A Halloween Tea Party (or Trick or Tea)

First off, when you have such an event on a well known day, it is obligatory to have at least one bad pun. It’s out of the way now. We can all breathe easy and move on. It could have been much worse.

At 10 o’clock this morning, a moderate crowd gathered at Marshall Park in uptown Charlotte. On this scariest of days, they gathered to give voice to their fears. Fears of rising taxes, growing government intervention, and politicians that turn a deaf ear to a growing call for government restraint and transparency.

But this was not a crowd who expressed their fear by staying in their home, under the covers, hoping their fears would pass them by. These folks came out to face their fears and seek a way to deal with them. They came to deal with those fears together.

That may sound a little dramatic, but as I have previously written, the very act of going out on a chilly, wet morning, is a necessary and important step. A step in becoming part of the catalyst for real change in our political arena.

It may not bear saying, but despite how some would try to characterize those who attend tea parties, this was a restrained and respectful crowd. A gathering of concerned citizens, not a paid crowd of raving fake activists.

The crowd was joined by a number of local candidates and other speakers who came speak on the issues of the day. A good part of our focus here has been on the city council at-large race. The at-large candidates in attendance, in order of appearance, were; Tariq Bokhari ( R ), Travis Wheat ( L ), Jaye Rao ( R ), Darrin Rankin ( D ), and Matthew Ridenhour ( R ). Edwin Peacock ( R ) was also in attendance, but did not speak.

I will have video of each candidate’s remarks posted here by Monday morning.

I had a wonderful opportunity to meet a number of the speakers and candidates and speak with them, however briefly in some cases. I would like to thank each of them for taking the time to come out and speak. It was an opportunity for them as well, no doubt, but showing their own support for the issues of liberty and limited government is still worth a good word.

Similarly I would like to thank all the folks who took the time to come out and attend. Catalysts, each and every one. They are the folks who will vote. They are the folks who will put candidates in the position to implement real change in our political process. They are the foundation that the effort rests on. Please join them!

Lastly, a thank you to the local tea party organizers. They volunteered their time to put the event together and create an organized public forum for both the candidates and concerned citizens to come together in person. Every effort that brings our candidates closer to the people who they hope to support, is an important one!

Please follow the examples of the people who came, the people who spoke, and the people who organized. It can’t happen without you. Be a catalyst!

For now, time for some much less frightening tricks and much more pleasant treats! The kids look so cute in their costumes! More to come!

My Tea Party Speech (or They Would be Crazy to Hand Me a Mic)

Saturday, October 31st. Halloween. On that day, our latest Tea Party event will be held here in Charlotte. At Marshall Park, on the corner of 3rd and McDowell, at 10 in the morning, concerned citizens will gather to let their voices be heard in public.

We will be there, along with a number others. Mostly regular folks, perhaps some of the local candidates for office. We will be gathered to show support for the ideals of freedom, limited government, and low taxation.

I can only presume that some folks will have been invited to address the crowd. I will not be among those potential speakers, but this is what I might say to the folks gathered around, had they lost a sufficient number of marbles for me to jump up and speak while they were looking for them.

Good morning everyone! I can’t begin to tell you how encouraging it is to see the number of folks willing to come out and rally for no greater cause than our liberty. This is not a single issue for one day. Our liberty is the very cause that founded this country and that many here are concerned is slipping away from us.

It is not a singe issue, but a collection of issues and concerns that our constitution was drafted to address. Issues of unfair and over burdensome taxes. Issues of overreaching government control. Issues of individual liberty and freedom. Not one issue, but collection of concepts that became the defining philosophy of our nation.

I am here, as I presume many of you are, because I am deeply concerned that this defining philosophy has been lost, has been minimized, has been set aside by the very elected officials that have been sworn to protect and uphold it. The Constitution, rather than being the yardstick by which every legislative, executive, and judicial action is measured, has become an inconvenience for politicians to cleverly maneuver around. And they have.

We have developed a two party political monopoly that has driven this watering down of the Constitution and our liberties. No president or congress, Democrat or Republican, has shrunk a federal budget in over 40 years. Reagan may have cut marginal tax rates, a worthy effort, but the federal budget still almost doubled during his 8 years as president, and no, defense spending was not even remotely the majority of those increases.

I can’t tell anymore. Who is a Democrat? Who is a Republican? Who is a conservative? Who is a liberal? In a CATO Institute report from 1984, a small matrix was used to try to gauge political leanings. Two questions, four possible outcomes. I would like you to take this two question quiz with me. The first question. Are you for or against an expansion of personal freedoms? The second question. Are you for or against government intervention in economic affairs.

How did you answer? If you answered that you were for expanding personal freedoms and against government intervention into our economy, you may just actually be a libertarian. Referencing this matrix, a CATO report in 2006 noted that folks who were identified as libertarians in this fashion, were also among the least politically active or organized of any group.

What that tells us, is that those who believe in minimal government and maximum liberty have been conceding the political stage to all the other groups by default. Conceding the stage to those who think that the government should have a say in all aspects of our lives, to those who think the government should care for us from cradle to grave, to those who think the government should compel everyone to hold the same views or opinions that they have, to those who always think “there oughta be a law.”

Not any more. I can see that the silence is over. Folks who have never protested before, are now standing up. People who always had something better to do, usually working to take care of their families, are making the time to be heard. It is a necessity. Change rarely happens without a catalyst, and at this time in our history, limited government would be real change. You have to be the catalyst. You have to help make the kind of noise that gets attention. Forget the politician who promises change. You have to want change. You have to seek change. You have to demand change. You have to vote change!

Stop voting out of fear and start voting out of conviction. Stop voting Republican or Democrat because you think one is less of an evil than the other. Stop voting for the same people and parties who have brought us here. Vote Libertarian. Vote for your political values. You don’t have to agree on every point, but we all can agree on reigning government in and restoring our liberties. Vote for it! Vote for something, not against something. Vote a change, not for someone or something that just promises change.

If you want a steak, do you go to the store and buy a steak, or do you buy something that promises that it will be like a steak after you have already paid for it? If you don’t have a Libertarian to vote for, find a candidate who shares the same principles. If there isn’t one, run for office yourself!

Are you willing to volunteer for a charity? Are you willing to volunteer for your community? Great! Volunteer to be a candidate! Help your neighbors who volunteer to do so. Change is not going to happen without your help.

The great thing about today, here and now, is that I get to see a number of people who obviously recognize that reality and stand here today in testament of there own willingness to act, on their own behalf, for that change.
Thank you so much for coming out today. Please take the time to learn about the Libertarian party. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, spread the word! Let’s keep making our voices heard!

Oh, I could go on for hours, but that would be my attempt to wrap things up as I start to notice the organizers have finally collected those pesky marbles and are starting to walk in my direction looking somewhat displeased. This would be about the time I made a beeline for the nearest Libertarian who measured at least 6’4” and 240 pounds.

Having achieved such cover and concealment, I would proceed to try to convince the organizers that it was not me. That, in fact, I was inadvertently channeling the spirit of Thomas Jefferson and that all complaints should be sent, in writing, to his estate. It’s not much of an exit strategy, but we can only do our best.

Liberty Endorsements (or That Limb Looks Plenty Stable to Me)

We are one week away from election day. After reviewing some of the races and candidates, The Liberty Blog would like to specifically endorse a few specific candidates. So many of the candidates seem so similar, regardless of party, it makes it rather difficult.

One thing that stands out is a tendency of most candidates to couch answers to problems in terms of what the city should do. Read that as what the city should spend money on. This is a disturbing tendency on both the local and national level. All to often, the only difference between Democrats and Republicans seem to be their spending priorities, rather than a priority of reducing spending and taxes.

Taxes continue to creep higher, the budget continues to grow. Voting one major party or the other never changes that. A number our local candidates have spoken of watching Charlotte grow from a sleepy town to a growing major city. Many also seem determined to repeat the mistakes of every other major city. Rising taxes, regulation, and budgets drive business away. The tax base shrinks. Fewer jobs mean more people need help. Social services grow, requiring more spending, requiring more taxes, driving more businesses away.

We may not be the size of Detroit, but we are surely going down the same economic road. This spiral of increased spending, loss of business, rise in services, will drag this city down as surely as it has virtually every other major city in the country. The only way to avoid the same fate is to do something different from what everyone else has done.

Some candidates have cited specific examples of Charlotte businesses moving to other counties, like Union county, to escape the taxes and regulation. It should come as no surprise. Regardless of what any candidate says or promises, only a candidate who is committed to reducing the budget, taxes, and regulation will be a part of recovering our local economy and growing the city in a constructive way. Only a candidate with that commitment is going to help keep Charlotte from going down the same road all other cities end up going down.

What drives a local economy is business growth and low crime. Last year, DOJ statistics had Charlotte ranked worse than Philadelphia in terms of violent crime per capita. That’s outrageous. Much of this can be laid directly at the feet of the DAs office and the courts. The revolving door of repeat offenders, the ridiculously minimal bail requests by the DA, the knowledge that one can be a criminal in this city and be unlikely to really serve any time is the greatest part of the problem.

This is one of the major responsibilities of local government. It is one that the city has failed in a major way. This is not a police problem. This is a problem with the local system. Crime drives business away.

Charlotte has become one of the very highest tax areas in NC. Regulation and red tape aside, this single fact makes Charlotte one of the last places a business wants to locate itself in. Few candidates seem to want to recognize this reality. “But we want to build this” and “we need to buy that”, echo constantly. No we don’t. We can’t afford it. We can’t have it all. If we follow all these lovely government solutions to “problems”, we will be even more unlikely to be able to afford it tomorrow, whatever the pet project is.

Government does not grow business. Government does not create jobs. People and businesses do those things. Government only inhibits these things. “Ah, but we will offer a credit to this or that business.” If the government was not such an impediment, no such credit would be needed to encourage growth. All government can do is drain resources.

Our personal suggestion to recover and grow Charlotte’s economy would be to declare Charlotte an “economic freedom zone”. Gut zoning and business regulations. Cut the budget line by line. Cut taxes to a painful minimum. Watch the economy grow.

Charlotte has a employee base. Very important for prospective businesses looking to relocate. Make this city notable, near the top of the list of places with the lowest taxes and regulation. Do that, business will come, the economy will grow. No further incentives required. No need for complicated schemes of taxing then crediting. Get the government out of the way. That is how this city will recover and then continue to grow.

Having said that, there are three candidates that stand out in terms of showing a commitment to these principles. They are all candidates for city council at-large.

First, we endorse Travis Wheat. With no connection to the Democrats or Republicans, Mr. Wheat is a Libertarian committed to minimal government and free market principles. As we are Libertarians here, this will not come as a great shock.

Given you have multiple votes you can cast for the at-large positions, it is worth noting that two other candidates have stood out as displaying a similar commitment, despite their party affiliations.

The Liberty Blog also endorses Tariq Bokhari and Matthew Ridenhour.

Obviously, there are other candidates, but no endorsement will be given for the sake of filling slots. An endorsement is made only for candidates who stand out in appearing to share the principles of limited government, limited taxation, and free market economics.

We hope to see you November 3rd!

Races for 4 at-large seats lost in glare

Races for 4 at-large seats lost in glare
Mayoral race taking attention from potentially pivotal council campaigns.
By Jim Morrill
jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Charlotte’s at-large City Council hopefuls worked the rope line at this week’s Mallard Creek barbecue, vying with mayoral and school board candidates for the attention of hungry voters.

Just like they’ve grasped for attention in the shadow of the city’s most competitive mayoral race in two decades.

“The public seems to be fixated on the mayor’s race,” says at-large Democrat Darrin Rankin. “But we’re the ones (on council) who actually vote.”

Four Democrats, four Republicans and a Libertarian are running for four at-large seats that could decide which party controls the council. Democrats now hold two seats for a 7-4 majority. Republicans need to keep their two district seats and sweep the at-large seats to take control.

Two at-large incumbents – Democrat Anthony Foxx and Republican John Lassiter – are running to become Charlotte’s first new mayor in 14 years. Their race has swallowed most of the media attention. And as the city’s most expensive mayor’s race, it has gobbled most of the campaign dollars available in a tight economy.

“It’s been really hard,” says Republican Jaye Rao, who ran for office before. “People who used to give me $500 are sending me $100. I realize it’s not a reflection that they believe in me less. They’re seeing tough times.”

The limited budgets of most candidates are expected to work in favor of the two incumbents running: Democrat Susan Burgess and Republican Edwin Peacock III.

And Democrat Patrick Cannon, a former mayor pro tem who has been off the council for four years, is running as a virtual incumbent. He tells audiences he’s running on a record of “proven leadership.” He got more votes than any candidate in the September primary.

Through dozens of forums, receptions and chili cook-offs, other candidates have been working hard to get known and get out their messages. On Thursday, for example, they hustled from a morning televised forum to Mallard Creek to events at UNC Charlotte and, later, at Providence Road Church.

“We are busier than ever,” says Burgess.

Democrat David Howard is not an incumbent. But as former chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission and a vice president of the nonprofit Housing Partnership, he says some Charlotte leaders may consider him one.

“But … the general public doesn’t know who I am,” he adds.

Some candidates are trying to position themselves as outsiders.

“If people want change, they’re not going to want incumbents,” says Rao. “Hopefully they see me as a change agent.”

Republican Matthew Ridenhour, a former Marine who organized last spring’s Charlotte Tea Party, says he’s selling himself as much as his issues of low taxes and smaller government.

“What’s working for me is not just my message, it’s also my history from everything from being a native Charlottean to Scouts to tours of duty in Iraq,” he says. “That’s striking a chord with a lot of people.”

Virtually all candidates are rallying their supporters and running more or less traditional campaigns. One who has gone another direction is Republican Tariq Scott Bokhari.

Last week, he was carrying his signs outside Time Warner Cable Arena and courting fans of Metallica. He has produced an online video about his campaign. And Tuesday night he hosted a “Career and Charity Fair” that attracted more than 70 job seekers and about 20 companies and charities.

“Everywhere you go you’re talking about yourself, and you have to – everything boils down to name recognition,” he says. “We have an opportunity to use this platform for more than just getting elected. … We can also use it for doing some good in the community.”

Elections director Michael Dickerson predicts a 27 percent turnout, higher than two years ago but still relatively low. Republican Peacock says that puts a premium on candidates getting their people to the polls.

Ted Arrington, a UNC Charlotte political scientist, says the challenge for all the candidates is getting voters to tune in.

“They’re paying no attention to it all,” he says. “It’s not just in the shadow. It’s in the cave.”

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/1017318.html

Single Issue Voters (or Nero Warmed Over)

I have had some fascinating conversations about voting and the two parties lately. When one talks about which party one supports, I often hear about one issue that really drives them. It’s not everyone, but many people seem to have one big trigger issue.

Virtually everyone I talk to is very unhappy with congress. They are very worried about the economy, some are flat out angry. They are unhappy with taxes and regulation. They want things to really change, not just the change that virtually every political candidate blathers about.

Then I ask why they voted again, for the same party that they are unhappy with. They tell me that it is the lesser of two evils. They tell me that their party doesn’t do what the other party does “as much.” I ask if, which ever party they vote for, really lowered taxes. I ask if they ever spent less money. I usually get a blank look. Democrats seem to accept those conditions as just a part of furthering the rest of “the agenda”, just one of those things they sort of accept as the price of the rest of the package. Republicans tell me that the Republicans don’t spend as much. I repeat my question, the blank look returns. They already know that neither party has ever passed a smaller budget.

Then, once the blank look clears, we finally get down to the real issue. It’s often one main issue. Often I hear, “the Republicans are against abortion,” or, “the Democrats support my right to choose.” It’s not the only single issue, but abortion does come up a lot. It’s a good example of the problem.

Some folks claim to have all these reasons for their party of choice, but when you talk it out, it comes down to just a few real points, sometimes only one. They are so dissatisfied and unhappy with government, with the “way things are”, but they accept it. Even as they complain, emotionally, they watch everything else go down a road they don’t like because they cling to one issue.

Like Nero, they watch Rome burn, they can see the flames, but they just can’t bring themselves to help put out the fire. Unlike Nero, they don’t like the fire. They know the fire is destructive. They don’t envision a great palace to be built on the ashes. They simply can’t set that one issue aside on the chance that the person helping to put out the fire might disagree on that one issue.

How do you address this last issue, this single issue, whatever it may be? Often, when we see something we don’t like, we try to put it out of our mind, particularly when we feel powerless to change it. Ask them to face the fire. Often, the one issue voters cling to that issue, sets it above all others, because they don’t see how things will ever change. It becomes their singular measuring stick. The one thing they can hang their hat on.

They think that they can’t change anything else, but at least the person or party they support, because there is no other option, agrees with them on that one issue.

You have to show them that there is another option. That they can help make a change. Show them that there is a way to break the two party monopoly. There is a real third party they can support. That the Libertarian party is dedicated to addressing the very issues that frustrate so many of us. Lowering taxes and shrinking budgets are not just campaign promises, they are the foundations and principles of the party.

The single issue voter may have one issue that drives them now, but show them that there is an option to address other issues that they have long forgotten. It’s not impossible, they simply have to break the two party programming and vote for the third party that is fundamentally different.

If they take the chance, they may even find that Libertarians agree with their one issue, in substance, not just rhetorically. If not, they can be assured that their issues can be honestly debated in an environment of greater liberty.

The fact is, regardless of what someone’s one issue is, without liberty, their singular issue is meaningless. Without liberty, their voice will never be heard. Indeed, they may find themselves actively silenced, even punished. Breaking the two party monopoly should be everyone’s single issue. Returning our government to it’s constitutional place should be everyone’s single issue. Ensuring everyone’s personal and financial freedom is what will allow us all to freely pursue our other issues.

In the event of fire, we all need to drop everything and help each other. Rescue those who are trapped, help put out the flames. Our individual rights are smoldering, our national finances are aflame. Far from bringing the flames under control, the two parties are actively fanning the fire.

Rahm Emanuel was recently heard to say, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” Every time he, or other politicians cite a crisis, it inevitably means that they are going to spend more money that we don’t have AND require us to lose a little more of our liberty. Invariably, every “crisis” results in more power collected centrally.

The only real crisis facing us today is a constitutional one. Neither of the major parties can, or will, be reformed. The only way to fight this fire, to address this crisis, is to break their monopoly and reinsert our voices and the constitution into the political process.

The most important thing to let people know is that the fire can be put out, that there are people already working the buckets, and above all, invite them to help. I have a bucket with your name on it, right here.

First Video?

What We can Learn From the ACORN Scandal (or Take a gander at what that goose was doing)

Main Entry: ac•tiv•ist
Pronunciation: \ak-ti-vist\
Function: noun
: a shady individual who lies, cheats, and is willing to use violence to achieve their particular social goals

This is how many people view the word activist. It has become a dirty word, a word that has been reduced from eight letters to four. From activist judges to social activists, it usually has a negative connotation and is connected often with socialist causes. It is, all too often, thought of in the same way as “the revolution.”

Much as we have with our government, we have given over ownership of the political process to a vocal and shady minority by our own inaction. We have jobs. We have families. We have things we have to get done everyday. We don’t have time to run around, keeping on top of every little group or every little usurpation by some politician or party. We have a life.

While we have been busy however, activists have taken over our government, they have taken over our very process of selecting and of giving our voice to our government. They have lied and cheated and bullied their way into the process to such a degree that they have quieted our voices and supplanted them with their own.

From dead voters to non-existent people voting several times, they have diluted our voices and taken over our elections by fraud and social, if not actual, violence. It is very much an assault. They are true believers. True believers in whatever cause they happen to espouse. They are so, to the point of believing that they can do no wrong in the pursuit of their goals. Anything they do is a justifiable means to an end.

Let’s face it folks, this phenomenon is almost exclusive to the far left in our country. It’s a mindset that is part of the very foundation of leftist thought. It is part of the mindset of the “revolutionary.” Another fact of the matter is, that if they did not have this mindset, did not assault our process, they would have very little voice. It’s why the official communist party has never had much of an open following here.

Given that, how have they come so far, why is their small voice so much louder than ours? Well, as we observed, we have a life. We have many things to do other than follow politics. Part of it is also denial. We might have a friend or family member who suddenly we find might be in trouble, or is causing trouble. We are concerned, but it can’t really be true. They are not like that. It’s really hard to believe. If we say something though, it may get ugly. I hate to accuse, it won’t be nice, they may hate me, it might ruin our relationship, what if I’m wrong, what if I’m right… How ’bout them Panthers!?!

So we let it go. ACORN has been pulling these stunts for decades. We all knew it, we all let it go. They follow no laws, have no principles or scruples that we would recognize. Their only principles are their ends. Any means are justifiable, even the slave trade. Excuses were made, the seriousness was downplayed… How ‘bout them Panthers? It required someone to show us just how ridiculously and egregiously immoral these activists were willing to be, to finally get some serious outrage. We actually had to see these people try to assist in human slave trading. Even then, expect that there will be quiet efforts to keep these folks funded and in the loop. They will do it quietly and we will look the other way again. We had our moment of outrage. We vented and feel better now. It will be business as usual before very long.

Like our politics, government, and process, it is time to take back the idea of the activist. We are a nation of activists. We are a nation constantly volunteering our time and resources for causes. Many of us would leave actual protesting, and all that, for the “crazies”, but we are a very activist nation all the same.

We have scouts, Kiwanis, and Rotarians. Our municipalities save millions by taking advantage of people willing to volunteer to be firefighters for no pay. Ever hear of Civil Air Patrol? We give our time and resources to each other constantly. I would like to say that most of us have given our money or time to some organization, some cause, to serve our neighbors and community at some point. Have you donated money to a medical cause lately? Have you volunteered for a youth organization? Coached kid’s sports? Given to a food drive? Given blood? Participated in the PTA? Have you volunteered for the Lions? Been a member of, or helped the local veteran’s groups? Have you been a den mother?

We are a nation of activists. We just don’t use the word to describe ourselves. For many of us, there is just one huge glaring gap in our activism. Politics. Another dirty word.

So much of our “activism” is directed to benefit our children, the future. We serve our communities. However, the one single area that impacts our communities, our children, the future, to the greatest extent, we ignore. By doing so, we have given the “activists” control over us, over our children, over our future.

The answer is not very complicated. If you give a day to walk for cancer, give a day to politics. Go to a candidate forum. Ask some questions. Write a letter. Start a local group to help a candidate or party. Go to a protest, start a protest. If you gave a dollar to a charity, give a dollar to candidate who you feel represents your views. If you are willing to be a den mother, go be a candidate!

We can learn from the ACORN scandal. We can, believe it or not, learn from ACORN. We can learn from community organizers. The keys to taking our government back, to taking the process back, are right there. Talk to your neighbors. Get them registered. Get them inspired to just give a day, to just give a dollar. We can do all the same things they have done, short of the immoralities and felonies, and take our politics back. They had to work very hard to steal our politics from us. We don’t have to work nearly as hard to simply take them back. We do, however, need to make the actual effort to take them back.

You’re not an organizer, what do you do? How do you go about it? Many of you know. Ever helped with a run or walk for cancer, or something else? Ever helped out with boy or girl scouts? Ever planned a wedding? Many of you already have the skills, you just need to recognize them and turn them to the problem at hand.

Think it would be great to have a walk for breast cancer? Do it! Then plan a walk for fiscal responsibility in government, for fair elections laws and ballot access, for term limits in congress, for whatever is important to you! Give a little time, make our political process one of the causes you support.

New Year’s Resolutions and Revolutions (or How I Learned to Like Wheat)

Another election had come and gone. Once again, I felt the futility of it all. Who to vote for? Why bother? Many tell me that I would have had no right to complain about our government if I didn’t vote, but I had come to the disturbing conclusion that, perhaps, they had no right to complain if they had voted.

I am one of that growing demographic that feels that there is little to chose between the two major parties. I certainly did not like any of the candidates either of the parties offered for our consideration. This is a problem that has bedeviled me for a couple of decades now.

As we continue to watch government budgets and deficits spiral upwards, regardless of which party is in control, I could not help but despair that the whole process was futile. Whether it is the patriot act or the fairness doctrine, my rights and liberties continue to be squeezed in seeming proportion to the amount of money in next year’s budget.

So I sat and pondered. What do I do? What can I do? I resolved myself to real change, not rhetorical change. I saw other people, who never protested before, get involved in tax protests and other activities. That seemed like a reasonable response to the challenges facing us, but it only addresses the symptoms, not the real problem.

The real problem is that we have two parties who hold a monopoly. They have some “talking points” differences, but at the end of the day, my rights shrink and the budgets expand. They rule by whim and wind. They rule by political consideration rather than principle. This is the reason that broken promises by politicians have become axiomatic.

I resolved to find a third party. The party I found was the Libertarian Party. My exposure to the party introduced me to a party who based their platform on principles, not “issues”. I was quickly able to predict what a “party response” would be on a particular issue by simply understanding the underlying principles of the party. Principles rooted in constitutional law and liberty. A fundamental belief in free markets and free citizens.

It was during this exploration that I came across Travis Wheat. Mr. Wheat is currently running for an at-large seat on the Charlotte City Council.

Mr. Wheat is the only candidate in Charlotte, that I have found, that is dedicated to the principle of smaller, more transparent government, rather than simply making a promise of it… Or not addressing it at all. It’s not a plank or an issue. It is a core principle. It is a principle from which positions on other issues flow.

With such a large budget for such a relatively small city, with taxes driving residents and businesses to other areas, with such massive expenditures and tax increases staring our city in the face, I believe it is very much time to include a voice of restraint and transparency on the city council. Something that we could use at all levels of government, not just locally.

They say, “think globally, act locally.” I’m not sure what some of the folks who say this really mean, but I find the expression very apt in this case. Charlotte’s budgetary issues and problems are, in many ways, a microcosm of our national issues. I can hope for national, political change, but I can act here, now, in Charlotte.

I can support Travis Wheat for city council.

I can ask others to re-examine what and who they have been voting for, as I have. I can ask others to step outside the two party system we have all grown up with and take a long, hard look at what we have been doing to ourselves.

If you believe that our government’s spending is out of control, if you believe that too much of the decision making is kept behind closed doors, if you are concerned that too much of our political process is “politics-of-the-moment” rather than by predictable and understandable principles, then I urge you to vote Libertarian.

I urge you to vote for Travis Wheat for Charlotte city council at-large.

It’s past time for change. It’s time for a revolution in our political landscape. It’s time to bring our voice, the voice of the constitution, a voice of restraint, back to our political table. Locally and nationally, it’s time.

It’s time to say, “If you voted for one of the two major parties in the election, you have no reason to complain. As usual, you got exactly what you voted for.”

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again and expecting a different result. Let’s end the insanity and at least give our voice a place at the table. Of your four choices for at-large seats, select who you will, but please save one of those choices for Travis Wheat. Save one of those choices for the one candidate, the one voice, who can offer the kind of balance to Charlotte’s council that Democrats and Republicans ceased to offer a long time ago.

In our upcoming election, that voice is Travis Wheat.

http://www.electwheat.com/Home_Page.html

A council majority like no other? – CharlotteObserver.com

Sadly, only a passing mention of our libertarian candidate, Travis Wheat….

A council majority like no other? – CharlotteObserver.com
Shared via AddThis

A council majority like no other?
GOP’s ‘Tea Party’ candidate a key.
By Steve Harrison
sharrison@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Monday, Oct. 05, 2009

In the aftermath of last month’s Charlotte City Council primaries, Democrats believe they have a reasonable chance at something unprecedented: An 8-3 council majority.

Local political strategists in both parties believe there are three favorites for the four at-large council seats being contested.

Republican incumbent Edwin Peacock and Democrat Susan Burgess, the current mayor pro tem, are being penciled in for two of the seats. Democrat Patrick Cannon, a former council member and mayor pro tem, is also considered a strong contender. Cannon led all candidates in the September primary.

The Democrats’ optimism for winning a third at-large seat – and getting eight total on the council – is fueled in part by numbers: Democrats comprise just under half of the city’s registered voters, while Republicans are 26 percent of the city electorate; most of the remaining voters are unaffiliated.

Democrats also believe they can take advantage of the strong primary showing of first-time Republican candidate Matthew Ridenhour. A leader in the anti-spending “Tea Party” movement, Ridenhour finished a comfortable second in the Republican field.

Democrats question whether a candidate closely identified with the Tea Party movement can win in a general election, when turnout is higher. The Republicans currently holding citywide office – Peacock, John Lassiter and Mayor Pat McCrory – are considered moderates.

“It’s a fight for the 4th seat,” said Democratic political consultant Dan McCorkle. “Can the Republicans translate that Tea Party stuff into votes? In the general election, will that appeal to the Myers Park and the Eastover crowd?”

In the Sept. 15 primary, Ridenhour got 18.1 percent of the GOP vote; Republican frontrunner Peacock finished with 21.7 percent.

That was Ridenhour’s first election. He had helped organize two local Tea Parties earlier this year, and was able to use a mailing list from those events to reach supporters. But in addition to his conservative positions on government spending, his nonpolitical resume appealed to voters : He served two tours in Iraq and was an Eagle Scout.

Another Tea Party organizer, Craig Nannini, finished last in the primary.

Ridenhour said he’s not worried about being limited by being a Tea Party leader in the general election.

“Yes, there have been some people who say, oh, that’s the Tea Party guy,” Ridenhour said. “But once I engage them, I’ll get e-mails from them later saying they’ll support me.”

Tea Party backers may be associated with the far right politically, but Ridenhour said his campaign themes – fiscal conservatism and limited government – are universal.

McCrory said he disagrees with the Democratic projections. He said that the group of Republican candidates is strong and that the Republicans might win three of four at-large seats.

“Each of the four people bring a unique set of skills,” McCrory said. “And by the way, (Ridenhour) has been a community activist, just like the president.”

Joel Ford, chairman of Mecklenburg’s Democratic Party, said the party’s success starts with the mayoral race, and the ability of Democratic candidate Anthony Foxx to increase Democratic turnout against Republican John Lassiter.

“But I like our chances – they don’t have a strong No. 2,” Ford said, referring to Ridenhour. “The city of Charlotte isn’t a city of extremes. When you look at the Tea Party, those views don’t resonate with the average Charlottean.”

McCorkle said no party has ever had an 8-3 majority on council. The last Republican majority was 6-5, from 1997 to 1999, he said. Before then, the two parties had swapped power since 1977, when districts were added and the races became partisan.

The size of a majority is important. With a 7-4 majority today, Democrats have the seven required votes to override a mayoral veto.

Republican incumbents Andy Dulin and Warren Cooksey are also running for reelection in district races. Their Democratic challengers, Jane Bott Childrey and Marc Friedland, face an uphill battle. Republicans outnumber Democrats in both districts.

GOP candidates tested

If Peacock, Burgess and Cannon are favorites for three of the four at-large seats, that leaves two Democrats, three Republicans and one libertarian candidate, C. Travis Wheat, scrambling for the last seat.

In addition to Ridenhour, Republicans Tariq Scott Bokhari and businesswoman Jaye Rao are on the ticket. They finished third and fourth in the primary, with 13.6 percent and 13.4 percent.

Bokhari, a Wells Fargo risk manager, spoke at a Tea Party event, but he isn’t as closely associated with it as Ridenhour. He is a conservative, but is stressing his heftier political resume, which includes an unsuccessful run against Patsy Kinsey for a City Council district seat in 2007, and membership on several community and city committees.

“I think we believe in a lot of the same things,” Bokhari said of Ridenhour. “But I think one of the things that will strike a chord among Republican and independent voters is that they will look at my body of work. I have been appointed to committees. I have worked on nonprofits and charities, I have my career in the private sector.”

Bokhari said he envisions three scenarios for the at-large races. He said the most likely outcome is a 2-2 split among Democrats and Republicans, which would keep the 7-4 Democratic council majority.

But he said he can envision scenarios in which Democrats take thee of four seats, or the Republicans have a near sweep, winning three of four.

Some Democrats said the Republican’s strongest candidate after Peacock might have been Georgia Belk, a moderate businesswoman with a notable last name. Belk was running for office while her husband, Mecklenburg Judge Bill Belk, was accused of judicial misconduct. She failed to qualify for the general election.

Rao, a businesswoman, said she can fit that bill. She said voters are intrigued by her unusual background, having been born in India. She moved to Charlotte when she was 7.

“I think I have a lot of crossover appeal,” Rao said. “I’m Indian – there are a lot of people who want to know me. I’m single and not married – it makes for an interesting story. People want to know about their candidates.”

Rao said she didn’t attend the Tea Parties, though she said they show “our democracy at work.” She has worked for Citizens for a Sound Economy, a national conservative group that wrote policy papers advocating economic growth and questioning global warming.

She ran unsuccessfully for the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and was the Republican nominee for Secretary of State in 2004.

Bokhari and Rao said they both voted in the primary for John Lassiter over anti-tax conservative Martin Davis and Jack Stratton. Ridenhour declined to say in an interview who he voted for.

Democratic newcomers

Two Democratic newcomers are also trying to translate their primary success into the general election.

David Howard, a vice president with the nonprofit Housing Partnership, finished third in the Democratic primary with 18.6 percent. Darrin Rankin, who owns an insurance business, was fourth with 14.5 percent. None of the other three Democratic candidates got more than 6.6 percent.

Howard has been a member of the city’s planning commission, and has been politically active in the Democratic party. Howard had raised the most money among Rankin, Rao, Ridenhour and Bokhari, among the candidates who’ve never served on the council before, through the Sept. 8 campaign finance reports, with $16,170.

Howard said his “history of being progressive” will resonate in the general election.

On some issues, Rankin has distanced himself from the other Democratic contenders, taking a more conservative position. He opposed the council’s Democratic majority’s position to spend $4.5 million to start design work on a streetcar through central Charlotte.

Rankin said he is separating himself from the field by showing that he’s an “outsider.”

“David isn’t on council, but he’s been in the exclusive ring of things in Charlotte,” Rankin said. “That’s symbolic of the problems we have. We can’t see the trees from the forest.”

How does a candidate get soaked in an election?

Libertarian candidate protests media bias

This is what really happens when you can’t participate in a debate!