Libertarians say restore freedom, repeal Patriot Act

Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle issued the following statement today:

"Yesterday, Republicans and Democrats in Congress joined hands to renew several provisions of the Patriot Act. These provisions are unconstitutional and violate our right to freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.

"These provisions should be repealed, and if they're not repealed, they ought to be ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

"Anyone who believes that Democrats care more about civil liberties than Republicans ought to be disillusioned by this renewal. It has become painfully clear that the Obama administration is indistinguishable from the George W. Bush administration.

"The plain injustice of these search provisions is compounded by the secrecy that surrounds them. In some cases, Americans -- even members of Congress -- aren't permitted to know the legal interpretations that govern how these searches may be implemented. And of course there is the infamous 'library records' provision, which prohibits targets from telling anyone that they were ordered to turn over records to the government.

"I don't believe that these violations of our rights are making us any safer. I think it's security theater. And I'm certainly reminded of Benjamin Franklin's words, 'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.'

"Our Constitution guarantees our rights. It doesn't make an exception for 'fear of terrorists.' It's time to end these violations of our rights, and repeal the Patriot Act.

"We can never perfectly protect ourselves from foreigners who hate us. One useful thing we can do is to try to stop antagonizing foreigners. Our government should stop invading and bombing their countries and stationing troops in them. It's time for a non-interventionist foreign policy."

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Libertarian Party of Georgia Responds to News of Osama Bin Laden’s Death

The Libertarian Party of Georgia responded Tuesday to the death of Osama bin Laden with a call to the American citizens to demand that the rights taken from them in the name of national security be returned. “The death of Osama bin Laden will hopefully be the first step in returning America to a country of freedom and civil liberties,” said Cobb County Affiliate Chairman and Executive Committee member Matt Godown.

Benjamin Franklin, one of this nation’s founding fathers, famously said ‘those who give up liberties in exchange for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.’ The Libertarian Party recognizes the impact bin Laden’s actions here and around the world have had on the American people’s everyday lives such as “the Department of Homeland Security, the TSA, the PATRIOT Act, warrantless wiretaps, [and] the 'state secrets' doctrine,” just a few of the examples cited by the national Libertarian Party’s Chairman Mark Hinkle in a press release earlier today.

In the days following bin Laden’s death, the Libertarian Party of Georgia urges citizens to contact their elected officials and demand that the rights taken away from them in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 tragedies in the name of national security be returned to them, in full.

"As George W. Bush stated in September 2001, our mission was 'justice.' Soon after, we diverged from that mission, changing the regime of a nation and re-building it after we destroyed it,” stated Brett Bittner, Executive Director for the Libertarian Party of Georgia. “It is my sincere hope that the 'justice' achieved by bin Laden's death will lead to our withdrawal from the region, and that Americans will see the suspended civil liberties restored through the repeal of all aspects of the so-called Patriot Act and other legislation of its ilk.”

“I refuse to celebrate the killing of any human being,” said state Communications Director Greta Langhenry, “I can only hope that this leads to a more peaceful climate in the Middle East and the rest of the world, and that this turn of events will facilitate the return of our men and women in uniform.”

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

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Libertarians call for permanent government shutdown

As elected officials put on a dog-and-pony media show about a temporary shutdown of small parts of the federal government, the Libertarian Party calls for a permanent shutdown of most of the federal government.

Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said, "Just think how a permanent government shutdown would allow so many Americans to regain the blessings of liberty.

"Education would blossom as the Department of Education ended its War on Learning, no longer wasting our money and preventing educational innovation with one-size-fits-all centralized mandates.

"Job opportunities at companies big and small would multiply, providing opportunity and choice for American workers.

"The world would enjoy peace as we withdrew our forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Our government spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. Millions of industrious men and women who work for the military and its contractors could be focusing on building up our economy, rather than tearing down others'.

"Crime would plummet as the government's War on Drugs ended, no longer sustaining a giant violent black market and overfilling our prisons.

"The life of many poorer Americans would improve as welfare programs stopped, no longer trapping low-income families in an endless cycle of government dependency.

"All Americans would feel a huge burden lifted every April, as they were no longer required to wrestle with a byzantine and oppressive IRS.

"But most importantly, Americans would once again be free of unjust and unconstitutional violations of their unalienable rights."

Benedict added, "We're not talking about eliminating the federal government. We want to end all federal activities that are not authorized by the Constitution, and we want to cut everything else as much as we can. In 2000, the federal government spent $1.8 trillion. This year it's expected to spend $3.8 trillion. Things are going the wrong way -- fast."

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Libertarians praise Congress on April Fool's Day

The Libertarian Party congratulates Congress for passing a budget that makes serious cuts in federal government spending, including the following:

1. Eliminating Department of Education programs, saving taxpayers more than $40 billion each year.
2. Getting rid of farm subsidies, saving over $20 billion each year.
3. Ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as many other overseas deployments, saving over $100 billion annually.
4. Eliminating programs and subsidies in the Department of Transportation, saving about $80 billion annually.
5. Terminating federal housing subsidies, saving about $45 billion each year.
6. Giving overpaid federal employees a 10% cut in compensation, saving $30 billion annually.
7. Throwing out federal energy subsidies, saving $20 billion annually.
8. Reducing and reforming Medicare and Medicaid, saving about $100 billion a year for the next ten years.
9. Ending the federal War on Drugs, saving $15 billion annually.
10. Phasing out mandatory Social Security, and reducing the rate of benefit growth to save $40 billion a year by 2020.

"April Fool's!" cried Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict. "Congress hasn't done any of those things. Congress is causing the federal government to keep growing rapidly. And don't be fooled by the recent hype about Republican proposals for 'cuts.' Those 'cuts' are so small and so peripheral, that even if they pass, they won't have any effect on the fiscal catastrophe facing our children and grandchildren. Republicans and Democrats continue to link arms and keep our federal government huge and growing."

Benedict continued, "We got that list of items from a Cato Institute advertisement that ran in several major news outlets today. Of course, we wish Congress would cut all those things, but we know Republicans and Democrats won't do it."

The Libertarian Party platform calls for major reductions in the size and scope of government.

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Press falsely credits Republicans with "deep cuts"

The mainstream press is falsely crediting Republicans for proposing "deep cuts" in federal spending. To fight back, the Libertarian Party is promoting its "Republican Wall of Shame" with an online ad in the Washington Post.

Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle said, "I can't believe the press is saying Republicans are making deep cuts. It's just false."

On February 20, the Associated Press wrote, "The Republican-led House has approved a spending bill with deep cuts that Democrats call unacceptable."

On February 21, the New York Times wrote, "...the Republicans' fervor for the deep cuts adopted by the House."

On March 5, an NPR caption read, "The House was debating the continuing resolution (HR 1) that contained Republican-proposed deep cuts in the budget."

On March 8, the Los Angeles Times really went overboard: "For some, the House-passed GOP budget plan, with the deepest spending cuts in generations, goes too far in slashing jobs and programs."

Hinkle continued, "This phrase, 'deep cuts,' keeps appearing. But it's just comical to describe the Republican budget plan as 'deep cuts.' It would be more accurate to say 'microscopic cuts,' or even 'no cuts.' It's a spending bill that will result in discretionary spending of $1.356 trillion this year. That's higher than last year's $1.349 trillion. When did higher spending become a cut?"

Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said, "Sure, Republicans want to attack a handful of Democratic pet projects. That's such a narrow sliver of the budget that it doesn't matter. It's political game-playing. It won't do anything to address our large-scale fiscal disaster."

Benedict continued, "Republicans and Democrats constantly try to pretend that they're on opposite sides of a huge chasm. Unfortunately, the mainstream press cooperates and hypes up that false notion. In fact, there's not a dime's worth of difference between them."

Overall federal spending is expected to be 7 percent higher this year than last year, even with all of the Republican "cuts" in HR 1.

To help set the record straight, the Libertarian Party is promoting its "Republican Wall of Shame." The Libertarian Party has purchased online ad space in the Washington Post, to help inform the public that Republican rhetoric about "cutting government" is hypocrisy.

Benedict continued, "One of my pet peeves is hearing all this nonsense about Republican House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan being a budget-cutter. Paul Ryan is a typical big-government Republican. He supported the giant Medicare expansion in 2003, the hugely expensive wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the expensive No Child Left Behind Act, the TARP bailouts, and on and on. Paul Ryan is one of the prominent Republicans featured on our Wall of Shame."

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LP Chair: The problem in Wisconsin is not unions but government

While Republicans and Democrats battle in Wisconsin over a bill to reduce the collective bargaining power of state employee unions as a means of balancing their budget, Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle points out that the problem lies with government control of activities it has no business running.

Hinkle comments, "Libertarians are neither pro-union nor anti-union. We believe that the right of association and freedom of contract allows any group of people to choose to bargain collectively rather than individually. Naturally, we oppose violence and threats of such, but unions per se can play a major role in a free society. The problem is that the battle between the Wisconsin state government and state employees isn't even remotely a free market.

"Government monopolizes many services that could and should be provided in the voluntary sector by profit-making and/or non-profit organizations. This also gives them a 'monopsony' as virtually the only potential employer for workers in these fields. Once someone has trained to be a teacher or prison guard, they are essentially at the mercy of government for their employment in that field. Blaming them for wanting collective bargaining representation would be comparable to siding with the Polish government against the union Solidarity headed by Lech Walesa that freed Poland in 1989 from Soviet rule. The problem is with the employer: the government."

Hinkle considers the education budget to be the best example of a solution only Libertarians have offered:

"Far and away the largest part of the budget of the State of Wisconsin, once aid to local governments is allocated to underlying expenditures, is in the category of education. This is true of virtually all state and local governments, so it is the best example of how freedom can provide a solution. Unfortunately, government expenditures for education are driven by political considerations rather than the needs of the students. The result is outrageous costs that are not primarily for the most important ingredient in education: the teacher.

"The U.S. Department of Education calculates that the per pupil cost of K-12 education is nearly $11,000 in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The Cato Institute, however, in a paper entitled, 'They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools,' discovered that actual spending in the districts they examined was 44 percent higher than official reports due to the failure to include various categories (such as spending financed by bond issuances). We can reasonably estimate that true spending is more than $15,000 per pupil. With class sizes, on average, exceeding 20, the total spending per classroom is probably well in excess of $300,000. Obviously, most of that money isn't going to the teacher in the classroom. In private schools that don't depend on taxpayers, it does: teacher pay and benefits averages nearly 80% of the total budget of the average private school. Not surprisingly, while private schools are often described as havens for the rich, public school spending per pupil is nearly DOUBLE the average private school tuition, mainly because it is a haven for administrators and other recipients of `education' money who never step foot into a classroom.

"The answer to Wisconsin's budget crisis, and that of governments throughout the country, is to return education to the voluntary sector. Compulsory education dominated by tax-supported schools was not established until the mid-1850s, yet literacy rates prior to that time were higher than they are today. Parents have ALWAYS valued the education of their children, and the religious and secular private schools of that time knew they'd only be paid by parents if they taught their children. Free or reduced costs for poor parents was always part of the tradition, and would be again in a country freed of massive taxation and spending.

"Returning education to the voluntary sector and eliminating compulsory funding and attendance laws, not to mention centralized bureaucratic nightmares such as the bi-partisan No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 championed by Republican President George W. Bush and the late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, will free teachers to be responsive to the needs of their students instead of the desires of politicians. As for how to do it quickly, a case can be made for selling all the local schools and putting the proceeds into the underfunded pension and benefits funds, then leaving the reorganization of education in the hands of the buyers. But, the workers at these schools are the ones with the strongest interest in ownership. We could just give each school to its local employees and let them decide whether to run it or sell it. Either way, the teachers, the students, the parents, and the taxpayers are all big winners.

"Education is the largest item in the Wisconsin budget, but the same principle applies to other expenditures. The legitimate debate in Wisconsin and elsewhere is not about whether the politicians or the government employee unions should win. It is why we should be stuck with only one employer sucking the money from taxpayers and then complaining when their power to decide how it is spent is not unlimited."

The Libertarian Party platform includes the following:

2.7 Labor Markets
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.

2.8 Education
Education, like any other service, is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Schools should be managed locally to achieve greater accountability and parental involvement. Recognizing that the education of children is inextricably linked to moral values, we would return authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. In particular, parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children's education.

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War on Drugs leads to gun smuggling nightmare

According to CBS, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been involved in undercover operations to smuggle high-powered weapons into Mexico, probably as some sort of tracking operation. Now many of those weapons are in the hands of ruthless drug traffickers, which they are using to intimidate and kill people.

Libertarian Party chair Mark Hinkle issued this statement today:

"This is another sad chapter in the long story of the terribly destructive War on Drugs. Now our own government is apparently involved in smuggling weapons to drug lords in Mexico. This story is as bizarre as it is depressing.

"The War on Drugs has caused far more death and destruction than it has prevented. The War on Drugs is a failure in almost every measurable way. The War on Drugs should end.

"It's becoming more and more unclear whether the U.S. government even wants the violence to decrease. More drug violence means more jobs for federal drug agents. More drug arrests mean more jobs for prison construction and management contractors. There are a lot of people whose income depends on a big, thriving, unsuccessful War on Drugs.

"If the War on Drugs were halted, there would no longer be any such thing as 'drug trafficking.' Violence in Mexico would decrease very dramatically, as drug lords would quickly go out of business.

"A lot of liberals and libertarians were hoping that President Obama and a Democratic Congress might at least tone down the War on Drugs, but they have done nothing of the kind. They have kept this war going as strong as ever.

"It looks like those of us opposed to the War on Drugs can forget about help from the Democratic Party. Only the Libertarian Party will fight to end the misguided, wasteful, and destructive War on Drugs.

"One of the things that saddens me is that our foolish and unjust drug laws are leading to the deaths of thousands of Mexican citizens. Those Mexicans can't vote in our elections to change our drug laws -- they just have to wait and hope they aren't the drug lord's next victim.

"We Libertarians call for an end to the War on Drugs: an end to federal prohibition of the possession and sale of narcotics. Would that lead to increased drug abuse? It's hard to know -- probably not much -- but nothing could be worse than the death and destruction our government has unleashed with its War on Drugs."

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Wrights takes Stop All War message to Kentucky, Georgia

Potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights will be in taking his stop all war message to the state Libertarian Party conventions in Kentucky and Georgia over the next two weekends.

Wrights will be he luncheon speaker at the Kentucky LP convention in Maysville March 5. The convention will be held at the French Quarter Inn, 25 E. McDonald Parkway.

The following weekend, Wrights will attend the Georgia state convention which will be held March 11 and 12 at the Atlanta Airport Westin, 4736 Best Rd.

Wrights, 52, is a longtime libertarian writer, political activist, a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party, and a past vice chair of the Libertarian National Committee. He is considering seeking the presidential nomination because he’s determined that the Libertarian message in 2012 be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war. To that end, Wrights has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will go toward ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states.

Wrights is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. He is also co-founder and president of the Foundation for a Free Society, an educational organization dedicated to promoting the principles of liberty, personal sovereignty, private property, and free markets in order to create a more free and prosperous society. Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., Wrights now lives in Texas.

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Libertarians: Tea Party betrayed by tiny Republican budget cuts

According to The Hill, House Republicans have just announced that they will seek appropriations for the rest of 2011 that are $32 billion below current spending levels.

LP Chair Mark Hinkle commented, "The Tea Party supporters have been betrayed. These cuts are so small, you need a microscope to find them."

Hinkle continued, "The Congressional Budget Office just told us that federal spending was expected to be about $3.7 trillion this year. After the Republican cuts, it will still be about $3.7 trillion. The Republican cuts are so tiny, they disappear in the rounding error.

"Even with these cuts, the federal deficit will be over $1.4 trillion this year.

"It doesn't help that Congressional Republicans voted for more unemployment spending and ethanol subsidies last December, or that they want to keep increasing military spending. And they haven't come up with any serious cuts to entitlements.

"I think the Tea Party supporters were expecting real cuts, not this nonsense. We tried to warn Tea Party supporters last year that the Republicans were just trying to fool them again. It looks like we were right.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll hear Republicans say they're just getting started, and more cuts are coming...just not yet. But I hope the Tea Party supporters and other fiscal conservatives wake up and smell the deficits. Our children are going to drown in debt, and the Republicans aren't going to save them. Republicans are part of the problem, not the solution.

"Tea Party supporters and other fiscal conservatives should support Libertarians, not Republicans. Libertarians would make dramatic cuts in spending, and if angry Republicans and Democrats threatened to shut down the government instead, Libertarians would say 'Fine.'"

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The Libertarian Party of Georgia Says Immigration Bill Will Bankrupt Georgia

Last week, State Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) introduced
the “Illegal Immigration Reform Enforcement Act of 2011,” or HB 87.
The Libertarian Party of Georgia opposes the bill, citing the huge
cost to enforce it even though the General Assembly is tasked with a
nearly $2 billion budget crisis. They also say that the bill could
have catastrophic effects on the economic well-being of the state, as
well as in the lives of its residents if passed.

As proposed, HB 87 would make criminals of many otherwise law abiding
Georgians trying to make a living. The bill makes it a criminal offense
by merely “encouraging” an illegal immigrant to enter the state. It
also allows almost any citizen to bring a lawsuit against any business,
local or State government agency or official by just accusing them of
violating immigration law. Further, HB 87 burdens every employer doing
business in Georgia with using the Department of Homeland Security’s
E-Verify system.

"As it is written, this bill will have a tremendous impact on the every day
lives of all Georgians and will cost the State quite a bit of money
defending it from the several lawsuits already planned," says
Libertarian Party of Georgia Legislative Director Jeff Sexton. "We are
calling on Representatives to truly get serious about immigration, and
enact genuine reform that respects the rights of all individuals."

One other aspect troubling the Libertarian Party of Georgia is the
provision within that allows law enforcement officers to indefinitely
detain anyone unable to provide their driver’s license or other "proof"
document. HB 87 allows for anyone forgetting their driver's license to
be jailed even after release would normally be required without
probable cause. It also re-introduces the secure and verifiable
document issue, something that has landed the state in the courts as a
defendant for the way Georgia tried to use it in election law...
another action that could cost the state significant legal bills to
defend.

“This bill is a reaction to a poor national immigration policy, and it acts
to treat a symptom, rather than cure the underlying illness. That
illness is the cost of the welfare state, and neither Democrats nor
Republicans are willing to address it,” explained Brett Bittner, the
Party’s Executive Director. “Instead, they’ve politicized the
immigration issue to the point that we can no longer have a discussion
about a solution that works for every Georgian.”

“Our main economic engines, agriculture, poultry, and manufacturing, will be
hit hardest by the proposed legislation,” Bittner says further. “They
will find themselves with an increased cost of labor and compliance, or
they will simply close up shop, because the arduous regulations are
simply too much.”

Currently, HB 87 has been placed in the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee,
chaired by HB 87 co-sponsor Rep Rich Golick (R-Smyrna), where it is
scheduled to have a hearing this Friday, February 4, at 9:30am. Others
listed as co-sponsors include Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), Rick Austin
(R-Demorest), Stephen Allison(R-Blairsville), and Edward Lindsey
(R-Atlanta).

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

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Libertarian response to State of the Union and Republicans

This evening (January 25), Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict spoke in response to the addresses from President Barack Obama and Congressman Paul Ryan.

A transcript of Mr. Benedict's speech follows:

Good evening and thank you for your interest in the State of our Union.

My name is Wes Benedict. I'm the executive director of the Libertarian National Committee here in Washington, DC. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace.

Tonight we heard from President Barack Obama and a response from Republican Congressman Paul Ryan.

President Obama says he wants a freeze in non-security, discretionary spending. In the unlikely event that happens, it won't really matter, because to make a real dent in the deficit, it's necessary to cut spending on the military and entitlements. The president promised big government in the past, and he delivered. I expect more of the same.

However, Obama has truly been a hypocrite on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a candidate, he promised to end them. Tonight we heard more hollow promises. The fact is, as president, he has kept those wars going, and has greatly escalated the war in Afghanistan. As a percentage of GDP, military spending is higher now than it was during any year of the George W. Bush administration.

Unlike President Obama, Libertarians would bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and reduce the military budget.

On the Republican side, I found Congressman Paul Ryan's hypocrisy appalling. He claims to want big cuts in government spending. But he didn't seem to be too worried about cutting spending when Republicans were in charge. He supported the huge Medicare expansion in 2003, and the expensive No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. He supports the expensive War on Drugs. In 2008, he put hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars at risk by voting for the massive TARP bailout, and he even voted to spend billions on the GM and Chrysler bailout.

Just one month ago, Congressman Ryan voted for the tax compromise that included a big increase in unemployment spending, and even extensions of government spending on ethanol.

Republicans don't want to cut spending -- they want to talk about cutting spending.

Congressman Paul Ryan is a perfect example of why Republicans are bad for America.

Republicans' plans for Social Security and Medicare are little more than a distraction. It's time for someone to have the guts to tell seniors the truth: You were promised way too much, and now we've got to make major cuts. I'm asking retirees to think about the enormous debts piling up on your children and grandchildren.

Libertarians would stop spending billions on bailouts, the War on Drugs, federal education programs, and we would end mandatory Social Security and Medicare.

Today, America is a country that attracts hardworking immigrants from Mexico and around the world, leaving countries that are less free and prosperous. Libertarians welcome these immigrants warmly. But I often wonder if -- in 20 years -- America will still be a great place to live, or if it will be another declining civilization fraught with poverty and abuse that your children want to leave.

The future of America may depend on the Libertarian Party steering us towards liberty and away from tyranny.

The Libertarian Party is America's third-largest party, and one of the most successful alternative parties in American history.

We are recruiting bold, principled men and women dedicated to freedom to fill leadership positions and to run for office as Libertarians.

You don't have to agree with every single Libertarian position to join the Libertarian Party. You can still make a difference and help us move our country towards freedom.

The Libertarian Party has more information at our website, LP.org. Please visit LP.org and join the Libertarian Party today.

Thank you and good night.

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The Libertarian Party of Georgia Welcomes Changes To Handling Drug Offenders, Favors Decriminalization Instead of Growing Government

In his inaugural speech, Governor Nathan Deal addressed an issue that the Libertarian Party of Georgia has long been aware of, the unusually high number of residents currently tracked by the Department of Corrections. “One out of every 13 Georgia residents is under some form of correctional control,” said Deal, adding that the total operational cost of the Georgia Department of Corrections is approximately $3 million a day. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the state of Georgia has about 53,000 residents currently in jail, and 1,500 of those have a prevailing offense of possession of methamphetamine, crack, or cocaine. Reducing the number of nonviolent drug offenders currently in the state’s custody would dramatically reduce the operating costs of the corrections department.

The program the Governor has in mind to reduce these numbers is an expansion of the state’s 28 drug courts, one of which his son, Hall County Superior Court Judge Jason Deal, is in charge of. While it is true that the operating costs of the drug courts are drastically lower than the operating costs of processing the same offenders in the state’s prisons (a report from the Department of Audits in 2005 lists that savings as $10,293 per individual), the expansion of the courts themselves is an expansion of the state’s government, an expansion that would cost money to establish, and one that the Libertarian Party of Georgia opposes.

“Decriminalization of simple possession of marijuana does not equate to legalizing the substance,” explained the Libertarian Party of Georgia’s Executive Director, Brett Bittner. “Decriminalization would be treated by our legal system in a manner similar to a speeding ticket, where the offender, possessing less than a predetermined limit, would be required to pay a fine before his or her court date. The removal of six words from Georgia's Official Code would keep officers from arresting those in possession, judges from adjudicating bail hearings, county jails from being overrun with those who await trial, and allow the police, courts, and prisons to do what they were designed to do, which is find and keep the violent criminals behind bars.”

Reducing the number of Georgia residents behind bars for nonviolent offenses is a move the Libertarian Party supports, but not in a way that expands the current reach of the state’s government. Their position is that decriminalization would be more effective in that reduction, while also reducing costs as well as the size and scope of government in the state.

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

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Libertarian Party of Georgia Announces Legislative Priorities for 2011 General Assembly Session

The Libertarian Party of Georgia announced their focused priorities for the 2011 legislative session. With four major areas of focus, Tax Reform, Budget Process Reform, Election Reform, and defeating the Prescription Monitoring Act, the third largest political party in Georgia lays out how they hope to influence the legislative session that begins January 10th. Available on the Party's website, LPGeorgia.com, a four page document outlines their focus for the session.

"Georgia faces serious problems in the areas of taxation and spending, and the people of Georgia deserve serious solutions," said the Party's Legislative Director, Jeff Sexton. "The Libertarian Party of Georgia is committed to offering those solutions, working to allow voters genuine choices at the ballot box including the recall of officials the voters deem are not living up to expectations."

With a heavy focus on reforming taxation and budgetary processes, the Libertarian Party of Georgia demonstrates their commitment to lowering taxes for Georgians and limiting the size and scope of government. Urging the elimination of the corporate income tax, reform of SPLOST regulations, and lower tax rates with fewer exemptions make up the bulk of their Tax Reform proposals.

As one might expect, the Party also advocates for greater access to the ballot for all candidates, noting the strictest ballot access laws in the nation status that Georgia has received in recent years. They propose a bill similar to one introduced last session by Alan Powell (R-Hartwell), Rusty Kidd (I-Milledgeville) and Mark Hatfield (R-Waycross), which eliminated the need to collect petition signatures in order appear on the ballot. Such a bill would allow independent and "third party" candidates the same access to the ballot as their Republican and Democratic counterparts.

"Our focus is to make Georgia a better state," said Brett Bittner, the Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. "We see these areas as places to accomplish that. Lower taxes, more choices, and smaller government are issues from which every Georgian can benefit, and we're working to achieve those objectives in our focused efforts this legislative session."

The Party also notes that they support the sale of alcohol on Sundays and oppose enacting the health care legislation, passed last year by the Federal Government, in Georgia.

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

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Libertarian Party of Georgia Asks Republican Senators, "Why So Much Pork?"

This week, Congress contemplates passage of a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill. With many criticizing the inclusion of 6,488 earmarks just weeks after Senate Republicans self-imposed an earmark moratorium, the Libertarian Party of Georgia is asking Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss why they have 24 and 42 earmarks, respectively, in the proposed legislation.

In both the 2008 and 2010 re-election campaigns of the incumbent Senators, they stressed their fiscally conservative credentials during their respective campaigns against far more fiscally conservative Libertarian candidates Allen Buckley and Chuck Donovan. With a combined 66 earmarks, both Senators joined 33 other Republicans in packing the omnibus bill full of pork-barrel spending prior to the moratorium that both Chambliss and Isakson supported.

"My question to the Georgia Senators is this: Why, after running campaigns touting fiscal discipline and reducing Federal spending, are you back to 'business as usual?,'" said Brett Bittner, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. "Both Senators, along with their Republican colleagues, show us that they can 'talk the talk,' but they are unable to 'walk the walk.'"

While the self-imposed moratorium on earmarks is non-binding and did not pass as an amendment to S. 510, the recent food safety bill, the aversion to reducing federal spending on a small scale indicates that the Senate may not be taking the temporary earmark ban all that seriously.

"This is another example of our elected officials saying one thing to get elected, only to turn around and do the opposite once in office," stated Libertarian Party of Georgia Chairman, Daniel N. Adams. "I am curious to know how long this ruse will continue to be effective."

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

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Libertarian Party Of Georgia Candidates Raise The Bar This Election Year

Recently, a poll commissioned by 11 Alive, V-103, and WMAZ indicates that due to an all-time high in the percentages of voters surveyed, the Libertarian Party of Georgia is poised to have a banner year this election cycle, including achieving ballot access statewide for all partisan races. Gubernatorial candidate John Monds, the first African-American to appear on the General Election ballot for Governor, has doubled his support since the last poll released, gaining ground among younger likely voters and those affected by the barrage of negative campaign ads run by his Republican and Democratic opponents.

As the momentum continues to grow, the John Monds campaign increases in popularity. Election Day results of twenty percent or more for Mr. Monds will open up the ballot for all Libertarian candidates, allowing candidates to run for city and county non-partisan positions without the hurdles placed by the other two parties.

Other statewide candidates for office, including Chuck Donovan for U.S. Senate, Dan Barber for Lt. Governor, Kira Willis for State School Superintendent and Don Smart for Attorney General, are also polling at record breaking numbers. The polls also show that many, if not all, statewide races could end up in a run-off. In Georgia, candidates need to attain fifty percent of all votes plus one to be elected.

“On November 2nd, people can vote for their conscience and their principles, rather than settle for the choices that the other parties have given,” says Libertarian Party of Georgia Operations Director, Brett Bittner, “And should their first choice not make the run-off slated for November 30th, they can settle to choose the lesser of two evils.”

As seen in 2008, the Atlanta's recent mayoral race, this summer's primaries, run-off elections are becoming a more common occurrence for Georgians, and the Libertarians are positioned to be at the center of attention on and after Election Day. The vision for a Libertarian Georgia may be closer at hand than most might think or would care to admit.

Why the sudden surge and the increase of voter interest in the Libertarians candidates and their party? The change might possibly be explained by a number of factors, mainly this year the Libertarian Party has a full statewide slate of candidates for the first time in history. Voter dissatisfaction of the partisan attacks filled with the same old rhetoric without any action to back it up could be another reason. Perhaps it may well be the scandals that some candidates are facing. Whatever the reason may be, the Libertarian Party along with its candidates are all campaigning very well and seem to be attracting more voters daily.

Despite all the obstacles faced, the current slate of candidates certainly is keeping their opponents on their toes. The possibility of such success has the has the leadership of the Libertarian Party of Georgia elated and excited about their future outlook and the growth of “The Party of Principle.”

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