Friday, May 10, 2013
Back again. Did you miss me? ;)
Wow, well I haven't blogged in a long time. I just finally got this app on my cell, and I hope to blog here rather than just posting on Facebook.
I can't sleep to tonight. The typical libertarian woes swimming in my head. One would assume after discussing something enough I could move on. Yet I wake up to the same world, filled with the same injustices day in and day out. It's a wonder I haven't been institutionalized yet ;)
So a warning now? This blog is my vent outlet. My soap box. And if some of you enjoy reading it, well that is icing on the cake. Thank you and enjoy.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
SOTU - Responses
Gary Johnson:
My statement responding to the President's SOTU address:
"What we didn’t hear tonight was a President telling the truth about the real state of the Union: that we are broke -- and that he and the Congress are succeeding only in digging us deeper into a financial hole that is, in reality, the single greatest threat to the nation’s well-being.
“Rather, we once again heard the tired argument that the challenges we face can somehow best be met by more government that costs more and taxes more. We’ve tried that. In fact, we’ve tried it so hard and so long that we have a debt totaling more than $90,000 for every worker in America.
“And while he spent an hour laying out a mind-boggling list of things the government should do, from ‘investing’ in infrastructure, technology and energy to helping parents pick the best college for their kids, he assured us his plans will not increase the deficit by ‘a single dime’.
“That is absurd on its face, and could only be based on the same arithmetic that has given us a $16 Trillion debt.
“Once again, we witnessed a great political performance wrapped around promises that shouldn’t be made in the first place, and that we certainly cannot afford to keep.”
Watch the video of the LP's official response:
My statement responding to the President's SOTU address:
"What we didn’t hear tonight was a President telling the truth about the real state of the Union: that we are broke -- and that he and the Congress are succeeding only in digging us deeper into a financial hole that is, in reality, the single greatest threat to the nation’s well-being.
“Rather, we once again heard the tired argument that the challenges we face can somehow best be met by more government that costs more and taxes more. We’ve tried that. In fact, we’ve tried it so hard and so long that we have a debt totaling more than $90,000 for every worker in America.
“And while he spent an hour laying out a mind-boggling list of things the government should do, from ‘investing’ in infrastructure, technology and energy to helping parents pick the best college for their kids, he assured us his plans will not increase the deficit by ‘a single dime’.
“That is absurd on its face, and could only be based on the same arithmetic that has given us a $16 Trillion debt.
“Once again, we witnessed a great political performance wrapped around promises that shouldn’t be made in the first place, and that we certainly cannot afford to keep.”
Watch the video of the LP's official response:
TSA at it Again
Abolish the TSA!
http://www.infowars.com/man-sues-tsa-for-5-million-following-peanut-butter-arrest/
http://www.infowars.com/man-sues-tsa-for-5-million-following-peanut-butter-arrest/
Federally Legal Hemp A Possibility In 2013 | The Joint BlogThe Joint Blog
"The possibility of legal hemp production in America has been gaining momentum over the past several months, and the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 – House Bill 525 – is seeking to make it a reality."
Federally Legal Hemp A Possibility In 2013 | The Joint BlogThe Joint Blog
Federally Legal Hemp A Possibility In 2013 | The Joint BlogThe Joint Blog
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Our Moral Void
I was invited by a friend to write an article for one of the local universities. Great! I thought. A chance to reach out to college students. It was supposed to be a community perspective. I was expecting to hear that this or that sentence needed the punctuation changed. No big deal. I'm not vain. However, when I got feedback from the editorial board, it was that this, this, and this are blanket statements. Me? Blanket statements? So I read and reread what I wrote. It became clear to me that they didn't want a wide array of opinions. What they called blanketing statements, just seemed like things they disagreed with or didn't understand. So here it is. With my personal notes on each one. You tell me.
Our Moral Void: The
Problem of Violence in America
There are certainly
many factors to consider when addressing the problem of violence in America:
demographics, median income, number of single family households, gang
membership, etc. One thing is certain, violent criminals hold no sanctity for
human life. (This was supposedly a blanketing statement. Do you agree? Can you
murder someone, and still hold human life to be sacred? I don’t think if a
criminal holds his child’s life sacred, and then goes and kills a stranger that
he holds human life sacred. That’s my opinion, and I’m interested to know how
many people disagree.) It’s my belief that instead of attempting to legislate
our troubles away, we should instead go to the source of our problem: we are
facing a fundamental break down in the fabric of society. Our children are not
being taught the Golden Rule; they are not being taught to love their neighbor.
(I was told this is a blanket statement. Maybe it is. With a 400 word limit, I was trying to keep the premise simple. I worded it this way for the sake of brevity. Was hyperbole in an opinion piece that unconscionable? How many kids today are
being taught the golden rule? Children are not being taught this in public
schools. Many children come from homes where the parents are not religious, or
are busy working to provide for their families. I could change this to 'too few' children today are being taught the golden rule. Would that be acceptable? Do
you disagree?)
Part of my work as a
mom and political activist is to teach others about personal sovereignty and
the Non-Aggression Principle. The N.A.P. is an ethical stance which denounces
any use of aggression (violent force, fraud, or the threat of such) as immoral
and illegitimate, except in the employment of self-defense. These principles
hold individual human life to be sacred above all else. Imagine what our nation
would look like if we all followed such an ethic! Additionally, the N.A.P goes
hand in hand with Christianity and many other peace-oriented religions.
It is in the tradition
of our nation to not only own a gun, but to be well trained in its use. (I was
told this was also a blanket statement. Not all Americans own guns. Obviously
what I meant was that it is part of American heritage. If you read much about
our founding, guns were a big part of our culture. In many states men were
required to join militias. In some states they were even required to bring
their guns with them to church. In DC v Heller referenced below, Justice Scalia
goes into some detail about our national heritage. This is a fact. However, I
understand how it could make some anti-gun folks uncomfortable. For that I will
not apologize. Some people today wish to distance our current culture from our
founding values. I think it’s deplorable. If you continue reading it is clear I am talking about heritage going back centuries, and not about each and every single American today. That being said, as someone who has lived outside of our country, I can tell you that guns are part of our heritage whether every American likes this idea or not.) Without this fundamental tradition,
our nation would never have been founded. In the 2008 Supreme Court ruling in
the case of the District of Columbia vs
Heller, Justice Scalia writes that owning a gun is a pre-existing right.
Further he states that this right is among the highest, especially in defense
of “hearth and home”.
Rather than take guns
away from responsible, law abiding citizens (effectively erasing part of our
country’s heritage), I believe it’s more prudent to attack the source of our
societal woes. Each of us can do our part. Whether it’s reaching out to a
friend or neighbor who needs help, or becoming a mentor for a young child, the
most important thing we can do is to be a good example to others. Advocating
for peace and brotherhood using such principles as the N.A.P and the Golden
Rule is key in fighting violence in America.
So what did I learn? I learned that just because I value all perspectives, it does not mean that others do. I find it despicable that our universities have crowded out freedom of thought in this way. If your opinion isn't p.c. it isn't welcomed. I had already learned that. I think I was just so excited to write about the NAP that I didn't think it through. And then again, maybe I'm out of line.
Do you think what I said was blanket statements. Was I not clear? Is opinion not acceptable in a university paper? I'm always ready to admit I was wrong. Yet as I calm down, and think, well maybe if I just change this word or that...I get fired up again. Why should someone have to temper their beliefs so that they don't offend or provoke thought in another? Maybe that is the real issue at hand.
In the end, if they think they are blanketing statements, they don't have to use my piece. That's okay. I will not change it though. I meant what I said. You want my opinion on violence in America, there it is. We have to teach our children to value human life (yes all life, not just the lives of people they care about).
-ONE LOVE-
Update: Okay, so I did make some small changes that I felt comfortable with. I swapped in a couple synonyms and made a disclaimer that it's a peace activist's perspective (that violent criminals don't hold life to be sacred). Hopefully this will work out so that they use it. By the way, my rant about universities was about ALL universities...I just wanted to clarify that. It's not a problem with any one school or set of faculty. I hope my post came across, not as a vengeful rant, but as a discussion on the current state of our national culture.
Update: Okay, so I did make some small changes that I felt comfortable with. I swapped in a couple synonyms and made a disclaimer that it's a peace activist's perspective (that violent criminals don't hold life to be sacred). Hopefully this will work out so that they use it. By the way, my rant about universities was about ALL universities...I just wanted to clarify that. It's not a problem with any one school or set of faculty. I hope my post came across, not as a vengeful rant, but as a discussion on the current state of our national culture.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Umatilla County Libertarians Newspaper Issue #1
The Umatilla County Libertarians Newspaper Issue #1
29 January 2013
The Umatilla County Libertarians is a Facebook group for Libertarians and other parties, like Democrats and Republicans, who are interested in Libertarian Principles and what is going on in Umatilla County. The group can be found by searching facebook for: "Umatilla County Libertarians". It is open to all to view, but to comment requires joining. Just ask!
------------------------------
http://www.pendleton.or.us/
Over the last seven years Pendleton has been on a borrowing-and-spending binge. This has been implemented through the Pendleton Development Commission (PDC), a component unit of the City of Pendleton, and composed of the City Council members It was established seven years ago and has been borrowing from Community Bank and Banner Bank ever since . Its plan is to borrow money and then GIVE it to downtown businesses so that they can fix up their properties. Then, the city thinks they can raise taxes on these properties to pay for the loans.
This is against Libertarian Principles. Libertarians are opposed to public monies being used to benefit individuals, as an example, Al Plute received $460,000 to fix up his St. George Apt. (the old Temple Hotel.)
Libertarians also believe in private enterprise. Individuals who want to fix up their properties should go to the bank in their own car and borrow their own money. It is not the proper role of government to give businesses or non-proffit organizations money.
There is also a question of the viability of the cities repayment scheme of raising taxes. Already, one 'major corporation' is appealing its tax increase.
So far the PDC has been able to make their loan payments by borrowing even more! The PDC re-negotiated its debt with Banner Bank to borrow even more, from $1.5 million to $2.5 million at 5.5% and extended the repayment date to 9/20/2012. As of the date of the audit, there was only $1.825 million for repayment. So the repayment date was re-negotiated to 12/30/2012. This will probably come to a head in a year or two.
Within the link above is a letter from the PDC's auditor, Dickey and Tremper,LLP which states in part, "We noted certain matters that we reported to management of the Agency, in a separate letter dated December 21,2012." That letter has not been found to be publicly available.
------------------------------
http://www.eastoregonian.com/
The East Oregonian had an article "Public library can't access its donations, money going to airport"
Libertarian Comment: Every year, the airport loses money. So every year, the losses are covered by borrowing from the library. They are at $640k. The Library wants their money back. The airport needs to borrow more....
.... where there is money, there will be sticky fingers. (We had better put the sewer fund under lock and key!)
------------------------------
Breaking News 1/29/2013 Noon. William Sparkman and his Liberty on a road trip and are presently in Portland. It is rumored that he will be heading east on I-84 to cirlce back through Utah to the Great State of Texas. I (Mike Montchalin) sent him a note to see if he will stop in the Pendleton/Walla Walla/ Hermiston area. He was instrumental in returning the Libertarian Party to its founding principles at the 2012 convention in Las Vegas.
------------------------------
Printed and distributed by Mike Montchalin at my own expense. On Facebook as Mike Montchalin mike.montchalin@gmail.com
29 January 2013
The Umatilla County Libertarians is a Facebook group for Libertarians and other parties, like Democrats and Republicans, who are interested in Libertarian Principles and what is going on in Umatilla County. The group can be found by searching facebook for: "Umatilla County Libertarians". It is open to all to view, but to comment requires joining. Just ask!
------------------------------
http://www.pendleton.or.us/
Over the last seven years Pendleton has been on a borrowing-and-spending binge. This has been implemented through the Pendleton Development Commission (PDC), a component unit of the City of Pendleton, and composed of the City Council members It was established seven years ago and has been borrowing from Community Bank and Banner Bank ever since . Its plan is to borrow money and then GIVE it to downtown businesses so that they can fix up their properties. Then, the city thinks they can raise taxes on these properties to pay for the loans.
This is against Libertarian Principles. Libertarians are opposed to public monies being used to benefit individuals, as an example, Al Plute received $460,000 to fix up his St. George Apt. (the old Temple Hotel.)
Libertarians also believe in private enterprise. Individuals who want to fix up their properties should go to the bank in their own car and borrow their own money. It is not the proper role of government to give businesses or non-proffit organizations money.
There is also a question of the viability of the cities repayment scheme of raising taxes. Already, one 'major corporation' is appealing its tax increase.
So far the PDC has been able to make their loan payments by borrowing even more! The PDC re-negotiated its debt with Banner Bank to borrow even more, from $1.5 million to $2.5 million at 5.5% and extended the repayment date to 9/20/2012. As of the date of the audit, there was only $1.825 million for repayment. So the repayment date was re-negotiated to 12/30/2012. This will probably come to a head in a year or two.
Within the link above is a letter from the PDC's auditor, Dickey and Tremper,LLP which states in part, "We noted certain matters that we reported to management of the Agency, in a separate letter dated December 21,2012." That letter has not been found to be publicly available.
------------------------------
http://www.eastoregonian.com/
The East Oregonian had an article "Public library can't access its donations, money going to airport"
Libertarian Comment: Every year, the airport loses money. So every year, the losses are covered by borrowing from the library. They are at $640k. The Library wants their money back. The airport needs to borrow more....
.... where there is money, there will be sticky fingers. (We had better put the sewer fund under lock and key!)
------------------------------
Breaking News 1/29/2013 Noon. William Sparkman and his Liberty on a road trip and are presently in Portland. It is rumored that he will be heading east on I-84 to cirlce back through Utah to the Great State of Texas. I (Mike Montchalin) sent him a note to see if he will stop in the Pendleton/Walla Walla/ Hermiston area. He was instrumental in returning the Libertarian Party to its founding principles at the 2012 convention in Las Vegas.
------------------------------
Printed and distributed by Mike Montchalin at my own expense. On Facebook as Mike Montchalin mike.montchalin@gmail.com
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Reason: NY Cops Outraged New Gun Laws May Apply to Law Enforcement
"As a law enforcement officer for over 20 years, I understand the importance of instituting a new policy on mandating the limits of bullets that a regular citizen can possess, but as a matter of fact the bad guys are not going to follow this law," said Norman Seabrook, president of the correction officers union, the city's second largest.
"The way the current legislation is drafted, it actually handcuffs the law enforcement community from having the necessary ammunition needed to save lives," he said. "We must not allow this to happen."
Read the story here
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