Over at Reason‘s blog, Hit & Run, David Weigel contends that, all considered, the libertarian brand, so to speak, is strong.
He’s right, of course, as Governor Mark Sanford tells Weigel, when being accused of being a libertarian: “I’m an unabashed conservative,” he told me, “and sometimes accused of being a libertarian, to which I say, ‘I’m guilty, I love liberty.’ ”
The Associated Press has a story on the impact of Ron Paul’s support on the McCain campaign. Many of his supporters still oppose McCain, and will be vocal for Paul at the Republican convention.
Others will support Libertarian Bob Barr in the fall.
It’s telling, and inauspicious for both McCain and Barr, that Ron Paul is still attracting zealous supporters when Paul will be neither the Republican nor Libertarian presidential nominee.
The link is available at
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iybyrJpNITSn-U8QIWUzrfBXiZUQD9291P0O0
Good morning, Whitewater
In our history today, from the Wisconsin Historical Society, on this day in 1862, a public riot in Wisconsin during the Civil War: “On this date the War Department issued General Order No. 99, requesting by draft 300,000 troops to reinforce the Union armies in the Civil War. This action reinforced public sentiment against the draft and prompted the citizens in Port Washington, Ozaukee County to riot in protest.”
The account brings to mind an exchange about the effectiveness of a draft, between General William Westmoreland and economist Milton Friedman:
In his testimony before the commission, Mr. Westmoreland said he did not want to command an army of mercenaries.
Mr. Friedman interrupted, “General, would you rather command an army of slaves?”
Mr. Westmoreland replied, “I don’t like to hear our patriotic draftees referred to as slaves.”
Mr. Friedman then retorted, “I don’t like to hear our patriotic volunteers referred to as mercenaries. If they are mercenaries, then I, sir, am a mercenary professor, and you, sir, are a mercenary general; we are served by mercenary physicians, we use a mercenary lawyer, and we get our meat from a mercenary butcher.”
The National Weather Service, predicts a high of 86 degrees and a chance of thunderstorms. The Farmers’ Almanac, predicts “becoming wet Great Lakes, followed by clearing.” No temperature, just a prediction of wet — around the Great Lakes, rather than in them, presumably.
The first full week of August offers a public meeting of the City of Whitewater’s Park & Recreation Board. Here’s their agenda for the meeting:
1. Roll Call and Board Introductions
2. Approval of July 7, 2008 Park and Recreation Board Minutes
3. Citizen Comments: No formal action will be taken during this meeting, although issues
raised may become part of a future agenda. Participants are allotted a 3 minute speaking
period. Specific items listed on the agenda may not be discussed at this time; however,
citizens are invited to speak to those issues as designated in the agenda.
4. Presentation and acceptance of Moraine View Park Master Plan
5. Presentation and acceptance of Mural Park Site Plan
6. Approval of Special Rental Rate Agreement for NAWF use of Downtown Armory
7. Presentation of Recreation Programs Financial Report (Winter/Spring Programs)
8. Discussion and possible action on future meeting schedule, dates and times
9. Preliminary 2009 Budget Discussion
10. Discussion and approval of Seniors In The Park Policies and Procedures
11. Discussion and approval of Starin Park Playground Capital Campaign
12. Discussion and approval of the ability for staff to approve gift certificates
12. Staff Reports:
A. Director Report (Amundson):
• Monthly Report – highlight recreation software, surveys
• Park Improvement Projects
o Walton Oaks Park Dedication, Clay Street Acquisition
B. Recreation & Community Events Programmer (Dujardin):
• Overview of T-Ball & Rookie Ball Program
• Fall Program Brochure
C. Senior Coordinator Report (Weberpal):
• Review of Tour of Area Senior Centers
13. Board and Commission Reports: No action other than possible referral to another meeting,
but there may be minimal response to Board member questions:
A. Plan and Architectural Review Commission (Stone)
B. Bike Advocacy (Ridenour)
C. Whitewater Aquatics Center (Grosinske)
D. City Council (Taylor)
14. Request for future agenda items
15. Adjourn
The Orange County Register, via the VV Daily Press, offers an editorial explaining how the free market is working faster than the Los Angeles City Council to address environmental worries about plastic grocery bags. Both Los Angeles and the state of California are considering bans on supposedly wasteful plastic bags. (As it turns out, paper bags may be even more wasteful.)
The editorial observes that
Lawmakers want to look like heroes by coming up with a solution to a “problem” that the market is already addressing. People are thinking about the impacts, quantified or not, of these nearly non-biodegradable materials and most grocery stores have responded by selling their own canvas bags, which double as advertisements. Some are offering five-cent credits or tickets into monthly raffles to customers who bring in their own canvas bags or reuse their plastic bags. While lawmakers might be “taking action,” it’s the market that’s actually doing something.
Wal-Mart, in my town of Whitewater, Wisconsin, and probably everywhere else on the planet, offers re-usable bags already. By the time Los Angeles and California enact new anti-plastic bag regulations, millions of consumers from areas far beyond that city and state will already have abandoned plastic through their own, free choice.
In Texas, the Austin American-Statesman reports that a former GOP state representative called two (or three) Libertarian party candidates, and asked them to drop out of legislative races, lest the siphon votes from the GOP and elect Democrats to office.
I see nothing unlawful about asking another candidate to drop out of a race. I can think of several incumbents in Whitewater, Wisconsin who have been in politics too long.
It’s telling, though, that an incumbent party would rather beg Libertarians to quit running than to adjust its ideas in a more free market, more classically liberal direction.
The Statesman reports that Texas Libertarian Director Wes Benedict “told Libertarian candidates to “sit tight and stay in the race” after the calls were made. “I told them that Republicans need to earn those votes,” he said.”
That’s right.
Here’s an inspiring photo of Whitewater, Wisconsin 2008 American Cancer Society Relay for Life survivors’ group, before the survivors’ lap.
The Whitewater Relay group has its own website, available at this link.
From Bob Barr’s Libertarian Party website, here is a video entitled, “Stop the Bill of Rights Blackout.”
In Whitewater, in Wisconsin, and in all America as America, there are ten amendments to the Bill of Rights, including the First and Fourth.
The Barr website has a petition that Americans, devoted to the liberties of this beautiful republic, can sign. It’s available at http://www.bobbarr2008.com/rights more >>
Politicians speak
Saviors in seersucker suits
Will you be redeemed?
Subsidy requests
Dribble like perspiration
Election closer
The Knoxville blog No Silence Here, via Blue Collar Muse, offers a lengthy libertarian quote list. I usually dislike quotation lists, as the quotes are often out of context, and consequently misused.
Still, there are some gems here, including this from Tacitus:
“The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates.”
The quotation is a paraphrase from the Annals, Book III, following an observation that tribunes used legislation to manipulate common people.
The full list may be found via http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/silence/
archives/2008/07/the_ultimate_li.shtml
Yesterday, in a morning post, I mentioned that in 1967 Lake Geneva, Wisconsin’s “city government passed an ordinance banning go-go girls, dancers in bikinis, and swimsuit-clad waitresses from working in establishments that served alcohol.”
It was local government deciding for you. Like most people, I would prefer a restaurant where the emphasis was on the food, not the waitresses.
Still, I would never advocate a ban — if someone dislikes this sort of restaurant, he or she can go elsewhere.
No one forces you inside.
Even while a group of scolds managed to push Lake Geneva in a restrictive direction, America was using the idea of go-go dancing to sell products. Here’s a Kodak commercial from 1965 or 1966 that, however dated now, must have seemed trendy then:
Shocking, absolutely shocking. more >>
Good morning, Whitewater
The month begins with no public meetings scheduled in the city today — no partnerships needed, it’s private life all the way around.
In our history today, from the Wisconsin Historical Society, on this day in 1996, Shirley Abrahamson “became the first woman to be named Supreme Court Chief Justice in Wisconsin.”
The National Weather Service, predicts a high of 87 degrees and patchy fog — one degree warmer than yesterday’s prediction. The Farmers’ Almanac, predicts “fair and hot.”
