LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO BLOG

Libertarians Debate on Fox Business Channel

Libertarians Debate on Fox Business Channel
Two candidates vying for the Libertarian Party Presidential Nomination, Wayne Allyn Root and Mike Gravel, appeared in a debate on Fox Business Channel on Friday (May 16). You can watch the debates online at:

Fox Business Channel Libertarian Debate (click on "Video" - you may
need to search on "Libertarian Race Face-Off")
http://www.foxbusiness.com/

The same videos are also online on Wayne Allyn Roots web site at:
http://www.rootforamerica.com/

And Mike Gravel's web site at:
http://www.gravel2008.us/content/video-fox-business-libertarian-debate

We can't raise taxes, so let's raise taxes and call them "fees"

If you're a massage therapist, nursing-facility operator, car insurer or plaintiff in a civil court case, life will get a little more expensive following this legislative session.

While lawmakers can't raise taxes without a vote of the people, they can — and did to the tune of nearly $40 million by 2009 — raise dozens of fines and fees to cover costs.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9275891

Do I even have to try and explain why most of these fees are just extortion? The government adds no value to the services that the people paying these fees provide. Do you really think you will get a better massage or haircut, because the person paid some money to the government? Does that act make the person competent? If the best massage was given to you by a non-licensed masseur, would that somehow change the fact that it was the best massage you have ever had? My grandfather never once went to a barber, but his hair always looked good because my grandmother cut it for him. Would his hair have looked even better if my grandmother had given the government some extra money?

Governor's son can party with his drug of choice, pot smokers ask why they can't since their drug is safer

Marijuana supporters want to ask the governor why his young son can have a drinking party inside the governor's mansion while other citizens can't smoke marijuana inside their own homes without the fear of prosecution.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_9285948

Its a fair question. The funny thing is that the governor's son could have smoked all the pot he wanted in the governor's mansion without any fear of arrest.

National Libertarian Party Convention Press Passes

National Libertarian Party Convention Press Passes

The 2008 Libertarian National Convention will be held in Denver, CO (http://www.lpconvention.org/) over Memorial Day weekend from May 22 to May 26, 2008 at the luxurious Sheraton Denver Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel). During the convention, nearly 1,000 delegates from around the nation will gather to select their presidential and vice presidential nominees. Current contenders for the nomination include:
- Recent convert to the Libertarian Party, former Democratic U.S. Senator, Mike Gravel (from Alaska)
- Former Republican Congressman, turned Libertarian, Bob Barr (from Georgia).
- TV Producer / Author / business mogul, Wayne Allyn Root (from Nevada),
- Founder and Director of the American Medical Marijuana Association, Steve Kubby (from California),
- Author, speaker and activist, Dr. Mary Ruwart,
- and many more.

In addition, delegates will elect new officers and debate possible changes to the national platform and bylaws.

If you have not yet obtained your Press Pass, contact:
Andrew Davis
National Media Coordinator
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
Andrew.davis@lp.org
Office: 202-333-0008 ext. 225
Cell: 202-731-0002

More talk about how bad the roads are, but no new solutions

Colorado needs $500 million just to keep its roads at the level they are now and ideally should direct $1.5 billion toward troubled bridges and highways, according to a transportation study group.

The state's Democrats generally want to raise the money through fees or tax increases. Republicans generally want to use money already flowing into state coffers.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9261494

Referendum C was passed to improve the roads. The revenues generated by ref C have been higher than originally anticipated. There really is no excuse for the roads to be in disrepair. The problem is that the government has squandered the money they have received through taxes on other things instead of focusing on the roads.

DIA security breached by federal agents

DIA security breached by federal agents

Three federal agents went through a Denver International Airport screening station pursuing a pair of suspects and caused a security breach that delayed passengers, closed down screening stations and halted the airport's trains today.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9269908

This is just another example of the government thinking they are more important than everyone else. This is not the movies, just because you are a cop doesn’t give you the right to shut down an airport in pursuit of an alleged counterfeiter. It may have been excusable if the person who they were chasing was some sort of threat, but there is no information that would say he was planning on doing anything of a violent nature. These arrogant government agents put hundreds of people at an inconvenience and possibly made some late in connecting to their flights.

As recession looms, prison industry booms

Corrections Corp. recently built new facilities to hold a total of 1,440 more prisoners at Kit Carson Correctional Facility in Burlington and Bent County Correctional Facility.

...

A new 948-bed state prison under construction in Cañon City is scheduled to open in early 2010.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9257130

The prison industry is growing at a brisk rate, and yet most other industries are suffering. Could this be because of the taxes we are forced to pay to keep so many prisoners in prison? When a person goes to prison, they cost the rest of us two ways, the first and most obvious way is that it costs a lot of money to house, feed and maintain a prisoner, money that comes from the taxpayer. A less obvious way is the loss of productive value the person most likely was contributing to society before going to prison.

The best way to solve the prison overpopulation issue is to ensure that we are only putting people who are truly a danger to society into the prisons. This means legalize all consensual vices (all drugs, prostitution, etc.). We should also move from a system dominated by punishment to a system dominated by reparations for property crimes.  There is no reason for the US to have the highest percentage of citizens in prison in the world, except that grandstanding politicians like to appear tough on crime, while the reality is that they are mostly punishing the American people.

Zygote measure to be on the ballot

A grassroots group seeking to define personhood in the Colorado Constitution as "any human being from the moment of fertilization" signed up 131,245 voters in support of the amendment.

It is almost twice the 76,000 signatures needed to put the proposal on the ballot this fall.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9246298

Libertarians can be divided on the abortion issue. However, I think even a pro-life libertarian should have serious concerns about this measure.

Grocery Tax Repealed in Lakewood!

LAKEWOOD — The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to eliminate the 2-cents-per-dollar sales tax on groceries, a proposal developed over several months by a citizen committee.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9238573

This is the best news in a while.

Boy suspended for fight on bus, the school claims they have video proof, but refuses to let it be reviewed by the accused

GREELEY, Colo.—Greeley school officials say privacy laws prevent them from letting a parent see a surveillance videotape after his son was disciplined for a fight on a school bus.
Mike Moskalsk says he asked to see the video taken on the bus after his son was suspended for 10 days after the April fight. Moskalsk says his son didn't start the fight but was defending himself.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9232878

The school claims it would be too costly to get waivers from the parents of the students on the bus so this father can view the video. I don’t understand this. I cannot imagine more than 40 students were on the bus at the time of the fight. This would not be expensive to send a note home with the students stating that this father wishes to view the video of the bus ride occurring on that day and that if any parents have an objection to their child being seen they will blur the image of that specific child. Most parents would not mind the father seeing the tape and would want to be allowed to see the video if their child was ever accused of starting a fight on the school bus.