Date: September 13th 2008

Lone Star Liberty newsletter:
the monthly newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Texas, www.LPTexas.org

September 2008
Over 1800 subscribers

Please donate at http://lptexas.org/membership.shtml

1. MCBAMA MISSES TEXAS BALLOT DEADLINE
2. SLECT MEETING CANCELLED
3. YVONNE SCHICK IN DEBATE
4. COMMON GROUND - US CONSTITUTION
5. DR LARK COMING TO AUSTIN
6. RON PAUL ENDORSEMENTS
7. TARRANT ELECTION NIGHT PARTY
8. TRAVIS ELECTION NIGHT PARTY
9. REAL ID IN TEXAS
10. GRICHA RAETHER ON UNIVISION
11. IMMIGRATION DEBATE ON YOUTUBE
12. WES AND HIS $46 UNDERWEAR
13. PAT DIXON FIGHTS EMINENT DOMAIN
14. RESTORING THE HEART OF AMERICA
15. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
16. SCHEDULE OF IMPORTANT DATES

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1. MCBAMA MISSES TEXAS BALLOT DEADLINE

This newsletter was intentionally delayed to bring you the latest update on this.

The Libertarian Party has suffered from unreasonable ballot access laws throughout its history. Sometimes we are excluded from the ballot for exacting interpretations of state laws.

Texas has a deadline of Aug 26 to file candidates for the 2008 presidential ballot. The Libertarian Party had its paperwork filed well in advance. Barack Obama and John McCain missed this deadline. The secretary of state has indicated that they will ignore the law and place Obama and McCain on the Texas ballot.

On Monday a lawsuit will be filed against the secretary of state for ignoring Texas law. We do not stand for disenfranchisement, but laws need to be applied equally regardless of party.

The staff of the Texas LP has been working long hours on this and would appreciate your support. Because of their work they have not had as much time to work on fund raising and we need your support to keep them working. Please consider a contribution by visiting http://lptexas.org/membership.shtml.

We also want to thank members of the Green Party Debbie Russell and Kat Swift for their assistance, as well as Linda Curtis of Independent Texans. There are many outside the party who want the secretary of state to follow the law.

Additional information can be found here:
http://campaign.blog.bobbarr2008.com/2008/09/04/in-texas-the-evidence-is-clear/

Below is a letter to the editor that the Vice-chair of the Taylor County LP Fred Jones had published in the Abilene newspaper, including a comment from the editor. We believe the comments of the editor are inconsistent with Texas law:

Fred Jones, Vice-Chair, Taylor county

Bob Barr's name is on the ballot

Since the Republican Party and Democratic Party have missed the Aug 26 deadline to file to have their presidential candidates on the Texas ballot in this November's general election, Bob Barr will be the only name on it for us to vote for.
Of course, this geartens us Libertarians who have fought so hard for ballot access and for easier ballot access for all others, but we are continually beaten in this effort by the Republican Party of Texas' efforts. The Democratic Party of Texas has been much kinder to us all.
We have earned this place on the Texas ballot by our honest and legal filings and observance of Texas state law. Further shenanigans by the Republicans cncerning this situation will be met with legal challenges and revelation of their tactics. The state law concerning this filing for the November ballot is clear.
I'm proud to be a supporter of Bob Barr for president - the only real conservative candidate.

Editor's note: The Republican and Democratic presidential nominees will be on the ballot. The state party chairs filed paperwork before the deadline and will file amended papers after each of the respective conventions, according to the Texas Secretary of State's office

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2. SLECT MEETING CANCELLED

The Sept 13 meeting of the State Libertarian party Executive Committee of Texas (SLECT) was cancelled due to hurricane Ike. The meeting will be rescheduled at a later time and will be mentioned in next month's newsletter.

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3. YVONNE SCHICK IN DEBATE

Libertarian Party of Texas US Senate candidate Yvonne Schick will be included in a televised debate with John Cornyn and Rick Noriega on Oct 9 in Houston. You are encouraged to contact your local public television station to request they broadcast this debate.

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4. COMMON GROUND - US CONSTITUTION

On Saturday Sept 20 at 6 PM the Harris County Libertarian Party will host an anniversary celebration of the US Constitution. This will be the fourth annual Common Ground meeting which was created by Harris County LP chair Guy McLendon. Speakers include - Paul Jacob (http://www.FreePaulJacob.com/) who was charged with a felony for collecting ballot petition signatures in Oklahoma for the Libertarian Party
- Linda Curtis, founder of Independent Texans (http://www.indytexans.org/)

Event details can be found at
http://libertarian.meetup.com/276/calendar/8216539/

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5. DR LARK COMING TO AUSTIN

On Sept 22 former Libertarian Party national chair Jim Lark will be making a presentation at the University of Texas in Austin. The presentation will be at 7 PM in the ETC building and is hosted by the student group Libertarian Longhorns. For more information, contact Norman Horn at normanh@mail.utexas.edu or check the following websites:
http://libertarianlonghorns.blogspot.com/
http://utexas.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2202805240

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6. RON PAUL ENDORSEMENTS

Congressman Ron Paul has formally endorsed several Libertarians running for office this year. His office has announced that he will not endorse anyone running against an incumbent Republican "as of now".

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7. TARRANT ELECTION NIGHT PARTY

The Tarrant County Libertarian Party (http://www.tarrantlp.org/) will host an election night party in Grapevine. See the message below:

I wanted to let you know that we're having a BLOWOUT of an Election Night Returns Watching Party in Grapevine (by DFW Airport) at the most appropriately named venue I could find -  "Love and War in Texas".  So, on Tuesday, November 4th starting at 6:30 we'll have the run of the venue and the use of their stage, lights, theater sized screen and projector, PA system, multiple flat screen TVs - (they're set up for nice sized country music concerts).  We would be honored for you to attend!
 
For $20, each attendee will get some great food at the 'Fajita and Tex-Mex Buffet', be eligible for some incredible donated doorprizes and will enjoy great music, videos, live news feeds, awards (!) - and I would like to try to get a hookup (via internet video chat - most likely) between Bob Barr's campaign party - AND Yvonne Schick's, if she doesn't come here!!!  Yvonne - I may have to chat with you you to set things up - all you need is a video camera, laptop and a high speed internet hook up. 
 
Of course, we'll have candidate speeches too - mostly acceptance speeches :)   - as well as cheers and boos and friendship in liberty all around. 
 
The name of the party is "You Can't Stop Freedom!" - and you can get more information here.  http://libertarian.meetup.com/388/calendar/8654306/
 
I just put it on the meetup about a day ago and we're getting a lot of RSVP 'Yes' replies.  We'll have the ability to purchase tickets online very soon - but in the mean time, you can purchase/reserve tickets by calling 817-416-6897!!!  If you know of folks in the area that are in surrounding counties (I'm going to be clobbering Dallas, Denton, Collin - and of course, Tarrant) that may like to attend please pass them the word!!!
 
Lastly, I needed to let Wes and Art know that the new Tarrant LP website is up and going!!  It's really incredible so far and is the result of a few really talented folks in the Tarrant LP!  http://www.tarrantlp.org. ; If you could change references on the TXLP website to link to this, I would really appreciate it! 
 
Thank you in advance for passing this along to interested party-goers and for changing the info on the Texas LP website!
 
John Spivey
Chair, Tarrant County LP
 
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8. TRAVIS ELECTION NIGHT PARTY

The Travis County Libertarian Party will hold its election night party at Third Base located at 1717 West 6th St, just east of the Mopac ramp on West 6th St. It will begin at around 7 PM on Tuesday Nov 4. Free admission, just show up and party with us. Their website is http://thirdbaseaustin.com/.

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9. REAL ID IN TEXAS

The following letter is from the 5-11 campaign to oppose Real ID in Texas. Their website is http://511campaign.org/:

Dear Libertarians of Texas,

In the upcoming legislative session, the 5-11 Campaign will be introducing a bill to drive Real ID's to a grinding halt.  We need your political backing to stop the progress of Real ID's during the session.

With your help the 5-11 Campaign will advocate with the Libertarian Party of Texas on Real IDs by adding our issue to the November election debates. 

Now is the most important time to create a discussion of how we can advance our goals to quit this disservice to the American people's privacy and identity security and to know where we stand on this issue.

Libertarian's Bob Barr, Jim Stutsman and Yvonne Schick are now volleying for a complete stop to a future with a de facto National ID and the privacy and identity abuses which are continually cropping up with increased demands on our citizenship.

According to Yvonne Schick, Texas Libertarian candidate for Senate, "We won't lose our civil liberties in one fell swoop.  They will be whittled away in small increments; baby steps toward a total loss of freedom.  Real ID is one more step toward a totalitarian police state.  It is imperative we draw the line and where better to draw it than Texas.  We won't stand alone.  The Governor of Montana and representatives in other states are taking a stand.  This is an issue where Libertarian candidates can distinguish our campaigns in candidate forums and interviews.  The Libertarian Platform takes a position against national ID or Real ID cards and the major parties do not.  I support the 5-11 Campaign, I will include this issue in my campaign, and I urge others to do so as well."

In fairness, you should know where we stand on Real IDs and what we are asking of governing leaders.
 
We, representing a broad and diverse coalition of national organizations, urge the upcoming and current Administration to oppose the attempts of state motor vehicle officials to create a national identification system (national ID) through the bureaucratic back door of state drivers' licenses.  We are also working with transportation unions to stop the commercial driver and maritime worker from losing their jobs due to refusal to submit applications or identity documents for  Enhanced Driver's Licenses, Smart Cards and the TWIC program.  Most of the business of Real ID serves the interests of the Western Hemisphere Travel  Initiative or WHTI.   WHTI will create stiff movement limitations on where we go on the basis of proof of citizenship. 

WHTI, The Patriot Act and The Real ID Act are being used to retain the identities of anyone crossing our borders for up to 75 years in an identity database system. Such a system is now being built by AAMVA to create an national ID system for the U.S. citizen.

One reaction to the terrible events of September 11 was renewed discussion about instituting a national ID card as a counter-terrorism measure. The creation of a national ID card or system is a misplaced, superficial "quick fix" to the terrorist threat. A national ID system would not effectively deter terrorists and, instead, would pose serious threats to the rights of freedom and equality of everyone in the United States.

Although national ID proposals received fierce debate in the fall, the Administration and Congress wisely rejected them. Direct passage of a national ID card, however, is only one possible path to such a system. A national ID would more likely evolve bureaucratically through existing forms of ID, such as state drivers' licenses.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) is now building a database hub with funding from the federal government to standardize state drivers' licenses.

This plan would establish a national ID and an unparalleled system of personal information sharing.

We urge you to reject this proposal because:

A national ID would not prevent terrorism. An identity card is only as good as the information that establishes identity in the first place. Terrorists and criminals will continue to be able to obtain -- by legal and illegal means -- the documents needed to get a government ID, such as birth certificates and social security numbers. A national ID would create a false sense of security because it would enable individuals with an ID -- who may in fact be terrorists -- to avoid heightened security measures.

A national ID would depend on a massive bureaucracy that would limit our basic freedoms. A national ID system would depend on both the issuance of an ID card and the integration of huge amounts of personal information included in state and federal government databases. One employee mistake, an underlying database error rate, or common fraud could take away an individual's ability to move freely from place to place or even make them unemployable until the government fixed their "file." Anyone who has attempted to fix errors in their credit report can imagine the difficulty of causing an overextended government agency such as the department of motor vehicles to correct a mistake that precludes a person from getting a valid ID.
A national ID would be expensive and direct resources away from other more effective counterterrorism measures. The costs of a national ID system have been estimated at as much as $9 billion. Even more troubling, a national ID system mandated through state agencies would burden states who may have more effective ways to fight terrorism and strengthen ID systems.

A national ID would both contribute to identity fraud and make it more difficult to remedy. Americans have consistently rejected the idea of a national ID and limited the uses of data collected by the government. In the 1970s, both the Nixon and Carter Administrations rejected the use of social security numbers as a uniform identifier because of privacy concerns. A national ID would be "one stop shopping" for perpetrators of identity theft who usually use social security numbers and birth certificates for false IDs (not drivers' licenses). Even with a biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint, on every ID, there is no guarantee that individuals won't be identified,  or misidentified in error. The accuracy of biometric technology varies depending on the type and implementation. And, it would be even more difficult to remedy identity fraud when a thief has a National ID card with your name on it, but his biometric identifier.

A national ID could require all Americans to carry an internal passport at all times, compromising our privacy, limiting our freedom, and exposing us to unfair discrimination based on national origin or religion. Once government databases are integrated through a uniform ID, access to and uses of sensitive personal information would inevitably expand. Law enforcement, tax collectors, and other government agencies would want use of the data. Employers, landlords, insurers, credit agencies, mortgage brokers, direct mailers, private investigators, civil litigants, and a long list of other private parties would also begin using the ID and even the database, further eroding the privacy that Americans rightly expect in their personal lives. It would take us even further toward a surveillance society that would significantly diminish the freedom and privacy of law-abiding people in the United States. A national ID would foster new forms of discrimination and harassment. The ID could
be used to stop, question, or challenge anyone perceived as looking or sounding "foreign" or individuals of a certain religious affiliation.

The Fiscal Year 2002 House Transportation Appropriations' report encourages the Department to study and define "the types of encoded data that should be placed on drivers' licenses for security purposes, and to work in concert with the states toward early implementation of such measures." These guidelines would be the first step toward federal involvement in the standardization of state drivers' licenses and the implementation of a national ID. We urge you to make recommendations that would provide the states with a series of security options rather than one uniform standard that could lead to a national ID.
Please note that both biometrics and RFID consumer technologies have performed poorly for the purposes of identity.  

We urge the leaders to reject national ID systems in any form. Elected officials should not take any steps to implement such a system or fund any proposals that would result in a national ID, including the study or development of standardized state drivers' licenses.
There are more effective methods to prevent terrorism that would not impact the liberty interests of Texans and all Americans.

We urge you to add your voice to ours, to be available to inform constituents of your position on Real IDs and get behind our bill.

For Texas,

The 5-11 Campaign

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10. GRICHA RAETHER ON UNIVISION

Libertarian candidate for US Congress district 15 Gricha Raether (http://www.gricharaether.com/) has been featured in interviews on the Spanish speaking television network Univision. These interviews have been posted on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI50HxHwVf8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ud6LW9ayVA

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11. IMMIGRATION DEBATE ON YOUTUBE

Wes Benedict and Pat Dixon role play in an immigration debate on the weekly show Live and Let Live hosted by the Travis County Libertarian Party:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2996356572811535416

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12. WES AND HIS $46 UNDERWEAR

Here's a YouTube video of Wes Benedict's recent testimony before the Austin City 
Council regarding Prop 2, Stop Domain Subsidies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvDBWneJhdg
http://www.stopdomainsubsidies.com/

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13. PAT DIXON FIGHTS EMINENT DOMAIN

State Chair and Lago Vista city council member Pat Dixon has been fighting against eminent domain abuse. The headline story in the local newspaper tells part of the story, see www.PatDixon.org for details.

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14. RESTORING THE HEART OF AMERICA

The following organization contacted the Libertarian Party of Texas regarding their new initiative:

My name is Tim Shaw and I am working for a non-profit organization called Restoring the Heart of America. Our mission is to educate Americans about the original vision of the U.S. Constitution and the rights, liberties, and responsibilities it secures for them. We feel this education should be available to everyone, and it is my pleasure to offer to your members and supporters Restoring the Heart of America's free weekly newsletter on the U.S. Constitution and its relevance today. Your members and supporters will also receive a free PDF of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and one chapter of the book "Restoring the Heart of America – A return to government by the people" by Clyde Cleveland and Edward Noyes.
www.restoringtheheartofamerica.com

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15. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

I have never considered myself a political expert. I have worked on several campaigns, been elected, been unelected, then reelected. That doesn't make me a Karl Rove or James Carville.

We often second guess what a candidate should or should not do. Recently Ron Paul held a press conference asking voters to support candidates other than McCain and Obama. He invited Ralph Nader, Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin, and Cynthia McKinney. Bob Barr declined the invitation and held a press conference later inviting Ron Paul to be his running mate.

There has been much discussion of whether this was a wise move by the Barr campaign.

It should be noted that Bob Barr also worked on a resolution last year passed by the Libertarian Party national committee inviting Ron Paul to seek the party's presidential nomination.

As we get closer to election day, interest in the campaigns grows and the debate over tactics intensifies. This can tend to divide us.

While the carefully choreographed conventions of our opponents do not display division, it is there.  The RNC had a competing convention in the same town with Ron Paul that was well attended.  Surveys say that 20% of Clinton supporters will not support Obama. Remember the riots of the 1968 DNC convention or the polarization of the Goldwater/Rockefeller convention of 1964.  You can go all the way back to George Washington having to deal with Jefferson, Madison, and Adams in his cabinet.  As you know, politics is emotional and infighting occurs.  

My policy has always been that our party recruits and nominates our candidates and we do not micro-manage their campaigns. I deeply respect those that work for liberty and place their names on the ballot next to "LIBERTARIAN". Only time will tell how the decisions made in these campaigns will lead to the results on Nov 4.

We need your support as we get closer to Nov 4. We want to get you the yard signs, bumper stickers, door hangers, and other materials to help you get record results on election day. Please consider making a donation at http://lptexas.org/membership.shtml

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16. SCHEDULE OF IMPORTANT DATES:

Sept 20 US Consititution 221 anniversary - Common Ground
http://libertarian.meetup.com/276/calendar/8216539/

Texas LP State Committeee (SLECT) meeting: To be determined

Oct 9 US Senate debate with Yvonne Schick, John Cornyn, Rick Noriega

Tuesday November 4: General election date, get out and vote!
Tarrant County Election night party, http://libertarian.meetup.com/388/calendar/8654306/
Travis County election night party, 7 PM, www.ThirdBaseAustin.com