Local News & Opinions

Is This How Liberty Dies?

2011-12-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, December 15 - the 220th anniversary of the Bill of Rights - Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which can be used by the President to indefinitely detain Americans without charge or trial; an utter eradication of the Fifth Amendment, without apology. Our Congress decided the President needs more power at the expense of the people and the Constitution.

Is this what our veterans and our forefathers fought and gave their lives for? Is this what Americans want their Congress to do? Place power like this in the hands of one man - the President - to do as he wishes with American citizens?

The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution recognizes your right to due process: "No person shall... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." The Fourth Amendment, for what it's worth, also recognizes that your right to be secure in your person and in your house (among other things) cannot be infringed by sidestepping the legal process. The explicit recognition of these rights by our government is one of the things that has always made our country exceptional. But this new law is a misguided attack on our country's 220-year recognition of these inherent rights.

Let us look at the final text of the bill. In "Subtitle D--Detainee Matters", Sec. 1031, "Congress affirms that the authority of the President...includes the authority...to detain...any person...who was a part of or substantially supported...enemy forces." The keyword here is "substantially supported." This designation is extrajudicial - that is, at the President's discretion. Sec. 1032 says, "The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States." The keyword here is "requirement." In other words, the President has the authority to indefinitely detain any person who "substantially supported" the enemy, and is in fact required to do so - unless it is a U.S. citizen, in which case it is at the President's discretion.

What if opposition to certain government policies - the Patriot Act, or the TSA, or certain military actions, for example - is deemed "substantially supportive" of the enemy? What if a President's discretion, in lieu of a Constitutionally-guaranteed jury trial, is faulty and harms innocents? Obama himself, and those who succeed him, will now decide whether to send government agents to your living room to apprehend and detain you, without charges, for whatever duration they wish (or for as long as there is a War on Terror), under a Congressionally-condoned false pretense and color of law. Did we not learn from Russia, China, and Germany in the past century?

The so-called "conservatives" in Washington who are, at least in public, constantly at odds with the Obama agenda are the majority of whom voted for this bill. How dare they give this (or any) administration even more broad unilateral power to unequivocally control the very lives and liberty of We the People?

Couple that with the fact that Predator drones are now being used inside the United States as police tools, and we are looking at an outrageous reality. We must be honest with ourselves: America is becoming a police state. It cannot be overstated how serious of an offense this is. All those in Congress who supported this legislation must be voted out of office for violation of their oath to uphold the Constitution. That is the least that should happen in response to such an egregious assault on our liberties.
We cannot allow the slow death of our Republic.

Over the past decade, our rights have slowly been dissolved. Some say, "It couldn't happen here. This is America!"

Wake up. Congress just made it happen.

This has got to stop.

Calen Fretts is a Candidate for U.S. Congress in the First District of Florida

So Which Way Is It Sheriff?

2011-07-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

by Sky Monteith

It’s becoming clear that Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley is becoming a master of doublespeak.
After I attended the county commission meeting on July 19, there are more questions than answers about why the Sheriff’s Office costs so much.
When questioned by the commission he seemed very defensive and deflecting rather than answering clearly and directly.
In one breath he runs the most transparent office in the state, in the next, however, he can’t understand what an itemized list of expenditures is and why anyone could possibly want such a thing. He even questions whether it’s required of him by statute to provide an itemized list (of course it does).
Even if his expenditures were not required, after all that has happened with disgraced former Sheriff Charlie Morris, you’d think Ashley would provide them anyway.
Let’s clear the air real quick and define expenditure. It is payment of cash or cash-equivalent for goods or services, or a charge against available funds in settlement of an obligation as evidenced by an invoice, receipt, voucher, or other such document. It is commonly referred to as an actual.
This is pretty plain stuff, but he still didn’t understand the request from the commissioners. The sheriff’s repeated remark was basically “what are you looking for? Maybe we can help you find it.” The answer is simple; an itemized list of expenditures.
He also said he would provide “any” information that was requested from him.
Then why hasn’t the OCSO provided the LPOC (Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County) with requested information for the development of a Destin Police Department?
For weeks information has not been forthcoming about calls for service, about how many private contracts does the OCSO and/or any of its deputies have inside Destin city limits, and the revenue generated thereby and its distribution.
I haven’t even received an acknowledgement that they are even considering the request. Now that I think about it, I would like to know what these numbers are countywide. And I’ll bet I’m not the only one.
In one breath Sheriff Ashley says his per-capita costs to the citizens of the county are one of the lowest in the state, but in the next breath it’s a real burden and he needs more patrols and the equipment and manpower to go with it.
In one breath, his department is doing great and is on the right track, and yet violent crime has risen more than 20 percent in the county. It has fallen in the rest of the state for the last four years running.
This is the question sheriff, which way is it? Is this a safe and wonderful beach community that is a dream come true to live in? Or, a dangerous and violent place where crime is on the rise and you are powerless to do anything about it without more money and double the manpower?
There is a lot more to this budget review, and thankfully everyone can check it out for themselves at http://okaloosacountyfl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx.
Will the Sheriff’s department provide an itemized list of expenditures? Will it also reveal the private contract information, at least for the east district?
I would also encourage everyone to go to: http://www.libertarianpoc.org/, and checkout the proposal made to the city of Destin for a Destin PD.

Sky Monteith is a resident of the City of Destin and Secretary of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County.

Okaloosa's Complacent County Commission

2011-07-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

Pete Blome addressed the Board of County Commissioners for Okaloosa County 17 May 2011 at the meeting where the budget for the Mid Bay Bridge Authority, a Florida Special District, gets reviewed and approved by the Commissioners IAW Law 2000-411. The County Commissioners in the past have routinely approved the bridge budget without public discussion, and they did so here as well by unanimous vote.

It is Pete's opinion this Authority had the wrong financial plan from its inception. Instead of paying off bridge infrastructure and passing the savings to the bridge users, the Mid Bay Bridge Authority has steadily added an average $10 million a year in debt since its creation in 1994. Toll have steadily gone up, and when a large expansion project, called the bypass, is finished tolls may rise as high as $9 round trip to get from Crestview to Destin. Like the proverbial cash cow, bridge users have been set up to pay high tolls forever.

Pete isn't the only one who sees the poor planning of the Mid Bay Bridge Authority. Fitch's Bond service recently gave Bridge Bonds a BBB rating, one step above junk.

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners allowed Pete 3 minutes to address them.

Thank you, sirs, for allowing me to speak.

Since I have only a few moments, I would like to ask this board to consider a few questions about the Mid Bay Bridge Authority that were not brought up at this meeting.

How does an increased toll across the bridge, as high as $9 when the bypass road is complete, help anyone in Okaloosa County? It doesn’t.

When will the bridge debt be paid off? Never.

Who believes automobile traffic is going to increase to levels to make this Bridge Authority solvent?

It has gone down for 5 years in row. I certainly don’t.

If this Authority can’t remain solvent, what are you, as the approving authority of the Bridge Budget, going to do about it? Will it be to simply pass off the costs of the bridge to the whole state of Florida as Senator Gaetz has suggested?

This board has routinely rubberstamped budgets submitted by the Bridge Authority. Who has this served? Certainly not the citizens of Okaloosa.

The Mid Bay Bridge Authority is not a minor matter. It will represent $350 million dollars in debt before it is finished. Yearly tolls for a regular user will be greater than most people’s property taxes. One out of ten Okaloosans need this bridge for their livelihood, and they are purposefully being bled dry by government through bad planning and apathy.

The MBBA thought about everything except the people it is meant to serve.

And this course of events has been enabled by this board.

Thank you.

Pete Blome and Lee Jackson elected to the Exec Committee of the LPF

2011-05-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

Sweeping Changes at the Libertarian Party of Florida Convention!

From April 29 through May 1st, the Libertarian Party of Florida held its annual Convention, part of which is to elect new officers.

Pete Blome was elected to the Executive Committee of the LPF as an At-Large Director.

Although Blome originally opposed John Smith for the position, Mr. Smith decided to run for Chair of the Party, but withdrew from that race at the convention. By a nomination from the floor, Vicki Kirkland (former Chair of the LPF) opposed Blome for the vote, but was defeated by a delegate vote of 29 to 21.

Pete will focus his efforts to establish Libertarian representation in Tallahassee and Pensacola, and to support administrative changes that will lead to a better functioning Party.

Lee Jackson became LPF region 5 representative, for a second term, in an unopposed election.

Okaloosa and Santa Rosa Counties sent four voting delegates to the Palm Beach convention, Steve Carithers, Karl Denninger, Lee Jackson and Pete Blome.

Overall Election Results from the 2011 Palm Beach Convention

Chair Adrian Willey
Vice Chair Austin Paris
Secretary Greg Lennon
Treasurer Sandy Koplowitz
Assist Treasurer Steve LaBiancia

At Large 1 Pete Blome
At Large 2 Karl Dickey
At Large 3 Clive Rickets

Reg 1 John Sottilare
Reg 2 Janey Dame
Reg 3 Kyle West
Reg 4 Ken Donnally
Reg 5 Lee Jackson
Reg 6 open
Reg 7 Richard Nader
Reg 8 Richard Molek
Reg 9 Char-Lez Braden
Reg 10 Sean Landon
Reg 11 open

The Biggest Unseen Problem In The County

2011-04-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

For years now, the Libertarians in Okaloosa County have been alone pointing out the fiscal mess that is the Mid Bay Bridge Authority.

It is a monstrous case of our County Commissioners shirking their supervisory duty according to the law, of a bridge authority thinking trees will grow forever to the sky, and then the state getting involved and spreading the pain over every taxpayer in Florida. Everyone in the Government was thinking of themselves, but no one was thinking about those that use the bridge. The bridge user will now have to pay, and pay, and pay.

But most people don’t see it. Non-bridge users don’t care. Neither does the Tea Party which is rapidly becoming a booster club to give venues for Republicans to focus on anything but what is important.

And it isn’t like the Bridge is a minor program. With the exception of federal projects at Eglin AFB, the Mid Bay Bridge is by far the single most expensive program going in the County. When the Bypass construction is finished, the Authority will have $350 million dollars in debt on its books. That’s a whopping debt for a county of 180,000 people.

Years ago our County Commission decided to exclude the MBBA from its financial statements because of accounting differences between the bridge and the County. Of course, this change did have the effect of making it look like the County had no role in the Bridge budget.

But the law, 2000-411, gave supervision of the operational budget to the Board of County Commissioners. That’s why they have to vote on a bridge budget every year. Mr. Jim Vest, Executive Director for the Bridge, has claimed that this is a mere $700,000 out of a $13 million dollar budget. He thinks nobody except the Bridge Authority, unsupervised by either the County or the Governor, should oversee the remainder. THe BCC goes along with it.

In any case, the BCC has routinely rubberstamped Bridge Authority Budgets with no discussion at all.

With such power, it is no surprise the Bridge Authority thought it could do whatever it wanted.

The Bridge was built cheaply and quickly in 1994. Instead of paying off debt, and passing the savings on to the public, the MBBA decided to continuously expand.

On average, they added $10 million in debt every year since construction started.

The new Bridge Bypass can only be fiscally sustainable if vehicle traffic kept growing every year. But traffic has gone down for five years in a row. I think it will decrease more in the future. The Authority will now have to use all of its current income just to pay interest on its debt. That means more toll hikes are coming in the future.

Don’t believe me? Fitch’s Bond Service rates MBBA bonds at an abysmal BBB, one step above junk for all the reasons I just spelled out.

According to Rep. Brad Drake of Defuniak Springs, we have MBBA Executive Directors, who are paid $200,000 a year for this poor performance.

Now the State of Florida is proposing to eliminate any toll discounts for Sunpass users as it prepares to take over operation of the bridge.

And we have the people of Okaloosa who will have to pay $9, roundtrip, forever, to get from Crestview to Destin.

Senator Gaetz says a State takeover will save the State of Florida $24 million dollars, but those are phony savings. The toll payer will see nothing but higher tolls.

A state takeover will only widen the pool of payers for the debt to all the people in Florida, who had nothing to do with this mess.

In the meantime, the Mid Bay Bridge becomes a never ending cash cow for the bottomless pit of Florida State finance.

There is probably no chance anymore that this money problem can be fixed. But, in my opinion, heads should roll over this matter.

The Board of Directors of the MBBA should be fired by the Governor.

The Executive Directors should be fired by the Board of Directors.

And the County Commissioners should be fired by the people of Okaloosa for making 18,000 people a day pay through the nose for government incompetence.

Pete Blome Announces Candidacy for LPF At-Large (1)

2011-03-31T06:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow Libertarian,

My name is Pete Blome, and I hereby announce my intention to run for the position of at-large representative for the Libertarian Party of Florida.

I am a retired military officer, and I am currently the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County, which is located in the Pandhandle of Florida. I am a relative newcomer to the Libertarian Party (2006), but in the time I have been a member I have become convinced that Libertarian methods are the best way to bring lasting happiness and prosperity to our friends and neighbors.

I’ve met many wonderful, talented and caring Libertarians since I joined the Party, but our party is in need of reform. Our principles must be matched by our actions. Our ideals must be furthered by people on the ground willing to work. I am such a person, and I will attempt to seek out others who feel as I do. I am in broad agreement with Adrian Wyllie, who has announced he will run for Chair of the LPF. Our party needs to grow, to professionalize, and to use opportunities to show libertarian solutions to a public that largely does not know about us. There should be a synergy between the state party and local affiliates that does not exist now. I encourage all concerned Florida libertarians to join us and make our party strong.

There is much potential for the growth of the Libertarian Party in the northwestern part of our State. Pensacola is a major population center that needs development. The sad situation that exists in Tallahassee, our state capitol, where no active Libertarian affiliate or representation exists, must be turned around. Okaloosa must continue its growth trajectory. With your support, I hope to do the things that must be done to set the stage for a Libertarian turnaround that will put the major parties on their ears.

Regards
Pete
850-217-6590

Okaloosa Schools: Hypocrisy On Display

2011-03-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

By Karl Denninger
March 01, 2011 2:52 PM

Why aren’t Ruckel Middle School students allowed to sit with who they wish at lunch? What values are Okaloosa District schools actually teaching our kids?

I had to ask myself those questions after my daughter was given detention by Ruckel Middle School for merely crossing the lunch room floor and sitting with another student.

On 24 February I met with the Superintendent of Schools Ms. Tibbetts, Principal Ms. Goolsby and Assistant Principal Mr. Whiddon.

I spoke about my high school years, relating how easily a school administration can lose the respect of the students and the possible consequence of that. Respect, you see, is earned — it's not owed.

The Principal came up with four objections as to why the students couldn't choose where to sit in the lunchroom on their own: "they might miss the next class," "they might not clear the table of their debris," "there are cliques in middle school" and "we have students with food allergies."

I asked how many kids had missed their next class when open seating was allowed and pointed out the fact that I might have to FOIA that information. Given that tardy slips are a common feature in schools and attendance is taken, there is a record. That is, if there ever was such a problem. I don't believe it, to be blunt, and said so.

Further, cliques are a part of life. We choose our associates every day. And students who fail to clear their tables can be appropriately disciplined.

As for the food allergies, there's a solution to that of course. You set aside one table for kids with food allergies and prohibit the common things there, the most serious of which are allergies to nuts. Oh wait, the school district already has to do that, right? These sorts of allergies are real, but punishing everyone in the class by making them sit against their will for something beyond their control is not only inappropriate, it's Kafkaesque.

There was no resolution offered by the superintendent or the school principal. Mr. Whiddon tried to argue there was a student led representative process about things like seating assignments at lunch. I pointed out the administration had previously admitted the students voted for open seating, but the policy was unilaterally changed by the administration, thus revealing the illusion of a student’s say in policy. I also pointed out that this process was like presenting a petition in the former USSR, or to Mubarak before he was deposed. Mr. Whiddon didn’t like that analogy, and the other administrators were unwilling to take responsibility for claiming there was a representative process in the student council when there in fact is not.

Clearly, there was no intent to move on the school's part. I remained steadfast that these sorts of policies are self-destructive, disrespectful of basic human dignities and indefensible on the plain facts. Further, this not a countywide policy; Pryor Middle has open lunch seating.

But then the funniest thing happened.

My daughter and I attended registration for her high school, which she enters in the fall. One of the first items presented to both parents and incoming students in the auditorium was a program called "The Nest", which is an opportunity for the kids entering high school to mingle and hang out with one another — and with upperclassmen — during the summer months. The first reason presented to attend? So you will have some idea of who you would like to sit with, and at which table, in the lunchroom on your first day in high school.

Excuse me?

The peanut allergies, the late class attendance, the lack of clearing of tables by the students, the cliques that are found in middle schools and the inability of perfectly-competent staff members that the school district pay a handsome salary to keep order in the lunchroom all suddenly disappear in a high school with more than twice the enrollment of the middle school literally next door when a student becomes a mere three months older?

Ruckel, drop the invented nonsense and do the right thing. Recognize fundamental human rights, including the right of peaceable assembly and conversation. Rights you should be teaching and honoring, not abrogating.

Let the kids sit where they'd like and talk to whom they want during their lunch period. Punish real wrongdoers, not everybody. Teach real responsibility to our kids.

Karl Denninger is a resident of Bluewater Bay, a well known financial analyst, and author of the Market-Ticker.

The LPF Is In Desperate Need of Reform

2011-02-13T04:17:00.000-08:00

(originally sent to all Libertarian County Chairs with email addresses 30 Jan 2011)

Dear Fellow Libertarian County Chair,

My name is Pete Blome, and I Chair the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County. I became a County Chair because I believe in Libertarian principles, and I think if more of our leaders applied them that our lives would be better and the troubles of our nation fewer.

We libertarians are part of the political process in America. We are trying to use our leadership and our vision to elect libertarian representatives to government. We are trying to put people and money together to gain libertarian influence in our communities.

I would like to ask you to join in the task of reforming the Libertarian Party in our state.

There are many factors that go into a political movement, and among them are personal leadership, effective administration, a professional and serious approach to duties, the ability to address relevant issues, make political alliances with sympathetic groups, gain influence outside the governmental structure, raise funding, and attract new members. All of these matters are issues of concern with the current LPF.

On the 27th of January of this year, Vicki Kirkland and Char-Lez Braden honored us by making the long and tiring drive from Orlando to Okaloosa County. They spoke to a gathering of Libertarians from the Panhandle (Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Escambia Counties). Their intent was to make the case for their reelection at the Palm Beach Convention to happen in late April. But after answering questions from the audience, they left the people in the room uniformly questioning their ability to take on the tasks that any state party must accomplish.

They are the leaders of our party, but...

- they made no opening statements nor presented any issues, principles, or strategies that they want to use to gather public support.

- they admitted they do not have an active fundraising program, but routinely lamented the limitations they have due to a lack of funding.

- they admitted that they do not have any significant media contacts (network news, major newspapers), nor have been pursuing them, thus limiting the ability to get the libertarian message out to the public.

- they admitted that they have not published any articles in support of the libertarian cause in outside media, nor made any other public appearances to do so.

- they were notified by me in advance that a newspaper representative of Freedom Newspapers (Northwest Florida Daily News, Crestview Bulletin, Destin Log, and Walton Sun) would be in attendance at the meeting and that they should have a prepared statement, but they never produced one. This newspaper rep left the meeting without an LPF message, other than what he saw in the meeting.

- they admitted communication with the affiliates has been poor and that it will be corrected, but this is an old story that has gone on for at least two years. I personally asked, again well in advance, that this 27 Jan meeting to be advertised on the Florida LP website, but Char-Lez admitted he forgot to do it..

- they admitted they had no contacts for potential state level candidates, nor had any ideas on how to attract them

- they said they were advocates of the "full slate" approach to the 2012 elections, but had not done any groundwork to get this accomplished.

- they admitted to suppressing dissenting views by such people as Tom Rhodes by preventing his access to the state website. I personally found this troubling because, in my opinion, it is better to error on the side of too much talk than too little. I also did not like the fact libertarians hear nothing from the LPF in terms of constructive debate about our problems, and yet a county vice chair's words, no matter how brusque they may have been, were supressed.

- and lastly, they said it is up to candidates to present solutions to the many problems that face us in Florida. This is undoubtably something candidates must do, but it is also a major function of party leadership. You cannot lead unless you have someplace to go.

One of the people in the audience was Karl Denninger, and he wrote the following on his website about the meeting: (seen by up to 300,000 people daily, and he is a repeated guest on major media). It is well worth reading by libertarians, including the comments.

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?singlepost=2379508

This review is harsh, but it is telling it like it is. For all our sake, the Libertarian Party of Florida leadership must have the character to not take such criticism personally, and then fix the valid problems that were spelled out.

There are many dedicated libertarians who think these problems are impossible to fix, but that is not so. Some also think that what happens at the state level is of no matter, but no county can grow to its full potential if the state party is weak.

A few changes rigorously applied can bring a world of difference, even as soon as the convention. Spread this message. Send messages to Vicki, Char-Lez and the EC that they should:

- Start a fundraising campaign. Ask for as little as a dollar a month, or even per year, from members. If there are 19,000 libertarians in the state such a simple request could net a significant amount of money that just is not coming in right now...

- Compile an email mass mailing list of libertarians and regularly tell us what is going in the LPF. I read, see, and hear extremely little news from the LPF. The EC meetings appear to have no published minutes. The average Floridian hears nothing from the LPF. This is suicide for a political party.

- Publish the constitution, bylaws and standing rules of the LPF on the website so everyone can be informed of the rules and process of the party. As it is now, this information is the province of a few high party officials at the exclusion of all others. It is impossible to be an equal participant in the state party when this information is not available.

- Every action by the LPF and the members of the Executive committee, should be advertised. All public appearances by party leadership should be on the party website. The items they write about should be published. Interviews with news services should be on the web.

- Professionalize the party administrative functions and the website. Send notice of required paperwork to affiliates in a timely fashion. Have a means to quickly access people and information. Provide better photographs of the Executive Committee and publish biographies of the members.

- Put in the time and effort to pursue support from libertarian business persons, celebrities, and organizations from across the state. Do it in person and persistently. Do this with an eye towards a lasting relationship (20 years plus). Tell people the truth about what you are about, and they will follow.

- Defend the party. Char-Lez and Vicki said the campaign of JW Smith was kept off the ballot by official Dem Rep trickery, but could not explain how. If this is so, it is the duty of the state party to fight it like hell. If it isn't so, tell us the facts.

- Pick a few (perhaps 6) state wide issues that have libertarian support, and then actively write about them, appear before the news about them, and speak at meetings about them. The paper attached above, which outlines suggestions for a statewide economic policy (which I think should be a first priority), was given to Vicki and Char-Lez before they arrived in Okaloosa, and attempts to do this this very thing. The FLP must be continuously in the public eye. If the current leadership cannot bring themselves to do this, they need to find a spokesperson who can.

- Invite, inform and involve the mass of libertarians out there who are tired of a reclusive, ineffective and largely silent Libertarian Party of Florida. These people are our future.

- And lastly, as a county chair, I ask you to attend the convention with as many delegates as you can, but do not vote for or support a candidate for state chair until these issues are addressed, and adressed with a concrete plan, not with mere aspirations.

I spoke with Vicki and Char-Lez about these matters in person and by email, so none of what I am saying should come as a surprise. In an email message I wrote to them .. "You, as the Party leadership, and nobody else, have to take our Party to the next level. It may be a bitter pill, but the general impression of your visit left us uncertain whether you appreciate what is at stake. You are not doing what is necessary for a state level party to be successful, and that must be turned around. We really wish you the best of luck. You have taken on a big task, which means tens of thousands of people depend upon your judgement and actions, making the cost of failure that much more dear. You can be sure Okaloosa will be doing its best to make a strong FLP and LPOC. I sincerely offer my personal assistance on any FLP matter in the panhandle."

I stand by that. I hope you stand with the ideas presented here.

The Libertarian Party should truly be a "Big tent Party" where open discussion of ideas is welcome. If you have a stronger plan to present to the LPF, let's have a productive discussion and settle on a course of action by the end of February. If you can support the ideas above, let the libertarians in your county know, and any county chairs not accessible by email. Vicki and Char-Lez need to know what we will support.

Libertarians state wide deserve a professionally run, basically capable state party.

And there is not that much time before the April convention.

Regards
Pete Blome
Chair, LPOC

The Air Force and The Espionage Act

2011-02-12T05:40:00.000-08:00

The Air Force Oversteps Its Bounds - published 9 Feb 2011
Recently, the Air Force announced possible prosecution under the Espionage Act to civilian family members who read Wikileaks on private computers The idea that a USAF wife, child or relative would be prosecuted for reading a public message by private means is both ludicrous and chilling to the bone.

According to Air Force Materiel Command’s legal office, “If a family member of an Air Force employee accesses WikiLeaks on a home computer, the family member may be subject to prosecution for espionage under U.S. Code Title 18 Section 793. The Air Force member would have an obligation to safeguard the information under the general guidance to safeguard classified information." [Air Force Print News Today, “Command Offers Wikileaks Guidance” AFMC Public Affairs report, 3 Feb 2011.]

The still current Espionage Act (also known as the Sedition Act of 1918) made it a crime to be publicly against World War One, and hundreds (some say thousands) of Americans were imprisoned for simply saying so in public. Is it now being used again for odious purposes?

This should make you ask the question, at what point does any citizen become a criminal for simply reading something? Maybe you'll become a criminal for reading this opinion.

Somewhere along the line some military leaders have truly lost their compass.

The Air Force’s reason for being is to assure our liberties, not threaten to throw families in prison for reading.

Pete Blome
Chair,
Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County

USAF Steps Back – published 11 Feb 2011

A few days ago I wrote about how the Air Force had overstepped its bounds by officially threatening to prosecute civilian military family members under the Espionage Act if they read Wikileaks on a privately owned computer at home [Air Force Print News Today, “Command Offers Wikileaks Guidance” AFMC Public Affairs report, 3 Feb 2011].

The Air Force leadership needed to be reminded that their reason for being is to assure our liberties, not threaten to throw families in prison for reading.

Apparently, these men realized what a mess they had made, quickly retracted the threat, and said it “was not actually sanctioned by headquarters and was not in keeping with official policy.”

Thank goodness for that. But this matter not yet over. The threat retraction will not be seen by everyone, and it will chill the free exercise of the first amendment.

The Espionage Act is an especially odious law that led to hundred of Americans being thrown in jail during World War One for expressing in public that they were against the war. That such a law exists, to me, is incredible in a land that values liberty, and it should be eliminated.

So before we breathe easy, know that the stage is set for this to happen all over again.

Pete Blome
Chair
Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County

Pete Blome Announces Candidacy for LPF At Large (1)

2011-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

My name is Pete Blome, and I hereby announce my intention to run for the position of at-large representative for the Libertarian Party of Florida.

I am a retired military officer, and I am currently the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County, which is located in the Pandhandle of Florida. I am a relative newcomer to the Libertarian Party (2006), but in the time I have been a member I have become convinced that Libertarian methods are the best way to bring lasting happiness and prosperity to our friends and neighbors.

I’ve met many wonderful, talented and caring Libertarians since I joined the Party, but our party is in need of reform. Our principles must be matched by our actions. Our ideals must be furthered by people on the ground willing to work. I am such a person, and I will attempt to seek out others who feel as I do. I am in broad agreement with Adrian Wyllie, who has announced he will run for Chair of the LPF. Our party needs to grow, to professionalize, and to use opportunities to show libertarian solutions to a public that largely does not know about us. There should be a synergy between the state party and local affiliates that does not exist now. I encourage all concerned Florida libertarians to join us and make our party strong.

There is much potential for the growth of the Libertarian Party in the northwestern part of our State. Pensacola is a major population center that needs development. The sad situation that exists in Tallahassee, our state capitol, where no active Libertarian affiliate or representation exists, must be turned around. Okaloosa must continue its growth trajectory. With your support, I hope to do the things that must be done to set the stage for a Libertarian turnaround that will put the major parties on their ears.

A note from Lee Jackson...8 Aug 10

2010-12-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

I am writing to Independent and Tea Party voters! In July, a letter writer told us to “choose very carefully” between two Senate candidates this November.
Choosing carefully is good, but the writer was misleading. He listed just the two candidates in his sights. But that is a great deception! There are actually 22 candidates! [source: election.myflorida.com/candidate/canlist.asp]
Three professional politicians have been “approved” by all the pundits and polling firms, plus one democrat who has bought his way into the contest. You wonder why money is a major factor in elections? The press covers only those who can carpet bomb the electorate with advertising. This year, if you believe the coverage, we are faced with voting for the “evil of three lessers” and one billionaire.
The three politicians want the greater job security of Senator. However, they will bring nothing new to the Senate. Their policy solutions will be unchanged and properly vetted by their party conference, influenced by vested interests, and will not rock the status quo.
Independents, voting for “winning” candidates in the past, have been disappointed because our Republic continued its slide to larger, more intrusive, less responsive Government.
On August 21st, take the opportunity to meet and hear the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, Alex Snitker, at the “U.S. Constitution Freedom Rally” organized by the Emerald Coast Tea Party. Check out this citizen candidate for liberty. Do your research, talk with him, become part of the solution and stop voting for “evil”.
Lee Jackson

Address to the Okaloosa County Commission 7 Dec 2010

2010-12-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

My name is Pete Blome and I live in Niceville.
I am here to ask this Board to resist the security policies of the Transportation Security Administration at Okaloosa County Airports.
Recently, intrusive procedures by the TSA have come to the attention of the people of the United States.
New security procedures have now reached the logical extreme that had to come to pass once government was allowed to inspect American citizens without the protections of the fourth amendment. It is ironic, but we are losing our liberties in the pursuit of keeping our liberties.
Some of you on this board are thinking right now that this is none of Okaloosa’s business. Security is a Federal responsibility. Any decisions by this board will have no weight, and are therefore meaningless.
Respectfully, that is wrong. The purpose of government is to protect individual rights, and that includes County Government. This board has an important role in this matter. Okaloosa County is where we live. It is where we have our families. It is where we raise our children.
The actions of the Transportation Security Administration are not innocuous. They affect the fundamental quality of our lives, and our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is the responsibility of all government to resist unconstitutional acts, even if those acts originate in another branch of government.
However, I’ve read in various polls that most Americans think it wonderful that their government is doing something to keep them safe, and have no problems with naked x-ray images or being intimately touched by government bureaucrats. They say the TSA is only trying to keep us safe.
This is an especially short sighted opinion and begs the question if security could be bought at the cost of our liberty would it be worth it? As President Eisenhower once said, the safest place on earth is a prison.
What I am about to say is not hyperbole, but rather government policy. In order to travel in the United States today, every person must receive permission from our government. John Pistole himself, the head of the TSA, has referred to current procedures that require FBI clearance before any passenger may board an aircraft. This permission does not involve any public presentation of evidence nor the discussion of probable cause in front of a judge. If you do not get permission, you are denied the ability to travel. In 2007 the inspector general of the FBI said at least 700,000 people were on FBI airline watch lists. A fact of life in our modern America is that our government has become the licensor of the right to movement by its citizens.
(“secure flight”, APIS – Advance Passenger Information System)
The new TSA procedures add to this problem. In order to travel by aircraft, something that many people consider a personal necessity, a person is forced by government to submit to either an x-ray scan, or to an invasive touching of their body by a TSA agent. You have no choice. You may not decide once entering the inspection zone that this is too much for your sensibilities and refuse or the TSA will fine you up to $11,000. Your only choice is to not travel, which is an option many cannot afford. This policy applies to your grandmother, to small children, to the handicapped, to the prudish and extroverted with equal affrontery. Government officials, of course, are exempt from this treatment.
These policies are an invitation to corruption. Innocents will be prevented travel by bureaucratic decree. Government graft will take root as inspectors sell the ability to decide who travels and who doesn’t. Exposure to x-rays will harm you. The depraved pat downs of genital regions will lead to the spread of communicable diseases, and appeal to the depraved. And with time, people will forget that the ability to freely travel is as much a right as associating with whom you wish, doing what you want, or saying what you think.
TSA agents in the course of their “duties” have performed physical acts that violate Florida law, including child pornography, lewd and lascivious molestation and battery laws.
Already, 35,000 nude photographs of airline passengers have been saved by the TSA despite assurances that this would never happen. An unknown number have been distributed. There is a moral imperative that government live by the same rules as everyone else. A crime committed by a government agent is still a crime.
Okaloosa County must make a statement. The County Commissioners should instruct Mr. Greg Donovan, Airport Director for the County, to resist by whatever means possible the installation of full body scanners and prohibit the implementation of full body pat downs.
Furthermore, this board should ask Sheriff Ashley to enforce existing Florida law as it applies to TSA policy.
(827.071, Child pornography, 800.04 lewd and lascivious molestation, 784.03 Battery)
I find myself in the unenviable position of arguing for things that should be self evident, such as the fourth amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure, the concept of innocent until proven guilty, and the rule of law for everyone including government officials. To me, it is as if some leaders in government have lost their senses.
Scottish historian Charles MacKay said “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, [and then only] one by one.”
I am asking you to help us recover our senses.
In June of 2009 the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona court ruling that allowed the strip search of a 13 year old middle school student for hiding ibuprofen tablets. Yet now the government virtually strip searches everyone. People who would not contemplate a teacher or policeman touching them without invitation are allowing TSA agents to touch the private parts of their 7 year old children.
(Stafford Unified School district #1 versus Redding)
Jon Lovett, a speechwriter for President Obama joked about this situation that "Virgin Airlines had to change their name to 'Technically Still a Virgin' Airlines."
(politico.com Jon Lovett, speechwriter for Obama)
He, like the rest of us, jokes about our rights. Maybe it’s because we do not know what else to do.
Our rights are not the province of only the Federal government. We make it happen every day. We are the guarantors of our own liberty. And this board is a part of that.
Thank you.

A Loaded Hummer Stretch Limo

2010-12-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

On the surface, the Mid Bay Bridge Authority bypass looks like a good idea.

In place of a two lane residential road first laid down in the 1950’s, the bypass user will have a modern highway complete with automated toll booths promising a speedy ride from highway 85 all the way to the Mid Bay Bridge. If you use the Sunpass system, you will never have to take your wallet out to pay a toll. It will look and feel like progress.

Of course, it isn’t.

Throughout its entire life the Mid Bay Bridge Authority has been increasing tolls while increasing its debt, even as vehicle traffic was going down. They average $10 million in new debt every year since they were created. For the last four years vehicle traffic on the bridge has been declining, and I think this trend will continue. Meanwhile, the Board of County Commissioners have been rubberstamping the budgets of the MBBA with not even a minute’s worth of debate, even though the law (Laws of Florida, Ch 2000-411, Section 6, part (c)) says they have the ultimate power of budget review, change and approval.

To my mind, this is all wrong, and not what government is supposed to be about. Government, when it is necessary, should strive to provide the most public service at the least public cost.

The best thing government planners could have done for Okaloosa was to plan to pay off debts and pass on the savings to the citizens. The bridge toll could cost as little as $1 per day (operations, maintenance and a rainy day fund) if there were no debt service to pay. That would really help the people who need the bridge in good economic times or bad. Instead, this bridge and bypass system is going to require high tolls forever.

When I say high, I mean eye popping high. When all is said and done with the bypass, a bridge that cost $67 million dollars to build in 1994 will have more than $350 million in debt laid on it, and that doesn’t even include future costs for ideas like a second span. It will cost you $5.50 to travel the bypass and bridge roundtrip. That’s $1430 per year for a regular commuter, which is higher than a lot of folks property taxes. There is no plan to ever pay off this project, or even to reduce the tolls.

In April of 2010, MBBA Executive Director Jim Vest told me at least $42 million in contracts were already awarded for road construction. Robert Kellner, Project Principal Engineer, told the Okaloosa Citizens Alliance that the process of awarding contracts to finish future portions of the project have been speeded up to take advantage of decreased construction costs during this recession. It was recently announced an additional $48.7 million dollars in contracts have been awarded. Terminating all contracts already awarded would probably add millions in penalty costs that bridge users would ultimately have to pay in extra tolls, but finishing the project will cost even more millions that bridge users will still also have to pay.

In other words, stopping the project will cost everyone more, and completing the project will cost everyone more. There is no happy ending to this tale.

It seems nobody thought “What if bridge traffic goes down? Can we still afford this?”

It seems nobody asked “Why don’t we just pay down bridge debt and make it cheap for people to use?”

It seems no County Commissioner or the MBBA had a clear vision of what government is supposed to be about. They were sent out to buy a Ford Fiesta and came home with a loaded Hummer stretch limo, payments courtesy of John Q. Public.

Exactly how is the MBBA going to pay the debt service on $350 million in construction debt with fewer cars using the bridge? How can they make this work without increasing tolls again in the future?

They can't. Another magnificent folly brought to you by unlimited government.

Okaloosa Needs To Stand Up to The TSA

2010-11-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

I grew up loving the idea of airplanes and travel. I built and flew models as a kid. I pursued aviation as a teenager. I became a pilot in the Air Force. For personal and professional reasons, I’ve flown over much of the world, and not once did I hesitate because I had to fly to get there.

Now I hesitate.

It’s my government.

If an American travels today in his own country that person will have to, by law (Federal Register, Vol 71, No 135, 14 July 2006, page 40037), undergo a screening process run by the FBI and be given or denied the permission to travel on any public conveyance based on the results of this screening (without any charges or review by a judge). If that person is traveling by air, they will either be seen naked by an x-ray scanner or go through the humiliation of having their private parts involuntarily groped and prodded by a stranger in latex gloves. They must also run the risk of health effects from increased x-ray exposure. All the while, the American will actually be paying for this abuse from his or her own wallet. What is a crime anywhere else, has become policy in our airports.

I wish this were hyperbole.

In the name of making us all safe, security procedures have reached the logical extreme that had to come to pass once government was allowed to inspect us without the protections of the fourth amendment. We are now in a Kafkaesque world of bureaucratic compliance and individual submission.

I consider myself a reasonable person. I don’t go looking for trouble because I know trouble is always looking for me. The TSA has now forced me to either maintain my self-respect, at my personal or economic detriment, or give in to depraved authority. If I travel with my family, I must contend with the possibility that a stranger will touch my wife and children in the most intimate way. And all I’ve done is mind my own business.

And to think the new procedures will not eliminate, or even reduce, criminal acts. If a person is willing to board a plane to blow himself up, he will be willing to do other acts just as effective that do not require a screening process. In the meantime 300 million people will have to live with their most intimate privacy invaded, another legal double standard established, and a new source of abuse created as assorted perverts vie with each other to become TSA agents. Being secure in your person and papers, according to the constitution, will go extinct.

Of course, you could always not travel. Or you could take an uncomfortable bus, if the FBI will let you (FBI screenings and permission apply to bus manifests as well). Besides, taking a bus is difficult if you want to go to Paris, let’s say. Make up your mind early, though. If you decide once in the inspection zone that you can’t submit yourself to being seen naked or to sexual assault, the TSA claims it can fine you $10,000 for leaving uninspected. Get threatened with legalized sexual assault and get fined in the bargain.

Resistance is starting. Pilot and flight attendant associations are threatening to walk out. Holiday air ticket sales are in jeopardy. What will the American populace in general do is the question.

Okaloosa County must make a statement. The County Commissioners should instruct Mr. Greg Donovan, Airport Director for the County, to resist by whatever means possible the installation of full body scanners and prohibit the implementation of full body pat downs.

As a people we must have the courage to realize there is no ironclad solution to the problem of a criminal wanting to destroy himself and you with him. To give up your liberties for government protection and still be secure in your own person is an illusion.

You are not the property of the government. They do not have a right to inspect you simply
because you travel. You do not need their permission for you to travel.

But look where we are.

As Eisenhower said, the safest place on earth is a prison.

Pete Blome is the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County. Their website is www.libertarianpoc.org

Peter J. Blome
blomep@cox.net

---

No Where Else To Go

2010-11-19T05:47:00.000-08:00

Difficult as it is for me to admit this, the big story of the election of 2010 is that the Tea Party had nowhere else to go, or so they think, so they went Republican.

By doing so they lost an opportunity to set things right. Despite the large gains in the House and Senate, the 660 state representative seats that switched sides, and the Republican sweep in Okaloosa, the name of the game in representative government is using citizens rights as a negotiating tool, managing the markets for the benefit of a few, and always bigger government. Tea Party supported Republicans are not going to change this game any more than Democrats are.

This forces a question. How can it be that in a liberty loving country like ours we are reduced to choosing one of two ancient political parties that do the same thing? That is the constant thought of those who want real political competition in America, such as me and my fellow Libertarians.

The law is part of the reason. If you want to fight politically, the law has been codified in such a way so as to allow anyone to speak from a street corner, but becomes a serious obstacle if you want to form organized opposition to the Republicans and Democrats (who wrote the laws). The Fort Walton Beach Tea Party, for example, decided to incorporate as a 501c(3) corporation because it allowed them to accumulate resources to advocate issues while having IRS not for profit exemptions. But at the same time it prevents them from presenting or financially supporting candidates for political office.

I find it ironic that the loudest political voice in Okaloosa of the last two years cannot present or support candidates. I am sure that pleases the Republican leadership in the County.

Of course, the Tea Party could have chosen to be a political party, but by doing so they would have to run a gamut of political reporting requirements (local, state and federal), and be subject to dozens of laws with felony level penalties. The Tea Party collects cash donations with a glass jar today, no questions asked. If they were a political party that would put them in jail. A simple restriction like this favors the Republicans and Democrats who have 150 years of organization, deal making and big money behind them.

And that is just one small piece of a very big puzzle.

Another reason is voter complacency. Does anyone doubt a Republican candidate would say they were for responsible, conservative government? But Okaloosa is filled with Republicans who have made the County budget bigger; made millage rates go up for cities, towns, and fire districts; refused to make the Mid Bay Bridge Authority be a cost effective government service, proposed sales taxes, and even had some who scandalously abused their office. None of this was responsible or conservative. Nevertheless, an overwhelming majority of Okaloosans, Tea Partiers included, still gave their vote to Republican candidates.

This is what the Tea Party settled for. It’s a far cry from the outrage over bailouts and the corruption of the rule of law that formed them in 2008.

In all fairness, the Libertarians could offer but one candidate on the ballot to stem the tide this year, the redoubtable Alex Snitker. It remains the Libertarian Party’s ever present task to find and present more candidates to show people like the Tea Partiers that there is a better place to go than the Republicans.

And the need for an alternative is growing. Financial catastrophe is lurking out there. Decades of Republican and Democrat favors have produced a financial system rife with fraud, debt and unemployment. As a result, the Republicans were thrown out in 08. In turn, the Democrats were thrown out in 10.

Who will Okaloosa throw out in 12 when things are worse? And more importantly, who will Okaloosa put in?

Pete Blome is a retired military officer, member of the Fort Walton Beach Tea Party, and Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County.

Pete Blome
blomep@cox.net

Libertarians Liberal Side

2010-11-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

Libertarian’s have a liberal side? Typically, it is believed that Libertarian’s are only about keeping the government from pilfering our wallets; which has merit. But, that is not the only government intrusion that we have objections to. The definition of libertarian is: one who advocates liberty, especially with regard to thought or conduct; one who maintains the doctrine of the freedom of the will. When government uses its power to subrogate the individual’s will, we see that as an intrusion of our rights as free people. It is not the duty of the government to subjugate the people to a narrow social or moral idealism.
“Our support of the individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove those choices”
We support the protections provided by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons, homes, and property. Only actions that infringe on the rights of others can properly be termed crimes. We favor the repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes.
That sounds ludicrous to many people, and the abuses sound dangerous. But It should be the choice of the individual as to what they do with their bodies, even if it results in the detriment of their health. We are not the property of the government! We recognize that abuses will occur, but the greater danger is that the government will wage war on its own people.

Mike Maier, Treasurer, Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County

The Libertarian Voters Guide Okaloosa County Sheriff 2010

2010-10-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

This guide contains questions for candidates for Sheriff of Okaloosa County, Florida. The candidates for Sheriff as of 15 October 2010 are Larry Ashley, C.P. Morales, Brian C. Sparling, and Robert L. Thacker Jr.,

The questions proposed in this guide were created by the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County. The answers are exactly as they were presented to the LPOC. They are presented as a public service to the voters.

Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 650 characters including spaces. If they submitted an answer greater than 650 characters, only the first 650 were published (indicated by *). LPOC comments on any one question are also limited to 650 characters.

In pursuit of individual rights, free markets, and limited government,

The Executive Committee of the LPOC

Pete Blome, Chairman
Steve Copus, Vice Chairman
Mike Maier, Treasurer
Lee Jackson, Former Chair

Help us in our fight for a better Okaloosa. Send donations to:

Pd. Pol. Adv. By The Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County, P.O. Box 483, Shalimar, Florida 32579-0483, www.libertarianpoc.org,

1) How do you view the role of Sheriff in the County?

Larry Ashley
The primary role of the Sheriff is to enable & empower the men & women of the Sheriff’s Office to effectively ensure the safety of our citizens thru fair, unbiased & impartial enforcement of Florida State Statutes & Okaloosa County Ordinances. This can be achieved by insisting & insuring that all members of the department continually demonstrate the highest level of professionalism & ethical behaviour in all we do. At the same time the Sheriff must demonstrate good fiscal stewardship & insist that tax dollars are spent judiciously & only for their appropriated purpose. The Sheriff must also develop & administer contingency plans in times of crisis.

C.P. Morales
I view it as a role model for all the citizens, specially the small persons (children’s). The sheriff, since is the highest ranking person in the county, should represent sincerity, trustworthy, honesty, integrity, truthfulness and straightforwardness

Brian C. Sparling
The role of the Sheriff is that of the Senior Law Enforcement Officer. It is his responsibility to ensure that progressive law enforcement services are provided to the community of Okaloosa County. The Sheriff should be accessible to all of the community, as well as being a part of the community. This can be accomplished by participating in community events as well as all functions of the sheriff’s office. The Sheriff would be responsible for providing the highest level of services within the budget and utilizing every dollar in the proper manner to do so.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
I view the Sheriff as a Chief Executive Officer for the most powerful elected position in our county. The Sheriff must be a frugal protector of tax-payer dollars to provide outstanding Law Enforcement services while representing the citizens in a positive manner. I view the Sheriff as the singular individual that represents the ideas, pulse and diligence of the community. Every community in America is usually judged by their elected representatives. The representative commonly referred to in obtaining the status of that community is the Sheriff. It is vitally important that the Sheriff be a moral, lawful and respected member of our community.

LPOC Opinion
The Sheriff is the most prominent public example of the rule of law and the first line of defense of individual rights in the county. The Sheriff must be the prime example of law abiding conduct and above reproach. The Sheriff, as an elected official and by being on the cutting edge of events as they happen, is also the first person to ensure that citizens control their government rather than government abusing its citizens.

2) What is your first priority upon taking office as Sheriff?

Larry Ashley
My first priority is to ensure that your sheriff’s office is fully prepared and capable of responding to the public safety needs of our citizens. This will include the elimination of waste and inefficiencies while re-defining standards of professional performance & the methods by which they are measured. I will develop and ensure a culture of achievement rather than one of entitlement. Performance based goals, physical fitness and a commitment to professional training will be among the top priorities. Our citizens deserve the highest levels of service we can provide and I will provide superior service for every tax dollar we expend.

C.P. Morales
My first priority will be to pay tribute to all the citizens of the county for electing me as the new sheriff. After that, I will start to eliminate some jobs that are not necessary in the sheriff department.

Brian C. Sparling
To restore trust in the administrative operations of the Sheriff’s Office. Streamline operations, reduce and eliminate excessive bureaucracy, and make the office more responsive to all citizens is my goal. The current organizational structure is burdened with layers of highly paid people performing minimal work with little justification.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
My first priority is to reassure the Sheriff Office employees that they are doing a great job and I’m here to support them. It is very important to let the employees know that they have a solid and stern supporter of their efforts. After this has been accomplished, I will ask all the employees to fill out a job application with the Sheriff’s Office. The purpose is to review their written communication abilities while reviewing their accomplishments and achievements. I will personally review applications keeping the ones that pass my standards and rejecting the ones that do not.

LPOC Opinion
The first priority must be to restore trust in the integrity of the local law enforcement community. This begins by setting a standard of no tolerance for corruption. Hand-in-hand with this concept, the Sheriff must make it known that the Office of Sheriff is not there to merely enforce every law presented to it, but to be a co-participant in defending individual rights.

3) Would you support the execution of a National Security Letter, if presented to you, which allows searches without the review or consent of a judge, or the knowledge of the person being searched?

Larry Ashley
Yes, I will support the execution of National Security Letters in Okaloosa County. My careful review of Title 18, Chapter 121 of the United States Code leaves me convinced that sufficient restrictions and oversight exist governing the circumstances under which a National Security Letter can be lawfully executed. The unprecedented threat imposed by radical terrorist elements was clearly demonstrated on 11 September 2001. US intelligence and law enforcement agencies must be able to respond with speedy and deliberate actions to counter those threats. National Security Letters enable that quick and deliberate response. I will support their judicious use!

C.P. Morales
No. it will violate The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV) which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Brian C. Sparling
Often ideas change with time or political ideology. This issue demands from the law enforcement profession an application of fairness. The laws governing the National Security Letter are current and have merit before a court of law. To change any law requires citizens partnered with their legislators to amend or change the law. I’m supportive of our statutes as written but realize the people have the authority to change them. As the Sheriff, I am expected to uphold the law.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
I would not execute this letter unless I thoroughly review its legal authorization in accordance with Doe vs Ashcroft, now as Doe vs Mukasey. As you are aware, the 2nd US Circuit Court Judge agreed with the lower courts in determining that parts of an individuals First and Fourth Amendment Rights were violated. Therefore, the execution of the National Security Letter still requires standard court ordered approval for certain information requested and has to be provided with the Letter. As I’ve stated, I would not support the execution of the National Security Letter if presented to me.

LPOC Opinion
No. As Judge Andrew Napolitano said, the National Security Letter is no different than the Writs of Assistance British soldiers wrote for themselves to search American homes without evidence leading to the revolution. A republic cannot survive if searches are legally conducted in secret. A republic cannot survive if a person cannot even say he is being searched without going to jail. It is breeding ground for illicit government behavior, a potent source of corruption, and unconstitutional.

4) Would you be in favor of roadside checkpoints to randomly check persons for driving while intoxicated (DUI), scan all vehicles for contraband using x-ray technology, or search all vehicles for illegal immigrants?

Larry Ashley
Sobriety checkpoints are often used as part of a comprehensive enforcement strategy aimed at deterring alcohol-impaired driving & they have been proven to be effective towards that end. I support these initiatives providing they are fairly administered & the criteria used to conduct checks is truly random & impartial i.e., every 5th car, versus every red sports car. I do not however support or advocate the use of technologies that circumvent the expectations of privacy guaranteed by our constitution. We typically enjoy an expectation of privacy in our vehicles and that expectation should only be usurped based on probable cause or exigent circumstances.

C.P. Morales
Yes, for driving while intoxicated (DUI). Everything else will be a violation of the constitution.

Brian C. Sparling
I support and plan to initiate as many Safety and Sobriety checkpoints as possible. The checkpoints must follow very specific rules and are highly publicized to ensure limited interruption to the public. These checkpoints allow law enforcement to locate and arrest offenders of multiple law violations. These violations range from drivers’ license violations, impaired drivers, narcotics violations, illegal immigrants, as well as ensuring vehicles meet the minimum safety laws to be on the road. X-ray technology is a valuable tool that is better utilized in the airport, shipping and border areas.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
I’m in favor of conducting random DUI checkpoints for the purpose of locating, identifying, and removing impaired drivers from our roadways. I’m not in favor of using XRAY technology for routine or random checkpoints as it’s not logistically or economically sound procedures. The cost of moving and operating this specialized equipment is not conducive to limited budget Agencies. I’m not in favor of setting up checkpoints for the sole purpose of locating illegal immigrants. This could be considered profiling if all you’re looking for during a roadblock is a specific race. There are other venues available to deal with illegal immigrants.

LPOC Opinion
No, criminality should be determined by actions, not by potential actions. Any search that is blanket in nature, such as DUI, x-ray or illegal alien checkpoints, leads to government excess, and should be opposed. Checkpoints on roads, not backed by
the presentation of evidence beforehand or by probable cause, will spread the use of
random searches in general at the expense of liberty. Because if law enforcement may legally search you simply for using the public roads, what is to stop them from legally doing so when you are at the store, or at home? Eventually, being secure in one’s own person will become a meaningless phrase, and it will forever alter what it means to be free in America.

5) Do you think illegal immigrants should have the rights of the constitution?

Larry Ashley
Illegal aliens should and do enjoy the due process protections afforded to all people under our Constitution. They do not however have the right to vote, possess firearms, and other provisions guaranteed our citizens by the constitution. I have talked with numerous legal immigrants who share this same belief. Legal immigrants have abided by the law and followed the immigration rules of our country to gain their status. Granting illegal immigrants all the same rights enjoyed by our citizens and legal immigrants severely diminishes the value of our rights and serves to dissuade others from following the law and seeking citizenship or immigration lawfully. Our rights and freedoms were paid for with the bloo*

C.P. Morales
America was build with immigrants, and the Constitution of the US States, states,” We the People of the United States, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity (descendants)…
Amendment 14 also states….. .” All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,…. No State shall make or enforce,..; …nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Brian C. Sparling
I believe the United States has a great opportunity for people to immigrate here. I believe the policies and procedures which the potential immigrants must complete are here to protect the citizens of the United States from potential unwanted individuals obtaining citizenship. Those which try to circumvent the laws and policies of obtaining the proper paperwork to remain in the United States, either temporary or permanent, should not receive the same as those who are here legally.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
Our country was founded, built and ran by immigrants long before you or I were born. I do believe immigrants should have basic rights. But I also believe they should follow the law for admittance and naturalization. The problem is that some foreigners want the “good” life now without following the rules. Hence the necessity for allowing basic rights, but at the same time they need to be arrested and deported with their identification being log and banned for upwards of 10-years. The basic rights are to protect them from “prejudicial” acts by citizens and provide them with minimum
medical care necessary to get them on transportation out of the country

LPOC Opinion
Yes. The Constitution is based on the inherent rights of men, not the privileges of nationalities. In the USA we are increasingly using special laws to give due process to "specially selected" categories of people, such as “terrorists” [enemy combatants], “minorities” [hate crimes], and “foreigners” [illegal immigrants]. This is a bad thing for all of us because whenever the law is applied by a standard other than the criminal behavior of the accused, it means the law is being applied for reasons other than determining justice.

6) Are you in favor of police powers to track a person or vehicle without their knowledge and without showing evidence or probable cause to a judge? (This power is currently being used in nine western states, using GPS technology, and judged legal by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (Oregon case of Pineda-Moreno 2007)).

Larry Ashley
I do not believe, absent reasonable suspicion or judicial authority, police should be able to employ technologies which monitor the movements of citizens who have not been convicted of a crime and are not under judicial sanctions such as sexual predators. However, in reviewing your referenced case I noted that in this instance law enforcement authorities had observed behaviors that constitute reasonable suspicion that crimes were being committed. That information, when coupled with the fact that attaching a tracking device is not overly invasive, leads me to believe the police actions cited in the Pineda-Moreno case were constitutional and reasonable.

C.P. Morales
No. This violated the Constitution of the US, and the State of Florida

Brian C. Sparling
I am in favor of the power to track a person or vehicle without their knowledge. However, I believe all of these types of tracks should be approved by a judge. The use of GPS tracking is a great asset to the law enforcement community in locating missing persons, wanted persons, or stolen property. In cases of danger to life, a track without a court order could be used.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
I am in favor of using police powers to track a person or vehicle without their knowledge as long as it doesn’t violate Title 7 of United States Codes (Right to Privacy). If I’m trying to follow up on leads concerning a potential criminal act, I would employ those tactics that would enable me to develop probable cause or evidence in proving my case. This type of activity has shown repeatedly to be very successful at stopping criminal activity. If we use technology to thwart the criminal element verses using human resources, then the community can realize cost saving measures while legally preventing criminal acts.

LPOC Opinion
No. The ability of a law enforcement officer, on his own volition and without review for evidence or probable cause, to track someone is not a small matter. Although it may reveal criminal activity, it is also just as likely to reveal opinions, actions, and desires which are not criminal, but considered undesirable by government. Will the information never be used against him? Who can assure this? Can that person, or any person, ever feel assured he is allowed to think, travel, and develop his personality as he sees fit? It is more likely he will be forced, over time, to conform much as a prisoner conforms to his prison. A watched society can never be a free society.

7) Are you in favor of the county policy to allow Sheriff’s Deputies to moonlight as security guards in the county uniform, responsible to enforce the law as if they were on regular duty, but in the employ of a private company?

Larry Ashley
Absolutely! I support off duty details which provide added security and protections to area businesses and enable deputies to supplement their income. Based on our current pay scale, the average deputy, with a family of four, falls below the poverty line on the income scale. Florida State Statute 30.2905 also establishes provisions for private businesses to contract for employment of off-duty deputies for security services. I have no reason to oppose any such arrangement providing our deputies presence and conduct is in keeping with our professional and ethical standards

C.P. Morales
No. Deputies are employees of the states. If deputies want to moonlight as security guards, that’s their rights, but not with states uniforms, or equipment. A security guard has not law enforcement power in a private company.

Brian C. Sparling
Yes, I am in favor of the county policy allowing for off duty employment by Deputy Sheriffs.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
I am not in favor of this type activity. The company must contract with the Sheriff’s Office to allow Deputies to aid the company in maintaining good order and discipline at their establishment. The Sheriff can not afford the liability of allowing an employee who is a representation of the Sheriff to conduct law enforcement duties without the permission of the Sheriff. The laws state that if a law enforcement officer, who is known as an employee of a law enforcement agency, enforces laws that could result in a civil lawsuit then the employee’s agency is liable for damages.

LPOC Opinion
No - Deputies are servants of all the public. If in their free time they decide to be a security guard, and employ their law enforcement training to maintain the good order of crowds and traffic, then they should be permitted, but without the support, trappings and law enforcement duties of the County. To do otherwise sets in motion a dynamic where law enforcement is sold to the highest bidder. It is a mild form of favoritism by government to private firms. It corrupts both the government and the free market, and leads to a slow rot in public trust.

8) Do you believe it is better to let 10 guilty men go free than for one innocent man to be in prison?

Larry Ashley
Yes, I believe this without reservation! During my 20+ years as a law enforcement officer this has been one of the guiding principles which have governed my actions. I have never arrested an individual whom I did not believe to be guilty of a crime & whose guilt was not supported by the evidence. I have made hundreds of arrests in my career and I take very seriously the enormous responsibility associated with depriving someone of their personal freedoms through arrest. As Sheriff I will ensure that law enforcement arrest powers are not haphazardly invoked.

C.P. Morales
Yes. An innocent person will lose his good name, his family, and his career, and will suffer a life sentence of humiliation, of rape and execution of AIDS, because the justice system made a mistake. A guilty person chose to defiant the law; he chose to be that way.

Brian C. Sparling
It is never the right thing to allow someone guilty of a crime to be free. It is also never right to imprison an innocent person. I will hire only the best trained individuals and give them the training they need to ensure every step is taken so neither of these incidents has to occur.

Robert L. Thacker Jr.
This age old adage has been argued from all directions. My thought; it is not better for 10 guilty men to go free than for one innocent man to be in prison. Our system is not perfect, but it’s the best system known to the world. We give all the benefits of innocence to every violator charged. Our system provides the preamble, Innocent until proven guilty, in all cases. Every benefit is afforded to the charged individual to prove his/her innocence before being judged. Once in a while we do make a mistake and one innocent person is imprisoned. This event happens so infrequently that it’s acceptable under our current system.

LPOC Opinion
Yes. This saying speaks about the power of government. Government does not grant us our rights or our freedom. That is a birthright. Government is to protect our individual rights, and an exacting attention to that will lead to circumstances where the guilty are sometimes let free for the ultimate protection of all the innocent. The thought that there should be acceptable losses (an innocent man suffering the life shattering consequences of false imprisonment) in the justice system is unacceptable on its face. It cannot be otherwise if we are to have a country where you are innocent until proven guilty, and where government rules with the consent of the governed.

Seriously Wrong Out There

2010-10-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Election time is nearly upon us, and at a time like this I reflect on where Okaloosa has been and where it is going.
Despite the hard economic times, the general public still believes in its government and its leaders. There is faith that what worked in the past will probably work this time too, and soon we can all get back to our jobs, our families and the simple things in life. Choose a side, republican or democrat, make your check in the box, and move on.
But you and I both know that something is going seriously wrong out there.
I am not talking about individual corruption, or incompetence in government. That happens all the time in every age. “Scandaloosa” already knows about that.
It seems to me government has a life of its own, and doesn’t seem to know or care about being thrifty or staying out of the way. Examples are everywhere.
Recently, here in republican dominated Okaloosa, we had a school board that wanted to raise taxes on everyone $135 million dollars because they couldn’t think of anything else to do. How about opening up the state monopoly to greater real competition in education?
We have a Board of County Commissioners that kept the tax millage rate steady while increasing spending. The only way to pay for everything is an accounting trick using money from previous years.
In Fort Walton Beach, despite the best efforts of Henry Kelley and the Tea Partiers, the city council basically said, “We don’t care what you want, we are gonna raise taxes!”
North Bay Fire District is raising its tax rate. I bet others are too.
And the Mid Bay Bridge Authority created a bypass and bridge fiscal monster, rubberstamped by our Board of County Commissioners, that will never be paid off. Those commuting to work will be paying an incredible $1430 a year in tolls. Any bets that’s not going to go up in the future too?
Higher up the food chain, at the state level we will be voting on two amendments to our State Constitution where it doesn’t matter if you vote yes or no, you will be voting for intrusive government (number 4 and number 8). What a choice.
We have fraud banks selling fraud mortgages backed by fraud buyers to everyone to the tune of trillions of dollars, all supposedly regulated by our fraud state and federal governments. Honest, hardworking, people are beginning to think maybe it is a good idea to walk away from their underwater mortgages.
On Wall Street big stock traders blatantly use illegal methods, such as Goldman Sachs front-running computer programs, to stay ahead of their competition (and the individual trader) with our own government’s blessing. It’s an openly rigged market.
Our Congress bailed out banks that should have gone under, and you and I are paying for it to the tune of $45,000 for every man, woman, and child in the county.
And the Federal Reserve, entrusted by law to keep prices stable, has openly come out with inflation targets. Inflation is called the cruelest tax because pensioners, the elderly, the savers and producers (you know, you and me) will be the ones actually paying for it.
It can also melt the country down.
By the way, nobody big goes to jail. That is reserved exclusively for the little guy.
Where are we going? It’s becoming clear that we are going to a place where playing by the rules is a sucker’s game.
It is what happens when libertarian principles are ignored, such as thrift, competition, the rule of law, and government staying out of the way. It is what happens when government is used as a source of favors instead of a protector of individual rights.
It is a dangerous path. It creates two classes of people, one composed of those who have government influence, and the vast majority of those who don’t. Thank 150 years of the republicans and democrats for this development.
So, this year, don’t just check the box and move on. The only way back is by supporting liberty, and the only party that truly supports liberty are the Libertarians.

The Libertarian Voters Guide 2 Nov 10 Ballot Amendments

2010-10-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Libertarian Voters Guide

2 November 2010 General Election Ballot Florida Constitutional Amendments and Other Initiatives

30 September 2010

This guide contains a brief synopsis of the constitutional amendments and other initiatives to be on the General Ballot in the 2 November General election. Following each synopsis is the opinion of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County regarding each ballot initiative.

There are six total proposed constitutional amendments and one Federal Budget Advisory Question to be on the 2 November ballot. The proposed amendments are not numbered sequentially, so the ballot will show amendments numbered up to number eight when there are only six of them.

In summary, the LPOC recommends that an individual vote as follows:
Amendment One: Vote yes Amendment Two: Vote no
Amendment Four: Vote yes Amendment Five: Vote no
Amendment Six: Vote no Amendment Eight: Vote yes
Federal Budget Advisory Question: Vote no

The Executive Committee of the LPOC, in pursuit of individual rights, free markets, and limited government,

Pete Blome, Chairman
Steve Copus, Vice Chairman
Mike Maier, Treasurer
Lee Jackson, Former Chair

Help us in our fight for a better Okaloosa. Send donations to:

Pd. Pol. Adv. By The Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County, P.O. Box 483, Shalimar, Florida 32579-0483, www.libertarianpoc.org,

Number One: Article VI, section 7

REPEAL OF PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCE REQUIREMENT

Ballot summary: Proposing the repeal of the provision in the State Constitution that requires public financing of campaigns of candidates for elective statewide office.

LPOC Opinion: The malignant growth of government often comes from ideas that on the surface seem like good ones. Government should rule for the benefit of all, but when it coerces some of the population, through tax laws, to support the campaigns of political candidates they do not agree with, it coerces the public into supporting a message they would not support. Instead of the power of public opinion determining issues and candidates’ chances, the financial role of government has suddenly made that government take on a very direct role in determining the issues and candidates are that the public sees. Public support also means public accountability. Although this also appears to be on the surface a good idea, it tends to limit a candidate to only those actions that are already approved by the government. It becomes one more step in the march of political mediocrity that we suffer from right now. In sum, public campaign financing favors an existing government administration, and reduces the public discussion of issues.
Vote yes to repeal this amendment

Number two: Article VII, section 3 and Article XII, section 31

HOMESTEAD AD VALOREM TAX CREDIT FOR DEPLOYED MILITARY PERSONNEL

Ballot summary: Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to require the legislature to provide an additional homestead property tax exemption by law for members of the United States military or military reserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard who receive a homestead exemption and were deployed in the previous year on active duty outside the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii, in support of military operations designated by the legislature. The exempt amount will be based on the number of days in the previous calendar year that the person was deployed on active duty outside the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii in support of military operations designated by the legislature. The amendment is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2011.

LPOC Opinion – The real purpose of this amendment is to support a flagging real estate market. It reinforces the false belief that government exists to provide special favors for politicians to dole out.to select groups. A second homestead exemption discriminates against renters, and props up housing prices by increasing housing demand. From an economic point of view, it would be better to eliminate taxes on all households, thereby freeing up spendable income, than it would be to grant a special exemption for a few. At its core this amendment is about granting exemptions – every taxpayer does not get the same deal and most will bear more costs for taxation and in higher costs for housing. Vote no

Number four: Article II, section 7

REFERENDA REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS

Ballot summary: Establishes that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of the electors of the local government by referendum, following preparation by the local planning agency, consideration by the governing body and notice. Provides definitions. Financial Impact statement: This amendment’s impact on local government expenditures cannot be estimated precisely. Local governments will incur additional costs due to the requirement to conduct referenda in order to adopt comprehensive plans or amendments thereto. The amount of such costs depends upon the frequency, timing and method of the referenda, and includes the cost of ballot preparation, election administration, and associated expenses. The impact on state government expenditures will be insignificant.

LPOC Opinion: The voters of Florida would be better off if this amendment were not on the ballot, as voting either yes or no supports an intrusive government. The idea of local land use plans requiring a referendum whenever a change is proposed seems to support a common conception of democracy, i.e., that all will vote and decide an issue. This is in contrast to the current method where a few representatives on a zoning board decide matters. Presumably, opening zoning decisions to public referendum reduces the centralized power of government.
But the real question a voter needs to ask himself is whether government should be in charge of deciding how you use your property. Zoning, permits and licenses are among the most pernicious limitations on an individual using his own property, and arriving at that decision by a vote of your neighbors or by a vote of remote zoning board is still a limitation on your use of your property. What you are being asked to vote for here is control by an organized, vocal minority or control by unelected or unaccountable bureaucrats. Neither is acceptable.
It is our opinion it is better to let this matter be decided by your neighbors than by a remote government. Eventually, it is our hope that the community in general will come to see that government intervention is harmful in the overwhelming majority of cases, whether that intervention be by bureaucrat or by popular vote, and gradually eliminate it.Vote yes

Number Five: Article III, section 21

STANDARDS FOR LEGISLATURE TO FOLLOW IN LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING

Ballot summary: Legislative districts or districting plans may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice. Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries.
Financial Impact statement: The fiscal impact cannot be determined precisely. State government and state courts may incur additional costs if litigation increases beyond the number or complexity of cases which would have occurred in the amendment’s absence.

LPOC Opinion : This is an example of an amendment that gives voters a false sense of confidence in the virtue of their elected representatives. The thought that partisan, professional politicians would knowingly commit political suicide by revising his/her district to permit a competitive opponent in her/his district illogical on its face.
This amendment tries to give political cover to Republican and Democrat legislators accused of redistricting partisanship, but it will not stop the practice. Cunning legislators of either major party can still arrange districts to favor one of the two dominant parties just by being active during the border drawing process. The amendment rules are also terribly vague. If the process of creating voting districts was meant to be foolproof, some sort of formula based on population or geography could have been created.
Instead of creating legislation to hide behind and blame if things go wrong, it would be better if the voters see the results of their legislators wheeling and dealing. Let lawmakers do what they will, and then hold them accountable when they make a district that is 99.99% republican, or split up a third party so they will not achieve more than 5% of the vote. This is preferable to a false sense of security that a just and equitable system is in place. Vote no.

Number Six: Article III, section 20

STANDARDS FOR LEGISLATURE TO FOLLOW IN CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Ballot summary: Legislative districts or districting plans may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice. Districts must be contiguous. Unless otherwise required, districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries. Financial Impact statement: The fiscal impact cannot be determined precisely. State government and state courts may incur additional costs if litigation increases beyond the number or complexity of cases which would have occurred in the amendment’s absence.

LPOC Opinion : The LPOC opinion on this matter is identical to the one regarding STANDARDS FOR LEGISLATURE TO FOLLOW IN LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING previously stated. Vote no.

Number Eight: Article IX, section 1 and Article XII, section 31

REVISION OF THE CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ballot summary: The Florida Constitution currently limits the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in public school classrooms in the following grade groupings: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 18 students; for grades four through 8, 22 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 25 students. Under this amendment, the current limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher, by specified grade grouping, in each public school. This amendment also adopts new limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in an individual classroom as follows: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 21 students; for grades 4 through 8, 27 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 30 students. This amendment specifies that class size limits do not apply to virtual classes, requires the Legislature to provide sufficient funds to maintain the average number of students required by this amendment, and schedules these revisions to take effect upon approval by the electors of this state and to operate retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

LPOC Opinion: This is another example of an amendment that voters would be better off it were not on the ballot because both a yes or no vote works against the voters interest. The thought that something as managerial as class size is on a state constitution referendum is direct evidence of centralized state planning run amok.
Education has been a state monopoly for so long, and supported by so many discriminatory acts of legislation (such as double taxing the home schooled and those who send their children to private school, and the state determining school standards for everyone) that Americans are beginning to forget that there is any other way. Monopolies always end in excessive costs and poor performance because they are not responsive to the needs of their clients, the students. A state monopoly is even worse because it uses the power of taxation (a very deep pocket) to keep institutions operating that otherwise would close. The solution to the problems of education is to open it up to competition.
This amendment is really about state power – the power to tax, the power to decide for everyone, the power to make one size fit all, the power to eliminate competition, and the ridiculous power to make every Floridian vote on the class size, thereby legitimizing the monopoly.

Vote yes – Allowing larger class size will at least give some flexibility to the system presumably saving money.

Federal Budget Advisory Question

SHOULD CONGRESS ADD AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION REQUIRING A BALANCED FEDERAL BUDGET?

LPOC Opinion: We detest the idea of a government that continually borrows beyond its means (and thereby threatens the stability of its currency and the freedom of its children who must pay the bill), but there are circumstances in a limited government where temporary borrowing, beyond tax receipts, is both necessary and warranted. The most obvious is war brought about by invasion or other attack, and another can be a catastrophic natural disaster requiring temporary state relief.
Another item to consider is the nature of money in our modern world. Although the LPOC does not agree with it, borrowing, especially by government, is a critical part of the current monetary system based on debt. All money is borrowed into existence, and without both public and private borrowing our economic system would crash immediately (as opposed to the slow motion crash it is experiencing now, caused by too much debt.)
Vote no – this advisory question tries to fix budget problems by set rules instead of the collective good wits of the members of Congress. Think about such methods applied in the past such as the Gramm-Rudman Act, which is still the law, but now, apparently, bypassed or ignored. Such methods always create more problems than they solve. Hold your representative accountable instead through the ballot box.

Libertarian Voters Guide Board Of County Commissioners

2010-08-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

The Libertarian Voters Guide

Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners
4 August 2010

This guide contains questions for candidates for the Board of County Commissioners of Okaloosa County, Florida. The candidates for County Commissioner as of 4 August 2010 are, Don Amunds, Danny Bennett, John Bergschneider, Dave Parisot, Dick Reinlie, Tom Tona, and Elaine Tucker.

The questions proposed in this guide were created by the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County. The answers are exactly as they were presented to the LPOC. They are presented as a public service to the voters.

Candidates were asked to limit their answers to 650 characters including spaces. If they submitted an answer greater than 650 characters, only the first 650 were published (indicated by *). LPOC comments on any one question are also limited to 650 characters.

In pursuit of individual rights, free markets, and limited government,

The Executive Committee of the LPOC

Pete Blome, Chairman
Steve Copus, Vice Chairman
Mike Maier, Treasurer
Lee Jackson, Former Chair

Help us in our fight for a better Okaloosa. Send donations to:

The Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County, P.O. Box 483, Shalimar, Florida 32579-0483, http://www.libertarianpoc.org/,

1) What is the role of county government?

Don Amunds
County government is required to support the needs and services that the citizens request. Counties are the administrative arm of state government. Counties are constitutionally mandated to provide law enforcement, jail administration, tax collection, property appraisal, judicial facilities, and supervisor of elections. They are also charged with road maintenance, public health, solid waste disposal and emergency management.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
Is to provide service to the Citizens of Okaloosa County! One central idea from Abraham Lincoln, government is created and receives its powers from the governed. These services started with a sheriff and county judge in the 1800’s. With advent of the automobile, the existing dirt horse trail roads, proved inadequate creating a road department. In a similar manner, our modern life has created E911 and call for other services. These services have grown as the county has grown.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
“What is the role?” or “What do I think the role of county government should be?” The State defines the role of County Government, it is easily found in the state statutes.

I believe, in providing services required by the state we should take into consideration the value proposition. In all services, does the tax payer believe he/she is getting value for money spent? As your county commissioner I will focus on the true needs of the taxpayer, the safety of our citizens, the economy and the financial future of the county.

Tom Tona
The role of County Government is defined in our Florida Statutes Chapter 125. While the Statute provides us with a legal definition I would suspect that many people today would define it something like this; County Governments role is that of finding endlessly creative ways in which to tax the people and endlessly creative ways in which to dispense of those revenues.

Elaine Tucker
The role of COUNTY government is to provide its citizens Public Safety (Jails, Emergency Management, Sheriff, Inspectors), Essential Services (Airports, Facility Maintenance, Growth Management, Public Works, Judicial Costs, Health Department) and assist in developing Quality of Life (Libraries & Museums, Parks, Tourism) programs at the lowest possible tax rate. Work to stop unfunded State and Federal mandates – protecting “home rule”. Encourage growth of private sector business by expediting governmental processes and providing the infrastructure needs required for positive growth today and in the future.

LPOC Comments
The role of county government, as with all government, is to protect your individual rights, maintain free markets, and to stay limited in its powers. Public safety, public health, emergencies, hard times, quality of life, full employment, natural and man-made disasters have all been used as excuses by government to take away your rights, control the free market for the advantage of a few, and to grow the power of the state. It always ends in taking away opportunities from you. When there are no more opportunities, there will be no more freedom.

2) What is the single greatest problem you will face if elected?

Don Amunds
The economic recovery of our community.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
We will have to address the budget shortfall and how to address it with the minimal loss of services.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
Providing true accountability to the taxpayers. The current structure of our county government is reliant on the Constitutional Officers to spend our money wisely. There has been limited oversight of this process by our County Commissioners. In fact, I don’t believe the current commission is truly concerned with accountability. I hear too many excuses instead of solutions. The State of Florida Laws limits some of the teeth that County Commissioners have in regulating Constitutional Officers but none of the monitoring. We need to institute more monitoring of spending especially in light of the recent bonus scandal and escalating spending.

Tom Tona
The single greatest problem I will face if elected will be adapting to less time spent with my wife and children. It goes without saying that the personal responsibility inherent in stepping forward to serve the public demands a major commitment of time and energy. And although you didn’t ask, the second greatest problem I will face will be convincing two other commissioners that it is in all of our best long term interests to downsize our local government, rapidly and responsibly.

Elaine Tucker
The single greatest problem I will face is to going to be how to recover from the long-term recession facing Florida and this nation. Unfortunately, the financial disaster created by the Gulf oil crisis has made the situation even worse. It will take my leadership, positive and proactive community partnerships, smarter government, and a commitment to Okaloosa County residents and their future to begin to solve these problems.

LPOC Comments
For a libertarian candidate it would be fighting the idea that government provides the solution to any problem or inconvenience that vocal citizens bring to it. The great myth is that government can provide anything at no cost and without unintended consequences. It cannot, and people should not be limited in finding their own opportunities. Over the decades political leaders have bribed the populace with its own money, and fostered the idea that government can do it all in order to make dependent those who otherwise would not be.

3) What is your first priority upon entering office?

Don Amunds
Continue to find ways to reduce the budget, stimulate economy and continue to provide the best public safety for the community.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
Have a thorough review of Public Works policies and projects. When the in house staff can widen and pave over seven miles of C-180 for a little more than a million dollars, However, CR 393 from US 90 to Poverty Creek Road, a 4.1 mile section is shown as $3.25 million for Contracted construction, then something is wrong! The EJ Brenemen Company a company that has provided asphalt recycling projects for the county provided an estimate of approximately $1.5 million a $1.77 million difference. PW could use these savings to pave 19.4 miles. They have their priorities confused. With so few dollars available for construction we cannot affo*

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
I will work to set up an independent audit team consisting of Constitutional Officers, County Officials and Citizens of Okaloosa County to look into abuses of taxpayer’s money and also to develop teamwork amongst all County Government. Also, this team will have a hotline to review reported abuses of taxpayer money.

Tom Tona
Reductions. I bring to the commission a private sector business perspective that defines my approach to the problems, the same way I have done in my own business for 30 years, starting with a thorough review of each department. There are three keys to success here; first and certainly the easiest, is to identify potential areas of reduction. Second, we identify creative and viable solutions, essentially a consolidation of services and elimination of non essential services. Third, and most difficult will be to convince the other Commissioners to support my initiatives.

Elaine Tucker
My first priority will be to meet with each department head and discuss current issues/concerns - then research each identified issue with community resources and experts and set achievable goals. An example of what I have done in the past as a County Commissioner is the Performance Based Budgeting format which was begun at my request. Now fully incorporated, this provides for each department - program descriptions, costs, accomplishments, goals and key objectives creating a more transparent budget and saving tax dollars.

LPOC Comments
It should be relieving people of the burden of government. Taxes, regulations, and laws have grown to the point they are a threat to our natural rights enumerated by our Founders in the Declaration of Independence. Among these are personal security (life) personal wealth (liberty) and personal success (pursuit of happiness). A good first step would be a return to federalism, and enforcing the limits to state and federal powers as enumerated in their respective Constitutions.

4) Are you in favor of property taxes and seizing such property for back taxes?

Don Amunds
Property taxes seem to be a necessary evil. I would rather see a sales tax or other options enacted that might drastically reduce our property taxes. I believe we, as a society, should be able to work with property owners and only seize property if all other means of collection have been exhausted.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
We need a revision of our property tax system. Floridians are assessed for the best and high use of property which is a future possible value; rather our properties should be assessed as the actual current use! In addition, properties are then assessed at an incremental rate that is either the current rate of inflation or three percent whichever is lesser. This is inflation pure and simple. We need an amendment to assess our property at the current use without an inflation factor. The fourth Amendment to the Constitution requires due process for any seizure of life, liberty, or property. There are established procedures for the failu*

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
I support all current laws because they are laws. However, I don’t believe that our property tax laws and procedures are fair. If I were “king of the forest” I would try to eliminate property taxes altogether. Currently it is so entwined with all of our other taxes it takes a sweeping change in our country’s taxing system to totally eliminate property taxes.

Seizing property because of back taxes is a necessary evil because we need teeth in our tax laws. I don’t like it…but changes need to be made in our tax system to be simply and “Fair”.

Tom Tona
No. Aside from health and safety issues there are few things I find more upsetting than the taking of a persons property for failure to pay taxes.

Elaine Tucker
Property taxes are necessary to pay for necessary community services, but how and to what degree they are assessed has to be revisited for fairness and equity on a regular basis. Seizure is an absolute last resort, after due process. This will take good communication and a working relationship with our elected officials in Tallahassee since that is where the legislation is created and controlled. Additionally, a partnership with the County Property Appraiser to work in the best interests of all Okaloosa County property owners.

LPOC Comments
Property taxes have reduced property owners to renters of property from the government. A prudent person who pays off his home can still have it taken from him by a government that taxes what he has. This onerous type of tax must be eliminated in favor of less coercive, and more voluntary forms of tax collection.

5) Are you in favor of the bypass expansion of the Mid Bay Bridge Authority?

Don Amunds
I’m in favor of any service that the user is willing to pay for and does not use tax dollars. The expansion could help evacuation efforts from Destin and South Walton during emergencies providing the community with no tax expense and paid by user fees only. Although feelings are mixed concerning this expansion, this forward thinking could be very beneficial to the area in the future.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
The Mid Bay Bridge is a toll bridge. It has been paying its bills. Projections show that the tolls can support this expansion. The bonding agency providing funding for this improvement has scrutinized this proposal carefully and agrees with the proposal.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
Yes, although we have other needs that need to be addressed….even before this expansion. I would categorize our traffic issues into the following items
o Commuter Traffic
§ Traffic to a from our Military Installations
· Hurlburt Drive Over on Highway 98
· Open up one extra land during rush hour
§ Traffic from where you live to where you work
· 85
o Local Traffic based on Commerce
§ Traffic based on where you work to where you shop
o Visitor Traffic
§ How do we get our visitors through our cities and neighborhood

We have many local concerns with traffic for our everyday commuter. This expansion addresses the tourist traffic and local traffic to De*

Tom Tona
No. There are far more critical and immediate needs in which to spend 200 million dollars. Is there a traffic problem on the Mid Bay Bridge that I am unaware of?

Elaine Tucker
Though the budget for the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority is approved by the County Commissioners, the Mid Bay Bridge Authority was created by and works for the state legislature. The new toll booths are completed and the bypass has been planned and is being phased in. This project is being funded through a partnership with the Mid Bay Bridge Authority along with the Florida Department of Transportation.

LPOC Comments
The Mid Bay Bridge is a classic example of run-away government. The Bridge authorities and the BCC have not run it like a business, nor focused on paying off its debt and passing on the savings to those who use it. That would be a real spur to the local economy. Instead, a bridge built in 1994 for $67 million dollars, will have more than $350 million dollars of debt laid on it by 2014, and cost $4.50 round-trip toll to get from hwy 85 to Destin ($1170 per commuter per year, and bridge use is declining). In the matter of managing the bridge, the MBBA and the BCC have utterly failed to represent well the people of Okaloosa.

6) Are you in favor of special economic zones in the county?

Don Amunds
I’m in favor of HUD Zones and Brownfield Designations if the creation of those zones does not cost the taxpayers any money or services. These zones can be beneficial in producing jobs and economic relief in blighted areas.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
I have been involved with several industrial parks. They are a special zone purchased for industrial development. Yes, we should support industrial park development. Brown fields are a new classification for former industrial areas that have lain dormant for years. My support is reserved on a case by case basis. Community Redevelopment Areas are popular with Cities as a method to improve what is perceived as blighted. The problem I have with them is that some improvements are cosmetic when traffic and infrastructure needs are ignored.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
Yes, if used properly and for a set period of time they can be a useful tool for redevelopment. When we over use special economic zones they become not so special and just serve to increase taxes on the rest of the taxpayers.

Tom Tona
No. Special economic zones are typically established to promote and foster economic development within that given zone. For 25 years I have worked as both a volunteer and professionally with special economic zones. It has been my collective experience that the success stories within these zones are few and far between, and rarely if ever cost effective. Clearly the most successful way to foster economic development is to reduce bureaucratic red tape and get out of the way of the private free markets.

Elaine Tucker
Yes but much depends on the need and the implementation. We have 5 CRA’s in Okaloosa County created by and under the control of our local municipalities that are bringing infrastructure improvements, tax breaks and new businesses to the area. Additionally, while I was a Commissioner, we created an “Enterprise” zone around the Crestview Airport that has made the Bob Sikes airport the “jewel” of our future business opportunities in Okaloosa County while increasing property values to the surrounding area. This is an example where county government creates an environment for private enterprise to flourish.

LPOC Comments
Special economic zones create advantages for some businesses, while others have to conduct their business under these disadvantages imposed by the government. The business of government is not to own business or grant special favors, but to protect individual rights by maintaining a level playing field. If special economic zones are so good, why not grant the tax breaks to everyone in the county, or even omit the taxes altogether?

7) Does the government create jobs?

Don Amunds
Yes, in an attempt to provide for services. Also legislative requirements that are passed down that mandate creation of certain jobs or services.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
No, and government can chase jobs away. One point that I have learned from industrial park development is that far more jobs are created at existing plants than new plants moving into a park. Consequently it is important we assist the existing industrial plants as much as recruit new plants.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
Only when they tax you more to hire people. Government is supposed to create opportunity for free enterprise to grow. The great experiment

Tom Tona
It appears to me that this is one area in which our government has performed exceedingly well. Unfortunately the jobs they are creating are government jobs. The results of this irresponsible behavior is not only readily apparent but actually threatens the long term stability of both our County and our Country.

Elaine Tucker
The government can create circumstance for economic growth and private enterprise to flourish. I believe that only the private sector can create jobs for real, long term sustainable growth.

LPOC Comments
Of course not. The government looks like it creates jobs, but every dollar it takes by legal coercion from a taxpayer to fund a government job is a dollar that cannot be used somewhere else in the free market. Libertarians also believe money spent in the free market is inherently more wealth producing than any centrally controlled, government edict. The idea that government creates jobs is one of the ways government fosters dependence on it, usually to the advantage of politicians and bureaucrats for their own job security.

8) Are you in favor of county issued permits, licenses and zoning regulations?

Don Amunds
Yes, depending on a case by case situation. Permits can assure homeowners of safety when getting work done on their homes, however, these fees should be used to pay for themselves and not used as a way to generate income. I’m in favor of zoning for compatibility, but there’s a fine line between that and preserving individual property rights.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
Zoning: the control of our land by the government. Zoning: the control of adjacent property that preserves the agreed use of our property. The last thing that a homeowner wants is a hog rendering plant to move next door. A Sun-Set review of these rules should occur on a regular basis to see if they are serving their purpose. One regulation that needs review is the parking requirements for businesses. A parking place is expensive to construct, it takes away land for development, it requires expensive stormwater management, and requires constant maintenance. Empty parking places that beg for a review of our parking requirements.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
Yes. It regulates (bad word) and monitors the use of property and can help protect your rights as a property owner. Do I think that we can do this fairly? No, but we sure can try. I believe that permits and licenses are important to help with standards. We need smart politicians

Tom Tona
In a general sense, no. Unfortunately not every citizen can seem to manage themselves in a manner that contributes to a safe and free society. I certainly would not like for a toxic chemical lab or a maximum security detention facility to be constructed and operated next door to my house! To that end I would say that I support a reasonable and responsible approach to permits, licenses and zoning regulations. The less the better.

Elaine Tucker
As a general rule some permitting, licensing and zoning has become necessary for public health and safety reasons, but I do believe that excessive encroachment on private property rights can go to far. As a personal policy, I believe that we should insist on more “personal responsibility” as a community. Houston TX has one of the highest growth rates in the US, has increasing property values, and has limited zoning restrictions. I believe that is the model we could follow.

LPOC Comments
No. The vast majority of permits, fees, and licenses are merely means to get extra government revenue. Zoning regulations force people to use their own property in ways they would not otherwise do, frequently to their own disadvantage. Setback and non-zero lot line rules are everywhere in Okaloosa county, as in America as a whole, but imagine how much better a person’s property could be used if they did not exist. If you want a uniform community appearance, why not voluntarily contract with them to do so to their advantage instead of force them by use of the law?

9) Are you in favor of reducing or eliminating any county services or organizations?

Don Amunds
I am in favor of consolidation to save money. Consolidating services equals less government.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
We should examine the various departments to consolidate duplicative services.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
As a business person, I’m in favor of inspecting all services and organizations as to their viability and value to the taxpayer. I’m also in favor of looking for new organizations that provide true value to the county

Tom Tona
Yes. I support County management and funding of only essential government services. Non essential services and organizations are most productive and efficient when they are operated and funded by the private sector.

Elaine Tucker
Cutbacks have been made to the bone in county services and organizations. If the public would accept no museums, no park maintenance, no traffic control, etc., more could be done. Quality of life would then suffer for all and this would certainly adversely affect attracting new businesses and residents to our area.

LPOC Comments
Okaloosa is nowhere near cutting government down to size, and every service and organization needs to be made smaller, reorganized or eliminated in favor of the free market. The great happy surprise facing Okaloosa is when everyone realizes, once the crutches of government paralysis are gone, they can walk better than before.

10) What would you do if faced with a state or federal unfunded mandate?

Don Amunds
Mandates are usually unfair, passing the financial responsibility off to the county. Our Department of Juvenile Justice facility here locally is a prime example. The legislature mandated that Okaloosa and Walton Counties pay $980,000 per year to fund personnel and maintenance costs and general operations of that facility. I would try to challenge any mandate hopefully before it comes down by using lobbyists and citizen initiatives.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
Unfunded mandates are like being told to “make bricks without straw, as the Pharaoh told enslaved Israel” I would say we will make bricks, but no more than the quota. We are constantly faced with unfunded mandates. Some come as a part of grant. Others like the Federal Non Point Discharge Elimination System (NDPES) emerged after 20 years of lawsuits and public hearings. Created inside this program is a permit process that required city, county and state governments to meet thirty milestones over a series of six five year renewal periods. Or staff signed us up for all thirty rather than the minimum required of six for the first peri*

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
This is a subject that would take more than 650 words to really answer.It matters what the mandate mandated. Unfunded mandates are the thorn in the side of all local governments. It is the easiest way for Federal or State Officials to raise your taxes and make someone else do the dirty work. I would ask all voters to make their voices heard in the State and Federal elections…no more unfunded mandates. Stop spreading federal and state money to local governments, reduce your spending and let local government fund local projects.

Tom Tona
The question is a bit vague, but as a general rule I would be highly unobliging to any such request. I have little problem saying no to unreasonable requests and fortunately have been blessed with the verbal skills necessary to confront such a situation.

Elaine Tucker
Challenging unfunded mandates can be done and as a FULL TIME County Commissioner I will work hard to fight for Okaloosa County residents. Unfortunately, all too often our local media seems uninterested in covering these stories and highlighting the offending state or federal official.

LPOC Comments
Fight it. Fight it on the basis of law, on the basis of the enumerated powers in state and federal constitutions, and if necessary on the basis of nullifying the mandate by refusing to comply.

11) What do you think of the Charter County concept?

Don Amunds
There are pros and cons. It would provide better open transparency of our Constitutional officers. However, it will be difficult to pass without citizen initiative. The citizen’s initiative would make it a priority.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
Seeing the vehicle purchasing abuse of the former sheriff shows there needs to be a re-organization. Let all departments have meet Okaloosa County’s Purchasing and Financial policies. They are tough and complete. I have been audited by the Finance Department Grants Coordinator down to the penny. One time we had a two cent difference due to round-off problems on a four million dollar project. It was not accepted until the problem was cleared. We need to examine the various departments to eliminate duplicative services.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
In general I’m in favor of a Charter Government. If presented in the correct manner It allows for local control of your government. If applied incorrectly it just moves the problem from one area to another.

Tom Tona
In light of the recent shenanigans from some of our constitutional officers the idea of a charter government seems to make good sense. Having said that, I look at the existing counties in Florida with charters and do not see where they are performing any better than we are. That indicates to me that many of our problems are not the result of our form of government but rather a lack of responsible leadership. In short, I would support exploring a Charter government but I remain unconvinced, at this time, that our local problems would be abated by the change.

Elaine Tucker
Charter government is only different from Constitutional government in its limitations or restrictions, and in its implementation. I have studied this issue during my certification process as a County Commissioner. As we have just seen in Bell, CA, a Charter Government is not a cure all for fraud. I believe that public demand for Charter government has not been widespread in Okaloosa County and that it is and should be a citizen initiative. If the citizens created a Charter Commission and brought the issue to the voters I would support the effort and the decision 100%.

LPOC Comments
The ability to make changes to our form of government is an important aspect of freedom. Florida is lucky in that there is a statutory means for counties to reorganize themselves if the citizens see a need to do so. Freedom implies responsibility, and if there was a movement to change the county, the crafters of a new county government would need to take into account the American concept of a republic, and the maintenance of individual rights, free markets and limited government.

12) Should the county compel people, by force of law, to provide for others?

Don Amunds
I know of no circumstance where any citizen should be compelled to provide for others by force of law. Any “giving” should be done from the heart and no other reason.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
No.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
No, but it is the law to pay taxes. Please vote for those that believe that our tax money is your money. The government can and does disperse it as it pleases. The voters have the power to direct your government officials to stop. It’s called the vote. Use it wisely.

Tom Tona
No. Perhaps with the exception of inmates.

Elaine Tucker
No. Unfortunately when the economy goes down the need for assistance to nonprofits and charities increases. I believe that if everyone were to give a little time or money every week to a church, school, organization or charity the world would be a different place and the community would thrive.

LPOC Comments
No. Eliminate restrictions on individual action and enterprise and they will prosper. Compelling someone to pay for another’s welfare, especially when both get to vote on it, leads to a greater and greater number who will vote themselves entitlements from the labors of others. When government is out of the business of providing for individuals, the bonds of charity and community will grow again. Government should not let the poor wretch who has no connection to friends, family or community to perish, but it cannot be the unlimited partner of everyone. It is a myth of government that everyone can live at everyone else’s expense

13) Do you think the county economy will be stronger or weaker five years from now?

Don Amunds
I believe it will be in the beginning stages of recovery.

Danny Bennett
Did not respond

John Bergschneider
The current federal deficit, the oil disaster, Elgin’s loss of 48 F-35’s makes for a gloomy forecast. I see a stronger economy as we have weathered worse storms than this.

Dave Parisot
Did not respond

Dick Reinlie
The county is in a position to grow during the next five years. It is imperative during this growth period that we elect officials that will not let spending get out of control again.

It is also imperative during these next few years to shore up our economy, to find new industries and enterprises to relocate to our area., provide more jobs so that our children can come back to Okaloosa County to work and raise their children.

Tom Tona
Stronger. The opportunities that lie before us have never been greater in my lifetime. We the public are sick and tired of career politicians who are more concerned with protecting their political empires than serving the publics best interests. From the top to the bottom our leadership, or lack of, has failed us. Sadly enough, things had to get really bad before we could start the correction. On Nov. 2nd, we the people will once again plant the seeds of our future, and if we choose those seeds wisely, this spectacular garden we call Okaloosa County, will quickly bloom into recovery with a beauty and prosperity that is second to none.

Elaine Tucker
I believe in the power of positive thinking…people waste too much time and energy on negativity. Strong and proactive County Commissioners, like me, will act to ensure the strength of this community in the future. I believe that, barring any huge unknown disaster, our real estate market will begin to turn up. With the arrival of the 7th Special Forces and the JSF, along with the end to the environmental and media damage from the oil leak, our economy will grow stronger.

LPOC Comments
The economic growth engine of Okaloosa is dominated by two industries, the military and tourism. Military spending will have to be cut in the future as the federal government takes measures to handle the mountain of debt accumulated over the last 100 years. Tourism is dependent on spendable income, which will grow less as taxation nationwide explodes. Okaloosa needs to come to grips with the reality that less government is not only a good idea, it is necessary to spur growth in an age when growth will be hard to come by. If it does, the county will still be the best place to live in the country.

Libertarian 2011 Convention Proposal

2010-07-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Chairman J. J. Chairman J.J. 7 July 2010
The Libertarian Party of Florida
P.O. Box 3012
Winter Park, Florida, 32790
Dear Mr. Chairman,

This letter is the bid from Okaloosa County to host the Libertarian Party of Florida Convention in 2011.

Okaloosa County proposes the following:

Place:
The Emerald Grande Hotel, Destin. Besides being first class lodging, it has excellent conference rooms and support. It is surrounded by first class eating and drinking establishments, and overlooks the Destin Harbor, a truly beautiful view. The Emerald Grande is a well known and stately hotel that would make a strong public relations statement. http://www.emeraldgrande.com/, 850-337-8100

Date:
I am presuming a date in the spring, March or April, such as has been the case with past conventions. Okaloosa proposes a two day program, preferably on a non legal holiday, non major sporting event weekend.

Cost:
Conference rooms, as well as one, two, three and four bedroom condos are all available in the high rise Emerald Grande.

Conference rooms will cost $500 per day. It can be subdivided into smaller conference areas, and the Emerald Grande includes a separately located glass enclosed boardroom type meeting room as part of a Conference room rental. If 100 libertarians attend the next convention, this cost would come to $5 per person, per day, less if more people attend. The conference room is available March 5/6, and single days only 13 and 20 March. In April, single days only 13, 17, and 27 April.

The Emerald Grande also has a meeting room called the Charter Room, which is very large and comfortable, and has a 10th floor view of Choctawhatchee Bay. It costs $250 per day. It has a private bar as well as fireplaces. However, it cannot hold more than 50-75 people. It may serve as an alternative, or supplement, to the Conference room. The front of the Charter room can be seen in the YouTube video 2009-12-09 LPOC Speech.mp4. by Karl Denninger. The Charter room is available all dates in March and April 2011.

The best lodging deal is the four bedroom condo which has four individual bedrooms (with individual doorways and private bathrooms), as well as a common area. The four bedroom units are typically in the corners of the high rise Emerald Grande. One of the four bedrooms is equipped with bunk beds, so this may not suit all participants. It costs $395 per night. Divided by 5 participants (two using the bunk beds) the cost is $79 per night.

A three bedroom condo, again with individual bedrooms, bathrooms and a common area, costs $315 per night. One and two bedroom condos cost proportionately more.

Itinerary:

Day One (Sat)
Introductions
LPF officer reports
Constitution and Bylaws changes and votes
PM
Elections for LPF offices:
Evening Dinner with Guest Speaker:
Location: McGuires, across the street from EG

Dat 2(Sun)
Seminars

The LPOC further proposes the following items:
a) All conference bid proposals should be sent to all county chairs so as to solicit opinions, ideas and support . The date and time of the conference call to determine who wins the bid should be announced well ahead of time. Every county chair should be invited.
b) Proposed bylaw changes should be mailed to County Chairs approximately two weeks prior to the convention so as to prepare for and speed convention discussion and votes.
c) The convention room should be arranged by county with appropriate signs indicating counties present.
d) A trained Parliamentarian should conduct the votes to change the constitution and bylaws.
e) The LPF convention display materials (hotel banners, etc) should be taken out of storage and used, and the meeting place appropriately decorated for maximum public recognition. The public should be invited to the convention as much as is possible without degrading important party matters.
f) Notice of the convention should be sent to the maximum number of media outlets possible. There should be a media interview time/place so party officials or counties that wish to make public statements can do so.
g) Seminars on day two can cover topics such as the following:
- What Florida Issues will bring libertarian victory in 2012?
- Full slate- how to convince qualified people to run
- Libertarian contacts and donors – how to find them, how to keep them
- A libertarian economic program – how to attract the support of business
h) The day one guest speaker should be someone who can draw in people who are not registered libertarians. Okaloosa county suggests that one or more of the following people be contacted, and LPF funds be allocated, so as to determine their availability and cost as guest speakers in the spring of 2011. It is entirely possible that a guest speaker may ask for $5000 to appear, but a good guest speaker will draw in people who refuse to go to a libertarian convention now. Admission can be charged to the public, if necessary, and donated to the LPF to recoup costs. The media should be invited.

Walter Williams
Tom Woods
Drew Carey
Rand Paul
Clint Eastwood
Peter Schiff
Steve Forbes
Federal reserve Board Chair from Atlanta
Penn of Penn and Teller
Jacob Hornberger
Ron Paul
Any libertarian large business owner
Lew Rockwell
Charles Goyette
Heller from Heller vs Wash DC
CATO rep
Wayne Allen Roote
Bob Barr
Andrew Napolitano
Karen Kwiatkowski
Downsize DC rep
Jim Rogers
Marc Faber
Naomi Wolf

Sincerely,
Peter J. Blome, Chairman
The Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County
850-217-6590

LPOC EC Has New Member

2010-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

For personal reasons, Jeffrey Bullard and Ben Jurgens have resigned as Treasurer and Vice Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County effective 10 May 2010.

Before his resignation, Ben Jurgens participated with Pete Blome and Steve Copus in making two new appointments to the Executive Committee. Also effective 10 May 2010, Steve Copus became Vice Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County and Mike Maier became Treasurer in accordance with the Party bylaws, article 2, section 2b. Mike Maier's appointment ensures that the EC can form a quorum when needed.

Ben Jurgens and Jeff Bullard selflessly volunteered their time and effort, often without any public acknowledgement, and helped the LPOC to grow. Their service brought the benefits of libertarian ideas to their fellow citizens. Pete Blome wished both former EC members good luck, and thanked them on behalf of Okaloosa Libertarians for their dedication to individual rights, free markets and limited government. They remain valued members of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County.

The position of Secretary of the LPOC is now open. Any interested, registered libertarian is encouraged to apply. Contact Pete Blome at 850-217-6590 or info@libertarianpoc.org

The County Makes Nice About BP

2010-05-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

On May 3rd, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners held a public meeting to vote on declaring a state of emergency over the Deep Horizon oil well disaster.

By the time the meeting was over certain things were clear. We have an environmental disaster of epic proportions. The BP representative had questions shielded from him by our Commissioners. There was no commitment of resources to Okaloosa by BP, but we were told we should trust them. There was no estimated cost to the County. There was no public discussion of the effects or duration of the state of emergency.

They might as well have had the meeting in private. It quickly became apparent the idea was to get in step with the Governor’s executive order 1099 (declaration of emergency) and not worry about details. No public participation was asked for before the vote, even though it was held before a crowd. It passed quickly and unanimously.

The representative for British Petroleum Corporation was a Mr. Clayton Cochran. He spoke just long enough to say he was given authority to allocate resources to Okaloosa County and would work with the Okaloosa Emergency Operation Center on the next steps. When I asked Mr. Cochran, in the open meeting but after the Board approved the Declaration, exactly what those resources were, our County Commission, curiously, did all the talking for him. Their answer was they didn’t know, but they did know BP already gave $25 million to the State of Florida.

I’d have preferred if Mr. Cochran answered that question. If there is one thing I know about a situation like this, the BP representative was not there to protect the interests of Okaloosa. He was there to mitigate damage for those who employ him.

It is not the role of government to shield a corporation. It is governments role to hold liable those who damage others property and bring them to account.

The County Board’s actions will have other consequences, to be sure. A quick glance at executive order 1099 shows one immediate effect to be anti-gouging price controls. Who decides what is a fair price or gouging will, of course, be the government.

Price controls do not work, and only lead to criminalizing the free market, rationing (think gas lines and per car gallon limits), smuggling and shortages.

I asked the Board if there were going to be restrictions on individuals protecting their property from the oil in the water, and Commissioner Harris said no. But if push came to shove and the County needed, for example, oil containment booms, he said the Counties need would take priority over individuals.

I wonder how Commissioner Harris plans to make that happen. I wonder if he believes he can break a contract between two parties and if that is lawful or constitutional.

Another thing not discussed before the state of emergency was passed was the cost. The County was planning to foot the bill for a lot of emergency equipment, possibly for a very long time. When I asked about this, the answer was they didn’t know, but they did know BP was going to pay for it all. Call me skeptical, but I would be wary of the Counties plan to pay first and then trust a promise from BP.

Government has always acted in a cavalier manner when it comes to spending other people’s money. An emergency is no exception, but it is you and me that have to pay. And this emergency could cost us a lot.

Finally, I asked when the state of emergency would be over. Again, the answer was they didn’t know. I suppose it’s over when the government says it is over.

Our County Commissioners didn’t do the people of Okaloosa any favors this day.

To add insult to injury, those assembled listened to a phone conference with Secretary Michael Sole of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection who assured us that the duration of this disaster would be short and that there was no serious health risk from the oil in the water.

Yeah, and I have an oil well platform I’d like to sell you.

Mid-Bay boondoggle: Reconsider the costly road we are on

2010-04-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Published in the Destin Log, April 26, 2010 4:36 PM

In a month or two, the Okaloosa County Commission will cast its annual vote about one of the largest government financial enterprises in the county, the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority Budget.

The Mid-Bay Bridge, and the authority that runs it, are no minor matter. The tolls cost a regular bridge user $3 a day, or $15 a week, or $780 a year — even more if you are a visitor or do not use the SunPass system. This is a significant expense for anyone.

A key factor in this discussion is that the Bridge Authority financial report is “dependent to Okaloosa County” but the county decided sometime in the past to not include it in general purpose financial statements. This is because of accounting differences between the county and the Bridge Authority.

If it were included, the current Bridge Authority debt would represent more than a doubling of the total county commission liabilities, from $130.4 million to $291 million dollars. Future debts caused by funding the $190 million dollar road expansion currently under construction can only get bigger.

The key question to be asked about the road expansion is “will future road traffic justify such costs?”

I do not think so.

The idea that vehicular traffic will appreciably grow in the future is a flawed concept. It has fallen four years in a row.

America is undergoing fundamental economic change. The country as a whole is overburdened with a mountain of debt. Federal taxation is set to explode over the coming year.

The recession will continue to put a damper on summer vacation traffic, and fuel is likely to permanently go up in price in both real and nominal terms, which will reduce vehicular business and vacation traffic.

Furthermore, who knows what effect new auto regulations will have on people using their cars? Future government regulation of vehicles will probably make them more expensive, making them less available, and further reducing money left over for vacations and business travel.

The purpose of any government agency is to provide a service that the private sector cannot provide and to do so at the least cost. The best government services are those that are debt free and cost the user little.

Instead of adopting a strategy of keeping costs to a minimum, paying off debt, and then passing on the savings to those who work and use the bridge, the Bridge Authority has opted for a strategy of expansion.

It will prove to be a costly mistake, with greater debt and higher tolls in our future.

I ask you to consider:
•The bridge cost $67 million to build.
•$12 million dollars has been spent on tollbooth and access road expansions already.
•The bridge and road infrastructure costs roughly $3 million a year to operate and maintain.
•It takes in roughly $12 million dollars a year in tolls.
•It pays roughly $6 million dollars a year in interest payments, leaving $3 million a year to be used for capital projects that will cost $190 million.

If the Bridge Authority road expansion plans continue, there will be bigger government debts funded by fewer people paying tolls.

Mid-Bay Bridge Traffic will not be able to support the debts that the Bridge Authority is currently accumulating, at least not without another toll increase.

Instead of this situation, I propose the Bridge Authority finances be organized to pay off debt and lower tolls.

Had the bridge authority been organized in the past to pay off debt, it is conceivable the tolls could have been as small as 50 cents one way instead of the $1.50 they are now. This would have paid for operations and maintenance and even the accumulation of a prudent emergency fund.

I urge the BCC to review and make a determination about stopping the Capital Improvements Project, and save thousands of users the extra costs associated with high bridge tolls.

There is a real chance of having more road than we need.

The County needs to change assumptions about growth. Reorganize the Bridge Authority finances to pay off debt. Turn the bridge into a low-cost service to the county.

Remember, the only thing worse than having to pay a high toll, is for your kids to pay a higher one for underused roads.
Pete Blome is a Niceville resident and chairman of the Libertarian Party of Okaloosa County. The group’s Web site is libertarianpoc.org

Free the Taxpayer!

2010-03-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Editor:

Successful politicians avoid change like a plague. David Axelrod confirmed that on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” when he used perfect “think-speak” to argue that “eliminating tax cuts while adding in new middle-class tax cuts doesn’t mean raising taxes.” He also argued how it was important that some, but not all, people get some relief now.

How paternalistic! Almost 50% of our population has 100% relief from income taxes already! They are beholden to the government for their Earned Income Credit.

I believe that it is time for the rest of us to receive our 100% relief from personal income taxes! Are we surprised when heavily taxed New Yorkers move to Florida where there is no income tax? No. If America had no personal or corporate income taxes, would we be surprised to see the most productive people and largest corporations from around the world relocating to America?

Mr. Axelrod’s message was not for change, just a little fine tuning. All Americans deserve a better, bolder response than this from a team that ran on a platform of change. In Congress there is a bill to do just that. It is the Fair Tax, a bold major restructuring of how we the people would pay taxes. You would control when you paid this tax, not the IRS. There would be no IRS. When you bought something, you would pay this national sales tax. When you saved money no taxes would be paid. Wealthier people would pay more, less wealthy less and the poorest would receive a monthly pre-bate of the taxes on their necessities.

Act quickly! Inform your Representatives and Senators that we want bold change that will free the taxpayer from the politics as usual of economic manipulation! Adopt the Fair Tax!

Lee Jackson
2009