Attendance:
Ken Donnelly- Chairman
Billy Akerman- Treasurer
David Little

Meeting open 6:45pm

Opening pledge
Ken Donnelly welcomed David Little since it was his first meeting.
Billy Akerman updated the chapter with the monthly Treasurer’s report:
Current balance = $32.43
There were no expenditures or Donation for the month of June, 2011.

Open business: 6:55pm
Mr. Donnelly brought up the idea of having a “donation” can to be placed on the meeting table to help cover the costs associated with the county affiliate.
Mr. Akerman volunteered to make sure the can was ready for the next meeting.
Billy motioned, Ken seconded.
Mr. Little asked, “Where do the Libertarians stand on the Fair Tax Plan?”
An official answer was not available during the meeting, but Mr. Donnelly stated that an answer would be reached by the next meeting.
David Little of Yes Solution Gallery offered to donate $1 of every sale that the customer said they were referred to by the MCLP, to the Marion County Libertarian Party.
The Board thanked Mr. Little for the offer.

7:15pm
Monthly discussion of Libertarian celebrity
John Stossel

7:30pm
Government current issue discussion
Debt Ceiling

7:50pm
Meeting adjoined

First, I want to say that it’s exciting to have had a small part to play in writing these important pages in history. None of us could have done it without Alex, and he couldn’t have done it without us. Rarely, have I seen the Libertarians bring up a candidate who is strong on all of the right issues, who is as well-spoken as is he, and who is also a hero that served in our armed forces. In Florida, especially, as with the rest of the south, it is important to have all three, not just two of these three, qualities.

I believe that, come 2nd-November, we’re going to see the first Libertarian senator, here, within our state. Of course, things can still go any way, which is why we have to push harder now, and twice as hard tomorrow, and so forth, until this election is won. We need to be the first in line at the polling places, go in, proudly vote, and then come out and campaign at the closest permissible distance. Those of us who have voted early need to be there early, so that those first in line with us can be greeted by friendly, courteous Alex Snitker supporters, who can hand them literature and politely ask them to vote for Mr. Snitker. Remember, this is a war with an occupying enemy, the establishment. This isn’t a war in the sense of killing people, and I am *not* suggesting violence in any way, shape, or form, but make no mistake, this is a battle for the very heart and soul of our country, adherence to the Constitution of the United States of America. The rules of engagement are clear, and by following them, we stand astride of their filthy politics as usual approach to things. The message that we send to our countrymen is clear, and the more that these career criminals – I mean, politicians – continue in their sorted affairs, the more people are going to see the difference between them and their supporters, and that of Alex and his supporters. This doesn’t end on election day.

Where we go from here only begins with the election, and this is rather Alex wins, as I believe that he will, or even if Crist, Meek, or No-Show Rubio wins. The biggest reason that the United States needs the Libertarian party now more than ever is NOT the career politicians. They’re the second (a very close second) reason. First and foremost, it is each of us, rather we’re only now old enough to vote, rather we’ve been voting for a while, or rather we’ve been at it a long time. All of us are responsible for falling asleep and trusting in our officials to keep our best interests in heart. We’ve grown faithful and complacent. Nothing can be farther from what our founding fathers envisioned. This system of government is “for the people, by the people”. While the Socialists out there will twist the meaning of those words to suggest that our founding fathers were supportive of Marx and Engles (who came a century later), we know well the simple truth behind those words: this nation is to be governed for the will, prosperity, and freedom of the citizens of this nation, and it is to be done so by us. It is to be governed by regular citizens, not career politicians.

Somewhere along the way, we became lazy, and that only grew with time. We forgot the wise words of Thomas Jefferson, who said, “A private central bank issuing the public currency is a greater menace to the liberties of the people than a standing army…We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.” Even before that, we forgot that our government was supposed to be run by day-to-day people. We bought into the lie that we can only be governed by seasoned statesmen. We allowed our benevolent (less and less often benevolent) dictators to claim to support our freedoms while eroding them bit by bit as they moved further and further from the guidance of our sacred documents. Gone, at least until we take it back, is the America envisioned by our founders. Make no mistake, this is still the greatest nation in which to live, but likewise do not make the mistake of thinking that it will remain such if we hold to our present course.

The profligates who sit in office have used our Constitution and our Bill of Rights as toilet paper in an agenda that serves their needs while leaving us and our next of kin with a bill that can never be paid. These wastrels run us further into debt and play shell games with our lives, because we allow it. They have the media to back them up, but let us stop for a minute and think. Let’s not become despondent and decide that there must be no hope, and even less hope for us, since we’re not Democlicans or Repucrats. That is exactly what their machine wants us to do, and we’ve already done more than enough for them. Today, right now, it stops. It must continue to stop and to stay stopped, even after the election. As I said, the greatest problem has been us, and then our so-called leaders.

You see, we often forget, in our annoyance, the position of our government. ***They are our employees.*** Stop and let that soak in for a minute and then ask yourself what good employer never checks up on his employees, never gives them direction, and then expects results that are good for their business. Now, ask yourself how many businesses run that way can stay afloat. Step back and look at the country again. Yes, we’re to blame, so right here, right now, we have to correct this in ourselves. No matter the outcome of this, or any future election, can we allow ourselves to be lulled into believing that we’re done with our responsibilities as American citizens. Let the media continue to be these crooks’ cheerleaders! If we all take our responsibilities to heart, if we pay attention to everything that these clowns do and say, and if we educate our children at home, so that they’re not easily indoctrinated in the schools, then there is nothing that these buffoons can do. Taking the power from them is not hard, at least not yet. It is still in our hands. While it is there, it is up to all of us to use it. If we do not, then this election is pointless, and so too were the sacrifices that started with our founding fathers and continue to this very day with our armed forces.

Should it play out that Alex Snitker does not win this election, then we must still keep in mind our place in this. Alex will continue to campaign and to move forward, so that we can have responsible governance. It will fall on us to continue to work with him, every bit as hard, and then so, and to remember not to take seriously the naysayers and the I-told-you-so’s. In the unlikely event that one of the other, truly less qualified, candidates gets elected, we will have to realize that many other great people who were elected had to run multiple times before it happened. Most importantly, we will have to remember our responsibility as employers, to keep our employees in line. No matter the result of this election, our eyes must remained focused on the bigger picture at hand, for nothing less than our very freedoms hangs in the balance. This is about so much more than just this election. Our government has overstepped itself in ways that can take us to ruin, but which provide us with great hope, for now, more than ever before, the American public has awoke to the fact that it is governed by those who hold not its best interests in heart. This election is VERY important, yet in all of its importance, it’s only a small step toward our victory. The greatest and the most crucial is the awakening of the public. It is now up to each of us to keep the public awake, alert, and attentive, to remind them that when they grow complacent, this WILL happen again. History repeats itself, and if we allow it to, it will do so without repeating our victory over the tyranny that happens within our borders. In light of all of this, we need to continue to support Alex Snitker, and to get many more like him elected at all levels, and in all of the states.

-Vil-

Over the last 80 years, government has grown too big. From Social Security to the financial bailouts, the government has gotten involved in things that they should never have been. In the process, this country has lost it’s way. Too many of the people have become dependent on the government. The idea for many of these program were “sold” to America as a way to give people a hand-up, but instead it’s turned into a vicious circle of hand-outs.

The only way we are to ever gain our position in the free market as well as the global one, we need to take control away from the federal government. Less government spending, less government involvement are just two of the steps that need to take place before we can reach that goal. We need to reduce taxes across the board to help stimulate the economy. We’ve seen in the past that when taxes are reduced, the revenue is greater. The more corporations and individuals are taxed, the less they have to spend and hire new employees as well as people having more money to spend in the free market.

The two parties have been in power too long and in some cases, members of the parties have been in too long too really make a difference in anything but expanding their network of friends and contributors. They’re no longer working for the American people and when that happens, it’s time for them to get out of office and let some new people with new ideas along with an understanding that they work for the American people If you’re one of the millions of people that are getting tired of both parties, then it’s time for you to look at the third largest political party in America. The Libertarian party is the party that wants you, the American people to take charge of your life and reap the rewards of your hard labor. Self-governance is want the founding fathers had in mind when they laid down the fundamentals of the country. The free market was very important to them that they laid out the Bill Of Rights and the Declaration Of Independence.

For us in Florida, we have that chance with the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate of Florida. Alexander Snitker is the man we need to send to Washington to break up the status quo. An Eight year marine with no political ties to anyone in Washington or Tallahassee. A candidate that believes in the free market, lees taxes, limited goverment, term limits, abolishing the Federal reserve, and eliminating the IRS. This is who we need in Washington. Please check out his platform and what he stands for at Snitker2010.com

Please remember to bring a photo and signature ID. I suggest that if you are going to be available to vote on election day, please wait until then. I’m not one to feel comfortable voting early especially in this state where we have a record of getting thing mixed up when it comes to an election.

It’s important that we all need to vote and if you’re one of the many that don’t plan on voting this year, well then shame on you. There are many political positions that are being voted on this year and we need to vote. Don’t ever think that these local, state and congressional seats are not important. I feel they are more important than the Presidential election. Please remember if you don’t know who to vote on, then you need to do your homework on each candidate and wait until election day to cast your vote.

The Senate election is (in my opinion) the most important decision we have to make this year. We have many candidates (ten in all) running for the seat being left open by Mel Martinez not running again. Six of the candidates do not have a mathematical chance in winning, but the other four are in the thick of things.

Marco Rubio (R) is showing the biggest strength in this election, but remember that he is under investigation for his decision to use money from the Republican party credit card to have new floors installed in his home. He has admitted it in the past but,when questioned now, he deflects and refuses to answer. That alone show us that he is not an honest man.

Charlie Crist (NPA) We all know Crist, he is our current governor. His political track record speaks for itself and with his support of many Obama policies, we can not let him take control of this legislative seat. He has changed his party affiliation more times that I can count. That alone shows he’s only in it for himself.

Kendrick Meek (D) has been listed as one of the top ten most corrupted politicians in America (Rubio & Crist are also on the list). On that alone he needs to be removed from any chance of holding another political seat.

Alexander Snitker (L) is the only non career politician on the ballot that has a good chance of inning this election. An eight year Marine veteran with roots in Florida his whole life is working hard to win this election. Unfortunately he isn’t getting much attention in the last year because of the three major candidates refusing to debate him on TV. I feel the reason for that is the other candidates will not be able to stand up to Alex’s straight forward answers and lack of attacks towards the other candidates during the debates. In all the debates that have been held, Rubio, Crist and Meek have avoided answering questions and attacked each other.

I must say that Bernard DiCastro (C) is another good candidate, but he doesn’t have enough support to come close to beating the other four.

Either way if we allow Rubio, Crist or meek to win this election, we will have another six years of out of control spending. Something that has been proven by looking at their past record. We need a honest man with Constitutional conservative ideas to help get this county back on it’s feet.

If you answered YES to any of those questions, consider yourself invited to our next open meeting!

Meetings are held the last Tuesday of each month at the main branch of the Ocala library (on Silver Springs Blvd) at 6:30 PM.
Our next meeting is on April 27 in meeting room ‘C’.
Call Billy for details: 895-4135 and be sure to sign up for our mailing list on this site.

Schedule of Events

Saturday April 24th 2010
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM: Business meeting
Keynote Speaker will be Alexander Snitker, Candidate for US Senate.
To be a delegate one must be a registered to vote Libertarian and must sign the non aggression pledge. “I do hereby certify that I do
not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving social, economic, or political goals.”
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM: Cocktail Hour
7:30 PM to 12:00 AM: Banquet
Dr. Randall Holcombe will be the Dinner Speaker at our State Convention, Saturday April 24th.

Sunday April 25th 2010
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM: Workshops available
Building the Libertarian Party and Building Brand Name Recognition.
Mark Hinkle Candidate for LNC Chair
Building the Libertarian Party in Florida through “Strike Force”
Alex Snitker and Jote` Thompson
“The Free State Project” and other items
Adam Carroll, from New Hampshire
“Full Slate – 2012” and how we will fill the ballot
James Coakley

Unlike libertarians, most conservatives simply don’t want small government. They want their own version of big government. Of course, they have done a pretty good job of fooling American voters for decades by repeating the phrases “limited government” and “small government” like a hypnotic chant.

It’s interesting that conservatives only notice “big government” when it’s something their political enemies want. When conservatives want it, apparently it doesn’t count.

* If a conservative wants a trillion-dollar foreign war, that doesn’t count.
* If a conservative wants a 700-billion-dollar bank bailout, that doesn’t count.
* If a conservative wants to spend billions fighting a needless and destructive War on Drugs, that doesn’t count.
* If a conservative wants to spend billions building border fences, that doesn’t count.
* If a conservative wants to “protect” the huge, unjust, and terribly inefficient Social Security and Medicare programs, that doesn’t count.
* If a conservative wants billions in farm subsidies, that doesn’t count.

It’s truly amazing how many things “don’t count.”
Conservatives like Rush Limbaugh can’t ever be satisfied with enough military spending and foreign wars.
Conservatives like Mitt Romney want to force everyone to buy health insurance.
Conservatives like George W. Bush — well, his list of supporting big-government programs is almost endless.

Ronald Reagan, often praised as an icon of conservatism, signed massive spending bills that made his the biggest-spending administration (as a percentage of GDP) since World War II.

Some people claim that these big-government supporters aren’t “true conservatives.” Well, if a person opposes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposes the War on Drugs, opposes border fences, and opposes mandatory Social Security and Medicare, it’s hard to believe that anyone would describe that person as a conservative at all. Most people would say that person is a libertarian (or maybe even a liberal).

Obviously, most liberals don’t want limited government either. It’s just that their support for big government leans toward massive handout and redistribution programs.

The fact is, liberals and conservatives both want gigantic government. Their visions sometimes look different from each other, but both are huge. The only Americans who truly want small government are libertarians.

An article posted at CNS News, linked prominently from the Drudge Report, noted that the Obama administration is on track to beat the Franklin Roosevelt administration in terms of average federal spending as a percentage of GDP. However, the article failed to note that the Reagan Administration already beat the Franklin Roosevelt administration easily. Roosevelt’s average was 19.4 percent of GDP, while Reagan’s average was 22.3 percent of GDP. (Source: White House OMB data)

Speakers:

Keynote Speaker: Bob Barr

Bob Barr represented the Libertarian Party as our 2008 candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America. On November 4, 2008 he received 523,686 votes, 0.4% of the national vote. This was the second highest number of votes nationwide that a Libertarian Party presidential candidate has received. He is a former federal prosecutor and a former member of the United States House of Representatives (1995 – 2003). In the 2004 presidential election, Barr left the Republican Party and publicly endorsed our Libertarian Party presidential nominee Michael Badnarik. In 2006, he became a member of the Libertarian National Committee, serving as the Representative for Region 4 until 2008. As one of his numerous projects, Bob is currently a weekly columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Neal Boortz: For those of you who don’t know, Neal Boortz has been a Talk Show Host in Atlanta, Georgia since 1969. He is now in his 40th year of talk radio. Since 1993 Neal has been holding forth on News Talk 750 WSB, a radio station with a 50,000 watt afterburner. Since early 1999 his show has been syndicated on radio stations from Maine to California and from Alaska to Florida. The program airs live from 8:30 to 1:00 pm each weekday. The Neal Boortz Show has about five million listeners nationwide and is carried on around 230 radio stations.

Jeff Davis: A North Carolina native and descendant of the Confederacy’s President Jefferson Davis, Jeff lives in Hollywood and among other things produces ‘The Thought Zone’, a series of radio spot commentaries frequently mentioning Libertarians and championing libertarian sentiments. The accompanying website is dedicated “to the great thinkers, few of whom aspire to run for public office. The Thought Zone (is) creative commentary for the common sense mind.”

Dave Nolan: Mr. Nolan was the prime mover behind the formation of the Libertarian Party in 1971. He holds a degree in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his career has included work in publishing, advertising and marketing. Aside from his role in founding the LP, Mr. Nolan is best known as the originator of the “Nolan Chart,” a two-dimensional map that shows how different political systems relate to one another. This map has largely replaced the old left-right linear political spectrum, and is the basis for the World’s Smallest Political Quiz. Its impact on political thinking led to Mr. Nolan’s being selected for inclusion in 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 20th Century, a reference work published by the International Biographical Centre (Cambridge, England) in 2000. A recent Google search using the phrase “Nolan Chart” turned up more than 30,000 references. Mr. Nolan was a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Congress in California (2000) and Arizona (2006). He is currently chairman of the Pima County, AZ Libertarian Party.

Wayne Allyn Root: Wayne is one of the most charismatic, colorful, passionate, fiery, and outspoken political personalities in America today. Wayne was the 2008 Libertarian Party Vice Presidential nominee. A college classmate of Barack Obama at Columbia University (Class of ‘83), he is now the face and voice of Libertarian politics in the mainstream national media. The media calls him “the Anti-Obama.” Wayne calls himself a REAGAN LIBERTARIAN- modeled after his heroes Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater and Thomas Jefferson.

Mary J. Ruwart, Ph.D: Ms Ruwart is the author of the award-winning libertarian primer, Healing Our World. A free download of the 1992 version is available at her website at ruwart.com. Dr. Ruwart also wrote Short Answers to the Tough Questions, based on her popular e-zine column with the Advocates for Self-Government. Dr. Ruwart currently serves as an At-Large Representative on the Libertarian National Committee. She also serves on the Board of the International Society for Individual Liberty (ISIL) and was elected Chairman of the ISIL in January of 2010.

Schedule:
Friday (May 28)
1:30pm to 5:00pm Libertarian National Committee Meeting
7:00pm to 10:30pm Welcome Reception

Saturday (May 29)
7:00am to 8:30am Breakfast (Mary Ruwart, Speaker)
8:45am to 12:00pm Convention Business
12:00pm to 1:30pm Award Lunch (Jeff Davis, Speaker)
1:30pm to 2:30pm Keynote Speech (Bob Barr, Speaker)
2:30pm to 5:30pm Convention Business
6:00pm to 7:00pm Torch Club Cocktail Party
7:00pm to 8:30pm National Chair Candidates Forum

Sunday (May 30)
7:00am to 8:30am Breakfast (David Nolan, Speaker)
8:45am to 12:00pm Convention Business
12:00pm to 1:30pm Lunch (Wayne Allyn Root, Speaker)
1:30pm to 5:00pm Convention Business
5:30pm to 6:30pm Pre-Banquet Cocktail Hour
6:30pm to 9:30pm Banquet Dinner (Neal Boortz, Speaker)

Monday (May 31)
8:45am to 12:00pm Convention Business
1:30pm to 5:00pm Libertarian National Committee Meeting

November 24, 2009
December 22, 2009

The main branch of the Ocala library on Silver Springs Blvd. We’ll be in meeting room A. Ask anyone and they’ll direct you. Drinks and food are not allowed, only a water bottle.

One of the most important questions asked was;

Is there anything else you’d like to add so voters know why you’re running and why you should enter the Florida executive office?

He replied (in part);

….most voters are quickly becoming fed up with both the democrat and republican parties. I often ask myself why, after so many years of these parties being in power, are people just now coming to realize they don’t like what is going on. The answer, believe it or not, is because their Libertarian leanings are surfacing.

You see, most people, by nature, are Libertarians. Everyone wants to be free. While this entire time people were willing to tolerate the intrusions because they were minor, the government impositions are no longer trivial. They are affecting the very ability for people to survive.

As a member of the Libertarian party, I present the only viable option in a political party that will answer the needs and solve the conundrum currently facing the people. Anything other than a Libertarian in the executive office will only end up as more of the same. The people are tired of business as usual and want change, change in their favor, and I am the only candidate in a political party that can provide the desired change.

Click for the entire interview:
John Wayne Smith interview