Donning the HAZMAT Suit . . .

Current mood: cynical

Yes, last week I put on the HAZMAT suit and went to the polls.

First, I voted for Jon Barela for U.S. House of Representatives. I'm wondering if I'll have cause to regret this later – first, the Barela campaign was going to bring in Rudy Giuliani for a fundraising rally –

Oct 12 – Giuliani / Barela invitation

Former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani Pre-Election Rally for, Jon Barela

Oct 12 Barela / Giuliani M&G Cancelled

POSTPONED: Rudy Giuliani Pre-election Rally

Then, as if Giuliani wasn't bad enough, the campaign sets up a rally with former Senator Pete Domenici. Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember St. Pete being any sort of fiscal hawk. Rather, I have these memories of him talking up all of the "bacon" (piles and piles of FRNs taxed away from Productive Class people in other states) that he was "bringing home" to New Mexico.

Just for the record, I think that Jon is genuinely interested in helping the people of the District get Imperial Washington off their backs. It's just that he seems to be listening too much to the McCleskey Machine.

Second, for Governor, I wrote in Bill Koehler, as neither of the two Establishment-anointed candidates seem to have a clue, other than each of them is the only one for the job, and the other is demonspawn.


Click the picture for the full-size version.
I know that Bill isn't a State-sanctioned "declared write-in candidate"^[1], as is Kenneth Gomez. Still, that didn't stop the person(s) behind the site nmdefamationsuit.com from writing in Faustus Valdez.

Denish seems to be trying to play both sides of her partisan affiliation – saying "Look at the great things we did from 2002 until now" (to keep her base on board), while at the same time attempting to distance herself from Richardson as a result of the pay-to-play scandals. In the meantime, Martinez is playing up her cred as a prosecutor, giving the impression that once inaugurated, she'll go hell-bent on bringing charges against those who were on Wild Bill's executive-level payroll. Really, Susana, we know better than that – Republicans don't go after Democrats from previous administrations because they know that Democrats don't go after Republicans from previous administrations. But still, each side portrays itself as the one who will get "revenge" (?) on the other side's indiscretions, atrocities and corruption, while they excuse those same indiscretions, atrocities and corruption because they know that the other side will give them a pass on their own misdeeds.

Let's see – next, I voted for Dianna Duran and Matt Chandler. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General are two of the "gatekeepers" in the pay-to-play world of electoral politics, and these offices have been in Democrat hands for way too long. It's well past time that the Democrats had their apple cart overturned. This is NOT to say that the Republicans won't seek to develop the same sort of system on their behalf, but it will take them time to do so, and in that "downtime," Liberty can advance. Hopefully.

   
Click the pictures for the full-size versions.
As for Matt Rush, he's simply the lesser of the two evils. Ray Powell^[2] is a committed eco-fascist as well as being a connected Democrat Coggie.

Concerning the Schoonover vs. Lewis race, I cast a blank here – I really can't say anything bad about James B. Lewis. As for Schoonover, he apparently couldn't be bothered to respond to a questionnaire sent to him by the New Mexico Breeze. If that wasn't bad enough, I heard him when he was a guest on Janice Arnold-Jones' 1550 KIVA-AM radio show – he seemed focused on developing the economy because people making more money, creating jobs, etc., would mean higher tax revenues that "smaller communities can't do without" and such. Similarly, I couldn't come up with anything bad to say about Balderas, the incumbent State Auditor. Errol Chavez, his opponent, is rather proud of his previous role in propping up Drug Prohibition, and recently was diagnosed with some sort of brain tumor. So I cast a blank in this race, as well.

   
Click the pictures for the full-size versions.
Next we go to my own race. I was told by someone at the County Clerk's Elections Bureau that I was "good to go" as a write-in candidate. Yet there's no space to write me in under Maestas' name here. What gives?


Click the picture for the full-size version.

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NOTES

1. Bill filed with the Secretary of State's Elections Bureau to run as an independent (no partisan affiliation) write-in candidate for Governor in early June. He was told that because he was registered to vote as a Big-"L" Libertarian, they wouldn't put him on the ballot as an independent.
   
   Come to think of it, they probably wouldn't have put him on the ballot as an independent if he had switched his registration at that time, as New Mexico has a "sore loser law" – the time for him to change his registration would have been January, before the Governor's Proclamation.
   
   Why did he decide to run as an independent, instead of on the Libertarian Party ticket? Simple – the State Election Code says that any political party whose candidate for either Governor or President fails to get at least 0.5 percent of all of the votes cast in that race ceases to be a State-recognized political party. Regaining ballot status in New Mexico requires a party so disenfranchised to collect about 8,000 – 10,000 signatures. Usually, getting this done requires hiring paid signature gatherers, who will charge Ø2 per signature. Do the math – this totals up to Ø16,000 – Ø20,000, which can quickly bankrupt a smaller organization. Thus it's not in the interests of the LP, New Mexico Greens, etc., to run candidates for Governor or President here in New Mexico.
   
   
2. PLEASE do NOT confuse Powell the Democrat candidate with the Ray Powell who has worked with the Ron Paul 2008 campaign, New Mexico Patriot Alliance, retakecongress.com, among other things. The latter Ray is definitely one of the good guys.
   
   
3. Reposted –
   
   
   1. Personal blog
   2. KCUF Media – The Weekly Sedition
   3. Darth Mike
   4. New Mexico Liberty

---

Copyright © 2010 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved.   

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Radio Interview with Adam Kokesh -- 1 November 2010

Current mood: ecstatic

Many thanks to Adam for his time and endorsement!

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Copyright © 2010 Mike Blessing   

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Questionnaire from the Alibi -- My Answers

Name:		Mike Blessing
Party:		Libertarian Party / Boston Tea Party
District:		16
Website:		http://mike4nmh16-2010.blogspot.com/

1. What qualifies you for this position?
   
   I am a sapient (self-aware) resident, registered voter and taxpayer of the District.
   
   What qualifies me over my opponent? What qualifies him over me? What qualifies either of us over any other resident of the District?
   
   Beware the person who tells you that they have all the answers to all of your problems, if only you surrender a bit of your liberty to them. To paraphrase what Lord Acton said, "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. All great men are bad men." And no, I don't see myself as being immune to this tendency.
   
   
2. What should be done to address ethics reform and transparency?
   
   Open up all closed-door conference committees in the Legislature.
   
   Require that all State spending over $1000.00 be posted to a publicly-viewable website within twenty-four hours. Considering that you can be tracked in real time when you use your credit card to pay for gas, fast food, etc., this is a very doable idea.
   
   Allow private citizens to make audio and video recordings of all Legislative and regulatory-agency proceedings.
   
   
3. How can we balance the state's budget?
   
   We can start by using a zero-services baseline, and put all of the State budget onto the table for discussion.
   
   As for cutting specific budget items, we can start with the Rail Runner and the Film Office.
   
   Refrain from expanding existing programs without cause, or from creating new programs or agencies that do the jobs of existing agencies or programs. Consolidate duplicative programs and agencies. Require every agency and program to justify its existence and budget on an annual basis.
   
   
4. Should New Mexico allow domestic partnerships for same-sex couples?
   
   Inasmuch as the State requires any form of permission slip for two consenting adults to engage in romantic or sexual relations, the State should NOT discriminate against anyone of the gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender / polyamorous / kinky persuasions, especially when it's often clear that such discrimination is done just because of this factor.
   
   Still, it should be remembered that marriage-licensing laws started out under "Jim Crow" in the post-Reconstruction South as a way to enforce segregation, by outlawing interracial marriages between whites and blacks.
   
   
5. Do you favor rehabilitation instead of jail time for nonviolent drug offenders?
   
   The current "rehabilitation" programs offered by the State as an alternative to jail or prison can often be more intrusive and onerous than incarceration.
   
   Instead, let's try repealing the stupidity, insanity and evil known as Drug Prohibition. Consider that all it really does is corrupt law enforcement. Until I hear otherwise, I will assume that anyone who supports Drug Prohibition also supports the 10,000 drug-related murders per year in America caused by Drug Prohibition. Drugs being illegal won't stop people from wanting them, and someone else will find ways to make money providing them.
   
   
6. What do you think of the state's film initiatives?
   
   The Film Office is just as much a corporate welfare handout program as was Isotopes Stadium when it was built, as is the Balloon Fiesta Park. Eliminate them from the public budgets, and then cut the gross receipts tax, cut the personal income tax, so that poor people can save some more money to support their kids. Let the Hollywood studios, all owned by multimillionaires, pay their own way. How many of the jobs created by the production companies still exist after the movie is completed?
   
   
7. How can we improve public education?
   
   APS is one of the State's biggest spenders and employers, yet apparently the following was written by someone in the eighth grade:
   
   ABOUT THE "All Work, No Play" article, I disagree with the run artical on how if the students do poorly on the standard based test then they cant have an elective. I feel bad that you feeled on the test.
   
   See http://tinyurl.com/2a7fmuf for more.
   
   And we should give APS MORE money?! When I was that age, I would have been ashamed to write that. Is APS even fixable?
   
   I'm more focused on charter schools, private schools, and homeschoolers.
   
   
8. Should New Mexico change its laws surrounding immigration?
   
   All of this hysteria about Mexicans coming north like Genghis Khan's Golden Horde is just that – hysteria. Joe Miller, the Alaska GOP's candidate for U.S. Senate, unwittingly reinforced my point when he said that East Germany was "effective" about enforcing its border around West Berlin – http://tinyurl.com/25mf2ml – nice guy, isn't he?
   
   Seriously, what kind of society do we want to end up with – one with fences, walls, scanners, regulations and subgun-toting guards all over the place, or one where people can interact with each other on a basis of voluntary consent?
   
   
9. What kind of infrastructure improvements does your district require?
   
   The usual kinds that just about every other district needs – the roads are the most visible ones. Driving around some parts of Albuquerque can be like four-wheeling, considering the potholes, cracks, bumps, etc. that I often see around town. This is what we spend millions on road bonds for every two years?! There has to be a better way to build roads.
   
   One thing that needs doing around here is speed-bump removal – people still routinely go over them at 40 MPH, and I wouldn't want to be a patient in an ambulence going over them.
   
   
10. What issues do your constituents care about most?
    
    I haven't had the cash to do any surveys or polling, but I'm guessing that they would want their individual rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness to be respected by State government. I suspect that they want to provide for themselves and their families in a productive manner by interacting with others on a basis of mutual consent. State (and local, and federal) government should do what it can to defend that liberty, while not infringing that same liberty. Other than protecting those freedoms, government should leave people to their own devices.

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NOTES

1. alibi.com page
   
   
2. Reposted –
   
   
   1. Personal blogs – Wordpress / Xanga
   2. KCUF Media – New Mexico's Consumer Advocate / The Weekly Sedition
   3. New Mexico Liberty / The BTPNM Blog / The LPNM Blog

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Copyright © 2010 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved.   

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Unsolicited Good Press in the Alibi

Even when we're dead in the water, we can still get good press – It Ain't Easy Being Green – Or Libertarian, or Independent . . .

Here's the important part of the article for right now^[1]:

Libertarians

Though New Mexico has no third-party candidates in statewide or national races this year, the Libertarians do have two for state Legislature seats, which represent small districts. The Libertarians filed the necessary signatures to get their party on the ballot and then collected more for their candidates.

Mike Blessing is running as a write-in in District 16 against Democratic Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas. Mark Curtis is running in District 19 on the ballot against Republican Anthony Romo and Democratic incumbent Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton^[2]. The Libertarian Party is a minor party in New Mexico with 2,249 members as of March 2010.

The state's Libertarian chairperson, Jay Vandersloot, says the point is not to disrupt election results. "Some people say the Libertarian Party draws votes from Republicans, and some say it pulls from Democrats. Libertarians are fiscally conservative and ideologically liberal. Our purpose is not to draw votes from another party." Instead, he says, they're in the race to win. They also want to promote an ideology that upholds the Constitution, and values liberty and freedom. "Candidates have been swayed by other candidates."

But it's hard for the party to find contenders. "The Libertarian view is such that we just want to be able to live our lives without interference from others or government," Vandersloot says. "So a lot of us are not interested in running in politics. Those that do run feel strongly enough that they need to get in there – not to be a career politician – but to get in there and make a change for the better."

---

NOTES

1. Links to the campaigns of Mark Curtis and myself added on my end.
2. For those wanting to help out, Mark can be contacted at 505-256-1993 or macurtis@webtv.net
3. Reposted –
   1. Personal blogs – Wordpress / Xanga
   2. KCUF Media — Xanga / New Mexico's Consumer Advocate / The Weekly Sedition
   3. New Mexico Liberty

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Copyright © 2010 Mike Blessing. All rights reserved.   

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Support "Adam Vs The Man" and the message of liberty! PLEASE READ AND SHARE

by Adam Kokesh on Monday, September 13, 2010 at 11:40pm

Dear friends of liberty and fans of radio ads,

My radio show, Adam Vs The Man on KIVA 1550 AM, has been rocking and rolling for over a month now and the audience has been growing organically without ANY promotion outside of my own facebook page. We have secured a slot on the local public access TV station (Saturday from midnight to 2am)^[1] to play the best of the week from our UStream feed from the webcam in the studio. We are also getting more frequent local callers (at first, most callers were from outside of NM, listening or watching online) which is a good sign that more and more people are deliberately tuning in to the radio broadcast!

The broadcast radius covers over one million potential listeners from Santa Fe to Socorro including the entire Albuquerque metro area. We also draw a unique audience of liberty lovers online with a growing base of loyal daily listeners. The audience of Adam Vs The Man tends to be younger, affluent, politically inclined, and of course, spends lots of money on consumer goods and services with a flagrant disregard for authority. Statistics routinely show that a talk show audience is much more engaged and attentive to the broadcast than, for example, an easy listening audience. The point is that our broadcast advertisements do get heard; they are not just background noise.

Without the financial support of sponsors, we cannot maintain our deal with the radio station, but as the show continues to grow, you will be glad to have gotten in while it was cheap! If you are interested in reaching out to the local audience of over one million potential listeners covered by our broadcast radius and our distinct online audience, please consider signing up for one of the following sponsorship packages:

$150 / week

• Sponsor credit during Adam Vs The Man
• 5 30-second ads per week during the show
• 14 30-second ads during prime time on KIVA 1550AM
• Banner ad at adamvstheman.com

$250 / week

• Sponsor credit during Adam Vs The Man
• 5 live 60-second endorsements per week during the show (great way to reach online audience, as ads will be cut out of the final podcast)
• 21 30-second ads during prime time on KIVA 1550AM, 3/day
• Banner ad with top placing at adamvstheman.com

$350 / week

• Sponsor credit during Adam Vs The Man
• 5 live 60-second endorsements per week during the show
• 5 30-second ads per week during the show
• 28 30-second ads during prime time on KIVA 1550AM, 4/day
• Banner ad with top placing at adamvstheman.com plus a rotating feature at the top of the page

Individual ads to play during Adam Vs The Man:

• 30-second ad: $20
• 60-second ad: $25
• 60-second live endorsement: $50

In addition, if you sign up for 13 weeks of $250/week sponsorship, the station will throw in 14 additional 30-second ads on our sister station, Real Oldies 1600. Sign up for 13 weeks of $350/week sponsorship and it's 21 more ads. We can do all the audio production here in the studio. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (505) 899-5029. If you can't reach me there, please feel free to ask for our executive producer, Mark Owen, or email me at adamvstheman@gmail.com.

Any advertising message takes time to generate a response. We suggest an initial commitment of 13 weeks, which will extend well into the holiday shopping season. After the initial advertising period, we will suggest specific promotional tie-ins to allow each sponsor to measure the direct impact. I would be happy to consider any and all possibilities for on air give-aways of your product or service for free exposure.

Thank you for your continued support of the message of liberty.

Love, faith, respect,

Adam Kokesh

---

NOTES

1. If you're not a subscriber to Albuquerque Comcast, you can watch over the internet at the Channel 27 site. NOTE: You will need to have MS Windows Media Player or the MS Windows Media components for Quicktime installed to see the show. Unix-based OS users, consult your local LUG for assistance if needed.
2. Original article
3. Reposted –
   1. KCUF Media – Blogspot / Xanga
   2. Mike Blessing for State Representative

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LPNM Going Into "Hibernation" Until Further Notice

Friends of Liberty:

Due to an ongoing legal situation, the Libertarian Party of New Mexico has been forced to suspend all of its current business except for handling that same legal situation, including regular meetings, Central Committee meetings, etc.

Due to this, we have also placed our long-running email discussion list into "hibernation" by means of requiring moderator approval for any and all postings.

How long will this situation last? I honestly don't know.

On a good note, I have received confirmation from the Bernalillo County Clerk's Office, Election Bureau, that Mark Curtis, nominated for State Representative in District 19, has been officially placed on the ballot for the general election coming up this November.

For more information, contact State Chairman Jay Vandersloot at 505-362-1733.

________________________________________________________________________
Mike Blessing / Phone – 505-515-7015 / Yahoo IM – mikewb1971 / PGP Public Key

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NOTES

1. Reposted –
   
   1. New Mexico Liberty /
      The LPNM Blog
   2. Facebook Groups – New Mexico Libertarians
   3. Myspace Groups – /
   4. Yahoo! Groups – Personal email archive / Albuquerque Campaign for Liberty / FYI-NM-Politics

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September 6, 2010

Dear Friend of Liberty,

It's hard to celebrate Labor Day when unemployment is 9.6 percent.

Government interference is the single biggest cause of unemployment. Minimum wage laws, OSHA, ADA, etc., etc., make it difficult both to hire and to fire workers. (And when it's difficult to fire workers, it's much less likely that they will be hired in the first place.) To reduce unemployment, we need to start repealing laws!

Section 2.7 of the Libertarian Party platform states: "We support repeal of all laws which impede the ability of any person to find employment. We oppose government-fostered forced retirement. We support the right of free persons to associate or not associate in labor unions, and an employer should have the right to recognize or refuse to recognize a union. We oppose government interference in bargaining, such as compulsory arbitration or imposing an obligation to bargain."

I read today that President Obama wants another $50 billion in Keynesian stimulus spending. Stimulus supporters think that government spending creates jobs. What they don't seem to understand is that the money is taken out of the private sector, which decreases private sector spending and investment, and that destroys jobs. I believe that stimulus spending destroys more jobs than it creates. We'd be much better off with the laissez-faire policies advocated by Austrian economic theory.

It makes me mad to think of all the ways the Republican and Democratic congresses, and presidents Bush and Obama, have hurt the private sector with all their stimulus and bailout programs. (Remember George W. Bush's 2008 "Economic Stimulus Act" with all the $600 "rebate" checks?)

If you'd like to help fight them, please participate in Quiz Across America.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets and civil liberties. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

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NOTES

1. Reposted —
   
   1. KCUF Media
   2. New Mexico Liberty / The LPNM Blog
   3. Yahoo! Groups — [LPNM-discuss] / Personal email archive

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How to handle Ronald Reagan? [LP Monday Message]

August 23, 2010

Dear Friend of Liberty,

As the 2010 election approaches, a lot of Republican politicians are trying to posture as government-cutters, and they often hold up Ronald Reagan as an example.

But although Reagan often talked about supporting smaller government, most Libertarians know that in practice he did exactly the opposite. For example:

• Reagan boosted import tariffs and trade restrictions.
• Reagan cut marginal income tax rates, but he also raised Social Security taxes.
• Reagan increased farm subsidies.
• Reagan sent the federal debt through the roof.
• Federal spending under Reagan grew from $678 billion to $1.14 trillion.
• Reagan set the record for the highest average spending as a percent of GDP over his administration. (Obama may beat him.)

Many people are complaining right now about unemployment under Barack Obama. In the first 18 months of Obama's presidency, unemployment has increased from 7.7 percent to 9.5 percent.

Did you know that during the first 18 months of Reagan's presidency, unemployment increased from 7.5 percent to 9.8 percent? That's even worse, but I don't hear a lot of Republicans mentioning it.

Many Republican politicians, operatives and talk show hosts like to talk positively about Reagan and try to portray him as delivering smaller government. They don't say that about George W. Bush. I presume that's to try and convince voters that Bush was bad in some ways, and we should all try to be more like Reagan.

Some polls show Reagan is reasonably well-respected these days. I think the positive reactions are often based on misconceptions, and that brings up an interesting point: how should Libertarians deal with the Ronald Reagan myth?

To address that question, we put up a new poll today. Please share your opinion.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets and civil liberties. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

---

NOTES

1. Original article
2. Reposted —
   
   1. KCUF Media — Blogspot / Xanga
   2. New Mexico Liberty / The LPNM Blog

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BTP National Committee opposes National ID

BTP National Committee opposes National ID

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Branson, Missouri, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) August 25, 2010 —

On August 24, 2010 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed a resolution opposing a national ID "or any other bill that would establish a National ID card that includes biometric scanning or tracking devices" 5-0 (with 2 not voting).

Whereas governments that truly want to protect liberty have no need to track the every move of their citizens; and

Whereas privacy from government is a chief cornerstone of our liberties, enshrined in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and

Whereas in the past, many Members of Congress, instead of taking steps to actually end our illegal immigration problem, have chosen instead to use the issue to dramatically expand government intrusion into our lives; and

Whereas the so-called "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" proposal being touted by Senators Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham includes a de facto National ID card that would be required for all U.S. citizens in order to hold a job legally; and

Whereas biometric scanning technology would be included in the card which could allow government bureaucrats to track citizens' every move; therefore,

Be it resolved, the Boston Tea Party National Committee urges the Congress of the United States of America to vote to defeat any legislation requiring U.S. citizens to obtain a National ID card just to get a job — or any other bill that would establish a National ID card that includes biometric scanning or tracking devices.

Party Chair Darryl W. Perry writes, a national ID system would include a "National database of personal information that can be accessed by any Law Enforcement Officer and/or Fusion Center anywhere the barcode on the Driver's License can be scanned. This database of personal information would be controlled by the very people with access, so you will have no say as to what information they keep. This could include not only your driving and/or criminal record, but could potentially include unrelated information such as your medical records, library records and any other host of information that some bureaucrat deems 'necessary'. Voting history perhaps? How about party affiliation?"

Plank 4 of the 2006 program of the BTP reads "The Boston Tea Party calls for the immediate repeal of the REAL ID Act and any and all National ID plans." Perry adds, "it only takes two more steps to become Germany's Third Reich, 'Where are your papers? Your papers, please!'"

The Boston Tea Party was founded in 2006 with a one sentence platform, “The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.” In October 2008, the party's National convention adopted the four point program of the Campaign for Liberty. Their program calls for an end to overseas occupation, a restoration of privacy and other liberties, no increase in the national debt, and a thorough review of the Federal Reserve. During the 2010 convention the Party adopted a new program to End the Wars of Aggression, End the Fed, End the War on Drugs, End the Abuses of Liberty, End the Immigration Fiasco.

For more information, contact Darryl W. Perry

---

NOTES

1. Reposted —
   
   1. Personal blogs — Wordpress / Xanga
   2. KCUF Media — Blogspot / Xanga
   3. New Mexico Liberty / The BTPNM Blog

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Comic-Con vs. Fred Phelps

Current mood: amused, annoyed cranky

I found this on Facebook —

Nerds vs. the Westboro Baptist Church, Super Heroes vs. the Westboro Baptist Church

Doesn't Fred Phelps have anything better to do with his time than this inanity? Really.

---

NOTES

1. Reposted —
   
   1. New Mexico Liberty / The BTPNM Blog / The LPNM Blog

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The Weekly Sedition Returns to ABQ Ch.27

Starting Thursday, July 1st, at 8PM, The Weekly Sedition returns to Albuquerque Comcast Channel 27.

Your cordial host will be myself, Mike Blessing, with Bill Koehler behind the camera running the technical side of things.

---

NOTES

1. Reposted —
   
   1. KCUF Media — Blogspot / Myspace / Xanga
   2. New Mexico Liberty / The BTPNM Blog / The LPNM Blog

---

The 100-Word Challenge

Current mood: amused

New Mexico Turn Around posts a challenge for the rest of us —

CHALLENGE: In 100 words suggest a solution for the economic mess toward which we head.

Oh, really?

Here's my response — let's see if I actually need the full 100 words . . .

1. Cut spending across the board — no special handouts for anyone.
2. Cut taxes across the board — no special breaks for anyone.
3. Repeal regulations across the board — no special breaks for anyone.
4. Repeal bad, wasteful laws across the board — no special breaks for anyone.
5. Bring the troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan and everywhere else.
6. Return to a sound money system (gold? silver?) for government transactions.
7. Repeal legal tender laws.
8. Repeal any law repugnant to the written U.S. Constitution or Bill of Rights.

I count 80 words.

And I dared to use That Word Which Shall Not Be Uttered In Contemporary Politics — "repeal" — not just once, but four times! Shame on me!

---

NOTES

1. Reposted — The LPNM Blog / The BTPNM Blog / New Mexico Liberty

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ABQ Journal Questionnaire [1]

Political Party — Libertarian Party / Boston Tea Party

Place of Residence — West Side of Albuquerque

Age — 39

Education — Currently a student at CNM, going for a degree in photonics

Occupation — see here

Political / Government Experience — see here for the full list

Highlights —

• Boston Tea Party NM State Chair — 1998 — present, National Vice Chair 2009 — 2010
• Libertarian Party, State Vice Chair — 1997-2001, State Secretary, 2005-2009, Editor, New Mexico Liberty, 2003 — present
• US / NM Army National Guard, Alpha Battery, 7/200 Air Defense Artillery — 1994-1998
• US Army Reserve, 157th Separate Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) — 1991-1994
• US Army ROTC at Penn State University, Abington Campaus — 1989-1992

Major Professional Accomplishment — Ten years as camera technician for New Mexico's Consumer Advocate and on-screen talent for The Weekly Sedition on Comcast Channel 27.

Major Personal Accomplishment — I'll wait til much later in life before selecting any one event in my life as "pivotal."

1. In dealing with state government revenue downturns, would you generally favor additional spending cuts and government efficiency or tax and fee increases?
   
   I would favor additional spending cuts and greater efficiency, as well as holding the line on creating new spending programs.
2. Would you support or oppose a New Mexico law recognizing domestic partnerships that would grant same-sex couples most of the same rights afforded to heterosexual couples?
   
   Inasmuch as the State requires any consenting adult to get a permission slip ("marriage license") from the State to enter into any sort of formal relationship with any other consenting adult, I support full equality across the board for everyone in this matter, regardless of sexual orientation. I don't see any reason that LGBTQ people should have to put up with different standards in the legal sense than the heterosexual crowd.
   
   That being said, I don't see any reason why anyone (LGBTQ, hetero or whatever) should have to go to a government official for permission to enter a relationship with another person. Those who want government out of their wallets, businesses and gun cabinets shouldn't have any problem kicking the State out of the bedroom. Nor does it make any sense to support government involvement in other people's relationships. Thus, I would work to get the State out of the marriage-license and -definition business entirely, by repealing the law(s) requiring people to get a "marriage license" before declaring themselves "married."
3. What should the Legislature do to ensure that New Mexico's pension plans remain solvent?
   
   I don't know that the public pension plans are actually solvent at this time — see this study sponsored by the Rio Grande Foundation that says those plans are currently somewhere between Ø8,300,000,000 and Ø22,900,000,000 IN THE RED — The Government “Gravy Train”: An Analysis of New Mexico’s Private versus Public Sector Employment and Compensation.
   
   Part of the problem is the defined-benefit system currently used by the State, where public employees are promised a specific amount of cash to be disbursed when the pension is cashed out. Replacing this with a defined-contribution system such as 401(k)s or mutual funds will partially fix the problem.
   
   But the best solution to the State pension insolvency is to STOP expanding the State — QUIT creating new agencies for every problem, real and imagined. Check first to see if there's an existing agency that can do the job. Ask if the problem is one that should be properly addressed by the State, and not by the private sector.
4. What should be done to improve New Mexico public school perfomance and student achievement?
   
   I would first make parents fully responsible for the full cost of each child's public education, by sending them a bill for that cost at the end of the school year. This would cause them to develop an interest in what the kid(s) are learning, if for no other reason than to see where their money is going, and what result they're getting for the expenditure.
   
   Next, I would support ending the compulsory attendance and enrollment laws, along with ending the restrictions upon homeschoolers.
5. Do you support or oppose the "pit rule" on oil and gas drilling in its current form?
   
   At the very least, I would seek to amend the pit rule make New Mexico's version closer to that of Texas. Think about it — every drop of oil spilled on the ground is a drop that can't be converted to gasoline, motor oil or other usable, salable products. Every drop spilled is a loss off the bottom end for the drilling company.
6. Would you support or oppose the State Environment Department's establishment of a "cap and trade" regulation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
   
   Considering Climategate and related scares (see global cooling), I think that those currently ensconsed on the NM Environmental Improvement Board should recuse themselves from further interference in the private-sector economy. I will vote against further restrictions on the private sector, and will sponsor a "precautionary" rule requiring a regulatory impact statement detailing how any new laws will affect the private sector.
7. Would you support or oppose a new state law requiring mandatory jail time for first-time DWI offenders?
   
   How about liberalizing the liquor license laws so that we can have a bar on every street corner, like Texas has? That way people who drink too much wouldn't have to drive, as they could just walk home.
8. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?
   
   No — I'm guessing this disqualifies me for the spot of U.S. Treasury Secretary.
9. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?
   
   No.
10. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or felony in New Mexico or any other state?
    
    My crimes against humanity

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