Marc Feldman, a candidate for the 2016 Libertarian Party Presidential nomination, at the 2015 Indiana LP convention held this past weekend:
According to a message posted by outgoing LPIN chair Dan Drexler to the LP state chairs list, Joe Hauptmann was elected as the new state chair. That’s all the news from the LPIN convention I have seen so far. If anyone has other video, first hand reports, or coverage elsewhere, please post it in the comments.
Wisconsin… separate post later
http://youtu.be/p8rFQ0IGeJc
1. I do not support a new national sales tax. The tax problem is small compared to two much larger fiscal problems, the spending problem and the debt problem. If we kept tax policy the same, while decreasing spending, shrinking government, and starting to pay down our debt, we would be more free. If we swich to a national sales tax, abolished the IRS, but kept spending and deficits constant, adding to the debt and the taxation of our children and grandchildren, we would be no more free. My BASE program, Balance the budget, Audit all federal programs for effectives, Show effectiveness of private organizations, Exempt donations to effective private organizations with a 100% tax rebate allows people to reduce their tax burden as low as they want, by making voluntary contributions to the organizations of their choice. I am against over-simplified slogans like “taxation is theft.” Taxation is not theft. Taxation is taxation. In some ways it is much worse than theft. Thieves know they are doing something wrong. They hide and usually are ashamed when people find them out. When they are caught , they give back what they stole. They will only take some of your property, Taxing authorities think they are doing what is right. They are proud of it. They never return what they take. They think they have a right to everything you own. I have two positive things to say about taxation. Firstly, if government has already borrowed and spent funds, that money has already been taken from the people, that money will be paid back, either soon via taxes, or later via taxes with interest. Secondly, taxation is the most effective way to motivate the people to be vigilant and keep government accountable.
2. a.) End big money corruption of political campaigns
b.) Balance the budget by cutting spending
c.) End mass incarceration from the drug wars
3. I do not advocate to dramatically shrink government directly. I propose “evidence-based government”. We need to audit all federal laws for cost-effectiveness. My BASE program provides a mechanism to transfer funds and power from the public sector to the private sector on the basis of cost-effectiveness and individual choices of taxpayers.
This is a good video that I enjoyed watching. Skip to 6:00 if you want to save time on Dr. Feldman’s background.
I like much of what he has said so far…. especially outreach to the “politically homeless” and those disenfranchised. I also like that he has a donate link to http://www.lp.org, suggesting people send LP national money if they want to contribute more than the $5 dollars he’s accepting himself.
I disagree with his campaign strategy about only accepting $5 dollars. I’ve told him myself… But I also told him that it’s a noble goal.
I do have a few questions for Dr. Feldman that I’d like to post here publicly so that other readers have a chance to see his responses.
1. Do you support a new national sales tax, eg: the “Fair” Tax? If so, how do you reconcile that idea with the commonly held belief by most libertarians that taxation is inherent theft, and thus immoral?
2. What will be your hot button (top 3) issues that you will present to the general public pre-nomination (and post, should you receive the nomination?)
3. Recent polls, by Reason, and others, show that people want “limited government”; but when it comes to specific cuts, people are much less supportive. How do you overcome their objections? How do you sell the Libertarian Party to these people?
-Mike Kane
Chair – LP Florida Keys