Libertarian Party

1. Libertarian Party John Spivey johnhspivey@hotmail.com Todd Hedgcoth Todd.hedgcoth@cavecanem.net

2. Are Libertarians right or left wing? • We get the terms right wing and left wing from the French Estates-General where nobility sat to the right of the king and ‘commoners’ sat to the left. What’s good for The king is good For France! It’s good to be The King!! Power to the People!

3. Where do these guys fit on the left/right continuum?

4. That’s easy… RIGHT LEFT

5. But where do guys like these fit on the left/right continuum? Hitler Che’ Guevera Stalin Ron Paul Not as easy….

6. That’s why the old Left vs. Right is no longer a valid description of political orientation! Here’s what the new political map looks like….

7. Take NO MORE than four minutes… • And take the ‘World’s Shortest Political Quiz’ that you received… • Then tally up your numbers… and see where you ended up on the map… • I’d like to get your ANONYMOUS scores later… I’ll put a dot on the map for everyone. See where you stand. “What luck for rulers that men don’t think.” …Adolf Hitler

8. While you finish the the world’s shortest political quiz…

9. Just so you know…

10. Then Define Libertarianism… • Libertarians believe in LIBERTY. That is, adults should be free to do whatever they desire with themselves and their property without the interference of government as long as they do not infringe upon the equal rights of others. • The Tenets of Libertarianism: • Free Enterprise/Free Markets • Individual Freedom • Property Rights • Limited Government • Non-aggression/Coercion "Do what's right for you, as long as it don't hurt no one." — Elvis Presley

11. Libertarians on the issues… • CRIME • Protect VICTIM’S rights: • Right for victim to be present and consulted throughout prosecution • Victim restitution • End Prohibition • Get Tough On Real Crime • Address the Root Cause of Crimes • No Victim Disarmament!

12. Libertarians on the issues • Your Family’s Budget/Economy: • Today, Federal,State,Local,School taxes takes between 32% to50% of your family’s income!!!! (Average total tax rate = 40% for ALL AMERICANS regardless of income!) • In 1950’s, Fed Income Tax was 2% of families budget. Today, it’s approximately 16% for family of four. • Now, if spouses work out of budgetary necessity, they make 32% of family’s income (sad but true). The spouse is working SIMPLY TO PAY TAXES! • Imagine if you could pocket that money!! • REDUCE /Eliminate Personal INCOME TAXES NOW! • How? Our foreign policy costs approximately $1 Trillion/Year • Personal Income Taxes provides $1.4 Trillion of our annual budget. • Now we’re at 1996 Federal Budget numbers… not too shabby.

13. Libertarians on the issues… • Your Family’s Budget (cont) • Reduce Government Spending! It’s EASY!! • Reduce Borrowing – Debt must be paid (My kids and yours will pay!) By the way, you owe $30,144.32…Right NOW! That’s $9,149,341,364,936.71 / 303,517,894Debt divided by total population as of 12/04/07 • Neither party has ever reduced size of government. • How can we pay for things like Katrina? • Hmm. Eliminate unnecessary Dept of Education – • DOE Annual Budget (approximately) $50 Billion • $50 Billion in savings is what congress originally allocated for Katrina relief. • Done. + of course voluntary individual/corporate contributions

14. Libertarians on the issues Scenario: You’ve inherited $1 Million Dollars from a distant relative. You must donate $300K to ‘help people’ in order to keep the rest. Question: How do you donate this money? Help some family directly? Give to an organization? Which one?

15. Libertarians on the issues… • Welfare • If our 66,000+ pages of tax regulations remain, then establish a dollar for dollar tax credit for charitable giving • Tear down economic/regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship and economic growth. • End (or GREATLY reduce) Welfare, rely on charities for help. Remember, Society ≠ Government! • Reform Education!

16. Welfare – not just for the poor anymore… What’s This? USDA -Agricultural Subsidies For Manhattan in 2003 – …Saving the family farm on Park Ave.!

17. Libertarians on the issues… Personal Freedoms: • Freedom of choice in relationships! • Freedom to make decisions about how you treat your own body (even if they’re bad decisions)! • Freedom of religion/or lack of one! • Freedom of speech! • Freedom to protect yourself! • Freedom to choose your school! • Freedom from ‘Eminent Domain’ land grabs – property owner rights! • Freedom to dispose or transfer your estate as you see fit!

18. Libertarians on the issues… Economy/Trade/Environment: • END Corporate Welfare! • Reduce government burdens on business! (Locally – The Wright Amendment – hooray… was lifted!!) • Privatize various government services! Amtrak? Postal Service? Social Security? • Eliminate harmful tariffs, taxes and other barriers to trade – whether interstate or international! • Restitution not regulation for polluters! You throw trash in my yard – you clean it & pay me! • Who is the biggest single polluter in the US?

19. Biggest single polluter? The fine folks who brought you this…

20. Libertarians on the issues… • National Defense • STRONG Defense! Protecting us from foreign attack is government’s top job! • War on Terror stance. Who to attack? • (some Libertarians) “Yes” to Afghanistan/”No” to Iraq • Al-Qaida leaders soldiers/Taliban in Afghanistan • The first (maybe only) party with an Iraq exit strategy • Our foreign policy of pre-emptive war is PROMOTING terrorism!!!! • Volunteer Army! No draft ever. • USA/PATRIOT Act – not so patriotic!

21. What would… • Ben Franklin say about the USA/PATRIOT ACT? “Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Thomas Paine say about war and taxes? “…taxes (are) not raised to carry on wars, but that wars (are) raised to carry on taxes."

22. Who’s a Libertarian?

23. Some facts about the LP… • The true ‘Third’ party… Largest party not in the duopoly. • 2006– Over 160 Candidates in TEXAS!! • 2007 – we won 18% of all known elections we entered – primarily local elections in this cycle. • In 2004 our candidates for U.S. earned over 1 million votes for the third time in a row – no other party has done this. • In 2003 there were over 600 Libertarian Party Members holding offices throughout the US… • Some notable “Libertarians” in office: • Ron Paul –R-TX (Former LP Presidential Candidate) – Current GOP Presidential Candidate • Sen. John Ensign – R-NV(92.5% Libertarian voting record)* • Jeff Flake – R-AZ • Sen. Tom Coburn – R- OK • (we welcome disgruntled Dems as well as Repubs!!) • We were on 48 state ballots for Presidential election (Note: Nader was on 34!) BUT WHAT ABOUT RON PAUL???? * Republican Liberty Caucus

24. Libertarians Throughout US HistoryEven though the party was founded in 1971, these historical figures WOULD’VE been Libertarians! Thomas Jefferson Libertarian Theorist – Not a practicing libertarian though! Davey Crockett Libertarian Legislator, Texas Freedom Fighter Frederick Douglass Abolitionist, Libertarian/Natural Rights Activist

25. An actual ‘FAMOUS’ Libertarian "Abuse of power isn't limited to bad guys in other nations. It happens in our own country if we're not vigilant. Those in power get jaded, deluded, and seduced by power itself." "There's a rebel lying deep in my soul. Anytime anybody tells me the trend is such and such, I go the opposite direction. I have a reverence for individuality... I've always considered myself too individualistic to be either right-wing or left-wing." Clint Eastwood Actor, Director Academy Award Winner Former Libertarian Mayor, Carmel CA As mayor he repealed a municipal law that forbade anyone to eat ice cream on the sidewalk

26. Some other famous and semi-famous Libertarians Drew Carey Southpark creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone Penn & Teller Tom Selleck John Stossel Denis Leary Dwight Yoakam Moby MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson (small “L” Libertarian) Movie Star Kurt Russell Greenday’s Billy Joe Mark Cuban Independent, Leaning To Libertarian – “I vote for the candidate who will do the least.”

27. In 2006 Libertarian Candidates – You had 168 to choose from!! That’s in TEXAS alone! In 2008 – we’re wanting even more!!! We don’t have a ‘primaries’ • Instead have County Caucuses and State Conventions • Don’t need to be a registered Libertarian – but can’t vote in a primary and then in the County Caucus/Convention.

28. Next steps… First VOTE for LIBERTY!!! Then… • Investigate for yourself: • www.lp.org Libertarian Party • www.texaslp.org Libertarian Party of Texas • www.tarrantlp.org Libertarian Party of Tarrant County • www.cato.org Cato Institute • www.reason.com Reason Magazine • www.theadvocates.org Advocates for Self Government • www.politopia.com a fun version of the WSPQ • Libertarianism: A Primer by David Boaz • www.acton.org - Acton Institute – Christians for Separation of Church and State, Individual Liberty and Free Markets. • Join/Start up/Meetup - Participate!! • www.lp.org – join up! • www.lp.org/organization/campus.shtml - College Libertarians • DFW Mid-Cities Christian Libertarians Meetup!!!! • www.theihs.org – Institute for Humane Studies (scholarships & grants available!!!) • johnhspivey@hotmail.com