Yet Another Cool Graphic from Decatur's Own Terry Greer

This guy did all of my digital yards signs for the Insurance Commissioner Project. To get the original URL, cruise by his FaceBook page and link it up baby!

Libertarian Party of Georgia Press Release Opposing the TSA's Use Of Whole Body Image Security Checkpoints

Hot outta the inbox from the Georgia LP's new Director of Communications, Greta Langhenry.




Libertarian Party of Georgia Opposes TSA's Use Of Whole Body Image
Security Checkpoints

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 18, 2010 (ATLANTA) - In response to the recent debate
surrounding the Transportation Security Administration's use of Whole
Body Image (WBI) scanners, as well as the two cases already recently
filed against the TSA by the Electronic Privacy Information Center
(EPIC) and the Rutherford Institute, the Libertarian Party of Georgia
announces today their public opposition to the TSA's decision to use
these devices in our nation's airports. According to the TSA website
(www.tsa.gov) at the time of press, in a statement dated October 28,
2010, "passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of
security layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced
imaging technology, [and] canine teams, among others."

The Libertarian Party of Georgia holds that these security measures
imposed upon private citizens are a direct violation of the Fourth
Amendment of the Constitution, which reads as follows:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall
not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the
place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

"The possible health risks associated with the type of radiation used
in these machines are not yet well understood, but the detriments to
mental well-being and personal liberties are clear," said Daniel N.
Adams, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia.  "What the TSA is
calling an 'enhanced pat-down' is not an acceptable alternative to
refusal to enter the WBI scanner. While we understand the importance
of National and personal security, we do not agree that WBI scans are
a necessary or obligate measure for securing the safety of U.S.
airline passengers. The federal government wants us to believe that
the act of buying a plane ticket from a private company necessitates
the passenger forfeit their right to refuse an unlawful search without
a warrant by telling us that we are aiding in 'national security
measures'. We respectfully disagree, and hold that no citizen should
ever have to forfeit those rights under the guise of security."

The Libertarian Party opposes all interference by government in the
areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People
should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the
benefit of others. They should be left free by government to deal with
one another as free traders. The resultant economic system, the only
one compatible with the protection of individual rights, is the free
market.  The Libertarian Party of Georgia believes that The Bill of
Rights to the United States Constitution is an excellent exposition of
Libertarian beliefs in individual freedom, limited government, and
self-responsibility. Certainly, these measures introduced by the TSA
are an invasion of personal right to privacy, and a clear violation of
the Fourth Amendment.

The Libertarian Party is Georgia's third largest political party and
the only party in Georgia promoting fewer taxes, less government and
personal liberty for all Georgians.  To learn more, please visit
www.LPGeorgia.com


Contact: Greta Langhenry
Communications Director
Greta.Langhenry@LPGeorgia.com

The Tale of Tammy Adkins

OK, it's run off time for the Supreme Court of Georgia.


Your choices are Purdue appointee Dave Nahmias and underdog Tammy Adkins. I'm thinking the Tammy is the ticket and that's the way I'll be voting in the run off. If Nathan Deal thinks Nahmias is the guy, then that's a sure sign I want no part of him. To celebrate, here's an impromptu rendition of Rudyard Kipling's poem, "Tommy". 


My apologies to Rudyard Kipling.









Tammy


I went upon the internet, to find a thing or three,
and who do you suppose I met? with endorsements like a tree?
A fella by the name 'o Dave who wanted me to vote,
To pack 'em in to our Supreme Court 'cause Nathan wants it's so.
Oh it's Tammy this and Tammy that,
and Tammy go away,
But the piper pays his bill in full,
when it comes to voting day


I checked it out and to my surprise,
I found some artful facts, 'ol Dave's been deep behind the scenes,
prosecutin' this and that. 
Numbers games an' terrorists,
and a senator or two, but the killer item was of course,
He was 'and picked by Sonny Purdue.
Oh it's Tammy this and Tammy that,
and Tammy 'ows your 'ead?
But Tammy's been workin' in the courts,
for common folk who dread.


She hasn't got no fine degree from 'arvard , Duke and such,
She just worked 'ard, and made her place with 'ard work, sweat, and guts.
I'm thinkin' it appropriate, to rock the boat a bit, 
and send 'ol dave a-packin', to some other federal chit.
Yes it's Tammy this and Tammy that,
and Tammy step behind,
But Tammy seems to know her place,
and that is first in line.

The Libertarian Cigar Club Fires Them Up on Wednesday Night

From the Prolific Pen of Libertarian David Chastain:

My boy! Smoking is one of the greatest

and cheapest enjoyments in life, and

if you decide in advance not to smoke,

I can only feel sorry for you."

-- Sigmund Freud

- to his young nephew, Harry, after he declined a cigar

 

 

ALCC members and Friends,

 

Wow! November is here and it's time to relax and enjoy a choice cigar, a little libation and lots of friendly conversation. Most likely, we will be talking about the recent elections. Please feel free to invite a friend.

 

If this is your first visit, we meet in the back room at Dantanna's Buckhead Cigar Store. The only requirement is that you purchase your smoke from the BCS humidor. More BCS info, and directions, are available HERE. Tell Mike at the register you are a Libertarian Cigar Club attendee and get a 10% discount.

 

ALCC meetings are the third Wednesday of every month and annual dues are $25.00. Our treasurer is Roxanne Karnick.

 

Peace & Liberty,

 

David Chastain

Chairman

dfchastain@gmail.com

15,000 Libertarians Might Show Up Tomorrow Night at the DeKalb LP's Monthly Meeting

Just Sayin'.


Georgia's premier LP affiliate, the DeKalb County Libertarian Party, will conduct it's monthly meeting tomorrow night at the Famous Pub in the Tocco Hills Shopping Plaza starting at 7:00PM. Scheduled guests include our very own Barbara Rickard who will present a talk entitled "Why Libertarians Oppose the War on Drugs".


If you're one of the 15,000 or so DeKalbians that voted for one or more Libertarian Candidates on 2 NOV 10, you really ought to come on down and meet the members of your county affiliate. There's always some skullduggery afoot as well as the freshest of fresh rumors of a political nature. Not to mention that the Famous Pub serves some absolutely killer Tater Tots!


See you there!

Stirrin' the Pot at the Savannah Morning News

Maximum Freedom. Minimum Government Baby!


Larry Peterson way down at the Savannah Morning News has an interesting article up wherein he clucks over the nearly dangerous Libertarian party and it's effects or lack of them on Georgia politics. Since it's Sunday and I have the day off, I thought I'd weigh in on his observations with a few of my own.


The readership is encouraged to participate.


Additionally, the roughly 15,000 citizens of DeKalb County that voted for our Libertarian slate on Nov 2nd is encouraged to head back to the polls for the run off and vote for Micheal Rothenberg for DeKalb Superior Court Judge. Mike is a solid guy and I'm gonna go vote for him again!


Here are the breadcrumbs I left at SMN:



Greetings All,


A polite thank you to Mr. Peterson for livening up an otherwise rather  dull Sunday with a article about the Libertarian Party of Georgia's performance in the last election. I take exception to some of his overgeneralized statements about what Libertarians really want, i.e., Smaller government, Lower Taxes and more freedom. Let me assure you that that is exactly what we want. Most Libertarians are also cognizant of the fact that these things are not achievable without a corresponding increase in personal responsibility. I don't think we Libertarians have failed to mention that, but the media certainly has omitted that component when presenting their perceptions of our parties platform and our candidates. To assume that all Libertarians are not interested in reducing the size and scope of federal law as pertains to gambling, drugs, prostitution or any other prohibited activity is just plain wrong. We truly believe that these are matters for the individual to decide on, and once decided, the individual must bear the responsibility for either good outcomes or bad outcomes. No citizen has any rights to the labor or property of another citizen, and our government has no rights at all. 


Mr. Peterson is correct that we Libertarians will hang in there, we are not summer soldiers who turn tail at the first frost. We do believe that the United States of America is the greatest nation ever bourne on planet Earth and that our greatness is only in the beginning stages. We seek to remove the heavy chains of taxation and regulation that have strangled our people for decades, we wish to breathe the vitality of Liberty upon this land once more and watch in awe and splendor as individual Americans make their dreams come true. 


Sadly, these dreams will not come to pass until the other half of the electorate in America and Georgia wake up. Consider that less than half of registered voters in Georgia went to the polls this year and that all Georgians will have to live with their choices for the next 4 years. It could have been different, it should have been different and at some point in the future it will be different. We Libertarians believe in the future above all else and because of that we are dangerous Mr. Petersen, we are Libertarians.

Popular Libertarian Hideouts in Atlanta

Jeeze, we're scattered all over Metro.


OK, it's been 10 days since my bitter defeat at the hands of the throughly scrutable Ralph Hudgens and so I thought I'd take a closer look at the election results and see what turned up. Every one of our statewide candidates got a different vote total in the election, I wanted to know what the vote spread was in the top four counties that supported our valiant crew and what that might reveal about our grand experiment in Liberty.








Cobb County
John Monds  10,312
Dan Barber   8,977
Chuck Donovan    6,655
David Chastain    11,657
Kira Willis    13,393
Shane Bruce   10,519
Will Costa   10,773
Kevin Cherry   10,533
Don Smart    8,208
Dr. Jim Sendelbach   10,419


Cobb's pretty sweet, 7 out of 10 Libertarians polling above 10K.


Fulton County
John Monds  10,192

Dan Barber     8,242

Chuck Donovan    5,993

David Chastain    9,480

Kira Willis   12,897

Shane Bruce   9,367

Will Costa    9,578

Kevin Cherry   9,817

Don Smart    8,348

Dr. Jim Sendelbach    9,524

Fulton is little stingy, only 2 Libertarians break the 10K barrier.

DeKalb County

John Monds    8,209

Dan Barber    6,225

Chuck Donovan    4,570

David Chastain    7,494

Kira Willis    9,622

Shane Bruce    6,954

Will Costa    7,142

Kevin Cherry   7,609

Don Smart    6,622

Dr. Jim Sendelbach   7,467

DeKalb saw no 10K barrier crossers for Liberty.

Gwinnett County

John Monds   9,478

Dan Barber     8,450

Chuck Donovan    5,811

David Chastain      9,340

Kira Willis    12,005

Shane Bruce    9,457

Will Costa    9,633

Kevin Cherry   9,176

Don Smart   8,458

Dr. Jim Sendelbach   9,314

Looks like Gwinnett is all Kira all the time. 

It's pretty obvious that there was no such thing as a crowd of straight Libertarian ticket punchers voting on Nov 2nd. Having a 6000 vote spread between your top vote getter and the anchor man in these county by county breakdowns indicates that a hell of lot of picking and choosing was going on. So what was the method to the madness of these split ticket voters? 


Kira Willis emerged as the elections leading Libertarian vote getter followed by David Chastain, John Monds and me pulling up fourth. Four completely different campaigns by four completely different people yielding almost incomprehensible results. I haven't asked my fellow candidates any details about fundraising numbers but I'm pretty sure nobody raised more that 30K for this years run. I know I damn sure didn't, so I don't think the fundraising thing was the make or break factor in the voters choices. 


Of all of our candidates, no one even came close to the level of earned media that John Monds received in his top of the ticket campaign courtesy of the multiple televised debates and a couple of TV news interviews here and there and yet the way down ballot School Super out polled him by a good chunk. Go figure.


I'm supposed to meet with a stats dude on Sunday who thinks we'll see all sorts of strange stuff as a result of the county by county/candidate by candidate analysis he wants to run. I sure hope so. 


In any event, I'm going to run some Google searches on candidate names with a 30 day filter and see who draws the most hits as another possible explanation of this years results although I know in my heart that our 4% finish is just a reflection of the importance of moola in the political game. If John Monds had 18 Million dollars to run a campaign with, the outcome might have been different, even revolutionary!

Kudos to Independent Rusty Kidd

Hot off the presses from Richard Winger at Ballot Access news, well as hot as anything can be that was published 3 days ago.

Rusty Kidd, Independent Georgia Legislator, Re-Elected

November 8th, 2010

Last week, Rusty Kidd, Georgia’s only independent state legislator, was re-elected.  He faced one opponent, a Democrat.  Kidd won 57.3%-42.7%.  Kidd was the only independent who was able to qualify for either house of the Georgia legislature by petition this year.

On November 5, Kidd was hospitalized because a small bone in his neck was broken, but he is expected to be back at work well before the session opens.  He has been in a wheelchair for the past decade because of a past motorcycle accident.

Kidd is the son of Senator Culver Kidd, who is no longer living.  Senator Kidd was the author of the 1986 Georgia ballot access reform bill that lowered the statewide petitions from 2.5% of the number of registered voters, to 1%, and also provided that parties that poll at least 1% of the number of registered voters for any statewide race are ballot-qualified for all statewide offices.  It is because of Senator Kidd’s 1986 bill that the Georgia Libertarian Party has been on the ballot for the statewide offices, with no petitioning needed (except for the party’s initial petition in 1988), for over twenty years.

We Libertarians owe a lot to the Kidd family. As Mr. winger points out, Senator Culver Kidd was a rare politician who had an honest appreciation of ballot access issues in Georgia and did something about it. Please note that the ensuing crops of weasels have sat on their hands since 1986. They're quite happy with the fact that our current system guarantees perpetual power as long they can convince 26% of registered voters they are the man!


Also note that Rusty Kidd is our only Independent rep, and he was the only independent to survive the petitioning process that claimed 8 other victims prior to this years elections. Granted, he was a sitting rep with long service to his constituency, things that did not hurt his efforts at election. The reality is that he made the petitioning system work.


With all the party switching going on as democrats jump ship and head for supposedly safe water in the republican camp, perhaps some of the 100,000+ Libertarians in Georgia should petition Representative Kidd to jump from IndependantLand over to LibertyLand. Libertarian Rusty Kidd has a nice ring to it!

Big News out of Augusta, Libertarian Amanda Bryant is the New Chair for the LP CSRA Affiliate

Hot outta the email box from the CSRA LP affiliate. 


Kudos to outgoing Chairman Matt Powell for his efforts at growing the LP in the Augusta region and welcome aboard to Amanda!

For immediate release

 

Augusta, GA - Due to the resignation of Matt Powell, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of the CSRA at a scheduled Executive Committee meeting, Amanda Bryant, Secretary of the affiliate for the past year, has been elected to the Chairman position by unanimous vote.

 

Amanda Bryant is a Political Science major at Augusta State University. She works as a freelance researcher for law firms, and has been a campaign manager through two election cycles. She is also a member of the Soul City Sirens Derby Team.

 

"It has been my honor and privilege to lead and serve your interests in the name of liberty these past 18 months. I look forward to seeing what Amanda has planned." Matt Powell said.

 

"I hope to bring in what I have learned running two campaigns to keep adding to the work we have done. Mr. Powell has done a great job, and I have big shoes to fill." Amanda Bryant said.

 

Matt Powell will serve as Vice Chairman, and Dr. Frank Williams will fill the position of Secretary.

 

Any questions can be sent to Taylor Bryant, Director of Public and Media Relations at 706-814-4047. Thank you.

 

Taylor Bryant

Director of Public and Media Relations, LPCSRA

What Goes Around, Comes Around. The Latest Press Release from Garland Favorito

Damn, I wanted to be Georgia's Alvin Greene.


So such luck this time out but it does look like another candidate might have pleased the great god Diebold by having a last name starting with the letter "A". I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the Georgia Supreme Court race because of being preoccupied with the Insurance Commissioner race but the saga Tammy Adkins is quite compelling. Talk about your reluctant candidate, Tammy's photo can not be found anywhere on the World Wide Web, normally you gotta pay extra for that.


I think that this race may the first of the unknown politician variety. Think about it, supposedly the population at large is so sick of negative campaigning that more than half don't even vote. What a fresh breath of air to encounter a politician that will only reveal their names when they absolutely, positively have to do so.


Since I'll be heading to the polls here in DeKalb County for the run off to cast my ballot for Michael Rothenberg for DeKalb Superior Court Judge, I think I'll toss a vote Tammy's way as well. I wonder what candidate David Nahmias thinks about that 2009 vote now?


Here's Garland's Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Garland Favorito

November 6, 2010                                                                                                                                                  (404) 664-4044                                                                                                                                                                              garlandf@msn.com

                                                                                                                                                                         http://www.voterga.org

 

Georgia’s Tammy Adkins Becomes the New Alvin Greene

ATLANTA, GA – Georgia’s unverifiable statewide voting equipment has just produced results remarkably similar to the infamous Alvin Greene victory during the June, U.S. Senate primary in South Carolina. In that case, statewide unverifiable voting equipment recorded Alvin Greene as a near landslide 60-40% winner over Vic Rawl, who actually won the tangible absentee ballot count by a 55-45% margin. Vic Rawl ran an extensive campaign while Alvin Greene had no web site and literally no campaign.  More…

In the November 2010, non-partisan, Georgia Supreme Court election, Tammy Adkins won a run-off spot against incumbent David Nahmias by garnering 36% of the vote compared to 48% for the incumbent and 16% for the primary challenger, Matt Wilson. That may sound normal until realizing that the run-off challenger was a virtual recluse.

Tammy Adkins, a family lawyer, did not campaign, did not have a web site,  did not accept donations, did not respond to surveys, did not advertise, had no published profile, did not register phone or Email contact data and refused all media requests. Despite running for another judgeship two years ago, she was unknown among politically active voters including those in her Lawrenceville hometown. Georgians had no way to even see her picture. But the voting machines and optical scanners still recorded 733,770 votes for her, over seven times the number recorded for Alvin Greene.

By contrast, Matt Wilson, a 35 year civil litigator based in a high profile, Buckhead location, made radio and TV appearances, accepted many speaking engagements, established a platform of judicial philosophy, received endorsements and support across the political spectrum, performed minority outreach, sent out 6 million Emails, recruited dozens of volunteers, erected numerous yard signs, had hundreds of Facebook and Twitter friends and publicly engaged the incumbent on his track record in the media.

Studies indicate that top ballot positioning could provide a 2.5% vote advantage and a female gender could provide as much as a 3.5% advantage. But even if those advantages were doubled, there is still no way to account for the remaining half million votes recorded by the machines for Ms. Adkins. 

Georgia’s Elections Director was asked to explain the outcome of this race but has yet to reply. Ironically, Ms. Adkins opponent, David Nahmias, was one of the justices who voted in 2009 to allow Georgia to continue using unverifiable voting equipment.

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