Crazy for Liberty

Gary Johnson: Let's get America moving again

Doug Craig — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:03:40 GMT

JOHNSON: Let's get America moving again
Replacing income and capital-gains taxes with Fair-tax is a good place to start

By Gary Johnson - The Washington Times Thursday, February 2, 2012

With the real unemployment rate probably well above 10 percent, we have to, as President Kennedy said, "get America moving again." When I visited Occupy Wall Street, I felt the frustration of young people who wanted to work but couldn't get an interview, much less a job. What's even more frustrating is that when I visit business owners and employers, I meet people who want to hire, but can't.

Capitalism requires capital. When government robs capital from investors in the form of high taxes, it takes away the money that creates jobs - real private-sector jobs that contribute to the health of our economy. The businessmen I meet want to expand, want to hire and think they can find a market for what they sell, but they lack capital.

Meanwhile, the federal government is spending us deeper and deeper into debt while we shell out billions in foreign aid we can no longer afford and trillions more for foreign wars in which our national interest is just not apparent to me.

Republicans and Democrats have both failed to respond to this reality. In order to create jobs now, we need radical surgery, not a haircut. Here I present a simple but drastic economic plan to foster a boom in America.

First, we need to get rid of the income tax. When our first great Supreme Court justice, John Marshall, equated the power to tax and the power to destroy, he was predicting what's happening to our country right now. Giant, slow corporations spend their money on lobbying because tax avoidance is where their profit is. General Electric earned $14.2 billion in 2010 and paid zero taxes on it. Why? Because it has the lobbyists to get subsidies and tax breaks.

But those mom-and-pop stores? The tech startups? The nimble new corporations with new ideas and new visions for our economy? They pay as much as 35 cents on every dollar they earn. When the company pays its employees, the government taxes that money again. We need to stop taxing work, savings and investment. I advocate removing all income taxes, all capital-gains taxes, and replacing them with a consumption tax, kind of a national sales tax called the Fair-tax.

We also need to get rid of payroll taxes. Look at it from the perspective of employers for a moment. When they want to hire someone, it costs more than just the wage they're paying. They have to pay payroll taxes, including for Social Security and Medicare. That cost is about 10 percent of the wages they pay an employee. Remove that burden, and employers will be able to hire 10 percent more people. With an unemployment rate of 10 percent, why wouldn't we jump at this chance? The Fair-tax replaces employment and payroll taxes.

So how does Fair-tax fund the government? When anyone purchases a new good or service for personal consumption, be it a DVD or a yacht, the person is taxed. Fair-tax doesn't tax used goods or business-to-business purchases.

Some think the Fair-tax is regressive, but in fact it's progressive - taxing the wealthy more than the poor. Fair-tax issues a "prebate" for families to spend on food, clothing, transportation, medical care or whatever they want to spend it on - it's their money. Undocumented immigrants will pay their taxes if they want to buy anything. They need a Social Security card to receive a prebate, so the incentive is for immigrants to get themselves on the books as fast as possible.

At the same time, I have proposed cutting the federal budget by 43 percent to bring it into balance. It can be done. It requires the will and ability to ignore and even fight the special interests that have a vested interest in more and more government spending. Our system is corrupted by special-interest campaign contributions. Crony capitalism permeates our government. The result is that, as the Congressional Budget Office reported this week, the deficit for 2012 will once again exceed $1 trillion.

When I was governor of New Mexico, I had the highest job growth of any of the 50 governors. But I didn't create a single job - businesses did. I just got government out of their way. We have an unprecedented opportunity to use today's crisis to return us to economic growth and prosperity. Never before has the government been such an obstacle to employment. Republicans and Democrats have regulated and taxed our economy to where we're lagging behind Brazil, Russia, China, Israel and India in terms of growth and innovation.

Government can't grow us out of this mess - government is the problem. Radical tax reform and spending discipline can bring America back. Let's get America working again.

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

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Momentum is building for Constitutional Carry but we need you help.

Doug Craig — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:43:21 GMT

Dear Georgia patriot, 

Momentum is building for Constitutional Carry, but we have a long hard battle ahead of us. The politicians under the Gold Dome in Atlanta aren’t going to make this fight for liberty easy!

Because of the pressure applied by grassroots activists like you, the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012 (H.B. 679) now has four co-sponsors in addition to the bill’s original sponsor, Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine). Now the real work begins.

As I mentioned in the last update, House ‘leadership’ tried to derail our efforts by assigning the bill to the Public Safety and Homeland Security committee instead of the Judiciary Non-Civil committee where all other 2nd Amendment related bills have been assigned.

But we will not back down or be cast aside so easily.

That is why I am asking you to keep the pressure up and please contact the House Public Safety and Homeland Security chairwoman, Ann Purcell, and ask her to schedule hearings for H.B. 679 as soon as possible:
Rep. Ann Purcell - ann.purcell@house.ga.gov
Capitol Office: (404) 656-5139
District Office: (478) 374-4316
We also want to send a clear message to the other Representatives that you have already been contacting: As someone who claims fidelity to the 2nd Amendment, you need to co-sponsor the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012!
Please contact each of these Representatives and ask them:  “Why haven’t you co-sponsored the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012?”

    Rep. Mark Hatfield - mhatfield@wayxcable.com
    (404) 656-0109 | (912) 285-1675
    Rep. Rich Golick - rich.golick@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-5943 | (770) 319-7200 | (770) 444-3224
    Rep. Wendell Willard - wendell.willard@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-5125 | (770) 392-0676 | (770) 481-7100
    Rep. Alex Atwood - alex.atwood@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0152 | (912) 265-5515
    Rep. Doug Collins - doug.collins@house.ga.gov
    (404) 651-7737
    Rep. Christian Coomer - christian.coomer@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0109 | (770) 383-9171
    Rep. Sharon Cooper - sharon.cooper@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-5069 | (770) 956-8357
    Rep. B.J. Pak - bj.pak@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0254 | (478) 953-4557
    Rep. Matt Ramsey - matt.ramsey@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-7146 | (706) 632-2221
    Rep. Ed Setzler - ed.setzler@house.ga.gov
    (404) 656-0177 | (770) 420-0520 | (678) 290-6572 

Yours in Liberty,


Nathan Adams
Interim State Coordinator
Georgia Campaign for Liberty

P.S. Don’t forget to sign our Constitutional Carry petition and share this email with all of  your friends and family in Georgia.

P.P.S. Contact Representative Ann Purcell at (404) 656-5139 and demand public hearings on the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2012.

This message was intended for: doug@vikingmetals.com

Gary Johnson : Is your Library Card Really Yours? Repeal The patriot Act Now.

Doug Craig — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:02:32 GMT

IS YOUR LIBRARY CARD REALLY YOURS?

REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT NOW!

You’ve seen the quote from Benjamin Franklin: “‘Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

The bifocal eyeglasses Franklin created must have been pretty powerful – powerful enough to let him see more than 200 years into the future to the day when Congress would enact the Patriot Act.

Though we all can understand that Congress, in the wake of 9-11, felt compelled to do something, I think we have all come to understand that the Patriot Act, rather than providing that safety Benjamin Franklin spoke of, has turned out to be a very real threat to essential liberty.

That’s why I took the opportunity last night in remarks to a national conference of the ACLU to call for the immediate repeal of the Patriot Act. You can read my remarks here: Gary Johnson: Repeal Patriot Act Now.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, were horrific, infuriating and tragic. Everyone understands that. But throughout history, the federal government has responded to attacks and threats by saying, “If only we had more power, we could…..”.

Ten years later, we can clearly see that the Patriot Act was a perfect example of that classic reaction, and with the exception of the folks in Congress and the Administration, we can all see with equal clarity that this law (as well as some others we could mention) is arguably as great a threat to liberty as were the terrorists who were at the controls of the airliners on 9-11.

Where is the patriotism in a law that let’s the government monitor our cell phones because we might know someone who might know someone who might be associated with a group that might be supporting terrorists?? Where is the security in a law that gives the government permission to keep track of our library visits and book store purchases, not to mention bank transactions?? And where is the common sense in a law that grants powers so onerous the government feels compelled to promise they won’t really use them??

I’ll make a prediction right now: In the general election campaign for president later this year, you will not hear either President Obama or the Republican nominee talking about the Patriot Act – or the fundamental rights it tramples. They won’t be talking about it because they WANT THE POWER it provides. And if, by chance, they do mention it, they will tell us we just don’t understand, that there are secrets we don’t know, and we should just trust them.

Right. If you share my doubts about trusting them, please go Here.

Questioning the Patriot Act – and in fact demanding its repeal – is just one of many vital debates that won’t happen in this year’s campaign for President if OUR voice isn’t heard. Someone has to be on the stage asking the question: Why does the government need more power to intrude on our basic rights? With your help, that ‘someone’ will be me – speaking and questioning on behalf of you and millions of other Americans who really, really care about freedom, liberty and making government smaller, rather than bigger.

But I won’t be on that stage without your help. In the past week alone, I have appeared on Fox, MSNBC, NY1, and numerous other national news outlets pounding the message of liberty. Today I am in Florida doing the same.

I’m delivering the message, and people are listening. The key is simply to reach more people. For that, your financial support is the essential ingredient. We have to reach beyond and around the traditional and elite media to reach real people who are ready to join us if given the opportunity. They are out there. Just last night, the room wasn’t large enough to hold the crowd who wanted to talk with me about civil liberties and individual freedom.

The next few weeks are critical. Please offer your support today by going to garyjohnson2012.com and making a contribution. It will be used carefully to make sure real freedom and real liberty are on the ballot in 2012.

Your friendship and support are very important to me. We have come a long way together – and we have an amazing journey ahead of us!

Thanks,

Gary

P.S. Trivia question: What candidate for president scored better than Barack Obama AND Ron Paul on the ACLU’s 2012 Liberty Watch report ?

We need your help to fight for liberty. Please show your support with a generous contribution today. Donate Here.

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

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Gary Johnson is a complete Badass

Doug Craig — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:03:24 GMT

Gary Johnson is a Complete Badass

We don't talk much about politics here, I think mostly because we're apathetic and/or disillusioned. There are precisely two politicians I genuinely think would be appropriate leaders of our fair country. One of them is the highly polarizing Ron Paul. No, I do not think he's the second coming of Jesus, and I definitely don't approve of his views on church and state or abortion. But overall, there's probably not a more sincere, consistent and honest politician that actually has a chance at becoming president.

The other is the largely unknown former governor of New Mexico: Gary Johnson. A young, active, perhaps more progressive version of Ron Paul, Johnson has gained notoriety (and respect) for having climbed Mts. Everest, Elbrus, McKinley and Kilimanjaro, performing impressive 140+ mile triathlons, and a 100 mile run through the Rocky Mountains. He also survived a 50 foot fall from a paragliding accident and treated his pain with medicinal marijuana.

No, he is not a myth, though he might sound too good to be true. He is highly vocal about his disdain for the War on Drugs, specifically the War on Marijuana. In fact, he has been firmly (and loudly) of this opinion as far back as 1999, long before the argument was part of public discourse.

Nowadays, he is trying to gain footing to stage a serious presidential run, likely in 2016. Just today an op-ed piece authored by none other than Johnson was published in Big Government - a strictly right-leaning website. In the article Johnson argues for the end of the War on Drugs, citing the fiscal, social and international benefits that could come with it. And... well, I'll let you read it for yourself:

READ MORE http://stonerculture.com/2012/01/garyjohnsonisacompletebadass/

The State of the Union is Still a State of War

Doug Craig — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:17:40 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The State of the Union is Still a State of War

by R. Lee Wrights

BURNET, Texas (Jan. 27) - A year ago, after President Barack Obama's State of the Union message I wrote an op-ed entitled "The State of the Union is a State of War." Lamentably, a year later, after his 2012 address I am compelled to write that the State of the Union is still a state of war. And there's no sign that the wars will come to an end anytime soon, particularly so long as Democrats, Republicans, and their corporate and special interest supporters keep using our tax dollars to fund these wars so that they can benefit and profit.

President Obama used the word "fair" and "reward" several times in his speech. His vision of "fair" is to "fight obstruction with action," by taking from those who produce and giving that money as a "reward" to those who produce nothing. His idea of "fair" is to "reward companies that keep jobs in America" by taxing companies that try to stay in business by outsourcing jobs overseas. His view of "fair" means "reward" schools that meet federally-imposed education standards by threatening to withhold money from schools that fail to do so. His concept of "fair" means forcing states to keep young people in school until they graduate or turn eighteen.

While piously declaring that there would be "no bailouts, no handouts, and no cop-outs," the president's address was full of promises and pledges, threats and offers of reward that are precisely some sort of bailout, handout or cop-out. His standard line was to demand Congress "send me a bill," but threatened, "with or without this Congress I will keep taking action..." For some reason that old saying, “the blind leading the blind” comes immediately to mind when I hear our president say things like that.

President Obama repeated the grandiose nonsense that has tainted American foreign policy since World War II, the hubristic absurdity that the United States is the one indispensable nation in world affairs. Even while acknowledging that Washington is broken and that Americans have lost faith and trust in government, all President Obama could offer was more interference and government mandates as solutions to the problems government itself has created. His latest gem: "smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior." Government is not just broken. It is running out of control, destroying our lives, our liberty, our security and our livelihood.

In short, the 2012 State of the Union address was just another campaign speech, at its core the same speech President Obama has been giving since he took office. There were two very revealing moments in this iteration, however. The first came when he quoted Abraham Lincoln, who said, “government should only do for people what they can't do for themselves, and no more.” Yet his entire speech was a typical laundry list of what government must do for people.

The other moment once again clearly illustrated President Obama's statist view of government. He said that we must change the tax code so that "people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay their fair share in taxes." Was the president admitting that he does not pay his fair share? If so, what prevents him from giving some of his wealth to charity - or to the federal government?

In his distorted understanding of economics, when anyone, but especially the rich get a tax break or pay less in taxes, someone else has to pay the difference or the supposed shortfall adds to the debt. His assumption, typical of most Democrats and Republicans, is the government is "owed" a portion of the fruits of our labor. It never occurs to him that perhaps the government has no business taking money from people who earn it in the first place. He never thinks that the solution is to stop government spending and stop robbing Peter to pay Paul.

He and other members of the ruling elite can only see the economy as a pie, with only so much to go around. If one person gets "more," someone has to do with "less." It never occurs to them that the free market is like a bakery that can produce many pies, and bigger pies, and different kinds of pies so that everyone has their fill.

And as he did a year ago, President Obama made passing reference to the trials and sacrifices his interventionist foreign policy demands of the men and women in our Armed Forces. He shamelessly cites their example of courage, selflessness and teamwork as a prop to support his programs of more spending, higher taxes, and more war. Our president doesn't seem to realize that the way to reward such sacrifice by our men and women in uniform is to keep them out of harm's way unless absolutely necessary. As Commander-in-Chief I would take care that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are never sent on interventionist adventures in the first place.

Thomas Jefferson, our third president, thought that the sight of the President of the United States appearing before Congress to make a speech smacked of monarchy, reminiscent of the British king's Speech from the Throne. Rejecting this monarchical display, he simply sent a written report to Congress to fulfill the Constitutional requirement. Every president until Woodrow Wilson followed his example. If I have the honor of being elected, I will return to Jefferson's idea and cease this grandiose and wasteful display of meaningless pomp and circumstance.

R. Lee Wrights, 53, a libertarian writer and political activist, is seeking the presidential nomination because he believes the Libertarian message in 2012 must be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war. To that end he has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be spent for ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states. Wrights is a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party and co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., he now lives and works in Texas.

Lee Wrights for President
Contact: Brian Irving, press secretary
press@wrights2012.com
919.538.4548

The Libertarian Party of Georgia To Host Presidential Debate

Doug Craig — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:35:42 GMT

Contact: Doug Harman
(706) 424-3984
doug.harman@lpgeorgia.com

The Libertarian Party of Georgia To Host Presidential Debate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Who: Libertarian Party of Georgia and 2012 Presidential Candidates
What: Presidential Debate At The 2012 Annual State Convention
Where: The Georgia Center Conference Center & Hotel (on the campus of the
University of Georgia):
1197 South Lumpkin Street
Athens, GA 30602

When: Saturday, February 25th at 3:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time

The Libertarian Party is Georgia’s third largest political party and the only party in Georgia promoting fewer taxes, less government and personal liberty for all Georgians. To learn more, please visit www.LPGeorgia.com.

Libertarian Party nation convention draft schedule (May 2-6)

Doug Craig — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:31:01 GMT

DRAFT *** 2012 LP Convention Schedule
SUBJECT TO CHANGE – DRAFT DATE 1/16/12

Wednesday, May 2nd
8:00a-5:00p Free Candidate Training Workshop
TBD Credentials Committee Meeting
TBD Bylaws and Rules Committee Meeting
TBD Platform Committee Meeting
TBD LNC Meeting
TBD Registration Opens
6:00p-8:00p Welcome Reception

Thursday, May 3rd
9:00a Business Session Call to Order
9:00a-3:00p Business Session (Credentials Committee Report, Officer Reports,
Keynote Speaker, Bylaws Committee Report)
3:00p-5:00p Breakout Sessions (no overlapping business in main hall)
5:00p-6:00p LSLA Business Session
6:00p-8:00p Torch Club Reception

Friday, May 4th
9:00a-3:00p Business Session (Platform Committee Report)
3:00p-5:00p Breakout Sessions (no overlapping business in main hall)
6:00p-8:00p Presidential Candidate Debate

Saturday, May 5th
9:00a-5:00p Business Session (Presidential Nomination, Vice-Presidential
Nomination, LNC Elections Begin)
6:00p-7:00p Pre-Banquet Reception
7:00p-9:00p Presidential Banquet

Sunday, May 6th
8:30a-2:00p Business Session (finish LNC Elections, Judicial Committee
elections)
TBD LNC Meeting

Gary Johnson, Libertarian for President responds to President Obama’s State of Union speech

Doug Craig — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:41:48 GMT

Gary Johnson, Libertarian for President responds to President Obama’s State of Union speech

As posted on the Libertarian Republican by Eric Dondero:

January 25th, 2012

GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON ON THE SOTU: ONLY IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE THAT IS WASHINGTON…

January 24, 2012, New York, NY –Former New Mexico Governor and current presidential candidate Gary Johnson released the following statement in reaction to the President’s State of the Union address:

“If the idea tonight was that the President would fulfill his constitutional duty to give us ‘information of the State of the Union’, we should be able to expect some truth. I didn’t hear much truth. Truth is that the real unemployment rate is probably still above 10%. Truth is that after all the hand-wringing and deals of the past couple of years, instead of cutting spending, the President and Congress are going back to the well for another $1.2 Trillion debt limit increase. And the truth is we are seeing nothing from either the President or the Republicans that will really change any of those unacceptable realities.

“Only in the twilight zone that is Washington could a President who has bailed out and stimulated our economy to death stand in the Capitol and declare there should be ‘no bailouts, no handouts, and no cop-outs’. Can anyone spell GM or TARP or Solyndra?

“The President said we deserve a government that plays by the same rules as millions of hard-working Americans. Perhaps that should begin with the government not borrowing and printing 43 cents of every dollar it spends – something hard-working Americans can’t and don’t do.

“Until we see a real plan – not a Washington smoke and mirrors plan – that puts a stop to deficit spending and really puts America back to work, all of this rhetoric is just wasted breath.”

####

For more information, please visit www.garyjohnson2012.com.

Update from Gary Johnson (from his website)

Doug Craig — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:58:39 GMT

Friends,

It is a busy week for me in New York, with multiple appearances on Fox, MSNBC, and NY1 - Time Warner's 4.5 million viewer news channel.

Take a few minutes to watch my interview with NY1. A great, wide-ranging conversation on the issues we care about.

Thanks,

Gary Johnson
WATCH VIDEO
NY1 Online: Libertarian Gary Johnson Makes Case for White House
By: Inside City Hall

Visit Governor Johnson's website http://www.garyjohnson2012.com

Libertarian party of Georgia 2012 State Convention

Doug Craig — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:59:05 GMT

:

Libertarian Party of Georgia 2012 State Convention

Friday & Saturday, February 24th and 25th, 2012***

If you have not yet registered for the convention, please do so right away.

We have a lot of great things going on with the Convention this year:

We are having a Cocktail "Mixer" Friday evening, Feb 24th, at Highwire Lounge downtown in Athens, featuring a special cask conditioned ale.

The cask was brewed by Chairman Daniel Adams, Region 2 Rep Doug Harman, Athens LP member Kip Earnhart and Wild Heaven Brewery brewmaster Eric Johnson. Naming priviledges for the beer will be raffled off at the event!

Rumor has it there will be a special guest or two at the Mixer.

We will have several tables set up in the vendor/information area including, but not limited to:

The Advocates for Self Government
Foundation for Economic Education
Young Americans For Liberty - UGA
Project Appleseed
Georgia Carry. Org
Liberty's Line In the Sand
Know Stealing
Laissez Faire Books
Athens-Area Libertarian Party

After the business section of the Convention on the 25th, we will hear from the following speakers:

Stefan Molyneux - Freedomain Radio (via webcast)
Duncan Berry - Applied Iconology
Brian Brawdy - Author, "Liberty's Line In The Sand"
Page Pate - Attorney, The Pate Law Firm
Rich Sullivan - Radio Personality, DAVE FM 92.9
Jake Lilley - Project Appleseed
Jeff Edgens - Political Science Professor @ East Georgia College
Sharon Harris** - The Advocates for Self-Government

Following the afternoon speakers we will hold a presidential candidate debate* featuring:

*All announced candidates for the LP Nomination have been invited.
** Mrs. Harris will serve as the moderator for the debate.

A banquet dinner will follow featuring a keynote address from Jeffrey A. Tucker - CEO Laissez Faire Books and author of "It's a Jetson's World: Private Miracles and Public Crimes" and "Bourbon for Breakfast: Living Outside the Statist Quo"

If you are planning to stay at the UGA Hotel and Convention Center during the Convention, please book your rooms as soon as possible. We have a block of rooms with special rates for the LP, but they are only being held until January 25th. After the 25th, the rooms will be released to the general public. Please visit www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/cch to book your room now, using room block code 73338.

This is your convention!

Plan to attend.

Invite others to attend as well.

If you plan to attend ONLY the morning Business Session, there is no cost, however registration is required. Click here to register.

I'm looking forward to seeing you February 24th and 25th in Athens. To register for more than the Business Session, please click here. If you would like to register by mail please click here.

This week's G.L.O. will appear in your inbox later this week.

*|EBMAP:400|*

Attend Event

Gary Johnson Discusses Presidential Bid

Doug Craig — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:21:57 GMT

Gary Johnson Discusses Presidential Bid

Former Republican New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for president, running on a platform supporting same-sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, and ending our wars overseas.

http://www.capitaltonight.com/2012/01/gary-johnson-discusses-presidential-bid/

Gary Johnson wins Manhattan straw poll

Doug Craig — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:58:43 GMT

Manhattan Libertarian Party
Manhattan Libertarian Convention – SUCCESS!
Published on January 22nd, 2012 by Adam
The Manhattan Libertarian Party was a great success yesterday on the 21st!
Not only did we have over 60 attendees and over a dozen new members, but the featured speakers were amazing. Jim Babb of We Won’t Fly kicked off the meeting with a speech about how the TSA is a great example of state force followed by Carl Oberg of FEE who spoke of the living a principled life for liberty.
Candidates running to be the Presidential Candidate on the Libertarian ticket, were (as appear in the photo from left to right) Gary Johnson, Carl Person, RJ Harris, and Bill Still. They each gave brief statements of why they’d be the best candidate for liberty in 2012 and then fielded an array of questions ranging from their thoughts on Ron Paul to their management style, plans for drumming up extra media attention, immigration and beyond!
At the end of the event, Gary Johnson won the Manhattan LP Straw Poll with over 50% of those present polling in his favor. Points that curried favor with the crowd were the fact that Gary Johnson vetoed over 700 pieces of legislation while Governor of New Mexic0 (more than all other governor’s combined) and is a self made entrepreneur who started his career as a self-employed handyman but grew his business into a company that employed over 1000 people. RJ Harris was the runner up whose background in the Army National Guard provided unique insight into American Foreign Policy.
The meeting began at 11AM where, Ron Moore, Former Chair of the Manhattan LP conducted the election of new officers. The new officers of the Manhattan Libertarian Party are: Janet Hopf, Chair; Mark Axinn, Treasurer; Adam Weissman, Media Director; Alton Yee, Fundraising Director; and Ron Moore, Membership Director.

Visit Governor Johnson's website http://www.garyjohnson2012.com

Paid for by Gary Johnson 2012Contributions or gifts to Gary Johnson 2012 are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes.

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Update on new Gun Bills and WWW.GeorgiaCarry.org

Doug Craig — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:13:32 GMT

January 20, 2012

Dear GCO Member,

The General Assembly will be not meeting until next Monday, January 23 (Day 6).

We have updated the status of all gun bills that have been introduced in both chambers here on the GCO website. Current bills in the House from last year are SB26, SB98, and SB102 still have no committee meeting dates assigned. These bills have already passed the Senate and are awaiting a hearing in their assigned committees. None of these bills came to the House in the form we would like to see finalized and we will be working with the legislators to get them changed.

You will notice that there are two new bills that have been filed since the last update, one in the House and one in the Senate.

SB301 will allow suppressors/silencers to be used on hunting rifles when hunting game. GCO strongly supports this bill.

HB735 will require 4 hours of training in order for everyone to obtain GWL as well as renewals after July 1, 2012. GCO strongly opposes this legislation. It is GeorgiaCarry.Org’s firmly held belief that training should not be required to exercise a constitutional right. GeorgiaCarry.Org believes everyone who carries a firearm should be trained in the handling and use of the firearm but the training should be of the licensee’s choice and not state mandated.

It will soon be time to start contacting your elected officials in earnest to inform them of your desires for legislation. You should be on a first name basis with your elected officials, if you are not already.

The information on your elected officials, along with some tips for contacting them can be found on the GCO website - here.

We will have current bills posted on the GCO website - here with updates as they occur.

Please take time to note the GCO Calendar of Events at the bottom of this email to keep track of our recruiting efforts and meetings.

=======================

1) Shoot for free at Pannell's Firearms & Range in Woodstock!

2) Help needed at this weekend's gun shows Saturday and Sunday, January 21 & 22

3) Help needed at next weekend's gun shows, Saturday and Sunday, January 28 & 29

4) GCO discussed in classroom setting at Jacksonville State University in Alabama

5) Great Results from Gwinnett County RK Gun Show, January 14 & 15

6) GCO Life Member Jeff Anderson to address Pickens County TEA Party, January 24

7) Indian-American group learns to shoot after break-ins

8) GCO Caps and shirts fundraiser totals reported

9) Pols urge DA to go easy on gun-toting Ground Zero tourist

10) State of Tennessee sends a message to New York City in HJR0585

11) GCO Calendar of Events

=======================

1) Shoot for free at Pannell's Firearms & Range in Woodstock!

From GCO Member Buddy Simpson:

There will be a GCO Shoot for Free event at Pannell's Firearms and Range in Woodstock today, January 20, 2012 from 12:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Everyone who joins or renews their GCO membership will get to shoot free for one hour. This will also include anyone who has joined or renewed within the last thirty days.

Pannell's Firearms & Range
10102 Main St.
Woodstock, Ga. 30188

Thanks,
Buddy Simpson
Gunshow Coordinator, Cobb County

Thanks to Buddy for working with Pannell's and setting this up. Buddy spent a lot of time and effort on this event so let's support his efforts. Buddy can be contacted @ bulletbutt@comcast.net

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2) Help needed at this weekend's gun shows Saturday and Sunday, January 21 & 22

We have two gun shows this weekend and are in need of volunteers. If you are in a position to volunteer and help, please contact the coordinators listed below.

Saturday and Sunday, January 21 & 22

Eastman Gun Show - Gwinnett County, North Atlanta Trade Center, 1700 Jeurgens Court, Norcross.
Bruce Greenfield - GCO.Recruiting@gmail.com

RK Gun Show - Marietta, Jim R. Mill Park, 2245 Callaway Rd
Buddy Simpson - bulletbutt@comcast.net and Tom Bryant gtigti95@gmail.com

If you have time to volunteer and are in the area of the gun show/venue, please give consideration to volunteering for GeorgiaCarry.Org to help us continue to grow and achieve our goals of restoring and expanding your right to bear arms.

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3) Help needed at next weekend's gun shows, Saturday and Sunday, January 28 & 29

We have two gun shows next weekend and are in need of volunteers. If you are in a position to volunteer and help next weekend, please contact the coordinator listed below. We are also in need of a coordinator for the Augusta GunRunners show.

GunRunners Gun Show - Augusta, Exchange Club Fairgrounds 301 Hale Street
Coordinator Needed! Please contact Bruce Greenfield at GCO.Recruiting@gmail.com if you would like to help.

RK Gun Show - Columbus, Ironworks Convention & Trade Center South Hall - 801 Front Street (RK)
Jason Stubbs - stubbs_jason@columbusstate.edu

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4) GCO discussed in classroom setting at Jacksonville State University in Alabama

The letter below was sent from Jerry Strange to the GCO Board of Directors:

Gentlemen,

I thought you might be interested in this event that happened in my daughter's Business Law class last night, at Jacksonville State University.

As part of my daughter's senior year of classes, she is required to take a business law class. This class is taught by a professor who is a Board Member of Jacksonville State University, an attorney, and a Judge in the local districts.

It is a small class of maybe 30-40 students, and is taught in a very informal atmosphere. Last night's topic centered around the impact that businesses or groups of people can have on the laws that affect them. He was trying to explain that groups of people cannot directly make laws about topics that interest them, but that by working in an organized group, they can have a major impact.

He discussed PAC's, lobbyists, etc., and the way they work. This topic lead to a discussion about issues that had been raised in the past few years concerning JSU. One of the issues had been the carrying of firearms on campus. A group of folks tried to force a lawful action of stopping the carry, and it was shut down when it was explained that it was legal and has
been for quite a while. He explained that the group had not done their homework, and had no idea how the laws worked.

After some discussion, he asked how many students were from Georgia, and about 20 or so raised their hands. He then asked how many had heard of a group called, you guessed it, GeorgiaCarry!!! Only my daughter kept her hand raised. He asked how she was familiar, and she explained that she was a member, as was her dad.

He then went on to teach the class about our background and the way we have had such an impact on the Georgia firearms laws here in the State of Georgia. He used GCO as an example of how a group of people had worked together to influence the lawmakers in Georgia to reach a desired goal.

He then went on to explain that GCO also took on cases for individuals, if they felt it would better the citizens of the State of Georgia. As an example, he started telling about a recent event concerning a "fellow" who had a confrontation at a local State Park, when he was confronted by a ranger demanding to see his GWCL.

At this point, my daughter just busted out loud laughing. The professor asked why, and she had to explain that he was talking about her dad. He laughed, checked her last name, and then replied that he should have remembered the "Strange" last name.

He discussed the events, how it was handled, and used GCO as a model for a group of "citizens" using the legal system for the better good of the group. She told me he was very complimentary of our methods, and liked the methods we used.

Who would have thought, GCO used as an example, a "business model", in a University in Alabama!

Sincerely,
Jerry Strange

Thanks, Jerry for a great story. Not only does the work of GCO get noticed in GA, it also gets noticed in many other states as well!

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5) Great Results from Gwinnett County RK Gun Show, January 14 & 15

I would like recognize the following named GCO members for offering their time and help towards GCO's recruiting efforts at the Gwinnett County RK Gun show this past weekend. The show brought in a good crowd both days and we ended up with (36) new memberships and (9) renewals. My thanks goes out to all of these dedicated GCO members for a job well done.

Saturday: Mark Gilbert, Bruce Greenfield, Clayton Nugent, Terry Meahl, Mike Teefey, Sean McCarthy, and Gary Ely.

Sunday: Mark Gilbert, Bruce Greenfield, Tim Bills, Neal Gilchrist, and Mike Kelly.

I want to extend a special thanks to Mark and Bruce for working the entire show both days this past weekend.

Ron Gietzen
Gwinnett County Gun Show Coordinator

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this show such a success. Without these dedicated volunteers and others like them, GCO would not be an organization that has to be dealt with on second amendment issues.

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6) GCO Life Member Jeff Anderson to address Pickens County TEA Party, January 24

This coming Tuesday night, GCO Life Member will speak and take part in a round table discussion on the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

The meeting location:

Chattahoochee Technical College
100 Campus Drive (Burnt Mountain Rd.)
Jasper, Georgia

Time and Date:

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 7:00 PM.

For further information, contact penny.barker@pickenscountyteaparty.com

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7) Indian-American group learns to shoot after break-ins

wsbtv2.com

ROSWELL, Ga. - After experiencing a rash of violent home invasions and robberies targeting their community, a group of Indian American men gathered Saturday at a North Fulton firing range to learn gun safety and for target practice.

The men said police can't always get there in time, and they want to be able to protect themselves.

Roswell police have charged seven Colombian nationals with one home invasion. They suspect they may be linked to several others.

The men gathering at the firing range Saturday said they fear there could be copycats out there.

This is another often repeated story about those members of society who realize their safety and security must be secured by themselves and no one can rely on others to protect themselves. The rest of the story and video can be found here.

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8) GCO Caps and shirts fundraiser totals reported

From GCO Member Douglas Burger:

Thanks to those who participated in the fund raiser by purchasing the GCO caps and Polo shirts. All shirts and caps were sold and the numbers below indicate the success of the venture.

221 Caps bought and sold

205 Shirts bought and sold

When the expenses were taken into account, the final figure is $7,387.20 raised for GCO last year.

Thanks Douglas. This was great results from a lot of hard work by Douglas to make sure all those that wanted caps and shirts got them. It is members like Douglas that make all GCO does worthwhile. Thanks again.

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9) Pols urge DA to go easy on gun-toting Ground Zero tourist

newyorkpost.com by Sally Goldenberg and Jamie Schram - December 30, 2012

The Manhattan DA should show mercy to a Tennessee tourist who was busted for bringing a gun to the 9/11 Memorial, considering the weapon is registered in her home state, lawmakers and legal experts told The Post yesterday.

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens), chairman of the Public Safety Committee, personally asked Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office not to push for the 3 1/2-year minimum sentence for Meredith Graves, 39.

“By prosecuting this woman and seeking 3 1/2 years of jail, we are shooting our own [gun-control] efforts in the foot and giving the rest of the country ammunition,” Vallone said.

Graves had the .32-caliber Kel-Tec handgun in her purse when she went to the memorial on Dec. 22 and tried to check it with a cop after she saw a sign reading “No Guns.”

Vallone cited a recently passed House bill that would allow people to carry registered guns between all states regardless of local laws.

“Clearly, the laws are too strict here, but that’s something we need to work out for ourselves without honoring licenses to carry guns in states where felons can carry them,” he said.

After she was busted, police found a white substance in her purse. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is awaiting test results before considering charges.

Vallone said that even if it turns out to be drugs, “It still doesn’t mean she deserves 3 1/2 years in jail.”

Graves’ arrest has some experts questioning how New York’s stringent gun laws are applied.

Maybe it is a sign of the times that even New York City politicians are beginning to understand their laws are too extreme and should be modified. This could be a sign of good things to come from up north, but then again, it is New York City with mayor Bloomberg at the controls. The rest of the story can be found here.

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10) State of Tennessee sends a message to New York City in HJR0585

A RESOLUTION urging the State of New York to use common sense and sound judgment in the disposition of the case against Meredith Graves.

~snip~

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDSEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE CONCURRING, that we hereby urge the State of New York to use common sense and sound judgment in the disposition of the case against Meredith Graves.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we remind the citizens of New York, especially those residing in New York City, to drive carefully through the great State of Tennessee, paying extra attention to our speed limits.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City.

The complete resolution can be found here.

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11) GCO Calendar of Events

January

Saturday and Sunday, January 21 & 22

Eastman Gun Show - Gwinnett, North Atlanta Trade Center, 1700 Jeurgens Court
Bruce Greenfield - GCO.Recruiting@gmail.com

RK Gun Show - Marietta, Jim R. Mill Park, 2245 Callaway Rd
Buddy Simpson - bulletbutt@comcast.net and Tom Bryant gtigti95@gmail.com

GunRunners Gun Show - Albany, Exchange Club Fairgrounds, At Oakridge Dr & South Westover Blvd
Coordinator Needed! Please contact Bruce Greenfield at GCO.Recruiting@gmail.com if you would like to help.

Tuesday, January 24

GCO Life Member, Jeff Anderson to speak at Pickens County TEA Party, 7:00 PM
Chattahoochee Technical College
100 Campus Drive (Burnt Mountain Rd.)
Jasper, Georgia

Saturday and Sunday, January 28 & 29

GunRunners Gun Show - Augusta, Exchange Club Fairgrounds 301 Hale Street
Coordinator Needed! Please contact Bruce Greenfield at GCO.Recruiting@gmail.com if you would like to help.

RK Gun Show - Columbus, Ironworks Convention & Trade Center South Hall - 801 Front Street
Jason Stubbs - stubbs_jason@columbusstate.edu

February

Saturday and Sunday, February 4 & 5

Eastman Gun Show - Savannah, Civic Center - 301 Oglethorpe Ave
Jimmy W Hunt - j.hunt4@comcast.net

RK Gun Show - Cartersville, Clarence Brown Conference Center - 5450 State Route 20
Owen Hoffpauir - Owenh225@aol.com

Saturday and Sunday, February 11 & 12

Eastman Gun Show - Rome, Forum Civic Center
Owen Hoffpauir - Owenh225@aol.com

RK Gun Show - Rainwater Converence Center One Meeting Place, Valdostsa
James Rankhorn - rankhornjp@yahoo.com

Saturday and Sunday, February 18 & 19

Eastman Gun Show - Columbus, Ironworks Convention & Trade Center - 801 Front Street
Jason Stubbs - stubbs_jason@columbusstate.edu

March

Saturday and Sunday, March 3 & 4

Eastman Gun Show - Macon, Macon Centroplex 116 Coliseum Dr.
Michael Hurt - t_hurt@bellsouth.net

RK Gun Show - Atlanta, Atlanta Expo Center I-285 & Jonesboro Rd
Brian Allen - eballen@bellsouth.net and Mike Lancaster - malancas@bellsouth.net

Saturday and Sunday, March 10 & 11

Eastman Gun Show - Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway
Buddy Simpson - bulletbutt@comcast.net and Tom Bryant gtigti95@gmail.com

Saturday and Sunday, March 17 & 18

Eastman Gun Show - Georgia Mountain Center, 301 Main Street SW, Gainesville
Dick Ruppert - drupprt@customdigitaldesignsonline.com

RK Gun Show - Columbus, Ironworks Convention & Trade Center South Hall - 801 Front Street
Jason Stubbs - stubbs_jason@columbusstate.edu

Saturday and Sunday, March 24 & 25

Eastman Gun Show - Gwinnett, North Atlanta Trade Center, 1700 Jeurgens Court
Bruce Greenfield - GCO.Recruiting@gmail.com

Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1

Eastman Gun Show - Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway
Buddy Simpson - bulletbutt@comcast.net and Tom Bryant gtigti95@gmail.com

April

Saturday and Sunday, April 29 & 30

Eastman Gun Show - Perry, Georgia National Fairground, 401 Larry Walker Pkwy
Andy Lethco - alethco@gmail.com

May

Saturday and Sunday, May 5 & 6

Eastman Gun Show - Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway
Buddy Simpson - bulletbutt@comcast.net and Tom Bryant gtigti95@gmail.com

For a map of all the GA Gun shows, please click here.

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Notable Quotable:

Not too long afterwards an off-duty police officer in plain-clothes stopped on his way home to make a phone call. While he stood talking on an outdoor public phone, two muggers rushed up to him. One of them brandished a gun and demanded his wallet. Instead, the officer drew a gun and sent the armed mugger to the morgue.

The Los Angeles Times usually describes such incidents along the lines of: "That's one robber who certainly picked on the wrong person." Why shouldn't every person be the wrong person? Ironically, the same Los Angeles Times regularly editorializes against an armed citizenry and has never seen an anti-gun piece of legislation that it didn't like. Somehow the paper believes that disarming peaceable, law-abiding citizens will affect criminal behavior. - Treat Them to a Good Dose of Lead - Roger D. McGrath, Chronicles Magazine, January 1994

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www.GeorgiaCarry.Org

Fighting for your right to bear arms!

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AN INVITATION FROM GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON FOR TOMORROW NIGHT

Doug Craig — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:53:32 GMT

AN INVITATION FROM GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON FOR TOMORROW NIGHT

Tomorrow evening, January 19, I will be hosting an On-Line Conference exclusively for key supporters, such as yourself, in the Southern states. Joining me as co-host will be the South Carolina Libertarian Party Chairman Victor Kocher. We will begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and to participate, just go to www.GaryJohnson2012.com.

I am committed to keeping the lines of communication wide open with friends and supporters such as you. I need your input, I want you to be a key part of our campaign strategy, and I want to insure that you have the opportunity to share your views directly with me. We have found that on-line video “chats” such as tomorrow evening’s are an excellent way to accomplish that communication, and I urge you to participate if you can.

Again, just go to www.GaryJohnson2012.com at 8:00 p.m. EST tomorrow evening and join what I am sure will be a great opportunity for us to talk about the campaign, the issues, and the exciting weeks ahead.

Hope to see you on-line tomorrow evening!

Gary

GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE

Doug Craig — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:48:57 GMT

GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE

December 1, 2011, Santa Fe NM - Presidential candidate and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson announced during an on-line Town Hall Thursday night that he supports civil marriage for gay Americans. Having long supported civil unions for gay couples, Johnson's decision to endorse gay marriage is based on "a great deal of deliberation, discussion with the gay community, and a conclusion that government has no business choosing who should be allowed the benefits of marriage and who should not."

Announcing his support for gay marriage, Johnson said, "As a believer in individual freedom and keeping government out of personal lives, I simply cannot find a legitimate justification for federal laws, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, which 'define' marriage. That definition should be left to religions and individuals - not government. Government's role when it comes to marriage is one of granting benefits and rights to couples who choose to enter into a marriage 'contract'. As I have examined this issue, consulted with folks on all sides, and viewed it through the lens of individual freedom and equal rights, it has become clear to me that denying those rights and benefits to gay couples is discrimination, plain and simple. .

"Certainly, religions and people of various faiths have the right to view marriage as they wish, and sanction marriage according to those beliefs. Just as government shouldn't interfere with individual rights, government should not interfere with how marriage is treated as a ceremony, a sacrament or a privilege within a set of religious beliefs. However, when it comes to the rights of individuals and couples under the law, government's promise should be to insure equal access to those rights to all Americans, gay or straight"..

"For a very long time, society has viewed gay marriage as a moral and, yes, religious issue. Today, I believe we have arrived at a point in history where more and more Americans are viewing it as a question of liberty and freedom. That evolution is important, and the time has come for us to align our marriage laws with the notion that every individual should be treated equally."

# # #

About Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson: Gary Johnson, a Republican and two-term Governor of New Mexico from 1994-2002, has been a consistent and outspoken advocate for limited, efficient government and personal liberty.

Georgia Carry update

Doug Craig — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:16:02 GMT

August 26, 2011

Dear GCO Member,

The following email was received from GCO Member, Jerry Strange detailing his dealings with the DNR concerning an encounter he had earlier in the year. This shows what strength we have as a group and as an individual if we decide to use that power properly. This is a very positive outcome due to Jerry's due diligence.

During the third week of February, 2011, I was stopped and detained at Cloudland Canyon State Park to verify that I had a valid Weapons Carry License for my firearm.

During the encounter I was sitting at a picnic table, at my campsite, beside my campfire, getting ready to grill some steaks. My wife was sitting beside me, reading a magazine.

I was confronted by the DNR Law Enforcement Ranger on duty, and advised that he needed to verify that I had a valid GWCL for my firearm. During the discussion about the legalities of his action, he insisted several times that he was within his legal right and legal authority to stop and demand to verify that I had a license. He advised that his training had been that he needed no PC, nor any RAS on order to stop and verify.

After showing my license, I had an opportunity to speak to the Head Park Ranger, and to the ADA of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit concerning the encounter. All the parties involved continued to tell me they were acting within their authority and that any visitors to a Georgia State Park would be subject to the same treatment.

Knowing this was not correct, I contacted GCO Leadership and explained the situation. After some guidance and a letter or two from John Monroe, it is my opinion that the ADA changed his opinion, but the DNR staff would not.

I exchanged several letters via USPS and e-mails with members of the command staff, and asked for explanations of their behavior and actions. At first I was, in my opinion, "pushed off" by the DNR. It appeared to me they did not want to, and would not, answer any questions concerning their policy of stopping law abiding citizens while in Georgia State Parks.

During the month of July, I received an e-mail from a Commisioner in the DNR staff, who promised to look into my encounter, and the reason I felt it was wrong. At this point I provided relevant legal info and case law concerning citizen stops.

On August 24, 2011, I received the OIR packet from the DNR. This packet is being sent to all the Command Staff at the DNR, and is to be circulated to all the LEO that work for the DNR.

I would sincerley like to thank the leadership of GCO for their guidance, and to the Commisioner of the DNR for his open mind and follow through.

I think this is a great outcome, and I look forward to seeing the policy set in motion.

Jerry Strange

GCO Member

OIR stands for Opinion, Interpretation, and Ruling. The OIR can be read in full at this link.

Thanks, Jerry for an outstanding effort and congratulations on a great outcome.

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www.GeorgiaCarry.Org

Fighting for your right to bear arms!

R. Lee Wrights Libertarian Presidential - Decriminalizing drugs will save lives and money

Doug Craig — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:11:32 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Op Ed: Decriminalizing drugs will save lives and money

"The War on Drugs is a price support system for terrorists and drug pushers. It turns ordinary, cheap plants like marijuana and poppies into fantastically lucrative black market products. Without the War on Drugs, the financial engine that fuels terrorist organizations would sputter to a halt."

- Ron Crickenberger

by R. Lee Wrights

BURNET, Texas (Aug. 24) - Whenever anyone suggests that the War on Drugs is a failure and it is time to decriminalize most drugs, they are immediately accused of wanting to allow anyone, even "the children" to use and abuse drugs. The moral busybodies scream, "If we legalize drugs, people will drive while stoned, we'll have tens of thousand of addicts who'll become parasites on society, we'll have drug babies, and millions will die!" But that's what we have now – and the War on Drugs, not the drugs themselves are largely to blame.

This is a typical tactic used by those who have no sane, reasonable or factual argument to defend their view; when the facts aren't on your side, attack the other side, question their motives, demonize them, and never, ever admit they may hold sincere beliefs. Like most Americans, I believe the War on Drugs is a failure and should end. Do I want children to use drugs? Of course not; not my children, not anyone's children. Nor do I want anyone, especially children, to eat foods that are not good for them, to drive too fast, or to stand out in the cold until they come down with pneumonia. But I am not willing to use force to stop them, or throw them in jail if they persist in such behavior.

There is no question that decriminalizing drugs will not only save lives, it will save money. The federal government spent more than $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs according to Office of National Drug Control Policy. That's at a rate of about $500 per second, as calculated by Drug Sense, the award-winning non-profit group incorporated in 1995 to inform citizens and encourage involvement in drug policy reform, in their Drug War Clock.

Drug legalization could cut government spending by about $41.3 billion annually, according to a recent report issued by the Cato Institute. About $25.7 billion of this savings could be made by state and local governments. One city has already realized such savings. Philadelphia stopped arresting small time marijuana consumers, imposing a fine and mandatory drug-awareness classes instead, and saved more than $2 million, according to the Philadelphia News. In addition, states (in 2007) spent $6.2 billion keeping people in prison for drug offenses and an estimated $6.3 million on federal prisons, where 55 percent of the inmates are incarcerated for drug offenses. While these figures are merely small drops in the bucket when it comes to skyrocketing federal spending and out-of-control federal debt, stopping this wasteful spending would be a small step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, a stumbling block to any step in the right direction is the myth that ending the War on Drugs will result in an increase of drug use. This lie is reported as fact even though quite the opposite has been shown to be true in real life. For example, Portugal’s experience demonstrated that usage, especially among teens, actually dropped ("Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies").

Portugal decriminalized all drugs, including heroin, in July 2001. While it was still against the law to posses or use drugs, violators were not treated as criminals. This did not result in an increase in drug use, as critics of the policy predicted. After seven years drug use rates were lower in Portugal than in any other European Union nation, where drug use rates are skyrocketing even in those countries with tough drug laws. In fact, most EU states have double or triple the drug use rates of Portugal. Decriminalization freed up money for drug rehabilitation programs, so more people came forward to seek treatment without fear of being sent to jail, and drug-related mortality decreased.

Despite increasingly punitive drug laws, despite putting more people in jail for nonviolent drug offenses than any other nation, the United States has the highest level of illegal cocaine and cannabis use in the world, a study in Science Daily reports. Countries with far more liberal polices have much lower use rates. In the Netherlands the percent of people who have used cocaine in their lifetime is at 1.9 percent, in contrast to the U.S. rate of 16.2 percent; cannabis use was at 42.4 percent in the U.S., compared to only 19.8 percent in Holland, in spite of the fact that adults in Amsterdam can go to "coffee shops" which feature a wide selection of cannabis products.

The surest way to pull the financial rung out from under the street gangs, international drug cartels and terrorist organizations, the only people who profit from the War on Drugs, is to legalize the product they sell so that no one would have to murder or steal to support a $100 a day habit. If we are serious about saving "the children" from drive-by shootings and want to get drugs out of the schools, then the best way to do this to slash the profits of drug pushers. The most effective and efficient way to change people's behavior so that they avoid harmful drug use is through persuasion, not force, by treating drug abuse as a health problem, not a crime, and showing those caught in the drug trap a better way to live.

My friend Ron Crickenberger was right. The War on Drugs has turned a couple of plants into extremely lucrative black market commodities that are sometimes literally worth more than their weight in gold. Not because these plants are particularly rare and hard to find. Not because they are too expensive or difficult to cultivate. These simple plants are considered so valuable only because some relatively small group of bureaucrats somewhere has declared them illegal substances. These same bureaucrats send users to prisons where they are locked up and guarded 24/7 – and still they use drugs. If the government cannot keep drugs out of its prisons, how can we possibly hope that bureaucrats will keep drugs out of the country? This madness should have ended years ago. Stopping the War on Drugs is an economic and humane public policy whose time is long over due.

"In a republican nation whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion

and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance."

- Thomas Jefferson

-30-

LEE WRIGHTS FOR PRESIDENT
http://www.wrights2012.com
Contact:
Brian Irving, Press Secretary
919.538.4548
855-4-LEEWRIGHTS