Gubernatorial Debate with Libertarian Mike Munger

The gubernatorial debate held by UNC-TV on Thursday was the first televised debate for the general elections to include a Libertarian candidate for governor of North Carolina. Michael Munger, chair of the political science department at Duke University, debated Mayor Pat McCrory. If you missed it, here's a link to the online video:

http://flash.unctv.org/election/nc_gubernatorial_092408.html

As well as giving an overview of the reforms he would implement as governor of North Carolina, Dr. Munger also made some interesting comments on how voters make their voting decisions. The following quotes are from Munger's closing statement:

Now the reason that I think many people say that they're not going to consider candidates that they don't think are part of the traditional establishment is -- they don't want to waste their vote.

As a political scientist, let me tell you, there's two ways that you can waste your vote. One is that you can think the election is going to result in a tie, and your vote's going to determine the outcome.

But no election in North Carolina gubernatorial history has really been [decided by] less than 100,000 votes for the past 60 years. It's not going to come down to a tie. … If you're waiting for your vote to determine the outcome, you've made a mistake.

Now there's another way, though, that you can waste your vote. That is, you can go to the polls, and fail to send a signal of the kind that would actually matter to our leaders in Raleigh. You can say "I'm not satisfied with the choices that are presented to me", but you can [still] vote for the choices, the traditional state-sponsored party choices, that are presented to you."

The lessor of two evils approach is a vote for your fears, not for your dreams. … You have one precious vote. Your decision on how to cast it will send a signal to our leaders in Raleigh.

There's another UNC-TV gubernatorial debate scheduled for October 8 at 8pm and a final debate in Charlotte on October 15. Both of these debates will include Mike Munger, the Libertarian nominee for governor of North Carolina.

For more highlights of the debate last Thursday, see this news release on LPNC.org. For Munger's response to the education debate, see this post.

Campaign website: Munger 2008

Barr says giving Washington more power is no solution

The Libertarian candidate for president stands up for taxpayers with his opposition to corporate bailouts. Quoting from some recent releases from the Barr campaign:

It's not good enough to say the bailouts are acceptable as long as there are regulations attached. Taxpayers will still be on the hook for a trillion dollars the government doesn't have, and the government will still be interfering in the market—neither of which are acceptable.

Capitalism involves losses as well as profits. When government tries to insulate businesses and investors from paying for their mistakes, we all lose.

A vote for this bailout package, in whatever form it comes in, is a vote against the American taxpayer, and a vote against the free market.

In an article on the Huffington Post, Barr writes:

The financial crash is … the result of foolish federal policies manipulated by private interests -- precisely how Washington always operates. Giving Washington more power is no solution.

He also cites an extraordinary provision in the proposed bailout bill:

Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.

About that provision of the bill, Barr writes:

The secretary would be able to decide which assets to buy from whom at what price and in what manner. Both the Republicans and Democrats would benefit from Treasury's unreviewable power to hire consultants and choose firms to implement the bailout. This is a prescription for extravagant waste, incompetence and abuse.

The Bush administration played this game before, using 9/11 to ram the Patriot Act through Congress, and then misused its authority while resisting court oversight. Never again should Congress allow itself to be duped in this way.

You can read the rest of Bob Barr's comments on the Huffington Post.

Mike Munger to debate McCrory on UNC-TV

Dr. Michael Munger, the Libertarian candidate for governor, will participate in his first televised gubernatorial debate to be held this Wednesday evening at 8pm on UNC-TV. While Perdue has apparently declined to participate, McCrory has accepted the challenge.

This will be the first time ever that a Libertarian candidate for Governor of NC has participated in a televised debate for the general election, so make plans to watch. What to expect? Here's a sample of what Mike Munger had to say in response to last week's debate on education:

Competition and school choice will be the central premise of the Munger Administration's education policy, to give parents more control over their children's education. I would streamline and simplify the accreditation process, lift the cap on charter schools, and foster the growth of charter schools, religious or theme schools, or any other kind of innovative educational program that can attract the children of parents who want to exercise their choices as parents.

An article on Munger's response to the education debate is available on LPNC.org.

Campaign website: Munger 2008.

September 23, 2008: Durham Legislative Forum

The Triangle Local of the NC Green Party will host a candidate forum at the Stanford L. Warren Library in Durham this Tuesday evening at 6pm. General Assembly candidates for House District 29 and Senate District 20 will address fair ballot access, the death penalty, a proposed prepared meals tax and health care access.

Stanford L. Warren Library (map)
1201 Fayetteville Street
Durham 27707

Light Refreshments 6:00 – 6:15 PM

NC House District 29
Participating: Larry Hall (D), Justin Lallinger (L)
6:15 – 7:00 PM

NC Senate District 20
Participating: Kenneth Chandler (R), Floyd McKissick (D), David Rollins (L)
7:05 – 8:15 PM

The event is free and open to the public. Please arrive at 6pm for refreshments and to submit questions for the candidates.

Libertarian Cole against Investor Buyouts

From the campaign of Christopher Cole for US Senate

If a Wall Street investor walked up to the average American, and asked him to pick up the tab for his thousand-dollar hotel bill, that American would probably ask to share whatever that investor has been smoking. Yet, our government has done that for every man, woman, and child in America.

With the Federal buyouts of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG, the Republican president and Democratic Congress have transferred $3 trillion of debt from Wall Street, banks, and insurance companies to the American taxpayer. That is a thousand dollars for each of us (not even considering interest), on top of the $9.2 trillion "we" already owed, thanks to our government. Yet, mysteriously, that largesse was never stated quite that way. Libertarian Senate nominee Christopher Cole is the only candidate with the courage to call a waddling debt a duck.

And what's worse is that the transfer isn't finished: our generous politicians are offering the credit of taxpayers to pay for bad debt piled up by our banks. Does anyone remember politicians back in 2006 running on a campaign of welfare for bankers? Only Libertarian Cole pledges, "Read my lips: no new buyouts!"

And there's even a step of worseness after that: the buyout of AIG is from the Federal Reserve, not the Federal Treasury. The big open secret is that Federal Reserve checks aren't drawn on any account; they represent money created out of thin air. That means $85 billion will be added to the money supply, creating an additional ripple of inflation, a hidden tax whenever we buy groceries, pay our doctors, or buy school supplies for our children. Does anyone remember a politician telling us that? Cole heard the quacking.

In spite of the hype, Libertarian Christopher Cole warns of three long term consequences to the buyouts, on top of the added debt burden:

First, the inflationary effect of Federal Reserve cash infusions;

Second, by preventing the bankruptcy of poorly-run corporations, the buyouts preserve non-performing assets that would have been transferred to more-efficient, self-supporting buyers. That will result in lower economic growth, slower job creation, and stunted income growth;

Third, it creates a sense of security, whether realistic or not, that businesses will be rescued from the consequences of bad business decisions. This will increase risky loans and investments, not reduce them.

That is why Libertarian Christopher Cole opposes these buyouts, as well as all forms of corporate welfare. American taxpayers should never be on the hook for the profits of businessmen.

For additional information, Cole recommends this article from the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an economics think tank:

What's Behind the Financial Market Crisis?

----- end of press release -----

Christopher “Chris” Cole is the Libertarian nominee for US Senator from North Carolina. To learn more about Chris, visit his campaign website.

Triangle Greens to hold candidate forums in Durham

On Wednesday, September 17, beginning at 6pm, a forum at Southwest Library, 3605 Shannon Road, will provide an opportunity to hear from both candidates certified to run in the House District 30 race: Paul Luebke (Democrat) and Sean Haugh (Libertarian).

Though many State House and State Senate races are uncontested, Durham has contests in 2 out of 4 House races and in both State Senate races. In an effort to raise awareness about ballot access for independent political parties, the Triangle Greens will host several forums during September and October.

In addition to the September 17 forum with Paul Luebke and Sean Haugh, a forum on September 23 at the Stanford L Warren Library will include candidates running in the House District 29 race and the State Senate District 20 race.

On October 7, a forum will include speakers on ballot access rules and Mike Munger, Libertarian candidate for Governor.

Read more!These forums are free and open to the public. Questions on the death penalty, taxes, and ballot access have been submitted to candidates for advance preparation.

Participants are asked to arrive by 6pm for refreshments and to submit additional questions for candidates.

The candidates for House District 20 are Dave Rollins (Libertarian), Floyd McKissick (Democrat), and Kenneth Chandler (Republican). The candidates for House District 29 are Justin Lallinger (Libertarian) and Larry Hall (Democrat).

The Triangle Greens are the local affiliate of the North Carolina Green Party.

News & Observer coverage of the Libertarian Party

"If you've dismissed the [Democratic Party] and rejected the [Republican Party], then … What other choice do you have?"

That's the title of the lead article in the Q section of the News & Observer from Sunday. In addition to this story containing an interview with Michael Munger, the N&O also included an article about Bob Barr's campaign for president as a Libertarian, an article containing excerpts from the platform of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina, and a list of Libertarian candidates that NC voters may choose this November.

Asked about the top issues in his campaign for NC Governor, Munger stated his positions on the death penalty and education:

The first thing I would do after I am inaugurated is declare a moratorium on capital punishment. I think the way we apply the death penalty in North Carolina is unfair; until it's fixed, we have to stop the killing.

… wealthy people have choices now. Poor people don't have choices. Charter schools, and vouchers, give people trapped in inner-city schools a sense of hope, a sense of possibility.

He also talked about creating a highway commission to decide priorities for roads in NC, and said:

We have been diverting hundreds of millions out of the Highway Trust Fund into pet projects for powerful legislators. It's time to restore transparency, and honesty, to our transportation funding.

N&O article links and local candidates lists …
N&O articles from 9/7/08

What other choice do you have?
Barr is serious about his quest
Excerpts from 2008 platform
2008 Libertarian candidates

Detailed lists of 2008 Libertarian Candidates

Wake County, NC
Triangle region of NC
All North Carolina

Wake LP - Positions on Local Issues

The following panel of issues was produced by the Issues Committee of the the Libertarian Party of Wake County and presented at the 2008 Wake LP convention.

Libertarian Party of Wake County – Positions on Local Issues

The positions of the Libertarian Party of Wake County on these local issues reflect the value we place on individual liberty as well as our opposition to government interference in the lives and private business of all Wake County residents. We urge local government officials and candidates for office to adopt these positions and take action accordingly. On any issues not included here, we favor positions consistent with individual liberty and personal responsibility, recognizing the Libertarian Party of North Carolina and the national Libertarian Party platforms for issues affecting us at the state and national levels.

Individual Rights

Crime: Stop wasting law enforcement resources on prosecuting victimless crimes such as drug use, gambling, and prostitution while violent crimes and property crimes remain unsolved.

Privacy and Identity Theft: Require local government entities to stop using Social Security numbers for identification purposes and ensure this private information is removed from electronic devices and government databases when it is no longer in use.

Involuntary Annexation: End involuntary annexation of private property by municipalities.

Read (and/or print) the rest of the issues list!

Eminent Domain: Support protection for landowners against eminent domain.

Smoking Bans: Support the right of property owners, including owners of restaurants and bars, to prohibit or allow smoking on their own property.

Greywater: Oppose regulations that prohibit individuals from reusing their own water, whether received from a water provider or from a privately-owned well, in an effort to conserve water resources.

Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies: End fluoridation of local public water supplies, and support the right of consumers to make their own decisions about supplemental fluoride, with the understanding that one-size-fits-all dosing is not appropriate for all families and individuals.

The Free Market

Commercial Free Speech: Repeal local ordinances on the commercial free speech essential to a healthy free market, except for those which disallow false representations, or those which protect the right to property or the right to privacy.

Zoning: Repeal local zoning ordinances to encourage economic growth through small business development, and to reduce unnecessary delays and costs that these ordinances impose on new business construction.

Transportation: Oppose all government-run and government-imposed monopolies on public transportation, including bus service and light rail.

Sanitation: Oppose all government-run and government-imposed monopolies on trash collection.

Public School System

Assignment of Students to Public Schools: Public school assignments should be based on a combination of proximity and parental choice, and they should not be subject to social engineering projects.

Assignment of Students to Public School Buses: Public school bus assignments should be based on proximity to a school and should not be a tool for accommodating parental choice or social engineering.

Spending and Taxes

Spending: Stop squandering taxpayer money on high-priced projects like convention centers, entertainment facilities, and recreational facilities, all of which can be provided more economically by private entities when a true market exists for them.

Taxes: Repeal the meals tax. Cut property taxes and the local portion of sales taxes as allowed by reductions in spending.

Bonds: Stop burdening future generations with long-term bonds.

--

This document is also available as a printer-friendly PDF file.

Related posts:
Local Issues and Priorities
2008 Wake LP convention

Hagan's Corporate Welfare Comes Back to Bite Taxpayers on the Buttocks

From the campaign of Christopher Cole for US Senate

News reports (such as http://tinyurl.com/6efuez) came out before the weekend describing plans by Dell Computers to sell some inefficient US manufacturing plants, including one in Winston-Salem attracted with almost $300 million in state incentives. Reuters explains that the plant is outdated, after only THREE years.

One might reasonably ask, who is responsible for this outrageous waste of taxpayer resources? According to the website of the NC General Assembly (http://tinyurl.com/5gutvz), the proposal began with state Senators Hoyle, Purcell, Clodfelter, Dorsett, Garrou, and current Democrat candidate for the US Senate, Kay Hagan.

As do all Libertarians, US Senate nominee Christopher Cole opposes so-called "economic incentives", more properly referred to as "corporate welfare", as an immoral tax on citizens to benefit corporate profits. In addition to the moral issue, Dell's cut-and-run with Hagan's complicity clearly demonstrate the uselessness of such incentives.

Corporate welfare cannot produce economic development. Rather, it props up inefficient businesses at taxpayer expense. By promoting inefficient businesses over self-sufficient, consumer-preferred competitors, such government-corporate hybrids actually reduce longterm economic growth. In other words, the development and jobs claimed for such projects are actually just snake-oil promotions.

As a supporter of laissez-faire capitalism over corporatism, only Libertarian Christopher Cole advocates letting taxpayers keep their own money, because they can be trusted to support the best companies in the market. Something which cannot be said of Democrat Kay Hagan.

----- end of press release -----

Christopher “Chris” Cole is the Libertarian nominee for US Senator from North Carolina. To learn more about Chris, visit his campaign website.

LPNC Constitution Day Picnic

Dr. Michael Munger, the Libertarian candidate for NC Governor, will speak at this year's annual LPNC Constitution Day Picnic to be held on Saturday, September 20th, at Horizons Park, just north of Winston-Salem. For more details, a schedule and to sign up for barbeque chicken dinners, see the event page here.

ChipIn and venue informationYou can also chip in and RSVP here:



Horizons Park information:
http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Parks/horizons_shelter.aspx

Surprising News about Bob Barr

He's a fan of Bob Marley and has dreadlocks at night.


(about 3 minutes)

You can see the entire 8/29/08 interview with Glenn Beck on the Bob Barr YouTube channel. Also worth watching, here's a brief interview of Barr on ABC This Week with Stephanopoulos:


(from 7/06/08; about 8 minutes; h/t to VideoSift)

How to add a “Read more!” link only when you want it by a double-post method

This post has little to do with the Libertarian Party of Wake County, but if you blog using a classic Blogger template, there's some useful information here.This double-post method applies to Blogger classic templates. With this method, you don't have to choose between always having a “Read more!” link or never having one. You can add it only when you want it for long posts. It requires publishing your post twice in order to get a working “Read more!” link, but it doesn't contain any scripts, so I think it's the best method.

Before creating any posts containing a “Read more!” link, you need to enable post pages in your Settings and then modify the Template by adding the code under Template Additions below.

Once that is done, you can continue with the either of the two methods below for adding a “Read more!” link to particular posts.

Choice of Two Methods
Both methods accomplish the same thing in the end. They are really just variations on the same method, but there are some differences.

The Copy and Paste Method can be used for any posts as needed. You can use this method for posts published by email or any posts already published, simply by copying and pasting the correct Permalink URL and html code into the post, and republishing it.

The Post Template Method works for new posts only. In this method, you put the code in the post template, so that it shows up automatically each time you create a post. You publish your post with the code included, then add the URL for the “Read more!” link, and republish. The advantage of this method is that it saves you from having to copy and paste code each time you want to add a “Read more!” link. A disadvantage is that for the few moments that it takes you to place the correct URL in the “Read more!” link and republish your post, that link doesn't work on your main page. Another issue with the Post Template Method is that if Blogger opens to create a new post in the Compose mode instead of the Edit mode, the html code may appear slightly different, and you will need to make sure your code is correct if that happens.

Copy and Paste Method
Publish your post in full, just as you normally would, and find the Permalink URL for the post, usually by clicking on the timestamp in the post footer.

Copy that URL to your clipboard, return to edit the post in Edit mode, and paste the Permalink URL for the post where you want the “Read more!” link.

Copy the following code and place it RIGHT BEFORE the URL that you just pasted, and eliminate any extra spaces.

<a name="fp" id="fp"></a><br /><br /><span class="readmorelink"><a href="

Copy and paste this code RIGHT AFTER the URL with no extra spaces:

#fp">Read more!</a></span><span class="fullpost">

At the VERY END of the post, add this code:

</span>

Re-publish the post, and check to see that your “Read more!” link works properly. And you're done!

Post Template Method
The first step of this method is to enter the code below in the Post Template found under Settings, Formatting. You only need to do this one time.

<a name="fp" id="fp"></a><br /><br /><span class="readmorelink"><a href="BlogItemPermalinkUrl#fp">Read more!</a></span><span class="fullpost">

</span>

When you don't want a “Read more!” link in your post, simply clear the page in Edit, being sure to delete all the code that you don't need. When you do want to add a “Read more!” link, follow these steps in the Edit mode …

Put the beginning (or introduction) to your post right before the html code.

Put the rest of the post directly after <span class="fullpost"> and before the final </span>.

Publish it once to obtain the permanent link URL to the post page. Copy that URL to your clipboard.

Edit the post again, replace “BlogItemPermalinkUrl” with the permanent link URL.

Publish it again, and check to see that your “Read more!” link works properly.

More about this double-post method
The first part of the html code (in bold above) provides an anchor in the post page. The #fp in the link part of the code points to this anchor that controls where you land on the post page when you click on the “Read more!” link. You can move the anchor and/or the line breaks.

Posting by email automatically posts in full, disregarding any code in your post template. If you later want a “Read more!” link, you can add it using the copy and paste method above.

You can edit “Read more!” to say “Continue” or whatever you like.

Examples
There are several examples of “Read more!” links (often using different words) on the September 2008 Archive Page of this blog. Scroll down about halfway down that page to see them right before the post footers. The most interesting example there is the link to this post, right at the bottom of that page. In this case, I didn't need the anchor link. As you can see there, the entire sentence there is the read more link. (The sentence replaced the “Read more!” text in the code, and nothing was placed above the code.) Why? Because I didn't want that explanation to show up at the top on this post page, but I did need something to explain the post on the Archive page.

Template Additions
It's always a good idea to backup your template to a text file before making any changes to it - just in case something should go wrong. After doing that, just add these lines to the style section near the top of the template. I put these right before the “body” section. Save and publish the template.

<MainOrArchivePage>
span.readmorelink {display:inline;}
span.fullpost {display:none;}
</MainOrArchivePage>

<ItemPage>
span.readmorelink {display:none;}
span.fullpost {display:inline;}
</ItemPage>

click back to the post page section

Thanks to Thurbroeders
Many thanks to the owner of “thurbroeders” blog where I first learned this double-post method of adding a “Read more!” link. You can find a full explanation of this method there with examples. Here's the link to that post:

Expandable Post Summaries?