It has been a long fight to put the control of our economic system in the hands of the government, where it can be administered in the interests of the people as a whole. -- Eleanor Roosevelt

http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1946&_f=md000326

http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/workers/images/1898-ERphoto.gif

http://mises.org/daily/3980

my own horn.
Speech at Government sucks day part 1.... more funny than issue related....

Speech at Government Sucks Day part 2 more issue related but funny.

Dallas Right to Vote's 3rd advertisement appeared today (April 30th) in the Dallas Morning News Metro section.

Link to ad:

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=1068570&adid=7785579&c...

The convention center hotel debate in Dallas has clearly pointed out the need for more "checks and balances" through voter approval of large public subsidies to private business involving these types of commercial real estate transactions.

For more information on Proposition 2, please visit:

www.DallasRightToVote.org

Did you know that the City of Dallas spent almost $51 million last year on the Convention Hotel without voter approval?

If Proposition 2 had been in effect, then the City could not have spent this initial money until citizens first were provided with a public forum on the City Council's plans for the hotel and then, if successfully petitioned, be given a chance to vote on the project. In practice, the City probably would have gone to the ballot once in 2008 with one all-inclusive financing request, so that once public approval was secured, the entire project could proceed (or NOT!).

See the latest Proposition 2 ad from today's Dallas Morning News Metro section at:

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/Ads.aspx?advid=1068570&adid=7778047

Vote YES on Propositions 1 and 2 to stop these Public/Private Partnerships from creating an elite class of "connected" businesses. Restore free enterprise to commercial real estate transactions - a YES vote means a level playing field for Dallas.

For more information on Proposition 2, please visit: www.DallasRightToVote.org

Check out the advertisement that appeared in today's (4/23) Metro section of the Dallas Morning News:

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=1068570&adid=7759057&c...

Proposition 1 is centered on stopping the Convention Center Hotel and Proposition 2 empowers Dallas citizens with the right to petition similarly proposed City Hall subsidies. So Vote Yes-Yes on May 9th and get the word out.

Here's an updated summary of Proposition 2:

Proposition 2 is a pro-democracy initiative that allows for greater transparency in the subsidy process, puts more responsibility on elected officials to control wasteful or unnecessary spending, halts government encroachment into private enterprise and allows voters greater oversight of their taxpayer funds:
• If the City of Dallas plans to spend taxpayer funds in excess of one million dollars with private developers, then it must post a 65-day public notice.

• During this time, if 500 Dallas residents object to the large subsidy, then voters would have an opportunity to vote on this proposal during one of the regularly scheduled election dates.

• This amendment would only apply to “discretionary” spending on hotels, luxury condos, malls and convention centers. It would not affect funding for hospitals, public works or infrastructure developments.

Vote YES on Proposition 2 to bring true democratic empowerment home to Dallas taxpayers!

www.DallasRightToVote.org

All, if you did not catch Channel 5's (NBC) Election 2008 coverage on Friday night, you can see the story they did about some of our local Libertarian campaigns at:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/elections/local/Libertarians_Candidates_Say_T...

Libertarian Candidates

Here's a note from Yvonne, our Libertarian Candidate for US Senate, on helping her get the word out... PEO.

"One of my supporters in Dallas helped me create a video to put on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqNPkUW7QhY

The video is less than three minutes but it hits the key points of concern for most people.

Even if you are already on board with my campaign, please watch the video and if you have an account, rate it 5 stars and add a positive comment. The number of watches moves it up on the list.

Then forward the link to every email address you have. Add a personal message that will encourage people to look. This can get us more exposure than television ads that must be shorter and are easily missed in the quantity that we could afford. Be sure and ask your recipients to forward it on if they are willing. Post it to all the meetup groups or other boards for news and information.

I have much more news to share from the campaign trail, but wanted to get this to all of you as quickly as possible."

Yours for Liberty, Yvonne

4 July 2008

Whew! Today's parade float in the Park Cities 4th of July Parade was a little hard work, a great way to make contact with the community, and a lot of fun!

For those of you who missed the parade, let me give major thanks to Vice Chair Paul Osborn, the mastermind and driving force of this event. Paul provided his own car, adorned with LP car magnets, to serve a our parade float. He arranged the quick delivery of materials from the Texas LP, and provided a lot of manpower for the event. We all owe our thanks to Paul for his hard work and commitment.

Paul Osborn, Paul Peterson, and Evan Fisher styling the LP Texas polo shirts: Wearing LP Texas polo shirts at events like this is a great way to identify yourself as a Libertarian in a non-threatening way.

We had a relatively simple float, with Paul driving, and our junior libertarians Luke and Kate tossing candy and red-white-and-blue star beads to the crowd. Walking alongside them, Paul Peterson, Ben Calhoun, Shannon Alphin and I distributed beads and handed out copies of the Declaration of Independence.

I cannot emphasize enough how great a tool the Declaration of Independence is for connecting with families and showing the community our patriotism. Many parents asked for Declarations for their children and were very pleased to receive this historical document. Ironically, a group right behind us in the parade line was pushing political brochures, often to the annoyance of individuals in the crowd. We made a classy choice, and still got our message out in a subtle way by having our party name at the bottom of the Declaration.

Our LPDC float!: From left to right, that's Kate, Michelle, Luke, and Paul in the Saab, with Shannon, Ben, and Evan standing behind.

Paul, Shannon, and Evan ready to meet the public!: This was BEFORE we handed out 1000 Declarations of Independence!

Paul Peterson Talking Freedom With the Ladies: LPDC's most eligible bachelor? Maybe, but Paul was charming the female vote while some other people - ahem! - were giving out twice as many Declarations...

Just Some of the Many Crowds at the 2008 Park Cities 4th of July Parade: Seriously, there were a lot of people there! Let's make sure that we have more goodies and more people to hand out goodies next year.

Looking back, I wish that more candidates had shown up to march with us. What a great opportunity to meet voters in a congenial atmosphere! We distributed 1000 Declarations, and probably needed 1000 more - we were clearly out by the end of the parade. The same is true of our star beads - we gave out 1000 and needed another 1000 easily.

I would like to thank Paul Peterson and Ben Calhoun and Shannon Alphin for showing up to march with us. Without their help, we never could have gotten these items distributed. We really could have used a couple more hands, so please, mark your calendars for next year. Our float will be better and our items will be more plentiful.

I am reminded of something that Ron Paul told us at the 2006 LP Texas Convention. He said that the first two steps to getting elected to office were that people had to know you and they had to like you. We as Libertarians need to work harder than anyone on those two goals, because the other two parties constantly try to define us as extremists and radicals. If the voters remember the LP as those nice people who they met on the 4th of July, they will not feel so apprehensive about pulling the lever for us in November.

Personal connections matter; we have had the best platform for decades, but it has not won us ANY elections. If you ask any Libertarian that has *won* an election, they will tell you that they walked their district and met the people in their community. We should all keep this in mind when the next opportunity for us to engage the community arises. We have a responsibility to get in front of the public and let them know that they have a real choice on the ballot.

Additionally, if you think that events like this are important to growing our party and spreading our message, please consider using the click and pledge button on this page to make a donation to the local party. All of the financing for this event came from the LPDC, not the state or national parties. While the Texas LP and the LNC certainly do important work, only donations to your local party will lead to local activiism and support for your local candidates. Together, we can build a better LPDC and make a more free Dallas!

-Evan