Movies to Chronicle the 20th Century
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Ron’s high school freshman daughter Karyn is taking a 20th Century history and culture class that she enjoys, and she’s also decided she wants to be a film-maker. So, recently his family began a weekly movie series to chronicle the century, with an emphasis on how major events and developments affected people of each era.
Read morePoliticians Have Made Child Care Unaffordable
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Among the great social changes that drove economic growth in the latter half of the 20th Century was the large-scale entry of women into the labor force. With more Americans working, family lifestyles changed rapidly.
Read moreThe Internet Should Be Free, Not a Regulated Monopoly
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Bureaucrats love regulation. It provides jobs for some of them, so usually they’re happy to create new regulations and expand existing ones.
Read moreMissives from the Front: Home before Independence Day?
Greetings once again from the front lines of the 79th Session of the Nevada Legislature! Today marks the 100th day of the session - only twenty days remain. This week was packed with activity - not only did I testify for or against many bills in their second hearings, I also actively lobbied many Assemblypeople on SJR4 and a potential ballot access bill for next session.
Read moreWhat Goes Around Comes Around
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
It’s baseball season again, so we offer some thoughts on the great 1984 movie The Natural.
Read moreObamaCare: Repeal It and Then Find a Replacement
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
For six years, most Republicans campaigning for federal office pledged to repeal ObamaCare. According to national polls, a majority of Americans have consistently opposed ObamaCare even when they otherwise approved of Barack Obama as president.
Read moreStatement on AB383
As the 2017 Legislative Session winds up, we are reprinting some of the statements made by Wendy Stolyarov, Legislative Director for the Libertarian Party of Nevada, to the legislature regarding pending legislation. This statement is a reprint of her statement on Assembly Bill 383, which requires peace officers to be trained in the constitutional and lawful use of force.
Read moreMissives from the Front: The Spring Offensive Begins!
It’s been a little while since you’ve heard from me - the Legislative committees had a quiet period while legislation moved (or failed to) across the floors of both houses. This week, however, bills began to enter their opposite houses again - and I was able to continue our advocacy for or against a large number of bills. I was also interviewed on Talking Truth to Power with Jennifer Terhune and Brendan Trainor on Friday, April 28th - we had a great discussion about the Libertarian Party of Nevada’s work this Legislative Session, Donald Trump, North Korea, and a slew of other subjects. They’re interested in having me back on after the Session ends to get a final report from the LP, and I’ll be thrilled to join them.
Read moreEl Partido Libertario Cubano - José Marti se inicia en La Habana
Para distribución inmediata
LAS VEGAS (7 mayo 2017) - El Partido Libertario de Nevada se enorgullece en anunciar hoy el histórico lanzamiento del Partido Libertario Cubano - José Martí en La Habana. Tras la reciente persecución de los libertarios cubanos por parte del régimen Castrista, un grupo de activistas determinados en La Habana se unió en un partido político libertario llamado así por el padre fundador de Cuba, que murió en la guerra de independencia de España.
Read moreThe Cuban Libertarian Party Launches in Havana!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UPDATE (May 23, 3017) - Cuban Libertarian Party and Nevada Libertarian Party protest the night-time disappearance of Cuban LP spokesman Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand. Read more.
LAS VEGAS (May 7, 2017) - The Libertarian Party of Nevada is proud to announce today’s historic launch of the Cuban Libertarian Party - José Martí in Havana. Following the Castro regime’s recent persecution of Cuban libertarians, a determined group of activists in Havana banded together in a libertarian political party named after Cuba’s founding father, who died in Cuba’s war of independence from Spain.
Read moreVictory: 4th and 5th Arrested Cuban Libertarians Released After 1 Day
On behalf of the Mises Institute Cuba, the Libertarian Party of Nevada is pleased to announce the release of Eduardo Ramos Balaguer after a one-day detention. Eduardo Ramos is a proud libertarian, a member of Mises Cuba, and a co-founder of the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library in Havana. Ramos was arrested by officers of the National Revolutionary Police and State Security agents (the secret police) early in the morning. The international libertarian community began protested against this arrest awithinh an hour, with many libertarians directly contacting various human rights watch groups and protesting to Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Relations. Ramos and a 5th arrested libertarian [name not yet publicly disclosed] were released after a one-day detention.
Read more4th Libertarian Activist Arrested by Cuban Regime! (And What You Can Do About It)
Following the U.S. Libertarian National Committee's denunciation of recent arrests, the Cuban regime has arrested another libertarian activist. Eduardo Ramos is the fourth peaceful activist the Raul Castro regime has specifically targeted as a libertarian. A photograph and a short, hasty press release from Mises Cuba says:
"We regret to report that one of the founders of the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library was arrested this morning by agents of the National Revolutionary Police and State Security agents [the Cuban secret police]. The libertarian they arrested was Eduardo Ramos Balaguer. He was seen by his companions last night when they visited the mother of Ubaldo Herrera, another libertarian detained [and still imprisoned] by the regime."
Read moreAudit the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
The Nevada Controller is the state’s Chief Fiscal Officer, and we take very seriously the duties of the office.
Among them are the responsibilities to ensure that all public funds are spent appropriately and within the bounds of existing legislation, bond covenants, grant restrictions, federal rules and other guidelines. We also design and monitor internal controls to prevent people from stealing or misusing taxpayer assets.
Read moreTradition, Innovation and Balance
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
We’ve striven all our lives to embrace positive change.
But we each do so in our own ways. Young Geoff has always been an early adopter of new technologies. Boomer Ron says he’s “a real Twentieth Century guy,” and prefers to see that new technologies are viable and enjoy widespread adoption before jumping on board.
Read moreHighlights from the Session: Supporting AB303
This is one of the statements submitted by Wendy Stolyarov, Legislative Director for the Libertarian Party of Nevada, to the Assembly. This statement expresses support for Assembly Bill 303.
Read moreMissives from the Front: Consolidating the legislative lines!
As you may remember from my last letter, things changed at the Legislature last week.The 79th Legislative Session has completed Round 1: April 14th was the bill deadline, and anything that didn’t get passed is now dead in the water. While some of our favorite bills died - like SB358, the ban on civil forfeiture, or AB237, the ban on capital punishment - our testimony and your support helped keep some other excellent pieces of legislation alive.
Read moreTaxation is theft ...or is it?
It happens every paycheck I get. A big chunk of money is missing. Where does it go? To taxes. It is a common battle cry around the Libertarian party, "Taxation is theft!" especially around tax time in April. But is it? Is taxation theft? Are taxes necessary? Let's examine this idea for a second...
Read moreThe Max Power Way
"There's three ways to do things: The right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way."
"Isn't that the wrong way?"
"Yeah, but faster!"
- Homer J. Simpson and Bart Simpson in Homer to the Max (see clip)
So your state or county affiliate is overrun with people you don't like very much. Perhaps there's someone showing up to your events that periodically threatens to hospitalize people, openly supports eugenics (but not using the state, so that's, like, totally okay, right?), hides behind pregnant women, serves as a guest on openly anti-Semitic podcasts not once but twice, calls everyone that disagrees with him "communists", and "declares hostility against the Libertarian Party" - among other things. Maybe this person brings friends. Maybe you don't like these friends very much and openly say as much. Maybe they don't like that so much and persist in showing up to your events.
What do you do?
Read moreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - LP Nevada tells fascists: Stay home!
LP Nevada Executive Committee resolves fascists aren't welcome to run for office, show up to LP Nevada events.
Read moreMissives from the Front: The LP is going over the top for your freedom!
Though my time at the Legislature was cut short last week due to a family bereavement, the Libertarian Party of Nevada still managed to testify or otherwise comment on many important bills.
Before I tell you what we were busy with this week, though, you should know what’s coming up! To share your opinion on any of these bills with the legislators and committees reviewing them, go here and type in the relevant bill number. It’ll send your message directly to the sponsors and co-sponsors. As some bills have more than ten sponsors, this is a great time-saver.
Read moreAugustus Sol Invictus Is Not Welcome In My State
This was originally posted on Vice-Chairman David Colborne's Facebook wall.
It has come to my attention that there is a bit of confusion regarding my feelings surrounding the deservedly failed senatorial candidate that calls himself "Augustus Sol Invictus" and surrounding what I think the appropriate measures are to deal with him and his allies. Given my sense of humor, that is not surprising, so I'd like to take a moment to speak frankly about him, the danger he is to the Libertarian Party and the State of Florida, and what responses should be taken to eliminate that danger.
Read moreComunicado de La Habana: Policía secreta cubana persigue a más libertarios después de la resolución del PL-EEUU
Instituto Mises Cuba
Biblioteca Libertaria "Benjamín Franklin"
Para distribución inmediata:
En el día de ayer, 5 de abril, aproximadamente a las 12:30 pm, dos agentes de la Seguridad del Estado se personaron en la vivienda de los activistas y esposos libertarios, Heriberto Pons Ruiz y Caridad Ramírez Utria, la cual se constituye en la Sede de la Biblioteca Libertaria "Benjamín Franklin", en busca de Heriberto Pons.
Read moreBreaking News from Havana! Secret Police going after more libertarians after LNC resolution
Mises Institute Cuba
Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library
For immediate distribution:
Yesterday, April 5, at approximately 12:30pm, two State Security agents were came to the home of libertarian activists and spouses, Heriberto Pons Ruiz and Caridad Ramírez Utria, looking for Heriberto. The home doubles as Headquarters for the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library.
Read moreRegarding the Storey County Sheriff Recall
On March 13, the Storey County Clerk announced that a Special Recall Election will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, for the purpose of a Recall Election of Gerald Antinoro, Storey County Sheriff. Given the strong support enjoyed by the Libertarian Party and its message of limited government in Storey County, as expressed both through higher than average voter registration numbers and higher than average support for Libertarian Party presidential candidates, we feel it is appropriate to make a public statement regarding this special recall election.
Read moreU.S. Libertarian Party Condemns Cuba's Incarceration of Libertarians
Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea have lit some huge brush fires of liberty in the short time since their arrest by State Security and incarceration in the Cuban Gulag. After 10 Libertarian state parties in the United States, as well as the Libertarian parties of Spain and Russia, condemned the action and called for the release of Herrera and Velazquez, the U.S. (national) Libertarian Party published the following:
Read moreColorado, Chile, and Guatemala Libertarians Condemn Cuban Government for Arrests
International support keeps growing for the now-famous Cuban libertarian prisoners, Ubaldo Herrera and Manuel Velazquez. In recent demonstrations of support for the prisoners and opposition to the regime that sent them to Melena del Sur, the Cuban Gulag, libertarians in Colorado, Guatemala, and Chile took a public stand against the Castro regime's oppression of libertarians associated with Mises Cuba and the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library in Havana. The parties involved are the Libertarian Party of Colorado, a libertarian talk radio celebrity in Guatemala City, and independent libertarians in Santiago, Chile.
Missives from the Front: The Rolling Legislative Barrage
At the end of this week, we’ll be halfway through the 2017 Legislative Session! We’re also coming up on April 14th, the deadline for new bills. And good thing, too - these politicians are churning out legislation like their lives depend on it! We testified or sent in statements on sixteen different pieces of legislation this week. That’s a new high score!
Read moreThe Intolerant "LIbertarian"
In 2015, at the Libertarian Party of Nevada Convention, I submitted a resolution to the floor stating, basically, that the LPNevada would work with ANY group that aligned with our philosophy of individual liberty and less government, while also stating that we would oppose ANY group that was working against our philosophy of individual liberty and less government, regardless of whether it was the same group on two different issues.
Read moreRon's lesson about the World for Daughter Karyn
We teach our children key lessons to prepare them for life. So, recently, Ron explained to daughter Karyn another episode of: How the World Works.
How To Encrypt Your Internet Traffic
You’re reading this because you wanted to know how to encrypt your traffic for one reason or another. This guide is most useful for persons looking to hide their activity from an ISP in response to the recently passed legislation allowing your ISP to monitor, record, and sell your user data without permission. It also may be useful for people who are working actively to oppose persons in power, or people trying to protect their data from snooping cyber-criminals or governments.
Read moreMissives From The Front - 10 Weeks Until Armistice Day?
Things are heating up at the Nevada Legislature, and the Libertarian Party of Nevada is bringing you a front-row seat to the political pyre. We testified or sent in statements on ten different pieces of legislation this week - talk about busy!
Before I tell you what we were busy with this week, though, you should know what’s coming up! To share your opinion on any of these bills with the legislators and committees reviewing them, go here and type in the relevant bill number. It’ll send your message directly to the sponsors and co-sponsors. As some bills have more than ten sponsors, this is a great time-saver.
The biggest bills hitting the Legislature this week are…
Read moreLife Springs Eternal
Each year as spring arrives, we watch life renew itself and are reminded of the path of history, the evolution of mankind and our role in the universe.
Read moreCuban libertarian prisoners on a hunger strike, 3rd libertarian arrested!
Lawyer Nelson Rodriguez Chartrand (center) supervises some updates for the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library
BREAKING NEWS! A third Cuban libertarian activist was arrested by State Security, the political police in Cuba. Yesterday the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library, a functional library run by libertarian volunteers, held its first conference yesterday in Havana. Three days before the conference, last Tuesday, State Security threatened every member of the Benjamin Franklin Libertarian Library, and also threatened every member of Mises Cuba and known libertarians, not to attend this conference. Discussion of free markets and limited governments are a direct threat to the Castro's neo-Stalinist regime.
Read moreMissives from the Front - LP Nevada advances on legislative trenches of power!
I was out of town this week, but the Session didn’t stop - so neither did I. The Libertarian Party of Nevada still sent in statements on six pieces of legislation, many of which I mentioned to you in my last letter.
Before I tell you what we were busy with this week, though, you should know what’s coming up! To share your opinion on any of these bills with the legislators and committees reviewing them, go here and type in the relevant bill number. It’ll send your message directly to the sponsors and co-sponsors. As some bills have more than ten sponsors, this is a great time-saver.
Read moreForbes and Celebrity Talk Show Host cover Libertarians in Cuban Gulag
Libertarian activists Manuel Velazquez (left) and Ubaldo Herrera (right) before their arrest
The campaign to raise awareness of two Cuban libertarian activists thrown in the Gulag just took a turn for the better. The world is hearing the cries of the victims' families! Mises Cuba and the incarcerated Cuban libertarian activists were mentioned recently in a Forbes article. The issue was also explored in greater detail by celebrity talk show host and libertarian activist Gloria Alvarez. This follows multiple U.S. Libertarian state parties being joined by the Libertarian Party of Spain and the Libertarian Party of Russia in condemning the incarceration of Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea, and calling for their immediate release.
Read morePolicy Prescriptions to Rejuvenate Nevada
This is the final column in a series presenting findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we present policy recommendations based on our analysis of issues in the PAFR.
Read moreThe Armed Libertarian Revolution in Mexico
The Mexican Revolution is likely the most important chain of events in the history of Mexico, perhaps more so than Mexico’s war of independence. Its crowning achievement is the 1917 Constitution, still in effect today. One of the leading attributes of the Mexican Revolution is the rise of citizen armies, what U.S. legal tradition recognizes as the ‘unorganized militia’ of able-bodied armed men organizing into military units. Though the grievances, politics, motives, and goals of the different revolutionary factions and leaders differed, there’s much about the Revolution to be seen from a libertarian point of view.
Read moreMissives from the Legislative Front
The 79th Session is starting to warm up. This week, the Libertarian Party worked on a whopping eight bills.
Before I tell you what we were busy with this week, though, you should know what’s coming up! To share your opinion on any of these bills with the legislators and committees reviewing them, go here and type in the relevant bill number. It’ll send your message directly to the sponsors and co-sponsors. As some bills have more than ten sponsors, this is a great time-saver.
Our Founders’ Legacy versus Progressivism
Our Founders and the classical liberal intellectuals they followed got the basics of government right and thus launched two centuries of freedom and opportunity leading to hope, unprecedented economic growth and astounding human flourishing and wellbeing.
Read moreLong-Run Decline in Entrepreneurship Is Ominous for Nevada
This is the eighth column in a series presenting findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we address critical problems facing economic growth in Nevada.
Read moreLibertarian parties of Florida and North Carolina call on Cuba to act!
Two Cuban libertarian activists, Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea were arrested on February 2, 2017 by Cuba's political police. The two activists were convicted of attempted assault and facing new charges for distribution of "enemy propaganda." This "enemy propaganda" was in fact the writings of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and other laissez-faire economists and philosophers--all of which threatens the Castro regime and Communist Party's grip on the island nation. Herrera and Velazquez are both imprisoned in the Melena II labor prison, Cuba's equivalent of the Soviet Union's Gulag.
The Libertarian Party of Nevada issued a press release on February 9 condemning the Cuban government and the Communist Party of Cuba, and demanding the immediate release of Herrera and Velazquez. Shortly after, this became a movement. The Libertarian state parties of New Hampshire and Oklahoma jumped on board, also calling for the release of Herrera and Velazquez. We were then joined by LP Indiana, LP New Mexico, and the Libertarian Party of Spain. In the last week LP Florida and LP North Carolina have joined the international movement to free these libertarian political prisoners.
Read moreLibertarian Party of Russia joins international movement to free libertarians in Cuba's Gulag
The Libertarian Party of Russia has joined the international movement of dedicated libertarians calling for the freedom of jailed activists. Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea were arrested February 2, 2017 by State Security. The Cuban libertarians are interned at the prison Melena II, part of Cuba's Gulag-style labor prison system. The Libertarian Party of Russia published the following statement:
Read moreReflections on Obamacare: Part IV - Medicare
It would be grossly unfair for PPACA to impose new benefits and limits on Americans without also attempting to cope with what has become an excessive cost for Medicare.
Over the years, Medicare’s share of our population has grown, as has the number of years each beneficiary is expected to live. Of the original 1900 cohort, 45% had survived to age 65. Those that did enjoyed a life expectancy of about 12 years for men, and 15 for women. 65% of 1950’s cohort, the current one, is expected to reach age 65 this year with life expectancies of about 18 years for men, and 20 years for women. New and improved expensive medical treatments contribute their share of expense. Even with deep discounts of provider bills by the original fee-for-service Medicare, costs wildly exceed premiums collected—1.45% of income to $200,000, then 2.35% on any excess.
Read moreNevada’s Public Employee Retirement System
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This is the seventh column in a series presenting findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we address the Nevada Public Employee Retirement System (PERS).
Read moreThe Libertarian Party Supports SB 110
This afternoon, the Libertarian Party of Nevada stood with the ACLU and TAGNevada in support of SB110, a bill that will exempt trans individuals from the legal requirement to publish notice of a name change in a newspaper for three weeks. This requirement poses not only a handout to crony capitalist newspapers, but also a violation of the privacy of trans people who may be outed by the requirement - or targeted with harassment or violence if listed publicly. SB110 removes a privacy-destroying bureaucratic requirement for trans people, and the LP looks forward to supporting it as it moves through the legislature.
Below is the statement I read at this afternoon's hearing:
Read moreBREAKING! Update on Cuban libertarian activists in the Gulag!
After days of anxious waiting, Libertarians around the world finally have updated news on two imprisoned Cuban libertarian activists. Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea were arrested by State Security (Cuba's secret police) on February 2 and detained in a jail in Mayabeque province. They were being charged with attempted assault, but Mises Institute Cuba's libertarians are unanimous in asserting that both men were targeted for "dissident activism." As of today, our sources on the ground in Cuba confirm that both men were indeed convicted on falsified charges, are in a labor prison, and now face additional criminal charges.
Read moreReflections on Obamacare: Part III - Medical Insurance
Obamacare’s notion of equal entitlement, and its mandate to purchase coverage follow from its misinterpretation of basic premises of our Declaration of Independence. The first of these is that all men are created equal. That is the wording in The Declaration, but surely its writers knew differences exist among men and between men and women and among women. They assumed, I have a feeling, that given the document was political in nature, its remark about all men being created equal should be understood as “created equal in the eyes of the law.”
Read moreThe Grim News: The Economic Outlook
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This is the sixth column in a series presenting findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we address the economic outlook.
Read moreWe need your help in the legislature!
Nevada, like many states, is blessed with a part-time citizen legislature. Because it only meets for 120 days every two years, however, the legislature has to pack a lot of work into very little time, which means they need people like you and me to let them know what bills are worth passing and which bills need to die quickly.
Read moreBREAKING: Cuban libertarian activists sent to the Gulag!
The civil rights and human rights case regarding the two jailed Cuban libertarian activists just took a dark turn. As of this afternoon, Mises Cuba reports that Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea are incarcerated in Cuba's infamous Melena II prison. Various human rights groups have documented conditions at Melena II, and it's Cuba's equivalent of the Gulag in Soviet Russia and the labor camps in North Korea.
Five Libertarian state parties (Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Indiana, and New Mexico) and the Libertarian Party of Spain (P-LIB) have already published denunciations of the Cuban government and the Communist Party of Cuba, and these parties are calling for the immediate and safe release of the political prisoners.
Read moreLP Indiana joins movement to free jailed Cuban libertarians
The Libertarian Party of Indiana has joined the international movement to free the jailed Cuban libertarian activists, Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea. According to Mises Cuba founder Joisy Garcia, both men were targeted by State Security for their "dissident activities" of meeting to discuss limited government, free markets, and libertarian theory, all of which are a threat to Raul Castro's authoritarian regime. They've been detained since February 2 on false charges of attempted assault. LP Indiana joins LP Nevada, LP New Hampshire, LP Oklahoma, and the Libertarian Party of Spain (P-LIB) in the movement to call out the Cuban government and demand the immediate release of the jailed libertarian activists.
Read moreLP Oklahoma joins coalition to free jailed Cuban libertarians
The Libertarian Party of Oklahoma (LPOK) joined the Libertarian Parties of Nevada (LPN), New Hampshire (LPNH), and Spain (P-LIB) in speaking out on behalf of jailed Cuban libertarian activists. LP Oklahoma, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Spain have condemned the Cuban government and Communist Party of Cuba for the arrest and detention of Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velazquez Visea. LPN, LPNH, LPOK, and P-LIB demand the immediate and safe release of Herrera and Velazquez.
Read moreLibertarian Party of Spain joins in condemning the Cuban government
The Libertarian Party of Spain has joined the Libertarian Parties of Nevada and New Hampshire in condemning the Cuban government for the arrest and unlawful detention of two libertarian activists. In a Spanish-language news release, the Spanish Libertarians announced:
The Libertarian Party of Spain (P-LIB) strongly condemns the arbitrary imprisonment of two Cuban libertarian activists, Ubaldo Herrera Hernández and Manuel Velasquez Visea, perpetrated several days ago by the island's brutal communist regime, and demands its immediate release.
Read moreReflections on Obamacare: Part II - Plans
Obamacare asserts that each and everyone of us is entitled to equal and comprehensive healthcare. Delivering on this promise is another matter. Although PPACA is demanding about what treatment is to be a covered charge—annual exams, routine maternity, mental health, and so on, it is less so about how and where benefits are to be paid. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a good example of what this means for individuals and families.
Read moreLP New Hampshire joins LP Nevada in condemning the Cuban government over activist arrests
This weekend, the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire issued the following statement on their website:
Read moreThe Libertarian Party of New Hampshire answers the call from the Libertarian Party of Nevada in the condemnation of the Cuban government for arresting libertarian activists. LPNH Chair Darryl W. Perry stated “I’d like to thank LP Nevada for taking the lead on this issue, and encouraging other state LP affiliates to join in on the condemnation of the Cuban government’s arrest of two libertarian activists and in calling for their immediate release.”
K-12 Education in Nevada: The Facts, Part II
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This is the fifth column in a series presenting findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Last time, we discussed state spending and revenue trends in K-12 education. Here, we address key policy issues.
Read moreEl Partido Libertario de Nevada condena al gobierno cubano por detener a activistas libertarios
Vea la copia oficial aquí.
Para distribución inmediata
Las Vegas, Nevada (10/2/2017) - El Partido Libertario de Nevada condena el arresto y detención de dos activistas libertarios por parte del gobierno cubano, y exige su liberación inmediata. Ubaldo Herrera Hernández y Manuel Velasquez fueron arrestados el 2 de febrero por policías secretos, agentes encubiertos de la Seguridad del Estado vestidos de civiles. Ambos activistas siguen detenidos bajo acusaciones falsas de "ataque".
Mises Cuba, la rama independiente cubana del Instituto Ludwig von Mises, confirmó que siguen detenidos. El PL de Nevada afirma que Herrera y Velasquez fueron elegidos específicamente por su activismo pacífico, promoviendo un gobierno limitado y mercados libres. Son presos políticos cuyas acciones no han dañado a nadie ni han dañado ninguna propiedad, y deben ser liberados inmediatamente.
Read moreLibertarian Party of Nevada (LPN) Condemns Cuban Government for Arresting Libertarian Activists
See official copy here.
For immediate release...
Las Vegas, Nevada (10 February 2017) – The Libertarian Party of Nevada condemns the Cuban government’s arrest of two libertarian activists and calls for their immediate release. Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velasquez Visea were arrested 2 February 2017 by plainclothes secret policemen. Both activists are still detained on trumped up charges.
Mises Cuba, the independent Cuban think tank based on Auburn, Alabama’s Ludwig von Mises Institute, confirmed their ongoing detention. Both men were specifically targeted for their peaceful activism promoting limited government and free markets. They are political prisoners whose actions have harmed no one and damaged no property.
Read moreReflections on Obamacare: Part 1 - Rules
Obamacare, the 2,409 page Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was written and passed with the claim that it would correct an inefficient and unfair market for health care, one for which government itself shares the blame. The Act would force insurers to issue full and comprehensive coverage to all applicants at an affordable price regardless of their state of health, and deny them the right to impose any limits on pre-existing conditions. It would also fix problems with Medicare where even with drastically reduced doctor and hospital payments, Medicare costs continue to run beyond bounds.
Read moreK-12 Education in Nevada: Just the Facts, Part I
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This is the fourth column in a series presenting the findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we address K-12 education.
Read moreDid Milo Yiannopoulos plan to out undocumented students at Berkeley?
Milo Yiannopoulos is surrounded by controversy. The dramatic episode of Milo Yiannopoulos's canceled speech and leftist riots on campus and in the streets of Berkeley has been a drama of confusion. The most widespread images include the black-clad anarcho-communists, waving their black flags as windows are broken, bonfires ignite, and they face off against the police. Here are the facts about what Milo Yiannopoulos has said, done, and planned to do.
Read moreNevada State Health and Social Services: Key Facts
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This is the third column in a series presenting the findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), posted at controller.nv.gov. Here, we address health and social services.
Read moreOpposing Open Borders is for Stalinists
Opposing open borders in favor of strict border control, especially by means of the state, is antithetical to liberty. War is the health of the state, but the same can be said about strict border control, which requires the militarization of borders. If war is the health of the state, then militarized borders are also the health of the state. It takes a large, strong state to significantly and effectively shut down an international border.
Confused Trump-supporting libertarians are increasingly abandoning their laissez-faire and anarchist principles to rally around their standard-bearer and his red ball cap, ever ready to be cheerleaders for border security and militarization becoming the health of the state. Many of them love making the claim that open borders are a communist concept (referring to humanistic Marxism, rather than Marxist-Leninism). However, a simple study of history (read: reality, not political theory) will reveal that strict border controls is a virtue taken directly from the playbook of Marxist-Leninist and outright Stalinist regimes.
Read moreController’s Midterm Report: Walking the Talk
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Recently, we’ve discussed overall state spending and revenues, and in coming weeks we’ll review the spending and performance in major areas such as education and health and social services. So, it’s timely and appropriate to answer the question: How has the controller’s office done at managing its own spending and delivering services to Nevadans?
Read moreNevada Taxes and Other Revenues: The Facts You Wanted
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This is the second column in a series presenting the findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report. Here, we address state revenues.
Read moreTrump Supporters are the Sheep from 'Animal Farm'
This was originally published in a heavily edited, toned down version by Liberty Hangout. LP Nevada gives you this uncensored editorial in all its Libertarian glory.
One of the top reasons some libertarians support Donald Trump is because his very existence and daily life is an attack on political correctness and the PC culture that seems to dictate policy these days. In other words… the liberals were mean and they need Donny to make the environment safer for them. That’s nice, but as John Wayne the Duke said, “Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.”
To be fair, I really like Trump’s twitter page—it’s beyond entertaining. However, it’s just not complete without Mark Hamill doing those Joker voices. I understand how PC culture bothers people on a deep level, but no one should need a rude demagogue to protect them from the PC atmosphere. They ought to hop on their computer right now and start writing criticisms of the PC culture! Saddle up already, cowboys! Quit asking for permission! (Just don’t use popular alt-right lingo like ‘beta’, ‘cuck’, and other words that sound like they were plagiarized from a school shooter’s manifesto.)
Read moreNevada State Spending: All the Facts You Wanted and More
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
This column is the first in a series presenting the findings and conclusions of Nevada’s 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report, which we wrote and issued as part of the Controller’s office normal activities and duties. Here, we address state spending.
Read moreAn Inspiration Moves On
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
As 2016 winds up, we reflect on the homages we paid to great professionals and human beings we’ve long admired as they graciously ended their illustrious careers. They included Vin Scully, Tim Duncan and Charles Osgood. We’ll deeply miss the mastery and character with which they executed their crafts and enriched our lives.
Today, we add Thomas Sowell.
Read moreRon Paul vs. Nick Sarwark: The Real Truth
Exactly 5 years ago I stepped on an airplane at Des Moines International Airport, having spent the last two weeks working my tail off for the Ron Paul 2012 presidential campaign. The Iowa Caucuses were a glorious time. Ron Paul was the GOP front-runner before Fox News manufactured Rick Santorum's narrow victory. That was realistically the closest the liberty movement has been to taking the White House and rolling back the federal government through the executive route. We didn't make it, but I only regret that I couldn't do more. I never thought I'd see the day when people in the movement openly criticize Ron Paul as un-libertarian (it would have absolutely been heard of 5 years ago). Nonetheless, here's the truth about the recent snippy exchange between Ron Paul and LNC Chair Nick Sarwark:
Read moreNo, 'Clovergender' is NOT a Thing!
I'll freely admit to creeping on Lauren Southern's twitter profile on a weekly basis. She shared something today that's important and an item for clarification: the concept of 'clovergender.' (By the way, Lauren, I must confess: your beauty, your wit, your take-no-prisoners style, and your passionate hold on your principles make you ridiculously attractive in my eyes. I'm madly in love with you [some days], but I've gotta admit that trolling liberals and telling them you identify as an attack helicopter is a total dick move. It's not nice to knowingly mess with the mentally ill, period. You're a role model for millions and you're better than that.)
In the last 2 days a definition of "Clovergender" has gone viral, with a number of social media accounts and amateur blogs nobody cares about going absolutely bananas over this. Clovergender or 'kindergender' supposedly applies to adults who never mentally develop beyond the age of 13 and believe they're permanent children or preteens trapped in an adult's body. Hence, they have romantic feelings or sexual attraction to kids and preteens. Sounds like a major red flag!
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2017 State Convention Press Release
*** NEWS RELEASE ***
** Libertarian Party of Nevada announces 2017 State Convention **
January 21st, 2017 at the Opportunity Village: Oakey Campus in Las Vegas, NV area; credentialing starts at 9 am and the call to order is 12 pm.
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Pension Funds: How Things Go Wrong
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Long ago, most people had to work nearly all their lives because very few folks could accumulate enough resources to support their families without working an occupation.
Read moreWhat We’re Thankful for This Year
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Thanksgiving dinner is always a big event at the Knecht home, but it will be delayed this year. Ron will be in the hospital recovering from major back surgery.
Read moreHere's what the Libertarian Party won this election
UPDATE (12/31/16) In Southeastern Virginia, Tidewater Libertarian Party Vice Chair Jessica Abbott was elected to Virginia Beach City Council. She is the youngest (27) person ever elected to the VBCC and with 60% of the vote, she is the first challenger to defeat an incumbent by more than a 4% margin.
UPDATE (11/11/16) Libertarian Senator Laura Ebke (Nebraska) is still in office and runs for reelection in 2018. Also, Libertarian Rep. Max Abramson (New Hampshire) won 4% in the race for governor and thus qualified the LP for automatic ballot access in New Hampshire. Additional states where we won ballot access not listed in the first draft include New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
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MANY LIBERTARIANS FEEL demoralized after the general election. One of the two authoritarian demagogues was going to win no matter what. The most painful part is that our national ticket couldn’t clinch that 5% (and even people on the Gary Johnson campaign are unhappy with Governor Bill Weld). Regardless of the disappointment, LP Nevada still applauds Governor Gary Johnson for bringing the Libertarian Party up to new milestones and for carrying forward the message of our platform. Here are some of the victories we gained this election:
Read moreA Nation Divided Then and Now
Disagreement is part of human nature, especially in any society that values people as unique individuals.
Read moreEconomic Hitmen: Hillary Clinton's Haiti Scandals (part 1)
Principled Democrats have long opposed the government serving well-connected corporations at the expense of taxpayers. They also oppose capitalism's excesses at the expense of developing countries. Hear about how the Clintons have been looting American taxpayers and looting the beleaguered post-Hurricane Haiti.
LVMPD Officer Manhandles Disabled Veteran, Violates 1st Amendment
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department demonstrated today the City of Las Vegas and Clark County’s war on civil liberties. Libertarian Party of Nevada activist Robert Heinrich and one other LP Nevada member (whose name will be withheld until he consents to being identified) were stopped, handcuffed, and charged with an infraction with no clear information on due process being provided.
Read moreFrom the desk of Ron Knecht & Geoffrey Lawrence: Three State Ballot Measures We Oppose
Note: The article below was authored by State Controller Ron Knecht and Assistant Controller Geoffrey Lawrence. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Libertarian Party of Nevada. The Libertarian Party of Nevada's views on the statewide questions can be seen here.
Read moreElectoral College: your vote doesn't count in 40 states
I’m so tired of hearing this nonsense from both sides: "A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Hillary. A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Trump."
For Heaven’s sake, ENOUGH of that broken record! Remember the Electoral College? That institution that guarantees one party will take all the state’s electoral votes in the presidential election? Unless you live in 1 of 9 or 10 battleground states, the Electoral College guarantees your vote doesn’t matter.
Read moreRon Paul Liberty Report: this election "a gift for Libertarians"
Chris Rossini wrote a great editorial for the Ron Paul Liberty Report, titled "This election is a gift for Libertarians." The editorial resonated with me and I have a few comments on how this applies to the Libertarian Party.
Read moreLibertarian Party protests the third presidential debate
Gary Johnson, Nick Sarwark, and LP Nevada protest the crooked debates and the 2 party system
Las Vegas was a zoo yesterday evening as Metropolitan Police and the Secret Service turned UNLV into a fortress for the third presidential debate. As this debate also blatantly excluded increasingly popular Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party voiced opposition to the crooked setup. While Governor Gary Johnson live tweeted the debate and appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, LNC chairman Nicholas Sarwark joined LP Nevada to protest at UNLV.
Read moreAll Huff and Puff
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Nevadans will vote in coming days on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana here, as four other states have already done.
Read moreLibertarian Party of Nevada censures Assemblyman John Moore (L)
See press release here or read below:
For immediate release...
Las Vegas, Nevada (17 October 2016) - The Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Nevada unanimously censured Libertarian Assemblyman John Moore last Friday for his support of two tax increases on Nevada citizens in the past week. His betrayal of principles with an unscrupulous YES vote on the $2 billion taxpayer-funded Raiders stadium hurt the already-exploited taxpayers of Nevada, damaged the credibility of the Libertarian Party of Nevada, and shattered the confidence of tens of thousands in their Assemblyman. Additionally, his vote in favor of the “More Cops” tax comes as a surprise; this is a measure the Libertarian Party of Nevada has tirelessly fought the Clark County Commission on for years.
Read moreYou Can't Punish Stupid
Much talk has been made of the Clinton e-mail scandal over the past several months, but with the investigations finally closed and FBI Director James Comey’s report given to congress, it’s time for a more thorough analysis of what happened, and whether a double standard was applied.
Read moreIt Ain't My War! #NoWarwithRussia
This video is the sixth in a daily series premiering between now and the general election.
Read moreNevada's Tax and Spending Changes Play Poorly on National Stage
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
Every two years, the Cato Institute in Washington, DC ranks the recent changes in state fiscal policies to give readers an understanding of the trends prevailing in each state. Last week, Cato released its newest Fiscal Report Card, and Nevada fares poorly.
Read moreBlack Lives Matter to Me (but I don't support BLM)
This video is the 5th in a daily series premiering between now and the general election.
Black lives matter to me, but I don't support the protesters calling themselves #BlackLivesMatter. This video explains why.
Read moreA Vote for Trump is a Vote for Hillary... Here's why
TRIGGER WARNING for Trump fans! (This video is the fourth in a daily series premiering now until the general election.)
A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for Hillary. Donald is FINISHED. The GOP has abandoned him. HE CAN'T WIN!
Now, I'll admit he did pretty damn good in that second debate. As a matter of fact, I give him CREDIT for blasting Bill Clinton’s history of being a sexual predator, and Hillary’s history of silencing sexual assault victims. I also concede that I’m aware Mr. Trump won’t be dropping out, and his most die-hard supporters have committed to chugging the Kool Aid and following him to the celestial comet. However...
Read moreA Warning About Public Funding of Stadiums
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
As our readers know, we’re huge sports fans. So the idea of going to a professional sporting event in our home state of Nevada is very exciting.
Read moreSticking with Trump? The weak Bill Clinton defense
TRIGGER WARNING for Donald Trump supporters!
This video is the third in a series premiering between now and the general election.
Read moreDonald Trump Made the GOP the Sexual Assault Party; Vote Libertarian!
This is the second in a series of daily videos to be released between now and the general election.
You already know what lewd things were said on the tape. You already know the controversies of his whole presidential campaign. Republicans, I warned you about Donald Trump the FIRST time around in 2011, when I was campaigning for Ron Paul. After the "Hot Mic" tape was released, one Republican after another is pulling their endorsement of the Trump-Pence ticket.
Read moreShould We Reconsider Our 3rd Party Vote??? HELL NO!
This is the first in a series of daily videos to be released between now and the general election. The video was made in response to Paul Waldman's "5 Reasons to Reconsider Your Third Party Vote" on The Week.
Paul Waldman essentially makes the case for selling out on your principles and swallowing the bitter Hillary Pill for the sake of defeating the Antichrist, Donald Trump. As far as Libertarians are concerned, the Democrats' plight is NOT OUR PROBLEM. The two parties created this mess on their own, and they can take each other out like spiders in a nest, without our help.
Read moreAn Immigrant's Dream
The Libertarian Party was born in 1971 to listen to our community and serve with genuine interest the proposals of citizens to resolve together the problems affecting the entire society of Nevada, as insecurity and lack of opportunities that subject entire families to live in anguish and constant by the false promises of the ruling parties start. It encourages us to start a real movement, real proposals into action, where it is not exclude minority groups. (By economic status, ethnic or immigration status) In the Libertarian party know and understand that these groups are the most vulnerable to the crisis that directly affects their children, who have no chance of aspiring to higher quality education to enrich us as society, education that calls for the rescue of fundamental values that every human being is entitled. (Citizen)
Read moreHow I Came to Know Liberty
To a young black woman who had just come roaring out of the closet, what could sound more amazing than the idea of a political philosophy of “Don’t mess with me and my stuff?” The problem, that was all I believed it was, a political philosophy. In an age where Google is everyone’s dictionary, a quick search will yield from www.philosophybasics.com : “Political philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice and the enforcement of a legal code by authority.” In 2007, I was out, loud and proud, lesbian and libertarian! These were drastic steps I had taken. How drastic you ask?
Read moreThe Libertarian Party of Nevada and Other Influential Organizations Announce the Launch of Don’t Raid Nevada Coalition
Don’t Raid Nevada Coalition was established to bring awareness about the negative aspects of the taxpayer funded stadium and encourage legislators to vote no on the stadium.
Read moreHow’s ObamaCare Working for You?
By Ron Knecht and Geoffrey Lawrence
As Barack Obama’s second Presidential term winds down, what can one say about his signature domestic initiative, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare or ACA)?
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