White Water Rafting

Ame set up a fantastic trip for the three of us- white water rafting in West Virginia's New River. Gorge Map The three-day trip was well paced, with swimming and water trampolenes the first day, 13 miles of light rafting for us beginners on the second day, and 13 more miles of rafting intense rapids on the third day. We camped on site each night.

The rapids have great intimidating names, like "Pinball", "Thread The Needle", and "Meat Grinder", so I was a little concerned about Alex's ability to handle the intense stuff. He fell out of the raft on the first rapid, which added greatly to my concerns. Fortunately, he got the hang of it and stayed in the raft for the majority of the remaining rapids. The main thing was, everybody was safe and we all had a great time.

ACE outfitters does a nice job with the tour. They supplied a lot of excellent food throughout the trip, and their guides all have a sense of humor. Side hikes took us through old coal mining and coking areas, abandoned in a kind of ghost town. Active CSX rails were present on the river, which was an extra bonus for me. Definitely recommended. The trip got the highest praise possible: Alex thanked Ame and me repeatedly.

Surfin' The Star

I do a daily check for the word 'libertarian' when I visit any newspaper website. I visit the Indianapolis Star site every day. The Star's coverage (shall I say lack of coverage?) of Libertarian candidates has been positively frustrating.

I won't go into the details with links. I will simply advise my fellow Hoosier Libertarians to take a whole week to scan the front pages for political coverage. You will find daily articles on the gubernatorial race. You will find a mention of the Libertarian candidate in stories written by the Associated Press, but when Matthew Tully or Mary Beth Schneider writes one? Nah. Not even the journalistic exercise that reads, "Libertarian candidate Kenn Gividen is also on the November ballot." This latter should always be present.

Please write a nice letter to the Star requesting that they at least throw us the journalistic minimum bone. Thank you.

Correction

To the below Civics Lesson post, I must sadly offer that Elizabeth Fazioli is not eligible to run for office at this time. I look forward to her running in the future!

Woody Done Proud

For years, the Hamilton County Democrats have been AWOL. In fact, they haven't challenged most seats here for about 30 years. As Chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County, I saw this as a huge opening for us. A growing community needs some sort of opposition voice, even if we sound very similar to the entrenched Republicans on taxes and property rights issues. My mantra with our members is the Woody Allen Rule: "90% of success is just showing up".

So, we made it a point to fill our ballot to the extent we could with qualified candidates. This is an objective no matter what, since we are a political party. If a political party fails to put candidates on the ballot, it is truly irrelevant. The Democrats have been irrelevant in Hamilton County for about 30 years. We have not made our approach a secret, and we have not hidden the fact that we aim to become the county's #2 party. The Dems were allowing this to happen.

Until yesterday. This changed when they filed a full slate of candidates, challenging every race in the county. Noblesville Ledger story.

We have candidates in place to challenge several offices. The paperwork will be filed this morning. I was holding it until near the deadline because I was hoping that the Democrats would continue their generation-long trend of not running locally. Alas.

I have no doubt that the activity of local Libertarians led to this hasty mass filing. It certainly was not a reaction to the dominance of the Republican Party here. If that were the case, the last 30 years are extremely mysterious.

It's a function of strategy. 2004 is the big election year in Indiana, where the Presidency and the Governor's Office are decided, so voter turnout will be high. Democrats will turn out November 2, even here in Hamilton County. When they do, they will vote for John Kerry and Joe Kernan, and then, had the Dems not filed, their voters would have had three choices in the local races: vote for the Republican, the Libertarian, or nobody. Noting the extreme negativity of the campaigning of national Democrats, I believed that there was going to be a significant portion of Democratic voters willing to vote for Libertarians purely because they aren't Republicans, the party of George W. Bush. We might not have won many or any of the races, but we'd sure pull percentages in the 30s and 40s.

New Democratic Chair Jan Ellis must have recognized this, so they loaded up. Congrats to her on following Woody's sage advice, just as we are. Kudos also for getting the press and leave us with the, 'but us too!' coverage. Well done.

Above, I called the filing hasty. This is because I have noted that the Dems filed a candidate for Surveyor. We did not file a candidate in this race because we have only one person who has any qualifications to run for it- me- and I don't meet residency requirements for this ballot. The Surveyor's Office is enormously technical, and probably shouldn't be an elected office. Frankly, it would be a nightmare if a non-technical person won this race, even if it were a Libertarian. It's not an office that interests me a whole lot because the headaches are unreal. Hats off to long-standing Surveyor Kent Ward for his ability and his fortitude. At any rate, I know that the Democratic candidate is not a professional Land Surveyor, and a little research will tell whether or not he is a Professional Engineer. Short of those qualifications, the best manager could still screw this job up royally.

Nader Confirmed Off Ballot in Indiana
aka Civics Lesson 2

No surprise here. Last week, the Nader team figured to be about 21,000 signatures short of the needed 30,000. Dallas Stoner (no, really) confirmed this to the Indy Star.

Interestingly, Stoner claimed the police to be a large factor in their failure, accusing officers of hassling them as they tried to collect signatures on public sidewalks. Stoner was on the Broad Ripple sidewalk as Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik was in the Rock Lobster, while some of Badnarik's underage supporters were out on the same sidewalk as they were barred from entry (see item below).

It was reported to me today that Stoner and other Naderites found themselves amongst the Libertarian crowd and began to talk politics. The conversation ended up with Stoner putting his name on the LPIN's email list.

The Naderites often cite their fear of corporate power as a compelling interest while happily neglecting the threat of governmental power. No corporate power is keeping Nader off the ballot. Government power is doing that. Remember that the government that is big enough to smash the corporate goliath is also able to erect barriers designed to keep a gadfly off the ballot. One Naderite learned that lesson completely last night.

Civics Lesson

With my 12-year-old son living in Spain for most of the year, I like to give him as great a taste of America as I can when he is here with me.

As hands-on civics lessons go, it's hard to top going to meet a candidate for President of the United States. LP candidate Michael Badnarik was touring Indiana in support of his own campaign, and in support of his mother's. Elaine Badnarik is running for Indiana Lt. Governor, and had her candidacy announced earlier in the day. The LP's reception was held at the Rock Lobster, a restaurant and bar on Broad Ripple Avenue.

When Alex and I entered, we were stopped at the door and told that minors were not permitted inside. I had the feeling that state law would not prohibit us from entering, so I pressed the issue. The doorman checked with someone inside and confirmed that they wished us not to enter.

Fortunately, State Chair Mark Rutherford witnessed this and went inside to bring Mr. Badnarik out to us. He came out and shook our hands and then chatted with us about the increasing party unity and the successes of the Indiana party. He encouraged Alex to talk about things that matter to him with those around him. Michael's father brought "Badnarik for President" pins for everyone outside to wear.

The crowd outside grew, with US Senate candidate Al Barger, Marion County Treasurer Charlie Kennedy, intern Josh Hanson, and several others hanging around. The Libertarians stood out like a sore thumb: Dreadlocks, long hair, shaved heads, those with pierced everything... these were the people walking by. The Libertarians were wearing suits and ties. It was surreal.

Josh Hanson was outside because he is under 21. We were soon joined by Elizabeth Fazioli, who is running for County Commissioner in Hamilton County. Despite the possibility that she could be one of the highest ranking officials in the region come November, she too could not enter because she is also only 20.

This was fascinating, because Alex can enter bars in Spain at any time. He was aware of the cultural difference immediately. Eating in a Spanish restaurant more or less means eating in a bar. Rock Lobster is a restaurant and a bar. A friend explained that the bars were under pressure from local authorities over underage drinking. I pointed out that the owner of the bar has the right to have his own rules of order, and if they wanted us out, we'd comply without a fuss.

So there we were, standing outside a bar with a candidate for President of the United States. There's one for the 'what did you do over the summer' spiel at school!

The Loss of Good Radio

I lived in the Cleveland area for most of my life before coming to central Indiana, and was blessed with really interesting radio. There has always been more local programming in Cleveland than in most markets, and having five college stations in the region helped. Local programming makes a station kick. I will concede that syndicated shows get guaranteed ratings and demographics, are cheap and easy, and that live local shows are a risk, are expensive, and a hell of a lot of work. However, local programming is vital. Hot button issues get drilled by local hosts, leading to better informed voters and more responsive elected officials.

When I arrived in Indy, I found that the radio offerings were extremely bland. The vast majority was beamed in by satellite, offering no real local relevance. I tried listening to WIBC-AM because they were the closest thing to local talk, but I tired of the station quickly because the format was too tight. No call would last more than two minutes. No caller would get to hang in to debate for too long, especially if they were getting one over on the host. I would tune in to WXNT-AM because they had Neal Boortz. Sure, it was another syndicated show, but Boortz is a libertarian. I had always wanted to catch his show, since it did not air in Cleveland.

So, it was a delight to tune in early on morning and find WXNT-AM's Morning Line with "Trapper" John Morris and Jim Burrows. Trapper ran the show and would get the last word. This set up a fascinating dynamic because WXNT's syndicated fare- Boortz, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham- was largely right-of-center, conservative, Republican, etc. Trapper wouldn't describe himself as a liberal, but he was generally very much to the left of the station's syndicated hosts, Burrows, and the callers. The discussion was very lively, with often pointed banter coming from either direction, but always with Trapper getting the last word. Where the hosts could agree was in the area of popular culture, with a fun homage to all things 1980s, to movies, and to stand-up comedy.

With this balance, the show was able to attract a wide range of phone interview guests and no shortage of listeners who called in. Regulars began to congregate at promotional events, such as their Town Hall Tuesday series of live broadcasts and breakfasts at Dodd's Town House restaurant on Meridian St.

One irksome thing about WXNT's lineup was that in the months where most of the country goes to daylight savings time, the station found itself with a schedule shift. All syndicated shows would start an hour earlier than in winter months. Sean Hannity's show was carried live, and would move from 3-6pm to 2-5pm in DST months. What to do with the 5-6pm hour? The station would repeat the first hour of Hannity.

It drove me nuts. When I left Cleveland, I was hosting a weekly one-hour libertarian news and comment program on WCSB-FM. All I could think of was filling that slot myself. Even if the listeners and callers disagreed completely, a local topics show would be far superior to a re-run from just three hours before.

Fortunately, the station put Greg Browning into this time. He had been doing a show on Sunday nights, and fairly agitating his listeners by making Mayor Bart Peterson his personal whipping boy. The show was well suited for the early evening. The tempo could often drag, but that was okay in that time slot. Uptempo is perfect for monring shows, and the Morning Line was the station's uptempo act.

As Browning hit his stride, the station hit its' peak, in my opinion. The Morning Line was in top form, with great interplay between the hosts and callers, the news staff, the weather and traffic reporters, and the guests. The syndicated lineup was entertaining enough- Hannity takes more opposition callers than any other conservative, and Ingraham's show is great fun because of her use of sound bites. The only bump would come when a show was pre-empted by Butler basketball or Indianapolis Indians baseball.

Then came the dreaded change in management. This almost always results in a major shake-up, regardless of what is working at a station. The WXNT situation, unfortunately, was no different. The Morning Line was abruptly cancelled, with Greg Browning moving to the AM drive. No surprise, Browning was replaced by the syndicated Michael Savage.

This was a horrible turn. The Morning Line was a perfect morning show. Browning, bless his feisty heart, is terribly out of place in the AM drive. Savage is easily the most repulsive conservative talker in the country. While I often disagree with Limbaugh, Hannity, and Ingraham, I usually have the sense that although they are entertainers, the policies they promote are done so in the best interests of the country. There is no such sense with Savage, but rather, a sense of pure nasty spite and hatred. His attack on a gay caller to the cable TV talk show he was fired from is case in point.

I try to listen to Browning in the morning, but give up after a few minutes because it's just too painful to hear him struggle with the format. I never tune in to Savage. Central Indiana lost a great forum with the cancellation of the Morning Line. I suspect that Browning will sink before given the chance to learn to swim in the morning waters, taking away the station's other top forum. I am extremely hopeful that Trapper and Jim will land a spot together on a station in a morning gig, but I'll be glad to hear either one of them on their own show.

Ballot Access Blues

The Indiana folks supporting Ralph Nader learned something about gaining ballot access that Libertarians have known all along- it's tedious, time-consuming, unsexy work that has to be a complete success in order to feel like it was worthwhile to undertake in the first place. The AP reports on Nader's likely failure to gain access to the November ballot.

Greens and others on the far left often think of Libertarians as nut cases, but they have to respect our ability to retain ballot access here. The LP has been on the ballot statewide in Indiana since 1994 because all of the requirements were met: the proper number of signatures were collected, and then the proper percentage of votes were earned in each subsequent Secretary of State race. Naderites wouldn't be facing the petition at all if they had run a candidate for Secretary of State in 2002 and gotten their numbers.

There's the rub. The Libertarian Party is a real political party, with county affiliates across the state. The Green Party is not a real political party, but a candidate vehicle much like the Reform Party. The hard fact is that election laws are essentially hurdles that Republicans and Democrats erect to make it difficult for fledgling parties to enter the game. A serious party, as the LP has demonstrated, can enter the field through hard work and a focus on topping those hurdles set up in election law.

It was gratifying to see LPIN Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein quoted in the AP article. He knows better than anyone what it takes to maintain ballot access.

Boortz Blasts National LP

Neal Boortz has suffered his annual attack of the kind of bleary-eyed frustration that so many of the leadership of the Indiana LP suffer on a daily basis. In a new Townhall article, he blasted that National LP's convention planners for showing a pro-cannabis piece during the down time between the nominations for president and the vote tabulations.

Libertarians! You blew it. You had the chance to make an impression on the media and the American people, and you blew it.

I’ve been promoting the libertarian philosophy for many years on talk radio, and I’ve won a lot of converts. I believe to this day that if individualism, freedom, economic liberty and constitutional government are to be restored and preserved in the United States it will be the libertarianism, if not the Libertarian Party, that gets the save. The way the party is playing right now, that save looks in doubt.

...

It is all-too common for people, when they discover that I’m a card-carrying member of the Libertarian Party , to respond with “Oh, you’re the people who want to legalize drugs.” Now if you give me 10 minutes of quality time with any person reasonably capable of rational thought, I will convince them that the most sensible way to combat drug usage in the United States would be to end the war on drugs and move to a treatment-centered drug policy. I need those ten minutes though, and those ten minutes usually aren’t there.

I’ve found that when I’m trying to sell someone on the libertarian philosophy I usually have around 10 seconds to make that first impression. If I say the wrong thing in those 10 seconds, I’ve lost them. If someone asks me “what do you people believe in?” and I respond, “Legalizing marijuana!” I’m written off as a kook. One convert lost.

This has been our experience in Indiana, too. Run on legalization issues, and you condemn yourself to a 4% finish where, had you avoided that topic, you might have gotten into the 30% or even 40% range.

I hope Neal doesn't give up on the National party altogether. The other thing we saw from the convention is that the leadership of the LNC is made up of more politically savvy individuals, rather than ideologues. This could well lead to a greater emphasis on small business, property rights and economic issues, and a de-emphasis on legalization. Of course, if he does, he can still come to an Indiana convention and feel right at home.

Low Blog Activity

There haven't been a lot of posts in the last week, and probably won't be too many over the next week, either.

In local libertarian news, Job One is getting candidates on the ballot. That search has consumed the time I allocate for politics. In personal news, my son is arriving from Spain, and my wedding anniversary is five days away, so the rest of my non-work time is so devoted, with a happy, significant reduction in my political time.

Keep watching for mass transit items... which is to say you probably will have to look at media in other cities. There is little opposition to the light rail boondoggle right now. We'll change that, though. There is excellent blogging on the subject in Seattle to check out. The Cato Institute and the Goldwater Institute also have excellent studies on the sort of losers these proposals tend to be. Hat tip on Goldwater: LP candidate for US Congress Barry Campbell. Check out Barry Campbell's website.

Marriage Degraded Again

As a married man, I am appalled at the latest body blow dealt the institution by a high profile celebrity. I'm not talking about J-Lo, though she and Britney Spears make it tough to explain to kids the value of a marriage. This time it's Rush Limbaugh, who is divorcing his wife of ten years.

Divorce is a bitter pill for a conservative moralist to swallow. Problem is, this is not Rush's first divorce, either. Nor is it his second.

On the heels of his highly publicized drug abuse problem, I'd say his credibility has taken an even greater punch to the brain than the institution has. No doubt, though. When a moralist the stature of Limbaugh can't keep himself hitched 'til death do us part', why should anybody listen to anything he says? Do us all a favor, Rush, and keep your trap shut henceforth on the issues of drugs and marriage. Do yourself a favor and clean out your closets. At this rate, by 2006 you aren't going to have any issues left to speak on with any real authority.

The Folly of Light Rail

I was very pleased when I was quoted in a recent Indy Star article in opposition to the proposed light rail nightmare. I am on record describing one's transportation as his responsibility and taking the position that it is wrong to ask others to pay for it. This was excellent, but it did not detail who would benefit and who would pay.

My letter in today's Star does this. The beneficiaries would be citizens and workers in Hamilton County- Indiana's wealthiest county. Among those paying would be some of the poorest people in Marion County.

In fact, all of the people in the Central Indiana region will be expected to pay for this, but only a tiny fraction of the people will benefit directly. I ask my liberal friends: is this fair? Is this what you want? The usual answer is 'yes', I know. This time, you're robbing the poor to pay the rich. Is this fair? Is this what you want?

If you ever wanted to understand the distinction between Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians, here it is. Libertarians say it is unfair to rob anyone to pay anyone else, all the time. Robin Hood was a villain all of the time. The ends never justify the means. The problem is not how to redistribute wealth. The problem is redistribution of wealth.

A Goofy Position To Take.

If a Libertarian candidate for office declared, "if I win the election, I will resign so that the Governor can replace me with an appointment- even if that appointee is from a different party than mine," there would be a chorus of hoots and hollers, and the candidate labeled a 'kook'. Commentators would point out that the position is elected, and if you weren't prepared to accept the office if elected, you shouldn't even run.

So, what happens when a Democrat does this? From the Indy Star:

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Joe Hogsett and former City-County Councilwoman Susan Williams are joining Gov. Joe Kernan and Lt. Gov Kathy Davis on the Democratic ticket this fall.

Hogsett will run for attorney general, and Williams, a former teacher, is running for superintendent of public instruction.

Both choices came as somewhat of a surprise, but the biggest surprise was Williams' announcement that if she wins, she will resign to let the new governor -- whether it's Kernan or his Republican challenger Mitch Daniels who is elected -- appoint his own education leader.

Ed Gluck of Vigo County wants to run for Judge, but is unable because he is not a lawyer. Indiana law specifies that to run for Judge, the candidate must be a lawyer. He begged the LP to let him do this, but the State Chair and then the Central Committe voted against him doing so. Much of the objection was over being viewed as a crackpot bunch of kooks. The further belief was that if you don't like the procedures, rules, regulations, and laws surrounding running for a particular office, the most proper, respectful thing to do is to work to get it all changed. We'd rather not have our candidates thumb their noses at the process.

Alas, the Democrats will be thumbing their noses at the process, and high up on the ticket.

Kernan said the position should be a cabinet-like post, especially since education is ultimately the governor's responsibility.

Politics, Kernan told cheering Democrats at the 2 p.m. announcement, should play no role in education.

Both Kernan and Daniels have favored making the superintendent of public instruction an appointed position. So, too, has the Republican incumbent, Suellen Reed.

But no one had suggested such a dramatic changeover as Williams and Kernan proposed today.

What a crackpot bunch of kooks!

Al Barger for US Senate

One of the more satisfying outcomes of a recent meeting of the Libertarian Party of Indiana's Central Committee was to nominate Al Barger for US Senate. Webpage

Incumbent Senator Evan Bayh is as about as untouchable as they come. He is generally more conservative than the average Republican, both fiscally and socially. There were Reagan Democrats throughout the US, but in Indiana, there are Bayh Repubicans. So, why not run a colorful candidate such as Al? He's endlessly quotable, and to make a dent in Bayh, you have to be noteworthy. The GOP's challenger may as well be an empty Coke can. Dr. Marvin Scott has an excellent resume`, but that and $4 will get you a latte at Starbucks. I'd give a week's pay to have Bayh and Barger on the same stage for an hour, along with the Coke can. Sweat would definitely form under Bayh's perfectly coiffed hair, and that rarely happens.

As an internal matter, it was very satisfying that Al could be nominated and accepted despite having a favorable take on the war against Al Qaeda and in Iraq. He is as libertarian as John Hospers or Murray Rothbard ever were, despite straying from orthodoxy on this issue. It is satisfying that there are no purity police on the Central Committee. Other states would have refused to give the assent. Our group recognized that Al is the best man available for an impossible battle. I know I'd rather have someone like Al who is his own man with his own thoughts and reasons than a stiff dogmatic who can only spout platform bromides. That's no different than the Coke can, and probably less effective anyhow.

Plus, Al is my blogfather. His encouragement has led to more than a year of posts on a variety of topics. He is an inspiration as a Mencken of the day. When I read Al's posts about sticking Al Sharpton up in the Democrats and breaking him off inside, I can picture old Henry Louis smacking his knee with hearty guffaws inbetween hacks at the keys.

That's my kind of candidate for this kind of race. I was pleased to sign his campaign papers as Secretary of the LPIN. Have at 'em, Al!

Opting Out

Home schooling used to be viewed as a curious, freaky solution to the problem of a combination of lousy public schools and a desire to avoid paying for private schooling while providing a child with the best education possible. No more. 97 home schooled students participated in graduation ceremonies Saturday at the Convention Center. Indy Star story.

97 may not seem like a huge number, but what is significant is that the numbers are sharply on the rise. While just over 7,000 kids were learning at home in 1984, more than 21,000 are today. These "graduating classes" will only increase in size in years to come.

We used to hear from teachers that these kids would be under-educated if not taught by professionals. The string of spelling bees won by home schoolers helped dash this. Then again, we were hearing this from the teachers union, who would rather not lose customers to rank amateurs, such as parents. While K-12 teachers won't endorse them, college professors do.

At colleges like IUPUI, home-educated students have a proven track record.

"Home schoolers that have come here have done extremely well," said Michael Donahue, director of admissions at IUPUI. "The best way to describe our experience with home schoolers is they are self-motivated, self-directed and the faculty likes them as students."

Studies at IUPUI, where more than 100 home-schooled students enroll each year, show that they perform at almost a full letter grade above the general student body, according to the university.

We used to hear that these kids were destined to become social retards as a result of not being socialized with other kids. In fact, the opposite is true. Because homeschoolers aren't socialized with the kids who are being werehoused and don't give a crap about being educated, or caught up in pointless fashion fads, or the cliques that are so destructive to self-esteem and instead are actually focused on learning, they are better socialized. For instance, they can effectively express themselves and hold a conversation with an adult!

Joel was "the class clown," in elementary school and wasn't being challenged enough to keep him motivated, she said. Andrew was in a less than ideal setting and was afraid of going to the bathroom because kids smoked marijuana there.

Sounds like my experiences with school, and I went to private schools!

This is just another example of an area of life where people are voting with their feet, giving the greatest anti-endorsement possible.

Mass Transit Boondoggles

Central Indiana governments have been meeting with one another to consider the formation of a Regional Transit Authority, with the focus being the possibility of developing a light rail system.

The proposal includes a minimum $500 million dollar start-up cost to taxpayers, and won't begin service until 2011.

I was very pleased that the Star printed some of my objections in a feature story. There are so many objections to raise with this that I can't begin to name them all, so I'll name a few.

1. The best rail route from Indy to Carmel is the old Monon. Problem is, the Monon was abandoned and converted into a trail. The Monon Trail is beloved by the citizens of Central Indiana. It's development has spurred the revitalization of nearby neighborhoods and the development of new housing and restaurants. Carmel's mayor Jim Brainard is not suggesting going the trails-to-rails route, as he knows it is political suicide. So, in order to get a route from Indy to Carmel without using the best route, which was graded and straight, a brand new course must be taken, building from the ground up. This is the path of maximum expense.

2. Speaking of the Monon Trail, the route from Indy to Fishers, and the Noblesville, is the most viable for trains because it at least still has track on it. No right-of-way to acquire. No land surveys to conduct. The track is shot, but it's a whole lot cheaper to repair that to start from scratch. Problem is, everyone in Central Indiana knows how good the Monon Trail has been for the areas near it. Question is, why wouldn't the people who live near the old Nickel Plate rather see that route similarly go the way of rails-to-trails? Their property values would go way up, as would their quality of life. Nice, fun greenway or noisy unsafe transit corridor? Hmm... This could also become political suicide if these issues are observed, and especially if the parks people get involved.

Let's help bring this proposal to an end. More to come.

No Air Castle

Today's Indy Star featured an article on the looming formation of a Regional Transit Authority and a light rail boondoggle for Central Indiana.

Republican suburban Mayor Jim Brainard wants the region to subsidize a rail line from downtown Indy to Carmel, on Indy's north side. Cost? $500 MILLION. Time table? Ready to roll by 2011. So much for fiscal responsibility. The Democrats love public transportation and are unlikely to oppose this massive waste. Who to turn to? The Libertarian Party.

Critics of mass transit question building such a heavily subsidized service, especially because most systems do not have enough capacity to make a significant dent in automobile traffic. And studies show that more is spent per mass transit user than for highway and street improvements.

"Transportation is a private concern, whether it's moving people or moving freight," said Mike Kole, the Hamilton County chairman for the Libertarian Party of Indiana.

Kole says some mass transportation systems, such as New York's subway, are effective. But he questions whether Indianapolis, a smaller city where residents live in less dense neighborhoods, could really benefit from a rail system.

"How many in the region could you honestly serve?" he said. "And yet you would expect them all to pay for it."

But Brainard still backs building mass transit in the Indianapolis area and the north suburbs.

"All transportation is expensive," he said. "So the question is really, what type of transportation is better for the region? To be competitive, I think trains would be ideal."

Has anyone ever moved to a city because of the trains? People move for jobs, for neighborhoods, for lower taxes or crime, for better schools or other quality of life, but for trains? Carmel is the wealthiest city in the state, so how is the region somehow not competitive? Wow.

This is an issue which will allow us to illustrate the folly of robbing Peter to pay Paul to those who normally have no time for us. Here we have the wealthiest city and county in the state seeking half a billion dollars in subisidies to provide transportation for their citizens at the expense of everyone else. The people in Shelby County will understand how they are getting rooked. So will the people of Marion, Johnson, and Madison Counties. Likewise, the inner city residents of Haughville.

Now, let them hear us!

LP National Convention Report 2

Another thing high on my Convention wish list was that some of the national LP's platform planks would get kicked out. Alas, the platform was supported in much greater numbers than at the 2002 Convention.

Again, my fight is against the Kook Factor. We have platform planks, such as those on the LaGrange Points in space, and as-of-yet undiscovered resources, that rightfully cause the LP to be the subject of well-earned scorn. My fellow Libertarians, do not wonder why we're deemed irrelevant and dismissed out of hand by so many who give us a fair look. Too many of our party are more eager to build air castles in support of esoteric issues of interest to about 37 American geeks rather than provide concrete solutions to the real issues of the day that affect millions.

The quick analysis is that the Conventions held in presidential years tend to attract newer members, purists, and kooks, whereas the off-year Conventions have a greater percentage of County Chairs and serious candidates for offices such as County Commissioner and Township Trustee. The normal faction of the LP shows up for all of the Conventions, but was greatly outnumbered this year. The normal faction of the LP will have to try again in 2006 to remove the albatross that is the national platform from around our necks.

LP National Convention Report 1

I had gone on at some length in favor of Gary Nolan for President with previous posts, so it should be no surprise that I was fairly disappointed that Michael Badnarik instead won the nomination of the Libertarian Party. Nolan was a strong finisher, dropping off the ballot with only five fewer votes than Badnarik on the second round of voting.

My disappointment is two-fold:

1. I am a County Chair, and as such, I want a Presidential candidate who will focus on boosting top affiliates at the state and county level. Nolan did this in the months leading up to the Convention. Badnarik only did a marginal job. Nolan promised to boost Indiana and Hamilton County. Thus far, no word from Badnarik, though I will make overtures.

2. The kook factor. Badnarik carries some baggage that is sure to have him labeled a kook in many quarters. Nolan was free of this. You cannot expect that with today's lightning quick communication, that one's kook notions can be kept from view for long. Check out this string on blogcritics. Fellow Hoosier Libertarian Al Barger is a regular contributor at blogcritics, and his report on Badnarik's victory was quickly followed by kook sightings.

Americans are so completely sold on the two-party system that they are automatically on the lookout for reasons not to like a third-party candidate. Of course, I believe this is misguided, but it is the reality, and reality must be dealt with, not a preferred ideal. Our candidates cannot give voters reasons to dismiss us out of hand. We must always be compelling. More importantly, we must be exceedingly normal. A Republican or Democrat can be forgiven as a rapist and elected before a Libertarian can promote gold or militias or even the Constitution and be supported by the average American. Until we learn this, we will suffer the kind of abuse the blogcritics readers heaped on.

On Home Ownership

I’m not a first-time homeowner, but man, there is nothing quite as satisfying! When Ame and I moved to Indy less than two years ago, the plan was to rent for the short term to discover which neighborhood would be right for us, save the money for the down payment, and to buy the house. We did it!

I enjoy pruning bushes when they are my bushes. I spent an hour pruning, and I really had a great time. I know that sounds weird, but my fellow homeowners know what I’m talking about. I hope that if you currently rent, you will soon thrill to washing your windows, cutting your grass, and scrubbing a toilet you own. It’s nothing remotely like fun to clean someone else’s toilet.

We are in Fishers, Indiana, which is on the southeast side of Hamilton County, or the northeast side of Indianapolis. It’s a great place to be, and has all of the things that are important to us: a friendly, well-to-do community with families; walking proximity to loads of amenities including the YMCA, walking trails, a park, interesting restaurants and shops, and the Post Office even.

I haven’t enjoyed being in my living space since I left my double in Parma, Ohio. Being there had been my greatest thrill until now, even though it wasn’t the first home I owned. That was in a run-down neighborhood in Cleveland. I was proud of my achievement of homeownership there, but had a hard time having any thought beyond, “I can’t wait until I can afford to get beyond this”.

Even that beat paying rent, though. I highly recommend home ownership.

To Atlanta!

This will be my second time being a delegate to a national convention of the Libertarian Party, and my first as a delegate from Indiana, and first time voting for a presidential candidate. Here's my wish list for outcomes:

1. Gary Nolan secures the nomination for president. Nolan has done the campaign work of a real candidate. He's articulate. He's reasonable. He will help build the party. He's careful not to give reasons to people for writing us off as kooks, cranks, or builders of air castles.

2. Michael Badnarik is nominated for VP and wins. Badnarik is an incredible Constitutional scholar and instructor. This alone does not make for a perfect presidential candidate, sadly, as the American people don't have the attention span for it in a presidential candidate. But as the VP candidate, Badnarik would have the ability to speak to those Americans more inclined for a ponderous, time-consuming discourse, and teach them why the Constitution works, and why the LP is the only party that supports the Constitution. Nolan and Badnarik would be a first-rate team.

3. Some of the platform planks get kicked out. I dream big and hope that the whole platform goes down, but then, I'm a realist about these things. There are a number of planks that nearly went down in 2002: abortion and immigration come immediately to mind. To some libertarians, this is sacrilege. To me, the platform is a sacred cow. It doesn't do a very good job of supporting our candidates. In fact, it often works against us. The crazy thing is, we've called ourselves the 'party of principle' so people actually believe it to be true. When they read our platform and see that we are for the legalization of drugs, they approach our candidates and say, "I can't believe you are in favor of crack"! Nothing like standing at the polling place with a group of voters each with an attention span four seconds long trying to explain that, 'you own yourself', 'you have the right to do what you like with your life so long as you do not intitiate force or fraud against another person', and then make the distinction between advocacy for legalization and advocacy for use... just to give one example.

Many voters will vote for Republicans despite that party's general opposition to reproductive choice. Many will similarly vote for Democrats despite that party's general support of higher taxes. When it comes to the Libertarian Party, many voters won't vote for us because we have led them to believe that in order to do so, you have to believe in our entire platform. What are we, frickin' stupid? I want every vote from every voter who believes that we are even 1% better than a Democrat or Republican.

The purists are holding us back. Get rid of the platform and go with a mission statement or statement of principles. We don't need a cumbersome document. Look at the Bill Of Rights. It's simple! I find it entirely ironic that we tell people we will make their lives easier by stripping away layers of government, and yet, we have been stubbornly resistant to do that with our bloated platform, clinging to arcane gobledeegook for a personal warm fuzzy over achieving the goal of electing people and moving policy in our direction. Can you trust a group that tells you they are for streamlined government *and* has a plank on as-of-yet undiscovered resources? I think not.

4. I find a good reason to vote for one of the candidates for Chair of the LNC. I haven't found one yet. Hancock scares the crap out of any reasonable person. Phillies tempts me with talk about being a real political party, then scares me by using kook words like 'slavery' that chase away average people. I have not heard anybody say anything about Dixon that is more positive than 'well, he's not the other guys'. I've never voted NOTA before, but I am strongly leaning that way right now. Unless one of these guys shows me something in the debate, I'll have no choice but to vote NOTA.

Should be fun!

Nolan For President

To me, the LP's presidential race has been pretty clear. Gary Nolan has been ahead of the pack in all of the ways that matter most to me: He is big on secondary objectives such as building the party and supporting the local candidates that are capable of winning and states that are taking their affiliates forward. He is doing the actual campaign work, making appearances almost every day, usually with several stops each day. Nolan sounds Presidential. This last is very important in a way I'll describe below.

I've met Michael Badnarik once. He came to Indiana's state convention. I did not see his presentation to the convention as I was busy tending bar in our hospitality suite. When Badnarik came up to the suite, he simply walked in and ordered an N/A beer. He didn't introduce himself to me and he didn't work the room. Heck, serious candidates for school board will do that. It bothers me that he only made one trip to Indiana (to my knowledge) in 2004 even though his mother lives in the state. That alone would warrant more visits.

I've not met Aaron Russo at all. He did not bother to visit Indiana in 2004. In fact, his website calendar lists only four events for May. Four events in the month of the National Convention? Are we to believe that if Russo wins the nomination that he will flip on the campaigning switch and start doing the Nolanesque 50-plus events per month?

Let us hope the question remains rhetorical and Russo is not nominated. One of the four events for Russo was a phone-in to WXNT, 1430-am here in Indianapolis. This is a fine station, with a great local morning program, the Neal Boortz show, and another local talker/agitator, Greg Browning. The station is very Libertarian-friendly, so I was hopeful Russo would take advantage and have a good showing, helping to further build the libertarian bridge here in Indy.

Wrong. Russo spent his 15 minutes locking horns with Jim Burrows over the war. Burrows is a Republican and supports the war. Russo opposses the war, as anyone familiar with libertarian politics might suspect. Disagreements are automatic on the Morning Line, though, as Burrows is opposite Trapper John, a left-leaning independent. Any candidate with any polish would have found a way to agree to disagree and then jump to an area of agreement. Not Russo. He got into a shouting match with Burrows, leaving the hosts both fairly bewildered. Burrows remarked upon the great distinction between Russo and Nolan being composure and civility. (Nolan has been on the show twice, invited back because he is thoughtful and reasonable, especially in disagreement. The hosts like him and gave Nolan 45 minutes the last time around.)

I couldn't have agreed more. It's one thing to be passionate and assertive, but another to rave like a lunatic. Russo did not sound Presidential. He sounded like a drunk at last call. He has to be reminded, which is just pathetic, that he is running for PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. If Russo can so quickly lose his composure on a morning talk program, are we to believe that if he were President that we would flip on the leader-with-nerves-of-steel switch?

We hoist the bar pretty high here in Indiana. It is not enough for the Presidential candidate to merely be that. He has to be prepared to help build our party. Unfortunately, Russo set the LP back with his performance. I was glad that I was able to get on the air after Russo's act to remind listeners that Gary Nolan is running, and that good sense willing, he will be our nominee.

I shudder to think that Russo could even have a chance in this contest. Nolan is far and away the best choice, with Badnarik a strong second due to his impeccable work with the Constitution.

I'm a delegate to the convention, and I am voting Nolan.

Noblesville Meet-Up

I've been somewhat frustrated by the slow growth in attendance at the Hamilton County LP's regular business meetings, so I have been thinking that more informal meet-ups might be the way to encourage greatere participation.

To that end, the first weekly meet-up is planned for 6:00pm Wednesday for an after work affair at the Barley Island Brewery in downtown Noblesville, on the south side of SR 32, right across from the Judicial Center. A good number of libertarians have confirmed their attendence, so come join us! Non-libertarian or curious folks are invited too!

Hamilton County Meeting

The Libertarian Party of Hamilton County will host its regular business meeting Saturday, May 15, at 11:00am, at the Delaware Township Hall, located at 9090 E.131st Street in Fishers IN.

LPIN gubernatorial candidate Kenn Gividen will be present to meet with our local members and candidates, as will newly-appointed District Representative Chris Ward. In the business of the meeting, the identification of potential candidates for the November elections will be the top priority.

The meeting is open to members and to the public. Come on down and see what we're about!

Apology Forthcoming?

If causing insult to prisoners is worthy of an apology from the leader of a nation, what is due in the case of the beheading of a civilian contractor trying to fix things? Can we expect that an apology will be forthcoming from Osama bin Laden? Or elsewhere in the Arab world?

I expect it. No, I demand it. Civilized people who oppose barbaric savagery demand it. Arab leaders who wish to be taken seriously must issue an apology to demonstrate some shred of common humanity. If America's prestige has been damaged in the community of nations by the prison scandal, the Arab world surely has been wounded moreso by this atrocity.

I will also expect the left to roundly denounce this crime. It was correct for the left to lead the charge in calling for an apology from our President for the transgressions of our prison guards. It is now time for the left's leaders- Kerry, Kennedy, Daschle, and Mrs. Clinton- to lead in the vocifierous denunciations of this vile act and mindset. Murder is worse than humiliation, so I need louder denunciations for this murder than they had for the humiliations. I need to see from them that they have humanity as their top interest, above their interest in political power.

When the World Trade Center towers were struck, there were those Americans who were calling for the flatting on the Middle East with nuclear weapons. Obviously, that would have been a disproportionate response and an atrocity, to avenge the 3,000 or so lives lost here with hundreds of thousands there. To respond to humiliation with a choreographed murder is such a gross over-reaction as to beg for a downward spiral of vengeance. I am grateful to know in advance that the United States is too civilized to give these subhumans what they deserve.

In the meantime, I will be impatiently expecting a stream of apologies. These would go a long way towards showing me and the rest of the civilized world that mindless revenge isn't a way of life, that vile barbarism is an exception rather the rule, and that the left in this country does not condone it.

A Return to the Draft?

Unlike many of my fellow Libertarians, I do not have a soft spot for those complaints of those currently serving in the military regarding being shipped overseas. It does not impress me if the complaint is over the nature of the opponent or the duration of the stay. After all, every soldier is a volunteer. This duty was chosen. Maybe the soldier did not read the fine print or failed tor eally get that enlisting does not simply mean putting on a uniform, getting a free education and some nifty travel opportunities. Caveat emptor, my friend. Caveat emptor.

I recall the history of the draft, and the Vietnam era especially comes to mind. I recall the burning of draft cards in demonstrations. I remember the indignant huffing over involuntary conscription. I agree with the objections to involuntary, forced service. It's slavery, simply put.

There was also an economic component to the protests- the idea that the poor would serve while the well-off and well-connected would go to college or find some other means of avoiding the draft. This seemed very plausible. Indeed, this argument has been put forth over and over with regards to George Bush and his Guard service.

What does it mean today when we see that Charlie Rangel, a Democrat and long-time advocate for the poor, now advocates for the draft?

Walter Williams discusses the draft in economic terms and establishes why having the draft leads to the greater chance that there will be more wars. What on earth is Rangel thinking?

Lit Drop

I am always picking up the literature from the other parties in an attempt to find good ideas to steal. This was a bum election in that regard. I didn't find anything original or good.

What did get my interest was a 'sample ballot' distributed by the Democrats. It listed the various offices, such as Governor. There is only one Democratic candidate for governor- the incumbent, Joe Kernan. So far, so good.

Scan higher, though, to the presidential candidates. That's candidates, plural. Alas. This 'sample ballot' shows only one name for president- John F. Kerry.

Hmmm. What happened to John Edwards, Howard Dean, Al Sharpton, Dennis Kucinich and Lyndon LaRouche? Sure, they all fizzled in their bids, but still- all five are candidates for president along with Kerry The Annointed. Funny enough, the 'sample' has six lines and six ovals, but just one name.

It's a subtle way the Marion County Democratic Party 'endorses' their candidates. They don't actually come out and endorse Kerry. They make it seem as though the others don't even exist.

The same thing was done for US Rep District 7, where 4-term incumbent Julia Carson faces a Democrat the Party cares not to name. Ditto the race for Surveyor, where Mary Catherine Barton runs against another Democrat who possibly failed to pay the slating fee, hence, was not named. No word on whether Barton is actually a surveyor or not.

The general election is when the Dems trot out the real goods. I was very impressed with last year's 'how to vote straight Democratic ticket' literature. You can bet that I will see to it that there is similar 'how to vote straight Libertarian ticket' circulated to our members and supporters.

Low Expectations

These primary elections seem to invigorate next to no one, Democrats especially. I know Ame is miffed about it. Kerry was selected by a handful of states, not elected (couldn't resist), and Governor Kernan is an incumbent, so the status quo remains. Boring!

The Republican primary could excite some folks, since the Indiana governor's race is an actual contest. Sure, Mitch Daniels is the Bush Administration's boy, but that just stands to make him your typical modern liberal Republican, while Eric Miller is running on an actual conservative agenda.

I went to the polling place, and they all know that I am a Libertarian, so I signed the book and shrugged my shoulders. Fortunately, any voter can cast a ballot for any school board candidates, since these are non-partisan races. Huzzah! I received my paper ballot and looked at it and found exactly one candidate. I called out, "One candidate? What is this, the Soviet Union?" and got big laughs from the few people present.

Voting one hour after the poll opened, I cast the fourth ballot of the day. Yup. That's disinterest.

Letters to the Editor V

The Indy Star printed one of mine today, urging Libertarians and independents to crash the primary party and have an effect on things.

In case there is any confusion, you should know that any registered voter, even if you are not a Democrat or Republican, has the right to participate in the primary election. In past years, I would often just show up, sign the book, and go home. I find it more satisfying now to identify a David Orentlicher as a socialist and to vote in the Democratic primary against him, tallying for his opponent. If enough of us do this, his primary numbers drop, his confidence sags, and he looks at how he has to re-tool his message away from socialism and back towards some modicum of common sense.

Another strategy for Libertarians is to vote in a Republican primary for candidate who appear that they would be vulnerable in November to our message of less taxes and smaller government.

In sum, there is no reason not to vote. You can exercise you conscience even if your first choices aren't available until November.

Nolan Coverage Online

Our Hamilton County event featuring LP Presidential hopeful Gary Nolan is available on WFYI's website. link

The item was originally run on WFYI's "Indiana Week in Review" program. To watch it use the link above. The item appears around the 20 minute mark. This will only be on until WFYI archives this Friday's show, which is generally soon after they run it. If you have an interest, check it out quickly!

Viva Las Vegas!

A four-day trip to Vegas really hits the spot. I love the thrill of seeing the city lights, the showgirls, and folks tossing black chips on the blackjack table. I always eat like a king there, too. We even took in the Blue Man Group at the Luxor and a typical Vegas variety show at Tropicana.

Four days is plenty, though. I used to daydream occasionally about going to Vegas to try my hand as a pro. I was very taken by my perception of Vegas as an amazing city, viscerally and intellectually. The city as adult playground is obvious, but intellectually, Vegas is very satisfying as an object lesson in cause and effect. People plop down sums of money they shouldn't, usually with predictable results. Some folks bet the house, and lose. Nobody feels particularly sorry for the schmuck who takes $1,000 and turns it into $75,000 within an hour, only to give it all back in the next hour- which is as it should be. Everybody seems more keenly aware in Vegas that there are risks in life, and sometimes there are winners, and just as often, there are losers, and better than that, everybody there is pretty okay with the proposition. If only the attitude was more pervasive throughout the country!

Of course, I'm not a hedonist or even much of a sensualist, so Vegas wears on me after about four days. Moreover, Vegas is not honestly a genuine freedom haven. There are plenty of the same prohibitions in effect there as there are here in Indiana, and even if the prohibitions weren't in place, I would actually indulge in no more than I do now. I like to play blackjack, and the occasional video poker, and not much else. The idea of the Chicken Ranch is thoroughly repulsive to me, and I am amazed that it even survives.

So, this little trip will probably tide me over for a few years. I like knowing that there is a place like Vegas, and at the same time, I like knowing that there is only one place like it.

Nolan Visit Report

This report is a bit late, as I've been in Vegas since Wednesday. Anyhow...

LP presidential hopeful Gary Nolan came to Hamilton County for a dinner visit in Fishers last Monday. 27 people came out, including many LP members from the corners of the state.

Nolan's speech was well-received, and he made a crack about having his mail forwarded to Indiana because of his frequent visits. This was his sixth trip to Indiana thus far in the campaign, more than other LP hopefuls Russo and Badnarik, plus Kerry and Bush combined.

Nolan was largely preaching to the choir as the audience was mainly LP members and/or people who have attended his events elsewhere in recent weeks. The Q&A was fairly flat since everybody was on board. This is when it hit me that we hadn't gotten any real pre-event press, and that those who attended where there because I had reached them directly.

Fortunately, the event itself got excellent press: RTV-6 sent a camera, and aired a report on their 11:00 evening news. They teased the report during CSI Miami prior to the news, using pictures of Nolan in the teasers. The Noblesville Daily Times sent a reporter and photographer, and had two front page stories: one about the Nolan campaign, and the other about the activity of the Hamilton County party.

A 6" x 7" photo of Gary was placed above the fold, as was this headline, "Presidential Hopeful Visits County, Candidate Gary P. Nolan spreads Libertarian message". The Hamilton Co. article had the headline, "Group chips away at Republican Stronghold, Party sees GOP losing touch with conservative values". There was a front-page picture of Nolan with me. Nolan also did a call-in on 1070 WIBC, and then sat in on 1430 WXNT for about 40 minutes in an on-location breakfast event. I also got two segments on air.

This press is probably worth $5,000-$10,000 to the Hamilton Co LP. You can't buy the front page, and the coverage was super positive. I had at least 10 people stop me and comment on it all in the four hours I was available at work on Tuesday, and I was not terribly easy to track down.

Plusses and minuses on the press coverage: Major plus that the curious were reached via the TV, newspaper, and two radio stations, and in goodly numbers. Fairly large minus that we couldn't generate much pre-event excitement outside of our membership. It would have been great to have gotten the curious to the event, where we controlled the gathering of information such as sign-in sheets which give us contact info, and membership recruitment and financial support opportunities. We have to hope that somehow those interested as a result of the press coverage can figure out how to reach us and get involved. Fortunately, we have these new media relationships to work with, and hopefully they will help us word of meetings and other future events out.

Another major plus is that this push works very well with our strategy to establish the LP as the #2 party in Hamilton County. The Democrats were scarcely mentioned in any of the coverage, which is perfectly correct. When Libertarians tangle with the GOP (instead of the Dems) in Hamilton County, we tangle with the powers-that-be, which is the best way to become most relevant. I have not seen such positive coverage of Dems in Hamilton County ever.

Come to Dinner with a Presidential Hopeful

How often do you get the chance to do that? Go to Sahm's Restaurant Monday night (116th & Allisonville Rd in Fishers... scroll down to a previous post, click on the address, and you'll get a mapquest map!) and you might even sit at the same table as the candidate!

Gary Nolan is seeking the Libertarian nomination at the party's National Convention Memorial Day Weekend. He is the odds-on favorite, having been the winner in each of the Libertarian primaries, carried out in states such as California and Wisconsin. Nolan is the only one who is doing real campaigning. This is his sixth trip to Indiana, which is more than Bush and Kerry combined!

Doors open at 5:30, dinner is at 6:00, Nolan speaks at 7:00, with Q&A to follow. Dinner cost is $21, cash at the door. Still time to RSVP by emailing me at mikekole@msn.com, and here's the perk: I am in charge of the seating. The first RSVP I get that mentions my blog gets to sit at the table with Nolan.

Note to walk-ups: Best bet is to RSVP, since the seating is limited, and the only ones guaranteed a seat at any table are the ones who have RSVP'd. Space is limited, and we probably will have a standing room situation.

Maybe Europe is Just a Target

The grand theory behind the bombing of Spanish trains is that the terrorism is in response to Spain's previous backing of the United States.

Ah. Previous. The March 11 bombings at Madrid's Atocha Station and on the trains that run out of it caused a change in elections towards electing a Socialist prime minister who vowed to pull Spainsh troops out of Iraq, pronto. This is what the terrorists wanted, right? Mission accomplished! So why this new planting of a bomb? Spain cannot possibly be in line for punishment for reacting as the terrorists wanted, could it?

No. Yet, once again, a bomb has been planted on the Madrid-Savilla line I rode twice just two months ago. The high-speed AVE trains had to be halted in their tracks as a bag on dynamite was detected on the tracks. But Spain is the world's friend now. Why is this happening?

Maybe the terrorism really has had nothing to do with the previous backing of the US. Maybe Islamic hatred of the West is sufficient. Spain is definitely a part of Western culture, with some 70% of Spanish citizens smoking American Marlboros, and even more talking on cell phones. Spanish nightlife is significantly more decadent than American partying, with Spanish youth drunk in the streets en mass on weekend nights.

Maybe there are enough lasting reminders of an earlier, more glorious Islamic presence to stir the kind of blind seething that spurs a desire for revenge. We toured the Alhambra in Grenada in January. It is a marvel to behold, and an amazing monument to the former Islamic power and wealth in Spain. See some of my pictures at the Alhambra.

The legend has it that as the last sheik left the Alhambra, he turned for one last glance and heaved a sigh. His mother, so the legend goes, scolded her defeated son thusly, 'may you cry like a woman for that which you failed to defend as a man'. The Wall Street Journal recently had an article about the Alhambra and Islamic terrorism against Spain. Unfortunately, I am not a WSJ susbcriber, so I cannot provide you with a link.

There are likely a million reasons for Islamic terrorists to have Europe as targets. French zeal for a homogenized monoculture- banning the burka at French schools- has created the most notable one recently. When revenge and jealousy is such a prevailing motive for planning a population's daily life, much of the world ought to take notice and consider whether or not their country is a potential target. We are beginning to see that being allied with the United States is not the greatest determining factor.

Gary Nolan to Visit Fishers

Libertarian presidential hopeful Gary Nolan will be the first from any party to make a specific Hamilton County or Fishers IN visit when his campaign stops Monday, April 12.

Nolan will appear at Sahm's Restaurant for a fundraising dinner and will speak after the meal. Sahm's is located at 11590 Allisonville Road (southwest corner of Allisonville & 116th Street), and is easily accessible from I-69/SR 37. Seating for this event begins at 5:30pm. Dinner is at 6:00pm. Nolan to speak at 7:00pm. Cost for the dinner is $21, paid in cash only.

RSVPs are greatly appreciated as space is limited. We will probably have a standing room only situation. Contact Mike Kole to RSVP at mikekole@msn.com. The public is welcome! You don't have to be a Libertarian to attend.

Nolan's visit is exciting stuff for many reasons. Any time a presidential candidate comes to town, I am interested in seeing him, if at all feasible. I would eagerly see George Bush or John Kerry, or even Ralph Nader, if the opportunity presented itself. I would especially love to be able to introduce myself on a face-to-face basis, and to ask a question of the candidate. The last time Bush was here, he was at the Murat for a $2,000-per-plate event. That was a tad out of my price range. Kerry hasn't even been here that I am aware of, and Nader isn't even on the ballot in Indiana yet, making an appearance unlikely. With Nolan, all in attendance will get to ask a question of him after dinner in the Q&A, and he always sticks around to talk and have a picture taken with you. I like that kind of personability and accessability.

But this is my candidate. I'll be voting for Nolan at the LP's National Convention in May, and I'm rather certain that Nolan will win the nomination, so I'll vote for him again in November.

I like that he is paying so much attention to Indiana. This will be at least his fifth visit, which I know from having attended three previous events. The other LP hopefuls- Michael Badnarik and Aaron Russo- haven't even visited the state yet.

I like that Nolan is meeting the voters from a variety of places that do not usually host presidential candidates, such as LaPorte and Hagerstown, and now Fishers. Sure, Indianapolis is the state capitol and the home of the greatest population bases, but I like a presidential candidate who reaches out to the less obvious cities and towns. There is no good reason for an active, campaigning candidate to ignore them, especially the more well-heeled candidates from the other parties who could if they felt it was important enough to do so.

I especially like that Nolan is so normal and reasonable. Too often our national candidates are so dogmatic, so out-of-touch, that they do more to alienate the curious than to win them over. Nolan shows how libertarian policies would improve people's lives. People want to know what a politician can give them, and this has always confounded LP candidates. Nolan gets that our policies will give people their money, their time, heck- their lives, back. From what little I've been able to review from Badnarik and Russo, it appears that they take the old, failed "this is what I'll take away" approach via the same old "you're wrong, you're stupid, vote for me" approach that wins very few converts and repels many that would join us.

See you Monday, April 12!

Golly, But This Is a Surprise

Now, I know you will hardly be able to believe this, but this happened at a Head Start program. A four-year-old boy produced a very interesting item for show and tell: a monster bag full of crack cocaine. Indy Star article.

Here's a great quote from a cop:

"It's rare for kids to go to school with crack cocaine . . . ," Tuchek said. "In my 18 years on the force, that is the second-most amount of drugs I've seen one person carry."

Rare? It should be more than rare. It should never happen. Funny enough, these stories pop up with relative frequency.

I know what you're thinking. "Mike, tell me this could not have possibly happened at a Head Start program center". I know that you want to consider very much that these things happen at private schools, at schools of religious instruction, or (especially?) where parents are homeschooling their children.

Alas. These things always happen at the public schools, or at a Head Start. They never happen anywhere else. The public schools and the Head Starts are warehouses for children. Parents who give a toss keep their children out of these places if they can at all help it. Parents with any decency feel shame at sending their children to such places, and work hard to rectify the situation. Observe this reaction from on parent and the mentality:

"This is a real good school, so something like this is very unusual," said David Lewis, 36. "I'm thinking the child just picked up the wrong backpack and the parents didn't notice."

Are you kidding me? Is this to say that the school-book backpack is kept next to the crack cocaine backpack, so it would have been okay if only the kid weren't such a fool and left the crack bag where it belonged and grabbed the correct bag?!? Wow. And it's only an unusual occurrence. Wow.

This is quite an endictment of the Head Start program and its' participants. Some heads should roll.

Sending the Right Message

I can't get the events in Spain out of my head right now. I can't help but think that terrorists will have come away from the events surrounding the Madrid Atocha train station having learned a valuable lesson:

We can influence elections with a well-placed, well-timed act of violence.

Gracias, Espana. You really helped make the world a more dangerous place.

Atocha Trains Security Hole

I was thinking back to being on the train, and in the Madrid Atocha Station. I asked myself, 'how did the terrorists get all of those backpacks on to the trains'? That was the easiest thing of all. While there were plenty of security personnel visibly walking through the station, none were on the platforms and none on the trains.

When we choose to fly, we generally surrender our bags to be checked, or we carry them on and stow them under the seat or put them in the compartment overhead. One thing you can not do is get on the plane and then get off for a little while. Once you are on board, you stay on board.

This is not the case with train travel in Spain. When you get to the train 30 minutes early, you walk on, drop your bags in the baggage rack, and go out to the platform for a stroll, or even back into the station for a cup of coffee or a magazine. Nobody sits in the train for a half-hour, dutifully waiting for departure. We do it on planes and don't think otherwise.

So many students ride the trains that a bulky backpack placed in the rack would raise no suspicion whatsoever. Anybody could have walked into a train and dropped a bag full of explosives at any time, and nobody would have been the wiser- just as happened. Funny enough, most people feel safe enough that their bags won't be stolen or rifled through, that they didn't mind leaving them in the racks. Ame & I stayed near the cars out of a theft concern, but we were the only ones. The Spaniards were off for a stroll or a cell phone chat, oblivious to the baggage situation.

So, I will bet that if you look at the blown-up trains and observe the location of the explosions, you will find that each spot is the luggage rack. The luggage racks are at the back of each car, near the door, but towards the center side rather than towards the very back of the car. The pictures I have seen so far all verify this.

Now I am thinking of Amtrak. I haven't taken an Amtrak train in ages, so I don't know what the protocols are for boarding and for bags. A good step towards improved security would be the presense of bomb-sniffing dogs on the platforms, and a once-on, stay on policy. Sure, this does nothing to dissuade the committed suicide bomber, but it would go a long way towards preventing an American Atocha.

From Atocha to Socialism

Amazing how the timing of the terrorist bombings of trains in Madrid changed an election. Fascinating, too, to see how sentiments differed in the two countries- the US and Spain- that have had the most severe attacks, Israel notwithstanding.

Prior to the bombings, Spaniards were set to elect Mariano Majoy, the hand-picked successor to Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, and both members of the Popular Party. That party is referred to as 'conservative', although Spain's estimation of a conservative would have made Karl Marx grin. In a sweeping turn of events, Socialist José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been elected Prime Minister, and his party has claimed a near majority of Parliamentary seats in this kingdom. By the way, Spain's estimation of a socialist would also have made Karl Marx grin.

But it is interesting to me how the things are perceived. The US embraced George W. Bush in the wake of 9-11-2001 in a way he was not after his election. Spain's Popular Party was repudiated just days after their 3-11, and largely because Spain was one of the US' strongest supporters under Aznar. The Spanish people in essense, blame the United States, with the Popular Party guilty by association.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Socialism? Be pissed at the United States if you must, but why doom yourselves to worse than the 25% unemployment your country already has? I first had admiration for the Spanish, who took to the streets to express their anger at the terrorists. I now have real dismay.

Having taken the trains into Atocha just six weeks ago, the memories are fresh. As an American, I was treated exceptionally well by the Spanish people I encountered. I can't help but wonder if this will be so the next time I visit. I believe my son is safe in Rota. I talked to him today, and learned that he found out about the attacks 48 hours after I did, so it clearly hasn't reached that remote outpost, which is good. Still, I want him in a friendly environment, and have good evidence that Spain could be less kind to Americans, and is certainly less warm to good sense.

Remembering Atocha Train Station

It was only six weeks ago that Ame and I arrived at Puerto de la Atocha in Madrid, hopping off a high-speed AVE train from Sevilla, onto the platform that so many people now are seeing in the worst way on the news.

My memories of Atocha are pleasant ones. The platform was bustling, but very clean and open. The daytime feel of the platform was rerefreshing, with ample sunlight shining in brightly. The station's interior was lush with tall palm trees dominating the main floor. View my photos of Atocha Station, from January 22, 2004 and February 1.

When I first heard the news, my first concern was for my son Alex, who lives in Rota. Thankfully, Rota is several hundred miles from Madrid, and he is safe.

My second reaction was a strong sense of admiration for the Spanish people. Seeing them spontaneously flood the streets in solidarity against the terrorists and their cowardly acts was an excellent statement of defiance and strength- one I wish the American people had undertaken in response to the 2001 attacks against American landmarks. Good show, Spain!

The Guiding Light

Recently, a clown tried to create a little dissention within a Libertarian organization I am active in by linking one of my colleagues to one of his colleagues. Guilt by association is a common phrase, but unfortunately also commonly irrational. Only the actor of the wrongdoing is guilty of the wrongdoing. However, in the case of the colleague's colleague, no wrongdoing was committed, only a legal action that many libertarians find outside of their principles. If my colleague is a smoker, he is acting legally, but in my opinion, stupidly. Am I responsible for his smoking if I do not force him to quit? Am I contrary to my conscience if I continue to associate with him and he chooses to continue smoking?

I think not. However, the clown is a member of the purity police, hence, shrilly put off. Oh well, I say. I tried to explain that the 99% agreement on principles I may have with someone outweighs the 1% disagreement I have. No witch hunts. No self-righteousness. We can build one hell of a bridge on that 99%.

One MAJOR reason the LP is not more of a force is that so many libertarians are purity police. I have observed research that shows that about 14% of Americans identify with the prinicples that make one a libertarian, and yet, LP candidates routinely attract only 1-2% tops in elections. David Boaz made it plain, way back in 1981:

"So let me ask this: Which is the greater betrayal of the noble cause of freedom in our time-- to attempt to present a reasonable, radical, libertarian program that appeals to people and occasionally to err on the side of caution; or to self-righteously throw libertarian principles in people's faces, thus ensuring that we will remain pure and unfree?"

Another beacon cutting through so much fog is Morton Blackwell, founder of the Leadership Institute, who proclaims,

"You owe it to your philosophy to study how to win."

My own way of looking at it is this: If libertarianism is to be an all or nothing proposition, libertarians will get NOTHING.

Letters To The Editor, 3

The GOP has continued its stalling tactics in the Indiana legislature. I think this is a great thing, as I have stated before, not for their reasons, but for mine. No bills being passed = less intrusive government at all levels.

However, I know that the public does not think as I do. They think that if the legislators are paid to vote on measures, then they should show up and vote on measures.

Fair enough. I can adapt. After all, if Libertarians were there in the place of the Republicans, there would not be a boycott. There would be votes against larger, more intrusive government. My letter in today's Star:

Apparently, Republicans believe that gay marriage is the most important issue in the state of Indiana today, and that grinding the process to a halt is the most important strategy. Libertarians disagree completely.

If Libertarians were in the Statehouse, there would not be a boycott but rather votes in favor of smaller government and small business. The Libertarian Party never loses sight of the priorities of Hoosiers. There is a place for the debate over the role of the state in marriage, but it is secondary to strengthening the state's economy.

Michael R. Kole
Indianapolis

Note to self: Next time, remember to let the Star know that you are the Secretary of the LPIN.

The timing of my letter was perfect, as it sat next to another letter from a man angered with both Republicans and Democrats over this freeze:

The picture of the Indiana legislators laughing on the front page of the Feb. 26 Star makes my blood boil. These men appear to be having a great time playing politics, joking and putting on stunts to impress each other.

Meanwhile, the residents of our state are seeing no progress on critical issues. How about creating a climate that attracts and keeps businesses in our state? How about an updated tax system that properly funds our infrastructure and schools without bankrupting long-time homeowners? How about full-day kindergarten to give our kids a competitive education? How about a Bureau of Motor Vehicles that efficiently serves our citizens instead of appearing on "America's Most Wanted"? How about reducing the absurdly high number of bureaucrats so we can get our state budget on track?

It appears it's easier to grandstand on the gay marriage issue while everything else continues to deteriorate.

This fall, when it comes to the state elections, I'm not voting Republican. I'm not voting Democrat. I'm voting against the incumbents. They had their chance and they squandered it. Laugh at that!

Doug Knowles
Zionsville

I'll have to reach out to Mr. Knowles with a letter inviting him to join the LP!

What To Do With The GOP?

Indiana House Republicans have chosen a bit of grandstanding over the work of legislating. Should I be tearing them up or praising them? From the Indy Star:

"Wednesday was the long-announced deadline for House lawmakers to amend Senate bills, setting the stage for final negotiations next week between the two chambers.

Instead, 60 bills failed to advance because the stalemate denied Democrats, who control the flow of legislation, the 67-member quorum needed to do business for much of the day."

My first instinct is to praise the Republicans, as I have earlier. After all, I have strong doubts that any of the 60+ bills before the house are the kind that will bring about smaller government. I have strong suspicions that these bills will bring bigger government, more intrusive government, and more expensive government, so anything anyone can do to jam a 70-lb. monkey wrench into the gears is something of a hero to me.

However, the GOP boycott has now extended into a second day, making it for me a glorious 1.5 bill-free days. The public, however, is going to begin to see this as inactivity. The public wants to know that the legislature is 'getting things done', and is increasingly aware that nothing is getting done.

It's probably time for an info campaign to let people know that getting nothing done is a comparative good thing. Still, pretty soon, the GOP is going to start to look bad. Today is the deadline for getting these bills passed.

Democracy at Work

The issue of gay marriage reveals why democratic approaches to policy are so inferior to principled ones. In this case both the left and right can be left out.

I have explained previously how the churches, who should be in control of the institution, are left without the final say on the matter, to the dismay of the right. The state has ultimate control of who marries, or doesn't.

The left has the hardest time accepting the possibility that democracy can work against the cause of civil rights, but has the most stark examples of just that happening. Gay marriage is merely the latest. It is clear that if the issue were to be put to the vote, the American people would ban gay marriage, post haste. From Armstrong Williams:

"A recent Zogby poll indicated that 70 percent of Massachusetts's citizens do not favor the decision allowing homosexual couples to marry. And it's not just Massachusetts. Recent polls by "The New York Times" and CBS News and one by "USA Today" and CNN, all found that more than 60 percent of Americans oppose the legalization of homosexual unions."

and

"Just one thing - there is also a long tradition in this country of using moral codes to prohibit conduct deemed immoral by the majority of the citizens, as evidenced by restrictions against prostitution, bestiality, pedophilia, etc. As Justice Scalia tersely noted in his dissent, Texas's anti-sodomy laws is "well within the range of traditional democratic action, and its hand should not be stayed through the invention of a brand-new 'constitutional right' by a court that is impatient of democratic change." In other words, the matter of homosexual rights should not simply be dictated by the whims of appointed judges."

Nor, however, should the matter be dictated by the whim of mob rule, which is the straight-talk definition of 'rule by the majority'. It shouldn't even be dictated by the long tradition of excluding homosexuals.

I wonder, for instance, how Mr. Williams would feel if a referendum were on the ballot which excluded blacks from the right to marry whites. Williams, a black man, might be inclined to cry foul, citing the civil rights of blacks to choose their spouse. Alas, there had been a long tradition in this country of using moral codes to prohibit conduct deemed immoral by the majority of the citizens- in this case, miscegenation. There was a long tradition of Jim Crow. Was it the long tradition that justified it? Was it that the majority supported it?

No, the moral principle of equal treatment before the law is far more compelling than a long, and wrong, tradition. For libertarians, the saw goes, 'democracy is often little more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner'. Democracy should never be used as a tool of oppression, which is what it can easily become.

My Kind of Business!

There seems to be a lot of hand-wringing going on over the issue of gay marriage. I'm really enjoying the spectacle. Here, the people who really want to pry into other people's personal choices are putting themselves on parade. More importantly, the role of the state in marriage is being discussed, and I say it's high time.

When I married last June, Ame and I got to experience the distasteful process of filling out an application for permission from the state to wed. Permission! From the state! It's some kind of America we have today. We have to get permission to have a garage sale, permission to work on the roof over the house we own, permission to renovate the house we own, and permission to marry the love of our life. Curiously, nobody needs a permit to reproduce, a much more grave proposition. I think that's all in reverse, but I'll take my holdings where I can find them.

The state has no business being in the business of marriage. That's something that should have remained the domain of the churches. Making marriage a civil process is one self-inflicted wound my secular brethren have made, and the proof lies in the fact that many churches throughout the 50 states would be willing to marry any pair that presents itself, while only a few states will do so.

But the business of grandstanding in favor of socialized marriage hit a high point here in Indiana yesterday. Some legislators are so eager to affirm that marriage is the state's business, especially where homosexuals are concerned, that they did my bidding. GOP legislators boycotted proceedings in the statehouse yesterday afternoon! From the Indy Star:

Republican lawmakers pushing for debate on their proposal to ban gay marriage boycotted the Indiana House on Monday, bringing the legislature to a standstill as it entered a pivotal week in the 2004 session.

House Democrats refused to go along with Republicans' demands to vote on a "blast motion" to force debate of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. It's not clear how long the partisan stalemate will continue.

The House has today off and will try to conduct business again Wednesday if Republicans return to the chamber.

The national debate over gay marriage has entered the Indiana General Assembly during the final two weeks of the legislative session -- stalling action on at least 83 bills dealing with issues ranging from child welfare to indoor fireworks.

Brilliant! No laws were passed yesterday afternoon, which means, no new hidden taxes were decreed; no for-my-own-good laws were enacted; Peter was not robbed to pay Paul. It was the kind of day-and-a-half in the legislature that I might have planned, stalling 83 bills in one fell swoop. This is good government!

Nader Is In

A co-worker asked me if Ralph Nader's entry into the Presidential race was disappointing to me. I replied, "not as disappointing as it is to the Democrats". He laughed, but it was all true.

I really did hope that Nader would stay out of the running. My opinion of the the three main Libertarian hopefuls is that they are all mediocre at best, and potentially harmful at worst. I think that whichever one emerges will get the usual 1% now that Nader is in. That candidate might have gotten 2% nationwide without Nader, and upwards of 4-5% in a few states. Forget that now.

I have enjoyed the Democratic panic over Nader's entry. It is amusing while perplexing. After all, if Bush was selected and not elected, Nader didn't matter then, and he doesn't matter now. Can't have that both ways.

Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who personally urged Nader not to run, called Nader's decision "unfortunate." From the USA Today story:

"You know, he's had a whole distinguished career, fighting for working families, and I would hate to see part of his legacy being that he got us eight years of George Bush," McAuliffe said Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation.

Crap, McAuliffe. Crap! I do accept one of Nader's justifications for running- he's the real socialist, and not willing to sugar-coat it:

"I'd go after Bush even more vigorously as we are in the next few months in ways that the Democrats can't possibly do because they're too cautious and too unimaginative".

Will v. McCain-Feingold, II

OK, this time George Will took on the badly misnamed 'campaign finance reform' law with intent. If only this sort of rhetoric was being issued prior to the President signing the legislation.

Supposedly, the principal purpose of McCain-Feingold was to ban large "soft money'' contributions to the parties, ostensibly for "party-building'' purposes. The delusional assumption of many McCain-Feingold enthusiasts was that when such contributions were banned, the people who had been eager to exert political influence by such contributions would say "Oh, well'' and spend their money instead on high-definition televisions. Or something.

Actually, McCain-Feingold was moral grandstanding by many liberals who had no intention of abiding by its spirit -- or its letter, for that matter -- any more than they had abided by already existing campaign finance law. To compensate for Republican advantages in raising strictly limited hard dollars, Democrats quickly formed a slew of committees technically disconnected from the party but allowed to receive unlimited soft dollars.

Of course, conservatives will have to do the same things... as will libertarians, socialists, or anybody else who wants to get a message out.

Will again failed to mention the biggest beneficiaries of McCain-Feingold: incumbents of any party. Sitting legislators are news by virtue of being legislators. Any time they want something for free that would cost anyone else a lot of money- publicity- they can generate it via a press conference.

Am I being paranoid to suggest that when the drooling saps who complain endlessly for a 'level playing field' catch on to this, that the likely casualty is press coverage of politicians? This is treacherous ground!