LP News 2017-3
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MINIMUM GOVERNMENT • MAXIMUM FREEDOM LP.ORG Award Recipients, Pages 8–9 August 2018 The Official Newspaper of the Libertarian Party Volume 48, Issue 3 In This Issue: Fabulously successful national convention Chair’s CornerLP .............................2 News n July 3, we concluded our 2018 Libertarian National Convention in Vice Chair Alex Merced ................3 New Orleans. It was a great success. OAt press time, preliminary figures indi- LNC reps share vision .......4, 6, 10 cate this year’s convention may have sur- passed the 2016 presidential nominating Immigration platform plank ......5 convention in both attendance and fundrais- ing! This is impressive for any convention in any year, but especially for one held during a Platform protects sex workers .....7 non-presidential election year. This is a solid indicator of major growth! Award recipients .................... 8–9 Conventioneers included 843 creden- tialed delegates and alternates from 49 states Ron Paul endorses Sabrin ........10 and D.C., who participated in electing party officers, at-large representatives, and com- Delegates reelected 2018 Phoenix may- the new vice chair; electrical engineer Tim mittee members; making changes to the par- oral candidate and small-business owner Hagan retained his position as treasurer, a Unilateral free trade.................11 ty’s platform, such as the taxation plank; and Nicholas Sarwark for an unprecedented post he has held since 2012; and LNC re- passing resolutions, such as urging the presi- third consecutive term as LNC chair, and gional rep and Historical Preservation Com- Affiliate Updates ................ 12–16 dent to pardon Ross Ulbricht and opposing new LNC representatives were elected. Fi- mittee Chair Caryn Ann Harlos, a paralegal, H.R. 2851, a bill that would empower the at- nancial-industry trainer and 2017 New York was elected secretary. The representatives are Media Buzz ...............................16 torney general to expand drug prohibition. City comptroller candidate Alex Merced is continued on page 7... LP state affiliates in both Illinois and Ohio secure 2018 ballot access n two exciting new ballot access victories, Now that we’ve completed the work in Illi- we have secured 2018 ballot access in both nois and Ohio, our next priorities are New York Illinois and Ohio! These victories required and Connecticut. Ithousands of hours of volunteer and staff effort In order to achieve ballot access in New York and hundreds of thousands of dollars in finan- and Connecticut, the national party needs to cial support. raise and spend up to $40,000. Many thanks to all of you who have pitched If you’d like to be part of this critical work, in with your time, talents, and dollars. please donate to the Ballot Access Fund: With your help, we are making major prog- LP.org/2018ballotaccess ress on behalf of Libertarian candidates in these By doing so, you are putting Libertarian can- states and elsewhere. Even when the two old par- didates on ballots. ties write the laws, rig the system to be unfair, and These victories in Illinois and Ohio required spend millions to deny the voters a Libertarian teamwork, with thousands of Libertarians from option, we rise together and overcome. across the country pitching in. Indeed, all politi- Our team is working aggressively, strategi- cal progress requires teamwork. Please be part cally, and methodically, year-round toward ensuring that the biggest barriers now so that we can focus on other of this same winning team in accomplishing ballot access our 2020 nominees have ballot access in all 50 states plus critical things, like candidate support, closer to elections. in Connecticut and New York and putting Libertarians on Washington, D.C. A critical piece of that is overcoming We now have 2018 ballot access in 40 states plus D.C. ballots there! PAGE 2 THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY — LP.ORG AUGUST 2018 Working toward a world set free in our lifetime Chair’s Corner took bold stances on immigration and the student loan ertarian candidates. Even when the two old parties write crisis, and became the only national political party in this the laws, rig the system to be unfair, and spend millions to By Nicholas Sarwark, LNC Chair country to clearly stand for the rights of sex workers. deny the voters a Libertarian option, we rise together and Minor arguments and differences don’t matter when we overcome. We will do the same in New York and Con- ur 2016 presidential are working together to stand for the rights of all peaceful necticut. Wherever the old parties abuse the voters, we nominating conven- people to pursue happiness in any way they choose. will fight and we will win. tion set fundraising With the two old political parties abandoning their As I enter my third term as your chair, I am humbled Oand attendance records and led historical positions every day, leaving their supporters and honored by the responsibility and trust you have to the most successful Libertar- feeling disappointed and cheated, we sent a clear message placed in me. As I said to the delegates in New Orleans, ian presidential ticket in his- that we stand for authentic American principles like in- although I have made mistakes and will make new mis- tory. In the first few days of July, dividual liberty and limiting the power of government to takes in the future, my pledge to you is to do everything in however, those records were control our lives. This message resonates and stands out my power to help you achieve our shared goal: a world set shattered at our 2018 national as a beacon in a political wasteland of unserious establish- free in our lifetime. convention. We sold more tick- ment parties and politicians. You are the most important person in the Libertarian ets and raised more money for Nicholas Sarwark As with the abolitionists who brought down slavery, Party, and I am proud to fight with you. the Libertarian Party than we justice is on the side of the Libertarian Party and our Yours in liberty, did in 2016. principles. We will never, ever back down from a fight for There were contentious and controversial issues lead- those principles — and we are winning those fights. ing up to the 2018 convention, but once nearly 1,000 Lib- In Illinois and Ohio, through thousands of hours of ertarians were in the same room, differences faded away volunteer effort and hundreds of thousands of dollars in and libertarians of all different stripes came together. We financial support, we have secured ballot access for Lib- Libertarian Party News LP.org (ISSN 8755-139X) is the official newspaper of the LP News Send news, articles, Libertarian Party® of the United essays, or photographs: States. Opinions and articles The Libertarian Party (LP) and its state affiliates work to advance the right E-mail: [email protected] of individuals to be free, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the published in this newspaper do not Address changes: equal rights of others. The party runs candidates for public office, elects necessarily represent official party Libertarians, supports and opposes ballot measures, lobbies, and takes Phone: (202) 333-0008 positions unless so indicated. positions on public policy aimed at removing, reducing, and nullifying government E-mail: [email protected] laws, regulations, prohibitions, taxes, spending, debt, and foreign interventions. National Chair: Postal mail: Nicholas Sarwark 1444 Duke St. E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR: Eric D. Dixon ASSISTANT EDITOR: Elizabeth Brierly Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: (202) 333-0008 CONTRIBUTORS: Richard Fields, Bob Johnston, Lauren Daugherty, Elizabeth Brierly, Nicholas Sarwark, Alex Merced, Caryn Ann Harlos, Tim Hagan, Jim Lark, Steven Nekhaila, William Redpath, Elizabeth Van Horn, John Phillips, Thomas Knapp, Wes Benedict, Eric D. Dixon, state affiliates VOL. 48, ISSUE 3 THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY — LP.ORG PAGE 3 DONOR Appreciation Newly elected LNC Vice Chair Alex Merced The following individuals became Beacon of Liberty contributors: addresses delegates at the 2018 Libertarian National Convention in New Orleans. David Pratt Demarest R.J. Lyman The bigger we get, the smaller we must feel By Alex Merced, LNC Vice Chair As vice chair, I hope to be quite involved in the dis- cussion of how to move the national party forward in n 2013, I was an active small “l” libertarian vlog- building our membership, our resources, and our infra- ger wrapped up in intellectual exploration and structure. As a former Region 8 alternate LNC represen- Sean T. O’Toole Emily H. Salvette contemplation, but then that all changed. A New tative and a member of the recently formed Blockchain IYork City mayoral candidate by the name of Michael Committee, I look forward to deliberating on interest- Susan Michelle Mosher Ruiz Sanchez reached out to me, asking to fill an empty ing proposals. I will soon be working with other LNC spot for public advocate on the citywide slate of can- members to craft language and purpose for ideas such as didates. I was honored for the consideration, accepted, an outreach committee, to help connect candidates and and spent the next several months campaigning with affiliates with subject experts, and a retention committee The following individuals became the campaigns of Sanchez for Mayor and Hesham El- to discover ways to increase retention, gather informa- Pioneer of Freedom contributors: Meligy for Comptroller, an office I’d run for several tion on why people stay or leave, and serve as a sound- years later. After the votes were counted, I experienced ing board for members who feel frustrated. Regardless, David Aschmann James E. Palidar libertarianism from a new angle — from the relation- my door, my ears, and my heart are always open to any Roger D. Barris Kyle Varner ships I made with Michael, Hesham, and many other members who need their morale boosted and optimism Paul Bilyeu William F.