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...building the libertarian future...
...through practical politics...
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massachusetts 
Thu May 20, 2010 at 19:44:32 PM MDT
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AuGeo forwards from George Phillies: Of course, last minute attack letters are the stuff of politics. You learn to live with them. And now I have received mine. (Actually, I did not receive mine. I have not received a copy.) Remember, there will always be reasons for not surfacing the attack until the last minute, and most of those reasons are subject to question. Recall the four-page attack on Mary Ruwart, last convention, that was mailed so late that many of us got it only when we came home.
More silliness below fold
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Wed May 19, 2010 at 10:27:16 AM MDT
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AuGeo: As forwarded to GoldAmericaGroup from George Phillies
Situation on Massachusetts Libertarian Ballot Access
Recently -- hey, I'm a candidate, did you expect my opponents to say nice things about me? -- a number of bizarre rumors have arisen about Massachusetts Libertarian ballot access. Please note that I am one member of the state committee, our chair is David Blau, and our state committee has uniformly been unanimous on these questions. In particular:
#1) False rumor: Massachusetts Libertarians are about to lose ballot access.
Truth: This year, you can run for partisan office here on the "Libertarian line". In 2012, you will be able to run for partisan office here on the "Libertarian line". In every other future year, you will be able to run for partisan office here on the "Libertarian line". That's true no matter who we Massachusetts Libertarians run or do not run for office in 2010. There is no legal way to change this situation. [Ballot aside: In most town ballots, the candidate names appear in a vertical column, with the Party Designation in slightly smaller print on the line after the name.]
#2) False rumor: I declined an offer to run for Secretary of State as a Libertarian.
Truth: I am not legally eligible to run for Secretary of State. If anyone had asked -- they didn't -- I would have told them so. [Why? I'm Libertarian State Treasurer, and our state law says that Treasurers of State-filing PACs may not be candidates for public office.]
#3) False rumor: I kept Barr off the Ballot in Massachusetts.
Truth: Barr was on the ballot here. He was on the ballot here because I personally organized the litigation that got him on the ballot. He was on the ballot here because I spent thousands of dollars of my own money to collect signatures. He was on the ballot here because the signature distribution process to Town Clerks, and later the collection and transmission to the Secretary of State, was staged out of my house.
#4) False rumor: The Massachusetts Party is not running anyone for statewide office.
Truth: In Massachusetts, parties cannot put candidates on the ballot. Candidates have to put themselves on the ballot. Getting on the ballot is either so easy that you can do it yourself (State Rep, 150 signatures) or so challenging (Secretary of State, 5000 signatures) that getting on the ballot costs thousands and thousands of dollars. Of that great expense, the state Libertarians can legally give a candidate for non-Federal office five hundred dollars. To my knowledge, the libertarian candidates in this state with money are running this year for Congress.
#5) False rumor: After this election, Massachusetts Libertarians will have minor party status and find it harder to get on the ballot as Libertarians.
Truth: In Massachusetts, it is easier to get on the ballot as a minor party candidate than as a major party candidate, for every office except President. Yes, that's the opposite of some other states. If you are a minor party candidate, any registered voter can sign your nominating papers. If you are a major party candidate, registered voters who belong to other major parties can not sign your nominating papers. No matter your party connection, for each office the required number of signatures is exactly the same for all candidates. Last Winter, Joe Kennedy ran for U.S. Senate. The press covered him as a "Libertarian". He was running on the "Liberty Party" line. He notes that if he had tried to run as a Libertarian, he would have failed to get on the ballot.
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Sun Apr 11, 2010 at 09:12:39 AM MDT
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Forwarder writes: Here we have a stae party that adopted a platform.
The Libertarian Association of Massachusetts stands for Peace, Freedom, and Prosperity.
PEACE
Libertarians support non-intervention in the affairs of foreign nations. Our foreign wars should end; our armed forces should be brought home from around the world. The Cold War is over; the vast military machine that the Cold War justified is no longer needed.
FREEDOM
Libertarians stand for protecting your Federal and State Constitutional Rights, all of them without any exception or omission. There is no National Security exemption to the Bill of Rights. Politicians who ignore our Constitutional Liberties are the chief threat to our country.
OPPORTUNITY
America should be a land of opportunity for every citizen. Massive expansions of the Federal Budget and Debt are strangling those opportunities. We need massive cuts in government spending or our grandchildren will be crushed by their grandparents' wastrel extravagance.
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Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 19:16:14 PM MST
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by George Phillies
How LAMA has changed since the 2006 State Convention - and all for the better.
In 2006, the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts was in sufficient straits that its regular yearly convention, which should have been called for April, did not occur. The State Committee had not met for three-quarters of a year. Finally, in May the outbound State Chair to his great credit asked Carol McMahon and I to organize and hold the next State Convention, which due to Bylaws constraints could be held no earlier than September.
We held the Convention, an almost entirely new State Committee being elected. Carol and I were re-elected. Long time Membership Secretary Jeff Chase was elected as a voting member; long-time Treasurer Walter Ziobro came back.
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Sat Jan 23, 2010 at 08:16:36 AM MST
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Forwarder: With thanks to our friends in Massachusetts for supplying us with the following:
Kennedy Took 22,237 Votes. That's up 68% from our 2008 top-of-ticket Barr / Root Presidential team and their 13,189 votes. Joe's best towns were 4% in Hawley and 3% in Huntington, Ware, Monroe, New Salem, and Rowe.
Below the fold: A personal thank-you from Joe Kennedy to all his supporters.
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Sun Dec 13, 2009 at 07:34:13 AM MST
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Forwarder forwards from GoldMassGroup an article "Libertarian Joe Kennedy" from GoldMassGroup author AuMass. AuMass discusses whether it was good that Joe Kennedy is actually running on the Liberty party line, or whether he should have tried to run on the Libertarian line (where he would likely not have gained ballot access). AuMass concludes with a reference to critics of the approach.
Quoting Red Mass Group, thoughtful author YankeePundit
The Globe reports that Coakley wants to have three way debates with Scott Brown and Libertarian Joe Kennedy. ...
Clearly her hope is that Kennedy as a Libertarian ...
But I wonder if having the Libertarian Kennedy there ...
Important point: Joe is actually running on the Liberty Party line, but everyone knows he is a Libertarian, and that is how he is being described.
The press and blog descriptions are far more important than the half-noticed word on the ballot.
Conclusion: The real Libertarian message will go out as Libertarian whenever we get candidates on the ballot, even if the party name on the nominating paper is a bit different.
On the other hand, fighting for the 'Libertarian' word on the ballot gets you almost nothing unless, of course, you are looking to be paid for collecting signatures, and have a candidate who can afford the substantial extra tab, in which case the outcome is instant jackpot.
Finally, referring to critics of Joe's successful approach, reasoning from athletic analogies is seen not to lead to the right answers.
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Sat Oct 24, 2009 at 21:34:41 PM MDT
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Forwarder writes; George Phillies is circulating versions of this article across the net. Joe Kennedy seems to be a good candidate for a solid libertarian state organization.
Meet Joe Kennedy
Dues-paying National Libertarian Party Member Joe Kennedy is running for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. He's running in our January 19 special election to replace the late Senator Edward Kennedy. You can count on national media attention.
Take a look at Joe's web site http://JoeKennedyForSenate.com . Read his stands on issues like the war on Iraq, Afghanistan, marijuana, gun control, welfare, or education. Time after time, you're going to read sensible libertarian ideas presented effectively to a wide audience.
Joe is a real libertarian, running on our sound libertarian ideas. He's not a far-right-wing conservative with a few faux libertarian rants. He's a solid candidate who will be a credit to our party. That's why the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts endorsed him: He's a real Libertarian. That's why the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts put $1000 of our treasury into his campaign: He's a real Libertarian.
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Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 07:41:09 AM MDT
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Forwarder forwards from Liberty for America magazine news from Massachusetts: the local Libertarian organization has changed its name. Read Liberty for America at LibertyForAmerica.com:
Massachusetts Libertarians held their State Convention on October 10. They debates amendments to their State Constitution, a State Platform, elected a State Committee and convention delegates, and heard from U.S. Senate candidate Joe Kennedy, Jain for Auditor campaign chair Brendon DeMeo, and Worcester-area freedom activist Brad Wyatt extolling the Campaign 4 Liberty. The new Committee is David Blau, Alwin Hopfman, Joe Kennedy, Richard Martin, George Phillies, and Bob Underwood.
Last year, LPMass ceased to use the National Party platform, because the National Party keeps changing its platform. The State Committee was ordered by the last State Convention to offer a new State Platform: Peace-Freedom-Prosperity-End Regressive Taxes-Halve License Fees-Eliminate Turnpike tolls.
A great deal of pointless verbiage was eliminated from the LPMass Constitution.
And the big change: The state organization changed its name: The dues-paying Libertarian group in Massachusetts is now the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts. Speaking in support of its amendments, the State Committee said "We are a private organization belonging to our dues-paying members, who are variously registered Libertarian, Democratic, Unenrolled.. Our organization belongs to its dues-paying members. The Commonwealth recognizes a political party (Libertarian) that belongs to the registered Libertarian voters."
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Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 18:39:40 PM MDT
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(You read it here first. - promoted by AuGeo)
Exclusive News Bulletin
Gold America Group has learned that political independent and National Libertarian Party member Joe Kennedy is vigorously exploring a run for U.S. Senate in the Massachusetts Special Election this January. Financial, Legal, petitioning, and web page development steps are said to be under way. The web page http://JoeKennedyForSenate.com is appearing soon. A major obstacle is still out there: Getting on the ballot in Massachusetts as an independent for U.S. Senate requires tens of thousands of dollars to pay petitioners.
Libertarian Party supporter Joe Kennedy is not related to the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, whose tragic death led to the special election now under way.
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Sun Aug 09, 2009 at 16:36:25 PM MDT
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State Convention Keynote Speaker - Katherine Albrecht
The Massachusetts Libertarian State Convention will be held in the Emerald Room of Tweed's Restaurant, Grove Street, Worcester, on Saturday, October 10. The convention will start at 10 A.M.
Liberty activist Katherine Albrecht, co-author of Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 Libertarian State Convention.
We'll break for refreshments a bit before noon, with Albrecht's talk expected for about half-past twelve. A fundraiser will follow the talk.
Other Convention business includes election of the new State Committee, election of delegates to the 2010 National Convention (St. Louis, MO,
Memorial Day weekend), and amendments to our Constitution.
Expect an exciting talk from Albrecht, who has spoken and led demonstrations from coast to coast. For pics see her web site http://www.spychips.com.
Albrecht's book Spychips, which won the 2006 Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty, describes how radio frequency identification tagging destroys your privacy. The book has earned spectacular reviews. "Brilliantly written...so full of fascinating vignettes and facts that I can't put it down." -Author Claire Wolfe "Spychips is one of the best privacy books in many years....The privacy
movement needs a book. I nominate Spychips." -Marc Rothenberg, Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).
For information on the Convention
George Phillies
508 754 1859
phillies@4liberty.net
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