Stevens Resigns LPNY Life Membership

On June 27, 2010, Dr. Tom Stevens resigned his Life Membership in the Libertarian Party of New York. He remains a member of both the Manhattan Libertarian Party and the Libertarian Party of Queens County, the two largest LP chapters in New York State and continues to serve as the Political Director and Membership Director of the Libertarian Party of Queens County.

The LPNY State Committee suspended the membership of Dr. Stevens in the Libertarian Party of New York on June 6, 2010 and extended the suspension on June 27, 2010 claiming that Dr. Stevens "followed a continued public course of action knowing it to be contrary to the principles and objectives of the LPNY", "claimed to represent the LPNY while knowing that this is not the fact", and "for knowingly, seriously and repeatedly disrupting meeting and activities of the LPNY", which was the language set forth in the LPNY bylaws as the grounds needed for a membership suspension. However, the real reasons behind his membership suspension stem from the positions he has taken in his capacity as State Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County.

Some of those positions have included:

1. Exposing the fact that Warren Redlich never had a strategy for giving the LPNY a fighting chance of obtaining 50,000 votes in this year's gubernatorial race, and objecting to Redlich's promise not to spend a dime of his own money on the gubernatorial race because his wife wouldn't allow it while simultaneously making the false claim he intended to petition to compete for the Republican Gubernatorial Nomination;

2. Opposing the efforts of State Committee members who wished to deny Kristin Davis and Sam Sloan, two gubernatorial candidates, the opportunity to send campaign literature to all eligible voting LPNY members in order to encourage them to attend the LPNY State Convention. Denied the opportunity to communicate with eligible voting delegates, Kristin Davis bolted to form her own party and Sam Sloan sued the party for the release of the member list. In the end, Sloan was not successful and Warren Redlich won the gubernatorial nomination with only 27 votes;

3. Raising the issue of possible election fraud that took place at the LPNY State Convention when despite every qualified voting delegate being given an identifying wrist ban, Mark Axinn, current LPNY Chair, placed blank sheets of paper on every table and permitted people to collect other people's ballots and place them into a hat. Stevens publicly objected to this procedure at the LPNY Convention and was told by Mr. Axinn he was running the election on the "honor system";

4. Informing Mark Axinn he witnessed election fraud actually taking place at the LPNY Annual Convention when delegates ineligible to vote voted and eligible voting delegates were witnessed voting more than once;

5. Objecting to the fact that the LPNY State Committee never saw or approved the convention contract, never knew how much money the LPNY was obligated to pay, that payments were made after the fact for unauthorized convention mailings and for making repeated requests to obtain a proper breakdown of the money collected at the State Convention;

6. Demanding an expedited process for the transfer of the Treasury records. Last year, there was a six month delay and two months have already passed since April and the signature cards have not been changed and we don't have a proper accounting of the money in the LPNY's Treasury;

7. Requesting that former Secretary M Carling post 4-5 months of missing State Committee Meeting Minutes and for current Secretary Brian DeMarzo to post the LPNY Convention Minutes and those of the past two State Committee Meetings; and

8. Trying to find out, before Chris Cantwell was nominated for Congress, why he spent 4 months in jail and what the status was of two current felonies that were pending against him for which he faced 4 years in state prison.

The Membership and Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Queens County responded to the Stevens suspension with the following statement that was unanimously adopted without objection:

The Libertarian Party of Queens County:

Condemns the LPNY State Committee for effectively denying the Libertarian Party of Queens County its choice of representative and the right to decide who it wishes to represent it on the LPNY State Committee by it having wrongfully suspended the membership of Dr. Tom Stevens, the LPQC's duly elected State Representative.

Stands behind Dr. Tom Stevens, our duly elected State Representative, whose actions we completely support without hesitation or reservation and who has represented us in a manner that has always made us proud.

Condemns the extremely dysfunctional Libertarian Party of New York, whose politically inexperienced, stagnant leadership and the presence of toxic individuals have been primarily responsible for the party's inability to obtain ballot access over the past nearly 40 years.

Condemns the LPNY State Committee for suspending the membership of Dr. Tom Stevens, our duly elected State Representative, on specious and baseless grounds in that Dr. Tom Stevens never followed a continued public course of action knowing it to be contrary to the principles and objectives of the LPNY: never claimed to represent the LPNY while knowing that this is not the fact, and certainly never knowingly, seriously and repeatedly disrupted meetings or activities of the LPNY during his service as State Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County nor when he served as State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party or as an At-Large Representative to the LPNY State Committee. Expressing opinions and demanding proper accountability and professionalism on the LPNY's Yahoo Group is what the Libertarian Party of Queens County expected of its duly elected State Representative and we fully and unconditionally stand behind him.

Demands a formal apology from the Libertarian Party of New York for its having suspended the membership of Dr. Tom Stevens, our chosen and elected State Representative, and that even if the LPQC chooses to send a substitute representative to the LPNY State Committee, that individual's primary responsibility will be to seek and obtain a formal apology from the LPNY State Committee that must include an invitation to Dr. Tom Stevens to return to the LPNY State Committee as State Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County.

Demands that the LPNY State Committee take formal action against Blay Tarnoff, Gary Donoyan and Chris Cantwell for causing this disruption at the worst possible time for the Libertarian Party of New York, when the statewide petition drive is almost upon us, thus placing their own personal agendas above the interests of the party.

Believes that the unprofessional actions and political inexperience of many on the LPNY State Committee are a literal detriment to the cause of liberty and that the Libertarian Party of Queens County has always considered and still considers Dr. Tom Stevens, its duly elected State Representative, to be an advocate for professionalism who always fulfilled his fiduciary responsibility and who raised issues that needed to be raised and asked questions that needed to be asked, however uncomfortable that made some people feel. That was his duty as LPQC's State Representative and the membership and leadership of the Libertarian Party of Queens County is extremely proud of Dr. Tom Stevens, who we consider to be one of the most principled and effective advocates for liberty in the Libertarian Party on a local, state and national level.

Applauds Dr. Tom Stevens for his service on the LPNY State Committee as our State Representative for which we thank him. Dr. Stevens has been elected and re-elected to serve as State Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County and in the past was elected and re-elected to serve as State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party. Nothing in his actions or deeds justifies his membership suspension in the Libertarian Party of New York. The action taken by the LPNY State Committee in suspending his membership is reprehensible and unforgivable and creates a rift between the Libertarian Party of Queens County and the LPNY State Committee that shall not be overcome or placed behind us until a formal apology to Dr. Stevens is issued along with an invitation for him to return to the LPNY State Committee as State Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County.

Carl E. Person, LPNY's candidate for Attorney General, responded to the Stevens resignation by saying:

It's a shame that you have been subjected to all of this, and the LP (in all of its component organizations) is the clear loser. You have emerged as the winner, and are now free to devote your time to organizations willing to succeed at their claimed goals instead of pursuing paralytic bureaucratic practices. What do they plan to do for an encore?

Donald Silberger, LPNY Vice-Chair, responded as follows:

The party from which you resigned is in disarray. LP National has evidently tired of our repeated and far-off-the-mark claims that "this time we have an excellent chance to garner 50K votes"... when never once since 1972 have we gotten even half of that total. As it now stands, the LPNY may not even get its candidates on the NY State ballot...the LPNY continues to do the same things, to make the same outrageously optimistic predictions, to set the same senseless goals, to squander opportunities, to squabble and laze, and to repeat the same silly mistakes, season after season. And now they congratulate themselves for their successful vindictiveness; i.e., the party's "defending itself". I've had it! You are one of the most articulate people in the LPNY...Sheer envy? We should have been running you for office -- giving you a forum. Sheesh.

Dr. Tom Stevens will continue his libertarian activism both locally and nationally and will continue to promote libertarian and Objectivist principles through Rising Action and Libertarian Patriots of New York. He welcomes invitations from Libertarian State Parties that allow out-of-state members to join and participate and looks forward to attending future LPUS National Conventions just as he has enjoyed fully participating in the conventions that were held in Atlanta, Portland, Denver and St. Louis.

Sam Sloan Explains The Effect The Stevens Suspension Vote Had On His Decision To Sue The LPNY

There has been some speculation that the vote of the LPNY State Committee on June 6, 2010 to suspend the membership of Dr. Tom Stevens, the duly elected State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, affected the decision of Sam Sloan, the duly elected State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, to sue the Libertarian Party of New York and others regarding fraud alleged to have taken place during the vote for the gubernatorial nomination that took place at the LPNY State Convention on April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, New York.

On June 23, 2010, Sam Sloan clarified this matter when he posted the following statement:

The motion and vote against Stevens did not give me the "incentive" to file the court case. I was considering filing the case all along especially after the last court hearing where the judge virtually invited me to ask that Chris Edes be put in jail and to appeal to the Appellate Division. (Have you read the transcript?) However, the negative consideration against filing the case was that I found some value in being in the relatively good graces of the party membership. The vote to suspend and ultimately expel Stevens, a long time party activist (although not nearly so long as I have been) meant that being in good graces with the party leadership was not such a valuable thing and not a good reason not to file a court case that I believe should be filed and that I think I can win.

Dr. Tom Stevens responded:

The Libertarian Party of New York has not expelled me. They suspended my membership without proper notice on June 6, 2010 at a State Committee Meeting held by teleconference. The notice of charges was posted to the LPNY_Committee Yahoo Group at 8:38 p.m., seconds before the motion was made by Blay Tarnoff to suspend my membership. I have waived my right to a Hearing on June 27, 2010 since I think it is clear to all fair-minded people that I am not guilty of any of the charges that have been lodged against me. In fact, I am quite proud of all the issues I raised and all the questions I asked. As for Sam being disappointed by the unjustified actions of the State Committee against me, I can fully understand his feelings and how that may have played a factor in his filing this new lawsuit against the LPNY. I believe there are legitimate grounds for the relief he is seeking but you never know how the Judge is going to rule. Sam had agreed to a settlement proposal made by Carl Person and myself that would have resolved this whole issue leaving the slate of statewide nominated candidates in place but the settlement was rejected by LPNY Chair Mark Axinn, who was representing the party at the time. All I can say is that if my suspension is upheld by the State Committee on June 27, 2010, I fear that the infighting will only get worse and will harm the party for years to come.

Mark Axinn, LPNY Chair, Secures $25,000.00 From The LNC Executive Committee For The New York State Petition Drive

Mark Axinn, LPNY Chair, announced the following on June 21, 2010:

Tonight, the Executive Committee of the the Libertarian National Committee voted to commit $25,000 towards the New York State petition drive on a motion made by Bill Redpath and seconded by Dr. James Lark. I was joined in the telephone conference by Warren's campaign manager, Eric Sundwall, whose assistance was tremendous. Now let's get ready to obtain the volunteer signatures needed to make up the difference! Thanks, all. Mark

This unexpected good news came on the evening of the day when Sam Sloan, State Representative for the Manhattan Libertarian Party, filed a lawsuit challenging the gubernatorial nomination of Warren Redlich by the Libertarian Party of New York.

Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC Political Director, responded to this news with the following statement:

Mark Axinn deserves full credit for obtaining this financial contribution from the LNC Executive Committee. Frankly, I was surprised the National LP would commit such a substantial amount of money to New York State in a non-Presidential election year and when we have a gubernatorial candidate who is unlikely to draw the 50,000 votes we need to obtain Minor Party status under New York State law. I don't have the words to properly congratulate Mark Axinn for being able to convince the LNC Executive Committee to allocate these funds. It is a significant accomplishment for which he can be rightfully proud!

Do Legal Grounds Exist To Invalidate The LPNY Nomination Of Warren Redlich For Governor & Was LPNY State Chair Mark Axinn Involved?

Is Sam Sloan, the unanimously elected State Representative for the Manhattan Libertarian Party (the largest LP Chapter in New York State), contemplating a lawsuit to overturn the results of Warren Redlich's gubernatorial nomination on the grounds that actual fraud took place at the State Convention of the Libertarian Party of New York? Was LPNY State Chair Mark Axinn involved? These issues were the subject of conversations overheard at the General Membership Meeting of the Libertarian Party of Queens County that was held on June 12, 2010 where three of the six nominated LPNY statewide candidates were in attendance.

The State Convention of the Libertarian Party of New York was held on April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, New York. Eligible delegates were carefully screened and given a red wrist band to evidence their right to vote. A number of LPNY members ineligible to vote and non-member convention attendees were also in the room. When it came time to vote on the gubernatorial nomination, Mark Axinn, the only announced candidate for LPNY Chair, handed out many scraps of cut yellow lined paper to each table. Dr. Tom Stevens, the unanimously elected State Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County (the second largest LP chapter in New York State) objected and confronted Mark Axinn telling him that it made no sense to carefully screen who was eligible to vote if he was handing out paper ballots to everyone with no way to determine who was voting or even if each person was only voting once. Mr. Axinn's response was that he ran elections on the "honor system" and proceeded to collect whatever ballots attendees placed into a hat that was passed around the room.

Sam Sloan, who was also a candidate for the gubernatorial nomination, objected to the corrupt process that first denied him the ability to communicate with LPNY members eligible to vote at the LPNY State Convention and now, to a voting process that kept no track of who was voting or how many times people were voting. In the aftermath of the LPNY Convention, Mr. Sloan continued to pursue his lawsuit about being denied access to the list of eligible voting delegates but at the LPQC General Membership Meeting, he was overheard soliciting support for a possible new lawsuit seeking to overturn the nomination of Warren Redlich because of a voting process that made fraud possible, if not probable.

In retaliation against LPQC State Representative Dr. Tom Stevens for raising these and other issues, the LPNY State Committee, at a teleconference held on June 6, 2010, suspended his membership in the Libertarian Party of New York. Bob Cotton, Hudson Valley LP State Representative, has recently proposed new rules that would allow the LPNY to get rid of anyone who "files a lawsuit against party officials" or who engages in "personal criticisms (of party officials) on public or committee lists." Dr. Stevens stated, "I have no doubt that Sam Sloan will be the next target of those fighting to maintain the status quo in the dysfunctional Libertarian Party of New York."

Rand & Stevens In 2012: Brookstone Says They Are "Two Doctors To Heal Our Freedom"

In an e-mail dated June 14, 2010 to Judge Andrew P. Napolitano congratulating him on his new television show Freedom Watch, which airs on the Fox Business channel, Melissa Brookstone, author of The Planetary Bill of Rights Project (http://www.planetarybillofrights.org/), said:

My Presidential Dream Ticket for 2012 would be what I'd call "Two Doctors to heal our freedom!": Dr. Rand Paul for President and Dr. Tom Stevens for Vice President.

Dr. Stevens is the founder of the newly formed Objectivist Party: http://www.ObjectivistParty.us

*Objectivism - the individual rights and freedom philosophy of Ayn Rand.

Congratulations on your new show, loving it!

Melissa Brookstone has agreed to be a Presidential Elector for the Objectivist Party from the state of Colorado in 2012.

Dr. Tom Stevens Appointed Political Director Of The Libertarian Party Of Queens County

On Saturday, June 12, 2010, the Libertarian Party of Queens County voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Tom Stevens, its duly elected State Representative, to the newly created position of Political Director.

The motion made by John Clifton, Vice-Chair, and seconded by Ronald S. Ramo, Treasurer, was the following:

MOTION: That Dr. Tom Stevens be appointed to serve as Political Director for the Libertarian Party of Queens County and that he continue to serve in that capacity until such time that he either resigns from that position or the position is eliminated by the Executive Committee of the LPQC.

Dr. Tom Stevens said, "I am proud to be able to serve the Libertarian Party of Queens County in this new and important capacity. I am grateful for the support and confidence the members and leadership of the LPQC have expressed for me through the years of my involvement. I intend to continue to make them proud of all I do to promote liberty and to make the Libertarian Party of Queens County a more effective political force in New York State politics.

Latest Party Enrollment Figures Published By New York State Board Of Elections

The April 1, 2010 party enrollment figures have been published by the New York State Board of Elections. There were 11,658,341 total party enrollees, not counting a stray 3 enrollees.

The Democratic Party leads with 49.66% (5,789,432) of party enrollees, followed by the Republican Party with 24.93% (2,906,393) and No Party affiliation with 20.03% (2,336,122).

With respect to the Minor Parties that have obtained ballot access by obtaining 50,000 votes in the last gubernatorial election, the Independence Party leads with 3.6% (413,855) of party enrollees, followed by the Conservative Party with 1.3% (146,221) and the Working Families Party with .351% (40,878).

Of the three parties that are not ballot-qualified, the Green Party leads with .197% (22,939) of party enrollees, followed by the Libertarian Party with .021% (2,427) and the Socialist Workers Party with .00001% (74).

Four Pro-Liberty Gubernatorial Candidates May Be On The Ballot In New York State This November

As crazy as it may seem, it appears there may be 4 Pro-Liberty/Tea Party Gubernatorial Candidates running for governor of New York State this November. Those candidates are Warren Redlich, Kristin Davis, Sam Sloan and Carl Paladino.

Warren Redlich, a Republican attorney from upstate New York, is the nominee of the Libertarian Party of New York. Kristin Davis, former Governor Eliot Spitzer's Madam, has recently stated her party will be called the Free Libertarian Party. Sam Sloan has recently been discussing the viablity of running for Governor as the gubernatorial candidate of a new Personal Freedom Party, a rival Libertarian Party and/or as the candidate of the Liberal Party. Carl Paladino, an upstate businessman who is challenging Rick Lazio for the Republican Party's gubernatorial nomination, is planning to petition to get on the ballot as the gubernatorial candidate of a newly formed Tea Party.

Davis and Sloan had sought to obtain the list of 300-400 eligible Libertarian Party of New York voting delegates so they could send them their campaign literature and encourage them to attend the LPNY State Convention that was held on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, New York where 40+ delegates handed the LPNY gubernatorial nomination to Warren Redlich. Upon being denied the ability to communicate with eligible voting delegates, Kristin Davis decided not to attend the LPNY State Convention and Sam Sloan filed a lawsuit, which did not result in the situation being rectified. Kristin Davis then committed to running on her own as the gubernatorial candidate of the Free Libertarian Party, which is the actual corporate name of the Libertarian Party of New York. Sam Sloan has been discussing financing a new Personal Freedom Party, a rival Libertarian Party or running as the candidate of the Liberal Party. Since the LPNY membership of Dr. Tom Stevens was suspended by the LPNY State Committee on June 6, 2010, there have been unconfirmed reports that three of the six LPNY nominated candidates for statewide office have been having discussions with Sloan, Davis and Paladino, seeking positions on their slate in protest to the unwarranted action that has been taken against Dr. Tom Stevens, who was recently described by Carl Person, LPNY's candidate for Attorney General, as one of the LPNY's "most principled and intelligent Libertarian activists" and by Carl Svensson of the Republican Liberty Caucus as "among the most intelligent and most effective local leaders in the LPNY."

Dr. Tom Stevens, the duly elected State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, said: "I have been encouraging all of the candidates nominated for statewide office by the Libertarian Party of New York, to stay on that slate and not to abandon it in protest. However, I am not certain how successful I will be. There has been serious talk of forming a new Libertarian Party in New York State and competing with the LPNY for national recognition and a number of officers in the Libertarian Party of Queens County have spoken of leaving the state party altogether. My response to all this talk has been to suggest that no precipitous actions be taken that will make matters even worse than they already are. I have no idea how all this will pan out but I can say without any hesitation that the political infighting present within the Libertarian Party of New York will continue to destroy our viability for years to come and that the same destructive forces will probably remain in the party while decent libertarians and new members get disgusted and leave."

Carl Person, LPNY Candidate For Attorney General, Withdraws Offer Of Direct Financial Support For Statewide Petition Drive

In response to the LPNY State Committee suspending the membership of Dr. Tom Stevens, State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, pending a Hearing to be held on Sunday, June 27, 2010, Carl Person, LPNY's candidate for Attorney General, has withdrawn his offer to contribute $5,000.00 to the statewide petition drive.

In taking this action, Carl Person said the following:

I am deeply disturbed by the recent unjustified suspension of the membership of Dr. Tom Stevens in the Libertarian Party of New York. The actions of the LPNY State Committee taken on June 6, 2010 represent the most egregious example of tyranny by the majority where reason and logic give way to petty, dysfunctional infighting and where Pyrrhic bureaucratic victories count more than promoting liberty.

I had recently indicated a willingness to Dr. Stevens to pay $5,000 to the LPNY for the statewide petition drive. Because of the actions taken against Dr. Stevens by the LPNY State Committee, I cannot go through with that support, which was for Dr. Stevens more than anyone else. The Libertarian Party of New York must realize I cannot in good faith donate money to a party that is able to cast aside one of its most principled and intelligent Libertarian activists instead of working to get its nominated candidates on the ballot and doing the fundraising that will make that possible. I wish to be clear I will still do everything I can to obtain volunteer petitions signatures. However, my proposal to Dr. Stevens of paying $5,000 directly to Dr. Stevens' former associates is no longer possible.

Blay Tarnoff made the motion to suspend the LPNY membership of Dr. Tom Stevens with supporting documentation posted by Gary Donoyan, both of Nassau County. These were the same two individuals who successfully obtained the temporary de-chartering of the Libertarian Party of Queens County in 2007 and who were instrumental in forming a Brooklyn-Queens LP that claimed to represent Queens County Libertarians. The grounds used against Dr. Stevens as set forth in the LPNY bylaws were the following:

1. that he followed a continued public course of action knowing it to be contrary to the principles and objectives of the LPNY.

2. that he claimed to represent the LPNY while knowing that this is not the fact; and

3. that he knowingly, seriously and repeatedly disrupted meetings or activities of the LPNY.

No evidence was provided regarding Dr. Stevens having taken a "public course of action...contrary to the principles and objectives of the LPNY" or his "claiming to represent the LPNY while knowing that this is not the fact" other than that he posted information and reported on the activities of the LPNY through his personal blog, which was characterized as "appearing to be an official Press Release of the Libertarian Party of New York."

The evidence provided against Dr. Tom Stevens regarding his "knowingly, seriously and repeatedly" disrupting meetings or activities of the LPNY have to do with postings he made to the LPNY State Committee Yahoo Group where general discussions were taking place about state committee business and not during official meetings of the State Committee. Two examples given of his disruptions were his publicly requesting that the committee be fully informed about the prison record of a candidate being considered for a LP Congressional Nomination in Suffolk County and his asking the LPNY Convention Committee to provide a breakdown of the income received during the 2010 LPNY State Convention.

LPNY Gubernatorial Nomination Controversy: Supreme Court Of The State Of New York Intervenes

Kristin Davis, Sam Sloan and Warren Redlich were the three announced candidates for the gubernatorial nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York in 2010. Warren Redlich, a Republican attorney, was considered the odds-on-favorite to win the nomination and was endorsed by former Libertarian Party State Chairs Eric Sundwall & Rich Cooper, current LPNY State Chair Chris Edes, and future LPNY State Chair Mark Axinn. Kristin Davis, former Madam to Governor Eliot Spitzer, was the highest profile candidate in the race with Roger Stone as her Campaign Advisor. Sam Sloan was a Libertarian Party activist who had been unanimously elected State Representative for the Manhattan Libertarian Party in January, 2010 and who had been endorsed for the gubernatorial nomination by the Libertarian Party of Queens County.

The Libertarian Party of New York's State Convention was held on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, New York. Before the LPNY State Convention was over, Kristin Davis would withdraw as a potential gubernatorial nominee of the Libertarian Party, threaten to sue Warren Redlich for $25,000,000 for calling her "a whore", and would promise to run for Governor as the candidate of a new Personal Freedom Party. Sam Sloan would end up successfully obtaining a Court Order from the Supreme Court of the State of New York directing LPNY State Chair Chris Edes to hand over the list of voting delegates to him so he could properly compete for the nomination. Mr. Edes ended up not complying with that Court Order and would have to answer for that on May 23, 2010 before Justice Carol R. Edmead in Civil Part 35 of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County.

Warren Redlich was almost guaranteed the nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York for Governor since his supporters would almost certainly dominate the 40+ delegates attending the LPNY State Convention due to his insider support and due to the fact that the convention was scheduled to be held in Albany, New York, which was virtually in Redlich's backyard. Realizing this advantage, both Kristin Davis and Sam Sloan sought to obtain the list of 300-400 eligible voting delegates so they could mail their campaign literature to them and encourage them to attend the LPNY State Convention to participate in the process. The list of eligible delegates was not provided to either Kristin Davis or Sam Sloan.

Frustrated by the refusal to allow her to communicate with eligible delegates, Ms. Davis called the process "corrupt", threatened to sue Warren Redlich for $25,000,000 for calling her "a whore" and withdrew from consideration the night before the LPNY State Convention was held. At that point, Ms. Davis announced she would run as the gubernatorial candidate of the Personal Freedom Party on a "libertarian platform" and the LPNY further heard word she intended to challenge the legitimacy of any petition signatures the Libertarian Party of New York submitted on behalf of Warren Redlich.

Sam Sloan stayed in the race and succeeded in getting Justice Carol R. Edmead of the Supreme Court of the State of New York to direct LPNY State Chair Chris Edes to immediately release the list of eligible delegates to Mr. Sloan no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 23, 2010. An e-mail was sent to Mr. Edes at 2:36 p.m. on April 23rd informing him that an Order was coming and Justice Edmead's Law Clerk called Mr. Edes on his cell phone to obtain immediate compliance with the Order. Mr. Edes did not comply and stated at the LPNY State Convention that on the advice of "competent counsel", he was told he didn't have to.

On May 23, 2010, former LPNY State Chair Chris Edes appeared before Justice Edmead (with current LPNY State Chair Mark Axinn as his counsel) in order to answer why he did not comply with the Order to hand over the list of eligible voting delegates to Sam Sloan. Mr. Edes admitted to getting notice that an Order had been issued but he just ignored it because he said "I don't have any familiarity with this process." Justice Edmead responded: "You have familiarity with words and they connect and make sentences. It said there's been an Order related to the election and you didn't do anything. You essentially were in non-compliance. Pretending ignorance. It's not okay."

When Justice Edmead confronted former LPNY State Chair Chris Edes as to whether he got the two messages left on his cell phone by her Law Clerk, Mr. Edes said, "My phone was on vibrate." At that point, Justice Edmead went ballistic and said to Mr. Edes, "You sound so disingenuous. If I had the ability, I would put you right in Rikers right now. You are below incredible. You're something lower than that. I would like to put you across the street in the Tombs because you belong with those people." Further on during the Hearing, Justice Edmead continued to comment about Mr Edes and said, "...he's either an idiot or he's just a liar...(he's) one or the other or both". Justice Edmead then said to Sam Sloan, "If you had moved for contempt, he (Edes) would have been on a trip for at least 48 hours in prison where he belongs for being such a liar. And God, if he's in charge of something in your party, I don't want to know about it." Mr. Axinn said, "Mr. Edes is no longer the chairman of the party." to which Justice Edmead responded, "Good. Good."

After the LPNY State Convention was held on April 24, 2010 and prior to the Court Hearing on May 23, 2010, Carl Person, LPNY nominee for Attorney General, and Dr. Tom Stevens, State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, negotiated a proposed settlement of the pending lawsuit that had been brought by Sam Sloan. At the time, it was still possible that Justice Edmead might have ordered the Libertarian Party of New York to hold a new State Convention. Sam Sloan agreed he would drop his lawsuit if the LPNY agreed that if Warren Redlich dropped out as the Libertarian Party's gubernatorial nominee, that he (Sam Sloan), would be appointed as the replacement candidate. This settlement proposal was run by LPNY State Chair Mark Axinn, who rejected it and decided to proceed to the Court Hearing instead.

Since the Court Hearing, Sam Sloan has been trying to inform the LPNY State Committee of new information regarding Warren Redlich and the possibility of actual fraud that may have taken place at the LPNY State Convention. As a result of this effort, current LPNY State Chair Mark Axinn has placed Sam Sloan, State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, on moderation hindering his ability to communicate freely with LPNY State Committee Members. The Manhattan Libertarian Party has also passed a resolution reiterating its support for Warren Redlich and directing Sam Sloan to reflect their views on this topic or resign. I doubt either will occur and I suspect this is not the last we will hear about this controversy.

New Libertarian National Committee Elected: New York Delegation Backs Most Winners

A new Libertarian National Committee was elected at the Libertarian Party's National Convention held from May 29-31, 2010 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. The New York Delegation ended up backing most of the candidates who won election to the LNC.

Three separate ballots were conducted for the election of a new Libertarian Party Chair. On the first ballot, Wayne Allyn Root obtained 200 votes, followed by Mark Hinkle with 114 votes, Ernest Hancock with 82 votes, John Jay Myers with 70 votes, George Phillies with 56 votes and N.O.T.A. with 10 votes. On that ballot, the New York Delegation voted 69% for Root, 19% for Hancock, and 12% for Hinkle. On the second ballot, Wayne Allyn Root obtained 223 votes, followed by Mark Hinkle with 210 votes, Ernest Hancock with 87 votes and N.O.T.A. with 9 votes. On that ballot, the New York Delegation voted 80% for Root, 13% for Hinkle, and 7% for Hancock. On the third and final ballot, Mark Hinkle obtained 281 votes and was elected LP National Chair. Wayne Allyn Root came in second place with 228 votes and N.O.T.A. got 19 votes. On that third ballot, the New York Delegation voted 81% for Root and 19% for Hinkle.

In the election for Libertarian Party Vice-Chair, Mark Rutherford was elected with 285 votes to Carolyn Marbry's 201 votes with N.O.T.A. getting 4 votes. The New York Delegation voted 71% for Rutherford and 29% for Marbry.

In the election for Libertarian Party Secretary, Alicia Matson was elected with 265 votes to Rob Power's 194 votes with N.O.T.A. getting 4 votes. The New York Delegation voted 86% for Matson and 14% for Power.

In the election for Libertarian Party Treasurer, James Oaksun was elected with 319 votes to Aaron Starr's 133 votes with N.O.T.A. getting 4 votes. The New York Delegation voted 86% for Oaksun and 14% for Starr.

In the election for Libertarian Party At-Large Representatives, Wayne Allyn Root was elected with 250 votes followed by Bill Redpath with 225 votes, Mary Ruwart with 202 votes, David Nolan with 183 votes and Kevin Knedler with 177 votes. If the New York Delegation had the exclusive power to elect the LP's At-Large Representatives, they would have elected the following individuals: Bill Redpath, Wayne Allyn Root, Kevin Knedler, Dr. Tom Stevens and Sam Sloan.

Dr. Tom Stevens and Sam Sloan, the only two New York Delegates running for At-Large Representative positions on the Libertarian National Committee, received votes from New York Delegates Alden Link, Carl Person, Kurt Ferber, Tom Stevens and Sam Sloan (Andrew Clunn and Dan Halloran were not present to participate in the voting). No other New York Delegates voted for these two New York At-Large Representative candidates as one of their five potential choices, which prompted Sam Sloan to say, "These back-stabbers demand loyalty but offer no loyalty in return. It is a disgrace that New York Delegates would not support the only two candidates running for At-Large Representative who are New Yorkers. Even I would have voted for Chris Edes had he been running for a seat on the LNC. At this point, these people deserve everything that may be coming their way."

Redlich, Gaetani, Credico & Clifton Conspicuously Absent From Libertarian Party's 2010 National Convention

Mark Axinn, LPNY Chair, was lobbying hard at the Libertarian Party's 2010 National Convention held at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri over Memorial Day Weekend for a $30,000.00 donation to help the Libertarian Party of New York obtain the petition signatures it will need to get its statewide candidates on the ballot this year. This lobbying was especially important since it will be the new Libertarian Party National Committee that will vote on this allocation of funds and because Mr. Axinn has said "it is unlikely we will obtain ballot access without that financial help."

So where were the candidates nominated by the Libertarian Party of New York for statewide office? Were they in St. Louis introducing themselves and speaking of the importance of this upcoming race to our obtaining ballot access in New York for the LP's Presidential Candidate in 2012? Were they at the LPUS National Convention lobbying along with Mark Axinn to anyone who would listen? No. Warren Redlich, LPNY candidate for Governor, was nowhere to be seen. John Gaetani, LPNY's candidate for Comptroller was also absent as was Randy Credico and John Clifton, LPNY's candidates for United States Senate.

Only Alden Link, LPNY's candidate for Lt. Governor, and Carl Person, LPNY's candidate for Attorney General were present as delegates and Mr. Person has already committed $5,000.00 to the statewide petition drive, something none of the other candidates have done.

Dr. Tom Stevens, State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County to the Libertarian Party of New York, said: "I personally witnessed Mr. Link and Mr. Person promoting their candidacies and providing a higher profile to the New York Delegation. In nominating speeches, Alden Link and Carl Person informed the delegates they were the duly nominated candidates of the Libertarian Party of New York for Lt. Governor and Attorney General, respectively. They went on to promote their candidacies in person in the hallways and in the hospitality suites arguing for the importance of the Libertarian Party of New York obtaining 50,000 votes in this year's gubernatorial race. It is a great disappointment that the other nominated LPNY candidates for statewide office didn't consider attending the LPUS National Convention to be a high priority. A failure to obtain financial support from the National LP for our statewide petition drive will place us at a distinct disadvantage. While better planning and increased fundraising might have avoided this crisis, there is no doubt we face an uphill battle in getting our candidates on the ballot this year. A greater presence of our statewide candidates at the LPUS National Convention would have been a help."

Stevens & Sloan Demand A More Pro-American, Patriotic Libertarian Party

Dr. Tom Stevens, State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County to the Liberarian Party of New York, and Sam Sloan, State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party to the Libertarian Party of New York recently attended the Libertarian Party's National Convention, which took place from May 29-31, 2010 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Over five-hundred delegates from throughout the nation were in attendance. Stevens was shocked that American Flags were nowhere in sight during this LPUS National Convention taking place over Memorial Day Weekend and sought to rectify the situation.

On Friday, May 29, 2010, Dr. Stevens brought the issue to the attention of Michael Jingozian, Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party. Stevens said, "at least one American Flag should be present in the room, and if they are available, perhaps one can be placed on either side of the dais." He told Jingozian, "This is the National Convention of an American Political Party being held over Memorial Day Weekend. The absence of an American Flag sends the wrong message about this party and only reinforces the belief that we are dominated by open-border anarchists that do not have the best interests of the United States in mind." Jingozian responded, "This is something I can handle. I will rectify the situation."

Throughout Friday and Saturday, no American Flag was brought into the room despite the fact it was confirmed that the Hotel had many American Flags available for functions such as this. Stevens again confronted Jingozian in the hallway outside the Texas Hospitality Suite on Saturday evening and Jingozian simply said he "could not get it done."

Frustrated by this apparent deliberate desire to avoid patriotic symbols at its National Convention, Sam Sloan authorized Alden Link, the LPNY candidate for Lt. Governor, to mention in his nominating speech of Mr. Sloan for the position of At-Large Representative on the LPUS National Committee, that if Mr. Sloan was elected, he would "make certain an American Flag would be in the room during future conventions."

Dan Halloran, a New York City Councilman who is "the highest Libertarian Party official elected to a single district in a partisan race" and who was also present at the Libertarian Party's National Convention said, "I cannot understand how a national political party in the United States can hold a convention and not have the national anthem sung or even an American Flag present in the room."

Dr. Tom Stevens said, "I want to see the Libertarian Party become an unapologetic, pro-American, patriotic political party. Libertarian Party leaders wonder why they have not been able to take advantage of the growing Tea Party movement to recruit new members into the party. The reason for that, in my opinion, is the continued influence in the party of open-border anarchists who disdain symbols of patriotism and would have the United States end its influence as a world power. This is not a sentiment shared by most of the patriots currently active in the Tea Party movement and that is why the Libertarian Party has lost its ability to take a leading role in this new grassroots activism."

Bachelors For Link Forms To Support Alden Link, Libertarian Party Candidate For Lt. Governor Of New York

On May 24, 2010, Dr. Tom Stevens announced the formation of Bachelors For Link, a group formed to support Alden Link, the nominee of the Libertarian Party of New York for Lt. Governor in 2010.

In forming the group, Dr. Stevens said:

Bachelors often feel pressure to get married and to live a conventional lifestyle. Despite choosing to be "unattached", they often face ridicule and are the subject of "whispering campaigns" questioning their sexual orientation. We are proud to support Alden Link, the Libertarian Party's candidate for Lt. Governor of New York State, who has socially tolerant views and a principled belief that people should be able to organize their lives as they see fit without private sanction or governmental interference.

Alden Link's platform contains the following statements relevant to this issue:

People are sovereign over their own bodies and they should have the right to do with them as they please so long as they do not directly interfere with the right of others to do the same. The government should not be involved in trying to legislate morality and should not act paternalistically to protect people from making the decisions they believe are in their own best interests. Private adult consensual behavior should not be criminalized. The words contained in the United States Constitution should be interpreted to recognize that every citizen has a constitutionally protected "zone of privacy" that must not be intruded upon by the government. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals are entitled to full equality under the law regardless of their sexual orientations or perceived gender identity or presentation.

Dallwyn Merck, President of Stonewall Libertarians New York, applauded the formation of Bachelors For Link, commenting as follows:

The formation of Bachelors For Link is a brilliant move to bring attention to Alden Link's socially progressive platform. Although people have become more tolerant since the 1940s, the fact that bachelors still face criticism by family and friends shows us how far we still have to go to obtain acceptance for all sexual and cultural minorities in this country. The formation of Bachelors For Link by Dr. Tom Stevens shows his extraordinary appreciation for history. Bravo!

Warren Redlich: Was He Ever Serious About Seeking The Republican Party's Gubernatorial Nomination?

There has been a lot of recent speculation with respect to what happened between Warren Redlich, the nominated gubernatorial candidate of the Libertarian Party of New York, and the New York Chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus. There had been rumors that Mr. Redlich had initially sought the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus but then, upon not immediately receiving it, had informed the RLCNY that he would not accept their endorsement.

Carl Svensson recently posted the following "clarification" explaining what transpired:

Warren Redlich originally asked for the endorsement of the RLCNY, and became miffed when he did not receive it more or less on the spot. Our position was that we wanted to make sure that he was a serious Republican candidate before we made a decision in this regard. At that point, Warren told us that he did not want our endorsement, nor would he accept it. Some time after this, I encouraged various Tea Party groups to invite Warren to be vetted by their membership. Obviously, some groups did extend an invitation, and at least two groups were told he could not meet with them because he did not campaign evenings or weekends. I took it from this feedback that Warren is not a serious Republican candidate. At this point, I do not believe what Warren says in his campaign for Governor is of much interest to a Republican organization such as ours.

Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC State Representative, responded to this information as follows:

The argument made for Warren Redlich being the gubernatorial nominee of the Libertarian Party of New York was that Redlich, who was also seeking the Republican Party's gubernatorial nomination would pull 5-7% of the Republican Primary vote and that a number of the individuals supporting him there would come over to the LP line in November, which would enable him to have a shot at obtaining the 50,000 votes necessary for the Libertarian Party to obtain Minor Party status and ballot access for the next four years.

I never believed that Warren Redlich was serious about contesting for the Republican Party gubernatorial nomination. Since he said his wife wouldn't allow him to spend a dime on the statewide petition drive necessary to get him on the ballot as a Libertarian Party candidate, I could not imagine how he intended to obtain the petition signatures he needed to get on the ballot in the Republican Party Primary. It was my stated belief at the time that Mr. Redlich and his supporters were making the argument of his running for the G.O.P. gubernatorial nomination simply to improve his chances of becoming the gubernatorial nominee of the Libertarian Party. I could never figure out whether those pushing that claim knew it was false when they made it or were simply political novices puffed up with unrealistic hopes and expectations.

With Carl Svensson's revelations, it appears that other organizations also questioned whether Redlich ever seriously intended to make an effort to run in the Republican Party's Primary for Governor. We know from other reports that Warren Redlich did not travel for interviews with Republican County Committee Chairs who held forums and interviews with prospective G.O.P. gubernatorial candidates and now we learn from Carl Svensson he allegedly told some Tea Party organizations he could not meet with them because he does not "campaign evenings or weekends".

Since Warren Redlich is already the gubernatorial nominee of the Libertarian Party of New York, I urge him to take this race seriously, to spend the money necessary to obtain places on the ballot both in the Republican Party Primary and as the Libertarian Party's gubernatorial candidate this November, and to raise the funds necessary to run an organized and serious campaign. If he really doesn't campaign evenings or weekends, I wonder how much time he can steal away from his law practice during the day to engage in campaign activities. I hope his firm doesn't mind him taking an extra 15 minutes for lunch!

Warren Redlich received the gubernatorial nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, New York.

Ex-Con Christopher Cantwell Banned From Libertarian Party Of Queens County Yahoo Group

Ex-Con Christopher Cantwell, who was recently nominated by the Suffolk County Libertarian Party as its candidate for United States Congress from the 1st C.D., has been banned from the Yahoo Group of the Libertarian Party of Queens County for posting defamatory statements and making public threats against Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC's State Representative.

In a recent post to the LPNY State Committee list, Mr. Cantwell commented that Dr. Tom Stevens "is a clear problem that needs to be solved one way or another" and then went on in other posts to make the most vile defamatory statements that one could possibly make against another individual.

Dallwyn Merck, LPQC Secretary, stated: "While I support free speech to the greatest extent, deliberately malicious, untrue slanders and implied threats against an officer of the Libertarian Party of Queens County cannot and will not be tolerated especially when the person making those threats is an ex-con."

Libertarian Party Of Queens County Endorses Wayne Allyn Root For National LP Chair

On Saturday, May 8, 2010, the Libertarian Party of Queens County endorsed Wayne Allyn Root for National LP Chair. Dr. Tom Stevens, two-term LPUS Judicial Committee member who also serves as the LPQC's State Representative to the Libertarian Party of New York, has been leading the charge to get National LP Convention delegates from New York State to endorse Wayne Allyn Root for National LP Chair.

In 2009, the Libertarian Party of Queens County succeeded in helping to elect Dan Halloran to the New York City Council. Mr. Halloran is the highest serving Libertarian Party elected official who was elected in a partisan race and is the only elected Libertarian Party Member in New York State.

In 2010, the Libertarian Party of Queens County was the only LPNY Chapter to formally endorse candidates for statewide office. Three of the four LPQC members it endorsed obtained a nomination to run for statewide office this year. They were Alden Link, LPNY Candidate for Lt. Governor; Carl Person, LPNY Candidate for Attorney General; and John Clifton, LPNY Candidate for Gillibrand's U.S. Senate Seat. The Libertarian Party of Queens County has already endorsed three candidates who are running for a seat in the New York State Assembly.

In endorsing Wayne Allyn Root, the Libertarian Party of Queens County becomes the first LPNY Chapter to formally endorse any of the candidates running for National LP Chair this year. It will do all it can to encourage delegates in New York State and other states to support Wayne Allyn Root for National LP Chair at the Libertarian Party's National Convention that will be held in St. Louis, Missouri over Memorial Day Weekend.

Carl Person Endorses Wayne Allyn Root For National LP Chair

On May 11, 2010, Carl Person announced his endorsement of Wayne Allyn Root for National Chair of the Libertarian Party.

Carl Person, who recently obtained the nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York for Attorney General, said:

I heartily endorse Wayne Allyn Root for National LP Chair. Wayne is a great public speaker, who holds his audience spellbound when he speaks. He has a message and it is convincing. He will obtain members, volunteers, contributions and converts for Libertarianism and the Libertarian Party. It would be difficult for me to think of anyone better able to lead the National Libertarian Party. Clearly, Wayne will be a major asset to the NY Libertarian Party in its 2010 election campaign.

Carl Person, the nominated candidate of the Libertarian Party of New York for Attorney General joins Alden Link, the nominated candidate of the LPNY for Lt. Governor in endorsing Wayne Allyn Root for National LP Chair. They join Sam Sloan, the State Representative of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, and Dr. Tom Stevens, the State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County in leading the charge for Wayne Allyn Root supporters who are attending the Libertarian Party's National Convention in St. Louis over Memorial Day Weekend as delegates from New York State.

Stevens Urges LP Delegates In St. Louis To Oppose Efforts To Decrease Involvement In Party Affairs

Dr. Tom Stevens, two-term LPUS Judicial Committee member and State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County to the Libertarian Party of New York, has urged delegates attending the Libertarian Party's National Convention in St. Louis over Memorial Day Weekend to oppose proposed bylaw amendments that would have the effect of decreasing the participation and involvement of party members in party affairs.

Dr. Stevens stated the most dangerous proposed bylaw amendment involves putting into place a new "conflict of interest" rule that will allow the national Libertarian Party leadership to target disruptive individuals serving the party on a national level and to seek their removal if they are active in another political party. Stevens said, "The LPNY has no such conflict of interest rule. We have members who are left Libertarians who are active in the Green Party and right Libertarians who are active in the Republican Party. All make positive contributions to the growth of the Libertarian Party in New York State. I would not want to see them excluded. My position is the same with respect to those party members who are active on the national level."

Another proposed bylaw amendment would again reduce the number of delegates allotted to state affiliates. The argument here is that not all the delegate slots are usually filled and that, therefore, we should reduce the number of potential delegates so the LP National Committee can plan to hold smaller conventions. Stevens said, "The Libertarian Party should be addressing this issue not by reducing the number of potential delegates but by working to increase party membership and by making the conventions more interesting so that more people will want to attend them." This same argument applies against the proposed bylaw amendment that would end the practice of holding national conventions every two-years, making them every four years instead. Stevens said, "Libertarian Party National Conventions energize activists. They then bring their enthusiasm back to their state affiliates, run for local office and recruit new party members. It is important we make those National Conventions available for people to attend every two years."

Stevens mentioned that participation by delegates and candidates at National Conventions is also being placed in jeopardy by the proposed bylaw amendment that will require 20 seconds instead of 1 for a motion to be debated and the proposed bylaw amendment that would require a higher bar for candidates seeking national office to participate in televised debates and to contest for the nomination. Stevens said, "I support increasing the opportunity for candidates to contest for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominations of the Libertarian Party. The more candidates there are, the more exciting the process and the more people who will choose to be involved. Similarly, requiring 20 seconds for every motion before debate can begin on an issue stifles the ability of individual delegates to have an impact on business conducted at the conventions."

Finally, the most controversial proposed bylaw amendment is the one that seeks to ban the charging of a "mandatory convention registration fee" for all attendees at LP National Conventions. Dr. Stevens made the motion putting the Libertarian Party of New York on record against charging a "floor fee" for delegates attending the LP National Convention. Stevens said, "The proposed bylaw amendment seeking to ban a mandatory convention registration fee requires a 2/3 vote of the delegates to pass and presupposes that a floor fee is permitted by the LP National Bylaws through its reference to Robert's Rules of Order. With the bylaw amendment proposed in this manner, future mandatory convention registration fees will be permitted unless 2/3 of the delegates voting in St. Louis oppose the imposition of a floor fee. While not taking a position on the legality of charging mandatory convention registration fees under the LP National Bylaws, I believe such floor fees should not be charged and that the convention packages offered should be made more attractive to encourage delegates to purchase them. I also support the formation of a fund that would enable delegates with more financial resources to help out delegates who would not be able to attend the LP National Convention without a little financial help. In the final analysis, I believe delegates selected by the state affiliates should not be asked to jump another hurdle to be credentialed to vote during the business sessions of the LP National Convention."

Dr. Tom Stevens said, "It is very important that delegates attending the LP National Convention in St. Louis over Memorial Day Weekend see this package of proposed bylaw amendments for what they are. Namely, an attempt to decrease involvement of LP members in party affairs. I call on all delegates seeking positions on the LNC and all affiliates to speak out on these proposed bylaw amendments so awareness can be raised and coordinated action can be taken to alert the delegates regarding what is at stake."

Ernie Hancock & Wayne Allyn Root Face-Off In Debate For National LP Chair

On Monday, May 10, 2010, Ernest Hancock & Wayne Allyn Root appeared at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant located at 140 2nd Avenue in Manhattan for a meeting co-sponsored by the Manhattan Libertarian Party and the Libertarian Party of Queens County where each candidate for National LP Chair had an opportunity to present their vision for the future of the Libertarian Party.

Mr. Hancock led off with a presentation which was supposed to be about The Power of the Individual Activist but turned out instead to be a litany of his past battles with the national Libertarian Party. He mentioned the Arizona Libertarian Party's former opposition to the Unified Membership Program (UMP) and stated how the National LP tried to recognize an insurgent Libertarian Party faction out of Tucson and how eventually, the elected state leadership won in the Courts and then deliberately decided not to place Harry Browne on the ballot in Arizona as the Libertarian Party's Presidential Candidate, putting someone else on instead.

Mr. Hancock also mentioned how he came up with the "rEVOLution" logo but then refused to support Ron Paul for the Republican Presidential Nomination even though he knew Ron Paul would defend and be proud of the fact that he is a Libertarian. He also stated he would like the Libertarian Party to stick by its principles and be THE Anti-War Party. Mr. Hancock stated he has no interest in "obtaining a seat at the King's Table" and has no interest in competing for elective office with the Democrats and Republicans. His only interest is in spreading "a principled libertarian message to change people's minds" and believes "electoral success will follow as a natural result of the party's success in promoting its principles".

Mr. Hancock said "immigrants came to this country and wrapped their arms and legs around the liberty tree" and "now we are the only ones still protecting that tree". He complimented Wayne Allyn Root for being a fighter but said about his efforts, "You're scaling the ladder but it's against the wrong freakin' wall!"

When Wayne Allyn Root spoke, he set forth a vision for the Libertarian Party that was completely different from that laid out by Ernie Hancock. Mr. Root described himself as a "Big-Tent Libertarian" who, if elected National LP Chair intends to be "Rainmaker-In Chief" raising sufficient funds to make the Libertarian Party and its candidates viable and competitive throughout the country. He stated that if elected, he would ask LP candidates "to take a pledge not to accept any campaign contributions from corporations, lobbyists or unions".

Wayne Allyn Root stated, "The Purity Police have been chasing the impure away through vicious comments. It is time we welcomed more people into our ranks with a message of smaller government and more individual freedom". He said, "it does the party no good focusing on issues like the legalization of heroin that will just scare people away". Mr. Root mentioned how "important it is that we package our message in a way that will be attractive to voters". As an example, he mentioned that when the fish "grouper" was on restaurant menus, no one bought it but when they started calling it "Chilean Sea Bass", people ordered it to the point that the fish is now an endangered species. His point was that "packaging and presentation" is everything.

After the meeting, Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC State Representative, invited nine attendees to join him at Cafe Mocha for coffee and continuing political discussions. In attendance was Alden Link, the LPNY Candidate for Lt. Governor; Carl Person, the LPNY Candidate for Attorney General; Sam Sloan, MLP State Representative; and Dallwyn Merck, LPQC Secretary. A poll was taken regarding who everyone thought won the debate. The result was unanimous. Wayne Allyn Root was declared the winner. Dr. Tom Stevens said he "fully expects Wayne Allyn Root to be elected National LP Chair" and "for the Libertarian Party to enter into a new era of growth and opportunity under Root's inspired leadership".

Suffolk County Libertarian Party Set To Nominate Ex-Con Chris Cantwell For Congress

Despite being rejected by a mainstream Tea Party in Suffolk County and having been singled out for explicit rejection by the Republican Liberty Caucus, it appears the Suffolk County Libertarian Party is virtually certain to nominate Ex-Con Chris Cantwell for election to Congress from the 1st Congressional District, which is located entirely in Suffolk County. Even though he has not yet received the nomination of the Suffolk County Libertarian Party, the vote for which will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the SCLP Convention, Mr. Cantwell has stated: "the SCLP has already confirmed to the Chair that I am their candidate, hence my still being listed by LPUS." In that respect he is correct since Mark Axinn, the LPNY State Chair, told the national Libertarian Party to list him as the LP Candidate for Congress for the 1st C.D. and has decided to keep his name listed unless for some reason Chris Cantwell is NOT nominated as the candidate of the Suffolk County Libertarian Party at its Convention on May 15, 2010.

Jeff Grizlo, the Executive Vice-President of Rising Action who is also a Suffolk County resident, said:

I am used to people getting elected to Congress who later get arrested. It is an interesting twist in the natural order of things and certainly a change in tactics for the Suffolk County Libertarian Party to consider nominating an ex-con right up front. People deserve second chances but there are a few problems with this particular prospective candidate. While he was incarcerated in the year 2000, he has been very silent about the circumstances that surrounded his arrest and conviction. All he has said is that he did not go to prison for "good behavior" and that if he raped a 4 year old girl, he would like to think the Suffolk County Libertarians would not be considering given him their nomination. I am not so sure. In addition to being an ex-con, there is evidence that he has not been fully rehabilitated. According to recent reports, he is currently awaiting trial on a D.W.I. charge.

Finally, I recently criticized Christopher Cantwell for his stated belief that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution as currently written gives a constitutional right to all citizens to privately own and possess nuclear weapons. For that stand, I called him Kooky Cantwell. So basically, the Suffolk County Libertarian Party is set to endorse an alcoholic, ex-con who believes everyone has a current constitutional right to own and possess nuclear weapons. Perhaps it's the Suffolk County Libertarian Party that should be called kooky!

Carl Svensson of the Republican Liberty Caucus recently singled out Chris Cantwell of all the prospective Republican Party candidates running for office in New York State this year and stated:

I do want to publicly state that I will be placing a motion before our State Board that we -- the RLCNY --should not recommend endorsing Mr.Cantwell to our National Board for their consideration.

In addition, the Conservative Society for Action, a local Tea Party group in Suffolk County, refused to allow Chris Cantwell to interview with them for possible endorsement. Yet for the Suffolk County Libertarian Party, Chris Cantwell's status as an ex-con, his upcoming D.W.I. trial and even his belief that a constitutional right currently exists for private citizens to own and possess nuclear weapons appears to be no problem.

Dr. Tom Stevens, the State Representative of the Libertarian Party of Queens County, has stated:

I think it is unfortunate and a set-back to the legitimacy of the Libertarian Party in New York State that the Suffolk County Libertarian Party is considering endorsing this man for Congress. However, it is their decision and however embarrassing this endorsement may prove to be for the Libertarian Party, democratic principles must be respected and there is no doubt the Suffolk County Libertarian Party has the right to nominate Chris Cantwell for Congress. Once they have done so, you will not hear another word from me on this issue because I would not want to bring further publicity to this pending disaster. The reason I have sought clarification with respect to why Chris Cantwell went to prison, the status of his D.W.I. trial and his belief in a current constitutional right for private citizens to own and possess nuclear weapons is that I wanted to make certain the Suffolk County Libertarian Party had accurate information about the man they are hell-bent to nominate for Congress. Once they do so, the blood will be on their hands!

Christopher Cantwell was born on November 12, 1980 and was recently elected to serve as an At-Large member of the State Committee of the Libertarian Party of New York.

Chris Cantwell Believes 2nd Amendment Permits U.S. Citizens To Own Nuclear Weapons

Chris Cantwell, who is seeking the nomination of the Suffolk County Libertarian Party and the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus to run for Congress from the 1st C.D. (New York), has recently posted his belief that the 2nd Amendment currently grants a constitutional right to all citizens to privately own nuclear weapons. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads as follows:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

On May 2, 2010, Mr. Cantwell posted the following:

I’ve had the nuclear 2nd Amendment discussion before and I agree, the Constitution does not define arms, so I see legitimacy to the argument that the 2nd Amendment, as written, would provide such a protection as radical as that may be, a Constitutional Amendment defining arms would be required to outlaw private ownership of nuclear weapons.

Chris Cantwell is seeking the nomination of the Republican and Libertarian Parties to run for United States Congress from the 1st Congressional District, which is located exclusively in Suffolk County.

Jeff Grizlo, a Suffolk County resident who is also Executive Vice-President of Rising Action, said:

This guy Cantwell seems to lack common sense! The Founders could not have anticipated the creation of weapons of mass destruction. Just because the Second Amendment doesn't define "arms" doesn't mean that a Constitutional Amendment is necessary before the private ownership of nuclear weapons can be prohibited. If Kooky Cantwell ran the country, people would have the right to purchase nuclear weapons on eBay or at Amazon.com. How can anyone take this man seriously and actually consider electing him to Congress?

Dr. Tom Stevens, LPQC State Representative, said:

In fairness to Chris Cantwell, he did say he would support a Constitutional Amendment to ban the private ownership of nuclear weapons but I am concerned about Cantwell's recognition of the constitutional right of people to purchase nuclear weapons and how many such weapons will be purchased by enemies of the United States until such an amendment passes.

Chris Cantwell was recently elected at the LPNY State Convention held on Saturday, April 24, 2010 in Albany, New York to serve as an At-Large Member of the LPNY State Committee.

Alden Link Appoints Jack Roque Of Norwich As Campaign Treasurer

Alden Link, Libertarian Party Candidate for Lt. Governor of New York State in 2010, has appointed Jack Roque of Norwich, New York as his Campaign Treasurer.

After accepting the position, Mr. Roque made the following statement:

It will be an honor to support Alden Link’s campaign for NY Lieutenant Governor. An accomplished & accountable entrepreneur, Alden’s commitment to liberty, family & responsible government is lifelong & enviable. In view of the crumbling state-of-affairs in Albany & beyond, we couldn’t ask for a more appropriate candidate for the position & devotee to the principles of Libertarianism.
If we’re ever to maintain a representative government, for the People, and opportunity for our children & grandchildren, we need to collectively (& loudly) voice our objection to the interventionist policies designed, crafted & implemented by current leadership.

Government, at any level, should not be considered as the benevolent patron, a provider of solutions, but rather the support function for prevailing financial, economic, social & cultural markets.

Jack Roque has a degree in Chemistry from Binghamton University (1988), and an MBA from The Pennsylvania State University (2001), in the fields of Supply Chain & Entrepreneurship.

Jack & family, which include his wife, Jennifer, and two children, Julian, 7, and Alexandra, 5, reside in Norwich, a vibrant town nestled among the beautiful rolling hills of south central NY.

LPNY Nominates Carl Person For Attorney General

At the State Convention of the Libertarian Party of New York held on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, New York, Carl Person was nominated by the delegates to be the Libertarian Party candidate for Attorney General this November.

In an interview after receiving the nomination, Carl Person said:

After dropping out of high school, I joined the U.S. Army and became a high speed ship-to-shore radio operator, stationed for 2 years in Okinawa. After that, I graduated from Long Island University (B.A. in political science) and then from Harvard Law School. I worked for several years as a "Wall Street lawyer", and then went out on my own as an individual practitioner, representing small businesses against major corporations. During this period, I was instrumental in creating the paralegal field and obtained a patent (now cited by in others) for my invention of a portable global positioning system that worked from a fixed database of latitudes and longitudes instead of real-time satellite triangulation.

I have specific proposals, many that can be implemented without any new statutes. One of them is to create in New York State a stock market to finance small business, with local investors, for the purpose of expanding local businesses and hiring local employees, and keeping the money in local circulation instead of having local money, after purchases, being moved into the non-local or foreign bank accounts of multi-national corporations.

Also, I want to help municipalities in New York State obtain gainful employment for their residents and work for their small businesses through creating a local task marketplace to help residents make use of the millions of dollars of unused time that exists for the residents and small businesses in each town, village and county in NYS. I estimate that a town of 10,000 residents has about $160,000,000 in unsold time each year (at $30/hour) of unemployeds, underemployeds and persons seeking 2nd and 3rd sources of income. I believe that this task (and small business) database would result in use of at least 25% of the unsold time.

I would also use my office as NYS Attorney General to encourage the federal government to adopt my "The First 3 Are Free" idea to exempt the first 3 employees of every employer from all government regulation (including withholding taxes and payroll reporting requirements) by having them designated as "independent contractors". This simple legislative change by Congress would create millions of new jobs by encouraging small businesses to hire without the complications of compliance with payroll withholding requirements and let employers be FREE to establish their own relationships as to their first 3 employees.

I plan to promote liberty among NYS residents by promoting small business, self employment and economic independence of towns and villages, to enable New Yorkers to offset the nation's and NYS's growing economic problems. I recognize that the powers of the NYS Attorney General are awesome and want to use them for the benefit of New Yorkers, to create opportunity, hope, freedom and liberty for New Yorkers. I plan to take my program to voters throughout NYS by a pickup truck tour in which I will address voters and their concerns from the back of the truck.

Carl Person is a member of the Libertarian Party of New York and the LPUS. He founded the Paralegal Institute and is a delegate to the Libertarian Party's National Convention that will be held in St. Louis, Missouri over Memorial Day Weekend. The only chartered LPNY affiliate to formally endorse Carl Person for Attorney General prior to his receiving the nomination was the Libertarian Party of Queens County. It was Dr. Tom Stevens, the LPQC's State Representative, who recruited Carl Person to run for Attorney General and to seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party of New York.