Libertarian David Montané Unloads on the Travesty of Victimless Crimes

Hey Kids,

Finding a candidate with something important to say is a hard thing to do in modern politics. There's the focus groups and the internal polling and the image consultants as well as the need to please your biggest contributors by totally avoiding looking at some of the truths that permeate our society. Truths like the War on Drugs that has so successfully turned a large slice of the citizenry into the slaves of the 21st century.

Guys like David Montané are a rare breed. Here's the latest post from his FaceBook page as he looks at one aspect of injustice in America today.

I cannot restrict myself to simply attempting to get medical marijuana approved here in Georgia, when this much larger problem so drastically affects our freedoms and our taxes:

Felons convicted of "moral turpitude" cannot vote in Georgia. Moral turpitude includes "sales of narcotics or other illegal drugs" (a "VICTIMLESS crime", which is an oxymoron), but hypocritically does NOT include "unlawful sale of liquor" (also a victimless crime, but of a socially acceptable drug). Moral turpitude also does not include "fighting", "simple battery", or "simple assault", even though these are violent crimes. So violent people and moonshiners can vote, but marijuana and cocaine sellers cannot, no matter how peace-loving they may be.

28% of all new entries to state prison last year were charged with drug-related crimes. A typical convict is a first-time offender, healthy, single, black, Christian male with a full-time job who was raised in a family with no criminality, no alcoholism, no drug abuse and was not subjected to frequent beatings. Although they may be able to restore their voting privileges after successfully serving their sentence, most do not know how. Also, there are so many collateral consequences to criminal charges that just being arrested can totally alter the direction of a young pleasure-seeker's life, setting them on a path to state-inflicted "perdition".

Georgia law should protect citizens' lives, liberty and property. But since marijuana and cocaine (and cocaine's cheap but nasty substitute, methamphetamines) are preferred over alcohol by minorities and poor people, but are socially unacceptable to the wealthy and the ruling class, property rights related to marijuana and cocaine are not enforced. It's become a joke to point out examples of drug-users who told police officers that someone stole their drugs. The drug-user may live in a mental fog, but their sense of justice is still intact. Someone stole from me! Who cares that it was something other people don't think I should ingest? It gives me pleasure - they are thinking - someone stole it and I want justice! Here is an officer of the law whose job is to protect my property...momentarily in their panic, they forget that the law is not on their side and there is no justice for them unless they get a weapon of their own to protect their own property. But then if they get a weapon to protect their stash, that aggravates the problem and puts them at risk of becoming even more criminal.

Anyone who holds illicit drugs automatically loses their property rights. Therefore, self-defense when illicit drugs are involved is seen as a crime. I, for one, would not want to be caught with an ounce of marijuana, a smoking gun, and a dead intruder, especially if I were black! And defending your stash from the law enforcers who should be helping people protect their property is considered particularly heinous. I have not found any statistics (not even sure this is tracked by anyone) showing the percentage of violent convicts who were merely trying to protect their personal or business property, but it is well-known that much of gang violence is all about protecting the gang's business inventory (drugs) from theft, and securing the gang's neighborhood ("turf") from violent intruders.

Once in prison, our wrongly-convicted, probably-black citizen is forced to work for extremely low pay or more likely no pay, often for big companies like Motorola or Victoria's Secret (according to the Southern Center for Human Rights), which can thereby skirt the minimum wage laws and compete more favorably in the high-stakes electronics or lingerie markets. Slavery still exists, by another name.

Most people drastically reduce their drug and alcohol consumption after their twenties. Most do not become addicted, but if they do, drug addiction should be treated similarly to alcohol addiction. Addiction is a health problem, not a crime problem. At minimum, victimless "crimes" should NOT be considered an arrestable offense. Instructing or allowing our law enforcement officers to focus on victimless crimes disguises continued racial discrimination and is a huge waste of taxpayer money. Our state and local taxes would decrease substantially just from this one change, and crime would be greatly reduced. End drug prohibition now!

Please elect me, David Montané, to be your Georgia state senator in District 42. I will write legislation and speak out in the General Assembly to decriminalize the victimless actions of our citizens.

David Montané's latest video Courtesy of Dave Kell over at inDecatur Blog!

David Montane at the Marlay in Decatur, GA on 2/25/2010 from Dave Kell on Vimeo.

Hey Kids,

Yeah it's got a kind of Film Noir feel and the audio gets stomped on by background noise but this is the real deal and you'll get to hear David talk about issues that his opponents have studiously avoided. Things like equal rights for ALL Georgians regardless of sexual orientation, ending the wretched war on drugs and a host of other topics like Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More freedom.

Thanks to Dave Kell for shooting this little gem at David Montané's first Meet and Greet over at the Marley last Thursday night. Rumor has it that democrat Jason Carter is having Meet and Greet there tonight! Copycat. We're willing to bet he'll restrict his commentary to education blah blah, transportation blah blah and enhanced opportunities wonka wonka wonka.

Libertarian Chuck Donovan, "Eliminate the Deficit"

Hey Kids,

There's a new post up over at Libertarian Chuck Donovan's website that takes a look at our ever expanding national debt and offers a novel way to deal with it. The post is provided below for your reading pleasure and after you finish it up, cruise by Chuck's site a drop some money on his donate button.

We Don't Need a "Budget Deficit Taskforce", We Need to Eliminate the Deficit

Last week, Preside Obama signed an executive order to "create" a budget deficit taskforce. I thought we already had a "budget deficit taskforce". The President and the Congress are our existing budget deficit taskforce. Why do we need another?

The duty of this new taskforce is to report by the end of the year, what steps need to be taken to reduce the deficit. Why doesn't the taskforce get assigned the duty of reporting within the next week or two? Isn't this an emergency?

The stated goal of the taskforce report is to give the government ways to lower the deficit down to 3% of GDP. Of course you see right away that this is still a budget that will increase our debt. Nowhere in the order or in the intent, is there action to reduce our debt. Deficit spending still increases the balance we owe. Where and how does the President expect to get loans to continue this fiscal insanity?

We don't need to reduce our deficit. We need to eliminate it. The United States cannot possibly continue with the dangerous debt level we now have. Increasing the national debt will guarantee our economic collapse. The President's action, or virtual lack of action, shows me that even the President of the United States agrees with me. Congress and the President have failed their duty to exercise fiscal responsibility. The President is looking for someone else to correct the fiscal mistakes our Federal government has made and continues to make, but he is unwilling to make the difficult, unpopular decisions himself. He is looking for someone else to assign the duty to.

Look no further than the Libertarian Party. We don't have to be told that difficult, unpopular decisions must be made very, very soon. We don't have to be told that it is dangerous to ring up such gigantic debt. We don't need an unconstitutional, executive order, to form a powerless committee that will cost the taxpayers even more money, to tell us what we already know. We are ready to act, to lead, and to do the logical thing - to balance the budget without considering special interests, and to include a plan in the budget to begin the paying down of the national debt.

Then again, our mission is freedom. Eliminating the deficit and paying down the debt will free the American people. Eliminating the deficit and paying down the debt will begin a real economic recovery that will immediately improve all levels of Americans in a substantial and lasting way.

It doesn't take a "bipartisan commission" to figure that out, just plain common sense.

My mission is freedom.
My visions is now.


ChuckDonovan's blog

Garland Favorito's Latest Adventure with the Kangaroo Court at the SecState's Fun Factory

Hot Off the Presses Kids,

Georgia's number one single issue activist, Garland Favorito, clashed with the members of the State Election Board (SEB) at it's last meeting on 24 FEB 10 in arguments about the Jeff Rayno's case and the ongoing saga of Laura Gallegos. If you want a good look at the culture of CYA left in place by Ex-SecState Karen Handel, then read Mr. Favorito's report on the shenanigans that went on at the meeting below.

And if you want additional info on Shawn Lagrua, head over to Political Vine and take the time to read everything Bill Simon has said bout the illustrious Ex SOS IG. If you suffer from high blood pressure, make sure you take your meds before reading.

There's only one sure way to fix the mess at the Georgia Secretary of State's office and that is to elect Libertarian David Chastain as our next SecState.

Here's Mr. Favorito's report:

VoterGA Supporters,
The State Election Board (SEB) meeting, held Wednesday, Feb 24, 2010, was lacking in organization and somewhat chaotic, particularly at the end. The public comments went smoothly. Jenny Hodges spoke eloquently in favor of HB1215 voting machine bill to restore the integrity of elections in Georgia. I received a deferral from Mike Opitz for an extra two minutes and reviewed excerpts of Jeff Rayno’s hearing from the last meeting since the majority of board members were not present. Jeff was referred for a felony investigation of petition forgery without any evidence that any signature he ever collected was forged. I explained that is aviolation of Mr. Rayno’s 6th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. Ricardo Davis explained how that is an example of why we must open the ballot and remove the petitioning requirements. A minister also spoke on behalf of some Greene County respondents who were eventually referred for an investigation even though there was only hearsay evidence and no material witness against them.

We then had to wait seven hours for the Gallegos case to be heard. The board eventually voted to take no further action against her but not without a lot of wrangling. We knew going in that the meeting had far too many cases on the agenda to be heard on one day and the agenda was set up suspiciously. The Gallegos case was placed last on the agenda and not in the normal numerical order. In addition, the new complaint she filed against Supervisor Deb Cox was placed ahead of the old complaint that had to be resolved against her. Furthermore, her new complaint was already moved to Ann Brumbaugh’s Attorney General report when instead, it should have been an item on the agenda for the S.O.S. Inspector General, Shawn LaGrua to report. The Inspector General is supposed to present findings to the board so that the board can vote on whether or not to refer each of the potential violations to the office of the Attorney General for an investigation. A few days before the meeting I asked Rhonda Brown, who helps set up the agenda, how that happened but I could not get a satisfactory answer.

When Mrs. Gallegos case was finally heard at almost 5:30pm, board member Tex McGiver had already left over an hour earlier. Ann Brumbaugh spoke for 15 minutes and explained that there are three cases, one against Laura Gallegos, one against supervisor Deb Cox and one against the Lowndes County board that certified the results. In regards to Laura Gallegos, she recommended that:
· The board reject Judge John Gatto’s administrative hearing order that dismissed all charges against Mrs. Gallegos;

· The board send the case back to the administrative office;

· The board attempt to enter into a consent agreement with Mrs. Gallegos where she would essentially admit that she was guilty of the original charges that were dismissed against her;


Ann Brumbaugh then attempted to get the board to accept a consent order for Lowndes County and refer the Deb Cox case to her without an investigative report. I called for a Point of Order after the Lowndes County affirmative vote and suggested to the board that they should hear all of the evidence of the old case first since that is normal procedure and it could influence their decision on the new case. They agreed and finally after more than 7 hours Laura Gallegos was able to testify. She read very clearly and smoothly from a prepared statement outlining the details of the case that the board had not heard, however, Sec. Kemp said that her time was up after 5minutes! She did not protest because she had a feeling that things were going to go her way. They then called me and as soon as I began to testify, Ann Brumbaugh objected to my testimony just as she had attempted to do unsuccessfully at the hearing. They asked for my qualifications and I began explaining my computer background, knowledge of the voting machines and the fact that I traveled to Valdosta as an expert witness in the case. Mrs. Brumbaugh pointed out that I was not qualified as an expert witness there. I countered that was because her case was so flawed it was dismissed before they ever needed to qualify me. Nevertheless, Mr. Evans and Sec. Kemp said that in that case I had to be a first hand fact witness, so after waiting all day and investing 100 personal hours in the case I was not allowed to say anything!

Eventually Randy Evans made a motion to reject Judge Gatto’s order and allow the option to have an evidentiary hearing at the SEB if no consent agreement could be reached. Ann Brumbaugh opposed it. While it makes no sense to reject the order since no one in their right mind would consent that they are guilty of charges that have already been dismissed, his motion would have allowed all evidence to come out in front of the board and the malicious nature of the investigation and prosecution would likely have been finally revealed to the members. His motion failed 2-2 with David Worley favoring it while Sec. Kemp and Kent Webb opposed. Sec. Kemp, who is facing re-election this year while details of this case circulate in Republican circles, then rightfully explained that he thought Mrs. Gallegos had been through enough and wanted to disjoin her from any further action. Mr. Worley concurred and made a motion to remand the decision back to the administrative office but take no further action on the case. His motion passed 3-1 with new board member Kent Webb still opposing it. Mr. Webb is the same member who motioned at the Dec. 16 meeting that Jeff Rayno be investigated for a felony without a single shred of evidence being presented against him.

The irony of this whole drama is that the administrative hearing order will stand as is, no consent order applies and no further action will be taken since the defendant has been disjoined. I think that was the point Mr. Evans was trying to make to Ann Brumbaugh earlier but she is consumed with trying to pretend that she didn’t lose the case even to the point where she cannot look at the facts objectively or even understand the details of the evidence..

Unfortunately, this saga will continue. In the brief moment when we finally relaxed knowing that the Gallegos family will not be victimized anymore, I failed to call a Point of Order on the referral of the case against Deb Cox to the board. Mrs. Gallegos charges against Cox were not investigated and reported to the board by Inspector General LaGrua as is standard procedure. Instead she simply mentioned only one obvious charge that could not be denied and left off all the other potential violations. It is clear to many of us that Mrs. LaGrua and Ms. Brumabuagh are continuing to work together to suppress the facts about this case so that they will never be known. The board will eventually have to decide if they are going to allow this corruption to continue or take action to rectify it. We will likely try to pursue this at the next board meeting in the name of equal justice for both citizens and public officials, a concept that is almost totally foreign to the office of the Attorney General of Georgia.

Garland
www.voterga.org
404 664-4044

INDecatur Blog Covers Libertarian David Montané's Meet & Greet!

Hey Kids,

Dave Kell over at the inDecatur blog showed up last Thursday at Libertarian David Montané's first Meet and Greet and covered the event for the readership of Decatur's oldest continually operating Blog. The event coverage can be seen at:

http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/in_decatur/

Dave also put together a video montage as well as a short video of the candidates remarks near the end of the event that we'll link to soon. After checking the rest of his blog we think inDecatur has the best coverage of the special election in District 42 that we've seen so far. Keep up the good work Dave!

A Lucky Break for Libertarian David Montané!

Talk About Convergence,

It's late in the afternoon and David Montané's first Meet and Greet is scheduled for tomorrow night at the Marley on Ponce and what do we run into over the Political Insider? An article about Bundlin' Dave Adelman getting confirmed by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations! Unbelievable timing!

Naturally, we had to leave some breadcrumbs over there so that more people would hear about David's Meet and Greet and hopefully attend to give the man a listen. Here's the post:

Bludgeon & Skewer
February 24th, 2010
3:26 pm

Greetings All,

We’re glued to the Weather Channel over here at the Secret Underground Libertarian Command Center (LCC) as we watch the convergence of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting and the formation of tomorrows mega Nor’Easter scheduled to strike the northeastern US and maybe even DC. Will the committee actually confirm Bundlin’ Dave Adelman? Will the floor vote happen before the grandees of the Senate bolt for warmer climes? Will the special election in Georgia State Senate district 42 ever get underway?

We hope so. So far there are three candidates listed at the State Ethics commission website that have filed to run for the office if Dave ever gets appointed and rumors abound that there are two more democrats considering a run. Democrat Jason Carter is the clear front runner at the moment with a huge pile of campaign cash, yard signs, phone banks and a prodigious social media effort. Democrat Tom Stubbs addressed the crowd at this months Progressive Pot Luck in Decatur, passed out some push cards and vowed to run a strong campaign. Tom has also ratcheted up the tech level of the race by sending out robo calls to the denizens and citizens of the 42nd to drum up support for his run.

The third candidate on the block is Libertarian David Montané. This David’s first run for political office and you have the opportunity to meet him tomorrow night, 25 FEB 10 at 7PM at the Marley on Ponce in Decatur as he holds his first Meet and Greet of the campaign. Drop by and give the man a listen as he will be talking about issues his opponents have not discussed. Who’s gonna talk about gender bias in the State Constitution? David Montané. Who’s gonna talk about repealing the death penalty? David Montané. Who’s gonna open the conversation on Medical Marijuana and Decriminalization? David Montané.

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for Libertarian David Montané!

Stirrin' The Pot at the AJC

Hey Kids,

Big Jim Galloway just up a pretty blatant Pro Handel piece over at The Political Insider. The best part was the inclusion of a Handel Campaign Memo that tries to spin this latest Poll as a total victory for Team Handel. We like the last line of the memo that promises to spend every campaign dollar received from today forward on voter contact, you know, TV and direct mail crap.

We had to put in our two cents, be sure to head over and add to the festive atmosphere as the Handel sock puppets do battle with the Ox and his crew. And somebody say something nice about "Stinky" Deal. But before you do, put on your activist hat and click on some of the political ads on the sidebar. It's the best way in the world to impact somebody's campaign today!



Greetings All,

We've fired up the old spin machine here at the Secret Underground Libertarian Command Center (LCC) and are happy to provide the readership with a completely different take on the latest Rasmussen Poll on the Governors race here in the great State of Georgia. The most interesting aspect of this latest poll is the growing strength of "Some Other Candidate" as well as the ever popular "Not Sure". These two worthy's garnered 17% of the the respondents in the Oxendine/Barnes match up, 21% in the Deal/Barnes match up, 19% in the Handel/Barnes match up and to a high of 26% in the Johnston/Barnes match up.

Compared to the 21 JAN Rasmussen poll, "Some Other Candidate" and "Not Sure" are steamrolling to victory with a 3% gain in the Oxendine /Barnes match up, a 6% gain in the Deal/Barnes match up and 4% gain in the Handel/Barnes match up. Candidate Johnson did not make the cut in the January poll.

The coolest part of all of this is that "Some Other Candidate" is actually Libertarian John Monds. Look as hard as you can this November and you will not find "Some other Candidate" listed on the ballot for the Governor of Georgia. The only candidate you will certainly see is Libertarian John Monds.

If you want Governor who is not ethically challenged, then Vote for John Monds. If you want a Governor who is not in the back pocket of the various and sundry Lobbyist groups pillaging Georgia, then Vote for John Monds. If you want a Governor who will listen to your concerns and take action, then Vote John Monds.

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for Libertarian John Monds for Governor!

Latest DeKalb Libertarian Party Affiliate Press Release!

Monday 22 February 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Libertarian candidate for Georgia State Senate District 42 David Montané will host an informal “meet and greet” at “The Marlay House” formerly known as “The Grange” at 426 West Ponce De Leon Ave. Decatur GA. 30330 on Thursday February the 25th at 7:00 PM. All interested persons are encouraged to attend.

David Montané is a long time Decatur resident and small business owner seeking the soon to be vacated seat held by David Adelman who should be appointed Ambassador to Singapore shortly.

Among the issues that David Montané will discuss are:

• Capital Punishment - financially we just can’t afford it
• Equal Rights for GLBT - our Constitution protects everybody
• Medical Marijuana - the time is now

David Montané’s commitment to smaller government, lower taxes, individual liberty and personal responsibility should bode well for him in the district. His recent commitment not to accept any campaign donations from foreign donors sets him apart from the “business as usual crowd” whose first priority is self enrichment.

To learn more about David Montané please visit www.david.lpamerica.com

Libertarian John Monds Up 3% in Latest Rassumussen Poll!

Those rascally Rasmusseians have done it again!

The latest Rasmussen poll on the state of the Governor's race here in Georgia show's Libertarian John Monds picking up steam, of course you have to be able read code to see it in the results posted over at the Rasmussen site. A big clue there is the fact that "Some Other Candidate" will not appear on the ballot this fall, Libertarian John Monds has that turf nailed down solid.

While our democrat and republican brothers and sisters are arguing about King Roys slide from last month and the equalization of the Ox, Nathan "Stinky" Deal and Karen "What! Finish My Term?!" Handel, the real story is that John Monds disguised as "Some Other Candidate" has gone from and average of 5% in the 21 JAN 10 poll to 7-8%. That's freakin' huge!

Here are the breakdowns from the current Rasmussen poll:

2010 Georgia Governor Election
John Oxendine (R)
45%
Roy Barnes (D)
37%
Some other candidate
(John Monds, Libertarian Masculine Voice Candidate)
7%
Not sure
10%


Nathan Deal (R)
43%
Roy Barnes (D)
37%
Some other candidate
(John Monds, Libertarian Never had a No-Bid State contract Candidate)
7%
Not sure
14

Karen Handel (R)
45%
Roy Barnes (D)
36%
Some other candidate
(John Monds, Libertarian Actually finished his College Degree Candidate)
5%
Not sure
14%

Eric Johnson (R)
37%
Roy Barnes (D)
37%
Some other candidate
(John Monds, Libertarian I hope this guy is my Opponent Candidate)
8%
Not sure
18%

Thomas Wheatley Agrees to Moderate the Upcoming Libertarian District 42 Candidate Debate!

Wowie,

Award winning writer Thomas Wheatley of Atlanta's Creative Loafing alternative weekly and it's Fresh Loaf Blog has tentatively agreed to serve as moderator for the debate being sponsored by the Libertarian Party of DeKalb County for candidates running in the special election for State Senate District 42. The current list of invitees to this debate are Jason Carter (D), Tom Stubbs (D) and Libertarian David Montané and any other candidates who decide to file and run by the time this race is officially underway.

The debate will be held in the backroom of the Famous Pub over in the Toco Hills Shopping Plaza and it is hoped that a good time will be had by all. Be advised that seating is limited for this event, so be sure to show up early once we can get the date nailed down.

There are still some format issues being discussed by the guys and girls of the DeKalb LP affiliate, should we go with the Big Wheel-O-Questions? The more conservative 3x5 card questions submitted by audience members or just set up a giant wire cage and let the candidates battle it out?

We'll ponder this as we still haven't got Bundlin' Dave Adelman approved by the Congress yet. What are those duffers on the hill waiting for? It's not like they have anything better to do. The Singaporeans desperately need their new Ambassador and we want to set a firm date for the debate,

Libertarian Kira Willis Declares for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools!

Huge News Kids,

According to Jeff Sexton over at SWGA Politics there is now a Libertarian in the race for State School Superintendent! Kira Willis has decided to take the plunge and enter the race for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools this year. She faces a crowded field of republican and democrat aspirants for office, of course by the time the primaries are over there will be one democrat, one republican and Kira Willis on the ballot this fall. Here's a list of the current competition:




Democrat Beth Farokhi is sitting on around $30,000.
Democrat Brian Westlake has about $5,300 in the campaign hope chest.
Democrat Jeffrey L. Scott has about $3000 in his pocket.
Democrat John Barge has filed his DOI, no campaign cash reports.
Democrat Sandra Suetta Cannon Scott, fresh off the campaign trial from the recent State Senate District 22 special election in Augusta, has not filed a a financial disclosure report.

Republican Cathy Cox (Incumbent) had about $38,000 on hand as of 31 DEC 09.
Republican Rodger Hines has about $3,500 in the old Campaign Coffee Can.
Republican Richard Woods has $2,900 in folding money.

So there you have it, five democrats and three republicans will spend the next few months beating each other about the head and shoulders over which one of them will progress to the fall election. Kira Willis will spend that time building her base and honing her message to change education in Georgia for the better.

In the meantime, head over to her site at:http://willisforstatesuper.webs.com/ and drop a dollar or two on her donate button. We've also added her to our list of Georgia Libertarian Candidates over on the sidebar.

Welcome aboard Kira, let us know what we can do to help make sure you're the next Georgia Superintendent of Schools!

Which Ballot Access Bill is the Best for Georgia?

Hey Kids,

We've been fiddling with Post-It flow charts over here at the Secret Underground Libertarian Command Center (LCC) as we try to figure out which of the current crop of ballot access bills in the hopper over at the Capitol does the most work for Liberty in Georgia.

There's SB 359 offering the Libertarian's the ability to run candidates for any office in Georgia without petitioning as well as the Fusion Candidate Idea.

HB 1141 that drastically reduces the number of petition signatures required, but does not give a pass to the Libertarians like SB 359 does.

HB 1257 which does away with petitioning for any and everyone but keeps the filing fees for Congressional and US Senate races at their current levels. To run for US Senate will cost you about $5200.00 in filing fees alone Kids. That's a hell of a filter.

So which one does the most work for the cause of Liberty?

The Post-It flow chart indicates that HB 1257 is the one to back in terms of the most Liberty per buck, but it's probably the least likely to pass if it ever gets out of committee because it really would open the floodgates. SB 359 favors the Libertarian Party because we've been running Statewide Candidates for decades and have always exceeded the minimum percentage required to maintain our status but it does nothing for any other third party that wants to get in the game in Georgia. HB 1141 is a step in the right direction, but does not recognize the fact that the Libertarians have been working hard in Georgia for the last 20 years. We are not playing political party, we are one.

Looks like we'll shuffle the Post-Its around for a few more days and decide which bill gets the focus here in Liberty Land. If any of the readership wants to weigh in, put up a comment or two.

Jason Shaw declares for State House Seat 176!

Hi Kids,


That took about two days. According to the fine folks over at That's Just Peachy, Jason Shaw, the 37 year old son of State Rep Jay Shaw has thrown his hat in the ring for the soon to be vacated House seat currently held by his father. The Senior Shaw is moving on up to the State Transportation Board, First District after defeating opponent Buddy DeLoach for the open seat. The Senior Shaw will finish this session of the House before taking on his new job. Congratulations to Rep Shaw on getting a full time 5 year gig.

District 176 has been one of the safer democrat districts in Georgia as Rep Jay Shaw was unopposed in three of his last four campaigns and has represented the district for the last 17 years. The district includes the legendary city of HaHira, as well as Lakeland and Homersville and includes all of Clinch and Lanier Counties as well as parts of Lowndes and Berrien counties. The district is right down on the Florida line, about as south Georgia as you get.

So one candidate has declared. And we are starting to look for a Liberty minded guy or gal who would be willing to take a shot at this seat. Remember kids, in special elections you have to be 21 years of age or older, able to hold office (No Felonies) a resident of the district for at least a year prior to the election and be able to pony up the $400 dollar filing fee. If any of the readership knows of anyone that fits that description, give us a shout out!

Libertarian David Chastain nails #2 spot on Page one on Bing out of 491,000 Results!

That Cyber MoJo must be working,

Granted, Candidate Brian Kemp (R) has Bing page one ranking out of 1,730,000 returns but why is Candidate Doug MacGinnitie (R) is only pulling page one out of 2,540 returns? So much for that huge $700K campaign chest. How does David Chastain do it? He's got no money, damn little staff and has to work at an actual job while he's running for SecState.

Karma, baby, Karma.

The fact that he's speaking the truth about our Diebold mess in Georgia has caused a lot of resonance from both the Left-o-sphere and the Right-o-sphere as well as lots of comments and posts from right here in the Cent-o-sphere. Add in the fact that he's promised to fix it and not hire former Diebold Lobbyists for important positions at the SecState's office and the result is that people talk about it. A lot.

And that's what Georgian's need. Plenty of talk, talk about why didn't Ex-SecState Karen Handel fix the problem like she said she would? Why did Sonny appoint Kemp as acting SecState when he's a freakin' candidate for the job? And why is Kemp gushing about Ex-SecState Louis Massey agreeing to be part of a committee to help him with his "transition"? That's the guy who saddled us with the Diebold crap to start with!

So keep on chattering folks, keep on posting and asking the obvious and not so obvious questions and help elect Libertarian David Chastain the next Secretary of State in Georgia.

The Georgia Fire Arms Freedom Act!

Hey Kids,

It is simply amazing what you find if you start digging around in the pending legislation files over at the State Capitol. This little gem makes Libertarian hearts all aflutter at the concept that a firearm made in Georgia for use in Georgia would not be subject to Federal regulations as far as records (Form 4473).

Here's a copy of the proposed legislation from Nelson Mullins over at the Gold Dome Report:

HB 1238 – Rep. Sean Jerguson (R-Woodstock) authored this amendment in Part 6 of Article 4 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 creating the "Georgia Firearms Freedom Act." A firearm which is manufactured and located in Georgia would not be subject to federal law or regulations. It defines "manufactured" as a "firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition has been created from basic materials for functional usefulness, including but not limited to forging, casting, machining, or other processes for working materials." This exemption from federal law or federal regulation, including registration, would apply to any manufactured either commercially or privately in Georgia and which remain within the borders of Georgia – an those items would have to be clearly stamped "Made in Georgia" on a metallic part (such as receiver or frame).
The exceptions are:
(1) A firearm that cannot be carried and used by one person;
(2) A firearm that has a bore diameter greater than 1 1/2 inches and uses smokeless powder, not black powder, as a propellant;
(3) Ammunition with a projectile that explodes using an explosion of chemical energy after the projectile leaves the firearm; or
(4) A firearm that discharges two or more projectiles with one activation of the trigger or other firing device.

A bore diameter of less than 1 1/2"? That's freakin' huge! And no, you can't man handle a punt gun around town as this bill say's if it takes two people to lug it, it ain't OK.

Rest assured we'll put up a sticky note over on the blackboard of legislative change and keep our eyes on this one.

Libertarian David Montané has more Yard Signs!

Hey Kids,

Libertarian David Montané's first load of yard signs are on the way and should be here for the big Meet and Greet this Thursday at the The Marley in Decatur. These signs are more conventional that the dizzying array of digital signs we've posted about before, but you can put these in your front yard. Try that with a digital sign.

If you're a lover of Liberty and want one of these puppies to put in your front yard, contact the Montané campaign at his Facebook page or the campaign website and they'll get one to you. Remember that the campaign is also looking for Precinct captains as well!

A Democrat Introduces Another Ballot Access Bill in the Georgia House!?

Wow Kids,

You struggle with Georgia's 1943 Jim Crow Ballot Access Laws for years and it's like repeatly running into a brick wall without a helmet and then suddenly, all sorts of legislation starts raining from the heavens. The latest one is HB 1257 authored by Rep Alan Powell (D) 29th house district and co-sponsored by Rep Culver Kidd (?) 141st district, Rep Mark Hatfield (R) 177th district and Rep Tom McCall (R) 3oth district.

The gist of the bill according to the first reader synopsis is to remove all requirements for petitioning to gain ballot access here in Georgia. Sort of like it was in Georgia in 1942, when if you wanted to run for something you went down to the county registrar and simply told them to put you on the ballot. OK, it was a little more complicated than that, but not by much.


HB 1257 joins SB 359, HB 1141 and SB 406 in this years race for ballot access reform which causes those of us on the Libertarian side of the fence to ask the basic question: Why? Why the emphasis in 2010? What's different in 2010 that wasn't a factor in 2009 0r 2008 or 2007 or earlier. Georgia's ballot access laws were just as bad back then as they are today and yet this year's flurry of ballot access legislation is kinda like a freedom Tsunami. Why this year?

Could the nebulous Tea Party/Liberty/Thecurrentgovernmentsux movement have anything to do with this? You tell us.

But before you do, slide over to the adsense sidebar and help some of Georgia's politicians spend their hard earned lobbyist money by clicking on their ads. It's the fun way to directly impact politics in Georgia and it doesn't cost you a dime!

A Special Election for State House District 176?

The Special Election Beat goes on,

Looks like we might be looking at another Special election here in Georgia to replace State Rep Jay Shaw (D) in district 176 way down in southeast Georgia. The fine folks over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered report that Rep Shaw has been elected to serve with the State Transportation Board in the First District. Congratulations Rep Shaw on moving on up.

It's also reported that Rep Shaw will serve out the remainder of this session before packing his bags and heading over to his new digs at the transportation board. So, will another special election be called or will this race have to wait for resolution until the general election this fall? We're betting on another special election.

And so, we put out the clarion call to any of the readership that might reside in District 176 or know someone who does to get in touch with the Georgia LP. If there's gonna be a special election in Georgia, we really want to put a candidate up.

Talk to the Hand

Hey Kids,

We know, we know. It's not a Hitler parody but over here at Bludgeon & Skewer we go ga-ga for home brewed media. This little gem was ginned up by Independent Candidate for Congress Donn James way up in Tennessee and is currently running over at the Third Party and Independent Daily Blogspot. After you watch it, slide over to the sidebar and hit the link down in the "Blogs and other Stuff" section and visit the fine folks at the Third Party and Independent Daily Blog for the rest of today's offerings.

But before you go, slide over to the Adsense bar and help some of Georgia's established politicians spend some of their campaign cash. Think of it as your very own jobs creation program, the more clicks they get, the more staff they hire!

Another Take on Libertarian David Chastain's recent Appearance at the Georgia Christian Alliance!

Hey Kids,

Here's another view of Libertarian David Chastain's recent appearance over at the Georgia Christian Alliance from the indefatigable Garland Favorito, publisher of the VoterGa website and longtime voter's rights champion here in the great state of Georgia. Mr. Favorito's website is listed on the sidebar and we urge the readership to take a few moments to visit it and catch up on the latest outrages here in Georgia and support Mr. Favorito's important work.

Here's an excerpt from the latest VoterGa News List:

David Chastain Stuns Opponents with Audience Question
On Saturday Feb. 6 the Georgia Christian Alliance, headed by Sadie Fields, held open debates for all candidates running for a variety of offices. Also included were brief comments from most of the Georgia leadership team and some U.S. Congressional officeholders. Many Democrats make the mistake of bypassing these debates because they think it is too close to a Republican love fest, however, those who do attend are typically well received.

The debate for Secretary of State, the office of VoterGA concern, included the new secretary, Brian Kemp, Republican challenger Doug MacGinnitie and Libertarian David Chastain. Brian had a large group of supporters present while Doug, on his home turf of Sandy Springs, had an even larger group present.

While Brian and Doug made the typical pro-life, pro family, Republican opening statements that have little to do with the functions of the Secretary of State, David Chastain took a different tact. In his opening statement when he asked: “I would like to see a show of hands as to how many people think that the Diebold voting machines are accurately recording all of your votes?” In a full auditorium of about 300 people, NO ONE RAISED THEIR HANDS! David said: “That’s right” and went on to present some of his research he had completed about blank voted ballots that were not counted. It was clear to me that Secretary Kemp was stunned since he is responsible for conducting elections.
AJC columnist, Jim Galloway started the questioning by asking about the Voter ID issue. David Chastain concluded the responses to the question by posing his own question, asking why are we spending so much time and money out of concern for a handful of documented cases regarding possible Voter ID fraud but are not concerned when thousands of votes may not be counted accurately or at all.
Jim Galloway responded to David’s question by asking if the voting machines are trustworthy and Brian Kemp replied that: “The voting machines are trustworthy.” He went on to explain that he had travelled the state and did not think the people believe that the machines are an issue but if the Legislature wanted to fund new equipment he would implement it.

Libertarian US Senate Candidate Chuck Donovan is in a Money Bomb!

Hey Kids,

Big News from the Donovan for Senate Campaign! Chuck Donovan has been selected by Liberty-Candidates.org as a recipient for funding resulting from their current Money Bomb campaign. He's got a lot of company on their list of Liberty minded candidates so it's worth a read over at their website.

Here's some info from Chuck's facebook page about the event:

Our campaign made a national list of Liberty Candidates. A Money Bomb event is taking place tomorrow. Drop by the site and see the requirements for a Liberty Candidate. Then look for Georgia, U.S. Senate, or my name to click through.

I am proud to be part of this and to have my name listed along side such well known champions of liberty.

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~ John Quincy Adams

At LibertyCandidates.org, learn about the 2010 Liberty Candidates, find out what they are up to, see how you can support them, volunteer and/or donate to their campaigns.

If you are a liberty candidate running for office and you would like to be listed on this roster, let us know by filling out the Candidate application. But, before you fill out the form, ask yourself if you are, indeed, a Liberty Candidate:

CRITERIA: A Liberty Candidate will Defend the Great American Principles of

* Individual Liberty
* Constitutional Government
* Sound Money
* Free Markets
* A Noninterventionist Foreign Policy.

The mission is freedom.
The vision is now.

The DeKalb LP is Planning a Debate for the Candidates in the 42nd District Special Election!

Hey Kids,

The DeKalb Libertarian Party affiliate is planning to hold a debate for the candidates running to replace Bundlin' Dave Adelman in the 42nd district in Decatur! The whole thing is tenative at the moment but the busy guys and gals of the LP in DeKalb are arranging a suitable venue to hold this event. Rest assured that it will not take place in a dreary hotel ballroom or some desiccated sound stage at the local cable TV studio. If you elect to attend you will be able to order a refreshing adult beverage and actually participate by asking your own questions after the formal debate has concluded.

Moderator nominations are being mulled over and if you have any suggestions, feel free to toss 'em out there. At the moment there is a strong "ask Thomas Wheatley over at Fresh Loaf to crack the whip" clique, if he's up for it and the DeKalb LP can afford him. What is the current market rate for debate moderators anyway?

The debate will be all inclusive for any candidate running in the 42nd regardless of fundraising status. If you're on the ballot, you will be invited to this unique event. And if you're invited to the event as a candidate but decline to attend due to conflicts with hair washing, fundraising or campaigning, your seat on the dais will be occupied by a cabbage head complete with a placard displaying your name.

It's Time for Electronic Petitioning for Ballot Access for Third Party Candidates!

Alrighty then,

If you've been keeping track of all the legislation introduced in this session of the Georgia House and Senate that addresses ballot access issues in the great state of Georgia, you'll notice that one area has not received any attention. Where is the bill that would allow third party/independent candidates to conduct online petitioning for ballot access? Senator Shafer's SB 359 is absolutely great, Representative Reese's HB 1141 is commendable, SB 406 by Senator Staton, Senator Williams, Senator Douglas and Senator Harp is also a step in the right direction as is it would allow for online voter registration.

If you can register to vote online, why can't you sign an online petition to get a candidate on the ballot? Are there any differences between these two activities? It's not like you're casting a ballot on line, you're just indicating that you support a candidate for office. It's time to get a bill in the mix along with SB 359, HB 1141 and SB 406 that addresses this need. It's time for Georgia to lead the way for the rest of the country in providing a cost efficient, time efficient method for the people of Georgia to express their political views that does not force volunteers to trudge door to door through Georgia's July heat and humidity to get a signature on a piece of paper.

The safeguards contained in SB 406 to prevent fraud would work for an electronic petitioning initiative and electronic petitioning would remove the infamous Notary Public Loophole as well. It's an idea whose time has come.

State Senate District 42 Special Election Update!

Hey Kids,

Just went by the State Ethics Commission website to see if any more candidates have signed on for a run at Bundlin' Dave Adelman's old seat in the 42nd District in Decatur and the short answer is no. There are still the same three candidates listed, Jason Carter (D), Tom Stubbs (D) and the lone Libertarian David Montané.

Why the interest you ask? Because David Montané attended yesterdays Progressive Pot Luck in Decatur and rumors were swirling about the room that one or two more democrats were going to jump into the race this week or next as soon as Senator Adelman gets appointed to the Ambassadorship in Singapore.

Two more democrats! That'll raise the total to a whopping four democrats competing in the 42nd! Now where are the Greens? And what about the Whigs? Or a plain Jane/Jim Independent? Remember, all you have to do in this race to get on the ballot is pony up the $400 dollar filing fee and complete the paperwork at the SecState's office!

So don't delay, File Today!

Libertarian David Chastain gets Facetime on Ray McBerry's TV Show!

Hey Kids,

Libertarian Candidate for Secretary of State David Chastain did a TV interview on republican candidate for Governor Ray McBerry's "The Agenda" TV show last Thursday. The show can be seen on Charter Communications channel 22 for those of you who reside on the south side of metro Atlanta starting on the 15th. Check your channel listings for playtimes and watch David discuss opportunities for change in the SecState's office, ballot access and the state of David's campaign.

The interview should be up at YouTube in about a week or so. Once the interview moves to internet distribution we'll link to it here so you can see the whole thing for yourself. You can also slide over to the SBN website and poke around for yourself, here's the address:

http://www.sbn-tv.com/

Kudos to Ray McBerry for interviewing David, it's nice to see the political discussion opened up to include all the participants irregardless of their monetary standing in their respective races. Perhaps the crew over at Beacon Communications might want to re-look their cash driven policies on their next debate and have ALL the candidates on the forum.

Meet David Montané at The Marley in Decatur on the 25th of February!

Hey Kids,

It's time to meet David Montané! The Libertarian Candidate for State Senate District 42 will be at The Marley House in Decatur next Thursday night, 25 FEB 10, starting at 7PM. We urge all liberty minded individuals in Decatur to attend and meet the man himself.

Marley house is located at 426 West Ponce de Leon Ave in the heart of Decatur, right next to the Decatur Post Office. Old school Decatur Libertarians will recall with some fondness the annual income tax protest day at the Decatur Post Office along with some of the salty comments we used get there from other Decatur residents. Ah, the joys of exercising your first Amendment rights.

So plan to exercise your rights of peaceable assembly and make it a point to be at The Marley this Thursday and get to know District 42's next State Senator, David Montané!

Libertarian David Montané's Almost Ready for Prime Time Website is Up!

OK Kids,

It's not completely finished, there are still maps of the 42nd to go up as well as more pictures of the candidate, but Libertarian David Montané's donate button is working just fine. We urge the readership to cruise by and check out David's issues page. It's cool because, unlike the Jason Carter Juggernaut, David actually has some issues he wants to talk about.

What kind of issues? From the web site:

On the Issues

1. Get the government out of our bedrooms...
Equality of Domestic Relationships:
As a freedom-loving married heterosexual, I know that if I want my own liberties to be defended, I must also defend the rights of homosexuals to care for their loved ones and receive the same benefits given me.
Read more


2. Get the government out of our refrigerators...
Consumer choice in foods will lead to higher nutrition and better health, and also benefit small, local farms that specialize in naturally grown products.
Read more.


3. Get government out of the killing business...
Since 1973 (remember this date), 139 Americans, including 5 Georgians, were sentenced to death but were eventually exonerated after being in prison for an average of nearly 10 years each. Right now, over 100 accused Georgians sit on death row in Jackson, Georgia. You can be sure there are at least a handful of Georgia death row inmates who are completely innocent of the charges which led to their having been condemned to death.
Read more


4. Get government focused on the real criminals, and off victimless crimes...
Give us the right to pursue happiness. Or at least to pursue freedom from pain...
Even though you and I may not smoke marijuana, this narcotic has gotten a lot more bad press than it deserves and is not as harmful or addictive or violence-inducing as alcohol. Prohibition against alcohol ended many decades ago. And yet, many peace-loving, non-violent people, including those who are just looking for relief from pain, are arrested for growing or possessing marijuana, which goes on their record.
Read more


5. Allow alcohol purchases on Sunday...
David Adelman, among others, made a serious attempt to get SB26 passed, but it did not quite go through. I will pick up this ball again and run with it.

So there you have it, a Libertarian Candidate on the loose in the State Senate District 42 Special Election. How do those issues stack up the education, transportation and opportunity issues championed by democrat Jason Carter and democrat Tom Stubbs? maybe we'll find out if they can come up with more than bullet point on their websites and FaceBook pages. Come to think of it, does Tom Stubbs have a website or a FaceBook page? We shall investigate.

Peanut Politics is talking about John Monds and Chuck Donovan!

Heads Up Kids,

The fine folks down at Peanut Politics have a great article up about Libertarian Candidate for Governor John Monds, Libertarian Candidate for US Senate Chuck Donovan as well as a kudos to Jeff Sexton over at SWGA Politics! It don't get no better.

Be sure to visit the site, it's over on the sidebar and leave a comment to show your support for our candidates this fall. And before you do, hit the adsense side bar and help Karen and Nathan and the Ox spend some of their hard earned campaign cash!

Democrat Tom Stubbs has unleashed the Hounds of Hell with Robo Calls in the 42nd!

Big News Kids,

Libertarian Candidate David Montané has just reported that he got a RoBo Call from the Tom Stubbs campaign right here in Decatur! Evidently Tom has a surplus of yard signs the campaign is looking to deploy to counteract the Jason Carter Juggernaut and is using RoBo Tech to efficiently scour the 42nd for supporters using one of America'a most beloved primary contact methods.

Not that we can blame him, who in hell is going to go door to door in the middle of the current Snowpocalypse? Not us, we're lounging about the secret underground Libertarian Command Center smoking cigars and coveting all that white bread, toilet paper and beer we laid in for the long weekend. More power to you Tom!

Libertarian David Montané needs Precinct Captains in the 42nd District!

Hey You Guys and Gals,

If you're in the 42nd precinct and if you want to participate in the next special election held in the great State of Georgia, Libertarian David Montané wants YOU! There is a need for Precinct Captains in the 42nd to support David Montané's run for the office soon to be vacated by sitting Senator David Adelman and there's no better time to sign up than right now.

So what does a Precinct Captain do? In a traditional campaign Precinct Captains handle the ground work in their neighborhoods to support the election of their chosen candidates by inviting members of the community to join in the effort. They are the local focal point for yard signs, push cards and maybe even bumper stickers that are supplied by the campaign. They are also expected to conduct meet and greets and as the campaign progresses do all they can to gin up whatever sort of hysteria the campaign committee deems appropriate, and that usually involves begging for money.

Libertarians are not traditional. Sign up with the Montané campaign and you'll get a free digital Precinct Captain Badge just like the one pictured above, at least one custom yard sign and a handful of the "Worlds Smallest Political Quiz" forms to entertain the relatives with. Want to do more? Then do it!

So don't delay, contact the Montane Campaign today and get in on the ground floor for the political event of the season in Decatur!

Hold Onto Your Hat's, there's another Bill in the Senate on Election Law in Georgia!

This is getting Exhausting,

We just ran into a post over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered talking about newly introduced Senate Bill 406 that would make online voter registration a reality in Georgia. It's got four sponsors, Senator Staton (R) of the 18th District, Senator Williams (R) of the 19th District, Senator Douglas (R) of the 17th District and Senator Harp (R) of the 29th District along with some other cats that don't get a byline over at the Legis.ga website.

This is a watershed. Here at Bludgeon & Skewer we spent last year tussling with Ex-SecState Karen Handel over the issue of online petitioning and were consistently ignored over our repeated requests that her office look into the issue. The seismic shift on ballot access that happened over the last week with the introduction of Senator Shafer's SB 359 and Representative Reese's HB 1141 continues with SB 406. Now is the time to start banging the table for online petitioning as well.

If you can pay taxes online and perform a host of other tasks in the digital world, then you should be able to petition for candidates online. It saves money, saves time and provides more choices for Georgians.

Kudos to Senators Staton, Williams, Douglas and Harp for introducing this bill, now would someone introduce a bill about online petitioning?

Libertarian David Chastain Fires a Broadside in Support of SB 359 and HB 1141

Let's get to it!

OK guys and gals, the words out on SB 359 and HB 1141 down to the State House and Big Dave Chastain has added his voice to the chorus supporting Senator Shafer's new bill and Representative Bobby Reese's House Bill that will realign politics in Georgia. Now is the time to call the members of the Senate Ethic's Committee and get SB 359 onto the floor as well as HB 1141. Don't Let these bills disappear!

Here's a copy of David's email:






Turn on the APPLAUSE sign!

Let’s discuss Ballot Access…

February 11th, 2010

As of right now, Georgia has the worst ballot access laws in the country. Most Georgians are unaware of the limitations and barriers the major parties have in place to prevent independent candidates and third parties from getting on the ballot


Two bills have appeared in the last week in our Georgia Legislature to advance the cause of ballot access freedom. Our thanks go to House Representative Bobby Reese and State Senator David Shafer for taking the initiative to begin the discussion on Georgia’s antiquated, bigoted and 19th-Century Ballot Access laws.
For the most part, the 1943 Georgia Election Code has never been changed. In 1943 there were over 120,000 Japanese American CITIZENS living in internment camps in the West. People throughout the United States were living in a state of fear.

Please. Take some time to read these two bills and then contact your State House Representative and State Senator to remind them, It’s NOT 1943 anymore!

Here are the links:

HB1141 ~ Elections; number of signatures for ballot access; reduceto reduce the number of petition signatures required for ballot access by political body and independent candidates for public office Sponsor: Representative Bobby Reese (98th)
Current Status: 02/04/10 - Senate Read and Referred
Committee: Ethics

SB359 ~ Voter Choice and Ballot Access Act; political bodies may nominate candidates for public office without necessity of a nomination petition
Sponsor: State Senator David Shafer (48th)
Current Status: 02/09/10 - House Hopper

Link: Click HERE
--
David Chastain
Libertarian
for Secretary of State
www.chastain2010.com

Stirring the Pot over at HumanEvents.com

Hey Kids,

We ran into an article by Gainesville's Martha Zoller over at Human Events today courtesy of the fine folks at That'sJustPeachy.com wherein the Georgia Governors race has been moved from "safe" republican to "toss up". Of course it's a toss-up, Libertarian John Monds is in that race. The article does a pretty good job of talking bad about the Ox and Nathan "Stinky" Deal, she could have amped that up but hey, she's a nice lady.

We left some breadcrumbs over at the comment section so feel free to follow and share any gems of wisdom or insider info you might have, but before you go, slide over to the sidebar and help some poor politician running for statewide office spend some of his or HER money! It's the fun and easy way to impact politics in Georgia!

Here's a copy of the post:

Greetings All,

Fortunately for Georgian's there will be a third choice on the Ballot this fall. Libertarian John Monds carries none of the stink of lobbyist funding, special interest back room deals or ethical problems that surround the rest of the candidates for Governor of Georgia. Want tax reform? Vote for John Monds. Want Zero based budgeting? Vote for John Monds. Want and end to the prohibition on Sunday Alcohol sales? Vote for John Monds.

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for Libertarian John Monds!

Georgia's Libertarian Party Nabs Major Headline over at Gold Dome Live!

Hey Kids,

Looks like Ga LP Prez Danny Adams and Legislative Director Jason Pye have landed major earned media for the Georgia LP and Senator Shafer's bill on Ballot Access Reform. Nice to see the metro Atlanta media paying attention to the activities of the Libertarian party and nicer to see Georgia's Libertarian Party swinging the hammer for change. Senator Shafer's bill is still in the Ethics Committee and needs to get sent to the floor for a vote.

So now that we're inside the media cycle, it's time to start emailing and calling the committee members and urge them to move the bill on. Here's the committee:




Committee Members
Moody, Dan (R-SS 56) Chairman
Hooks, George (D-SS 14) Vice Chairman
Crosby, John (R-SS 13) Secretary
Butler, Gloria S. (D-SS 55) Member
Douglas, John (R-SS 17) Member
Hamrick, Bill (R-SS 30) Member
Hill, Jack (R-SS 04) Member
Jackson, Lester G. (D-SS 02) Member
Stoner, Doug (D-SS 06) Member
Thomas, Don (R-SS 54) Member

You can copy and paste this link to the Senate website and voice your support for this important legislation:

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/senate/ethics.php

Ethical Karen Handel Dodges Another Bullet, Sort of....

Hey Kids,

One of the great things about being part of the ongoing Man-cession is that it gives old, fat, white guys like us plenty of time to read Georgia's political news and dig around a little when we see or read something that just doesn't smell right. That happened today over at the Political Insider when Big Jim Galloway put up a post about a dig that Appropriations Committee chairman Ben Harbin leveled at Ex-SecState Karen Handel for failing to follow instructions from the Legislature and her boy Sonny about furloughing staff members for 6 days to address budget problems here in Georgia.

The gist of Big Jim's post was that Karen had found a way to cut 20% of the SecState budget without furloughs so she did not have to comply with the furlough plan. What Big Jim missed was that she got there by firing 38 of the 450 staff over at the SecState's office. Lopping off 8% of your payroll does wonders for the bottom line, but damn little for those people that lost their "safe" state jobs.

If Karen had complied with the Governors and Legislature's request to furlough 450 employees for 6 days that would have amounted to 2700 unpaid days for those staffers but they would still have jobs. By firing 38 of her staff she generated 9500 unpaid staff days and tossed those workers out on their keisters in the middle of the worst economic climate in Georgia in the last 20 years. Nice.

And the new SecState Brian Kemp, has agreed to take the 6 furlough days that Karen said no to, only he's not going to spread it out over 12 months. He's gonna do it between now and July 1.

So the question is, what's more ethical, asking everyone to tighten their belts for a year and keeping the crew intact or telling 38 of your employees to walk the plank?

Libertarian David Montané gots Yard Signs!

Hey Kids,

This just in, David Montané's newest batch of proposed yard signs for the District 42 State Senate campaign. They're hand painted on fabric, the sort of thing you can do for yourself which is very Libertarian. We love 'em all, you tell us what you think!

But Wait, There's More! Another Ballot Access Bill in the State House!

What a busy Day!

Just when you thought that the ballot access legislation thing was about played out, another good bill hits the house. HB 1142 by Representative Reese of the 98th district is looking to make the magic number for State wide office 5000 signatures or less, which is good news for freshly minted third parties beginning their involvement in Georgia politics. Since the crew we run with already has access to State wide races due to our 20+ plus years of running candidates for office, the Libertarians won't benefit directly from this piece of legislation but others will and the more choices for Georgians, the better.

It makes you wonder what is going on over there in republican land as this flurry of ballot access legislation continues. Does it have anything to do with the proliferation of the Tea Party movement and it's legions of supporters, is it some sort of gestalt thingy sweeping through the collective consciences of the sitting republicans down at the capitol or have the Ballot Access Fairies been pullin' some overtime?

If you'd like to see the bill, just click on the title of this post and you'll be magically transported to the copy over at the Legis system where you can read it short and sweet.

Whatever the reason, Kudos to Representative Reese for seeking to empower more Georgians with more choices.

Another Elections Bill from Representatives Scott (153rd) and Yates (73rd)!

Hey Kids,

If Senator Shafer's bill wasn't enough to stir the puddin', there's another bill that's been introduced over at the House of Representatives that drags a blender into the mix. This rascal modifies 31 parts of Chapter 2 of Title 21, some pretty interesting, some not so much. It's gonna take a couple of days to digest the whole thing but a couple sections do stand out.

Section 11 of the bill reduces the number of write in candidates required to trigger an election if the incumbent has no challenger on the ballot from two to one. That's important in Georgia due to the fact that most of our august members of the State House and Senate do not have an opponent on the ballot in most years. In 2008, of the 181 seats up for election, 140 sitting members of the legislature were the only candidates on the ballot for their races. Senator Shafer's bill could fix that by opening up more races with lower petitioning requirements.

Section 19 makes it OK to conduct exit polling with 25' of the building where voting is taking place whereas the current law requires exit polling to be at least 150' feet from the building. Evidently exit pollsters want to be closer to their prey or perhaps there is a correlation between distance traveled from the polling place and the ability of the voter to recall his or her choices. The same section also reduces the distance requirements for petitioning at polling places as well.

You can take a gander at the whole thing by clicking the title of this post and heading over to the Georgia General Assembly website, but before you do, slide over to the sidebar and spend some our your least favorite politicians money by clicking on the one of their ads. It's the easy and fun thing to do to impact politics in Georgia!

Libertarian David Montané needs Precinct Captains in the 42nd District!

Hey You Guys and Gals,

If you're in the 42nd precinct and if you want to participate in the next special election held in the great State of Georgia, Libertarian David Montané wants YOU! There is a need for Precinct Captains in the 42nd to support David Montané's run for the office soon to be vacated by sitting Senator David Adelman and there's no better time to sign up than right now.

So what does a Precinct Captain do? In a traditional campaign Precinct Captains handle the ground work in their neighborhoods to support the election of their chosen candidates by inviting members of the community to join in the effort. They are the local focal point for yard signs, push cards and maybe even bumper stickers that are supplied by the campaign. They are also expected to conduct meet and greets and as the campaign progresses do all they can to gin up whatever sort of hysteria the campaign committee deems appropriate, and that usually involves begging for money.

Libertarians are not traditional. Sign up with the Montané campaign and you'll get a free digital Precinct Captain Badge just like the one pictured above, at least one custom yard sign and a handful of the "Worlds Smallest Political Quiz" forms to entertain the relatives with. Want to do more? Then do it!

So don't delay, contact the Montane Campaign today and get in on the ground floor for the political event of the season in Decatur!

Libertarian David Montané is still waiting for the US Senate to appoint Bundlin' Dave Adelman Ambassador to Singapore!

Big News Kids,

Bundlin" Dave Adelman's appointment to US Ambassador for Singapore has suffered another set back as the wussies up on Capitol Hill in DC have called for a snow day tomorrow in anticipation of another record snowfall from the next winter storm. So much for dedication. Since we're tired of waiting and the Carter campaign is going full flambeaux on their efforts, we've decided to let the cat out of the bag and let the denizens and citizens of the 42nd know they have a third choice in the upcomming special election, Libertarian David Montané.

We've left some breadcrumbs over at Political Insider so head over and join the fun! Here's the post below:

Greetings All,

We're absolutely stunned over here in the secret underground Libertarian Command Center (LCC) at the complete lack of commentary on this important news article. Sure, the headline is about the trials and tribulations of Bundlin' Dave Adelman's oh so sluggish transition to be the next US Ambassador to Singapore. The real story is the special election that will be held to select Sen Adelman's replacement over in the 42nd district in Decatur once that do nothing congress gets on with approving his appointment.

In the 42nd district there are three candidates straining at the leash to pick off this soon to be open Senate seat. The front runner is currently democrat Jason Carter who is sitting on a mountain of campaign contributions and already running a very active campaign complete with yard signs, phone banks, canvassing, fundraisers and a prodigious social media effort. Democrat Tom Stubbs has also declared and will be the featured speaker this Sunday over at the Progressive Pot Luck in Decatur to present his vision for the 42nd and try to put a dent in the Carter juggernaut.

But for us, the big news is Libertarian Candidate David Montané. He has filed his DOI with the State Ethics commission and has been quietly raising funds and making contact's in the 42nd while waiting for the sitting Senator's confirmation process to be completed. We think the special election for the 42nd is going to be one of the most interesting elections the metro Atlanta area has ever seen as the well funded Carter organization marginalizes fellow democrat Tom Stubbs and tries to come to grips with the asymmetrical Libertarian campaign. Who's gonna talk about gender bias in the State Constitution? David Montané. Who's gonna talk about repealing the death penalty? David Montané. Who's gonna open the conversation on Medical Marijuana/Decriminalization? David Montané.

And that's for starters folks. So if you live in the 42nd, if you want to see some real change, if you want to see some real progress, check out Libertarian David Montané.

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for David Montané for State Senate!

Bludgeon & Skewer are sold on Senator Shafer's Senate Bill 359!

Hi Kids,

We're sold on Senator Shafer's Ballot Access Bill and have decided to pitch in on the effort to move it out of committee and onto the floor this session. Impossible you say? Probably. But that doesn't mean you can't send emails to the members of the Senate Ethics Committee urging them to get this important piece of legislation to the top of the heap. Here are the people that need to hear from you on this:

Committee Members
Moody, Dan (R-SS 56) Chairman
Hooks, George (D-SS 14) Vice Chairman
Crosby, John (R-SS 13) Secretary
Butler, Gloria S. (D-SS 55) Member
Douglas, John (R-SS 17) Member
Hamrick, Bill (R-SS 30) Member
Hill, Jack (R-SS 04) Member
Jackson, Lester G. (D-SS 02) Member
Stoner, Doug (D-SS 06) Member
Thomas, Don (R-SS 54) Member

You can slide over the the Senate Ethics committee web site by and follow the links to let the Ethics Committee members know your thoughts on SB 359. Remember to write early and write often, don't let this bill die in committee.

Libertarian Candidate for SecState David Chastain gets a Mention at Political Insider!

Hi Kids,

Big Dave Chastain, the Libertarian Candidate for Secretary of State got a mention over at Jim Galloway's Political Insider today. That's called earned media and for Libertarian's it's the hardest thing in the world to get. I've already left some breadcrumbs over there so all of you need to chime in and put up a post. But before you go, head over to the sidebar and help Karen Handel spend some of her money!





Here's the post:



Greetings All,

Such a pleasure to see Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State David Chastain mentioned at the mighty, mighty AJC, even if it is in (brackets). If you're looking for a candidate who is informed and determined to rid Georgia politics of the Diebold Menace, David's your man. If you want a Secretary of State who has pledged to hire competent staff instead of appointing lobbyist hacks to important positions, then David Chastain is your man. Check him out at http://chastain2010.com/ and see the third choice that Georgians have this fall.

Vote for Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom! Vote for David Chastain for Secretary of State!

Details of Senate Bill 359

Hi Kids,

We're still wrestling Senator Shafer's newly introduced senate bill on election reform in Georgia and decided the best thing to do was to put the whole thing up for the readership to take a gander at. It's a major improvement on Georgia's existing 1943 Jim Crow Ballot Access laws in terms of lowering the bar for more participation by third party groups in Georgia, but some discussion has to take place on the rather revolutionary concept of fusion this bill introduces.

The way we read it, a third party/single issue party could ally itself with either of the two established parties by endorsing a candidate acceptable to both. The plus side would be the inclusion of a at least a platform plank by the major party that reflects the stated desires of the third party/single issue party and enable the votes cast for the fusion candidate to be aggregated into one total. This would theoretically remove the wasted vote syndrome that has plagued third party efforts in the USA for decades.

The down side is that the two established parties get to maintain their preferred status, any third party/single issue group that throws in with the democrats or republicans would not be able to leverage their vote totals to achieve political body status, much less political party status if they remain under the umbrella of the major party they are allied with.

It is quite disappointing that these fusion efforts can only be performed by hooking up with one of the two major recognized political parties. The bill makes no provision for an alliance of third party/single issue parties to combine their numbers by endorsing the same candidate and pooling their resources to execute a campaign.

Still and all, the bill is major step forward and we would really like to see something from Senator Shafer on how he developed this bill and what his vision for it is. A copy of the entire thing is provided below. Have fun reading it and if you have a comment, fire away!





10 LC 28 5009
Senate Bill 359
By: Senator Shafer of the 48th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT


To amend Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to primaries and elections generally, so as to provide a short title; to revise a definition; to provide that political bodies may nominate candidates for public office without the necessity of a nomination petition under certain circumstances; to provide that political bodies may conominate candidates of political parties; to provide for the aggregation of votes for such candidates; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Voter Choice and Ballot Access Act of 2010."

SECTION 2.
Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to primaries and elections generally, is amended by revising paragraph (25) of Code Section 21-2-2, relating to definitions, as follows:
"(25) 'Political party' or 'party' means any political organization which at the preceding:
(A) Gubernatorial election nominated a candidate for Governor and whose candidate for Governor at such election polled at least 20 percent of the total vote cast in the state for Governor; or
(B) Presidential election nominated a candidate for President of the United States and whose candidates for presidential electors at such election polled at least 20 percent of the total vote cast in the nation or the State of Georgia for that office.
Votes cast for a candidate of a political party for the office of Governor who is also the nominee of a political body shall not used in determining whether a political organization other than the political party qualifies for political party status under this paragraph. Votes for candidates of a political party for the office of presidential elector whose candidate for President of the United States was also nominated by another political organization shall not be used in determining whether a political organization other than the political party qualifies for political party status under this paragraph."

SECTION 3.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-137, relating to qualifying as independent or political body candidate and as political party candidate, as follows:
"21-2-137.
No person shall qualify with any political party as a candidate for nomination to any public office when such person has qualified for the same primary with another political party as a candidate for nomination by that party for any public office; nor shall a state, county, or municipal executive committee of any political party certify any person as the candidate of that party when such person has previously qualified as a candidate for nomination for any public office for the same primary with another political party. No person shall file a notice of candidacy as an independent or political body candidate for any public office when such person has qualified for the same office to be filled at the same election with any political party; nor shall any person qualify with any political party when such person has filed a notice of candidacy as an independent or political body candidate for the same office to be filled at the same election. A political body shall be authorized to nominate the nominee of a political party for an office as the nominee of the political body for the same office. In such case, the person so nominated shall file as the nominee of each of the political organizations by whom such person is nominated for the office."

SECTION 4.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-180, relating to manner of qualification, as follows:
"21-2-180.
Any political body which is duly registered as provided for in Code Section 21-2-110 is qualified to nominate candidates for state-wide public office by convention if:
(1) The political body files with the Secretary of State a petition signed by voters equal in number to 1 percent of the registered voters who were registered and eligible to vote in the preceding general election; or
(2) At the preceding general election, the political body nominated a candidate for state-wide office and such candidate received a number of votes equal to 1 percent of the total number of registered voters who were registered and eligible to vote in such general election."

SECTION 5.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-181, relating to filing of petitions generally, as follows:
"21-2-181.
Petitions to qualify political bodies to nominate candidates for state-wide public office by convention shall be filed with the Secretary of State and shall be signed by voters in the manner provided in this part. Such petitions shall provide sufficient space for the printing of the voter's name and for the voter's signature. No forms other than those prescribed in this part shall be used for qualifying a political body to nominate candidates for public office."

SECTION 6.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-184, relating to restriction on amendment or supplementation, as follows:
"21-2-184.
A petition to qualify a political body to nominate candidates for state-wide public office by convention shall not be amended or supplemented after its presentation to the Secretary of State for filing."

SECTION 7.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-186, relating to examination of petitions, as follows:
"21-2-186.
Petitions to qualify a political body to nominate candidates for state-wide public office by convention shall be examined and shall be subject to judicial review in the same manner as provided for candidates nominated by petition pursuant to Code Section 21-2-171."

SECTION 8.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-187, relating to holding of conventions, as follows:
"21-2-187.
Political bodies shall hold their conventions in accordance with Code Section 21-2-172 and candidates nominated for state-wide public office in convention shall file a notice of candidacy no earlier than 9:00 A.M. on the fourth Monday in June immediately prior to the election and no later than 12:00 Noon on the Friday following the fourth Monday in June as prescribed in Code Section 21-2-132; provided, however, that the political body must file its qualifying petition no later than 12:00 Noon on the second Tuesday in July following the convention as prescribed in Code Section 21-2-172 in order to qualify its candidates to be listed on the general election ballot; provided, further, that, for general elections held in the even-numbered year immediately following the official release of the United States decennial census data to the states for the purpose of redistricting of the legislatures and the United States House of Representatives, candidates nominated for state-wide public office shall file a notice of candidacy no earlier than 9:00 A.M. on the last Monday in July immediately prior to the election and no later than 12:00 Noon on the Friday following the last Monday in July as prescribed in Code Section 21-2-132; provided, further, that the political body must file its qualifying petition no later than 12:00 Noon on the first Monday in August following the convention as prescribed in Code Section 21-2-172 in order to qualify its candidates to be listed on the general election ballot."

SECTION 9.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-493, relating to computation, canvassing, and tabulation of returns, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(m) The votes received by a candidate who is the nominee of a political party and one or more political bodies shall be aggregated in the final returns for the office sought by such candidate."

SECTION 10.
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 21-2-499, relating to duty of Secretary of State as to tabulation, computation, and canvassing of votes for state and federal officers, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(d) The votes received by a candidate who is the nominee of a political party and one or more political bodies shall be aggregated in the final returns for the office sought by such candidate."

SECTION 11.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.