Sports? One Week Before The Election?

You bet. Sports is escapism, after all, and when in the thick of the election season, sometimes an escape is exactly what you need.

The policital and libertarian blogging will resume shortly.

Idiocy in Sports Revelry

I'm not quite sure where or when the notion came to pass that victory by your team meant license to become temprary anarchists. It's high time the victory intoxicated mob nonsense came to an end.

The response to the improbable series comeback by the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees was actually relatively tame as modern mob celebrations go. That's sad commentary, because in addition to the setting of small fires and general rowdiness, there was a fatality. Per ESPN:

Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old journalism major at Emerson College, was among 16 people hurt in the revelry. The injured also included a police officer.

Most of the injuries were minor, but Snelgrove suffered a severe head wound as police tried to subdue the crowd, authorities said.

This next quote ranks up there with the Bushisms.

Mayor Tom Menino told WBZ-AM that Snelgrove, of East Bridgewater, was struck by a "non-lethal weapon," but he did not elaborate. The Boston Globe reported that Snelgrove was hit by a "bean-bag" bullet. After Snelgrove was found lying outside Fenway Park bleeding from the head, the Globe reported she was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital, which said she died at 12:50 p.m

Mr. Mayor, if someone dies at the hands of a weapon, it is most certainly not a non-lethal weapon.

The idiocy was not limited to Boston. Since some of the Sox players are Dominican, people on the island took it as an excuse to fire their guns into the sky.

The Red Sox's victory prompted raucous celebrations across the Dominican, home to Pedro Martinez and ALCS MVP David Ortiz. Shooting in the air is customary during sports celebrations in the Caribbean country.

A sleeping 13-year-old boy was shot in the leg when a bullet tore through the zinc roof of his home in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, police spokesman Gen. Simon Diaz said.

One other person was injured in Santo Domingo, as were two in the central city of Santiago and two in the southeastern coastal city of La Romana, Diaz said.

I'll never forgt my own experiences living in a Cleveland slum neighborhood. In 1997, the Indians defeated the New York Yankees in the AL Championship, earning the team's first trip to the World Series since 1954. Folks from around the 'hood celebrated similarly, firing their weapons in the air, some of them fully automatic. I stayed in the basement for several hours. It was one of many experiences that led me to furiously save my money so that I could escape that place.

The More Respectable, Older Parties

Libertarians are often blown off as a trifle or a distraction, accused of being not serious candidates.

The Democrats and Republicans. These are the gold standard. This is what you should aspire to!

One of the serious Democrats got into serious trouble recently in Wayne County. It seems that Wayne County Council candidate Alex Calkins was arrested after stealing some items from the local WalMart.

Truly a Democrat, he admitted to trying to steal some bagels, but that the alcohol and cleaning supplies were the work of an accomplice. Richmond Pal-Item report.

Truly not serious, Calkins is quoted as saying, "I still hope to get this position".

I hope the voters have more sense than that in Wayne County.

Gividen at the Debate

After all of the wrangling about trying to be included in the second Indiana Gubernatorial debate, the event has now come and gone, and Libertarian Kenn Gividen acquitted himself well. First impressions time.

Two main differences come immediately to mind:

• Kenn is the only candidate running a clean campaign
• Kenn is the only candidate willing to say that he stands for cutting the size and cost of government

It was incredible that, given how badly negative campaigning is perceived by the public, Daniels (R) and Kernan (D) launched into negativity in their opening statements. They never relented. Gividen was left standing as the one running squarely on the strength of his ideas, and the one who flung no mud. During the debate, he quipped, "Now you can see why they put me between these two guys".

Daniels surprised me with his willingness to leave the possibility of raising taxes on the table when faced with the problem of repairing the budget deficit. Kernan did not surprise me by dancing around the question of how to pay for things.

Kenn's closing statements were terrific. He used the analogy of two cars on the wrong side of the road representing the Democrats and Republicans. One is going slower than the other, but both are going the wrong way. He made the case that for anyone wanting real changes, a vote for Ds or Rs is the real wasted vote, and that the only way to send the message is to vote for him and to vote Libertarian.

Couldn't agree more.

I Love it When a Plan Backfires

The idea was to shut out Kenn Gividen and the Libertarians. The result was to give us more positive, sympathetic press than we could have bought with a million dollars. Observe:

First news report headline: "It's Kernan vs. Daniels in round 2". LP response: "Outraged Libertarians say they are considering a lawsuit. "This is horrible," said Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of the Indiana Libertarian Party. "We're not going to take this lying down." Indy Star report.

Later that day, the Star filed a report on the reversal. "Libertarians protested the exclusion of their candidate, with Gividen saying he believed voters were being cheated out of hearing from all those on the Nov. 2 ballot. "The voters need to hear our message," he said Tuesday. "As of last night we thought we were kicked out of the debate." Tuesday morning, though, he said he turned on the radio "and all they were talking about was me."

Both the Ds & Rs tried to take credit for wanting Gividen included, and blamed the other side. "I just want to make it very clear to the Libertarian Party: I've always thought it was fine for Kenn Gividen to be in the next debate," Daniels said. Tew then blamed Daniels. "Those guys tried to keep him out of the first debate. They're doing the backstroke better than Michael Phelps," he said. "We wanted him in from the beginning." Star article, Parties Now Say Three's Company.

Editorial headline from the Richmond Pal-Item: Inviting all candidates is right choice. Body: "The campaigns for Democratic Gov. Joe Kernan and Republican Mitch Daniels were correct to reverse an earlier decision that would have excluded Libertarian Kenn Gividen. Although it took demonstrations in Indianapolis by Libertarian Party members to bring about the change, it was the right thing to do. They should not have tried to exclude Gividen in the first place. Any party that is able to successfully show it has the needed support to get on the statewide ballot deserves full consideration for its candidates."

Editorial text from the Muncie Star Press: "Indiana's gubernatorial camps have again admitted the Libertarians to their exclusive club, thus avoiding further embarrassment over their "back-of-the-bus" treatment of the party's governor candidate, Kenn Gividen. Gividen had appeared at the first governor's debate, along with Democrat Joe Kernan and Republican Mitch Daniels. His inclusion didn't seem to harm the debate, and might have improved it in isolated spots. But the major-party forces wanted to ban Gividen from the second (and final) debate, Sunday in New Albany, preferring to keep all attention directed at themselves. Outraged Libertarians complained, sent angry letters to newspapers and said they were considering a lawsuit. "The voters have been cheated," Gividen charged. "The Republicans and Democrats are playing the same old game." Even Indiana University Southeast at New Albany, host of the debate, wavered over the fairness issue, at one point indicating it might deny use of the building unless Gividen was included. Public facilities, by their nature, dislike exclusionary tactics. The same concern caused the public broadcasting station involved in debate negotiations (WFYI, Channel 20 at Indianapolis) to side with the Libertarians."

Lafayette Journal and Courier headline: Keep room for three in governor's debate. Text: "The setup, as Daniels and Kernan envisioned it, might have been pragmatic. But it was lame, too.
Libertarians worked diligently in the past two decades to organize and guarantee their place on the state ballot. They have been equally diligent to field competent candidates who can articulate their views without so much of the flaky aftertaste attributed to Libertarians of the past. Gividen is proof of that, holding his own and offering some logical solutions to state problems that Hoosiers should hear -- even if they're inclined to think a Libertarian vote would be a wasted one. Gividen deserves a place at the debate on Sunday. Kernan and Daniels should have known that all along."

Thanks, D's & R's! Couldn't have done it without you!

Shamed Into Doing the Right Thing

The Republicans and Democrats conspired to exclude Libertarian candidate Kenn Gividen from the second televised gubernatorial debate after including him in the first. The idea, no doubt, was to crowd out interesting, fresh ideas to Indiana's problems.

This strategy backfired on them. The Libertarian publicity machine was underestimated. The message was simple: dignify the deomcratic process and included Gividen, for the benefit of the people of Indiana and for the LP. Press releases went out, letters went to the editors of newspapers across the state, and talk radio stations were flooded with calls. Calls went to the hosting university and TV stations, along with the HQs of the Daniels and Kernan campaigns. Had the debate included Gividen from the beginning, he would have appeared and that would have been that. Instead, the exclusion of Kenn Gividen was the story of the day. The LP was the sympathetic character, and the Democrats and Republicans the evil conspirators. The LP got a huge publicity bump that they couldn't have purchased.

LP Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein quickly called for a press conference for Noon today, to be held on the Monument downtown. It was well attended, adding to the sympathetic publicity.

Quickly, the two other camps have caved to the pressure. Gividen will be included after all. First Indy Star story.

Observe the nonsense Kernan and Daniels wring hands over- risers to make the two men appear as tall as Gividen. Pathetic.

When Businesses Do This, It's Called Collusion

The Democrats and Republicans have a nice little game going. They control the action, excluding anyone that sounds remotely outside their narrow, marginally differentiated products, trivializing these (all sneer now) fringe, third-party radicals at every turn. Libertarians, Greens, Socialists, Constitution Party advocates- you are all RC Cola to the domination of the Coke and Pepsi that are the Republicans and Democrats.

The 2004 Presidential debates have been the exclusive domain of the R's and D's. In their frustration, Libertarian Michael Badnarik has staged debates with Green David Cobb, with the Socialist and CP candidate. The frustration level peaked for Badnarik and Cobb such that they were arrested in St. Louis together, trying to crash the recent debate. Didn't hear much about it? The press is in on it, too.

Indiana is a little different. The Libertarian Party has automatic ballot access and polls consistently better than any other third party in the US. In the LPIN's 2002 ballot access race, Rebecca Sink-Burris earned just under 5% of the statewide vote, gaining better than 7% in four Hoosier counties.

So, it was not surprising when the LPIN gubernatorial candidate, Kenn Gividen, was included at a recent televised debate at small Franklin College. It was surprising that Republican challenger Mitch Daniels complimented Gividen five times during the debate.

Apparently, the Democrats took sharp notice of that. The second Indiana gubernatorial debate is scheduled for this Sunday, to take place in little New Albany, on the campus of IU southeast. This time, Gividen has been excluded in a decision driven by the incumbent Democratic governor, Joe Kernan, and agreed to by the Daniels campaign. The exclusion was so thorough that Gividen wasn't even part of the negotiations. He had to learn about it from the manager of the PBS affiliate hosting the debate.

It's curious that at once the Libertarian party is trivialized by the D's & R's, and yet, we're great enough a threat to shut out. Of course, Gividen was getting great press. A prime example is new-terrain I-69. Long-time Democrats furious with Kernan for failing to protect the environment, proposing a new highway through wetlands, woods, and farmland. From Monday's Indy Star, in an article titled "Environmental Concerns Taking a Back Seat":

"The only major point on which the candidates differ is how to pay for the new road -- Kernan says he'll fight for more federal funding; Daniels said he might consider toll roads.

But if the new roadway is not a campaign issue for the two major candidates, it certainly is for many Hoosiers -- some of whom are supporting Libertarian candidate Kenn Gividen, who opposes the route.

John Smith is director and founder of COUNT US!, a Solsberry-based group that opposes the route. "This is the first year I've not called myself a Democrat, and I'm a third-generation Democrat," Smith said. "I've looked at this issue for three years now, and I'm opposed to it on the same grounds as most people: It doesn't make sense to me."

John Maier lives in Hardinsburg, in Orange County -- nowhere near the proposed route -- but he's so angry that it would cut through environmentally sensitive areas that he may vote for Gividen. If he decides to vote for one of the major candidates, however, Daniels is probably his man, simply because he wants to send a message to Kernan."

When you're a governor up for re-election, the prospect of losing a constituency you thought you could take for granted can wreck your whole day. What to do? Honor the democratic process? Or crush the opposition like an ant under your heel?

It isn't merely the Libertarians who are being ripped off by two campaigns taking the low road. The public loses, as the issues that Gividen has given sole voice to, such as opposition to new terrain I-69, public school reform, and cutting the size of government, will disappear.

All sorts of ethical questions are raised by this insult to democracy:

Don’t the people of Indiana have the right to hear the positions of all three candidates on the ballot from the same stage?

Kernan and Daniels are candidates for Governor, the highest office in the state. Shouldn’t these men have more respect for the Democratic process in order to be fit to lead?

Should publicly funded property, such as IU Southeast, be offered up to Kernan and Daniels as a campaign contribution?

Shouldn’t public PBS broadcast outlets such as WFYI and WTIU put the public interest of the voters first instead of accommodating Kernan and Daniels? These two already buy millions of dollars worth of commercial time and air infomercials. Is there any shortage of exposure for them?

When business conspires in the way Kernan and Daniels have, it is called collusion, and it is illegal. When two candidates for Governor do this, it is beneath the prestige of the office they seek, and it is ugly.

Accountability is necessary, and it is the job of the Secretary of State to ensure fair elections. Secretary of State Todd Rokita has an obligation to investigate the collusion of the Kernan and Daniels campaigns and to reverse the exclusion of Gividen.

Again- it isn’t merely the Libertarians who are being ripped off. All Hoosiers have a right to hear each candidate in the debate. All people who believe in fair elections and the democratic process will eagerly action from Mr. Rokita.

These principles apply in all 50 states. Demand the inclusion of all candidates who are on the ballot in all debates!

Take The Quiz

I can generally tell who I am talking to by how they peg me. If I am called a right-winger, I know that I have someone on the line who self-identifies as a left-liberal. Same thing the other way. Problem is, it doesn't work. I'm neither left nor right. I'm a libertarian.

David Nolan, founder of the Libertarian Party, recognized this shortcoming in the left-right political spectrum and devised what is often now referred to as the Nolan Chart. Rather than being a linear device, it is diamond shaped. It includes the traditional "left-liberal" and "right-conservative", but adds "centrist", "libertarian" and "statist".

Adding these three designations makes the identification process imminently more useful. Consider: Using the old left-right spectrum, would you call Hitler a left-winger or a right-winger? Given only those two choices, I would answer, "Yes". Hitler was obviously an authoritarian statist.

The Advocates for Smaller Government host "the World's Smallest Political Quiz". I plot libertarian, but to the left side of the libertarian designation, 100-90.

Take the Quiz and see if the left-right approach hasn't in fact let you down in terms of your own self-identification.

Another Debate Tonight

Bush and Kerry debate again tonight, and I'll be watching this time- mainly because I'll be in the Fox-59 TV studios watching, and then giving opinions on the performances of the two after they conclude.

It should be another nice chance to let people know that there are more than two Presidential candidates on the ballot in Indiana, and across the US.

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm betting that most visitors are here as a result of my recent Blogcritics debate with Natalie Davis.

If you agreed with the things I said, and the Libertarian perspective, I'd like to ask you to do some things:

• Vote for Libertarian candidates on Tuesday, November 2, in the General Election
• Join the Libertarian Party and become active in your local party
• Get yard signs and bumper stickers promoting Libertarian candidates and display them
• Consider running for office as a Libertarian candidate in the next election cycle

I'm doing all of these things, and I find it very rewarding. If you agree with the Libertarian perspective, I have no doubt that you will derive great value and satisfaction as well.

Here are some Indiana LP links: Gubernatorial candidate Kenn Gividen; LPIN Central Committee District 5 Rep Chris Ward's blog; US Senate candidate Al Barger's (L-IN) candidate page; the Libertarian Party of Indiana page; Indiana candidates.

Blogcritics Debate Posted

The debate took place, and there was a lot of agreement between Natalie Davis (and independent who represented the Green Party) and myself. It wasn't total agreement, of course. Where there was disagreement, it was sharp and nearly diametric opposition. Still, to those only aware of left-right, Republican-Democrat, our positions had to be eye-opening. The transcript, with site visitor comments.

We covered a lot of ground: Iraq/foriegn policy, unemployment/outsourcing of jobs, war on drugs, human rights/equality, democracy, and even the Pledge of Allegience. I wish we had gotten into health care, but you can't solve all the world's problems in one sitting.

Thanks to Blogcritics' Dawn Olsen for inviting me to participate and for moderating. Thanks to Natalie for a spirited, even-handed debate.

Hoosier Proud

My New York friends make fun of me for living in what they alternately call 'flyover country' and 'Indianowhere'. I tend to fight them tooth and nail, reminding them we have some fine advantages here. For instance, it is not a liability to own a car here. Monthly parking can be paid for with coins instead of the equivalent of my mortgage payment.

Sometimes, the locals do things in support of your team that make you think, "I wish they were on the other side". Fortunately, it has been increasingly the case that the other teams have been caught being ridiculous far more than us. The latest? A Bedford, IN Kerry supporter who offered to place an anti-Bush tattoo on her head for the highest bid on Ebay.

Sheesh.

Blogcritics Debate

I have been invited by the moderators of the Blogcritics website to represent the Libertarian view in an online debate with a member of the Green Party. I am a contributor to their site, and often post comments advocating libertarian solutions to policy issues.

Just like with the Presidential "debates", I guess I would prefer a round of debates that puts a Libertarian along with the D's and R's, because these are the three parties on the ballot throughout the US. But hey- I'm not complaining. Any chance to further the libertarian message with a significant audience is a great idea in my book.

This will probably happen on Thursday evening. Check Blogcritics for updates!

Badnarik Visits, Charms

Libertarian Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik's personal touch has improved enormously since his 2nd 2004 Indiana visit back in April (this one was his 4th), where he scarcely mingled throughout the room to ask people for their support and votes. Now he does just that, seeking out every person he hasn't yet spoken to. He joked about how he has media in four locations claiming him as their own, with local-boy-does-well stories.

Of course, he was on the trail, giving his stump speech, seeking financial support. Badnarik's entire presentation was extemporaneous. He has Iraq as his top issue, with the economy as his second. Unlike Kerry's "opposition" to Bush, Badnarik in unequivocal in the Iraq adventure as a mistake, not to be corrected by a lengthier, more expensive stay, but by getting out. He took questions from the crowd, and would have done Q&A all night had I allowed him to go on.

A nice event yesterday. A couple drove all the way from St. Louis to see Badnarik, along with another couple from the southern Indiana border. A full room, with many LP candidates and state officials present, along with other supporters.

I had the honor of introducing him to the crowd, reminding them and the reporters present that unlike Bush and Kerry, Michael Badnarik is still campaigning across the 50 states, not just Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

I thanked him for his visit and told him that it was important to me as a county chair that he is continuing to go to non-swing states like Indiana. After all, a visit like this boosts the state and local parties, and especially the local candidates. That's what matters to a county chair. Pity the D's and R's here, who couldn't get their candidates to visit Hamilton County under any circumstances.

Didn't Watch

I received a pile of emails asking my opinion of the debate. Bummer- I didn't watch. I actually had some fairly pressing business to attend to.

Even if I had the time, though, I wouldn't have watched. Simple reasons: The "debate" wasn't going to be a debate, but rather, a two-headed infomercial. Libertarian Michael Badnarik, despite being on the ballot in 48 states, wasn't included.

Collusion isn't pretty when business does it to rip off the public. It's even uglier when two candidates for President do it.

Presidential Candidate to Visit Noblesville

Libertarians from Indiana, and even central Illinios and Ohio will have a chance to meet and support LP Presidential candidate and native Hoosier Michael Badnarik in Noblesville this Saturday, October 2 at 7:00pm. Badnarik will be winding down his 2-day tour through Indiana at Lutz's Steakhouse on SR32 about halfway between downtown Noblesville and Westfield. The event is free and open to the public, although there is a suggested minimum donation of $25. There will be a cash bar and hors d'eouvers. While not required (anyone can drop in!) the state party is looking for RSVPs from those planning to attend. Call 317-920-1994.

Several other LP candidates and officials will be on hand, including Michael's mother, Elaine Badnarik. Elaine is the LP's candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

I'm glad that Badnarik is coming here now, because here we are in the thick of the campaign season, and national issues aren't being as hotly discussed in Indiana as they are in Ohio, Florida, Iowa, and New Mexico. Nothing wrong with Indiana, but everything wrong with how campaigns wind down, and a bit of a criticism of the Electoral College system. Both Bush and Kerry know via polls that Indiana is a red state. Nothing Kerry does or says will change this, so he has given up on campaigning here. Bush is comfortable enough that he won't bother campaigning here either. It makes perfect sense for them to chase after the close states and ignore the ones that are certain. There is no advantage in taking a 60-40 victory in Indiana and turn it into a 70-30 win. It's still 11 electoral votes, and Bush and Kerry know they belong to Bush. Great strategy, but not so great for a population to be utterly ignored by the top of the ticket. Thank goodness for Badnarik.

It will be interesting to hear the issues he chooses to discuss. He doesn't seem to favor any one over another. If I had my druthers, I'd have him hammer away on taxes, spending, and the economy. We'll see.

Victory at the Debate!

Sure, I'm biased. That doesn't mean that I can't say that Libertarian candidate for governor won his debate with sitting Governor Joe Kernan (D) and Mitch Daniels (R). He did. He struggled at first, thanks to an uncooperative sore throat, but once he hit his stride, Kenn was on. Of course, as a former preacher, he feels at home behind the lecturn. C-Span footage. Debate transcript. Review.

Gividen's ideas struck many observers as novel and innovative. (It struck me as odd, though, that Kenn was the only candidate to tout his own website.) In fact, Kenn was convincing enough to have Daniels compliment him during the debate five times. This is a big deal.

Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans marginalize Libertarians and other third party candidates by ignoring their presence. Kernan took this tack, only acknowledging Kenn once, and then strictly as an opponent. But Daniels said plainly that he felt that Kenn had good ideas in his approach to education.

This makes Daniels the runner-up. It isn't because he was the nice guy to my guy. It's that he isn't so full of himself to think that he is the only one with a good idea, nor too stuck up to give nod to an opponent. Nobody has it all right or all wrong, and I appreciate the reality check Daniels provided.

The acknowledgements could not have gone unnoticed, which should do wonders for our credibility.

Another way Kenn won was in strictly presenting his ideas as worthy of consideration, never criticizing his opponents personally. Meanwhile, Kernan and Daniels were increasingly negative throughout the debate, leaving Kenn above the fray. Negative campaigning has done nothing but hurt candidates here in Indiana. The display of Kernan and Daniels could benefit Kenn significantly.

At least, that's my hope. For now, I'll savor Kenn's showing.

Cultural Differences

I'm going by what I saw and heard in Denmark, without any fact checking research, so take it with a grain of salt. These are just a handful of quick-hitters.

The Danes have a parliament and a monarchy, and seem to like it that way. Monarchy seems terribly outdated to most Americans, since that's the kind of government we overthrew in 1776. The Royal Family are figureheads, just like the British Royal Family: well-paid, un-taxed, and truly hyper-priveleged. It's a source of national pride to Danes, and they want to keep the system in place. The recent divorce hoopla surrounding the Prince and Princess has done nothing to diminish support for the monarchy.

The average Dane loses 78% of his income to taxes. They are the most highly taxed nation on the planet. They like it that way. American readers are now bewildered. In exchange for this tax rate, there is true cradle-to-grave assistance, in everything from health care to education, including university studies.

For those who would point to the Danish free health care system, you should know this: well-off Danes don't use the free system, just as well-off Americans don't go to Wishard in Indy, unless it's a dire emerency. They go to private doctors for faster, more reputable care. The majority of Ame's Danish relatives are doctors, by the way, and Ame toured a hospital.

For my libertarian friends expecting stories of filthy, tubercular corridors in a callous, soviet-style barracks hospital, forget it. The average medical care is actually quite good, and the hospitals not unlike our own. I frankly expected worse. The questions I kept asking myself were surrounding the motivation. If it's all 'free', why bust your hump? What I observed is that the Danes have an outstanding work ethic and a thirst for learning. I'm know that there are welfare mooches in Denmark, especially in Copenhagen's Christiania, but not nearly to the extent you find in American cities. The sense of entitlement is there, but it is different in that the sense of wanting to contribute to society in order to earn the entitement is very strong.

Gasoline. They call it benzin there, pronounced "benzene". To fill a 12-gallon tank, you will spend $90 US dollars. Next time you want to wail and moan about the high price of gasoline here, remember that. I'll never forget it. I took a picture of the pump when I filled up.

Cars are not manufactured in Denmark, and the government is interested in directing traffic from cars to bicycles. If the price of benzin isn't high enough to pedal, maybe the tax on a new car will. It's 180%. That means a car that would have been $10,000 if tax-free costs $28,000 in Denmark. I marvelled at every Audi and Porsche I saw.

Americans sometimes complain about corporate dominance. Today it's Wal-Mart. Five years ago it was Microsoft. In five years, it will probably be some other entity. For the last 100 years or so, Maersk has been the undisputed top corporation. Maersk is a shipping giant, with a fleet of boats rivaled only by the US Navy. Of course, the Maersk fleet is made for shipping containers, the kind you often see eventually on rail cars and then pulled by trucks to their final destinations. How large is Maersk? The owner self-funded an opera house in Copenhagen as a gift to the nation, with the price tag said to be better than $400 million US dollars. I did not hear a single complaint about Maersk, even though I discussed the company with several people. It seems the Danes understand the value of a giant corporation.

Family Time in Denmark

Before Ame & I met with her grandmother, Virgie, and began our journey to Denmark so as to meet some of the relatives Ame had only ever heard about, Virgie read to us from an email. It laid out something of an itinerary for meeting various familie over the first five or six days of the trip. It had a tongue in cheek line along the lines of, "by then you will have tired of the Danes and will want to do some sightseeing".

That was all very amusing, but even though these are not my blood relatives, and I had really not even heard of any of the individuals, I did not tire of the Danes. I found them all extremely warm and hospitable, and enjoyed their company very much.

For me, the highlight of the trip was a dinner at a Copenhagen restaurant called Pedersen's. It is not far from the center of the city, located around the corner from the zoo. 33 relatives came from all over Denmark and even from Germany and Norway to share a meal and good cheer with their distant American cousins. Dining at this location was sentimentally important to Ame. Now that she has eaten at Pedersen's, six generations of Langmacks have done so.

I marvelled at how this extended family has kept in touch, considering the family tree. The connection between Ame and the Danes is her great-granfather, Holger Langmack. Holger and his wife emigrated to the US in the early 1920's, leaving five brothers and sisters behind. One of Holger's sisters married into the Glenthoj family. It was the Glenthoj's we were meeting. It can be hard enough keeping in touch with your siblings and the next generation sometimes. It is remarkable how the third generation after Holger's siblings are keeping in touch.

The Langmack US-Denmark connection remained strong. Holger Langmack is credited with starting the first Boy Scout troop in Denmark. Holger's son, Ame's grandfather Sven Langmack, was the Royal Danish Consulate in Cleveland. Now Sven's son, Ame's uncle Chris Langmack, is the Danish Consulate in Cleveland.

Chances are that with visits like these, the connection will remain strong. At Pedersen's, there was a call for a show of hands for all of those who had been to the US and stayed with Sven and Virgie in Cleveland. About 80% of the hands went up. Now they have a new destination, as everyone has been invited to stay with Ame & I here in Indiana.

To Copenhagen!

Family time in Denmark. It's unlikely that I will have internet access while gone, but who knows? Definitely back 9-27-2004.

Jet Setting

DC two weeks ago, where to next? Denmark!

I never would have considered Denmark as a destination if it were not for Ame's Danish heritage. I still haven't been to England, after all, and would probably have chosen Italy, Switzerland, and Germany first. No matter. We fly to Copenhagen on Tuesday and will relax and meet extended family members she has never seen before.

It will be good to leave the politics behind for a short while prior to the big dance on November 2. As a county chair and state secretary, it's easy to get caught up in the action on a daily basis. As a non-candidate, I can't help but recognize that it comes at the expense of other things.

Good Stuff From Gividen Campaign

Libertarian Kenn Gividen is running a fine campaign for Indiana Governor. For a third party candidate, the usual major obstacle is ballot access. Just ask Ralph Nader. Of course, here in Indiana, the LP has managed that issue. The next greatest obstacle is inclusion.

Kenn is being included in the only gubernatorial debate, along with incumbent Joe Kernan (D), and fellow challenger Mitch Daniels (R). Indy Star article. The debate will be held at Franklin College on Tuesday, September 28 at 7pm. They will air on WFYI-TV and WFYI-AM.

Interestingly, the Kernan campaign is taking credit for lobbying on behalf of Kenn:

"Kernan's campaign, (campaign manager Bernie) Toon said, insisted on Gividen being included, since Libertarian candidates were included in debates in 2000 and 1996."

Of course, the conventional wisdom is that any Libertarian candidate takes votes away from an Republican candidate, so I'm sure that this is the real motivation. That's fine. We'll take it.

Gividen's opponents take their own inclusion for granted. Being Coke and Pepsi will do that for you, I suppose. So what do they do with their own automatic inlcusion and dominance? One of today's Star editorials reveals that Kenn is the only gubernatorial candidate to have completed the Project Vote Smart's National Public Awareness Test. It isn't that the other guys are too busy. They're afraid to answer. Per the Star:

"It's not that either side claims bias in the survey or partisanship on behalf of Project Vote Smart. Political consultants in both parties, however, are advising their clients not to be specific about issues for fear of alienating voters or providing fodder for their opponents.

Such a dodge is unacceptable. Candidates must be willing to answer questions that reveal their stands on key issues. Voters should demand it."

Then again, voters should demand total inclusion. Alas... It takes time. A third party has to be three times as good in order to overcome the usual two-party-system biases held by the average American just to get to credibility. Kenn has done some things to help gain credibility with people that usually don't look to LP candidates to back.

Prime example is on the issue of new terrain I-69. Both Kernan and Daniels are in favor of it, while Gividen is against it. Environmental supporters are furious with Kernan for his position, and many are turning to Gividen.

Third parties with ballot access offer the opportunity to shake up the status quo. If not for Gividen, I-69 would be a dead issue. Sure, the Greens could try to make it a live one, but they lack ballot access, so Kernan and Daniels can ignore them out of hand. In league with the LP, the opponents of I-69 have a voice- one that must at least be observed and weighed carefully before being dismissed.

I'm still looking for Gividen to hit a home run on an issue where D's and R's are in agreement. I'm afraid that while I-69 is a good issue to build new bridges on, being seen as a regional issue, it does not hit home with all Hoosiers. In the meantime, I'm delighted with the new ground his campaign is covering.

Running in '06!

It may seem incredibly premature, but I have declared my candidacy for Secretary of State in 2006.

Why so early? This is the single most important race to the Libertarian Party of Indiana, as it is the ballot access race. The LP's SoS candidate must earn at least 2% of the vote in order to assure automatic ballot access for the subsequent four years. I have no doubts about the ability to get 2%, either for myself or my party. After all Rebecca Sink-Burris got 4% in 2002.

My top objective is to become the prohibitive favorite to win the nomination as early as possible. In this way, the efforts behind this race become unified and focused as early as possible. No sense diverting time, energy, and dollars just in an attempt to win the nomination at the April '06 convention. I'd like to make it so that none will take an interest in facing off against me. To secure it early, I will have to built a top-notch team and build a formidible war chest. I can do these things now without interfering with current campaigns, looking for support from family and friends who are not involved in '04 campaigns.

First blush campaign goals: New records for an LPIN candidate in a statewide race: Minimum 10% finish, minimum $100,000 raised, minimum 10 new county affiliates brought aboard.

Two Week Hockey Season?

One of my favorite aspects of the recently concluded Olympiad in Athens concerned the make-up of the various national teams. I enjoyed seeing NBA stars don the jersey of their native country and play the style of game they play at home. As the NBA gradually becomes more international, the flavor of the game improves.

Of course, the NBA has nothing on the NHL in terms of international flavor. The top pro hockey league may play in North America, and be the Canadian national pasttime, but no longer do the majority of players come from Canada. Europe contributes more players than the United States, and not mere role players, but superstars such as Peter Forsberg, Marian Gaborik, Jaromir Jagr, Sergei Federov, and Mats Sundin.

Prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain, Olympic hockey watchers knew they were seeing awesome teams from the Soviet Union, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia, but really didn't know the players. If you were a hockey fan watching Olympic play just 15 years ago, you were watching one set of flag-inspired jerseys skate against another, as the unknown American & Canadian amateurs skated against the unknown Soviet Bloc pros. Now there is an intimacy of knowledge of all teams, as generally the top two lines and the goaltender are NHL stars.

This would make watching this year's World Cup of Hockey exciting enough for the average hockey fan, but with the NHL and its players union lacking a collective bargaining agreement, the 2004-05 season is in serious jeopardy, giving the real possibility that the Cup series may be the only top-level hockey we'll see until September 2005.

All eyes are on Mario Lemieux, the player-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins who is the captain of the Canadian team. Now age 38, Lemieux has gone through a huge range of physical maladies, from hip and back problems to Hodgkin's Disease, and has persevered lately just to keep his team alive. Without a season ahead, Lemieux might call it quits for good after this Cup.

The games air in the US on ESPN2, and in Canada on CBC. The games run through Tuesday, September 14's championship game at 7pm (EDST).

One excellent aspect of this Cup is that games are hosted around the world- in Helsinki, Prague, Cologne, St. Paul, Montreal, and Toronto- reducing inherent home-ice advantages.

It figures that I am extremely busy with, well, everything right now, but I will be watching as much as can!

DC Trip Notes

Washington DC has never been among my favorite major US cities. New York is far and away the tops, for every reason: the magnificent sense of scale, the skyline, the wonderful food, the depth and range of cultural choices, Central Park... I could rave on and on. In that distant second tier, I rank San Francisco, Seattle, and even Indianapolis ahead of DC in terms of spirit and energy.

DC is frankly very depressing to me. Being the seat of such sprawling bureaucracy alone makes DC intellectually oppressive. But the negative vibe present on the street could crush a sensitive idealist such as myself, had I not been prepared for it. There is no city that is quite so narrow-minded as DC, or as polarized by political affiliation. The liberal grafitti use of the swastika on all things illiberal demonstrates well the irrational hyperbolic demonization the Left uses to smear the Right. The Right counters with the equally irrational and hyperbolic, but at least more positive, "Bush is God" stickers- on every light post and newspaper box. There are plenty of midwestern folks I disagree with on issues, but I tend to believe that I could still reach most of them with a well-reasoned position. I do not have that sense about anyone in DC. Add to this atmosphere of general filth and grime (despite a lack of industry), a huge schizophrenic and/or strung out homeless population, and you have me watching Olympic soccer in the hotel in the middle of the afternoon.

Fortunately, DC is still offers history, and that alone can sustain me through such despair. Showing it all to Alex made it a very satisfying experience, and one I still recommend to families.

The first thing to do is to contact one of your Senators. Don't let it get in the way if you are not a supporter of your Senator, or vote for another party. Their office staff doesn't care. Heck, the staffers can just as easily support another party, too. The reason for contacting your Senator's office is that the only way to tour the White House and other landmarks is to do so on a Senatorial tour. Thanks to security concerns, you can no longer walk up to the White House and get in. The earlier you schedule, the better. I gave it two months lead time and was still closed out of the White House. Fortunately, we did get to tour the Capitol with Richard Lugar's office.

Alex Back to Spain

My son has an in-the-moment outlook that works very well for him, that at times I wish I had. He's flying back to Spain tomorrow and very much looking forward to it. I'm happy for him, but I'm not terribly excited to know that he will be an ocean apart from me.

We had a terrific summer together, with adventures ranging from this past week's DC trip to a white water rafting and camping trip on the New River in West Virginia. I'm hoping that we have a few more summers like it before his Papa Bear is too uncool for him.

Ward of the State

Fellow Hoosier Libertarian Chris Ward has just launched his new blog, Ward of the State. Welcome to the blogosphere, Chris!

He's a brave man. He's running for office and he allows for comments on each entry.

D.C. Trip

Next week, I’ll be in the Nation’s Capital with Ame and Alex. This is exciting because Alex, world traveler that he is, has still not visited Washington DC.

The Smithsonian is the top destination for us. Alex is especially excited for the aviation displays and the two IMAX screens. I could spend a month in the Smithsonian, but the railroad and other transportation goodies are the main draw for me.

I highly recommend contacting your US Senator or US Representative in advance of any DC trip. Some of the notable landmarks are difficult to get tour access to, because the number of tourists is restricted due to security and other concerns. Walk-up access is virtually a thing of the past, unless extremely lucky. I contacted Senator Lugar’s office about a month ago, and was able to secure tour access to the Capitol Building and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving.

Providing this kind of access to citizens is one action by our elected officials I happily endorse. Alex spends most of the year living on a military base overseas. He ought to get a good look at the places policy is made. It would be even better if he could meet Senator Lugar and some of his colleagues.

Rails To Trails Proposal Update

The media coverage has continued on this item, with small stories in the Noblesville Ledger, Fishers Topics, and an excellent front page article in the Noblesville Daily Times.

Now that the word is out, the team building is under way. If you would like to get involved at any level- from the actual petitioning on down to simple moral support, email me at mikekole@insightbb.com.

Arrgh!

Unfortunately, Blogspot has been denying access to me. I apologize for the dearth of material lately. That's the reason.

The Indiana Way

I don't flinch nearly as much as the average Libertarian when rocks are cast our way. While folks usually throw gravel, I tend to believe we deserve #9 aggregate dropped overhead by a front-end loader. Why? The usual public M.O. for a Libertarian candidate or official is to loudly squawk about how things are wrong, unfair, suck, or stupid... and then go on to the next complaint. We've come to recognize to obvious her in Indiana- complaining only goes so far, offering an alternative will make you viable.

So it came to pass that an amalgam of regional leaders- mayors, county and city councilors- came together to agree to begin the funding of light rail system. After much negotiation, they unanimously agreed to get behind a starter system that would run from downtown Indianapolis to Fishers, a well-to-do suburb on Indy's northeast side in Hamilton County. The idea was to get the starter up and running with the intention of adding to it in the future towards making a more complete network.

The cost for the starter system? $850 million. The cost was proposed to be bourne by everyone in the country. It is hoped that up to $425 million in Federal money can be earned when the regional leaders make their pitch to a variety of Federal agencies for grant money. The rest of the money, which could be anywhere from $425 million to $750 million, would be supplied by the counties of Central Indiana- Marion (Indy), Hamilton (Fishers), Hancock, Shelby, Morgan, Johnson, and Hendricks via property taxes; also by a hike in the gasoline tax, statewide.
The rationale for the system is that the trains would take car traffic off of the highly congested stretch of I-69 in Fishers, not only to relieve congestion, but to improve air quality. The anticipated usage would result in, optimistically, the diversion of 1% to 4% of commuters from cars to the trains.

This is where the usual Libertarian complaining would come in. Let me try my hand: "1% to 4% of cars dispalced? For nearly a billion dollars? Are ye mad? Back to the drawing board!" -or- "It is unfair and unjust to levy taxes against the good people of Johnson and Hendricks counties for the purpose of providing a benefit to a very small percentage of the people in Marion and Hamilton counties".

While this rhetoric is a useful tool in showing the people of these other locations that Libertarians are the ones defending them while the Democrats and Republicans are the ones taking advantage of them, it won't make a bit of difference towards stopping the proposal. We will win the war of words and lose the battle of the budget. I am not a man of zero sum games! I want to win both battles!

In response, The Libertarian Party of Hamilton County held a press conference to offer an alternative.
We pointed to the corridor chosen for the route. It is the old Nickel Plate railroad, and it still has track on it. We asked the question, "Is light rail the best possible use for this corridor?" We said no, that the best use for the corridor is to convert it into a trail and greenway.

Regional leaders never considered the best use of a resource they govern. They looked at it only as a solution to a problem- congestion and pollution.

We pointed to the extremely successful Monon Trail, running from Indy to Carmel. The Trail is on the former Monon railroad. It has transformed a significant area from a run-down, trash and graffiti catching slum into some of the most desirable real estate in Indianapolis. It elevated hot property in Carmel to ultra-hot. Neighborhoods have been revitalized and small businesses have bloomed along the Monon. The Trail is jammed full of bicyclists, joggers, skaters, and families, all participating in healthy activity.

We asked the question, if it was good for the Monon, why not bring this benefit to the Nickel Plate?
We expect a huge response. We had excellent media coverage for the press conference, with the state's largest radio station (WIBC) and TV covering. We have launched a petition drive designed to show that the Nickel Plate Trail idea has greater support than the light rail system. This is a democracy, isn't it?

Oh, that's right. The regional leaders didn't bother to ask the people who live and own businesses near the corridor which they would prefer. The Libertarians are doing this. Bridges are already being built between us and the supporters of parks and green space. You thought that never happened, didn't you?

Please do continue to cast your rocks at the LP affiliates in other states. They are rhetorically correct, but words do not win the war. Superior policy proposals that are pitched correctly are hard to ignore.

Signs Available!

Well, they say that timing is everything, so who am I to argue?

I have yard signs and bumper stickers supporting Michael Badnarik and Richard Campagna, the Libertarian candidates for President and Vice President, ready and available for Hamilton County members, free of charge.

Let's challenge the laws in Fishers and Noblesville and support our team at the same time. There is no downside- if the law is not enforced, it may as well not exist, and you exercise your rights to free speech and property. If the law is enforced, we get free publicity for the county party and the Presidential ticket.

Contact me with your request for a sign and bumper sticker by email: mikekole@insightbb.com. I'll deliver, but you have to be an Libertarian Party of Indiana member. Now's a good time to renew your membership if it has lapsed, or to become a member if you had been thinking about doing so/

Letters Fun

The Indianapolis Star printed my letter addressing the laws regarding political signs in today's edition. Having a letter printed is always good, so I am without complaint. I do find it an interesting and fun exercise to compare the original letter with what was printed.

There was some editing here, but there were some main points I wanted addressed, and they pretty much showed up:

1. Signs in one's yard are not only a free speech issue, but also a property rights issue.
2. As such, any kind of sign should be permitted, so long as it does not create a hazardous situation, such as blocking traffic visibility.
3. As such, the signs should be permitted at any time. Current laws should be repealed.
4. Make sure the phrase 'Libertarian Party' is included prominently.

Here is my original letter. Deleted passages have been italicized:

"The Star described the Libertarian Party's yard sign lawsuit against the City of Indianapolis as a defense of free speech, but it is also an important defense of property rights. Residential property is not owned by the City, but by the homeowner, and City policy-makers should always keep that respectfully in mind.

So, it should be a cause of concern that the City's solution to this issue is to set a limit on the number of signs homeowners can place in their yard. Will there now be sign police to make sure everyone obeys? It is safe to say that most residents would rather see City resources used in more productive and sensible ways than having sign police driving up and down streets counting the signs.

As the Star reported, Indianapolis is not the only municipality with restrictions on signs. My hometown of Fishers is among those that restricts free speech and property rights by ordinance.

Upon moving to Fishers, I found it odd that parents with children in athletics, cheerleading, or music had tacked signs to their garages rather than placing them in the front yard where all could see them more plainly. I was stunned to learn that a family's pride in their student had to take a backseat to compliance with the law, as do political signs. Curiously, 'for sale' signs are permitted.

What message does this send our children? That it's okay to sell the home, but not to control its use? That it is more important to obey than it is to express family pride or political views?

The municipalities are sending the wrong message. Indiana communities need to do the respectful thing by repealing the ordinances and regulations against political and other yard signs in homeowner properties."

For context, here is the letter as printed by the Star:

"The Star described the Libertarian Party's yard sign lawsuit against the city of Indianapolis as a defense of free speech, but it is also an important defense of property rights. Residential property is not owned by the city, but by the homeowner, and city policy-makers should always keep that respectfully in mind.

It should be a cause of concern that the city's solution is to set a limit on the number of signs homeowners can place in their yards. Will there now be sign police to make sure everyone obeys? It is safe to say that most residents would rather see city resources used in more productive and sensible ways than having police driving up and down streets counting the signs.

As The Star reported, Indianapolis is not the only municipality with restrictions on signs. My hometown of Fishers is among those that restrict free speech and property rights by ordinance.

The municipalities are sending the wrong message. Indiana communities need to do the respectful thing by repealing the ordinances and regulations against political and other yard signs in homeowner properties."

It is a shame that the really tasty paragraphs were chopped. Not only is it fine rhetoric, but it is factual that the school related signs are relegated to the garage while for sale signs are permitted in the front yard. I chose to highlight these fact for consideration by parents. They will immediately get the absurdity of the laws and regulations when they see them in this light.

Correction on Comedy

The event listed below has been changed. Funny Bone has opened a club downtown under the Crackers name. Crackers is located at 247 S Meridian St in downtown Indy. Door is $8 with the full amount going to the Libertarian Party of Indiana. The show starts at 8pm. See you there!

LP Calendar

These are busy times, but busy in a good way! There is no shortage of events for Hamilton County and Central Indiana libertarians to participate in.

Wednesday, Aug. 4: The City of Carmel is hosting a meeting for a presentation and Q&A regarding the annexation of Home Place. Libertarians oppose forced annexations. Indy Star article with details. Home Place libertarians are encouraged to attend and to speak. We will meet at 6:30pm outside the meeting place. We will distribute literature either before or after the meeting.

Thursday, Aug. 5: Stand-up Comedy at the Funny Bone Comedy Club, 3625 E. 96th Street. The LP of Indiana keeps the entire $8 admission! Comic Peter Berman will do his regular routine, not a political one, so it's a great item to bring non-libertarian spouses to. Email to confirm attendance is requested: justin.kempf@lpin.org, although I'm sure if you just show up, there will be no complaint.

Saturday, Aug. 7: Libertarian Party of Indiana Central Committee meeting, 1:00pm at Tradewinds Restaurant, located at 11480 McKinley, in Osceola. A great thing for county chairs and leadership-minded activists to attend, especially for those in the northern part of the state. Badnarik for President yard signs will be distributed to county chairs.

Long term callendar:

Saturday, Aug. 14: Candidate training seminar, conducted by LPIN Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein, with speakers Phil Miller (former Greenfield City Councilman) and Justin Kempf (LPIN Special Projects Coordinator and former Gary Nolan for President campaign team member). 9am-1pm at the Fishers Holiday Inn, 9780 North by Northeast Blvd. (I-69 at 96th St.) Cost is $25 or $50 for 3 from a campaign team. RSVP at lpinhq@lpin.org by Thursday August 12th.

Sign Issue Percolating

Last year, the City of Indianapolis was sued by the Libertarian Party in response to ordinances prohibiting political signs in front yards. The ordinance was clearly anti-free speech and anti-property rights. A court order instructed the City to revise the ordinance to permit signs on the basis of free speech. The Star got around to reporting the item this week. That's not complaining- the issue couldn't be better timed, as the election season is upon us!

The City is cute, though. It revised the ordinance to limit the number of signs at five. My home town of Fishers has an ordinance that prohibits signs outside of 30 days prior to the election. This ordinance will be challenged by local Libertarians, as we place our signs whenever we darn well please on property we own.

I found it odd when I moved to Fishers to observe signs supporting kids' extra-curricular activities tacked to garages instead of being posted more plainly in view in the front yards. The signs have the kids' names and activities on them, whether athletics, cheerleading, or the band.

Curiously, 'for sale' signs are permitted in the front yard. What's wrong with this picture? Is a higher value placed on 'for sale' signs than those showing family and school pride? What a misplaced set of priorities.

I hope we do not experience the heavy hand of the sign police here in Fishers. If we do, though, we will be prepared to file a suit of our own so that all homeowners can more fully enjoy their rights to property and to expression.

Quick DNC Note

I have only caught bits and pieces of the Democratic National Convention, but was struck by the common man motif used so frequently. I understand that the Democratic party courts a constituency comprised of people often thought of as the common man- Union workers, the underclasses and the like. That's all fine, but it makes me wonder how the people who the Dems are appealing to can relate to them or take them seriously.  

John Kerry, the patrician, wealthy, career politician.
Teresa Heinz Kerry, the pampered, extremely wealthy, globetrotting heiress.
John Edwards, the wealthy, parasitic trial lawyer-turned-politician.

Interesting that Jimmy Carter was one of the early speakers. Carter had a very deep appeal to the people the Dems are still pandering to because he had the credentials. Sure, he was a highly educated man, but he was also a peanut farmer. He could relate to people who worked the land or had menial jobs. After his Presidency, Carter maintained his down-to-earth appeal by swinging a hammer for Habitat for Humanity.

The tenor strikes me as, "I don't practice what I preach, because I'm not the kind of man I'm preaching to!" and I wonder why the Dems' target constituency hasn't questioned it.

Time For a Bold Policy Recommendation

Last Monday, I sat through a meeting of regional planning leaders and was mortified to find broad support for a regional transit authority that would feature a light rail system. The system would be a Downtown Indy-Fishers Nickel Plate route, and take -optimistically- 1-4% of cars off I-69. Price tag? $850 million.

Nearly a billion dollars and only 1-4% of the cars removed? Who's the pilot of this spaceship? Can't we do better than this?

Unfortunately, Monday's meeting was merely a prelude to the commitments these leaders would make. On Wednesday, a unanimous vote by various mayors and county commissioners was cast to commit the funding regionally in an attempt to win Federal money. Indy Star report. Several of these leaders proposed an increase to the gasoline tax.

The real hopes behind the project are to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. A negligible reduction is the best this plan can offer. A secondary outcome, it was claimed, was a modest (15%) increase in some property values surrounding the corridor. That's just bunk. In most cities, the property values plunge in the corridor as it becomes a graffiti and litter catcher.

I don't like to complain without offering an alternative proposal, so here's mine:

Convert the Nickel Plate into a trail and greenway.

Look at the Monon trail and greenway. This north-south route from Downtown Indy to Carmel is absolutely beloved, having turned a neglected rail corridor into hot property, revitalizing slumping areas in Indianapolis, and making hot real estate in Carmel even hotter. It is responsible for the doubling and tripling of property values nearby, fueling the resurgence of Broad Ripple and a host of adjacent neighborhoods, bringing healthy family activity to an area once characterized by seedy characters and litter, while adding trees, bike shops, and restaurants along the trail.

The same can be done with the Nickel Plate. The same should be done with the Nickel Plate. Consider:

$850 million for light rail used by few -or- $20 million for a trail and greenway used by many?

A project that will depress real estate values -or- A project that will double real estate values?

How about this: tell the people who live along the Monon that their trail will be restored with track for a light rail line, and then tell the people living along the Nickel Plate that they are getting a trail, and see where you get enthusiasm.

This is an easy call. As Chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County, I will be organizing a petition drive. Petitioners will sign their support for a trail and greenway over the Nickel Plate in favor of a light rail route. The petitions will be delivered to those who can affect policy and to the press, to show where the support lies.

If this interests you, email me at mikekole@insightbb.com

4-H Wrap-Up

The Hamilton County 4-H Fair concluded last night with a barbeque beef sandwhich and the tearing down of the Libertarian booth. This was an excellent outreach event for all involved as we signed up some new members, had others sign up for our email newsletter, registered folks to vote, and showed that having libertarian inclinations is downright normal.

More than 100 visitors took the Advocates' Quiz, and of those, about 55% placed either solidly libertarian or on the borderline between libertarian and conservative, centrist, or liberal. This was surprising to many in this county, where so many self-identify as conservative and/or Republican. Highlights:

A woman took the Quiz and placed solidly in the authoritarian area of the chart. She asked what that meant, and volunteer Michael Jarrell cautiously explained, "well, that's where Hitler is". She was horrified! She wanted to take the Quiz again. Michael gave her some literature so she could study at home.

Gubernatorial candidate Kenn Gividen distributed his materials, including a brochure with his picture on it. He asked passersby to tell him who that was on the brochure. Best answer: Donald Trump. There was a terrific buzz around the LP booth as Kenn and US Senate candidate Al Barger worked the crowd. Al let people know that he is running against incumbent Evan Bayh, and touted his challenge of a cage match with Bayh, eliciting near continuous belly laughs. Read Al's report.

Talking with the Republicans and Democrats, who had booths under the same tent. I have heard horror stories of disrespect coming from other libertarians, who had their booths ransacked or damaged while unattended at county fairs, or faced constant harassment. We had nothing but a pleasant experience in every way, and I personally had very pleasant exchanges with volunteers and candidates from both parties. There was one incident that made me laugh out loud, though. When I was setting up the booth, I had to make several trips from my car to the booth to get all the materials in. The first trip was solely dedicated to a table, which I set up and then left for more stuff. When I came back, there was now one item upon the table- a pencil from the Republican Party. I found it hilarious in its' understated position on the table.

Big thanks to those Libertarian Party members and candidates who staffed the booth: Michael Jarrell (3 days!), Mark Schreiber (2 days!), Kenn Gividen (from Columbus), Al Barger (from Franklin County), Rex & Susan Bell (from Hagerstown!), Rob Beck, David Irish, Wayne Kirk, and Rob Place.   

4-H Fun

The Hamilton County 4-H Fair kicked off Thursday, and the Libertarian Party had a booth under the same tent with the Republicans and Democrats. Of note in comparing the booths:

• Both the Rs & Ds put heavy emphasis on their gubernatorial candidates. I was surprised at how under-emphasized their Hamilton County candidates were.  Neither had anything about local issues. The LP focused on the County candidates and local issues.
• The Rs & Ds had plenty of slick glossy handouts available. Most of it was positive. The notable exception was the Ds distribution of a 'Defeat Bush' bumper sticker by the MoveOn PAC. The Ds had the greatest variety of candidate yard signs. The Rs had an Abe Lincoln stand-up wearing a green Mitch Daniels t-shirt. The LP booth had good-looking but homemade signage, plus the World's Smallest Political Quiz.
• All were staffed by people who really enjoy talking policy.

Administering the Quiz is great fun. We asked anyone who took it whether they voted Republican, Democrat, or Independent. We wanted them to correct us if they were Libertarian. We also asked if they considered themselves liberal, conservative, centrist, or libertarian. Then came the quiz. Most folks did not chart where they thought they would. The majority charted on the centrist-libertarian border, with a significant group that charted solidly libertarian with a strong interest in our economic positions.

Come out and meet our candidates and party leadership! We're just a part of the fun of the 4-H Fair!

Meet the Hamilton County LP at the 4-H Fair

The Libertarian Party of Hamilton County will be hosting an info booth and greeting the people of Hamilton County, and helping people register to vote at the annual 4-H Fair in Noblesville, this Thursday through next Monday. Directions. 

All LP candidates on the ballot have been invited to staff the booth for the duration of the Fair, with a special focus on Saturday at 7:00pm. Gubernatorial candidate Kenn Gividen will be among those present at that time. We expect that our local candidates for county office will be there frequently, so stop by the booth!

Our issues are: Forced Annexation, Eminent Domain Abuse, Mass Transit, and as always, Lower Taxes and Smaller Government.

A Fine Time To Be a Libertarian
 
In Indiana, this is true. Thursday's Noblesville Daily Times featured a front-page, above-the-fold article on the LP's countywide candidates and county organization. (Link not available without subscription.) RTV-6 has a live poll on their website showing LP gubernatorial candidate Kenn Gividen at 14%!
 
I dare say that the LP of Hamilton County is getting the best coverage of any county affiliate in the country. In the past four months, we have been on the front page three times, above the fold twice. The entry of our candidates was covered as routine news, rather than as curiousity. We've been quoted in some articles to the exclusion of the Republicans, and others to the exclusion of the Democrats. The press is giving us coverage commensurate with the other parties, and the tone is very respectful.
 
Neighboring Hendricks County received excellent coverage in today's Indy Star. Kudos to Chair Dennis Derrick and to Todd Singer.
 
A request to libertarians who check out the polls: please don't stuff the poll, and please don't vote if you are not a Hoosier. I believe the numbers in the RTV-6 poll are real at the moment (Kernan 43%, Daniels 43%, Gividen 14%, with about 1630 votes in). I don't want it blown out of proportion by ballot stuffers, as one of the presidential polls is. Badnarik is polling 53% on that one, making it a farce, and leaving us dismissed as frauds. Just click on the 'results' tab to see where it is at if you've already voted, or are not a Hoosier.

Stuffing Straws For Badnarik

North Carolina libertarians convinced a local CBS TV station to udpate their website to include LP candidate Michael Badnarik with a photo and bio. This is outstanding activism. As a matter of journalistic integrity, Badnarik belongs on such websites.

It has become one of my media pet peeves of late that LP candidates who are on the ballot and running actual campaigns at the top of the ticket aren't being included in the coverage. I urge any letter writing libertarian to notice whether our candidate is included in at least a minimum way (e.g.: "Kenn Gividen is also on the ballot"), and to contact their media when it fails to be noted.

It did make me laugh out loud when I took the straw poll, though. I cast a ballot for Badnarik, and the result popped up. Badnarik has 60% of the votes! Do you think that maybe the webmaster might notice that people from outside of North Carolina are stuffing the ballot?

Star Coverage Notes

It began to occur to me that whenever I read the Indy Star's coverage of the gubernatorial race, IUPUI prof Bill Blomquist is quoted. In fact, it occurred to me that Blomquist is getting more ink than LP candidate Kenn Gividen, so I checked it out.

Sure enough, in the past seven days, Gividen's name appears five time, as does Blomquist's. But the prof is quoted in every article, while the candidate was not quoted at all.

Today's article by John Strauss is about the key role of the southern part of the state. Two curiousities:

1. No mention of Gividen in the article, despite his being the only candidate who resides in the southern part of the state.

2. The Star polled likely voters and found that 34% support the GOP's Daniels, and 33% support the incumbent Kernan. Hmm... What about the other 33%? Are those Gividen supporters or undecideds? No word, but either way, that's the story. 33% is huge.

Oh, and of course, Blomquist was quoted.

White Water Rafting

Ame set up a fantastic trip for the three of us- white water rafting in West Virginia's New River. Gorge Map The three-day trip was well paced, with swimming and water trampolenes the first day, 13 miles of light rafting for us beginners on the second day, and 13 more miles of rafting intense rapids on the third day. We camped on site each night.

The rapids have great intimidating names, like "Pinball", "Thread The Needle", and "Meat Grinder", so I was a little concerned about Alex's ability to handle the intense stuff. He fell out of the raft on the first rapid, which added greatly to my concerns. Fortunately, he got the hang of it and stayed in the raft for the majority of the remaining rapids. The main thing was, everybody was safe and we all had a great time.

ACE outfitters does a nice job with the tour. They supplied a lot of excellent food throughout the trip, and their guides all have a sense of humor. Side hikes took us through old coal mining and coking areas, abandoned in a kind of ghost town. Active CSX rails were present on the river, which was an extra bonus for me. Definitely recommended. The trip got the highest praise possible: Alex thanked Ame and me repeatedly.

Surfin' The Star

I do a daily check for the word 'libertarian' when I visit any newspaper website. I visit the Indianapolis Star site every day. The Star's coverage (shall I say lack of coverage?) of Libertarian candidates has been positively frustrating.

I won't go into the details with links. I will simply advise my fellow Hoosier Libertarians to take a whole week to scan the front pages for political coverage. You will find daily articles on the gubernatorial race. You will find a mention of the Libertarian candidate in stories written by the Associated Press, but when Matthew Tully or Mary Beth Schneider writes one? Nah. Not even the journalistic exercise that reads, "Libertarian candidate Kenn Gividen is also on the November ballot." This latter should always be present.

Please write a nice letter to the Star requesting that they at least throw us the journalistic minimum bone. Thank you.

Correction

To the below Civics Lesson post, I must sadly offer that Elizabeth Fazioli is not eligible to run for office at this time. I look forward to her running in the future!

Woody Done Proud

For years, the Hamilton County Democrats have been AWOL. In fact, they haven't challenged most seats here for about 30 years. As Chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County, I saw this as a huge opening for us. A growing community needs some sort of opposition voice, even if we sound very similar to the entrenched Republicans on taxes and property rights issues. My mantra with our members is the Woody Allen Rule: "90% of success is just showing up".

So, we made it a point to fill our ballot to the extent we could with qualified candidates. This is an objective no matter what, since we are a political party. If a political party fails to put candidates on the ballot, it is truly irrelevant. The Democrats have been irrelevant in Hamilton County for about 30 years. We have not made our approach a secret, and we have not hidden the fact that we aim to become the county's #2 party. The Dems were allowing this to happen.

Until yesterday. This changed when they filed a full slate of candidates, challenging every race in the county. Noblesville Ledger story.

We have candidates in place to challenge several offices. The paperwork will be filed this morning. I was holding it until near the deadline because I was hoping that the Democrats would continue their generation-long trend of not running locally. Alas.

I have no doubt that the activity of local Libertarians led to this hasty mass filing. It certainly was not a reaction to the dominance of the Republican Party here. If that were the case, the last 30 years are extremely mysterious.

It's a function of strategy. 2004 is the big election year in Indiana, where the Presidency and the Governor's Office are decided, so voter turnout will be high. Democrats will turn out November 2, even here in Hamilton County. When they do, they will vote for John Kerry and Joe Kernan, and then, had the Dems not filed, their voters would have had three choices in the local races: vote for the Republican, the Libertarian, or nobody. Noting the extreme negativity of the campaigning of national Democrats, I believed that there was going to be a significant portion of Democratic voters willing to vote for Libertarians purely because they aren't Republicans, the party of George W. Bush. We might not have won many or any of the races, but we'd sure pull percentages in the 30s and 40s.

New Democratic Chair Jan Ellis must have recognized this, so they loaded up. Congrats to her on following Woody's sage advice, just as we are. Kudos also for getting the press and leave us with the, 'but us too!' coverage. Well done.

Above, I called the filing hasty. This is because I have noted that the Dems filed a candidate for Surveyor. We did not file a candidate in this race because we have only one person who has any qualifications to run for it- me- and I don't meet residency requirements for this ballot. The Surveyor's Office is enormously technical, and probably shouldn't be an elected office. Frankly, it would be a nightmare if a non-technical person won this race, even if it were a Libertarian. It's not an office that interests me a whole lot because the headaches are unreal. Hats off to long-standing Surveyor Kent Ward for his ability and his fortitude. At any rate, I know that the Democratic candidate is not a professional Land Surveyor, and a little research will tell whether or not he is a Professional Engineer. Short of those qualifications, the best manager could still screw this job up royally.

Nader Confirmed Off Ballot in Indiana
aka Civics Lesson 2

No surprise here. Last week, the Nader team figured to be about 21,000 signatures short of the needed 30,000. Dallas Stoner (no, really) confirmed this to the Indy Star.

Interestingly, Stoner claimed the police to be a large factor in their failure, accusing officers of hassling them as they tried to collect signatures on public sidewalks. Stoner was on the Broad Ripple sidewalk as Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik was in the Rock Lobster, while some of Badnarik's underage supporters were out on the same sidewalk as they were barred from entry (see item below).

It was reported to me today that Stoner and other Naderites found themselves amongst the Libertarian crowd and began to talk politics. The conversation ended up with Stoner putting his name on the LPIN's email list.

The Naderites often cite their fear of corporate power as a compelling interest while happily neglecting the threat of governmental power. No corporate power is keeping Nader off the ballot. Government power is doing that. Remember that the government that is big enough to smash the corporate goliath is also able to erect barriers designed to keep a gadfly off the ballot. One Naderite learned that lesson completely last night.

Civics Lesson

With my 12-year-old son living in Spain for most of the year, I like to give him as great a taste of America as I can when he is here with me.

As hands-on civics lessons go, it's hard to top going to meet a candidate for President of the United States. LP candidate Michael Badnarik was touring Indiana in support of his own campaign, and in support of his mother's. Elaine Badnarik is running for Indiana Lt. Governor, and had her candidacy announced earlier in the day. The LP's reception was held at the Rock Lobster, a restaurant and bar on Broad Ripple Avenue.

When Alex and I entered, we were stopped at the door and told that minors were not permitted inside. I had the feeling that state law would not prohibit us from entering, so I pressed the issue. The doorman checked with someone inside and confirmed that they wished us not to enter.

Fortunately, State Chair Mark Rutherford witnessed this and went inside to bring Mr. Badnarik out to us. He came out and shook our hands and then chatted with us about the increasing party unity and the successes of the Indiana party. He encouraged Alex to talk about things that matter to him with those around him. Michael's father brought "Badnarik for President" pins for everyone outside to wear.

The crowd outside grew, with US Senate candidate Al Barger, Marion County Treasurer Charlie Kennedy, intern Josh Hanson, and several others hanging around. The Libertarians stood out like a sore thumb: Dreadlocks, long hair, shaved heads, those with pierced everything... these were the people walking by. The Libertarians were wearing suits and ties. It was surreal.

Josh Hanson was outside because he is under 21. We were soon joined by Elizabeth Fazioli, who is running for County Commissioner in Hamilton County. Despite the possibility that she could be one of the highest ranking officials in the region come November, she too could not enter because she is also only 20.

This was fascinating, because Alex can enter bars in Spain at any time. He was aware of the cultural difference immediately. Eating in a Spanish restaurant more or less means eating in a bar. Rock Lobster is a restaurant and a bar. A friend explained that the bars were under pressure from local authorities over underage drinking. I pointed out that the owner of the bar has the right to have his own rules of order, and if they wanted us out, we'd comply without a fuss.

So there we were, standing outside a bar with a candidate for President of the United States. There's one for the 'what did you do over the summer' spiel at school!

The Loss of Good Radio

I lived in the Cleveland area for most of my life before coming to central Indiana, and was blessed with really interesting radio. There has always been more local programming in Cleveland than in most markets, and having five college stations in the region helped. Local programming makes a station kick. I will concede that syndicated shows get guaranteed ratings and demographics, are cheap and easy, and that live local shows are a risk, are expensive, and a hell of a lot of work. However, local programming is vital. Hot button issues get drilled by local hosts, leading to better informed voters and more responsive elected officials.

When I arrived in Indy, I found that the radio offerings were extremely bland. The vast majority was beamed in by satellite, offering no real local relevance. I tried listening to WIBC-AM because they were the closest thing to local talk, but I tired of the station quickly because the format was too tight. No call would last more than two minutes. No caller would get to hang in to debate for too long, especially if they were getting one over on the host. I would tune in to WXNT-AM because they had Neal Boortz. Sure, it was another syndicated show, but Boortz is a libertarian. I had always wanted to catch his show, since it did not air in Cleveland.

So, it was a delight to tune in early on morning and find WXNT-AM's Morning Line with "Trapper" John Morris and Jim Burrows. Trapper ran the show and would get the last word. This set up a fascinating dynamic because WXNT's syndicated fare- Boortz, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham- was largely right-of-center, conservative, Republican, etc. Trapper wouldn't describe himself as a liberal, but he was generally very much to the left of the station's syndicated hosts, Burrows, and the callers. The discussion was very lively, with often pointed banter coming from either direction, but always with Trapper getting the last word. Where the hosts could agree was in the area of popular culture, with a fun homage to all things 1980s, to movies, and to stand-up comedy.

With this balance, the show was able to attract a wide range of phone interview guests and no shortage of listeners who called in. Regulars began to congregate at promotional events, such as their Town Hall Tuesday series of live broadcasts and breakfasts at Dodd's Town House restaurant on Meridian St.

One irksome thing about WXNT's lineup was that in the months where most of the country goes to daylight savings time, the station found itself with a schedule shift. All syndicated shows would start an hour earlier than in winter months. Sean Hannity's show was carried live, and would move from 3-6pm to 2-5pm in DST months. What to do with the 5-6pm hour? The station would repeat the first hour of Hannity.

It drove me nuts. When I left Cleveland, I was hosting a weekly one-hour libertarian news and comment program on WCSB-FM. All I could think of was filling that slot myself. Even if the listeners and callers disagreed completely, a local topics show would be far superior to a re-run from just three hours before.

Fortunately, the station put Greg Browning into this time. He had been doing a show on Sunday nights, and fairly agitating his listeners by making Mayor Bart Peterson his personal whipping boy. The show was well suited for the early evening. The tempo could often drag, but that was okay in that time slot. Uptempo is perfect for monring shows, and the Morning Line was the station's uptempo act.

As Browning hit his stride, the station hit its' peak, in my opinion. The Morning Line was in top form, with great interplay between the hosts and callers, the news staff, the weather and traffic reporters, and the guests. The syndicated lineup was entertaining enough- Hannity takes more opposition callers than any other conservative, and Ingraham's show is great fun because of her use of sound bites. The only bump would come when a show was pre-empted by Butler basketball or Indianapolis Indians baseball.

Then came the dreaded change in management. This almost always results in a major shake-up, regardless of what is working at a station. The WXNT situation, unfortunately, was no different. The Morning Line was abruptly cancelled, with Greg Browning moving to the AM drive. No surprise, Browning was replaced by the syndicated Michael Savage.

This was a horrible turn. The Morning Line was a perfect morning show. Browning, bless his feisty heart, is terribly out of place in the AM drive. Savage is easily the most repulsive conservative talker in the country. While I often disagree with Limbaugh, Hannity, and Ingraham, I usually have the sense that although they are entertainers, the policies they promote are done so in the best interests of the country. There is no such sense with Savage, but rather, a sense of pure nasty spite and hatred. His attack on a gay caller to the cable TV talk show he was fired from is case in point.

I try to listen to Browning in the morning, but give up after a few minutes because it's just too painful to hear him struggle with the format. I never tune in to Savage. Central Indiana lost a great forum with the cancellation of the Morning Line. I suspect that Browning will sink before given the chance to learn to swim in the morning waters, taking away the station's other top forum. I am extremely hopeful that Trapper and Jim will land a spot together on a station in a morning gig, but I'll be glad to hear either one of them on their own show.

Ballot Access Blues

The Indiana folks supporting Ralph Nader learned something about gaining ballot access that Libertarians have known all along- it's tedious, time-consuming, unsexy work that has to be a complete success in order to feel like it was worthwhile to undertake in the first place. The AP reports on Nader's likely failure to gain access to the November ballot.

Greens and others on the far left often think of Libertarians as nut cases, but they have to respect our ability to retain ballot access here. The LP has been on the ballot statewide in Indiana since 1994 because all of the requirements were met: the proper number of signatures were collected, and then the proper percentage of votes were earned in each subsequent Secretary of State race. Naderites wouldn't be facing the petition at all if they had run a candidate for Secretary of State in 2002 and gotten their numbers.

There's the rub. The Libertarian Party is a real political party, with county affiliates across the state. The Green Party is not a real political party, but a candidate vehicle much like the Reform Party. The hard fact is that election laws are essentially hurdles that Republicans and Democrats erect to make it difficult for fledgling parties to enter the game. A serious party, as the LP has demonstrated, can enter the field through hard work and a focus on topping those hurdles set up in election law.

It was gratifying to see LPIN Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein quoted in the AP article. He knows better than anyone what it takes to maintain ballot access.