Net neutrality

Does anyone reading this blog really think that all data traveling over the internet should be treated equally? Is this video as important as an online course or a doctor communicating with a patient via web cam?


I use the Internet to write on this blog and to play Call of Duty online. There are corporations and universities that have way better things to do with their bandwidth than I do. If they want to reach an arrangement with their ISPs to get the better access that they need, they should be allowed to do so.

Do we really want the FCC regulating the Internet? Ever notice that networks will still air "Pearl Harbor" but won't show "Saving Private Ryan"? You can thank the FCC for that.

Wikileaks and Hacktivists

I work as a private security officer, so I understand the importance of secrecy. I have signed a confidentiality agreement, and I will not breach that agreement on this blog or any other website. Military personnel and civilians who hold security clearances have an obligation to protect secrets as well.

If a soldier releases a classified secret to a journalist, then that soldier should be disciplined. But secrets are like intestinal gas: once passed along, everyone knows about it and it cannot be taken back. Sometimes you don't even know who spilled the beans or cut the cheese. Once it's out, everyone is free to talk about it.

Journalists should be allowed to publish these former secrets because the damage is either already done or is inevitable. If Julian Assange knows something, Osama bin Laden probably knows it too. What I find bizarre is all this emphasis on one website. Aren't there plenty of other conspiracy theory websites? Why is Wikileaks taken anymore seriously than any other forum filled with anonymous trolls?

What is really making me mad are the "hacktivists". These politically motivated hackers are no better and no worse than common vandals. They should be denounced for their methods rather than be admired for their cause. In my opinion, those people are the ones who really do belong in prison.

Should poor people pay taxes at all?

Since poor people are more likely to spend additional income, liberals tend to advocate policies that steer money towards the poor. Since taxes are a net drain on the economy, conservatives tend to support cutting taxes.

So here's my idea that I think everyone can get behind: make all income up to the federal poverty level tax exempt. For an Alaskan (the federal poverty level is the highest in that state.) living by himself, that would be $13,530.

People can argue all day long about what the poverty level should be later. But can't we all agree that a government that has enough money to give to multi-billion corporations should not be taking money from people who can barely make ends meet?

This would be a tax break that can pay for itself in the long run: poor people who can take care of themselves would be less dependent on social services.

Close Guantanamo for Christmas

This time of year, we are all reminded that most Americans worship a shaggy haired Middle-Easterner who was brutally tortured and killed by a superpower.

While I recognize that sometimes not even Middle-Easterners can avoid killing other Middle-Easterners, we probably should leave out that whole torture thing. I don't want us to be the antagonists in somebody else's New and Improved Testament centuries from now.

Civil Forfeiture in Indiana

Here is a good article about civil forfeiture in Indiana.

How does this issue affect you and your kids?

It could affect you if you are ever accused of a crime. To put you in prison, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty. But to take your house, the prosecutor only needs to establish that you probably committed an offence.

It is affecting your kids because seized funds are supposed to be turned over to public schools, but instead the money has been going to private attorneys and the police departments who pursued the cases.

Another Modern Modest Proposal: Convert to Islam to Make Yourself Safer!

(Before sending me any hate mail or posting flame comments, kindly read about the original Modest Proposal.)

It seems that there are many people who are willing to sacrifice their own liberty to make themselves safer from terrorists. I'm not here to judge people for having values that are different from mine, but I did have an idea. Why not go all the way and convert to Islam so that terrorists won't want to blow you up?

Let's face it, the TSA simply will not do what it takes to make you completely safe on an airplane. I don't doubt the sincerity of the intent of these civil servants, but how do they expect to keep bombs off the plane if they aren't checking body cavities? But assuming that Al Qaeda is sincere in its intentions, a plane full of innocent Muslims will do more to deter a suicide bomber than any federal official.

Islam will make you safer on the ground as well. Any state that adopts sharia law can dramatically reduce drunk driving overnight. You don't hear about drunks running over little kids in the streets of Saudi Arabia. Why do some people put the First Amendment over the safety of our children?

Ban on perfume at Northrup?

A mother wants Northrup High School to ban perfume. She insists that her son is allergic to freshly sprayed perfume. Some allergists say that this isn't possible, but it still could be an asthmatic reaction. Whatever it is, let's assume for the sake of argument that there is a causal relationship between high concentrations of perfume and respiratory distress in this particular boy. Students could still be allowed to wear modest amounts of perfume, as long as they didn't spray it in the same room as the boy. However, it should be explained to the students that deliberately trying to cause breathing problems by spraying perfume could be construed as battery or even attempted murder, depending on the mood of the county prosecutor.

I wonder if Dr Crawford is going to push for a ban on perfume in private clubs.

What does TSA stand for?

TSA=Touch Some Ass?

The TSA has started making airline passengers go through body scanners that see through clothing. Even if you are willing to go through this in order to feel safer, you should still understand that this will cause the airline industry to lose a lot of business. Body scanners and enhanced pat downs are not going to be tolerated by non-exhibitionists. People are going on trips by car that they would have previously taken by plane.

You are all adult enough to know that it is more dangerous to drive than to fly, so we can expect a rise in highway deaths as a result of these new humiliating procedures. Wasn't the whole point to save lives?

Veterans Day

Go hug a veteran today, if he's into that sort of thing.

Another dumb idea for a law

The Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers is seeking a statewide ban on alcoholic energy drinks. The reason they cite is that caffeine masks some of the effects of alcohol, and young people are over-consuming as a result.

This particular effort to protect idiots from their own stupidity is a exercise in futility. Anyone with ID can still buy a case of beer, and anyone at all can still buy caffeinated products. You can take them home and mix them into a glass. If you don't have any clean glasses, you can drink one after the other and have both chemicals in your bloodstream at the same time.

Vote!

Be sure to vote on Tuesday. On Wednesday, be sure to get screened for colon cancer. Having smoke blown up your ass all year can't be very healthy.

Did he really just say that?

Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller cited East Germany as a place that was able to effectively control their border.
First of all, I'll concede two points:
1. East Germany did control their border effectively.
2. Just because they were socialists doesn't mean we can't learn anything from them.

But I think that there are certain differences between East Germany back then and the US today. Namely, East German border guards were ordered to shoot anyone trying to cross on site. On the other hand, the United States is not going to use lethal force against unarmed civilians on our own soil. (At least I hope not.) So unless you're willing to adopt similar policies and tactics, East Germany doesn't really serve as a useful model.

Watch the 3rd district debate here.

Why vote for this guy?

Charles White has committed voter fraud, yet is still leading in the polls for the Indiana Secretary of State race. If you're planning on voting for Charles White, then I invite you to explain your decision by leaving a comment below.

Take Washington to school

Longer school years?

Forget the cost for a moment. This will decrease graduation rates.
As things stand now, high school students in Fort Wayne already have the option of taking extra classes by coming into school earlier or by attending summer school. Some do it to get ahead, but many do it to avoid falling behind. By requiring every student to attend longer days year round, it makes it harder for kids who want to catch up to do so.

Picking apart the Pledge

We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the Tenth Amendment, which grants that all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Suppose Proposition 19 passes in California. Will the 112th Congress still respect the Tenth Amendment? Or will Californians be subjected to laws imposed on them from the other side of the continent?

Is the recession over?

I will pretend to believe that the recession is over if Congress and the President stop trying to fix it. Would you want to be treated by a doctor who just told you that you were healthy? Especially if he was not able to predict the effects of all his previous treatments?

Suicide terrorists are like roaches. There are way more than the ones you see because they are always hiding You can never hope to scare them off, none of them are smart enough to be afraid of you. Sometimes you can kill them when they come out into the open, but that doesn't happen very much and often you don't see them until it's too late. You can devise ways to kill them where they hide, but as stupid as they are, they still find ways to adapt.

The best way to deal with roaches and terrorists is to deprive them them of what they feed on. Roaches live off of filth. Terrorists feed off of hate and fear.

Job poaching

Companies rise and fall. Sometimes between that rise and fall, a company will relocate. It sucks when they move from here to there, it's great when they move from there to here, but on the whole it creates undesirable uncertainty for locals. A city might lose 1000 jobs one month and gain 1000 jobs the next, but wouldn't you rather keep the original jobs if you could?

While companies have a right to move from state to state, (and should do so if it means staying competitive) states and cities should not encourage arbitrary corporate migration. Indiana should pursue a reciprocal agreement with other states that they will not use tax dollars to lure a company away from another state. In other words, we won't steal your jobs if you promise not to steal ours. A federal law would be nice, but Congress has been unpredictable as of late.

Interstate job poaching is a drain on state resources. Rather than spending millions to attract companies that will only stay until they get a better offer, states should reaffirm their commitment to companies that are in it for the long term.

Just so you know....

Should Drinking Be Mandatory?

Governments discourage and forbid the use of certain drugs because they are bad for your health. But if a drug has been shown to have positive health effects, should the consumption of that drug be mandatory?

It could make for some interesting pickup lines:
"Can I buy you a drink?"
"No, thanks."
"It's the law, toots."

Does anyone else get the feeling that scientists keep finding medical benefits for politically correct drugs?

Harrison FAIL!

Barry Real Estate agreed to pay $5000 a day for each day the condos were delayed. Some apologists insist that Barry Real Estate should not be held to this agreement because "no one could have anticipated the recession".

First of all, recessions happen. They are a contingency that responsible adults have to plan for. I don't anticipate having a car wreck today, but I have insurance and am willing to bear financial responsibility if it does happen. This is a matter of corporate accountability.

Second, since this "unforeseen" housing crisis is now taking place, perhaps the city should consider investing in something other than housing? Personally, I didn't think that this was a good idea even under ideal conditions. But now this is boiling down to basic economics: When demand is down and supply is up, it is a bad time to become a supplier.

The city should sell the lot. It's a great location. Potential buyers may be put off by the fact that it's in the middle of a political sandbox, with many influntial people holding strong and conflicting opinions about what should go there. The city can put those fears to rest by establishing a reputation for consistency: keep all promises, carry out all threats.

Senate candidates to debate at IPFW

I've just heard that Rebecca Sink-Burris and Dan Coats have agreed to three debates. The first will be held October 11th at IUPUI. The second and third debates will be likely be held at IPFW and Vincennes.

LPIN NEWS: MEET THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND OTHER 102 CANDIDATES

Why does a race like the Secretary of State's race matter?
Please check out this article by Mike Kole on the necessity of your consideration to vote this November. Here left is the latest Libertarian Party of Indiana podcast with Mike Kole whom introduces and interviews candidate Mike Wherry for Indiana Secretary of State.



On the 5th of September from 2-4PM there will be an opportunity for you to meet Mike, and all of our candidates and State Officers at the home of Sam Goldstein, LPIN State Chair, 8074 Claridge Rd, Indianapolis. Come meet many of our other 102 candidates from all across Indiana. Hear their plans for the election season, eat, drink and get ready to rumble! $25 per person contribution payble to the LPIN. RSVP to 317-850-0726 or 317-920-1994

Personally speaking, with Libertarian options in all federal offices filled and State offices slated across a wide spectrum, I think we have enough fortitude this year to go to the proverbial wall, and ask for 10 percent in the Indiana Secretary of State race. With all the changes that would entail for local government authorities and advisory boards the Hoosier constituency will finally have change they can grasp not just believe in. (PHOTO: US SENATE CANDIDATE REBECCA SINK-BURRIS)

ERIC KNIPE our candidate for STATE AUDITOR would like to remind everyone to not forget to register to vote. The deadline is October 4th for the November elections. If unsure that you're already registered, go to www.indianavoters.com and click on "Confirm Voter Registration." Beginning this year you may register to vote online in Indiana (through that site).

Push polling taking place

I just got a call from a poll taker. He asked if I was voting for Mike Obergfell or Win Moses. I told him I was voting for Elizabeth Sepponen. If a poll does not include all of the available options, it is not a legitimate poll. I have noticed that some poll takers are better than others about including all the candidate in a particular race.

FLOTUS in Spain

I emphatically do not care what Michelle Obama does in her free time. She is a private citizen who happens to be married to an elected official. She is free to come and go wherever she wants, just like anybody else. The President should not be held responsible for her actions.

The proposed NYC Islamic center

The World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists who happened to be Muslims. The Alfred P. Murrah building was destroyed by terrorists who happened to be military veterans. The vast majority of Muslims and veterans are not terrorists. An Islamic center in New York City will be as harmless as a VA hospital in Oklahoma City.

The proposed center does not present any substantial threats to national security. Terrorists do not ask permission from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission before demolishing a building. No competent sleeper agent would spend much time hanging out in a $100 million building with a big sign that says "Islamic Center" out in front.

Instead, the arguments against the proposed center stem from matters of "sensitivity". It would seem that political correctness is no longer the sole domain of the left.

Why isn't the recession being blamed on the Iraq and Afghan wars?

If I were an advisor to the POTUS, I would tell him to blame our economic troubles on the War on Terror. It would get him off the hook for a lot of things. And it would be an accurate statement. The Iraq war costs more than TARP, and much of the money isn't being spent here. Our best and brightest are putting their time and energy towards overseas destruction, rather than building up our own economy. Plus it should be obvious to all that permanent injuries suffered in battle will cause further strain on our healthcare resources.

In a necessary, justified war, these are unavoidable costs. But these costs are also one more reason to rethink going to war in the first place. Civilians may think that they are unaffected by what happens on the other side of the world. While you may be at less personal risk than a soldier in a combat zone, wars mean higher taxes, higher prices, and less resources for non-defense industries. It certainly can have an impact on your quality of life.

One would think that economic considerations would be secondary in a time of war. When there is an ongoing life or death crisis going on, the collapse of a few companies doesn't seem so bad. On the other hand, it feels so good to gripe about a new ballpark for a change of pace.

Ending the war in Iraq may be the best thing that Obama will ever do for the economy. Starting another war would be the worst.

Why K2 should stay legal in Fort Wayne

1. Seeing as the proposed ban is limited only to Fort Wayne, K2 users will simply either buy the product outside of city limits or order it online. Passing a local law would be a symbolic gesture at best.
2. Experience shows that official discouragement of a drug usually only serves to increase demand. In European countries that allow pot use, the rate of marijuana usage is actually lower than in the US. Some young people have such an instinct for defiance that I shutter to think what would happen if Congress passed a law against jumping off a bridge.
3. The legal consequences of pot use are its most serious consequences. Smoke pot and if you get caught, you can go to jail and have a criminal record. (Don't get caught, and you might have a bright future in politics.) Drinking too much alcohol in one sitting can kill you if you're not careful. (There aren't enough careful people in fraternities these days.) So far, K2 has not resulted in any deaths or arrests in our fair city. As things stand now, alcohol, pot, and even tobacco pose a far greater threat to the futures of 18 to 21 year olds. Shouldn't the youthfully indiscreet have a perfectly legal and relatively safe alternative to illegal drugs and alcohol?

Last year Obama said that the middle of a recession is the wrong time to cut spending. Next year, the White House is predicting a record deficit due to record spending and decreased revenues.

Quick question: If Obama touts government spending as a way to fix the economy, and he has no intention of reducing spending next year, then does that mean he fully expects the recession to continue for another 6 to 18 months?

New state ID law is idiotic.

Now Indiana requires everybody to show ID when buying alcohol, no matter how old they look. Maybe there is some 19 year old out there who looks like George Burns due to some horrible illness that I shouldn't even joke about. If he is out there and he looks that old, then he deserves a drink.

LeBron James leaves Cleveland

Yeah, I really didn't care when I heard the news either. But I'm bringing this up because I wanted to point out that, unless you're a team it is foolish to pin your financial well-being on the success of a professional sports team. When a person does it, it's called gambling. When a city does it, it's called economic development.

Music Video

Sounds a bit too much like gospel for my taste. Other than that, I like it.

Happy Independence Day!

To think that all I had to do to become an American was continue to breathe after they cut the umbilical cord.

Remember the end of "Saving Private Ryan"? The title character is told "You better earn this."

We all better earn this.

Another video

Is globalization the key to peace?

Once long term mortal enemies, mainland China and Taiwan have signed a trade agreement. In spite of over 60 years of mutual hatred, they have recognized that it is in their best economic interests to remain at peace.

Some of you may feel guilty about buying products made in China. Yet all those cheap gadgets may have prevented a Sino-American war.

You Might Be A Drug Dealer If

You might be a drug dealer, pimp, or prostitute if the FWPD simply says you are.
Fort Wayne City Code prohibits landlords from knowingly allowing tenants to sell illegal drugs or run a brothel. Federal civil forfeiture statutes already give landlords a strong incentive to keep drugs out, but how are landlords supposed to know? Easy! The police simply tell the landlord that the tenant is selling drugs or turning tricks.

Here is what's wrong with the ordinance: If the police know that the tenant is breaking the law, why not just arrest him? Why have the landlord disturb a crime scene by throwing everything out on a curb? This law makes a mockery of due process. If the police are wrong, an innocent person loses his home. If the police are right, the guilty party can simply set up shop just outside of city limits or sublease from an accomplice.

It is also worth noting that while SUSPECTED drug dealers are forced to leave Fort Wayne, CONVICTED murderers and rapists are permitted to stay. Does that seem right to anyone?

Want to work on a farm?

If you are a US citizen who is tired of immigrants taking our jobs, now is your chance to take theirs.
http://www.takeourjobs.org/

Sarah Palin on Marijuana

Sarah Palin says that marijuana should be a lower priority for law enforcement.

“If somebody's gonna smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and try to clean up some of the other problems we have in society.”

But she is against legalization because she feels that it would send the signal to young people that smoking pot is okay.
Here is how I see it: Keeping pot illegal sends the message to pot smokers that breaking the law is ok. For example, former casual users Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all placed the same value on the Constitution as POTUS as they placed on drug laws while in college.

Two misleading labels

Labels can been convenient, but they can be misleading. Editorial pages have limited space, broadcasters have limited time, and people have limited attention spans.

"Un-American", like the f-word, usually means whatever the speaker wants it to mean. Unlike the f-word, it always has negative connotations and is still used on TV. Taken literally, it means "not American" or "foreign". Use of the term implies that the speaker is closed-minded by dismissing certain ideas as foreign.

"Anti-government" seems to be another word for "anarchist". It's not a fair term to describe those of us who acknowledge a role for government. Those who advocate dissolving all national, state, and local governments either don't understand what the consequences would be, or have a completely different value system than the rest of us.

So the next time you hear "un-American" or "anti-government", take what that person says with a grain of salt.

The part of "illegal" that I don't understand

You know those signs at anti-illegal immigration rallies that ask "What part of 'illegal' don't you understand?" A question like that deserves an answer.

George W. Bush has publicly admitted to committing a crime: ordering the torture of a criminal suspect. If he is not prosecuted for this, then Barack Obama is the President of a country that condones torture and ignores its own laws. We're Americans. Aren't we supposed to be the good guys?

If the Obama administration does not uphold the law, does the law matter? If Bush did not have to obey the law, why should anyone else have to?

The argument that the torture saved lives does not hold water. If such measures are needed for reasons of national security, why aren't the measures kept secret? Wouldn't terrorists prepare themselves if they knew what they would face in US custody? Why would a former president speak publicly about such a sensitive issue if it really was a matter of life and death? Waterboarding is not a means of gaining information; it is a form of extra-judicial punishment that has failed to deter further attacks. It only serves as fodder for enemy propaganda.

Idiotic lawsuit against Google

A woman is suing Google for bad directions.
She is suing because Google Maps allegedly told her to walk down a highway that had no sidewalk. She was hit by a car.
ATTENTION: If you use computer software in place of your own good judgement and do something obviously dangerous and stupid as a result, this not only calls into question your status as a competent adult, but also challenges your status as an organism capable of free will.

Life after Souder and Gomorrah: Now what?

1. While I have no doubt that Mitch Daniels is making a good faith effort to do the right thing with regards to the special election, ideally the governor of a state should not have that kind of discretion. As we have seen in Illinois last year, this is a power that can be abused. While Daniels won't get to directly appoint Souder's replacement, there is a lot at stake in regards to the timing of when the special election is to take place. Sometime in the near future, the General Assembly should make ironclad rules about the replacement of Senators and Representatives so that the governor won't have to make a judgement call and won't be subject to second guessing.
2. Whether they are married or not, no elected official should be allowed to have a romantic or sexual relationship with a staff member. There are already rules against employing a spouse or family member, but Congress did not have a rule in place for what Souder did. If this happened in the private sector, he could have been liable for sexual harassment for taking advantage of a subordinate.

Souder resigns

Souder has admitted to an affair and is now leaving Congress. Let this be a reminder that we are all human and that we all make mistakes. This why the amount of power that we give any frail and imperfect human should be limited.

My opinion is that adultery is a private matter that should be resolved between the cheater and the aggrieved spouse. I would not rule out voting for a candidate based on an affair anymore than I would make a decision to hire or fire someone on that same basis (unless it was a relationship that presented a conflict of interest). To fire a man over an affair can potentially cause financial harm to his wife if she decides to stay with him, or leaves him and demands alimony or child support.

Charlie Butcher to talk to and about Libertarians tomorrow!

Tune in at 6:30am on Tuesday, May 11th.

Proposed national ID card

Majority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who worked on the outline and helped present it Thursday, said the public has become more comfortable with the idea of a national identification card.

"For a long time it was resisted by many groups but now we live in a world where we take off our shoes at the airport and pull out our identification," Durbin said. "People understand that in this vulnerable world we have to be able to present identification."

Read the rest of the article here.

Even Arizona is against a national ID card. The only way this stands a chance of happening is if the public is spooked into supporting this. Don't tell me that this crap is going to make us safer. There were more people murdered by their own family members in this country in the past ten years than by terrorists. Privacy and family are both sacred institutions in this country. If our lives are not our own, why should we care what happens to us?

Immigration

Some thoughts:
- My biggest problem with securing a border is that it is a complete waste of money. France tried to secure their border during the 1930's. They were fully justified in doing so, but it still didn't do them any good. The goal should not be to protect an arbitrary line in the dirt, but rather to protect people and property.
No modern nation can be sealed off from the outside, because no modern nation is resource independent. Products have to be imported and exported. As long as trucks are allowed to cross over, planes are allowed to land, and ships are allowed to dock, people will be able to get in. Any walls along the border will be symbolic at best.
- The US birthrate is currently below replacement levels. Current US population growth is due to immigration.
- If we can consider Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Dick Cheney as allies in the War on Terror, then immigrants could be consider allies as well. If the legal immigration process is streamlined, more attention could be paid to those who try to sneak in anyway. As things stand now, there are 12 million illegal immigrants. Finding any terrorist needles in the alien haystack will require the help of non-terrorist aliens. A common police tactic is to use minor offenders to squeal on worse criminals. We need immigrants to feel safe in approaching the police for help.

Downloading porn on a government computer

We all heard the story about the SEC employees who downloaded porn at work. Here are my thoughts:
Many private companies allow their employees to use company PC's for personal use, as long as they get their work done. The extra amount of electricity consumed and the extra wear and tear to the PC are negligible. Ultimately it boils down to balancing productivity with morale, so it is a decision best left to the discretion of management. Any policy regarding the use of PC's and the Internet should be made clear.

No matter who you work for, never do anything on a computer unless you want your boss to know about it!

1500TH POST: Annual Convention proves that taxpayers should not have to pay for party politics! Plus a recap of Allen County and Indiana Conventions.

This is going to be a wonderful post for our fifteen hundredth! It has been my pleasure to serve you and on occasion have y'all to read my ranting on the state of politics and social concern around Fort Wayne and Allen County and abroad for the last two and a half years and the rest of the Officers pounding it across the electronic super highway for the last six years or longer.

This year The LP of Indiana [Website][Facebook][Twitter][YouTube][FreeHoosiers] and LP of Allen County proved that not only can we have a contentious convention, with not one but two contested federal nomination fights but that we can do so with mutual respect of all parties and without the taxpayer footing the bill for a political party to make a decision! The Libertarian Party in every effect had not just a Convention but an actual Primary election, and you the taxpayer were not charged one red cent or green backed bill, unless you chose to participate in the process. It is time to take a stand and make the Republicans and Democrats do the same across the Hoosier State! You can start by demanding an open primary or no primary at all! You the voter sets the agenda contrary to any cynicism that develops on which ever isle in the marketplace of ideas.

Let's start with the State Convention, going on in Indy as I am writing this, the results so far as I have been told in communiques between members are subject to revision (*name = final result) with official results but are as follows:

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

US Senate *Rebecca Sink Burris [Facebook][Website]
US House 3rd *Scott Wise [Facebook][Website]
US House 5th *Chard Reid [Facebook]
US House 6th *T.J. Thompson [Facebook][Campaign Facebook][Website]

STATE ELECTIONS

Secretary of State *Mike Wherry [Facebook][Website]
Auditor Eric Knipe [Website]
Treasurer TBA

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

House Districts In Allen County
District 81 Elizabeth [Facebook]
District 85 Paul Leslie [Facebook]

TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE, ASSESSOR, ADVISORY BOARD etc.
Lake Twp Adv. Board Tom Pearl (currently a Republican incumbent)

(MORE INFO 2 FOLLOW PLEASE SAVE POST TITLE IN ORDER TO REFER BACK TO IT THANKS!)

15th anniversary of Oklahoma City bombing

Before I was born, someone tried to blow up my dad. During the 1970's, Puerto Rican secessionists placed a series of bombs in New York and Chicago. One of them was in a federal building that my dad was in. Fortunately, that bomb was discovered and disposed of safely.

I was lucky because my dad was lucky. This child would have been 15 right now had he been lucky.

Whatever your cause, no matter how noble your intentions, history judges you by your actions.

Obligatory Tax Post

I will concede that taxes are necessary to pay for things like police, national defense, and courts. Even if you never call the police and never set foot in a courtroom, you still benefit from their existence. If you don't agree with that, perhaps you can ask the county to disconnect 911 from your house.

But there are programs that do not universally benefit every citizen. There is nothing wrong with sport stadiums, but they are a luxury enjoyed only by sports fans. Ethanol has both industrial and recreational uses, but it should be funded solely by the people who actually use it. And if you want to help struggling banks, I won't stop you from sending a personal check.

Annual tax protest.

We'll be having our annual April 15th tax protest to 4:30pm and until it gets dark in front of the Anthis Career Center parking lot, next to the downtown post office. This has been an annual ritual for LPAC since 2005.

This year might be interesting. Apparently there is a movement to "crash the tea parties". I look forward to meeting these people if any are in Fort Wayne. But I do wonder about the wisdom of announcing in advance that they will try to embarrass us. Now if anybody says anything outrageous or embarrassing at any Tea Party, then the "party crashers" have provided us with the perfect scapegoat.

LPIN NEWS: ALL CANDIDATES STATEWIDE

LPIN has to many potential candidates for your votes this November. Official Status of Nomination/Candidacy Form announced, please fill out and turn it in 48 hours before the opening of our State Convention (this also includes county level seats too) to be properly considered for nomination and state website promotional advertising as a candidate for the Party of Individual Liberties and Open and Small Government. To read more from Christopher Spangle, Executive Director, Libertarian Party of Indiana click this link.

Point I was trying to make with the polls

Online surveys are as about as meaningful as a Hollywood marriage. But the point is that if they can make you buy insurance, they can make you do about anything if it serves the public good. To me, this is a violation of privacy, since it's nobody's business if I have insurance or not. So if this survives a SCOTUS challenge, it can set the precedent for overturning Lawrence vs. Texas during the next GOP administration. We could very well be one STD scare from having federal sodomy and chastity laws. That would suck for me, because premarital sex is the only kind of sex that I get to have right now.

Remember Democrats. If you get to violate the Constitution, so do Republicans.

Annual Convention RSVP

We have less than 10 days before our Annual Convention. This is a general reminder and a request for RSVP so that we can meet our minimum requirements for the venue. We need to make sure we have at least 30 people with a suggested $10 minimum purchase to retain the deposit fee. The meeting will be between 1-4 on Saturday the 17th of April and we would like to encourage all members to RSVP on the facebook event page or email privately to lpallencountyinfomail@gmail.com

This year's venue is Mad Anthony Brewing Company [website],[facebook], which will be celebrating their anniversary the weekend we are holding our Convention. They will have couple specials: Peel and Eat Shrimp for $5.99 per half pound and $10.99 for a full pound as well as Crawfish at $6.99 per half pound and $34.99 for a family platter which feeds 7 and includes taters and corn and something else...They will also have drink specials....

Only Members of the State and National Party have a vote at our Annual Convention you must become a member in order to nominate or run for political office in the November elections. We do not hold a primary. We do not expect the taxpayer to pay for politics.

Obama warns that recession may last into his third term

Obama said today that his administration may have deal with this recession for at least another ten years. “This recession was caused by massive borrowing and spending, and the only way to fix it is more spending on an unprecedented scale. If the economy doesn’t recover after five years, we’ll just have keep trying. I may even be forced to run for a forth term. But it should be clear that long term recessions require long term planning, much of which be done at once without any time for debate or consideration by Congress.”

Another video

Internet videos: It how the semiliterate stay informed!
This is a parody of "Schoolhouse Rock", which I am just barely old enough to remember.

VP to BHO: BFD!

Teddy Roosevelt had the Square Deal. Franklin Roosevelt had the New Deal. Now Joe Biden has provided us with the adjectives to describe Obama's deal.

A Modern Modest Proposal

All this talk of universal healthcare is small potatoes. Let's get back to basics. Americans spend more per capita on healthcare than any other country, but they spend even more money on something even more important: food! Let's nationalize the food and beverage industry. The government should be completely responsible for all food production AND preparation. Consider:

• Economies of Scale: It would far more efficient for a government meal hall to provide food for 1000 people than it is for those 1000 people to provide for themselves.
• Public Health: All you fat Americans are clearly ill equipped to make your own nutritional choices. Plus you could stand to get some exercise working on a collective farm.
• Cost: Why spent $200 buying food at the grocery store when for just $50 extra in taxes, you could be eating what everyone else is eating?
• Advertising: The restaurant industry spends billions on advertising, yet this programs sells itself! No more annoying McDonald's commercials! The Taco Bell dog is an enemy of the people!

For those who do not get the literary reference, click here.

Yesterday's healthcare bill

I think that the GOP would have stood a better chance of killing this bill had they not squandered their fiscal conservative credentials with TARP. But it can still be repealed by a future Congress, portions of it can be challenged in court, and it can even be used to try out state nullification.

Libertarians @ Large live tonight from 7-8P

Libertarians At Large airs on channels Comcast 57 and Verizon 27, from 7-8 p.m., every second Thursday of the month. Tune in tonight as Doug Horner's guest this month will be Libertarian, Scott Wise from Whitley County, one of the contenders for the 3rd Congressional District. Call in to ask questions or just let us know you are listening. Please contribute to the conversation. By following this link you can see a three minute clip from September 2009 show when Scott appeared with Doug along side Dan Drexler.

The Libertarian Party of Allen County would like to thank Access Fort Wayne and the Allen County Public Library for providing us these opportunities to serve the public and promote the discussion at all levels of government about what is best for the future of of our communities, state, and nation.

Also please remember that we now have a Facebook Group Page also, check it out.

Jihad Jane: Why racial and ethnic profiling doesn't work

Terrorists, like all other criminals, are not defined by their physical characteristics but by their actions.

When 19 Arabs hijacked some planes and flew them into buildings, many people thought that targeting them for extra screening would be a good idea. But al Qaeda is an equal opportunity destroyer. If focus is put on screening Middle Eastern passengers, that makes it all the more easier for people like this to get through.

The Officers of the Libertarian Party of Allen County Indiana would like to extend our thoughts and concerns to Sam in the passing of his wife Jame

Jame Goldstein, Long Time LP Activist and Wife Of Chairman Sam Goldstein, Passes Away
by Christopher Spangle, LPIN Executive Director

Friends,

It is with great sadness that I have to write of the passing of Jame Goldstein, wife of LPIN Chair Sam Goldstein. Jame was a long time Libertarian Party activist, candidate, lawyer, loving friend, and above all, a loving mother and wife. She has battled breast cancer for many years, and passed away yesterday.

Jame's funeral will be on Wednesday, March 10th at 2:00pm at Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Funeral Home located at 11411 N. Michigan Rd, Zionsville, IN. It will be followed by burial at Crown Hill Cemetery at 700 West 38th Street Indianapolis, IN. After the burial, anyone who wishes to join in a celebration of Jame's life is welcomed to Sam's home at 8074 Claridge Road, Indianapolis, IN following the burial Wednesday evening and Thursday, March 11th at 6:00pm for a memorial service in Jame's honor.

Notes of encouragement and remembrance can be sent to the address above or via email at SAM8074@aol.com.

Over the coming weeks, please send all Libertarian Party related business to our Vice Chairman, Dan Drexler at vicechair@lpin.org or to myself at lpinhq@lpin.org.

Christopher Spangle

High Speed Fail!

Hat tip to Gadfly

When drinking was a capital offense

Here's a really interesting history lesson. You can draw your own conclusions from this of course. Either this shows that drug enforcement is futile or present day methods of drug deterrence just aren't harsh enough. Here's a bonus question for all you drug warriors: What percentage of the population would you be willing to kill off in order to ensure a drug free society?

Hillary Clinton on the budget deficit

It's refreshing to hear a Democratic Party icon express concern about the budget, especially during a Democratic administration. Perhaps it isn't fair to single out Alan Greenspan for criticism, but here's hoping that policy starts to match the rhetoric.

Joe Stack

I hate Joe Stack. Very few people can create sympathy for the IRS, but this guy managed exactly that. Not only did he kill himself and someone else, he also abandoned his family and destroyed their home.

Morality aside, violence against the federal government is stupid. Usually the results are the same: the perpetrator gets killed and everyone else moves on.

If your goal is the abolition of the federal government, then the safest way to go about it is to advocate as many spending programs as possible. The idea would be to produce as much debt as possible, as quickly as possible, so that individuals, foreign governments, and corporations lose confidence in US Treasury bonds.

Like a loving spouse, as much as I criticize the government, I would miss it if it were gone. It's why I nag it about losing weight all the time.

LIBERTARIANS ONLY: This is a hypothetical scenario, a civil society excercise.

In order to assure Haiti's recovery the United States government has appointed a civilian team to run the island nation after the United States took it over to assure that Cuba did not lay claim to the disaster ridden population. Because Republicans and Democrats especially in Congress are to worried about holding onto their seats in this election cycle the President called on the Libertarian Party to appoint members from across the nation to serve in the new governance of the decimated military territory and renew it into a thriving western 1st world economy.

The team has been selected for all levels of government now it is your turn to list in what will be done and in which order to clean up and rebuild this occupied territory. Please do your research and then comment below with the first ten steps then the second ten steps, this will be a scenario played out over ten ten step plans and with eventual analysis and results. Enclosed is some basic reading material. Have fun.

WIKI | CIA World Fact Sheet |
NOTE: I started this on my personal FaceBook page:

A blog that regular readers of this blog might like.

This fellow has been a huge influence on me.

"After having worked for the Social Security Administration since 1970, I retired on January 2, 2009. Anyone who has worked for a government agency that long and hasn't turned libertarian either hasn't been paying attention or doesn't care."

Thought of the day

If an elected official thinks he knows whats best for the banking industry, (or any other industry) then he can best serve the economy, the public good, and even his own interests by resigning from office and pursuing a career in that industry. No doubt that a bank would perform more ethically if not more profitably if it had Barney Frank as a CEO.

Post-Superbowl post

The best way to cope with disaster is to look at the lessons learned. Here's Wayne Allen Root's take on lessons learned from last night's game.

Also, if there's hope for the Saints, there's hope for anybody. On that note, I would like to invite you all to come out and meet Scott Wise, the likely Libertarian candidate for the 3rd District Congressional seat. He'll be speaking at our next meeting, details are posted at the top of this blog.

Economic Battle Rap

Those of us who insist on taking part in the political process by voting should take the time to learn something about economics. Here is Hayek and Keynes, dumbed down.

Libertarians @ Large live tonight from 7-8P

Libertarians At Large airs on channels Comcast 57 and Verizon 27, from 7-8 p.m., every third Thursday of the month. Tune in tonight as Doug Horner's guest this month will be Libertarian, Scott Wise from Whitley County, one of the contenders for the 3rd Congressional District. Call in to ask questions or just let us know you are listening. Please contribute to the conversation. By following this link you can see a three minute clip from September 2009 show when Scott appeared with Doug along side Dan Drexler.

The Libertarian Party of Allen County would like to thank Access Fort Wayne and the Allen County Public Library for providing us these opportunities to serve the public and promote the discussion at all levels of government about what is best for the future of of our communities, state, and nation.

Also please remember that we now have a Facebook Group Page also, check it out.

LPIN NEWS

The Libertarian Party of Indiana has announced that the State Party's website has been revamped to a magazine style and will launch sometime in February in a wordpress format. They are looking for contributors and editors video and podcasters. For more information contact Chris Spangle the LPIN Executive Director via email lpinhq@lpin.org at your convenience.

Additionally, In previous years, the Libertarian Party of Indiana held a strategy meeting in every January of an election year. Chair Sam Goldstein has announced the restarting of this tradition on January 30th, 2010. All LPIN membership is encouraged to attend, and help set our goals for not only the 2010 election cycle, but the next two years. Long range planning is essential to success. All those planning to run for office in 2010 should attend this meeting.

* When: January 30th at Noon.
* Where: The Life Center, 4002 E Southport Road Indianapolis, IN 46237
* (Behind Fifth Third Bank and McDonald's)
* Who: All State Officers and Central Committee Members will be in attendance.

All Members and candidates are welcomed to help set the 2010 Election strategy. (This is a closed party event. Non-LPIN members are not allowed to attend. For more information, please visit the membership page of LPIN.org: http://www.lpin.org/membership

How to help Haitians and raise home prices

There are over 15 million vacant homes in the United States. This is a problem if you want to sell a home, but it gives you an edge if you are a first time home buyer. Since bad news is more dramatic than good news, there has been much more fuss about the plight of homeowners than the discount that home buyers are getting.

So there have been many policy proposals intended to raise home prices. Personally I don't think it should be a priority. Artificially propping up home prices treats the symptom and not the disease. (The disease is a matter for another post.) But if you, unlike me, happen to think that raising home prices is a legitimate policy goal, here's an idea that I'm throwing out there.

We should let Haitians displaced by the earthquake resettle in the US. There are potential economic pros and cons to this, but I would argue that humanitarian considerations outweigh both at the moment. We could set up a system in which states and cities decide how many refugees they are willing to accept. I would imagine that some states would prefer to not allow any Haitian inside their borders, but hopefully other states would be generous enough to allow a few in.

Thought of the day

Our country was a lot safer when our enemies fought each other. Remember the good old days when Iraq was fighting Iran and Osama Bin Ladin was fighting the Soviets?

What does a Muslim look like?

There have been some calls for Muslim men to be subject to extra scrutiny when boarding an airplane. Morality aside, this simply is not an effective strategy for detecting or deterring potential terrorists. How do you tell if someone is Muslim?

You could ask them, since most Muslims are quite open about their faith. But I would suspect that a Muslim with hostile intentions would lie about his faith to avoid increased scrutiny.

Skin color is a poor indicator, since there are black, white, and Asian Muslims.

In India, if a male body goes unclaimed, it is given a Muslim burial if the penis is circumcised and Hindu cremation if it has not been cut. Of course this method of determining someone's religious faith would be ineffective in the US.

Putting in a policy that subjects Muslims to additional scrutiny would only serve to alienate peace-loving Muslims.

Predictions for the new year and new decade

It's been a week, so you all should be over your hangovers by now. It New Year and New Decade prediction time. Feel free to post your prediction for this year or the next ten years. I only ask that you post your basis for your prediction.

My prediction for the year: Obama's approval ratings will play a role in the midterm elections. If his approval ratings are above %50, the Democrats will gain seats in the House. If his approval ratings are below %50, his party will lose seats. Conventional wisdom holds that the party that controls the White House loses seats during the the midterms. That was not the case in 1998 and 2002, when Clinton and Bush's higher approval ratings seemed to give their respective parties a boost.

My prediction for the decade: Unemployment will stay above %5 until US forces are withdrawn from Iraq. It is a common fallacy that war is good for the economy. In fact, whether a war is justified or not, it still constitutes a heavy expenditure of resources, time, effort, and human lives. There are a lot of talented people serving overseas right now. They could be here figuring out the best way to develop American industry.