asked me if this was only about same sex marriage? To which I replied no.

Then I had no idea where this would lead. Now I know. Here is a video not ready for prime time and here is some words I have been working on that after a few edits and contributions from others I hope to publish along with others on this subject. I hope you can find the time to help and support these efforts. Expect announcements as early as Wednesday on real changes in our community and expect more details as time goes on. Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGiL0tOEPwU

Neil Carrick 734-469-0122
neilpatrickcarrick@gmail.com

Here are some words that I hope to redraft with input from others.

"We as a community proclaim that we will endeavor to affirm and promote the inherit worth and dignity of All marriages, families and children regardless of the characteristics or dynamics of the family. That as a community we understand and respect that family is the center of our community and that children are blessings from our creator. That those individuals who have decided to wed in their chosen house of worship honor each other and their creator; and we as a community affirm their religious freedom in doing so. We as a community respect and hold dear our religious freedoms and affirm the right of any House of Worship to exercise their religious faith. We affirm and support each House of Worship has the right to exercise its own religious practices, sacraments and traditions without interference from any government body. We also believe that each family and especially each child in our community should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity rather be it be our government offices, schools, our judicial system, and community at large.”

Commentary by Jason Brandenburg, Southwest Michigan Affiliate 

After the historic losses of Democrats in the 2014 election…

… politicians from both major parties are suddenly in a hurry to get something done. Establishment types are doing their best to both undermine the incoming class of Republican law makers and quietly get home to enjoy the holidays. After years of gridlock and a so called “do nothing congress,” we are expected to believe there is a renewed interest in doing the people’s business.

A search of Google shows that April 29, 2009 was the last time Congress passed an actual budget. Research a little more and you will find that even that was not a true budget. This kind of funding is known as an omnibus spending bill. The last time America operated under a true budget was in 1997 during the Clinton-Gingrich era. The country has been operating on continuing resolutions ever since. The most recent omnibus bill funds the government through most of 2015. Consider this action exhibit ‘A’ that the major parties could not care less what the voters have to say.

With a clear mandate to stop reckless spending and government encroachment, the establishment made sure to get what it wanted signed, sealed, and delivered before the new congress was seated. Strange how after all these years of gridlock, when it came to funding state mandated health care and corporate welfare, R’s and D’s suddenly felt the urge to “get something done.” Less than two months after running against the issue and winning big, lame duck Republicans funded government health care for another year. Why would they do this? One possibility is that it’s a strategic move designed to keep government funded health care alive and well.

Republicans are now positioned to use the appropriations process over the next two years to nibble at the edges of law’s funding. This also creates a series of well-timed photo ops leading up to a presidential election. If all you cared about was getting your party back into full control, this would be a great plan.

Libertarians see this situation through a different lens. Big government rarely gives back power that it seizes. This funding legislation also gives the establishment another year to socialize government run health care and make it acceptable to the masses. It didn’t take long for the Republican Party to disappoint. Should we be surprised? Libertarians and other pro-freedom advocates have been pointing out this kind of hypocrisy for years. Unfortunately the message is only being heard by a small audience. With nearly two years of political drama still to come before the 2016 election, Libertarians will certainly have more opportunities to show a fed up electorate a better way. Let’s not waste them.

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"What do you think those fabulously rich elite environmentalists, behind the curtain, are pulling the strings for? They hate individual power and they want to bind up the whole planet in a sea of regressive stone-age suffering as an act of revenge. They want to take their own AUTHENTIC power, which they long ago gave up, because they were weak and without independent courage, and they want to reconstitute it as a boot that grinds everything under its heel. Frankly, there are many self-invented victims scattered around the planet who would do exactly the same thing, if they were suddenly outfitted with enormous bank accounts and social position. For every real Rockefeller, there are a thousand would-be’s hoping and lurking in the weeds." — Jon Rappoport

 

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Take a stroll down memory lane with this excerpt from one of the longest-running state Libertarian newsletters. Click on this link for the full online version of this newsletter.

Former editor and LPM archivist Greg Stempfle has compiled the entire body of available Michigan Libertarian newsletters up on this page of the LPM Website (most if not all of the newsletters have been transferred over to the new site if you have a particular issue you're interested in and it doesn't show up on the page, please contact Webmaster@michiganlp.org).

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More... For all events, see the full online calendar on the Website:
http://michiganlp.org/?page_id=61. Note for those who do not have online access, please contact your local affiliate representative or call the office at 1-888-FREENOW (373-3669) to get a description of events in your area. The Michigan Libertarian ONLINE is distributed on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news articles by the 25th of the prior month to: e-newsletter@michiganlp.org

 

Note: The final print edition of the Michigan Libertarian is available online at http://old.michiganlp.org/Past%20Newsletters/
Michigan%20Libertarian%2038.2%20summer%202009.pdf

 

The Michigan Libertarian is published/posted on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news/articles to e-newsletter@michiganlp.org by the 25th of the prior month. The Michigan Libertarian is one of the longest-running Libertarian newsletters in the country, debuting in 1973 shortly after the founding of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. The "new" Michigan Libertarian (a predominantly online version) debuted on August 1, 2009 and replaced the weekly LPMOnline and the printed-and-mailed ML.  We will post the newsletter on the Website and deliver via email on the first of every month. A printed version of the new Michigan Libertarian will be sent free to anyone who signs up, which you may do at the LPM web site old.michiganlp.org (or www.mi.lp.org).

LPM members who need a hard copy may request one be mailed to them by contacting
e-newsletter@michiganlp.org or calling the LPM toll-free number 888-Free-Now (888-373-3669). Subscribe/Unsubscribe to Newsletter [Note: Just send us a message via our Contact page, and we will add you to the list.] We respect all unsubscribe requests.

Newsletter URL (Webpage address for this issue of the ML):
http://old.michiganlp.org/ENewsletters/201501/201501_ML.html

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