Washington Libertarian Party to hold convention in Bellingham

Libertarian Party to hold state convention in Bellingham | Local News | Bellingham Herald - Ralph Schwartz:

"BELLINGHAM - The city will host the 2013 convention of the Libertarian Party of Washington State, and attendance is free during the speeches of nationally prominent party figures.

"Speakers include national vice presidential candidate Jim Gray, national party Executive Director Carla Howell, former state Supreme Court Judge Richard Sanders and Sumas Mayor Bob Bromley.

"Rob Stratton, a member of the county Libertarian Party and the gun rights group Open Carry, will speak on the Second Amendment, according to Jason Del Wraa, county party chairman.

"Also scheduled to speak is Robin Koerner, Huffington Post blogger and the person who launched the Blue Republican campaign, which recruited liberals to join the GOP in 2012 to nominate Ron Paul....

"The state Libertarians will elect ... officers at the convention, which takes place Saturday, April 20."

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/03/26/2939051/libertarian-party-to-hold-state.html
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Ottawa’s “Condom Gate” kerfuffle

Ottawa’s Sex it Smart campaign & “Condom Gate” Kerfuffle by Don Smith | Cornwall Free News:

"Reportedly the City of Ottawa handed over 17,280 condoms to a single person for free without so much as asking why he wanted them (does anyone really need that many?) and without asking for any I.D. to ensure that he actually represented a legitimate organization rather than someone wanting to make a profit on them....

"Dave Paul, the Libertarian who ordered them from the City as a test, wasn’t impressed at how freely his tax dollars are being spent and went public with the news.... Now, apparently, the City would like the condoms back (presumably unused), but the Libertarians are debating whether or not they can do a better job than the City when it comes to exercising due diligence in the distribution of said condoms....

"The Ontario government requires Ottawa Public Health to distribute free condoms. Last year alone the city handed out 900,000 of them to individuals and groups at a cost of $55,000, 75% of which was paid for by Ontario tax payers."

Read more: http://cornwallfreenews.com/2013/03/ottawas-sex-it-smart-campaign-condom-gate-kerfuffle/

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Editorial: Equal protection for all

Editorial: Equal Protection for all - Daily Press - Hampton Roads, Virginia:

March 23, 2013 - "They are U.S. citizens. They pay taxes, vote and pay insurance premiums. They are parents, homeowners, community volunteers and even soldiers.

"Yet because government has decreed they are legally inferior, same-sex couples in some jurisdictions are not allowed to marry and they are denied federal benefits. Because such laws deny the basic constitutional protections guaranteed to all citizens, it is time to strike them down.

"On Tuesday and Wednesday ... the U.S. Supreme Court [heard] arguments in two cases: First, whether California's Proposition 8 defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman is unconstitutional. Second, whether Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA") — it defines "marriage" as "a legal union between one man and one woman" for all purposes under federal law, including benefits — is also unconstitutional.

"Our government, whether state or federal, has no business meddling in people's personal business by dictating whom they can and can't marry. Doing so sets a dangerous precedent for arbitrary discrimination for whatever reasons government — including future lawmakers — might decide are justifiable."

Read more: http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-edt-marriageequality-editorial-20130323,0,2377879.story

Gary Johnson comes to Hillsdale College, Michigan, April 2

Libertarian party 2012 presidential candidate Gary Johnson comes to Michigan - Detroit Libertarian | Examiner.com - Donald Alley:

March 26, 2013 - "Governor Gary Johnson is coming to Hillsdale College on April 2, 2013 as part of his “Live Free” tour.....

"Johnson’s 2012 presidential run earned over 1.2 million votes nationwide ... the largest raw votes ever achieved by the Libertarian party.

"Regarding his Live Free Tour, Johnson said, 'As I have traveled across the nation over the past couple of years, it is clear that the ideas of small government, fiscal responsibility and greater respect for individual liberty resonate with young people. They understand that a $16 trillion debt, the erosion of civil liberty at the hands of the government, and the consequences of unnecessary intervention abroad are all going to end up on their shoulders. The purpose of the Our America Initiative and our Live Free Tour is to encourage a broader and, frankly, louder, public dialogue about these issues that are critical to the nation’s future. I’m excited to be visiting these campuses and to have an opportunity to not only speak, but to listen to the very real concerns of our young people.'"

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarian-party-2012-presidential-candidate-gary-johnson-comes-to-michigan
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Libertarian Party of Canada now accepting donations in Bitcoin

Libertarian Party now accepting donations in Bitcoin (BTC) :: Wire Service Media:

March 22, 2013 - "The Libertarian Party is now accepting donations in Bitcoin (BTC) (1). The most significant advantages of Bitcoin are that the amount of Bitcoin is finite (2), and the software is open source (meaning anyone can read and understand exactly how the software works). Consequently, the amount of Bitcoin cannot be expanded -all current day government currencies are expanding their currency. Expanding currency, also called 'quantitative easing' or 'inflation' is the worst way that government makes money - the other two are through taxes and borrowing. Inflation hurts lower income families the most. The Bank of Canada is continually expanding the supply of Canadian dollars and the Canadian dollar is continually losing value. As the dollar is devalued, the price of goods and services tend to go up, resulting in an insidious tax on the productive working citizen."

Read more: http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=9983
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Editorial: GOP should embrace its inner libertarian | The Orange County Register

Editorial: GOP should embrace its inner libertarian - Opinion - The Orange County Register:

"Speaking to the Sacramento Press Club this month, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R- Bakersfield, opined that '[t]he Republican Party should embrace a little bit of our libertarianism.' If the GOP intends an ascent from the doldrums of powerlessness in California and great electoral victories elsewhere, Republicans should heed the congressman.

"In fact, had Republicans taken such advice during last year's presidential election, the Grand Old Party may have elected a few more Republicans to the Senate. In Montana, for example, Republican Danny Rehberg lost by just more than 18,000 votes, while a Libertarian Party candidate won nearly 32,000 votes. Had Republicans corralled some of those libertarian votes, the outcome would have been different.

"To do this, the Republicans must hold the line on economic issues by rejecting bailouts, subsidies, crony capitalism and corporate welfare, but must also change their tone on immigration reform and personal-freedom issues like gay marriage and marijuana legalization.

Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/republicans-500927-marriage-party.html
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Anti-libertarian nonsense: Government roads

Anti-libertarian nonsense: Those government roads | Washington Times Communities - Thomas Mullen:

March 22, 2013 - "Invariably, if a libertarian suggests any reduction in the power of the state, he is regaled with this supposedly devastating rejoinder:

"'So, I suppose I won’t see you driving on any of those government roads'....

"After being forced to purchase a road whether he wishes to or not and being virtually prohibited from building his own, exactly why should the libertarian not use the road he has paid for? Where is the contradiction in pointing out that the government road he was forced to buy would have been cheaper and of higher quality if it were produced by the market? Exactly why is he disingenuous or ungrateful by suggesting that the next road be financed the same way as houses and factories?....

"Of course, if the government didn’t build the roads, they wouldn’t exist, right? The proponents of this farcical idea should read some American history. For much our first century, the chief domestic policy debate was over whether the government should be allowed to subsidize roads, and the government side lost. As Tom Dilorenzo writes in How Capitalism Saved America,

"'But the fact is, most roads and canals were privately financed in the nineteenth century. Moreover, in virtually every instance in which state, local or federal government got involved in building roads and canals, the result was a financial debacle in which little or nothing was actually built and huge sums of taxpayer dollars were squandered or simply stolen.'"

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2013/mar/22/anti-libertarian-nonsense-those-government-roads/
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