Category Archives: Libertarian

I recently had Spike Cohen on my show to discuss the subject of liberty, which is a much-needed conversation as the nation moves forward from the midterm elections. Cohen was the 2020 vice presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party and has been a fixture in the liberty movement. He is also the founder of You Are the Power, a liberty-minded advocacy group.

As I wrote previously, I believe the liberty movement has an opportunity to speed up its growth, with both Republicans and Democrats becoming even more disillusioned with their respective parties. In the conversation, we discussed how to apply liberty-focused principles in the effort to gain more political influence. We also talked about the importance of focusing on winning in local and state governments more than federal.

Finally, we also talked about Cohens views on white supremacy and how Caucasians can stop oppressing poor, defenseless black folks like myself. In case you dont know me yet, that was a joke. Let me know what you think of the conversation, and please SUBSCRIBE!

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WATCH: Libertarian Partys Spike Cohen Talks About Why Liberty Is ...

Republican Gen. Don Bolduc (R-NH) was physically attacked by a libertarian activist before Wednesdays debate, according to opponent Sen. Maggie Hassans (D-NH) campaign staff.

Hassans campaign communications director Kevin Donohoetweetedthat the assailantwhophysically attacked the general outside last nights debate was a Libertarian activist.

Kate Constantini, Bolduc for Senate spokeswoman, told Breitbart News that law enforcement was quickly on the scene and apprehended the individual.

Prior to the debate, an individual in the crowd gathered outside attempted to punch the General and was quickly apprehended and arrested,Constantiniexplained. We are grateful to the quick response from law enforcement on the scene, she said about theGoffstown police department.

As the General said on stage tonight, its time to lower the temperature of the political discourse in this country,she added.

DERRY, NH OCTOBER 15: Republican senate nominee Don Bolduc shakes hands with attendees during a campaign event on October 15, 2022 in Derry, New Hampshire. Bolduc, and Army General who won the GOP primary will take on Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) in November. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

The attack occurred without mention from the debate moderators or WMUR ABC, even though the attack occurred before the debate. The network asked candidates about the rise in violence against politicians, mentioning January 6 and the attack against Paul Pelosi, but failed to mention the incident that occurred minutes before against the Republican candidate.

The debate took place one hour before President Joe Biden condemned Republicans for political violence in a speech at Union Station in Washington, D.C.

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Democrat Hassan Claims Gen. Bolduc's Attacker Was Libertarian Activist

The United States relies too heavilyon our military might in foreign policy. For more than a decade, our country has been waging active wars in the Middle East. This has left our military tired, with several thousand dead, and many more thousands wounded physically and mentally.

A decade ago, the United States entered into nation building thinking that it would help improve corners of the world that terrorists find opportunistic. Sadly, some of the nation building which our country entered into with genuinely good intentions has backfired. We now know that no matter how sophisticated our military is and no matter how much money we spend, nation building is far more complicated that we originally thought. Additionally, it may likely create more terrorists than it quells.

Imagine if China had a military base in Montana. Or Russia had a military base in Texas. How would Americans feel about that? We would likely feel insulted, oppressed, and mad. Some Americans would likely seek to actively opposed those bases. And the escalation would continue. That is what we have seen in the Middle East with our involvement there.

Libertarians believe that war is justified only in defense. We are opposed to a draft. If a war is just and necessary, Americans of all backgrounds will volunteer to fight it. We believe that a draft enforced by law is no different from slavery.

Libertarians believe that American foreign policy should focus more heavily on developing communications among peoples and finding peaceful resolutions to disagreements. We believe in maintaining a military that can defend us well if we are attacked and we believe part of that is ensuring that our troops are not so war-weary as they have been in recent years.

Read more here:

Foreign Policy | Libertarian Party

1. What's Next for the Libertarian Who Forced the Georgia Runoff?  Reason
2. How Chase Olivers Senate Run Helped Lead to a Runoff in Georgia  The New York Times
3. Georgia Senate Libertarian candidate says he will not endorse in Walker-Warnock runoff  Fox News
4. Who Is Chase Oliver? The Person Picking Between Warnock and Walker  Rolling Stone
5. Georgia Libertarian Helps Push Senate Race Into Runoff  The New York Sun
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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What's Next for the Libertarian Who Forced the Georgia Runoff? - Reason

Libertarian candidate Marc Victor has dropped out of the Arizona Senate race, giving Republicans a major boost as they try to secure a majority in the upper house of Congress.

In withdrawing from the race, Victor has endorsed Republican candidate Blake Masters, who is running against incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ). Victor dropping out of the race comes a week before the election between the two, which is still very tight with only days left for the two to reach out to voters, according to a statement from Masters's campaign.

I found Blake to be generally supportive of the Live and Let Live Global Peace Movement, Victor said in a statement on Tuesday. "Likewise, we found ourselves in general agreement about how to improve America and advance the cause of freedom and peace. After that discussion, I believe it is in the best interests of freedom and peace to withdraw my candidacy and enthusiastically support Blake Masters for United States Senate. I intend to assist in any way reasonably possible to elect Blake."

WHERE POLLS STAND IN KEY SENATE RACES ONE WEEK FROM MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Victor and Masters spoke to each other on Monday in a 20-minute recorded conversation, which the Libertarian candidate had made a precondition to quitting. Victor is expected to publish the conversation for the public to listen to themselves, a person familiar with the conversation told the New York Times.

Masters was appreciative of Victor's endorsement, stating that it was "another major boost of momentum as we consolidate our support against the extreme and radical policies of Mark Kelly and Joe Biden. Live and Let Live."

Masters, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has attempted to gain the support of Libertarian voters. On Thursday, the Senate candidate posted a 2010 photo of himself with former Rep. Ron Paul, thanking the famous Libertarian candidate for his endorsement.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

A New York Times-Siena College poll released Monday stated that Kelly holds a 6 percentage point lead over Masters, with Kelly at 51% and Masters at 45%. The poll, conducted from Oct. 24 through Oct. 28, surveyed a total of 604 likely Arizona voters and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

To gain control of the Senate, the Republican Party needs to have a net gain of at least one Senate seat. The Senate race between Republicans and Democrats is currently in a dead heat as of Tuesday, with both parties winning 50 out of 100 simulated outcomes, according to FiveThirtyEight.

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Republicans score big win in race for crucial Senate seat after ...

Talk Business & Politics: Recession and talking with Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. about Arkansas Governors race  KLRT - FOX16.com

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Talk Business & Politics: Recession and talking with Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. about Arkansas Governors race - KLRT - FOX16.com

Larry Sharpe, Libertarian write in candidate for NY governor, urges voters to back their independent parties on Nov. 8  WPTZ

Originally posted here:

Larry Sharpe, Libertarian write in candidate for NY governor, urges voters to back their independent parties on Nov. 8 - WPTZ

Libertarianism is a philosophy centered on liberty. People that believe in these philosophies are known as libertarians, and libertarians believe in political freedom and freedom of choice. Libertarians believe that a person should be able to use their judgment when it comes to choices in their own life. In other words, a person would be able to make their own choices without government interference.

Throughout the world, some nations show signs of libertarianism. For example, in many nations around the world, marijuana has been legalized or at least decriminalized. However, there are no true libertarian countries. The nations that have legalized marijuana, for example, may have very high taxes or laws that restrict other activities, such as prostitution.

Since there are no true libertarian countries, but several countries have libertarian ideals. The United States has the Libertarian Party (LP), which has the slogan "Minimum government, maximum freedom." Because U.S. states have control over many of their own laws and regulations, some states are considered more libertarian than others. The most libertarian U.S. states are Florida, New Hampshire, and Indiana. One such nation is England. After leaving the European Union, the nation no longer has a higher government than its own federal government. England no longer has to pay taxes and tariffs imposed by the EU, but other regulations, such as drugs, are illegal. Several nations do not impose income taxes on its citizens. This includes Andorra, which has no income tax for individuals or companies, and Monaco, known as a "tax haven" for its lack of income tax.

If you live in a country like the United States, prostitution is illegal. However, it is legal in some nations. In Germany, for example, brothels are regulated by the government, must obtain licenses, and pay taxes. The Netherlands also has legal prostitution and has become known for its red-light district. In some nations, drugs are also legal or decriminalized. In Portugal, possessing any drug for personal use has been criminalized. Portugal also has government-funded therapy programs to help drug addicts. In North Korea, marijuana and opium are not considered drugs. However, the use of other drugs could result in severe penalties, including death.

Read more:

Libertarian Countries 2022 - worldpopulationreview.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) For the first time since 2002, Libertarians are on the ballot in Alabama, and their gubernatorial candidate is taking a unique campaign approach.

Jimmy Blake is biking across Alabama all month, stopping in towns along the way to talk to voters.

Im 71 years old, and Im still active. Thats what we really ought to do. If people want to be healthy, I think having political officials instead of handing out cash, show people how to live, Blake said at a stop in Montgomery.

The physician and former Birmingham City Councilman wants people to have a different choice outside of red or blue. If elected, he says hed prioritize more market forces in education, lowering state spending, freezing government hiring and lowering taxes.

How many people out there feel like theyre getting their moneys worth out of that? I think most people dont. And if they dont, they need to start thinking about a different approach in terms of politics., Blake said.

Blake acknowledges his party wont have the same backing as Republicans or Democrats but says the goal is staying on the ballot.

Im confident we will retain ballot access. Thatll give us the same kind of head start that Democrats and Republicans do to get organized, recruit candidates and raise the money that is necessary, Blake said.

Blake will be up against incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, who just this week was listed by Morning Consult as the governor with the 7th highest approval ratings in the country.

Ivey was not available for an interview but in a statement, she touted low unemployment, infrastructure investments and record funding for schools under her watch, saying The best is yet to come.

Democratic candidate Yolanda Flowers was not immediately available for an interview Thursday.

Political analyst Steve Flowers estimates the Libertarian candidates will get between 2 to 3% of the vote.

If the Libertarian were not running, if Jimmy Blake were not running, shed get 63, but shell get 60-40, Flowers said.

Flowers says Blake does have some name recognition that could help his vote count.

Hes a colorful character. I think Blake has got some name identification, and hes such a colorful person historically and currently that hell notch a couple percentage points. Hell get the maximum the Libertarians can get, Flowers said.

This morning Blake was headed to Tuskegee, but hell be biking around the state all month with plans to finish in Birmingham on Oct. 28.

More here:

Libertarian candidate biking across state as party gets ballot access for first time in 20 years - WKRG News 5

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is updated with the correct information for the U.S. House Michigan District 1 race.

EMMET COUNTY Voters in Michigan will have full ballots in the November 2022 midterm election. Ballots will include statewide, congressional, municipal and school board positions, along with a handful of statewide proposals.

Here's a rundown of candidates and topics on the ballot in the Sturgis area Tuesday, Nov. 8. To view your sample ballot, visit michigan.gov/sos/elections.

Statewide and Congressional

A trio of prominent statewide offices governor, attorney general and secretary of state will be on Novembers ballot.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is seeking a second term. She faces Republican Tudor Dixon, who emerged from a crowded primary in August. Third party candidates include Mary Buzema (Libertarian), Donna Brandenburg (U.S. Taxpayers), Kevin Hogan (Green) and Daryl Simpson (Natural Law).

Democrat Dana Nessel is seeking reelection as attorney general against Republican Matthew DePerno. Joseph McHugh Jr. (Libertarian) and Gerald Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers) are running as well.

Candidates for secretary of state are Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Republican Kristina Karamo, Libertarian Gregory Stempfle, Christine Schwartz of U.S. Taxpayers and Larry Hutchinson Jr. from the Green Party.

Voters in Emmett will vote in Michigans 1st Congressional District. Candidates are Jack Bergman (Republican), Bob Lorinser (Democrat), Andrew Gale (Libertarian), and Liz Hakola (Working Class Party).

Three statewide proposals to amend the states constitution will also be decided in November.

Proposal 22-1 aims to change the states term limits. If adopted, the proposal will limit state legislators to 12 years of service, which can be served entirely in either the state house or senate, or in a combination of both. The proposal also adds financial disclosure requirements for legislators, the governor, secretary of state, attorney general and lieutenant governor.

Proposal 22-2 deals with voting laws. If approved, the constitutional amendment would add nine days of in-person early voting, allow voters to verify their identity with photo ID or a signed statement, allow voters to use a single application to vote absentee in all elections, require state-funded absentee-ballot drop boxes and postage for absentee applications and ballots, make it so post-election audits may only be conducted by election officials, require military or overseas ballots to be counted if postmarked by election day and more.

The final proposal, Proposal 22-3, deals with reproductive rights. It would add a constitutional amendment to establish new individual right to reproductive freedom for all decisions about pregnancy including childbirth, abortion, postpartum care, contraception, prenatal care and infertility. It would also invalidate state laws conflicting with the amendment.

More: Michigan's Proposal 1 would change term limits, require financial disclosure for lawmakers

More: The abortion rights amendment made Michigan's ballot. Here's exactly what it says

Voters will also choose two members of the state board of education, two regents of the University of Michigan, two trustees for Michigan State University and two governors of Wayne State University.

Judicial Races

A handful of spots on the bench will be contested in statewideraces. Two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are up for election, with incumbents Richard Bernstein and Brian Zahra facing Kyra Bolden of Southfield, Paul Hudson of Kalamazoo and Kerry Lee Morgan of Redford.

Emmet County

Closer to home, voters in Emmet County have a number of contested local council, commission and school board races to consider before Nov. 8.

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Board of Commissioners

There are contested races in districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 for the Emmet County Board of Commissioners.

In District 1, Democrat Mike Adams and Republican Charles Laughbaum are competing for the seat. In District 3, the race is between Democrat Anne Serafin and Republican Don Mapes. District 4s race is between Democrat Jeffrey Boda and Republican Rich Ginop. In District 5, Democrat Cyril Drier is facing off against Republican Brian Gutowski. The final contested race in District 6 is between Democrat Jaime Jankowski Brants and Republican David White.

Incumbents Neil Ahrens and Matt Koontz are running opposed in Districts 2 and 7, respectively.

More:Pot retail in Petoskey: What to know about the recreational marijuana proposal in November

City of Petoskey

Voters in the City of Petoskey will be asked to consider the issue of recreational marijuana on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The proposal asks whether to initiate an ordinance to amend the citys code to allow and provide for the licensing of adult-use recreational marijuana retailers.

The ballot language reads:

The proposed ordinance would:

Public Schools of Petoskey

Five candidates are running for three open seats on the Public Schools of Petoskey Board of Education.

The candidates are Jennifer Attie, Elizabeth Flynn, Melanie Meengs, Jessica Nolff and Kathleen Reed. Nolff and Reed are both incumbents running for reelection.

Harbor Springs Public Schools

In the Harbor Springs school district, there are four candidates running for three open seats on the board of education.

The candidates are Brad Backus, Diane Novak, Michael Vandermus and Tom Varner. Incumbents Backus and Novak are running for reelection.

Harbor Springs Public Schools are also asking voters to consider two millage proposals on Nov. 8.

The first is a proposal asking for the renewal of the recreation millage for the community pool.

The ballot language reads:

Shall the previous voted increase in the constitutional limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property within the school district of Harbor Springs Public Schools, Emmet County, Michigan, be renewed in the amount of 0.13 mills ($0.13 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of four (4) years, 2023 through 2026, inclusive, to be used for public recreation purposes, specifically the operation, maintenance and equipping of the Harbor Springs Community Pool (such renewal is estimated to provide revenues of approximately $154,000 in 2023 and includes a renewal of previously authorized millage in the amount of 0.1243 mills ($0.1243 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) which will expire with the 2022 tax levy and a new additional millage of 0.0057 mills ($0.0057 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) to restore millage lost as a result of the "Headlee" reduction)?

The second proposal is for the districts operating millage, which excludes principal residences and other exempt property.

The ballot language reads:

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not more than 13.9911 mills against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to provide the level of funding authorized by the State School Aid Act.

Shall the constitutional limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, within the school district of Harbor Springs Public Schools, Emmet County, Michigan, be increased by 14.9911 mills ($14.9911 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of two (2) years, 2023 and 2024, to enable the school district to levy such part of the increase as is necessary to maintain a maximum levy of 13.9911 mills ($13.9911 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) to provide funds for school operating purposes (estimated to provide revenues of approximately $11,695,000 if 13.9911 mills are levied in 2023)?

More:Candidates talk millage, short-term rentals at Harbor Springs forum

City of Harbor Springs

Both mayoral and city council seats will be decided in the Nov. 8 election for the City of Harbor Springs.

Running for mayor are incumbent Matt Bugera and challenger Andrew Potter. Running for the two available city council seats are incumbent Nancy Rondel, Jeff James, Maggie Lacy and Jamie Melke.

The city is also asking voters to consider a public safety millage proposal.

The ballot language reads:

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be levied under Article IX, Sections 6 and 31 of the Michigan Constitution on taxable property in the City of Harbor Springs be increased by up to one (1) mill ($1 per $1,000 of taxable value) of new additional millage for a period of five (5) years, for the city's firefighting operations and equipment and for city police staffing, operations and equipment, to maintain the current levels of public safety for fire and police in the city, with the actual amount of the additional levy (subject to the one (1) mill maximum) to be set annually by the city council based on its determination of police and public safety needs? If the millage is authorized and fully levied, the estimated amount of revenue that would be collected in 2023 is $316,123.

More:Alanson library welcomes Mike Frampus as new director

Littlefield Township

Voters in Littlefield Township will have one local proposal on their ballots this November.

The proposal is for a millage request for the Alanson Area Public Library.

The ballot language reads:

Shall the tax limitation on all taxable property within Littlefield Township, Emmet County, Michigan, be increased and the township be authorized to levy annually a new additional millage in an amount not to exceed .35 mill ($0.35 on each $1,000 of taxable value) for four (4) years, 2022 to 2025 inclusive, to provide funds for operating, maintaining and equipping the Alanson Area Public Library and for all other library purposes authorized by law? The estimate of the revenue the township will collect in the first year of levy (2022) if the millage is approved and levied by the township is approximately $51,000. By law, revenue from this millage will be disbursed to the Alanson Area Public Library.

Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.

Excerpt from:

Find out what's on the Nov. 8 ballot in Emmet County - Petoskey News-Review