Nonpartisan Elections: What's a Libertarian To Do?

Contributed by Brian Irving

Nonpartisan elections, common for North Carolina municipal offices, pose somewhat of a dilemma for Libertarians. Local elections are about such mundane issues as garbage collection, traffic, economic development and "quality of life." Candidates generally don't come even close to espousing libertarian ideas and oftentimes, there is simply no libertarian (big or small L) running. Of course, you could always write-in your own name, especially in races where the incumbent is unopposed.

So what’s a libertarian to do? We can do what we’re good at: research,checking facts. The Raleigh News & Observer has a special elections section on the website at http://share.triangle.com/node/9086. And there are other sources, including the Independent Weekly. Being the Internet savvy crowd that we are, most libertarians probably want to check out the web.

Here’s a list of candidates in Wake County, Raleigh and Cary, along with a link to their websites.

Raleigh City Council

October 9 election; top two go to Nov.6 runoff

Mayor

Charles Meeker (i)

At-Large

Paul Anderson; www.andersonatlarge.com

Mary-Ann Baldwin

Will Best

Russ Stephenson (i); www.RussForRaleigh.com,

Helen Tart

David Williams; www.WilliamsforRaleigh.com

District A

Tommy Craven (i)

Nancy McFarlane; www.nancymcfarlane.com

District B

Rodger Koopman; www.rodgerkoopman.com

Angel M. Menendez

Jessie Taliaferro (i)

District C

James West (i)

District D

Thomas G. Crowder (i); www.CrowderForCouncil.com

District E

Philip R. Isley (i)

Cary Town Council

(October 9 election, Instant Runoff Voting)

Mayor

Ernest F. McAlister (i)

Harold Weinbrecht

At Large

Tommy Byrd

Roger E. Hill

Susan Lawson (withdrew)

Erv Portman (i); www.ErvPortman.com

District B

Don Frantz

Vickie Maxwll

Nels Roseland (i)

District D

Gale Adcock; www.galeadcock.com

Omar Ali

John L. Rigsbee

Wake County Board of Education

(October 9 election)

District 3

Kevin Hill

Martha LaVance,

Alfreda Wilson

District 4

Rosa Gill (i)

District 5

Anne McLaurin,

District 6

Edmund (Ed) Armogida

Beverley S. Clark (i)

Sean O'Brien

John Zal

District 8

Ron Margiotta (i)

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Editor's note: Several of the candidate websites are no longer accessible, so the links have been removed.

Vote "NO" on Bonds!

Contributed by Brian Irving

Wake County voters will have three bond issues to vote on Oct. 9. Raleigh voters will have a fourth bond issue. Libertarians naturally oppose bonds as they represent deferred taxes and the willingness to borrow now and place a debt on the next generation. That certainly gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "It's for the Children!", doesn't it? So it's easy to say - and we do:

Vote No!

However, it might be useful to do some research so you know what you are voting against. The bonds deal with open spaces, community colleges, library facilities, and Raleigh parks and recreation facilities. The Wake County Taxpayers Association has a good review of the bond issues at their website (www.wcta.org). Their conclusion is that "... we have reviewed each of the proposed bonds and regret we must oppose them as they are now presented."

This is how the bonds will appear on the ballot:

WAKE COUNTY OPEN SPACE BONDS
Shall the order authorizing up to $50,000,000 of General Obligation Open Space Bonds of Wake County for financing, in whole or in part, the acquisition of real property by the County and the improvement of such real property or any other County-owned real property for the conservation of open space, the protection of water quality, wildlife habitats, scenic areas and natural areas suitable for recreational or other public uses in Wake County, and that taxes be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest of the bonds, be approved?

WAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BONDS
Shall the order authorizing up to $92,000,000 of General Obligation Community College Bonds of Wake County for financing, in whole or in part, the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of modifications, renovations, additions, improvements and extensions to existing facilities and/or one or more new buildings or other educational facilities for Wake Technical Community College including, without limitation, the acquisition of land, easements and rights-of-way therefore in Wake County, and that taxes be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest of the bonds, be approved?

WAKE COUNTY LIBRARY FACILITIES BONDS
Shall the order authorizing up to $45,000,000 of General Obligation Library Facilities Bonds of Wake County for financing, in whole or in part, the acquisition, construction, installation, furnishing and equipping of modifications, renovations, additions, improvements and
extensions to existing library facilities and/or one or more new buildings or other library facilities including, without limitation, the acquisition of land, easements and rights-of-way therefore, and that taxes be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest of the bonds, be approved?

CITY OF RALEIGH PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BONDS
Shall the order adopted on July 24, 2007, authorizing not exceeding $88,600,000 PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES BONDS of the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, for the purpose of providing funds, together with any other available funds, for improving and expanding the existing park, greenway and recreational facilities of the City and acquiring and constructing new park, greenway and recreational facilities of said City, inside and outside its corporate limits, including, without limitation, the acquisition of land and rights of way and the furnishing of incidental facilities and equipment, and the authorization of the levy of taxes in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on said bonds, be approved?

Remember: Small government plus one exception equals large government. Three exceptions is three too many!