Northampton County Libertarian Party Endorses Roy Minet For LPPA State Chair

The Libertarian Party of Northampton County has voted unanimously to endorse Roy Minet of Lancaster County for State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. The election of state officers will take place at the business meeting of the LPPA Annual Convention scheduled for the morning of Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the Harrisburg Hilton.

Dr. Tom Stevens, County Chair of the Northampton County LP and Immediate Past Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, said the following in response to the endorsement:

I worked closely with Roy Minet in 2012 as we successfully defended our Libertarian Party petitions against an aggressive GOP challenge. As a result, Gary Johnson and our statewide candidates were on the ballot in Pennsylvania and because of the vote totals obtained by our statewide candidates, we regained Minor Party status. Roy scheduled and coordinated the 20+ volunteers we needed each day to defend our petitions and was named a Libertarian Ballot Access Hero by LP News. During this 9-week challenge and during my term in office, Roy also served as Media Relations and Marketing Committee Chair for the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. He is a tireless, committed activist for liberty whose only goal is to build the LP.

The Northampton County LP had no problem deciding to endorse Roy Minet for State Chair. His announced opponent, Steve Scheetz of Montgomery County, refused to endorse Gary Johnson for President and his chapter was the epicenter of Jim Babb's.Vote for Nobody campaign, In addition, Mr. Scheetz did not obtain a single petition signature for Gary Johnson or the LPPA's statewide candidates and didn't commit a single hour to help defend our petitions against the GOP challenge. The endorsement of Roy Minet for State Chair was a no-brainer for our membership. Roy is clearly the more qualified candidate and would do a superb job if elected..

The Northampton County LP General Membership Meeting was held in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Saturday, May 18, 2013.

Northampton County Libertarian Party Endorses Jeremy Clark For Pennsylvania House Of Representatives District 136

On May 18, 2013, the Libertarian Party of Northampton County voted unanimously to endorse Jeremy Clark as the Libertarian Party's candidate for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 136, a district located entirely in Northampton County.

In accepting the nomination, Jeremy Clark wrote:

I am thrilled and honored by the endorsement of the Northampton County Libertarian Party to be the next Representative for the 136th District. The members of the Northampton County Libertarian Party work tirelessly for liberty in the county and across the state. Their members played a crucial role in fighting the cowardly GOP attempt to limit voters' options and remove Gary Johnson from the ballot last year.

Similarly, it is in the name of a real choice that I am running. Every election cycle voters are limited to two - increasingly similar - parties. All the while, the obvious issues are never addressed. The sad truth is that the two parties care more about elections, power, and money than solving problems.

I am a libertarian because I believe that a freer society is a better society. I believe that we get better results as individuals and communities than from the dictates of Harrisburg and Washington. I believe the corruption of the Turnpike Commission, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, the IRS, and countless other agencies are merely examples of the inevitable consequences of party over principle. I believe our system needs a serious reform movement that focuses on transparency and local solutions.

I am running for office in the 136th because I love this community. I was born in Pennsylvania but I married into the Lehigh Valley. I met my wife Liz, and Easton native, at the University of Delaware. After graduating and serving 4 years as an infantry officer in the Army including three combat tours, I was finally able to return to Pennsylvania. I attended law school at Villanova and now have a private practice in Easton where I live with Liz and our two daughters. It would be an honor to serve as the Representative for this community that I have come to love so much.

Dr. Tom Stevens, County Chair of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County, said:

In nominating Jeremy Clark, we have endorsed an American Hero, a devoted family man and an American Patriot dedicated to preserving our freedoms and protecting us from intrusive government that continues to undermine our civil liberties and fails to respect our individual rights. Once the people of the 136th District get to know Jeremy Clark, I have no doubt they will want him to serve as their State Representative. The Northampton LP is honored to have found such a qualified and charismatic candidate to run for this office. 

The election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 136 takes place in 2014. The district is currently represented by Robert L. Freeman, a Democrat, who has served since 1999.

Jordan Stella Re-Appointed President Of The Objectivist Party Of Indiana

Effective May 5, 2013, Jordan Stella was re-appointed President of the Objectivist Party of Indiana (OPIN) by the Governing Board of the Objectivist Party.

In accepting the re-appointment, Jordan Stella said:

I'm an Objectivist because I believe in freedom, first and foremost. Rational thinking should be the basis for our society, not greed. I want to thank Dr. Stevens for his continued support and for giving me the opportunity to promote reason, liberty, and Objectivism to the world.

The Objectivist Party of Indiana was chartered on October 10, 2008. Its first President was Marc Oestreich, who served from October 10, 2008 through November 12, 2009. Its second President was Sam Varriano, who served from November 12, 2009 to May 5, 2011. Jordan Stella was appointed OPIN President on May 5, 2011.

The Objectivist Party was founded by Thomas Robert Stevens on February 2, 2008, Ayn Rand's birthday. It seeks to promote Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism in the political realm.

Libertarian Party New York City Nominating Convention Minutes (April 9, 2013)

Libertarian Party New York City Nominating Convention

Minutes of the April 9, 2013 Business Meeting

 New York Irish Center, Long Island City, Queens

 

The meeting was called to order by John Clifton, LPQC Chair, at 7:30 p.m.

As LP Chair of the hosting county for the event, John Clifton acknowledged his appointment as NYC Convention Chair Pro Tem and Matthew Kelly as NYC Convention Secretary Pro Tem. Both were accepted without objection. 

Chair announced the meeting agenda would follow the outline submitted on the correspondence sent to properly notice the convention:  1) Nomination of Citywide Candidates. 2) Discussion and Motion to authorize developing citywide ballot initiatives. 3) Adjournment.

The Agenda was adopted without objection.

Chair ruled the format of the meeting would be relaxed with regards to Robert’s Rules and parliamentary procedure. There was no objection.

Chair also ruled the LPNY Bylaw provision describing the credentialing status of the attendees of the city convention was not sufficiently clear (concerning whether or not LP borough chapter members who were not LPNY members could vote), and as a result of the ambiguity, Chair would side with the precedent set by previous city conventions, and include all LP borough chapter members present as eligible to vote.

Blay Tarnoff (LPNY Secretary) objected, and made a motion to overrule the Chair. Motion was seconded, followed by discussion, but the motion FAILED. Tarnoff continued to interrupt proceedings to reprove the credentialing ruling through the remainder of the meeting.

Nominations were opened for Mayor. Candidates nominated included Sam Sloan, Carl Person, Kristin Davis (who declined), Joe Lhota, and NOTA (None of the Above). Nominations were then closed. Davis’s announcement that she was running for Comptroller, and endorsing Lhota for Mayor, led to an extensive interruption of proceedings with heated discussion.

Randy Credico made a motion to re-open the nominations for Mayor, so he could be nominated.  Motion was seconded, followed by discussion, but the motion FAILED. Out of order interjections and interruptions continued over the Lhota nomination and the credentialing issue.  Janet Hopf made a motion to adjourn due to this, which was seconded, but the motion FAILED.

Tarnoff continued to interject, to advocate that individual credentialing be conducted to see if the attendees were qualified to vote as per the Chair’s ruling (namely, to check whether attendees were listed on the Membership Lists brought to the Convention by the 4 County Libertarian Party organizations active within New York City, or otherwise known to county LP officers present). A short recess was called to determine the manner in which said individual credentialing verification could be performed and whether conducting said verification was feasible given the lists available.

The Chair ruled that Matthew Kelly, as Secretary Pro Tem, would conduct the individual credentialing verifications by checking the names of those in attendance against each County’s membership list. Blay Tarnoff started to act out, without being recognized, demanding that the Secretary Pro Tem first check the state membership status of all attendees despite the earlier upheld ruling of the Chair that state membership was not a prerequisite to vote at this NYC Nominating Convention. Interjections and interruptions by both the Lhota supporters and Tarnoff (who prevented Kelly from proceeding by insisting he verify the LPNY membership status of all attendees first) continued until the Chair recognized Kristin Davis, who moved to overrule the Chair on conducting an individual credentialing verification and to allow all in attendance at the convention to vote. The motion to overrule the Chair was seconded and the motion PASSED.

Members then voted to nominate Joe Lhota as the LP candidate for Mayor by two thirds vote.

Members voted to nominate Kristin Davis as the LP candidate for Comptroller by two thirds vote.

Members voted to nominate Vivia Morgan as the LP candidate for Public Advocate by two thirds vote.

Members voted to authorize Gary Popkin to head an effort to properly develop citywide ballot initiatives or referendums to end surveillance measures in NYC (repeal Stop and Frisk, remove Airport and Police scanners and cameras) and to reform city government (end the large soda ban or similar policies, abolish the offices of Public Advocate and Borough President).

Members moved to adjourn.  The motion PASSED.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:25 pm.

Other matters (such as the Committee on Vacancies) were discussed informally afterward. Chair acknowledged a motion to create the Committee was not suggested by either the Chair or raised by the body, but he believed it was not mandatory for the body to do so, and the committee could be created by the candidates themselves under the election law. Chair expressed the belief that the candidates voted for were duly nominated, since the body doing so had twice voted to accept the manner of the proceedings, including credentialing.

Dated: April 27, 2013

Respectfully,

Matthew Kelly

Secretary Pro Tem
Libertarian Party NYC Nominating Convention

Luis Rivas Appointed President Of Objectivist Party Of California

On May 14, 2013, Luis Rivas was appointed to serve as President of the Objectivist Party of California.

In accepting the appointment, Luis Rivas said:

Objectivism came to me as a curiosity. I heard people mention the name Ayn Rand and the more I asked, the more negative answers I got. As a result, I decided to read about her and read what she wrote so I could draw my own conclusions. Her perspectives and philosophy resonated with me. It was something I had been searching for. I came out of the punk-scene where "individual attitude" and "individualism" was a primary value but at the same time, it was largely a collectivist ideal where you don't fit in well if you say you want to be successful. America to me is supposed to be a place where individuals go out and reach their highest potential, where the government stays out of the way and is only there to protect each person's individual rights. 

I always wanted to get more involved in politics. It was always something that interested me. One day, I asked myself, "what if there was a party that promoted Objectivism" and like any curious person, I searched the web and there it was: http://www.objectivistparty.us. I looked at the site, read about the party and loved it! I joined the Objectivist Party and all the relevant Facebook Groups and when the call went out for new officers, I expressed my enthusiasm and availability. 

I consider my new role as President of the Objectivist Party of California to be an exciting new adventure and a great opportunity. I thank Dr. Tom Stevens for his confidence in me and for his willingness to help me achieve great things for the Objectivist Party in California. I will do everything I can to make it influential and to work with the members to make a difference in our effort to promote liberty and reason.

The Objectivist Party of California was chartered on August 9, 2008. Its first President was Nicholas Huber, who served from August 9, 2008 to August 12, 2010. Its second President was Maxfield Bern, who served from August 12, 2010 to May 14, 2013.

The Objectivist Party was founded by Thomas Robert Stevens on February 2, 2008, Ayn Rand's birthday. It seeks to promote Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism in the political realm.

Personal Freedom Party Holds New York City Convention; Sam Sloan Nominated For Mayor, Kristin Davis Nominated For Comptroller & Thomas Robert Stevens Nominated For Public Advocate

The Personal Freedom Party held its New York City Nominating Convention on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Boulder Creek Steakhouse located at 134-15 20th Avenue, College Point, Queens, New York. Sam Sloan, a resident of the Bronx, was nominated for Mayor, Kristin M. Davis, a resident of Manhattan, was nominated for Comptroller and Thomas Robert Stevens, a resident of Queens, was nominated for Public Advocate.

Sam Sloan ran for the Libertarian Party's gubernatorial nomination in 2010 and for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination in 2012. He previously served as Director of Media Relations for the Manhattan Libertarian Party as well as serving as its Representative to the State Committee of the New York Libertarian Party. Sam Sloan is an American Chess Player & Publisher. He has served on the Executive Board of the U.S. Chess Federation and successfully argued a case pro se before the United States Supreme Court. Sam Sloan is a Muslim and is known in Islamic circles as Haji Mohammed Ismail Sloan.

Kristin M. Davis, who received the nomination of the Libertarian Party for Comptroller on April 9, 2013, was the gubernatorial candidate of the Anti-Prohibition Party in 2010. Ms. Davis is formerly known as the Manhattan Madam, a former madam famous for having run a high-end prostitution ring in New York City. Davis served four months in prison on Riker's Island. Prior to running an escort agency, she was Vice-President of the back office of a hedge fund operation with assets over 2 billion dollars. Ms. Davis now runs Hope House, a non-profit organization designed to assist women affected by sex trafficking.

Thomas Robert Stevens is an attorney, educator and political activist. He has appeared as an expert or to discuss current events on over 200 national talk shows. Dr. Stevens is the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of Queens County and former State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. He is the Founder & Chair of the Objectivist Party and was nominated as its Presidential candidate in 2008 and 2012 (appearing on the ballot in Colorado & Florida). He served two terms as President of the Hofstra University School of Law Alumni Association. Dr. Stevens also started Free Trade Day (May 8th), Space Exploration Day (July 20th) Skyscraper Appreciation Day (August 10th) and Individual Rights Day (August 29th). He currently serves as Chairman of the Board & Vice-President of Concerned Citizens Speak, a New York City-based non-profit civic, educational and social organization founded in March, 1981.

Alden Link, who was the Libertarian Party candidate for Lt. Governor of New York State in 2010 and the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Objectivist Party in 2008 and 2012, was a delegate to the New York City Nominating Convention of the Personal Freedom Party. He said:

The Personal Freedom Party has a simple and attractive platform. It supports the Legalization of Marijuana, Decriminalization of Prostitution, Legalization of Gambling, Lowering the Voting Age, Legalization of Gay Marriage (achieved in New York State), Elimination of Excessive Taxation and Elimination of Excessive Regulation. These are admirable goals many New York City residents can get behind. Sam Sloan and Tom Stevens accepted their nominations in person and made powerful speeches outlining what they hope to achieve if elected. Kristin Davis was not present although I saw a number of prominent political leaders in attendance as delegates including Scott Morgan, an activist in the Independence Party; Dallwyn Merck, President of Stonewall Libertarians New York who also serves as Executive Director of 14 Now!; and Matthew Kelly, Membership Committee Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Libertarian Alliance, Treasurer of the Libertarian Party of Queens County and Vice-Chair of Long Island Libertarians, a chartered chapter of Empire State Libertarians.

The Personal Freedom Party was founded on June 6, 2010.

NYLP Board Tries To Void Results Of NYC Nominating Convention; Queens LP Objects

A properly noticed New York City Libertarian Party Nominating Convention was held on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at the New York Irish Center located at 10-40 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, New York. At that convention, 50+ delegates from the four city-wide chapters nominated Joe Lhota for Mayor, Kristin Davis for Comptroller, and Vivia Morgan for Public Advocate.

The delegates disposed of a number of credentialing issues including whether all of the members of the Queens, Manhattan, Kings and Staten Island LP Chapters should be permitted to vote in addition to state party members living within the 5 boroughs. All members of county LP organizations voted at the last two New York City Nominating Conventions and on November 29, 2012, Mark Axinn, current Chair of the New York Libertarian Party, wrote to Kristin Davis and told her, "To vote at a City Convention, one has to join one of the four city chapters. That can happen any time before the Nominating Convention." This was also the ruling of John Clifton, the Queens LP Chair who was Chairman Pro Tem at the New York City Nominating Convention (said ruling that was sustained) and of Janet Hopf, the Manhattan LP Chair.

Blay Tarnoff, a resident of Nassau County and the NYLP Secretary, argued that all City Chapter members must also be state party members to vote but his argument was not accepted by the duly credentialed delegates in attendance at the New York City Nominating Convention. Mr. Tarnoff then lobbied primarily Nassau and Suffolk County LP members serving on the Board and persuaded the NYLP Board of Directors to vote on Sunday, May 5, 2013 to declare the decisions and nominations made at the New York City Nominating Convention null and void and to appoint himself as the facilitator of a new New York City Nominating Convention to be held on June 11, 2013. Janet Hopf, Manhattan LP Chair, voted against the motion.

On Saturday, May 11, 2013, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Queens County (along with all LPQC members in attendance at the meeting) voted unanimously to issue the following statement regarding the attempt by the state Board of Directors to undo the decisions and nominations made by duly credentialed delegates at the New York City Nominating Convention:

It is the position of the Libertarian Party of Queens County that the Board of Directors of the New York Libertarian Party has no authority to overturn the decisions and nominations made by the delegates at a properly noticed New York City Nominating Convention. Delegates at a properly called convention have the power to decide credentialing issues and to rule on points of order raised and the New York Libertarian Party Board of Directors cannot declare the decisions and nominations made by the delegates null and void just because they don't like the results. Whatever one thinks should have happened at the New York City Nominating Convention held on April 9, 2013, what did happen was that Joe Lhota obtained the Libertarian Party nomination for Mayor, Kristin Davis obtained the Libertarian Party nomination for Comptroller, and Vivia Morgan obtained the Libertarian Party nomination for Public Advocate. Those nominations stand. Any nominations for citywide office made at the upcoming rump New York City Nominating Convention scheduled for June 11, 2013 will be, in our opinion, void ab initio.

Dr. Tom Stevens, Political Director of the Libertarian Party of Queens County and the elected LPQC State Representative, said:

The power of duly credentialed delegates in convention to make decisions and nominations is supreme. If that convention was properly noticed, as this one was, no Board of Directors can declare the actions of the delegates null and void. Any dispute or ambiguity in the interpretation of the state party bylaws were addressed, debated and decided by the delegates in attendance. 

The Libertarian Party of Queens County was founded on October 6, 1994. It is currently the largest and most active chapter in the New York Libertarian Party with over 70 paid members.