http://www.ca.lp.org A weekly op-ed from the Libertarian Party of California en-us http://ca.lp.org/lp20090510.shtml Sun, 10 May 2009 11:45 There is an attempt now to have the voters decide whether to lower the budget passage requirement to 55 percent. Whether you are in favor of the two-thirds rule depends on whether you believe that an increase in taxes and spending is economic nutrition or whether it is economic poison. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090420.shtml Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:13 The recently approved budget to close California's $41 billion deficit now has an $8 billion "tax shortfall." If three of the May 19 special election initiatives fail, there will be another $6 billion in "lost revenue." That's a $14 billion hole in the shoe without a shoe repair shop in sight. It's time for tough love lessons on taxes for Sacramento. Just vote no on Propositions 1A through 1E. There are many ways the state can eliminate the deficit without raising taxes. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090413.shtml Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:32 When a proposal in California to ban black painted cars was revealed in March 2009, the blogosphere and talk radio buzzed with cries of "outrageous." But one wonders what is so awful about outlawing dark-colored vehicles? Why complain about the lack of individual choice? Why not let the political system ban all sorts of inanimate objects, for whatever reason? Other democratic nations do it all the time. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090406.shtml Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:00 As Anne Frank wrote in her diary, which became a literary classic: "A quiet conscience makes one strong." She is right. We must rely on ourselves and our innate abilities and ethics to overcome our problems of today. And we must not give in to the false but seductive allure that the answer lies with the all-knowing and all-protective government. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090323.shtml Mon, 6 Apr 2009 08:00 Activists are outraged over President Obama's raid of Emmalyn's California Cannabis Clinic in San Francisco, but they should not be surprised. This episode should remind liberal pot activists of the potentially despotic power involved in tax collection. Short of exempting medical marijuana from sales tax altogether, California should legalize marijuana, leave its regulation to the market, and, for now, treat it like any other retail good in terms of tax law. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090316.shtml Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00 With the current brouhaha about high payouts in bonuses to company executives whose companies didn't manage to be successful, it may appear to be unjust to pay them according to the terms of their contract, but it isn't. Sadly, the executive compensation issue seems to be fodder for once again tearing down capitalism. And this time out of rank envy. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090309.shtml Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:22 Suppose that instead of their massive spending, bailouts, and subsidies, governments at all levels declared a state of freedom. In a pure free market, the economy would thrive because doing business would have much lower costs and much greater rewards. People want to work and produce, but barriers imposed by government stop them. All that is really needed to get the economy going again is to stop interfering with what folks want to do. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090202.shtml Mon, 2 Mar 2009 19:14 Taxpayers rightly resent the price tag of prison programs. But if the prisons cannot afford to care for their prisoners, we obviously have far too many. Governor Schwarzenegger once vowed to reduce the prison population, and he ought to. Now is a good time to seriously reassess the whole system. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090119.shtml Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:07 The trouble with conventional wisdom is that it is not always wise. The government bailouts and economic stimulus package is an excellent case in point. Ultimately, bailouts and economic stimulus bills will only result in less wealth production and a lower standard of living. http://ca.lp.org/lp20090112.shtml Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:30 California's broken government seems unable to reform itself, so the people may have to do it. We need to restructure California's government and policies, and a constitutional convention that frees citizens from the shackles of its incompetent government may well be the best way.