Objectivistparty.us has the following biography of Dr. Tom Stevens, currently the State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania and the subject of a great deal of controversy on IPR and similar sites in recent months:
Dr. Tom Stevens – 2008 & 2012 Objectivist Party Candidate for President
Dr. Tom Stevens is an educator, attorney & political activist. He has appeared as an expert or to discuss current events and/or topics on over 200 national talk shows and for two and a half years, he produced and hosted “In Focus”, his own cable television show. Dr. Stevens is a graduate of New York University (where he served as Freshman Representative, Sophomore Representative & as President of the Student Council) and Hofstra University School of Law (for which he twice served as President of the Hofstra University School of Law Alumni Association).
During the past few years, he has taught the following courses on a college level: American History I, American History II, American Legal Systems, Business Ethics, Business Law I, Business Law II, Civil Law, Criminal Justice System, Criminal Law, Criminology, Critical Thinking, Developmental Reading Skills, Drugs In The Community, Elder Law, Environmental Science, Ethics, Gender Crime & Justice, Industrial Organizational Psychology, Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Management, Introduction to Philosophy, Introductory Psychology, Jurisprudence, Juvenile Justice, Law & Evidence, Law Enforcement, Math Skills Workshop, Medical Law & Ethics, Microeconomics, Principles of Business, Private Security, Professional Development, Small Business Management, Sociology, and The Sociology of Crime & Deviance. He has introduced the philosophy of Ayn Rand to many students who have gone on to read her books and to appreciate the philosophy of Objectivism.
Dr. Stevens is the Founder & Chair of the Objectivist Party. He started the following holidays: Free Trade Day (May 8th), Space Exploration Day (July 20th), Skyscraper Appreciation Day (August 10th) and Individual Rights Day (August 29th). He has led the Beaux Arts Society, Knights of the Republic, Spartan Brotherhood and Knights of Scorpius, the International Leadership Honor Society. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board & Vice-President of Concerned Citizens Speak. He created Applause! Applause!, a publication that reviewed cabaret shows and off-Broadway plays for which he served as a Critic and Editor-In-Chief. He conceptualized the Leonardo daVinci Award, which recognized James Franco early in his acting career.
Dr. Stevens was elected to the Judicial Committee of the Libertarian Party in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. He served as a New York State Delegate to the Libertarian Party’s National Convention in Atlanta in 2004, Portland in 2006, Denver in 2008, and St. Louis in 2010. He currently serves as Political Director, Membership Director and State Committee Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County. In the 2007-2008 Republican Presidential Primary Season, he was a supporter of Ron Paul and served as Political Consultant and New York State Coordinator for the independent Paul For President Coalition.
Dr. Stevens is a true adventurer. He has visited 49 of the 50 states (all but Alaska) and has travelled to Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, The Kingdom of the Netherlands and Vatican City. During those trips, he has jet skied, gone parasailing, white water rafting, speed boating and deep sea fishing. He has visited countless Native Nation reservations, taken Eco-Tourism Excursions in Oregon, been on a number of Photo Safaris in Sabi Sabi, South Africa, visited the natural wonders of 5 Hawaiian Islands (which included a small plane fly-by of the leper colony on Molokai), hiked through the Black Hills of South Dakota (in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt), skied in the Swiss Alps, spotted elk in Banff, saw the fallout of the eruption of Mount St. Helens first hand, and risked arrest meeting anti-government political leaders in secret locations in the rural areas of the Republic of South Africa while on a diplomatic trip to that country.
Dr. Tom Stevens lives his life in accordance with the philosophy of Ayn Rand. In her words, “the question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me!”
You can contact Dr. Tom Stevens at 718-357-7075 or by e-mailing him at [email protected]. Visit Dr. Tom Stevens’ Blog at: http://drtomstevens.blogspot.com/ .
The site also lists Dr. Stevens as President of the Objectivist Party of New York.
According to wikipedia:
2008 presidential campaign
The Objectivist Party’s nominees in the 2008 United States presidential campaign were party founder Tom Stevens for President, and Alden Link for Vice President. Stevens lives in New York and Link maintains residences both in New Jersey and New York. Both were delegates to the 2008 Libertarian Party National Convention, where Stevens was re-elected to the national Libertarian Party’s Judicial Committee. The Objectivist Party’s ticket of Stevens and Link was listed on the ballot in two states, Colorado and Florida. They received a total of 720 votes, 419 votes in Florida.
2012 Presidential Campaign
During the Objectivist Party National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri from May 29 to May 30, 2010, Tom Stevens and Alden Link were again selected as the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, respectively, for the Objectivist Party nomination in the United States presidential election, 2012 as a result of a unanimous vote by the delegates. Tom Stevens formally declared his candidacy for President on June 13, 2011.
The ticket was again on the ballot only in Colorado and Florida. They received 4,091 votes: 3,856 in Florida and 235 in Colorado.
“I and many others would love to read their ringing endorsements of you.”
Count me among these many.
Tom @ 37
“Remember how certain anarchists have been complaining that no LPPA Board Member would respond to their e-mails and that they need to wipe the Board clean, well that is because hard-working LPPA Board Members recognize what we have accomplished together and expressed their full support for my re-election as State Chair. ”
Please provide links to the docuementaton that proves this statement, “LPPA Board Members recognize what we have accomplished together and expressed their full support for my re-election as State Chair. ”
I and many others would love to read their ringing endorsements of you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk_-XWpUFmU
A lot of people affiliate with the LP or libertarian views (including the anti-voting kind and the nonpartisan kind) thanks to Ron Paul. Yes, it’s true that he also got some LP members to participate in the NSGOP as well. So there’s that. And Rand Paul has been more of a mixed bag ideologically, not that Ron Paul is perfect either.
The Pauls exist to divide and conquer. To support or defend them is to play into the hands of the Republican Party. I’m increasingly embarrassed by my affiliation with the LP but never will I support or defend anything that affilates with the Republican Party. You do whatever you care to do.
I’m nowhere near being a Paul cultist, and yet I agree with Andy @ 48-9. Can you cite specifically anything he said in those two comments which was not true?
Andy@48-49, the poison of Paulite cult activity and adoration of the Father and the Son is a big part of what makes the LPPA so unproductive. Nothing you say in support of your holy idol will change his horrible flaws or the damage his followers have done to the potential for focused government improvement. If you hope to convert me to your cult, you will be wasting your time. Go knock on other doors with your chanting and your pamphlets. I know the Church of Paul is anathema to government reform.
Political parties are not the only organizations that have county chapters doing activism. It is, as written, an issue coalition with people from different parties. It will not, as far as I know, attempt to qualify as a party and put people on the ballot under its own separate label. Thus I don’t see how it is directly competing with the LP, unless it does something different than it is claiming it will do.
Yes, if people who really dislike Stevens win control of the state party, and especially if they kick him out as they have promised, I fully expect that he and his close allies would focus their attention on a different organization rather than contribute their resources to the LPPA. As I would with any faction that loses an extremely bitter faction fight.
“So even you are acknowledging dysfunction within the Libertarian Party, yet on other threads you’ve been critical of Ron Paul supporters for not signing up to join the LP in droves, and of Ron Paul for drawing support away from the LP. ”
Most Ron Paul supporters are small “l” libertarians. Most of them are in fact open to the Libertarian Party. The reason more of them have not gotten involved is they don’t see the Libertarian Party going anywhere. Who wants to be a part of an ineffective organization that is not going anywhere, that doesn’t even have its act together? Sorry, but this is the way that a lot of people see us.
Erik Viker said: “I am increasingly embarrassed by my affilation with the Libertarian Party, and PA is an especially appaling fiasco.”
So even you are acknowledging dysfunction within the Libertarian Party, yet on other threads you’ve been critical of Ron Paul supporters for not signing up to join the LP in droves, and of Ron Paul for drawing support away from the LP.
Why should you be surprised that people are not lining up to join a dysfunctional organization that has little influence and has elected few people to anything?
I still think that the Libertarian Party has merit, and is worth joining, but if we want to build this party, we’ve got to clean up our act, and start showing people that the party is worth joining. The best way to show people is to show them by setting an example. When people see that the Libertarian Party has its act together, and is actually going places, more people will join.
Assuming it becomes more than just “paper,” it’s an organization that functionally does exactly what the Libertarian Party of PA is organized to do, right down to county chapters doing activism. Tom will try to draw resources from the LPPA to his new club, and the nine young men who serve as his “Executive Assistants to the Chair” will almost certainly follow him there. He’s planning a place to go be the lord after the annual convention hands to Steve Scheetz what little of the LPPA is left. I am increasingly embarrassed by my affilation with the Libertarian Party, and PA is an especially appaling fiasco. A funny bit is that the delegates chose Tom in part because he painted the alternative as too unpleasant. So much for his alleged ability to grow the LPPA and bring people together. What a hoot.
How so? The description says it is an organization of libertarians from all parties. It’s possible that is a misleading description, but at the moment I have nothing else to judge this organization (or would-be organization) by.
Looks like the accusations about Tom Stevens establishing a rival organization were all true.
Yeah, I got the email as well.
But wait! There’s more! This popped up on the “official” Facebook page for the LPPA today:
“Fellow Pennsylvania Libertarian,
I am the State Chair of the Pennsylvania Libertarian Alliance, an organization of libertarians of all parties.
Membership in the Pennsylvania Libertarian Alliance is FREE.
We seek County Representatives willing to hold local monthly meetings when feasible who will be responsible for coordinating pro-liberty activities on a local level.
If you have supported my efforts to promote liberty in the past, I would welcome your involvement in this newly forming organization. I can promise you 100% of our efforts will be on how best to promote libertarian solutions to the problems we face.
The Pennsylvania Libertarian Alliance Facebook Group is located at:
http://www.facebook.com
In Liberty,
Dr. Tom Stevens
State Chair
Pennsylvania Libertarian Alliance”
Give him twice the respect he deserves! Although that adds up to the same exact amount, LOL.
It was a secret meeting at an all you can eat buffet, so it sounds believable. Why does everyone keep questioning the integrity of Our Deer Leader? The guy flew over some leppers for god’s sake! Please give him all the respect he deserves.
How many of the meetings listed @11 was Stevens at? How many was he not at?
Dr. Tom Stevens chaired a meeting of the Libertarian Party of Philadelphia on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at New Super King Buffet located at 40-44 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148.
He will not, however, be at the New York City LP Nominating Convention scheduled to be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 in Queens County, New York.
“As a Meetup organizer myself, I can clear up at least that mystery. In my experience, Meetup automatically lists group organizers as attending the events they post, regardless of whether they actually RSVP for or attend those events.”
Valid point. However, see Mark Axinn at 25 as well.
Can anyone who has been attending Queens LP meetings this year tell us how many Tom Stevens has been at?
Re: 36
Remember how certain anarchists have been complaining that no LPPA Board Member would respond to their e-mails and that they need to wipe the Board clean, well that is because hard-working LPPA Board Members recognize what we have accomplished together and expressed their full support for my re-election as State Chair.
A few malcontents working every day to destory what we have accomplished were unlikely victors were I to run for re-election BUT as I previously stated, a handful of people can create the impression of internal division and infighting and cause people to become inactive. It makes no sense for me to spend the number of hours I have for one more year when people from INSIDE the LP seek to undermine that effort.
Has anyone seen anyone except Tom Stevens talk about drafting Tom Stevens to run again? I haven’t.
Re: 34
Absolutely!
Who said anything about obligations? They are interesting questions, but no one is holding a gun to your head. You are free to duck answering them, and people are free to form their own conclusions if you choose to do so.
No. I owe no obligation to anyone to answer their questions unless I am inclined to do so nor do I have an duty or responsibility to correct factual errors people post. I just forge ahead doing constructive work for liberty but I will say that if running for re-election as State Chair will unite those factions seeking to grow the LP in Pennsylvania, then I am open to be drafted.
You sure made it sound like you did, though.
Are you going to answer any of the questions that have been asked in the comments here?
Re: 5 & 6
I have not endorsed anyone for any office yet in the upcoming LPPA State Elections
Noticeably absent in this entertaining bio is any mention of a college or university. If he ever did hold a teaching job, presumably his relationship with those organizations ended in the usual way.
Paulie @11 – As a Meetup organizer myself, I can clear up at least that mystery. In my experience, Meetup automatically lists group organizers as attending the events they post, regardless of whether they actually RSVP for or attend those events.
I’m still interested in how he managed to teach so many different college courses. Every professor and instructor I have ever known or looked up has a narrower range of courses they teach.
LOL, Paulie. That Dr. Stevens is a remarkable man indeed.
Thanks!
I wonder how Dr. Stevens manages this while also having moved to Philadelphia as he says he has done, and living without transportation while staying with friends and unable to make a living?
Paulie @ 11 asked about this entry:
>He currently serves as Political Director, Membership Director and State Committee Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County.
I can attest from personal experience that Tom does the first two and extremely competently. I particularly admire his ability to secure interesting speakers for the LPQC monthly meetings for the last five years or so.
There is an issue regarding the State Committee rep. position. During the summer of 2010, Tom’s membership in LPNY was terminated. As a consequence, he does not qualify to be a member of the LPNY State Committee. The Queens chapter believes his expulsion to be unwarranted and continues to nominate him to the position as a protest against LPNY.
The official position of LPNY is that the position is vacant. The official position of LPQC is that Dr. Stevens is its representative.
Yes, I’ve heard all that. Still have some questions though, if you scroll up…
Well you can add these to the list for now….The Pennsylvania Libertarian Alliance founded on March 4, 2013 by Dr. Tom Stevens. He was designated “Libertarian Ballot Access Heroes” by LP News. Raised the LPPA Membership by 87.8%. Formed 25 new LPPA County and Regional LPPA Chapters. He chairs both the Northampton and Philadelphia County LP. He defeated a GOP challenge to the LPPA petitions last year and regained their Minor Party status.
Wonder how he finds the time….
Which parts are outdated and in what way(s)?
All that information is outdated. I’m sure you can add a few dozen more accomplishments now.
Hero: “You’re insane!”
Villain: “No, I’m perfectly aware of what I’m doing. You, on the other hand, seem to have the delusional notion that you can stop me.”
Dr. Tom?
He needs a bridge now.
@14 _Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies_….a classic movie if ever there was one!
“Monkey Day Celebration
Lollipops Ice Cream Parlor
Sat Dec 14”
What’s that all about?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yg7tSGxdz0
“the question ….it’s who is going to stop me!”
Gregory: You won’t succeed.
Djinn: Who’s going to stop me?
Gregory: God will stop you.
Djinn: God has nothing to do with this.
Gregory: God has everything to do with this. Be gone, Satan!
Djinn: I think you have your demons mixed up, Father.
risked arrest meeting anti-government political leaders in secret locations in the rural areas of the Republic of South Africa while on a diplomatic trip to that country.
Was it these anti-government political leaders that he met in secret locations in the rural areas of the Republic of South Africa ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I9HcePZkhg
In the 2007-2008 Republican Presidential Primary Season, he was a supporter of Ron Paul and served as Political Consultant and New York State Coordinator for the independent Paul For President Coalition.
Hasn’t Dr. Stevens vilified some other LPPA activists for their involvement in the Ron Paul campaign? Or am I remembering that wrong?
He currently serves as Political Director, Membership Director and State Committee Representative for the Libertarian Party of Queens County.
Is this still true? LPQC.org appears to be out of date. However, http://www.meetup.com/QueensLP/ seems to be more current.
This page says
” We’re about:
Young Republicans · Libertarian · End The Fed · 9/12, We Surround Them, Tea Party, Liberty · Liberty · JBS.org Freedom Campaign · Republican Liberty Caucus · Campaign for Liberty · Ron Paul Campaigns · United States Constitution
Organizer:
Tom ”
All of the meetups show Dr. Stevens attending. If this is actually true, it seems rather odd, since he has said that he now lives in Philadelphia, has no transportation and has to rely on friends to help him stay afloat.
Dr. Stevens is listed as the organizer and attending all of the following, all in NY:
New York City Libertarian Party Nominating Convention Apr 9
Fred Cookinham on Reconciling Libertarians & Objectivists Apr 13
Celebrating The Two-Dollar Bill Apr 13
JBS President John McManus on Get Us Out! of the United Nations Apr 23
Scott Morgan on Peter Kropoktin: Anarchist Prince May 11
The Pros & Cons Of “The Leadership Principle” May 11
Alden Link on The Benefits of Nuclear Energy June 8
World Oceans Day Celebration June 8
Matt Pritchard on Seasteading: The New Frontier July 13
Personal Freedom Party Luncheon July 13
Kip C. Webster on Stopping Agenda 21 Aug 10
Skyscraper Appreciation Day Celebration Aug 10
Gary Duff on International Criminal Court – A Threat To State Sovereignty Sep 14
The Life Of Filibuster William Walker (Adventurer, Lawyer, Journalist) Sep 14
Daniel Peterson on The Proper Role Of Local Government Oct 12
Columbus Day Celebration Oct 12
Michael Sanchez on Domestic Drones: A Threat To Liberty Nov 9
Aviation History Month Celebration Nov 9
Jim Agresti of Just Facts on the Historical Aspects of Race, Slavery & Prejudice Dec 14
LPQC Holiday Toy Drive Dec 14
Monkey Day Celebration
Lollipops Ice Cream Parlor
Sat Dec 14
As well as the following recent events:
March 22 Councilman Dan Halloran’s Birthday Party
March 10 Xanadu The Musical at Cultural Arts Playhouse
March 9 A Tribute To Yuri Gagarin, First Man In Space
March 9 Matthew Kelly on New York City Mayor Fernando Wood & The Police Riots
March 7 Long Island Professionals 2013 Spring Kick-Off
March 3 Nunsense 2: The Second Coming at The Showplace at Bellmore Movies
March 1 Carrie The Musical at Cultural Arts Playhouse
That’s just this month; you can scroll for more past events at http://www.meetup.com/QueensLP/
He has led the Beaux Arts Society, Knights of the Republic, Spartan Brotherhood and Knights of Scorpius, the International Leadership Honor Society.
I haven’t heard of these before.
Tell me more.
Are there webpages, wikipedia articles, facebook pages, twitter accounts, youtube pages, news reports, or other publicly available information about these?
During the past few years, he has taught the following courses on a college level: American History I, American History II, American Legal Systems, Business Ethics, Business Law I, Business Law II, Civil Law, Criminal Justice System, Criminal Law, Criminology, Critical Thinking, Developmental Reading Skills, Drugs In The Community, Elder Law, Environmental Science, Ethics, Gender Crime & Justice, Industrial Organizational Psychology, Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Management, Introduction to Philosophy, Introductory Psychology, Jurisprudence, Juvenile Justice, Law & Evidence, Law Enforcement, Math Skills Workshop, Medical Law & Ethics, Microeconomics, Principles of Business, Private Security, Professional Development, Small Business Management, Sociology, and The Sociology of Crime & Deviance.
That’s quite an array of courses to teach at the college level. Where has he been teaching? Is his CV online, or any links to his listings at university departments?
So you are his “from the floor” nominator that he keeps alluding to?
“small plane fly-by of the leper colony”
“spotted elk in Banff”
“led the Beaux Arts Society”
I’m getting great material for my nomination speech at the convention.
I think the fact that Stevens is backing Minet could be the kiss of death for him, too.
I hope Steve Scheetz wins on April 27th for the office of LPPA chair. New blood is needed… Stevens is backing Roy Minet.
There’s the Appreciating Young Men Day (June 28) and Taking The Boys To The Zoo Day (April 27).
Don’t forget he also started Dr. Tom Stevens Appreciation Day (April 1st).
Dr. Stevens and Mr. Imperato could get together and bestow honorary knighthoods on each other.
I do like the idea of Skyscraper Appreciation Day, this is something I am definitely going to celebrate this August.
I’ll say this for him: Dr. Tom Stevens is certainly a colorful, one-of-a-kind character.