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Vermont Libertarian Party Convention 2008 |
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Come celebrate with like minded Vermonters on March 29 at the Orchid in South Burlington at the Vermont Libertarian Party state convention.
When: March 29, 2008, starts at 11:30 a.m. (registration starts at 11 a.m.)
Where: Orchid Restaurant, located at: 5 Market Street, South Burlington, VT 05403, Tel: (802) 658-3626
Cost: $7.95 per person, paid the day of the convention to the Orchid Restaurant.
To RSVP or more info contact: Jeremy Ryan, chair@vtlp.org, (802) 865-0111.
Current Schedule:
MORNING SESSION
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11:00 a.m. Registration Opens
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11:30 a.m. Party Business
- Chair's Welcome
- Nomination of Delegates to the National Convention
- Adoption of VTLP 2008 Platform (current platform)
- Member/ Candidates Presentations
- Other party business
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12:30 p.m. Break
AFTERNOON SESSION
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12:30 p.m. Luncheon
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1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Guest Speakers:
- Frank Bryan, Libertarian-Green Alliances (more information)
- Tom Licata, Vermonters for Economic Health (more information)
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3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Social Hour
Reservations: Seating for meeting/lunch is by reservation only. Reservation may be placed with Jeremy Ryan by calling (802) 865-0111 or emailing chair@vtlp.org. The price is $7.95 per person paid on the day of the convention directly to the Orchid Restaurant The $7.95 price includes buffet lunch and usage of meeting space for the convention.
Directions: The Orchid Restaurant is located at: 5 Market Street, South Burlington, VT 05403. From US-2/Williston Rd, Turn right at Dorset St. Turn left at Market St. For more detailed directions please try maps.google.com. The phone number for the Orchid is (802) 658-3626. |
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Posted
by: Jeremy Ryan
Date/Time:
3/10/2008 9:58:07 AM
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Vermont Libertarian Party Reorganizes, Elects New Leadership |
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I'm pleased to announce that the Vermont Libertarian Party has successfully reorganized! We held our biannual reorganization meeting on Saturday, Dec 22 in Burlington.
Delegates at the meeting elected Jeremy Ryan of Burlington as Vermont Party Chair, John Christensen of West Glover as Vice-Chair, Glyn Wilkinson of Burlington as Secretary, Heavenly Ryan of Burlington as Treasurer, and Benjamin Mayer of Burlington as Assistant Treasurer.
For a complete list and contact information of officers and town chairs please go to the following url:
http://vtlp.org/main/organization.asp
If you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact me.
In liberty,
Jeremy Ryan
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Vermont Libertarian Party
http://www.vtlp.org
PO Box 5475 - Burlington, VT 05402-5475
(802) 865-0111 - chair@vtlp.org |
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Posted
by: Jeremy Ryan
Date/Time:
1/4/2008 6:42:45 PM
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State Committee Meeting |
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We have scheduled a State Committee Meeting...
** When: Saturday, 12/22, 1pm
** Where: Burlington: Fletcher Free Library, Pickering Room
** Contact: Jeremy Ryan, chair@vtlp.org, 802-865-0111
** Agenda: We will elect a new State Committee (Chair, Vice Chair,vSecretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer). We need 5 people to participate in order to finalize the caucus for this year and remain a party.
Please RSVP if you intend to participate. |
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Posted
by: Jeremy Ryan
Date/Time:
12/20/2007 9:52:36 AM
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Time to Caucus |
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Dear Vermonter,
It's time for all parties in Vermont to reform their town committees. The Vermont Libertarian Party will hold its town caucuses on September 26. If you are interested forming a town committee in your town, then contact me asap so I can send you the forms you need and
the directions.
We hope to be adding some new towns, but we also will be losing some town committees as people move so you help is vital in making sure we can easily put presidential, statewide, and local candidates on the ballot to give Vermonters a choice of lower taxes, less government,
and more freedom.
Caucusing is simple to do, but there are some laws that must be followed. For example, you need to post a notice in two places in your town at least 5 days in advance of your caucus, and if you have more than 1000 people in your town, then the notice must also appear in your local paper.
-- Hardy Macia
802-238-3437
Chair, Vermont Libertarian Party
http://www.vtlp.org/ |
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
9/12/2007 7:11:17 PM
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Friedman Quote |
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The free market is the only mechanism that has ever been discovered for achieving participatory democracy. -- Milton Friedman in the Introduction to the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition of The Road to Serfdom |
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
8/1/2007 10:24:25 AM
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Milton Friedman Anniversary Celebration |
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 Join Us for a Celebration of
the Life and Ideas of
Dr. Milton Friedman
on the 95th Anniversary of his Birth
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Social Hour 6 p.m. - Dinner at 7 p.m.
Windjammer Restaurant
S. Burlington, Vermont
Dr Milton Friedman, a former resident of Ely, Vermont and Nobel Laureate in Economics, was a great champion of human freedom. At this celebration of his life and ideas, you'll hear from
Bill Sayre, former Federal Reserve economist: "Learning Economics from Professor Friedman".
Dr. Jim Gatti, Professor of Finance, UVM College of Business: "Milton Friedman's Contribution to Monetary Economics"
Chris Robbins, Vermont State Board of Education: "Milton Friedman and School Choice"
John McClaughry, one-time chair of the National Council Against Compulsory Service: "Milton Friedman and the Volunteer Military"
Reservations (by July 28) are essential. Please reserve your seat by calling or emailing the Ethan Allen Institute. The price is $30, and you may pay in advance or at the door. |
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
7/12/2007 7:55:27 AM
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Washington Times Article: Libertarian Ranks up 18% |
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http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/NATION/107100051/1001
Libertarian Party ranks up 18% in '07
By Elizabeth Miller
July 10, 2007
Polls show that fewer Americans are calling themselves Republicans or Democrats and the number of Americans unaffiliated with either party has reached an all-time high — good news for Libertarians, say officials of the nation's third-largest party.
The Libertarian Party has had an 18 percent increase in membership since January, said Shane Cory, executive director of the Libertarian National Committee.
More Americans are joining the Libertarian Party because they are "disillusioned with typical party politics and are looking for a change," Mr. Cory said.
"What we're seeing recently is Republicans and Democrats are only interested in maintaining their own power," he said. "You have Republicans standing by their president during this occupation in Iraq while Democrats sit idly by and watch the Republicans self-destruct."
A survey released last month by Rasmussen Reports found that a record share of Americans, 32.9 percent, identified themselves as neither Republican nor Democrat.
The Rasmussen poll — conducted in May with a sample of 15,000 adults — found that the percentage identifying themselves as Republicans (30.8 percent) dropped for the fourth consecutive month, while the percentage of Democrats (36.3 percent) decreased for the third straight month, following trends that began for Republicans in the middle of 2005 and Democrats in January 2006.
Mr. Cory said the number of Americans rejecting the Republican and Democratic parties will continue to grow.
"They're looking for a change and a shift," Mr. Cory said. "They're sick of same old politics as usual and are looking for a viable alternative, and we're that viable alternative."
Libertarians are known as advocating a free market, nonintervention in foreign policy, and small government that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. About 250,000 Americans are registered with the Libertarian Party, officials say.
"Several things set us apart," Mr. Cory said. "People try to pigeonhole us into being opposed to the war on drugs, which we are, but we're the only party out there advocating our promise of smaller taxes, smaller government and more freedom."
Mr. Cory said the Libertarian Party's numbers began increasing in January, when Democrats took control of Congress.
"We were actually a bit worried about that, whenever Dems took control, simply because we thought the left will be placated by this and they'll think their people will be in power and make everything right," Mr. Cory said. "But I think [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and others have shown they don't have the backbone to bring the troops home."
Democratic Party officials did not respond to requests for comment. Tracey Schmitt, press secretary for the Republican National Committee, said "despite the difficult political environment, people continue to be attracted to the fundamental ideals of the Republican Party."
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
7/10/2007 3:57:26 PM
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ACLU To Host Drug Policy Conference June 7 |
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ACLU To Host Drug Policy Conference June 7
MONTPELIER - Vermont spends considerable resources fighting substance
abuse - enforcing drug laws, treating those addicted, and educating
young people. While the "war on drugs" has been waged for many years,
some question whether much headway is being made.
"Drug Policies - Are We Taking The Right Approach?" is the topic of a
day-long conference Thursday, June 7 in Montpelier sponsored by the
American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont.
Speakers will include Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand,
who advocates a new approach in the "war on drugs," and former
Middlebury President John McCardell, whose "Choose Responsibility"
group believes the 21-year-old drinking age law isn't working.
A series of panels will discuss the speakers' ideas as well as offer
their own insights on state and federal drug laws.
Panelists will include Assistant U.S. Attorney William Darrow,
Vermont Bar Association Director of Education and Communication Kevin
Ryan, and Barre Mayor Thomas Lauzon.
The conference is designed for citizens, community leaders,
policy-makers, law enforcement officers, legislators, academics,
counselors, and attorneys. Lawyers may earn 4.5 hours of Continuing
Legal Education credits by attending.
More information is available at http://www.acluvt.org/ or by calling
the ACLU at 223-6304.
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
6/6/2007 8:15:08 AM
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VT House Committee passes Medical Marijuna Enchancement Bill |
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From MPP
The Vermont House Committee on Human Services voted 10-1 yesterday in favor of S.7. The bill now goes to the House Committee on Judiciary, which will schedule hearings shortly. The Senate already overwhelmingly passed S.7 on March 1.
If you have not already done so, please take action now and write a letter to the editor of your local paper. The opinion page is one of the most read parts of the newspaper, and legislators often look to the opinion pages to see where their constituents stand on an issue. It’s imperative that they see supportive letters.
If you are a medical marijuana patient who does not currently qualify under the medical marijuana law or who finds the plant limits insufficient, and you are interested in helping to expand the law, please contact me by e-mailing Zane@mpp.org. If you are a medical professional, a law enforcement official, or a clergy member, you can also be of special help.
Then, if you have not already done so, please send a letter to your representatives urging them to support the medical marijuana bills. We have several pre-written letters available for you, but a personally crafted letter is much more effective. Please take a moment to personalize your letter before sending it. If you need additional information about medical marijuana, you can use some material from our library.
Vermont's law is currently very restrictive, both in terms of qualifying conditions and amount of medical marijuana plants patients can cultivate. Currently, only patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, or multiple sclerosis qualify for Vermont's medical marijuana program. S.7 will add serious conditions that cause nausea, wasting, chronic pain, or seizures to the law. Additionally, this compassionate legislation will increase the number of plants that a patient in the program may possess, because the current limits are not adequate for patients. It also reduces the program registration fee from $100 to $50.
Please take action now to enact this compassionate bill: If you have not done so already, please write your state legislators and submit a letter to the editor of one or more local newspapers. Then, ask your friends and family to do the same. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. |
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
4/18/2007 5:06:12 PM
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Seven Myths about Taxes |
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Seven Myths about Taxes for April 15th
1.) “I didn’t pay any taxes this year!” This irritating myth, often uttered around in early April, stems from a confusion between one’s tax burden throughout the year—and any additional taxes one must pay by April 15th if they didn’t pay enough earlier in the year. “I didn’t pay” usually means “I didn’t have to pay any more to Uncle Sam on Tax Day”.
2.) “No, I really didn’t have a tax burden this year!” That’s certainly possible. Many lower-income and lower-middle class folk don’t pay federal income taxes—especially if they have children. Federal income taxes are paid almost exclusively by those in the upper half of earned income. But that’s at the Federal level. What about state and local income taxes? In Indiana and Kentucky, many hard-working people in the lower income brackets have to cough up money to support state government—including many below the poverty line.
3.) “No, I didn’t pay any state or local income taxes either.” Well, you don’t make much money then! In any case, you still paid a significant tax on your income—through the payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare. No wage income is exempted and there are no deductions, so the 15.3% flat tax is applied to every dollar you earn (up to a cap of nearly $94,200 in 2006). About 80% of wage earners lose more to this tax on income than its far more famous cousin, “the income tax”.
4.) “OK, but the employer pays half of that tax, right?” Not quite. Firms are often able to shift the burden of taxation. Who do you think pays the tax on gasoline? The tax is imposed on firms and they cut a check to the government, but they easily pass on that burden to consumers through higher prices. In a similar manner, firms pass on the cost of the Social Security tax to workers through lower wages.
5.) “Well, at least the corporations are paying their share.” Yes and no. Again, companies will pass the burden to consumers as much as the market allows. Beyond that, a corporation is made up of people—so the extent to which the burden remains with the firm, it will be shared by workers and owners/shareholders. Many taxes start with corporations but are transmitted to consumers, workers, and shareholders: sales taxes on most items and special taxes on everything from cigarettes to liquor, from telephones to recreational vehicles. And don’t forget about tariffs—taxes on all sorts of foreign-produced goods.
6.) “Well, taxes could be worse.” Yes—and they probably will be. Whatever one thinks of current taxes, things are actually worse because of government debt and unfunded mandates. Debt must be repaid—and government debt must be repaid through higher future taxes. Unfunded mandates like Social Security and Medicare (tens of trillions of dollars in promised payments) must be paid through future taxes—or defaulted upon. So, save up now—and support politicians who courageously address these difficult topics!
7.) “Of all tax reforms, the flat income tax would be the worst since it’s regressive.” Nope. The flat income tax has a number of merits, including the elimination of “loopholes” and greatly reducing the amount of time spent filling out forms. Beyond that, a flat tax is at least proportional—the same marginal tax rate is applied above some exempted income level. Or using the common definition, a flat tax is progressive; the average tax rate would rise as income increases.
Assume a tax system with a 20% marginal tax rate applied to all income earned above $30,000. Someone earning $30,000 would pay no taxes—a 0% average tax rate. Someone earning $40,000 would have $10,000 in taxable income (above the $30,000 of exempted income), pay $2,000 in taxes, and face a 5% average tax rate. Someone earning $100,000 would have $70,000 in taxable income, pay $14,000 in taxes, and face a 14% average tax rate.
Imagine how much easier life could be with a less complex and burdensome tax system. Or maybe you should let your imagination roam after you finish filling out your 1040s this year. It might be too frustrating to think about until your task is done.
D. Eric Schansberg
Professor of Economics, Indiana University (New Albany)
Adjunct Scholar, Indiana Policy Review
Author, Turn Neither to the Right nor to the Left: A Thinking Christian’s Guide to Politics and Public Policy
Reposted from our friend's blog at http://lpinscr.blogspot.com/2007/04/schansberg-on-seven-myths-about-taxes.html |
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Posted
by: Hardy Machia
Date/Time:
4/15/2007 5:02:39 PM
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