This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute.

We have now reached peak Libertarianism, and this bizarre experiment that has been promoted by the billionaire class for over 40 years is literally killing us.

Back in the years before Reagan, a real estate lobbying group called the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) came up with the idea of creating a political party to justify deregulating the real estate and finance industries so they could make more money. The party would give them ideological and political cover, and they developed an elaborate theology around it.

It was called the Libertarian Party, and their principal argument was that if everybody acted separately and independently, in all cases with maximum selfishness, that that would benefit society. There would be no government needed beyond an army and a police force, and a court system to defend the rights of property owners.

In 1980, billionaire David Koch ran for vice president on the newly formed Libertarian Party ticket. His platform was to privatize the Post Office, shut down all public schools, privatize Medicare and Medicaid, end food stamps and all other forms of "welfare," deregulate all corporate oversight, and sell off much of the federal government's land and other assets to billionaires and big corporations.

Since then, Libertarian billionaires and right-wing media have been working hard to get Americans to agree with Ronald Reagan's statement from his first inaugural address that, "[G]overnment is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

And Trump is getting us there now.

Every federal agency of any consequence is now run by a lobbyist or former industry insider.

The Labor Department is trying to destroy organized labor; the Interior Department is selling off our public lands; the Environmental Protection Agency is promoting deadly pesticides and allowing more and more pollution; the Federal Communications Commission is dancing to the tune of giant telecom companies; the Education Department is actively working to shut down and privatize our public school systems; the US Department of Agriculture is shutting down food inspections; the Defense Department is run by a former weapons lobbyist; even the IRS and Social Security agencies have been gutted, with tens of thousands of their employees offered early retirement or laid off so that very, very wealthy people are no longer being audited and the wait time for a Social Security disability claim is now over two years.

The guy Trump put in charge of the Postal Service is actively destroying the post office, and the bonus for Trump might be that this will throw a huge monkey wrench in any effort to vote by mail in November.

Trump has removed the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, and fossil fuel lobbyists now control America's response to global warming.

Our nation's response to the coronavirus has been turned over to private testing and drug companies, and the Trump administration refuses to implement any official government policy, with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar saying that it's all up to "individual responsibility."

The result is more than 140,000 dead Americans and 3 million infected, with many fearing for their lives.

While the Libertarian ideas and policies promoted by that real estate lobbying group that invented the Libertarian Party have made CEOs and billionaire investors very, very rich, it's killing the rest of us.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt put America back together after the Republican Great Depression and built the largest and wealthiest middle class in the history of the world at the time.

Now, 40 years of libertarian Reaganomics have gutted the middle class, made a handful of oligarchs wealthier than anybody in the history of the world, and brought an entire generation of hustlers and grifters into public office via the GOP.

When America was still coasting on FDR's success in rebuilding our government and institutions, nobody took very seriously the crackpot efforts to tear it all down.

Now that they've had 40 years to make their project work, we're hitting peak Libertarianism and it's tearing our country apart, pitting Americans against each other, and literally killing hundreds of people every day.

If America is to survive as a functioning democratic republic, we must repudiate the "greed is good" ideology of Libertarianism, get billionaires and their money out of politics, and rebuild our civil institutions.

That starts with waking Americans up to the incredible damage that 40 years of libertarian Reaganism has done to this country.

Pass it on.

Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of The Hidden History of American Oligarchy and more than 30 other books in print. His most recent project is a science podcast called The Science Revolution. He is a writing fellow at the Independent Media Institute.

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We've Reached Peak Libertarianism And It's Literally Killing Us - The National Memo

After Emmanuel Macron announced that masks must soon be worn in all enclosed spaces in France, speculation is mounting that Britain will inevitably follow suit.

But will lifelong libertarian Mr Johnson forced by the global pandemic to become uncharacteristically authoritarian really insist on such a draconian measure?While it is tempting to presume that the answer to that question will depend on the science, in reality to coin the Clintonesque catchphrase it's about the economy, stupid.

Although there is some emerging scientific evidenceto suggest that face coverings not only help stop transmission but also protect the wearer, the decision is being driven by fiscal, rather than health concerns.

As Matt Hancock admitted in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Government wants to "make shoppers feel even more confident about returning to the High Street".

Quoting Mike Cherry, the chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, the Health Secretary said: "Small businesses know that mandatory face coverings have a role to play in the nation's recovery, both physically and financially."

See original here:

Why Boris Johnson is having to sacrifice his libertarian values in the battle against coronavirus - Telegraph.co.uk

The Williams-Grand Canyon News gave the five Williams City Council candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves and explain their positions on important issues facing Williams.

Each candidate was given the same questions. Individual Q & A's can be found by clicking on each candidate's name.

Michael Cowen, candidate for council.

Frank McNelly, candidate for council.

Dawn Trapp, candidate for council.

Michael Vasquez, candidate for council.

Craig Fritsinger, candidate for council.

The primary election takes place Aug. 4. Early voting for the primary election started July 8.

The Coconino County Elections office mailed out over 44,600 early ballots to voters on the permanent early voting list (PEVL) and those who have requested a single election early ballot for the primary election.

Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen urges all Coconino County registered voters to request an early ballot be mailed to them, or to vote early in person at one of the early voting locations.

Early voting is the safest method for our voters, poll workers and election staff members during this COVID 19 pandemic, Hansen said.

Hansen said early voters can decide how they want to return their voted early ballot: by mail; dropping it off in a ballot drop box or at an early voting location or dropping it off at any polling location in the county on Election Day.

Recently, there has been a lot of misinformation about fraud associated with early voting. This is just not true, Hansen said. We have numerous safeguards and procedures in place that would catch anyone trying to cast fraudulent early ballots.

Ballots can be turned in at Williams City Hall, 113 S. 1 Street in Williams, Monday - Friday from 7:30 am 5 p.m.

The Aug. 4 primary election is a partisan primary, meaning voters on the PEVL who are registered with a recognized political party are being mailed an early ballot for the political party indicated on their voter registration form. Recognized political parties in Arizona for the 2020 elections are Democratic, Republican and Libertarian.

Voters on the PEVL who are registered as Independent, with no party affiliation, or an unrecognized political party, were sent a notice at the end of May informing them that they should return the notice indicating which political party ballot they want to receive. If this notice was not returned, the Elections Office cannot mail the voter an early ballot until they tell the Elections Office what party ballot they want to receive. Independent and unaffiliated voters who are on the PEVL and did not return their notice may call the Elections Office to request the specific party ballot, or do so online at http://www.coconino.az.gov/elections, select Early Ballot Request.

The Libertarian Party has a closed primary, which means only early voters registered as Libertarian will be mailed a Libertarian ballot. Independent and unaffiliated voters may not request a Libertarian ballot.

All registered voters, not on the PEVL, may request an early ballot for the primary by calling the Elections Office; sending a written request to Coconino County Elections Office, 110 E. Cherry Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001; or submitting an on-line request at http://www.coconino.az.gov/elections and clicking on Early Ballot Request.

The deadline to request an early ballot be mailed is July 24.

Early Voting is also available in person at several locations throughout the county.

To see the list of early voting locations and their office hours go to http://www.coconino.az.gov/elections, select Early Voting Locations.

More information is available from the Elections Office at (928) 679-7860 or toll-free at 800-793-6181.

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Five residents in the running for three seats on Williams City Council - Grand Canyon News

The Libertarian Party in the Eurasian country of Georgia is planning to give out Tesla Model 3 vehicle to encourage voters to participate in the 2020 Parliamentary Elections.

The Party, known as Girchi, stated that it would give out several Tesla Model 3 vehicles. The number of cars depends on how many votes the Girchi party receives, which will consequently provide the group with funding that will coincide with the number of votes. The more votes the Party gets, the more funding the Party will receive.

Girchi has launched a nationwide raffle to encourage all registered voters across every Party or political affiliation to vote.

According to Girchis website, the Partys supporters state that the idea has two purposes: to increase voter turnout on election day, and to stage a protest against the public funding of political parties.

Girchi sees voter turnout as the key to defeating the current ruling party, which is called the Georgian Dream.

Zurab Girchi Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Libertarian sector, says that once the party is elected into the new Parliament, it will introduce a new bill that will abolish laws that sanction any public funding for political parties.

We believe that each politician and political party shall be financed only by their respective supporters and voters, Japaridze said. Upon election into the new Parliament, Girchi will launch a bill to this effect and until it is adopted, the Party will keep purchasing Tesla cars with the public funding allocated for Girchi annually and will award them to the random voters with a raffle-ticket who prove that they have voted on 31 October 2020.

Japaridze also added that the Tesla giveaway should appeal to the youth in the country, which could encourage younger people to become more involved in the political sector.

We are trying to appeal specifically to the youth so that more young people become interested in the politics and take active part in shaping it for the betterment of their own future, he said.

The mass appeal of Teslas electric vehicles and the companys sustainable mission has spread all across the world. The inclusion of the Model 3 in the race for Georgias Parliament shows the companys products are so appealing that they may entice people to participate in the election that their country is holding later this year.

The overall appeal of Teslas electric cars is becoming a worldwide sensation. It is unknown how many people will walk away from the election with a Tesla vehicle. Still, every car that goes into the hands of a voter is another step toward the ultimate goal of worldwide sustainability.

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Tesla Model 3 giveaway used to encourage voting in Georgian election - Teslarati

Every week brings more people being censured, fired, or pushed to resign for some alleged instance of racism or sexism. Last week Harper'spublished a controversial letter signed by more than 150 people, including Salman Rusdie, J.K. Rowling, and Noam Chomsky, that warned "the free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted."

One of the signatories of that letter was Kmele Foster, the co-founder of Freethink, a media company that showcases social and technological innovations; a co-host of the Fifth Column podcast; and an outspoken libertarian critic of Black Lives Matter, cancel culture, and political orthodoxy.

In this wide-ranging interview, Foster explains why he signed the Harper's letter, why he thinks that racism is not the primary factor for most African Americans' success or failure, and why libertarians need to be pushing individualism now more than ever.

Produced by Ian Keyser. Intro by John Osterhoudt.

Photo Credit: Kmele Foster, Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons; James Bennet, Kris Tripplaar/Sipa USA/Newscom; Curator, Drew Altizer/Sipa USA/Newscom; Bari Weiss, Alberto E. Tamargo/Sipa USA/Newscom; Foster and Stossel, Gage Skidmore

Continued here:

Kmele Foster on Why He Opposes Cancel Culture and the Anti-Capitalist Side of Black Lives Matter - Reason

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and members of Atlanta's City Council. The suit aims to prevent the city from enforcing mask requirements or rolling back the state's reopening phases.

The lawsuit comes just a day after the Republican governor issued an executive order suspending local governments' face covering requirements, a policy some 15 localities had adopted. The governor's own COVID-19 executive orders have recommended, but do not require, masks to be worn.

"This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times," tweeted Kemp. "These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth."

"3,104 Georgians have died and I and my family are amongst the [106,000] who have tested positive for COVID-19," Bottoms shot back. (The Democratic mayor announced last week that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.) "A better use of tax payer money would be to expand testing and contact tracing."

In addition to targeting the mask mandate, Kemp's lawsuit accuses Bottoms of telling the Atlanta Police Department not to enforce the state's ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.

The governor's attempts to curtail a locality's authority sparked a wave of national criticism from liberalsas well as from Congress' only Libertarian congressman, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan.

Kemp's emergency COVID-19 orders include a prohibition on local governments issuing rules that are inconsistent with the ones coming from state authorities. His latest July 15 executive order also explicitly suspends any face mandates "to the extent they are more restrictive" than the governor's order.

Bottoms' most recent mask mandateAtlanta law sunsets emergency orders every 72 hours, requiring them to be reissuedacknowledges this suspension. But the order argues that only a prohibition on wearing masks should be considered "more restrictive." The city's requirement to wear a mask, Bottoms' order asserts, isn't in fact a restriction on mask-wearing and therefore doesn't conflict with the governor's order.

This logic is a little wacky. A requirement to wear a mask in public entails a prohibition on not wearing a mask. That prohibition is clearly more restrictive than Kemp's voluntary guidance. As a matter of law, Kemp has the better argument.

That said, Kemp is clearly playing politics as well. The fact that he is suing to stop Atlanta's mandate, but not those of the other 14 Georgia cities with similar requirements, suggests this lawsuit is more about a political rivalry between the state's Republican governor and the Democratic mayor of its largest city than anything else.

At the same time, Bottoms appears happy to exacerbate this conflict by renewing her city's mask mandate in the face of an explicit state prohibition of these policies, and by using some really tortured reasoning to justify her action.

Other mayors are muddying things further by trying to make the issue about the wisdom of wearing a mask, not whether local governments have the power to require them. See, for instance, this tweet from Savannah Mayor Van Johnson:

Of course, masks would still be available. The question is whether people will be forced to wear them.

What is a libertarian to make of all this?

There is a conceivable libertarian argument for masking requirements, on the grounds that they do more to prevent the wearer from infecting other people than from being infected themselves. Under this view, an unmasked person could be considered a walking nuisance whose behavior is the legitimate subject of regulation. But whether or not you accept this argument,these mask mandates apply to people regardless of whether they are infected and, thus, regardless of whether they pose a risk to others.

Other libertarians, such as Amash, might think that state governments should leave it to localities to come up with their own response to COVID-19. The severity of the pandemic can vary wildly within states, meaning a policy that's necessary for one city is inappropriate in another. Kemp's efforts to combat the pandemic, while being much less restrictive than other governors', have been among the most centralized.

Still, there's nothing inherently unlibertarian about state governments preempting unjust or unwise local laws. Few libertarians object to state prohibitions on local income taxes or rent control ordinances, for instance.

People should also be mindful of the fact that mask mandates come with serious punishments attached. Savannah's mask requirement comes with a $500 fine (although Johnson did tell the Associated Press that violators would be offered a free face covering first). Atlanta's laws make it a misdemeanor to violate the mayor's emergency orders, meaning someone could potentially be hit with a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for not wearing a mask in public.

We, as a country, just witnessed two months of protests predicated on the idea that police are often unnecessarily punitive and violent when enforcing the law. That would include the Atlanta Police Department, whose officers have recently been involved in a number of high-profile, highly controversial uses of force. This very same police department that would be expected to enforce the city's masking requirement.

Meanwhile, private partiesincluding such major retailers as Walmart, Target, Starbucks, and CVSare requiring customers to wear masks. This will help keep shoppers safe without the threat of fines and jail time.

Kemp's lawsuit is obviously politically motivated. But the governor seems to have both liberty and the law on his side.

More:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Is Suing Atlanta's Mayor Over the City's Mask Mandate. Good. - Reason

Citizens and business owners gathered in the City of Guyton Saturday to protest the mayor and councils recent approval of an ordinance in conflict with Governor Kemps Executive Order requiring the use of face covering in all indoor and outdoor public spaces.

The ordinance even leaves room for enforcement in a home if people other than those who are members of the household are present and not wearing face coverings.

The City of Guyton in South Georgias Effingham County approved an emergency ordinance related to COVID-19 Thursday evening just one day after Governor Brian Kemp barred local governments once again from taking action more or less restrictive than any state order on the coronavirus pandemic response and the same day Kemp announced he would sue the City of Atlanta over their mask mandate.

The ordinance in Guyton is among the strictest in the state and mandates a number of more restrictive precautions, including face coverings in any building or outdoor space frequented by the public within the city limits. The ordinance requires businesses to mandate masks for patrons, regardless of business type.

Saturdays protest was organized Friday by the Libertarian Party of Savannah and advertised mostly on social media. In the event description, the party said:

Mayor Russ Deen (City of Guyton)

Meeting in Guyton to protest the tyranny of Mayor Russ Deen and the City Council. They passed a face mask ordinance last night despite HUGE opposition from nearly every single speaker who weighed in at the city council meeting, myself included.

As many know this city ordinance is in direct violation of Governor Kemps latest Executive Order, which explicitly states that cities and local municipalities can NOT mandate more or less than his Exec Order. He has filed lawsuit against Atlanta for overstepping their boundaries and infringing on civil rights of its citizens.

We want to show the Mayor and City Council that we DO NOT support mandatory masks in the city. By removing our choice they have forced our hand!!This ordinance will unjustly punish the small businesses in Guyton that do not comply!!

This is a peaceful demonstration and social distancing is encouraged.

Any support would be appreciated! Support the free citizens of Guyton and its Small Businesses rights to CHOICE!

A number of people gathered in the heat at the caboose in Guyton Saturday just after noon to express their dissatisfaction with the ordinance. The sign waver were greeted by horn honking and several thumbs up signs. In an hour-long period, only one driver honked to give a thumbs down with another negative gesture.

While officers drove by on several occasions, no one from the Guyton Police Department addressed any of the protesters some of whom were masked on Saturday. Guyton citizens, however, began posting on social media Sunday morning about their experiences being stopped by GPD and the officers who collected their information. AllOnGeorgia has drafted and sent an Open Records Request for information pertaining to this matter.

In addition to the face coverings, the ordinance moves the city backward from state re-opening measures, including:

Persons who violate the order would be subject to upwards of $1,000 in civil fines.

The ordinance remains in effect until August 12 unless otherwise extended by the Council and children under 10 are exempt entirely. Exceptions are also outline for persons who are eating, smoking, or drinking, in personal vehicles, in their residence, and in a handful of other circumstances.

You can read the ordinance below.

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Citizens, Business Owners Gather to Protest Guyton Mask Mandate - All On Georgia

Naturally, the confusion has sparked rumours of a Cabinet split although, according to one Cabinet minister, the prevarication has largely been down to Tories "wrestling with their own libertarian principles" rather than each other.

"If you're a Tory and believe in the old adage 'trust the people', then you do have to think carefully about these things," the minister said. "It's easy if youre a socialist. It's mother's milk to that lot they want as much state intervention as possible, but Conservatives do tend to see mandation as a last resort."

With the scientific evidence around the effectiveness of face masks still inconclusive, it seems the decision has been prompted by economic rather than health concerns. As one Department of Health source put it: "It's more of a public confidence thing."

The Cabinet minister agreed, saying: "Wearing a face covering is an act of altruism, really. It's about preventing the spread rather than stopping yourself from getting it. What we are trying to do is get the balance right between encouraging people to feel safer when they are out shopping, and not putting people off shopping altogether."

Ministers are said to be concerned that people are still behaving "over-cautiously" despite the recent lifting of restrictions.Car usage is only at around 70 per cent of its pre-coronavirus level despite public transport running well below capacity.

"You'd have thought it would be over 100 per cent if people aren't using trains and buses," the minister added. "What that tells us is that a lot of people are not only continuing to work at home, but also to stay at home."

It seems that, when the Government's messaging becomes muddled, there is no masking the original and most effective coronavirus slogan of them all.

Read more:

Mixed mask messaging as Tories tussle with their libertarian principles - Telegraph.co.uk

I dont need a mask! declared the San Diego woman to a Starbucks barista. The woman apparently believed she had a right to enter mask-free, contrary to the coffee bars policy. A surprising number of Americans treat expectations of mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic in a similar way as if these expectations were paternalistic, limiting peoples liberty for their own good. They are dead wrong.

Their thinking reflects what we might call faux libertarianism, a deformation of the classic liberal theory known as libertarianism. Libertarianism is the political and moral philosophy according to which everyone has rights to life, liberty and property and various specific rights that flow from these fundamental ones. Libertarian rights are rights of noninterference, rather than entitlements to be provided with services. So your right to life is a right not to be killed and does not include a right to life-sustaining health care services. And your right to property is a right to acquire and retain property through your own lawful actions, not a right to be provided property.

Libertarianism lies at the opposite end of the political spectrum from socialism, which asserts positive rights to such basic needs as food, clothing, housing and health care. According to libertarianism, a fundamental right to liberty supports several more specific rights including freedom of movement, freedom of association and freedom of religious worship. Neither the state nor other individuals may violate these rights of competent adults for their own protection. To do so would be unjustifiably paternalistic, say libertarians, treating grown-ups as if they needed parenting.

Why do I claim that Americans who resist mask-wearing in public embrace faux libertarianism, a disfigured version of the classic liberty-loving philosophy? Because they miss the fact that a compelling justification for mask-wearing rules is not paternalistic at all not focused on the agents own good but rather appeals to peoples responsibilities regarding public health. This point is entirely consistent with libertarianism.

Story continues

Consider your right to freedom of movement. This right does not include a right to punch someone in the face, unless you both agree to a boxing match, and does not include a right to enter someone elses house, without an invitation. Rights extend only so far. They do not encompass prerogatives to harm others (without their consent) or violate their rights. Once we appreciate that rights have boundaries, rather than being limitless, we can see the relationship between liberty rights and public health.

Your rights to freedom of movement, freedom of association, and so on do not encompass a prerogative to place others at undue risk; to endanger others in this way is to violate their rights, which you have no right to do. This idea justifies our sensible laws against drunk driving. So even a libertarian can, and should, applaud Starbucks and its barista for insisting on mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether or not the woman who said she didnt need a mask had a right to ignore her own health, she had no right to put other customers and Starbucks employees at risk either directly, by possibly spreading infection, or indirectly, by flouting a norm of mask-wearing that is reasonably related to public health and protecting other people from harm and rights violations.

The fallacy of faux libertarianism is thinking that liberty rights have unlimited scopes, that ones right to freedom of association, for example, means a right to get together with anyone, at any time, under any circumstances, even if doing so endangers others. If liberty rights had unlimited scopes, then there could be no legitimate laws or social norms since all laws and norms limit liberty in some way or another. That means that, if faux libertarianism were correct, then the only legitimate government would be no government at all, which is to say anarchy as opposed to civil society. And if no social norms were legitimate, then each of us would lack not only legal rights but also moral rights. In that case, we would have no right to liberty or anything else.

Unlike libertarianism, which is a coherent outlook, faux libertarianism refutes itself by destroying any intelligible basis for rights to life, liberty, and property. I am no fan of libertarianism, which I find problematic at various levels. But it is far more compelling than its incoherent impostor, faux libertarianism. Mask up, people, before you enter crowded, public spaces!

ABOUT THE WRITER

David DeGrazia (ddd@gwu.edu) is the Elton Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University.

2020 The Baltimore Sun

Visit The Baltimore Sun at http://www.baltimoresun.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Commentary: Mask wearing: Maybe you have a right to put your health at risk, but not that of others - Yahoo! Voices

Complaint filed over Goya endorsement

WASHINGTON -- A group has filed a complaint with the Office of Government Ethics over Ivanka Trump's social media endorsement of Goya Foods Inc., saying the photo violated government rules.

President Donald Trump's daughter, a senior White House adviser, posted a photo of herself holding a can of the company's black beans after some liberal groups called for a boycott of the company's products because Goya Chief Executive Officer Robert Unanue said last week that the country was "truly blessed" to have Trump as its leader.

Ivanka Trump's post was a violation of federal ethics regulations prohibiting employees from endorsing "any product, service or enterprise," the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington argued in its complaint, which was released on Friday.

The group previously raised concern over White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, who endorsed Ivanka Trump's clothing line during remarks in the White House briefing room.

"This is not just about beans; it's another example of a disturbing pattern of this administration acting to benefit the businesses of the president's supporters," Noah Bookbinder, executive director of the ethics group, said.

The White House has said it's not worried about ethics concerns raised by the incident.

"This tweet was made in her personal capacity voicing her personal support," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. "This complaint is another politically-motivated, baseless attack from an organization with a vendetta against all of the administration."

Rep. Amash won't run for reelection

LANSING, Mich. -- U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, a former Republican who backed the impeachment of President Donald Trump, is officially not running for reelection.

Amash had suspended his congressional campaign in February and later explored seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for president. Thursday was Michigan's deadline to run as an independent, though some were also holding out hope he might seek the Libertarians' nomination at a state convention Saturday.

"I love representing our community in Congress. I always will," Amash tweeted. "This is my choice, but I'm still going to miss it."

Amash, 40, initially became an independent a year ago after becoming disenchanted with partisan politics and being the lone House Republican to support an impeachment inquiry. He was one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

He has represented Michigan's 3rd Congressional District in the western part of the state since 2011.

Data: Felony pot arrests down in state

LOS ANGELES -- The number of felony marijuana arrests in California continued to decline in 2019 in the age of legalization, but another trend remained unchanged: those arrests fell disproportionately on Hispanics and Blacks, state data showed.

The California Department of Justice, in an annual snapshot of crime rates in the nation's most populous state released earlier this month, said there were 1,181 felony cannabis arrests last year, down from 1,617 in 2018, the first year of broad legalization. That represents a 27% decline.

According to a breakdown of demographic data, Hispanics accounted for nearly 42% of those arrests, followed by Blacks, at 22%, with whites at 21%. Other groups accounted for the remainder.

The overall number of arrests declined last year, but "the harassment went up," Donnie Anderson, co-founder of the cannabis trade group California Minority Alliance, said in an email.

Ellen Komp, deputy director of the California arm of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, known as NORML, said Thursday that the figures point to the difficulty many Hispanics and Blacks have had entering the legal market, which comes with hefty investment costs, taxes and regulatory fees.

[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]

Fund to aid struggling literary groups

NEW YORK -- Using a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, three major literary arts nonprofits have teamed to administer $3.5 million for organizations struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Along with the Mellon foundation, the Academy of American Poets, the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses and the National Book Foundation announced Friday that they had formed the Literary Arts Emergency Fund. The nonprofits will distribute one-time grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, with the application process running from Friday through Aug. 7.

The fund's administrators noted a recent survey by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts that found 253 literary organizations had reported losses of more than $7.2 million because of the virus, often because of canceled events, such as writers unable to go into classrooms or attend festivals, as well as a drop in fellowships.

"Many of these organizations are small, wondering what's going top happen to them and what it feels like when there seems no help is coming," National Book Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lucas said

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The nation in brief - Arkansas Online

With the 2020 presidential election nearing, voters may have only heard of Republican incumbent President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

However, there is another person in the race: Libertarian Party candidate Dr. Jo Jorgensen.

At Penn State, one student is trying to raise awareness about Jorgensens campaign.

Timothy Tierney, the founder of Penn State for Jo Jorgensen, said although his group isnt an official student registered organization yet, he hopes other students will join the cause.

Tierney (junior-finance)thinks voters should be knowledgeable about all candidates, regardless of their political preference. Thats partially why hes volunteering on a national level to get students involved with Jorgensens campaign.

I think that the best form of democracy is to inform the voter on every candidate possible, Tierney said.

Tierney has heard many voters say, for example, that theyre voting for Biden only because they dont want to vote for Trump, even if they dont necessarily agree with Bidens policies.

I want to make it so that everyone is voting for a candidate, not against someone else, Tierney said. I think the first way to do that is to try to educate the populace about [Jorgensen].

One of Jorgensens biggest policy proposals is to bring American soldiers home from the numerous countries in which theyre stationed, according to Tierney and Joel Getz, the Jorgensen campaigns Pennsylvania social media manager.

With college students in mind, Jorgensen wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education because higher education and its cost havent improved after 40 years of operation, according to Tierney.

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We want everyone to have access to the education that they want, and we want it to be at as low of a cost as possible, Tierney said.

He added that Jorgensen supports demilitarizing the police, something he said is prudent to the Penn State and State College communities.

Getz said the death of Osaze Osagie a 29-year-old Black State College resident with autism and schizophrenia who was fatally shot by a State College Police officer in March 2019 is just one example of why Jorgensen wants to reform Americas law enforcement system.

[Police officers] do face life and death situations, but maybe with different or more training, more of those [situations] could end with life and not death, Getz said.

Jorgensen also wants to make healthcare more affordable, combat poverty and remove quotas on the number of immigrants allowed into the country, according to her campaign website.

Today's students bring a fresh perspective to politics, Jorgensen said in an email from her campaigns media director. They remind us of the need to address the issues they're most concerned about, such as crushing student debt, the environment and jobs.

While her name wont appear on the ballot in all 50 states, Jorgensens campaign in Pennsylvania has hope.

Recently, the commonwealths Democratic leadership ruled that the Libertarian Party needs 5,000 physical signatures within a few weeks in order for Jorgensen to be included on its ballots.

However, Getz said that due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines, this has been difficult to achieve.

Getz said the campaign was hopeful that ballot requirements would be waived or reduced, or that Pennsylvania would allow for online petition signing, as some states have done.

However, Getz said the campaign was shot down during a virtual court hearing.

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The whole thing has been hypocritical at best and seemingly corrupt at worst, Getz said. If I hadnt lived here my whole life and I wasnt so interested in politics, it would probably make my head explode. Its kind of par for the course, even as infuriating as it is.

Sam Robb, the campaigns Pennsylvania coordinator, said the campaign is working with an army of volunteers to appear on the ballot.

This is a team effort. Just as our local Libertarian Party candidates are supporting Jo, our Jorgensen volunteers are working hard to support them in return, Robb said via email. It's not going to be easy, but we will not allow ourselves to be defeated.

In addition to the fight to get on the ballot, there is another battle at hand for the campaign.

Tierney hears many people say their vote wont count if they vote for a third-party candidate, and he believes this is because voters are stuck in a duopoly mindset.

Dr. Amy Sentementes, an assistant teaching professor of political science at Penn State, said this can largely be attributed to voters assumptions that a third-party candidate doesnt have a chance to win an election.

Therefore, she said, there is less of an incentive to vote for a candidate whose political views are similar to voters, and more of an incentive to vote for the candidate who actually has a chance to win.

We would have to change our electoral system in order to prevent this way of thinking, Sentementes said via email. Duverger's Law states that single-member electoral districts with plurality voting will produce a two-party system. We would have to adopt multimember districts and proportional representation in order to change this way of thinking.

Sentementes doesnt think well see a third-party candidate elected in this lifetime, but acknowledged that third parties can still influence Republican and Democratic candidates political agendas.

If the major parties anticipate prospective voters may vote third party or find the third party platform appealing, they could co-opt that platform without losing voters, Sentementes said.

Getz strongly believes that if elected, Jorgensen will work to serve all Americans.

She believes in all of your freedoms, all of the time, for everyone not when its convenient, not only when she agrees with them and not only when its politically advantageous, Getz said.

Tierney echoed Getzs sentiments.

Hopefully Penn State students will be convinced that Jo is the right person to lead this country in 2020, Tierney said.

If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.

See the original post:

How the fight for third party candidates has reached Penn State - The Daily Collegian Online

Since the governments announcement that facemasks will soon become compulsory in all shops and supermarkets there has been an astounding level of backlash. The two main schools of thought seem to stem from either a) its anti-libertarian to impose controls like this or b) its harder to communicate with a mask on. The former is fundamentally incorrect and the latter is wilfully nave.

Indeed, fellow contributor to this site Sean Walsh has managed to produce a beautifully well-written article on the value of face to face interaction and human understanding. I dont refute the sentiment of it at all, but to pretend this pandemic is nothing to fear and the freedom to make facial expressions matters more than peoples lives is wrong.

Yes, Covid-19 has caused a major state intervention into the daily lives of everyone in the UK, and yes, I understand why people dont like this. There are many, me included, who fundamentally dislike the idea of being told what we can and cannot do by the state. Its not unreasonable to believe that we should be able to exercise individual freedoms, but sometimes circumstances have to overtake dogma.

The contention that some people dont feel the need to protect themselves inside a shop, supermarket or train is not a libertarian argument its a selfish one.

The purpose of a mask is not just to protect yourself, but to ensure that the chances of everyone in an enclosed space getting infected is reduced. For those who are still convinced that this is a government assault on individual liberty, try comparing your liberties to those of everyone else.

While wearing a mask, you are completely capable of doing basic daily tasks, such as going inside a shop, getting on a train and generally getting on with your daily life. Now lets say that you have any of the conditions that make you significantly more vulnerable to Covid. The risk of walking into shops with people coughing, sneezing and generally breathing all over each other suddenly becomes a daily gamble with your health. By that libertarian refusal to adhere to basic government guidelines the opportunities for so many others are significantly curtailed. A decision by the minority who see no direct threat to themselves, exposes the vulnerable to whatever people breathe on them. They then face the question of whether to even go outside their home. This doesnt even cover those working in the shops who often cant afford not to work, no matter the risks.

The idea that wearing a scrap of cloth across the lower-half of the face that allows for a full range of speech and movement, doesnt prohibit anyone from doing anything or going anywhere, is a threat to their civil liberties is laughable. The idea that the fit and healthy are willing to endanger others on the tenuous grounds of libertarianism is deadly serious.

Go here to see the original:

No, wearing a face mask isn't a threat to your freedom - TheArticle

Remington/MOScout Poll: Senate 27

Survey conducted July 15 through July 16, 2020. 414 likely 2020 Republican Primary Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match expected turnout demographics for the 2020 Republican Primary Election. Margin of Error is +/-4.9% with a 95% level of confidence. Survey conducted by Remington Research Group on behalf of Missouri Scout. Rehder is a client of Remington. See the full results here.

Q1: Do you approve or disapprove of Donald Trumps job performance as President of the United States?

Approve: 83%

Disapprove: 10%

Not sure: 7%

Q2: Candidates in the August 4th Republican Primary Election for State Senate are Holly Rehder and Kathy Swan. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?

Holly Rehder: 51%

Kathy Swan: 29%

Undecided: 20%

Q3: In general, how do you feel about reopening the economy?

We should be reopening faster: 40%

We are going at about the right speed: 34%

We are reopening too fast: 18%

Not sure: 8%

Q4: What do you think is the most pressing concern for state government?

Dealing with the coronavirus: 26%

Ending police brutality: 18%

Creating more jobs: 19%

Improving healthcare: 7%

Making neighborhoods safer: 8%

Something else: 6%

Not sure: 15%

TYPE OF GOP: Thinking about the various types of voters within the Republican party, which type of voter do you consider yourself to be? Evangelical, a Trump Republican, Traditional, Libertarian, or something else?

Evangelical: 18%

Trump: 48%

Traditional: 17%

Libertarian: 4%

Something else: 13%

MOScouts Hallway Index: Next Sessions CC #

The Senates Conservative Caucus is backing candidates in the Republican Senate primaries. I asked the hallway: How many members of the conservative caucus will there be when session starts in January? 25 replies

RESULTS

1. Less than 6 20%

2. 6 or 7 48%

3. 8 or 9 28%

4. 10 or more 4%

Sample of Comments

If they hold serve, could be 10+

10 inmates, controlling the asylum. Katy, bar the door!

It will be 8 or 9, but the number is a bit misleading because some of the new members are not on board with Eigel's fight against leadership.

The problem with any "caucus" is that as it gets bigger it invites dissension amongst the ranks. A caucus in the Senate probably works better if its just a few true believers instead of a greater number of folks that come and go on issues.

Ross and Rehder are looking likely to win so far. I believe the caucus will grow.

The Gang of Six might become Gang of Seven

My hopeful side wants to pick less than six but the realist in me cant do it.

I am saying five but am not counting Rehder as part of the group.

Who Won the Week?

Holly Rehder Jumps out to a lead in the latest MOScout poll.

Greg Razer Far outstripping his primary rival in money and organization with two weeks left.

Derek Grier Gets a White House invite for being a champion of regulatory reform.

Medicaid Expansion With the current outlook being that the opponents have decided on a grassroots campaign without big-dollar resources, passage gets better odds.

Deb Lavender Once again, she outraised incumbent Sen. Andrew Koenig by a large margin. She raised $141K to his $11K, and now holds a cash on-hand advantage of $426K to $175K.

See downloadable version here.

Franks to Gen Progress

Former Rep. Bruce Franks has joined Generation Progress as Senior Consultant.

See it here.

From their website: Generation Progress is a national advocacy and education organization that promotes progressive solutions to the political and social issues that matter to young people between the ages of 18 and 35. We strive to uplift the voices and leadership of young people across the country to ensure that their perspectives and needs are represented in policy-making spaces at all levels of government. Generation Progress is housed within the Center for American Progress, making us the only youth advocacy organization within a progressive think tank.

$5K+ Contributions

HBS MO State PAC - $25,000 from Altria Client Services.

Missourians for Healthcare - $20,000 from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.

Missourians for Healthcare - $18,993 from Missouri Hospital Association.

Women For Justice PAC - $10,000 from Laborers Union Local #110 Voluntary Political Fund.

Friends for Rusty MacLachlan - $7,500 from Coalition for Building a Better Tomorrow.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Becky Cook, Gary Otten, Charlie Davis, and Jim Gwinner.

Sunday: Rep. Rusty Black, John Griesheimer, Ashley Varner, David Overfelt, and Jim Anderson.

Go here to read the rest:

MOScout Weekender: Poll on Senate 27 - Hallway on Conservative Caucus Numbers - Franks to Gen Progress - WWTW and more... - Moscout

Who are these dictators and defendersTom Switzer believes self-righteous activists are dictating to the rest of us how we should feel. I wonder who Switzer a white male and former advisor to the Howard and Abbott governments, as well as a TV talking head, a broadcaster and an editor imagines the rest of us are.

I also wonder why Switzer, on the payroll of free market think tank the Centre for Independent Studies, takes this dictatorship personally, writing: I have been denounced in these pages and elsewhere for holding unfashionable views from praising John Howard, Boris Johnson and free-market capitalism to criticising the ABC and millennial socialism and those activists who claim Australia is a racist nation.

Switzer writes that thought police are everywhere, but his commentary doesnt allow them to speak for themselves: instead they must be spoken for. The cancel-culture defenders, he writes, say attitudes have changed and that marginalised groups are starting to gain equal footing in society. Why, then, are they so afraid of a debate?

Who are these dictators and defenders, and why are oppressed mainstream media commentators such as Switzer so afraid to name them?Katherine Wilson, Healesville

Save us from the echo-chamber of cultural cleansingTom Switzer is spot on. The irony of the dangerous cancel culture movement sweeping the globe is that it risks destroying the very liberal democratic culture it seeks to cleanse.

Liberal democracies thrive in an environment of free speech, rigorous debate, respectful, robust intellectual scholarship and evidence-based discourse in which opinions stand or fall on the strength of their arguments. Thats why journalism and newspapers are the first to be attacked when demagogues stalk the land.

Nazis, by their intimidation, violence and intolerance of difference, wrote the handbook on how to destroy liberal democracy. George Orwells seminal novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four prophesyse about such techniques to create a totalitarian state. Orwell wrote about cancel culture in his novels well before the term was invented. Its not new.

God save us from the self-righteous echo-chamber of cultural cleansing, the stifling of proper, respectful debate and the re-writing of history. Theres an exciting chapter on the history of BLM yet to be written. Let it be written by the future and not re-written from the past.Nick Toovey, Beaumaris

Selective writing about freedom of speechTom Switzer writes selectively about freedom of speech. He fails to propose an end to defamation actions. No mention of varying degrees of anti-protest laws in jurisdictions around Australia. He fails to condemn federal government attacks on journalists. He doesnt challenge the right of employers to deny free speech to employees. What is his game?Darryl Pyrke, Blackmans Bay, Tas.

A disingenuous claimWe live in Singapore and have been planning our return home to Australia since early January, well before this ballooned into a pandemic.

We couldnt throw our Melbourne tenants out onto the street during the first lockdown, so our return was delayed until August.

It is disingenuous for Scott Morrison to claim everyone has had sufficient time families have to organise and line up employment, multiple school enrolments and rental leases.

We are happy to pay for quarantine however the latest medical evidence shows the virus is only infectious for the first eight days, so a 14-day quarantine is no longer justifiable.

I am happy with Scott Morrisons response to the pandemic but please get your facts straight before blaming, criticising and wrongfully punishing your own citizens.Richard Bourke, Singapore

A sad, but true, imageColumnist Anson Cameron (Welcome to wasteland, Spectrum, 11/7) has painted a sad, but true, image of Port Melbournes Station Pier and Waterfront Place.

For some time, the Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association has been advocating for the revitalisation of the area by creating a precinct overseen by an independent body, bringing together all interested parties. Our proposal has been met with a lukewarm response.

Establishing a precinct run by an independent authority would result in a planned, strategic redevelopment of the area by overcoming competing forces and current restrictions and meet the needs of the residents and Victorians generally. By doing this, Melbournes gateway could be repolished and returned to a vital economic and community hub.Eddie Micallef, president, Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association, Port Melbourne

An amazing assumptionWe are all aware of the danger of close contact with others at the moment. It is amazing that there is an assumption teachers are immune to this.

Could we not rethink the selection process for university places in 2021 (which is the reason given for the importance of year 12 students and their teachers returning to school) and simply develop a new test or requirement for entry? There are many valid examples available.

Our teachers health and wellbeing, when devoid of the protective measures utilised within the health sector, surely warrant close consideration?Julie McCormack, Brunswick West

Toxic politickingJust to remind everyone that Victorian Liberal state MP Tim Smith began this pandemic with a batty plan to remove all bats from Kew, complaints that we werent open early for Mothers Day, complaints that golfers were hard done by, and now hed like Dan Andrews to resign probably so he can crow about Andrews stepping out on Victorians during a crisis.

Smiths social media presence has been a blight on Victorian politics; I cant believe the Victorian Liberals are proud of the fact that hes one of their own. Along with his colleagues; theyve seemingly decided that supporting any lockdown and safety measures is signalling soft support for Andrews, instead of care for the community.

Its toxic politicking and all of them should hang their heads in shame and know that Dan Andrews has got more class in his little finger than all of them put together.Danielle Binks, Frankston

Surely this is good newsI have just finished reading your article about the ICU at the former Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre remaining empty ($30m ICU at former hospital still empty, 13/7).

I wouldve thought that this is good news not bad since we have not yet been overwhelmed with cases requiring ICU treatment.

It seems to me that the building of this unit ahead of time showed foresight and should not be criticised. Talk about dammed if you do and damned if you dont.

Overall Daniel Andrews and his government seem to have done a really good job in combating the coronavirus pandemic despite one or two failures and should be encouraged rather than criticised.Peter Meadley, Ballarat

Missing the pointContainment of the virus is the catch-cry of both the Education Minister and the Premier, but they are missing the point when it comes to opening schools within COVID-19 hot spots.

I am one of many teachers who commute into metropolitan hot spot schools from Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gisborne, Sunbury, Castlemaine and many smaller regional communities.

Education Minister James Merlino has not foreseen or addressed this issue. Perhaps containment of the virus to hot spots would have more chance of success if Harry Potter could cast an appropriate spell.Nick DAglas, Woodend

An unhappy shopperOn Saturday morning I went to a large supermarket in order to do some much-needed shopping for groceries.

I was disappointed given the advice from the Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, on Friday not to see more people wearing masks and making more of an effort to keep their distance. However, what was really concerning was that none of the staff were wearing masks and the onus was entirely on the customers as to whether or not the trolley handles were cleansed with disinfectant wipes.

If the supermarket chains CEO truly has the wellbeing of customers close to his heart as he persistently claims in his frequent emails to rewards cardholders he should act quickly to address the concerns I have raised here.Ivan Glynn, Vermont

Unfairly singled outIn Lockdown: How we stuffed it up (Naked City, The Age, 11/7), John Silvester wrote that security guards are blamed for the COVID-19 spike, although it is not clear whether he holds them accountable for the total increase of the past few weeks.

Three security companies supplied hotel quarantine guards but he only goes into detail about one firm naming it and shaming it.

While quick to disparage Unified Security, he fails to acknowledge the company was a finalist in six excellence awards from the NSW Business Chamber and Local Business Awards in 2018 and 2019, winning three.

He gives the location of the Melbourne office, cites two company cars in Indigenous livery and quotes from their website that Unified is Australias largest wholly Australian and Indigenous-owned security company. Why emphasise the Indigenous connection?

Details of the names, offices and cultural profile of the other two firms were not supplied. Are we to conclude they were blameless so not worth profiling?

Why is it acceptable to sarcastically attack Unified Security and yet a few paragraphs later say the three security companies have established track records?

The article unjustly targets one specific company in a sea of comments about the whole security industry in Australia.Sue Watson, Paynesville

Qualified supportIts a bit rich for conservative Liberal MPs and intellectuals to condemn perceived attacks on free expression when the same people hysterically attack the right of those expressing views contrary to themselves on such matters as the commemoration of Captain Cooks arrival in Australia and the celebration of Australia Day and Anzac Day.

A recent example was when some Victorian Liberal Party politicians and right-wing commentators called for the removal of Victorias Deputy Chief Health Officer, Annaliese van Diemen, for posting a controversial tweet about Captain Cook.

No right to free expression there.

And who can forget the hounding of television presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied out of both the ABC and out of Australia after her controversial Facebook post about Anzac Day in April 2017.Garry Meller, Bentleigh

Anger and apprehensionThis lockdown round, Victorian teachers and parents are expressing anger and apprehension at the return to face-to-face schooling of VCE students. Disturbingly, there are letters with the name withheld, indicating fear not only of the virus, but of retribution for speaking out.

For many Victorians, trust in their government has taken a battering due to significant errors in its handling of the virus. Will this return to face-to-face teaching in reportedly deep-cleaned schools, with classes of 25-plus young adults, no social distancing, and masks discouraged, be another error?

Perhaps teachers and students should take it upon themselves to socially distance the classroom tables if thats even possible and wear masks?

And, perhaps teacher unions, parents, teachers, students and legal firms should be looking at possible class action should any COVID-19 cases and deaths be traced back to this return to school.Deborah Morrison, Malvern East

Breach after breachHeres an idea instead of fining people for COVID-19 regulation breaches, why not make them undertake some hours in community service at a testing station? This reality check might just shake up those foolish enough, like the car of Victorians who tried to cross the Queensland border several times and mocked the $4000 fine they were each issued, to realise this is not some joke they can laugh off.

Over the weekend I witnessed breach after breach of some of the most simple aspects of social distancing. Exceptionalism has taken hold of too many who think along the lines of oh it wont happen to me or its just a small breach, it wont make a difference or well others arent, so why should I? Just take a scroll through Instagram if you need any proof of this.

If you care about your own health and that of your friends and family, take this seriously and abide by the regulations.

If not, prepare for many, many more months of lockdown, infections and deaths.Paul Bugeja, Footscray

Stopping the spreadIf Premier Daniel Andrews wants us to follow the rules, to only go out when you need to, and to only go out for the purposes that are lawful, why are the shopping malls and retail stores open?Nadine McMaster, Port Melbourne

I agree with Andrew Gemmell (Letters, 12/7), maybe it is time masks should be worn on all forms of public transport as a courtesy to other passengers to help limit the spread of all sorts of illnesses (not just COVID-19).Maria Wickham, Mount Nelson, Tas.

Credit:

Sunday on the Gardiners Creek walking loop: hundreds of people, and I counted 11 wearing masks. Not good enough, folks. We are all in this together.Brian Marshall, Ashburton

The footyIts hard to believe now but AFL used to be described as the best game in the world.John Hennessy, Glen Iris

Scott MorrisonWhile I dont begrudge our Prime Minister attending his beloved game, I am less than impressed that he was not self-distancing or wearing a mask.Susan Munday, Bentleigh East

Empty ICU bedsUntil or unless the former Peter Mac building is required for COVID-19 care (The Age, 13/7), couldnt it provide temporary housing for homeless people or those fleeing domestic violence?Mary Cole, Richmond

The fact that the emergency ICU at the old Peter Mac remains unused is a testament to the success of the initial Victorian lockdown in suppressing COVID-19. We can only hope that it remains empty.Nick Barton, Hillside

FurthermoreSo, the reason teachers are not allowed to wear masks is it stops them teaching properly. What really stops a teacher teaching is contracting COVID-19.Susan Caughey, Glen Iris

FinallyOur grandma got out her sewing machine and made individual masks for the whole family. Grandmas are beautiful people.Peter Finn, Tallarook

To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.

Read the original:

With civil libertarians, its often one-way traffic - The Age

On Sunday, July 19, Liz Terwilliger will meet with members of the public to hear their concerns about how change is needed in the county. Terwilliger will also answer questions from the community and share what she has learned from local parents, business owners, teachers and other concerned residents.

This free event will be held from 24 p.m. on Sunday, July 9th at Woodland Park at 109 East Ave., Wellsboro. Precautions will be taken to ensure a safe event with proper social distancing and sanitation.

People across Tioga County have told me that they are frustrated with the business-as-usual attitude from their representatives, said Terwilliger. The challenges that the county has faced this year have been incredibly difficult. Government has only made things worse. Tioga County has had politicians, not representatives, in the State House and in Washington, and this must stop with the next election.

Terwilliger is running for Congress in the PA 12th Congressional District which includes Tioga County. She will be joined at the Woodland Park by Noyes Lawton, running for the state representative in the 68th PA District. Both Liz Terwilliger and Noyes Lawton are running on the Libertarian Party ticket.

I am eager to hear from Tioga County residents no matter what political party they are registered with, as well as the many Independents in our county, she said. They have been taken for grated for too long, and it is time their voices were heard. Noyes and I will get these voters real representation both in Washington and in the State House. Please come by and meet us and tell us about your concerns and your views on improving our county.

Originally posted here:

Libertarian Congressional candidate to stop in Wellsboro this Sunday - The Wellsboro Gazette

Voters who can't stand either major-party presidential nominee could be one of the keys to the electionand unlike in 2016, that might be bad news for President Donald Trump.

Four years ago, in a contest between two of the least-liked presidential nominees in history, Trump benefitted from the number of voters who found him slightly less detestable than Hillary Clinton. But a new Morning Consult poll suggests that Trump isn't doing as well with the "haters demographic" this time around. Voters who hold unfavorable views of both Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are more likely to hold their nose and vote for the former vice president than for the incumbent.

Exit polling on Election Day 2016 showed that voters who did not like either major party candidate ended up backing Trump over Hillary Clinton by a 17-point margin. With less than four months to go until Election Day 2020, Morning Consult's new poll shows Biden with a 29-point lead with the same group. Among the 43 percent who say they are undecided, Biden has a 19-point lead when they are forced to make a choice.

The group also feels more strongly about Trump than it does about Biden: 66 percent saying they have veryunfavorable views of the president, while only 40 percent say the same about Biden. Again, this is only looking at voters who say they have unfavorable views of both.

The influence that the so-called "haters demographic" could have on the election depends on a few things.

First, because of the Electoral College, there's a geographic limitation on how much of a role voter anger can play. No matter how much a Californian might hate Joe Biden, California is going to be blue state.

Second, like all polls that attempt to organize individuals into groups, this one can be a bit fuzzy around the edges. There are people out there who might say they dislike both candidates but are already fairly certain of how they will vote. Many conservatives, for example, might have voted for Trump in 2016 not because they particularly liked him but because they wanted a Republican president to pick judges. That's a valid way to sort through an awful choice like the one presented in 2016, and it demonstrates that some voters are motivated by more than their personal feelings towards the two candidates.

Then there is the role of third parties. The abysmal approval ratings for Trump and Clinton in 2016 likely contributed to the record-shattering number of votes received that year by former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee.

Few observers think that this year's Libertarian ticketled by the Clemson psychologist Jo Jorgensenwill match Johnson's performance. But the Morning Consult poll didn't include any third-party candidates, so it may have a blind spot when it comes to whether members of the so-called "haters demographic" might refuse to vote for both Trump and Biden. Some might simply stay home; others might try to find an alternative candidate they actually like.

With negative partisanship driving so much of American politics these daysparticularly on cable news and social mediait shouldn't be too surprising that voters with a negative view of both Trump and Biden are likely to decide the election. And with more than 100 days to go before the polls close, both candidates will have ample opportunities to add to that demographic.

See the article here:

Potential Key to the 2020 Election: Voters Who Can't Stand Both Trump and Biden - Reason

Economist and libertarian conservative philosopher Thomas Sowell warned Sunday that the country could reach the point of no return if presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the election and ushers in the radical left.

If the election goes to Biden, Mr. Sowell told Fox News, theres a good chance that the Democrats will then control the two branches of Congress and the White House. And considering the kinds of things that theyre proposing, that could well be the point of no return for this country.

The Hoover Institution senior fellow expressed disbelief that adult human beings in the Democratic Party had openly supported the Defund the Police movement, calling it utter madness.

What is frightening is how many people in responsible positions are caving into every demand that is made, repeating any kind of nonsense that youre supposed to repeat, Mr. Sowell said. I do believe that we may well reach a point of no return. I hope that, of course, will never happen. But there is such a thing as a point of no return. The Roman empire overcame many problems in its long history but eventually it reached a point where it could no longer continue on, and much of that was from within, not just the barbarians attacking from outside.

Mr. Sowell also said that Democrats pushing the concept of systemic racism in the U.S. reminded him of the propaganda tactics of the Nazis.

It really has no meaning that can be specified and tested in the way that one tests hypotheses, he said of the phrase systemic racism.

It does remind me of the propaganda tactics of Joseph Goebbels during the age of the Nazis, in which he was supposed to have said people will believe any lie if its repeated long enough and loud enough, he added. And thats what were getting. Its one of many words that I dont think even the people who use it have any clear idea what theyre saying. Their purpose is served by having other people cave in.

See the article here:

Thomas Sowell: Joe Biden win could signal 'point of no return for this country' - Washington Times

Because no decision has been made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo if registered New York voters will be required to go to the polls to vote or if theyll be able to vote by absentee ballot, Chautauqua County Board of Elections officials are planning for two different scenarios simultaneously one as if there will be a traditional election and two as if all registered voters will be permitted to vote by mail.

We have all the envelops ordered to do mail-in ballots. We can move on a dime. Well be ready to move in any direction, explained Democratic Election Commissioner Norman P. Green.

In June, registered Democratic, Libertarian and Busti Republican primary voters were able to vote either in person or by mail for the various primaries. The turnout was above what it would normally be, which was odd, noted Green. For Democrats, they were able to vote for multiple presidential candidates, however only Joe Biden was the only active candidate. It was pretty much an uncontested primary but a higher percentage turned out to vote. We attribute it to having absentee ballots for everyone, he said.

According to the state Board of Elections, normally a person can only vote by absentee ballots for the following reasons:

You are absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City absent from said city, on Election Day;

You are unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability; or because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled;

A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital;

Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

In the June primary, registered voters were given the option to request an absentee ballot due to concerns over voting in person because of the coronavirus. Also, voters were provided stamped envelops, so there was no cost to the voter to mail the ballot.

School elections were also 100 percent voted on by mail-in ballots.

Republican Election Commissioner Brian Abrams noted that in Jamestown, the balloting increased from 400 votes to 4,000 votes.

What came along with that was a huge cost difference, he added, noting that schools had to pay for the stamps and envelops.

Still, he was happy to see more residents being able to cast their vote. Well keep doing whatever we can to keep people participating, he said.

According to Abrams, right now the county has around 75,000 active and 6,000 inactive voters. If the state tells county Board of Elections they need to provide absentee ballots for everyone, he admits that will be a lot of work and expense. My thought to the state is to review the local boards and see what their limits are, he said. If youre going to make a change, please give us as much lead time as possible.

Green agrees that any changes will mean more man-hours for the staff. Were definitely going to need more seasonal temporary personnel. Its going to be a very labor intensive job to do a mail-in election, he said.

But that doesnt mean the county will abandon its current polling model. Green said Chautauqua County has 50 poll sites for 29 jurisdictions (27 towns and two cities). Some counties consolidated down to one poll site (in the June primary). We disagreed with that, he said.

Green is not only the county Democratic Election Commissioner, he is also the county Democratic chairman. When asked if he feels mail-in ballots will increase or decrease voter turnout, he doesnt think it will make a difference this year. For this presidential cycle, everybody that wants to vote is going to vote, he said.

He could see mail-in ballots increasing participation in off-election years. The biggest race next year is the county executive race. Would mail-in ballots help that? It could. Weve had as low as 30% turnout in local elections, he said.

One concern brought up by President Donald Trump is the potential for fraud with mail-in ballots.

Green said in New York whether youre voting at the polls or by mail-in ballot, election inspectors will compare signatures to ensure no one is voting illegally. He noted that in June the Board of Elections rejected over 100 ballots because the signatures didnt line up. We let people know their vote didnt count, he said.

Abrams said he isnt worried about voter fraud as much as the personal decision of the vote. He said he could envision a scenario where, for example, a husband pressures his wife to vote the same way he does, instead of her casting her vote by herself in a booth. Its the privacy and independence of the vote that could be lost, he said.

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Election commissioners preparing for voting process in November | News, Sports, Jobs - Evening Observer

COVID-19 infects the presidential ballot

1928. That was the last presidential election Virginia voters were left with only two options to choose. Nearly a century later, that statistic is in jeopardy of being repeated.

COVID-19 is making it nearly impossible for minor political parties to gather the required signatures to be able to appear on the ballot.

Petitioners and would-be signers are scared to be exposed to the virus. Popular spots to petition, like the DMV, are closed until further notice.

The two major parties have a free pass from petitioning. If they dont wish to nominate their candidate by primary, they can choose to do so by convention. The VA GOP chose to forego petition-required primaries in order to nominate their presidential and Fifth Congressional District candidates. They only had three out of seven candidates make the June primary even after a Richmond judge lowered the ballot access requirement 65%, from 10,000 to 3,500 signatures.

Potential alternatives to ease the insurmountable hurdle for minor parties include allowing electronic signatures, lowering the overall requiremen, and/or extending the deadline.

The Libertarian Party is the third-largest political party in the United States. Its presidential candidate was on the ballot in all 50 states in 2016. Nearly 200,000 Virginia voters voted for a third-party candidate that year. The last presidential election Virginia voters didnt have the option to vote for the LP presidential candidate was in 1984.

Excerpt from:

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: COVID-19 infects the presidential ballot - Martinsville Bulletin

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says he has an economic plan for America to Build Back Better. President Donald Trump complains that Biden plagiarized significant elements of that plan from, you guessed it, Donald Trump.

Both plans are packed full of bad ideas that have been proposed a thousand times by a thousand other politicians, so the plagiarism claim seems more trollish than truthy. The problem with both economic plans isnt that theyre plagiarized, its that they ARE economic plans.

What is an economy?

Ask a politician, and you might get the idea that an economy is a metaphorical truck full of goodies. Give the keys to the right politician and everyone gets candy and ice cream. Give the keys to the wrong politician and he rolls the truck into a ravine and everyone starves.

Ask a bureaucrat, and youre likely to get lists of key indicators, accompanied by graphs and charts attempting to explain life, the universe, and everything in terms of those indicators.

In actuality, an economy is the aggregate of nearly every decision, made by nearly every human being on the planet, nearly every second, of nearly every hour, of nearly every day.

The economy is whether you have lunch, and if so what you eat and how much of it.

The economy is whether you go to work today or call in sick and return to bed.

The economy is whether you try to make that old beater last one more year, or give in and go shopping for a new car, or start bicycling more and driving less.

The economy is everything you and eight billion other people decide to buy or not buy, sell or not sell, consume or not consume, and do or not do, 24/7/365, cradle to grave.

The idea that a politician or bureaucrat (government or corporate) can come up with an economic plan that takes all the relevant variables into account forecasts what people need or want and efficiently allocates resources to make sure they get it isnt just silly, its dangerous.

Behind politicians economic plans lies the kind of hubris that that turns recessions into depressions, droughts into mass starvation episodes, and trade wars into shooting wars.

According to the Build Back Better plan, Joe Biden believes to his core that theres no greater economic engine in the world than the hard work and ingenuity of the American people. Trump makes similar noises.

If they actually believed it, their economic plans would be identical and 11 words long: Laissez faire et laissez passer, le monde va de lui meme (Let do and let pass, the world goes on by itself).

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

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The road to hell is paved with economic plans - San Bernardino County Sun