Candidates and Elections
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- Written by: Patrick McKnight
- Category: Candidates and Elections
New Jersey is slowly rejecting the two-party system. Voter participation and congressional approval ratings are both at record lows. Yet the courts have issued interpretations of election law that discriminate in favor of the two establishment political parties.
The establishment political parties are guaranteed the first two columns on every ballot. Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party (the third-largest and fastest-growing party) is “lucky” to receive the third column and is often relegated to the fifth or sixth column. This is unfair. All political parties should be treated equally under the law during the construction of the ballot.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Libertarian congressional candidate Dorit Goikhman’s campaign team discovered unlawful practices in vendor admission to Marlboro Day. When the Marlboro Day staff was contacted about setting up a stand at the event, the township representative denied access on the grounds that political candidates could not attend the event, unless “you’re with the mayor.”
Several days prior, a representative from Goikhman’s campaign was told that political parties could attend Marlboro Day, but that individual candidates were barred. Such regulations violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, as all political entities should be allowed equal representation in public forums. Independent candidates, who are unaffiliated with a specific party, are automatically denied access by this requirement.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
For Immediate Release
Contact: NJLP State Chair Patrick McKnight 609-915-7200
Email:
July 31, 2014
Old Established Political Parties Have Lost
Their Preferential Ballot Position
For far too long the old established political parties have enjoyed preferential ballot placement. The two left-most columns have been reserved for the Democrats and Republicans. This year the Democrats and Republicans will be losing this discriminatory electoral advantage as a result of the failure of the old parties to maintain support with the public.
New Jersey law requires that to have a party column, a political party must “poll at any primary election for a general election of at least ten per centum (10%) of the votes cast in the State for members of the General Assembly at the next preceding general election.”
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- Written by: Charles Barr
- Category: Candidates and Elections
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Charles Barr, 732-470-9994
Email:
June 15, 2014
Hoboken, NJ – On Thursday June 19th, the Hudson County Republican Club Young Professionals will be hosting “The Great Debate: Libertarian versus Neo-Conservative.”
The debate will explore two influential groups within the American political discourse and their perspectives on a range of issues facing the nation.
The debate participants are Dorit Goikhman, the NJ Libertarian Party State Vice Chair and Libertarian candidate for NJ CD 6 and Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein, SaveJersey.com contributor and conservative essayist. Moderating the debate is Daniel Bono, active member of the Hudson County Republican Club and Hudson County Committeeman.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
I urge everyone to vote NO on Ballot Question #2.
Ballot question number 2 amends the State Constitution, increasing the minimum wage to $8.25 as of January 1, 2014 and enacts a yearly increase in the minimum wage based on the consumer price index.
Minimum wage laws do absolutely nothing to increase the wealth of poor people. Minimum wage laws reduce the employability of the young and the unskilled. No employer will hire someone at a loss. These laws block individuals from accepting a wage where they can increase their skills and build up a resume. This produces endemic poverty among those who are barred from entering the labor force at a wage commensurate with their skills. On the job training is an essential tool for those unable to afford post-secondary college to increase their employability and income. The bottom rungs of the economic ladder get cut off for many who are just entering the workforce. The harm that minimum wage laws cause is concentrated among the most vulnerable, the young, minorities, and the disabled.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Ballot question number 1 will amend the NJ State Constitution to expand the exemption of those allowed to run games of chance to include veterans groups. Currently only senior citizen groups and approved casinos and racetracks are allowed to compete against the state by running gambling events.
This question gives another special interest an exception to engage in a consensual activity. Left out of the exception is for you or me. Workplace pools, bowling league games of chance, or wagers between friends remain illegal.
Government should not be engaging in favoritism among some groups and punishment of others for for engaging in consensual betting. Rather such activity should be completely unregulated by our state. The only role the government should have when it comes to gambling is preventing theft and fraud.
I will be voting for this ballot question – but only halfheartedly.
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- Written by: Patrick McKnight
- Category: Candidates and Elections
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Patrick McKnight is a Libertarian Candidate for Assembly in the 16th District. See mcknight1776.com. |
The United States Constitution is a formal agreement between a free People and their chosen form of government. As such it is the most important type of binding legal contract. The wisdom of the Constitution is in the establishment of a limited government with clearly-articulated individual freedoms. The adoption of this system and the accompanying Bill of Rights represented a singular historical triumph for civilization, as for the first time a government was established in liberty and reason rather than in plunder and force. Our Constitution, though not perfect nor a panacea, remains the bulwark of our freedom and the source of our national greatness.
This contrast is written in the blood of Patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice so that their children could live in a free, solvent United States of America. Only the Libertarian Party realizes that freedom requires constant struggle because the nature of government is to always revert backwards into illegal tyranny.
Not so long ago the American people suffered under the unlimited power of a feudal monarch. Today the monarch has been replaced by federal bureaucracy but still we are not free. Lest we forget that in an empire the individual is nothing more than government-property with legal rights essentially equivalent to an animal or inanimate object. Likewise, in an empire there can be no justice because there is no rule of law, only the arbitrary whim of monarchs and despots. In an empire human beings exist only to be exploited, sacrificed in military adventures and oppressed politically. This is the essence of the imperial-feudalism our country was founded to oppose. In America We the People are the Constitutional Sovereigns and first branch of government.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE from KENNETH KAPLAN, Libertarian Party Candidate for Governor
A long-time supporter of marriage equality, Kenneth Kaplan, Libertarian Party candidate for Governor, applauded the two Supreme Court decisions on that subject today. "This is a great day for Americans of all sexual orientations. It is a civil rights victory that we should all celebrate together!" He went on to say, "Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have established marriage equality in New Jersey, and voters should remember that in November."
See Ken testifying before the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission in 2008 in this video.
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- Written by: Patrick McKnight
- Category: Candidates and Elections
I am proud to be the Libertarian candidate for New Jersey Assembly in the 16th District. It is my honor and privilege to represent the cause of freedom here in the Crossroads of the American Revolution. I am not a career politician. I am a fourth-generation Skillman, New Jersey farmer. I graduated from Rutgers University with highest honors, a 3.96 GPA and degrees in Philosophy and Sociology. I have taught US History and Economics at Camden Academy Charter High School in Camden, NJ. My band has performed 80 shows, received airplay on over 200 radio stations and recorded four studio albums in Hillsborough. My 2012 Libertarian run for US House in the NJ-7th earned 4,078 votes.
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- Written by: Sean O'Connor
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Here in the United States of America, most of us take pride in following the laws passed by our politicians. Even laws we disagree with. There are certain cases when, out of protest against laws violating individual liberty, some people practice civil disobedience, but most of us are nonviolent and take that moral and legal standard as a given, most of us pay our taxes despite some of us disagreeing with how our tax dollars are spent and most of us adhere to regulations even despite some of us disagreeing with regulations imposed on us. In this sense, although many of us dislike the politicians- the ones who write and execute our laws- and although many of us do not respect them, we do respect the rule of law; we do respect the democratic process by which our politicians are either elected or subsequently appointed by those we elected; we do respect the fact that we are, for better or for worst, under their leadership.
We Americans are fortunate to live in a country where we can practice the religion of our choice, say whatever we want, own private property, keep a lot of our money, spend a lot of our money how we choose, vote for our politicians, persue our dreams, and generally, enjoy the luxury of feeling safe.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
On May 18th, Don DeZarn, joined a group of speakers and peaceful protesters at Independence Hall for the Smokedown Prohibition V event. This is a monthly event sponsored by Philadelphia National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Philly NORML) and The Panic Hour. The event featured music, speakers, and 4:20 celebrations.
The police were peaceful at the four previous events, but they decided to initiate violence this time for unknown reasons. The gang members in blue rushed the stage and arrested six to ten individuals. They focused on the speakers and organizers. During the arrests the crowd chanted 'No Victim, No Crime!" In addition to Don, Adam Kokesh and N.A. Poe were also arrested. Don was charged and released. Adam and N.A. are still being held at the time of this writing. They have a hearing on Thursday and hopefully will get released then.
Don DeZarn is running for NJ State Assembly in the 14th District under the Libertarian banner.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Question one authorizes the state to take on additional debt for the purpose of upgrading our state colleges. Let us not forget the recent state college spending scandals.
In 2007 State Senator Wayne Bryant was indicted for a kickback scheme involving the state University of Medicine and Dentistry. In exchange for taxpayer funds Bryant was given a no-show job with the University. R. Michael Gallagher, the former dean was convicted of bribery. A 2007 study characterized the NJ public college and university system as lacking "meaningful and effective oversight, accountability and transparency" which "renders the system eminently vulnerable" to waste, fraud, and abuse of the public trust. Nothing has substantially changed since then.
A May 2012 report has found that Rutgers Football runs the largest money losing program in the nation. The Rutgers Football program costs each student an average of $1,000 each.
New Jersey debt burden is the fifth highest in the nation. I urge you to vote No on Question One.
Question two amends the NJ State Constitution to require judges to pay more towards their pensions and healthcare. In 2011 a pension reform law was passed that increased the contribution state employees must make towards their pension. A court decision challenged this for some judges because it amounted to a salary decrease which is not allowed by our constitution to avoid retribution for decisions judges may make. This question amends the constitution to allow for changes to benefit contributions for judges and justices. I recommend voting Yes on Question Two.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
7-11 is running a Coffee Cup poll of presidential candidates. However they only allow the choice of Obama or Romney.
Next they will stop selling all soda's except Coke and Pepsi. They wll sell only two flavors of coffee - regular and decaf. Consumer choice is limited in their decision.
In an email to
I'm going elsewhere for my coffee.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Candidates and Elections
On Wednesday October 17th at 4:00 PM, Ken Kaplan, our U.S. senate candidate will be participating in a debate at Mercer Community College in Trenton.
Watch the debate here or on the debate website.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
Sponsors of the upcoming snoozefests have been under pressure not to support the debates unless Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are invited to participate. As a result Phillips Electronics, Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) New York, and YWCA have decided to drop their sponsorships of the debates.
As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all, we have decided to withdraw our sponsorship effective immediately.
- Dara Richardson-Heron, M.D., CEO YWCA
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
We still have petitioning to do to get Gary Johnson on the ballot!
Petitions are posted at http://njlp.org/uploads/petitions
A guide to petitioning is posted here.
Gary has downladable flyers available at his website.
Once your petition is complete contact me at
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Candidates and Elections
In May of 2012 delegates from each of the 50 state Libertarian Parties will be convening in Las Vegas, Nevada. The delegates will be deciding on the future of the party and will be picking who our candidate for President shall be.
Candidates who have made statements that they are running to date include: