News
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- Written by: Jason Howell (Guest Author)
- Category: Selected Blogs
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Jason Howell is the Public Lands Advocate with the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. He is a New Jersey Volunteer Master Naturalist and Wilderness First Responder. Jason creates film and video projects for PPA. Jason is a board member of the Rancocas Conservancy, a senior fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program, an avid canoeist, hiker, and wilderness skills enthusiast. |
“We were the first nation in the world to say that our most magnificent, majestic, and sacred places should not be the exclusive domain of royalty or the rich and well-connected — they should be available to everyone and for all time. That was an American idea. It was the Declaration of Independence being applied to the landscape” – Dayton Duncan author of “America’s Best Idea”
Parks and open space, and the concept of the frontier has been important part of the concept of liberty and freedom within the United States since before the revolution. Only in America, a place of untamed wilderness, did the spark of liberty grow into a flame of enduring freedom. Now that the flame has been alight for almost 250 years, we must find ways to keep fueling the fire. The fiber of the country is made from those who set out from their familiar surroundings, to points and challenges unknown. While today there may not be a new frontier beyond the horizon, we can keep that spark of courage, creativity, and imagination alive in our world-class system of national parks, forests, and state parks and forests and other areas of open space.
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- Written by: Lana Leguia
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Why are you running for public office?
This is a question you will be asking yourself over and over during your campaign. When things get hard, you will ask yourself, “Why in the heck did I even want to do this?” Throughout the process your answer may even change. It is vital you look within yourself. What is calling you to do this? What do you want out of this? The answers to these questions will give you strength to keep going and push harder. Vying for public office opens yourself up to personal scrutiny. Your home, family, career, past mistakes, wardrobe, personal interests, and your integrity will be fair game to arbitrary, often unfair judgement, and it will be draining. Vying for public office is also a huge time commitment. Even as a paper candidate you may have to spend hours collecting signatures. If you plan on challenging the incumbent, you will eat, sleep and breathe your campaign for 9 months. I am going to be very honest with you, running for office is a lot of work for very little payoff - especially as a libertarian. Your reason needs to be altruistic or you will lose steam very quickly.
Wrong reasons to run for office ❌
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- Written by: Paul Baratelli
- Category: Press Releases
The New Jersey Libertarian Party (NJLP) is proud to endorse Jeremy "Spike" Cohen for the position of Secretary of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) in the next presidential administration. Here's why Spike Cohen stands out as a prime candidate for this role for the libertarian party:
Proven Track Record: Spike Cohen's background as a Libertarian activist, having run as the Libertarian Party's Vice Presidential candidate in 2020, demonstrates his commitment to reducing government overreach. His experience in advocating for individual liberty and economic freedom aligns perfectly with the principles needed to reform housing policy.
Philosophical Alignment: Cohen's libertarian principles support the idea of housing as a market-driven necessity rather than a government-regulated entitlement. His advocacy for minimal government intervention in personal and business decisions would encourage policies that support private sector solutions, innovation in housing, and reducing regulatory burdens on developers and homeowners.
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- Written by: Paul Baratelli
- Category: Press Releases
The New Jersey Libertarian Party (NJLP) is proud to endorse Dr. Irene Mavrakakis, MD, for a pivotal healthcare policy role within the new presidential administration. Dr. Mavrakakis's commitment to the principles of liberty, limited government intervention, and individual responsibility in healthcare makes her an outstanding candidate for this position.
Dr. Irene Mavrakakis has established herself as a leader in the field of medicine with her focus on pain management and anesthesiology. Her educational journey from New York Medical College through to her specialized training reflects a career dedicated to advancing medical care while emphasizing ethical, patient-centered approaches. Her resolute advocacy for medical freedom as well as decades treating spine, musculoskeletal & vaccine injured patients make her a great pick.
Libertarian Values in Healthcare:
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- Written by: Paul Baratelli
- Category: Press Releases
Trenton, New Jersey – November 14, 2024 – The New Jersey Libertarian Party today announced its endorsement of U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) for the position of Secretary of Agriculture in the incoming presidential administration.
Statement from the NJLP Chair Paul Baratelli:
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
Cato has released their 2024 Fiscal Policy Report on America's Governors. Our Governor, Phil Murphy, has been given a grade of D or 42 points. This is an improvement from the 2022 Report (F/29) and the 2020 Report (F/32).
Below is their report on New Jersey taken from the report (Creative Commons license). Read the full report here.
Phil Murphy, Democrat
Legislature: Democratic
Grade: D
Phil Murphy worked at Goldman Sachs for two decades. He also served as finance chair of the Democratic National Committee and as US ambassador to Germany. Unlike his predecessor in the governor’s office, Chris Christie, who rejected tax hikes, Murphy supports them and receives a low score on this report.
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- Written by: Ms. Arielle Shack
- Category: Press Releases
TRENTON, NJ, UNITED STATES, November 4, 2024 -- The New Jersey Libertarian Party (NJLP) urges voters to elect its slate of candidates. To reach more voters, the party launches a new ad campaign showcasing these candidates and their dedication to liberty.
NJLP Candidates
Chase Oliver for President has traveled the country, engaging in town halls, debates, and community events to advocate for reducing federal overreach and empowering local governance.
Mike ter Maat for Vice President emphasizes fiscal responsibility and individual freedom, connecting with voters at events nationwide.
Ken Kaplan for U.S. Senate has engaged with communities statewide, promoting the need to reduce government intrusion.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Please provide whatever support you can to our candidates! Senate and Congressional candidates can be supported via our Federal Fund. Local candidates can be supported via our State Fund.
If you are interested in running under our banner next year contact the state board and fill out a questionnaire.
Connect
Chase Oliver
President of the United States
Chase Oliver’s campaign for Georgia’s hotly-contested U.S. Senate seat attracted national attention, leading Rolling Stone to dub him the “most influential Libertarian in American.” He is a passionate and energetic champion for the rights of all individuals against the growing power of the state. This 38-year old is bringing the energy the duopoly will have a hard time competing with.
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- Written by: Joseph Dunsay
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
July is mad pride month. This has personal meaning to me, because I am a mad person, a person who has been through the mental health system. Mad people in New Jersey face systematic discrimination from the state that can deprive them of their freedom without due process. They can be incarcerated and forcibly injected with drugs without ever being charged with a crime. In my experience, psychiatric wards are more comfortable than prisons and have better food, but they still have locked doors that prevent psychiatric patients from seeing loved ones or going about their daily lives. The drugs given to mad people involuntarily also have unpleasant side effects. Some of them can be quite dangerous. We should fight for the rights of mad people to live free of this coercive psychiatric system.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
On March 26, 2024, due to outreach from Jim Tosone of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Preempted Repeal Project, the Borough of Park Ridge in Bergen County repealed fifteen sections of its Peace and Good Order code.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
On February 15, 2024, following outreach from Kim Skorka of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Preempted Repeal Project, the Borough of Oceanport in Monmouth County took action to abolish Article 1 of its Peace and Good Order code, which aimed to govern "Disorderly Conduct."
Oceanport's ordinance, like many others of its kind, was outdated and broadly defined. For instance, it included provisions that banned disorderly behavior in public places or even within private residences if it caused annoyance to others. Another part of the repealed ordinance prohibited allowing any premises to be occupied by individuals engaging in noisy, disruptive, or disorderly activities, or by those identified as prostitutes, gamblers, or vagrants.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
PETITION BASICS
Download, print and circulate a petition. Any New Jersey resident can circulate a petition for any candidate, but only people who live in the district can sign for that office.
We have a Guide To Petitioning posted on the NJLP website. I find the most useful approach to use is to state "Excuse me I'm trying to get a friend of mine on the ballot. Are you a registered voter?"
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- Written by: Paul Baratelli
- Category: Chair's Report
The Libertarian Non-Aggression Principle is a key tenet of the libertarian philosophy, emphasizing the importance of individual freedom and the right to self-ownership. This principle serves as a moral guide for libertarians, shaping their conduct and behavior in both personal and political spheres. In this essay, we will explore the Libertarian Non-Aggression Principle, its moral foundation, and its implications for the conduct and behavior of libertarians.
At its core, the Libertarian Non-Aggression Principle is based on the belief that individuals have the right to live their lives as they see fit, as long as they do not harm others. This principle is grounded in the moral philosophy of libertarianism, which emphasizes the importance of individual freedom, self-ownership, and voluntary association. By adhering to this principle, libertarians seek to minimize the use of force and coercion in society, promoting a culture of peace and cooperation.
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- Written by: Christopher G. Russomanno
- Category: NJ Libertarian Blog
At the time of the founding of the United States of America, and at various times thereafter, there was much heated debate over whether the new nation should have a central or national bank. The founders had seen what havoc was wrought by the Bank of England, a central bank, and the detrimental effects it had on that nation and its empire by a devaluation of its currency which enabled the never-ending stream of wars in which it was involved. The founders also had a vivid memory of what happened when the government run colonial bank created rampant inflation by printing an infinite amount of paper money. Inflation is a hidden tax which robs people of the value of their money by devaluing the currency. This is used to pay for the government’s debts. Accordingly, there is no provision in the constitution for the creation of a central/national bank. Therefore, the Federal Reserve (the Fed) system of banking in the United States of America is unconstitutional because of its ability to print unlimited amounts of fiat currency, or paper money, thereby robbing people of the value of their dollar.
In determining the constitutionality of a central bank, with the ability to create unlimited amounts of paper currency, we can look to the constitution, our founding document, itself: “Article I Section 8 says that, The Congress shall have the power ... To coin money, regulate the value thereof ... and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures…To borrow Money on the credit of the United States.”1 In Pieces of Eight, Edwin Vieira explains in detail why the founders used such explicit language when writing this part of the constitution:
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- Written by: Paul Baratelli
- Category: Chair's Report
2024 NJLP Convention Business Meeting
March 3rd, 2024
Proposed Agenda
08:00 Conference Begins, Credentials, Setup
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- Written by: Mark Kapengut
- Category: Latest News
Call for Candidates 2024. Let me preface with a call for candidates for 2024. Guys, we need 12 (or more – read on) congressional candidates in 2024 to cover the state. And one for the US Senate. If you’ve never run for office, raise your hand and give it a try. Being a paper candidate doesn’t take much beyond the paperwork and collecting signatures. It would be much better to have candidates stepping up from among ourselves, that through external recruitment. If there is even 10% chance that you may think about doing it, please reach out directly, or come to the General Meeting, and let’s talk.
And if you already have campaign experience as a candidates, why not give it a try and run for US Senate. Let’s have competitive internal primaries, with runners-up going after Congress. You may have heard that Menendez received some gifts (any fans of gold bullion around here!?). By doing so, he also gave a gift – to us, and to NJ voters. This is the best environment to run for US Senate in NJ as a Libertarian in a generation.
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- Written by: Mark Kapengut
- Category: Latest News
Proposal 6. Define Active level of campaigning.
Amend BusRule 2. Purpose.
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[Insert “Active”, and increase count, so it reads:] “The NJLP welcomes candidates of all 3 4 levels of commitment – Trademark, Active, Impact, and Challenge – defined as follows:”
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- Written by: James Ripley
- Category: Chair's Report
To Our NJ Community and Concerned Citizens,
The New Jersey Libertarian Party supports freedom and anonymity of political speech and spending, and opposes efforts to restrict it. Let the public evaluate the credibility of anonymous statements.
NJLP has full confidence that Shawn Peck was and still remains the best candidate to represent LD2 in the NJ Senate. We urge all libertarian, conservative, liberal and independent minded voters in LD2 to disregard this minor controversy and cast a vote for Shawn when you come to the ballot box.