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By Jeff, on June 30th, 2010%
For the first time in the 200+ year history of the State of Georgia, a black man will be on the General Election ballot as a candidate for Governor, and a female of any race will be on the General Election ballot as a candidate for Lt Governor.
It wasn’t the increasingly old and white Republican Party (which has neither running for either office, though it does have females running in two races – Governor and Insurance Commissioner – and a black man running in one race – Labor Commissioner) that did this.
It wasn’t even the typically more “diverse” Democratic Party (which has several black candidates running, and will be the SECOND Party in Georgia history to nominate a female Lt Governor candidate) that did it.
No, it was the Party TRULY committed to ensuring equality of opportunity, free of any governmental restrictions of any kind, for ALL. The Libertarian Party. When LP-Georgia qualified these two historic candidates, it also made Party history by fielding its first-ever full statewide slate.
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By Jeff, on June 29th, 2010%
There are a couple of meetings in Lee County that you probably aren’t aware of but may want to attend. Apparently our Glorious Leaders don’t want you there anyway, since they are during the daytime when the vast majority of us work.
Today at 1:30p, the Lee County Board of Commissioners Personnel Committee will meet at the T Page Tharp Building (old Lee County HS, directly behind First Baptist Leesburg and First United Methodist Leesburg). The Public Notice did not contain an Agenda, so I have no specifics on what will be discussed. Purely speculating, I believe Glynn County was supposed to have made a decision by now on the opening they had that Lee County Administrator Alan Ours was a finalist for. Ours is a true benefit to Lee County, and I for one would honestly hate to see him go. But like I said, that is pure speculation and the meeting could be about another matter entirely.
July 7 (one week from tomorrow) at 10a, the new Lee County Animal Shelter will have an open house. They are on 32 near the Lee County Landfill.
And a couple of City of Leesburg meetings to make sure y’all know about:
Tomorrow, the Leesburg City Council will meet at 5:30 at City Hall to adopt the FY 2011 Budget. This meeting is expected to be brief, so get there on time if you show up!
And finally, the regularly scheduled meeting of the Leesburg City Council will be at 6p next Tues, July 6, at City Hall. I may miss that one – only the second one I may miss since I started going to them last Sept – due to coming back from vacation that day.
By Tim Nelson, on June 28th, 2010%
With the state of Georgia’s qualifying period for Independent, Political Body, and Non-Partisan candidates now open, the Libertarian Party of Georgia will be qualifying ten candidates for statewide office and two candidates for State House races to appear on this November’s General Election ballot. Unlike the Democrats and Republicans, who qualify in April to select their candidates via primary next month, the Libertarian Party of Georgia nominated candidates via convention without cost to the taxpayers on April 24, 2010.
The 2010 slate of candidates for the Libertarian Party of Georgia includes:
* U.S. Senate – Chuck Donovan
* Governor – John Monds
* Lieutenant Governor – Dr. Rhonda Martini
* Secretary of State – David Chastain
* Attorney General – Don Smart
* State School Superintendent – Kira Willis
* Commissioner of Agriculture – Kevin Cherry
* Commissioner of Insurance – Shane Bruce
* Commissioner of Labor – William Costa
* Public Service Commission (District 2) – Dr. James Sendelbach
* State Representative for District 51 – Brooke Nebel
* State Representative for District 59 – Brad Ploeger
Who: Libertarian Party of Georgia and their slate of candidates
What: Qualifying for placement on the General Election ballot
Where: Secretary of State’s Election Division office:
1104 West Tower
2 MLK Jr. Dr.
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
When: Tuesday, June 29th at 1:00 PM, Eastern Daylight Time
The Libertarian Party is Georgia’s third largest political party and the only party in Georgia promoting fewer taxes, less government and personal liberty for all Georgians. To learn more, please visit www.LPGeorgia.com.
By Tom, on June 27th, 2010%
Breaking news. Ray Boyd is dropping his bid to become the next Governor of Georgia.
Here is the text of an email sent out to supporters. Continue reading [BREAKING] Ray Boyd drops bid for governor
By Jeff, on June 25th, 2010%
Condoms are now being made to students as young as first grade in one Massachusetts school. Apparently this story is now getting some play on Fox News (no, I don’t watch that drivel, the headline and link was retweeted by someone in my twitter stream), but I first heard about this story on AJC’s Momania blog this morning.
Because it is getting play on Faux News, expect the conservatives to get up in arms about it. Like clockwork.
We’ve actually got two different issues raised in this one story. One is whether schools should give away condoms at all. The other is whether first grade is appropriate for this.
This whole episode is a perfect illustration of the need for separation of school and State. If that happened and parents had to pay for their own childrens’ schooling, they could pay to put their children in schools where condoms were given away or not, based on the parents’ wishes, without infringing on the rights of other parents who disagree. As is, no matter what decision this school makes, it is infringing on some parents’ rights by forcing them to pay to support a program they do not agree with or by denying them services they want their school to provide.
For the record, I believe sex education should be done at home, and NO WHERE else. That is one of the most personal decisions a person makes, and it should be the parent that teaches the child about sex – not government schools and not their youth pastor. In an environment where school and State were separated, I would not pay to send my child to a school – of any form – that violated that basic rule.
That said, for those that see my personal beliefs here as a cop-out, I offer these thoughts:
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By Tom, on June 24th, 2010%
Lee County Code enforcement has finally stepped up to the plate and has begin removing/relocating signs out of the right-of-way. I wish Dougherty County would do the same, but since I’m not a citizen, I’ll be happy I got Lee County to comply with their own ordinance.
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Tim Nelson, SWGAPolitics.com contributor and Lee County agitator extraordinaire, found a bunch of campaign signs on a right of way in Lee County, in violation of the County sign ordinance. If they’re going to insist on having a sign ordinance, they should at least enforce it, right?
Tim, being the dutiful County resident, promptly sent an email to Code Enforcement letting them know about the violation. Their response? Continue reading [UPDATED] Sign ordinance in Lee County only applies to certain parties?
By Tim Nelson, on June 23rd, 2010%
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Libertarians note anniversary of bad Kelo decision
WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, June 23, marks the fifth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Kelo v. New London decision. Today the Libertarian Party published the following open letter:
We, the state chairs of the Libertarian Party, and members of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), wish to call attention to the fifth anniversary of the wrongful Kelo v. New London decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Susette Kelo and her co-plaintiffs simply wanted to be left in peace in their homes, but the New London Development Corp. wanted their land for its own development purposes, and convinced the City of New London to condemn their property for its benefit.
By rendering its decision against Susette Kelo and her co-plaintiffs, the court gutted an important private property protection of the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court decided that it is acceptable for government entities to condemn and seize private property, even when the purpose is to offer that property to another private owner for economic development.
The Supreme Court’s decision expanded the government’s unjust power of eminent domain.
Even more shamefully, the proposed development never materialized. The Institute for Justice recently noted that ‘The very land where Susette Kelo’s home once stood remains barren — home to nothing but feral cats, seagulls and weeds.’
Eminent domain is bad enough when it is used to expand government roads and schools, but the practice of forcibly taking a person’s land to give to a company for things like shopping malls is utterly wrong.
The Libertarian Party has always showed strong support for private property rights. Our platform states that ‘we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain.’
Last year, Susette Kelo commented that ‘even though over 40 states have passed legislation offering some protection to home and business owners, don’t think your property is safe, because it is not.’ The Castle Coalition, which works to protect property owners from eminent domain abuse, has given only five states an A or A- rating for eminent domain reform in the wake of the Kelo decision. Many states have passed reforms that sound strong at first, but contain major loopholes or other bad provisions. Republicans and Democrats like to posture as eminent domain reformers while they carve out exceptions for special interests.
We call on the Supreme Court to reverse the Kelo ruling in a future case, and we call on all 50 states to adopt laws or constitutional amendments to eliminate this practice.
(signed)
Mark Bodenhausen, Alabama
Scott Kohlhaas, Alaska
Michael Kielsky, Arizona
Rodger Paxton, Arkansas
Kevin Takenaga, California
David Williams, Colorado
Rich Lion, Connecticut
James W. Rash, Delaware
J.J. McCurry, Florida
Daniel Adams, Georgia
Roger Taylor, Hawaii
Rob Oates, Idaho
Lupe Diaz, Illinois
Sam Goldstein, Indiana
Ed Wright, Iowa
Andrew Gray, Kansas
Ken Moellman, Kentucky
T. Lee Horne III, Louisiana
Shawn Levasseur, Maine
Robert Johnston, Maryland
David Blau, Massachusetts
Emily Salvette, Michigan
Bob Odden, Minnesota
Danny Bedwell, Mississippi
Cisse Spragins, Missouri
Mike Fellows, Montana
Gene Siadek, Nebraska
Jo Silvestri, Nevada
Rich Tomasso, New Hampshire
Jay Edgar, New Jersey
Jay Vandersloot, New Mexico
Mark Axinn, New York
Barbara Howe, North Carolina
Richard Ames, North Dakota
Kevin Knedler, Ohio and LNC Representative
Angelia O’Dell, Oklahoma
Jeff Weston, Oregon
Mik Robertson, Pennsylvania
David Bibeault, Rhode Island
Michael Carmany, South Carolina
Tony Ryan, South Dakota
John Sebastian, Tennessee
Patrick Dixon, Texas
W. Andy McCullough, Utah
Jeremy Ryan, Vermont
Wilbur (Bill) Wood, Virginia
Rachel Hawkridge, Washington and LNC Representative
Kyle Hartz, Washington D.C.
Tad Britch, West Virginia
Ben Olson, Wisconsin
Don Wills, Wyoming
Mark Hinkle, LNC Chair
Mark Rutherford, LNC Vice Chair
Alicia Mattson, LNC Secretary
James Oaksun, LNC Treasurer
David Nolan, LNC Representative
William Redpath, LNC Representative
Wayne Allyn Root, LNC Representative
Mary Ruwart, LNC Representative
Doug Craig, LNC Representative
Stewart Flood, LNC Representative
Daniel Wiener, LNC Representative
Rebecca Sink-Burris, LNC Representative
Norman Olsen, LNC Representative
Dr. James W. Lark, III, LNC Representative
Daniel Karlan, LNC Representative
Dianna Visek, LNC Representative
For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.
The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.
By Tom, on June 23rd, 2010%
This post originally appeared at TomKnighton.com.
Voter’s guides serve a great function. In a nutshell, they help a voter determine where a candidate falls on the issues. They don’t necessarily have to search high and low for the answers. But they only work when they’re accurate.
For example, a Tea Party voter’s guide sounds great. Unfortunately, it lists Libertarian Insurance Commissioner candidate Shane Bruce as being in favor of the notorious ObamaCare. Continue reading Voter’s Guide Wrong
By Tim Nelson, on June 23rd, 2010%
Last night the Lee County Board of Commissioners held what was advertised as a “Sign Ordinance Workshop.” I was personally invited by County administrator Alan Ours to bring my opinions about the workshop, then later in the week invited by the Lee County Chamber of Commerce to do the same. During the presentation by the consultants I was beginning to get frustrated listening to the presenters tell half truths and skirt serious flaws in the document. It was at this point I ask Chairman Ed Duffy if I could ask questions of the consultants to clarify some of my issues with the sign ordinance. At that point I was told that this was not an open meeting and I would not be given the opportunity to question the consultants. I informed Mr. Duffy that I was invited to bring my opinions by 2 different people and ask him again why the meeting was posted as an open workshop and verified the public’s input was not welcomed. At this point I gathered my effects and stood up and began to exit the meeting. Mr. Ours had Mr. Duffy stop me and ask me to stay and they stated they would allow our opinions to be heard as several other businessmen also stated their displeasure in the chairs statement.
After a few questions by the public and commissioners it became clear the consultants were being paid to present a document that wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. There are areas in the document that contradict each other, and still other areas that are made vague so that it leaves interpretation up to the courts.
The biggest issues that struck the board as absurd was the recommendation that only one flagpole could be erected per lot and that didn’t sit well with commissioner Rick Muggridge. It was also discussed that there are points in the ordinance which would have the county allowing a billboard monopoly rather than allowing free market economics to play.
The citizens in attendance had many concerns as well, particularly the flag issue, multi-tenant property signs, and signage laws that would limit the growth of the Hwy 82 Corridor. The consultants did make some changes to the originally proposed document so it would fall in line with current State law, as well as stating that flags wouldn’t be regulated in residential areas, however this wasn’t in the document and as the document is currently organized it would be left up to interpretation.
I think several of the questions asked opened the eyes of some commissioners, but I think their hands are tied by bureaucracy. This morning I sent an email to Commissioner Rick Muggridge asking if he would support the drafting of a new ordinance to offer them an alternate to the one presented by the Camilla, GA Consulting firm.
By Jeff, on June 22nd, 2010%
I normally think of celebrities talking about current issues as I would anyone else – they’re just normal people like you and me expressing an opinion. May or may not be correct, may or may not be actually based on facts, etc etc etc.
That said, when I know a person has a background in a particular field – regardless of whether they are a celebrity or not – I give their opinion a bit more weight than I do some random guy off the street. For example, when a guy tells me he served in the General Assembly for a decade and proceeds to tell me something about the inner workings of the Assembly, I give him a bit more credibility than someone who may or may not know that the General Assembly is the State of Ga’s Legislative branch of government.
Trace Adkins is a country music singer whose music I have been a fan of for quite a while. His biggest “crossover” hit has been “Honkytonkbadonkadonk” – a song you may have been as likely to hear in a dance club in Buckhead as on B100 in Albany. He also worked as a crewdog in the oil industry for a decade before becoming a famous country singer, and 6 of those years he spent working a rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper recently had him on his show, and this is what he had to say:
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