Will GOP pull plug on Granny or War?

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Monday, October 18, 2010


WASHINGTON - With prospects of a Republican takeover of Congress, Libertarian Party (LP) Chair Mark Hinkle posed this question: "In order to balance the budget, where will the GOP pull the plug first: on Granny, or on foreign wars?"

Hinkle continued, "Of course, Republicans may have no serious intention of cutting federal deficits or spending, and their complaints about 'out-of-control spending' might be hypocrisy."

Over 60% of federal spending is in three areas: Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and the military. It would be impossible to eliminate the federal deficit without cutting entitlements or military spending, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tea Party leader Dick Armey recently called Social Security a ponzi scheme.

LP Executive Director Wes Benedict said, "Social Security is universal mandatory welfare for seniors. It's very un-libertarian."

Benedict continued, "I suppose one way to maintain the Social Security scheme would be to rapidly grow the U.S. working population, such as by opening up our borders to increase immigration. However, Republican congressmen have tried to duck their responsibility for the bad economy by scapegoating illegal immigrants, so allowing a massive influx of immigrants is politically infeasible in the near future.

"Each child born in the U.S. immediately faces a debt of over $40,000. Ironically, it might not be long before American youth start ditching this debt foisted on them by their parents and grandparents, and start leaving America in search of better opportunity abroad.

"To make Social Security solvent as our population ages, the federal government either has to raise the tax, or cut the benefits. The last significant change to Social Security was a tax increase approved by Ronald Reagan. Libertarians favor cutting Social Security benefits, and we oppose tax increases. Libertarians would prefer to allow workers to opt out of Social Security. Perhaps entitlements can be cut gradually, rather than slashed abruptly, but that depends on taking action sooner rather than later.

"On the October 17 'Fox News Sunday,' I saw that Republican senate candidate Carly Fiorina was repeatedly asked what parts of entitlements she would cut to balance the budget, and she repeatedly dodged the question."

The recent Republican 'Pledge to America' makes no mention of cutting entitlements or the military.

Benedict continued, "Republicans refuse to say where they would cut entitlement spending, and of course Republicans oppose cutting military spending or ending America's foreign wars. Therefore, I'd say that Republicans are hypocrites who aren't serious about solving the federal debt problem."

A video lampooning John Boehner and the Republican 'Pledge to America' was created by Travis Irvine, Libertarian for U.S. Congress in Ohio District 12.

Benedict continued, "Only Libertarians recognize that we can't have it all for much longer. The longer Republicans and Democrats flush money down the toilet in Iraq and Afghanistan, the sooner the government will have to cut benefits for Granny. Of course, Congress may never have the courage to pass legislation to cut entitlements. In that scenario, Granny will eventually start experiencing 'rolling blackouts,' or perhaps a total system collapse.

"Libertarians stand ready to cut spending across the board. Perhaps the question Granny needs to answer is, 'Which do you love more: your Social Security check, or foreign wars?'"

The Libertarian Party has 21 candidates for U.S. Senate and 169 candidates for U.S. House in the upcoming November 2010 elections.

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

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

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Mike Calpino: Plan offered to motivate efficiency in government

It is popular in an election season to fill the airwaves and roadsides with platitudes and slogans, often promising to lower taxes and make government more efficient. Substantial proposals to accomplish these ends are, however, few and far between.

I believe campaigns should be about substance, so I present "The Wicomico Plan" -- the details of which can be found at http://www.electmike.webs.com/.

The core of the plan, in addition to an initial reduction in taxes, spending and regulation to encourage businesses and job creation, is to introduce an incentive for government employees to save money and reduce the size of government. Instead of each department having to spend everything in its budget for fear of having it cut, employees will be encouraged to save and managers inspired to streamline.

The vehicle for this change will be the promise of bonuses comprised of half of the money each department saves, equally distributed among all the members of that department and the other half being deposited in the rainy day fund.

This will motivate each department to work efficiently, save money, blow the whistle on thieves and eliminate unnecessary employees.

Once the fiscal year ends and the savings have been realized, the budget and attendant taxes can be reduced and the process begun again. After two or three years, we will finally have a county government that operates efficiently and effectively, and costs the taxpayers -- you and I -- a lot less.

Mike Calpino
Nanticoke
Calpino is a Libertarian candidate for Wicomico County Council, District 2. -- Editor

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"Address environmental issues using English common law: he who makes the mess pays for the mess. No further caps on damages, à la BP."

Lorenzo Gaztañaga
Libertarian Candidate for Congress
District 2, Maryland

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"Every school has its own unique set of challenges, and the last thing we should do is chain our schools to legislation. Schools should be autonomous and allowed to tackle their challenges in a manner that best fits their goals. In the same regard, the parents of attending children should be able to hold these schools more accountable."

Justin Kinsey

Libertarian Candidate for Maryland House of Delegates

District 5b

Libertarians Offer a Balance Budget for FY2012

Maryland Libertarian Mark Grannis, a candidate for Congress in the 8th District and Ohio Libertarian Congressional hopeful have issued a PRESS RELEASE on their proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Balanced Budget.

Here is the proposed Budget and where they would make cuts.

Libertarian Mark Grannis and Ohio Libertarian Travis Irvine propose a blanced for FY2012

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians - Dan Massey

"There is NO role for the federal government in education. Education is most productive when it is handled at the local community level. Spending money has been shown not to improve education levels. The most effective way to improve education is to let the local leaders and the principle control their own budget. School choice would add free enterprise into the system and kids would flow to successful schools and those unsuccessful schools would lose their funding."

Dan Massey
Libertarian for U.S. Congress
District 4, Maryland

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"Instead of bail-outs, how about a holiday from FICA and bringing to justice the fraud makers of the economic meltdown, both in the banks and in the government? That might reinforce America's economic health, restoring trust. Leave the taxes alone for the time being."

Lorenzo Gaztañaga
Libertarian Candidate for Congress
District 2, Maryland

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"I believe in the right to keep and bear arms, and oppose the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of self-defense. Law-abiding, mentally-stable citizens who choose to own a firearm should be allowed to do so without restriction. I support open-carry of firearms without a permit, and I support loosening restrictions for carrying a concealed firearm."

Justin Kinsey

Libertarian Candidate for Maryland House of Delegates

District 5b

Scott Spencer on Being a Libertarian

"As a Libertarian, I believe in personal liberty and personal responsibility. Libertarians favor an end of the use of government force to enact the policies of special interests, regardless of their place on the political spectrum.

Ultimately, this is based on the principle that no person should deprive another of life, liberty, or property through the initiation (or threat) of force or fraud.

Vote Libertarian, and help us renew the American values of freedom and independence."

Scott Spencer

Libertarian for U.S. Congress

District 7, Maryland

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"The undeclared, unconstitutional wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are bankrupting us. The missions keep changing to justify our going in and staying in. We went into Iraq to disarm Saddam Hussein, who supposedly was developing weapons of mass destruction. When WMD's were not found, the mission changed to removing a bad man who was oppressing his people. Well, there are many tyrants doing that around the world. How many countries are we going to invade? It can't be done. We went into Afghanistan to get Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda for what they did on 9/11. Now the story is that we're fighting the Taliban and nation building. This is policy shape shifting."  

Lorenzo Gaztañaga

Libertarian Candidate for Congress

District 2, Maryland

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians - Josh Crandall

"One of the biggest obstacles to lowering taxes is that by lowering taxes we have to reduce government spending, thereby reducing government handouts. I guess what people don't understand is that when you have more of your own money because you're paying less taxes, you don't need the government to provide so much for you. I support lower taxes, more freedom, and a smaller government."

Josh Crandall
Libertarian Candidate for Maryland House of Delegates
District 31

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians - Bryan Walker

I am an avid student of Austrian Economics. No government in the history of mankind has ever spent their way to prosperity. I believe in balanced budgets, small government, and the free market. We have not had a free market in this country in the last 100 years. I believe that social and economic freedom are one in the same.



Bryan Walker
Candidate for Maryland House of Delegates
District 21

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"We should not have to sacrifice one Marylander’s income in favor of another’s. We all work hard for our money, and we all deserve to enjoy it."

Justin Kinsey

Libertarian Candidate for Maryland House of Delegates

District 5b

WMDT 47 Article -- Dr. Davis Preparing For 1st District --

Latest News
by - Amber Watson
09/29/2010
  HURLOCK, Md. - The Congressional race in Maryland's First District is heating up.
While many in the race are focusing on job creation, Libertarian candidate Dr. Richard Davis says he is more concerned about cutting government spending and stabilizing the dollar.

Dr. Davis has lived in Hurlock for about 28 years and says he is in touch with several of the concerns of Eastern Shore residents. He believes the job crisis will end, once government gets a handle on spending and reduces the debt. "I think part of the reason there's a problem with jobs is because it's so hard to hire people with all the regulations, all the taxes and insurances and fees that are mandated. It just discourages people from hiring," said Dr. Davis. He says he would also like to extend some existing tax cuts to help businesses.

Read the rest at WMDT

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"As an edu­ca­tor, I have seen the ben­e­fits of choice and inno­va­tion in edu­ca­tion. As an econ­o­mist and actu­ary, I see the mas­sive eco­nomic growth that school choice can give Mary­land. A school-choice voucher pro­gram would help our stu­dents sur­pass their inter­na­tional com­pe­ti­tion, reduce costs, and build our economy."

Arvin Vohra
Libertarian Candidate for Maryland House of Delegates
District 15

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"It's time to take a good, hard look at what the Federal Reserve does, and at what it has done to both to the economy, and to the US dollar.

If, after careful examination, it is determined that this is an institution that has done more harm than good (a position stated in Ron Paul's End the Fed, and in Murray Rothbard's The Case Against the Fed), then it should be abolished."

Scott Spencer

Libertarian Candidate for Congress

District 7, Maryland

Great Quotes from Maryland Libertarians

"Our country is bankrupt. Our representatives in Congress and the Senate don't want to talk about it, but it's true. This is a greater threat to our national security than any terrorist organization, and it's a threat we have created ourselves. Acknowledging the fact that we're bankrupt will allow us to start fixing it. We need the right person in Congress -- me."

Lorenzo Gaztañaga
Libertarian Candidate for Congress 
District 2, Maryland

A Citizen's Guide to Federal Firearms Laws

National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action

A summary of federal restrictions on the purchase, sale, possession, and transportation of firearms and ammunition.
Caution: Firearm laws are subject to frequent change and court interpretation. This summary is not intended as legal advice or restatement of law. This summary does not include state or local laws, ordinances, or regulations. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation.

Under federal law supported by the National Rifle Association, the use of a firearm in a violent or drug-trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory prison sentence of up to 20 years. A second conviction, if the firearm is a machine gun or is equipped with a silencer, brings life imprisonment without release. Violating firearms laws should lead to very real punishment for violent criminals, but the laws first must be enforced.

Ineligible Persons
The following classes of people are ineligible to possess, receive, ship, or transport firearms or ammunition:

• Those convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for over one year, except state misdemeanors punishable by two years or less.
• Fugitives from justice.
• Unlawful users of certain depressant, narcotic, or stimulant drugs.
  
• Those adjudicated as mental defectives or incompetents or those committed to any mental institution.
• Illegal aliens.
• Citizens who have renounced their citizenship.
• Those persons dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces.
• Persons less than 18 years of age for the purchase of a shotgun or rifle.
• Persons less than 21 years of age for the purchase of a firearm that is other than a shotgun or rifle.
• Persons subject to a court order that restrains such persons from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner.
• Persons convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

 

Great Quotes from Reagan

“I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.”
– Ronald Reagan, 1975