News
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- Written by: Alex Pugliese
- Category: Selected Blogs
Over a period of decades, there have been political candidates and politicians that have campaigned at the federal level that have promised that if they were elected into office that they would “reform Washington,” only to discover that it is they who are reformed by going native, succumbing the D.C. culture and its way of doing things. It has become increasingly clear that if reform is going to take place, it would have to come through the people and through their elected representatives in the state legislatures in all fifty states. Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, with the help of two-thirds of the states, a convention can be called for the purposes of introducing new amendments to the Constitution. Three-fourths of the states would be required to ratify them. If one state can get the ball rolling, I believe that other states would follow.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Police Accountability Project
The July 8, 2010 Times of Trenton reported that Ewing Police Sergeant Edward DeBoskey was indicted for official misconduct and theft by deception for allegedly loafing at a private home instead of supervising street patrols.
Today, through an Open Public Records Act request, I was able to determine that on September 24, 2012, DeBoskey and Ewing agreed that DeBoskey would be allowed to retire after being allowed to receive the one month credit he needed to acquire his 20 years of service. The settlement agreement is on-line here.
According to DataUniverse, DeBoskey, whose final salary was $109,505 is receiving an annual pension of $54,752.64.
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- Written by: Dan Hurley
- Category: Letters to Editor
The ballot for the upcoming election asks New Jersey voters to approve or reject an amendment to the NJ Constitution increasing New Jersey's minimum wage and mandating automatic cost-of-living increases. Advocates of this proposal would have you believe that, by raising the minimum wage, everyone working below that rate would get an immediate increase, and those out of work would be offered jobs at the higher rate.
The truth is a bit more complicated. No one would remain employed at the higher rate if their services are not, in the eyes of their employers, worth the higher rate. So while, no doubt, many people earning less than the new rate would initially get a bump in their hourly rate, it is equally certain that employers with limited resources would have to let many of them go - the less educated, less skilled, less experienced - as a result of the higher rate.
NJLP General Membership Meeting
Omega Diner
Sunday, November 10, 2013 1:00 PM
Tentative Meeting Agenda
Call to order & quorum check
Agenda review
Secretary's Report
- Minutes of prior meeting (October Board Meeting)
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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: Wes Wagner
- Category: Latest News
Dear Friend of Liberty,
"It's scary when the libertarian is the best speaker at an event like this. He was good!"
That's basically what the "progressive" standing next to me said after Gov. Gary Johnson's speech to the Stop Watching Us rally.
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- Written by: Libertarian Party
- Category: Latest News
News Release
September 28, 2013
Libertarian Party calls for permanent government spending slowdown, defunding Obamacare
There is no impending government shutdown — only a government slowdown. The threat of a "shutdown" is designed to scare voters while avoiding scrutiny of reckless government overspending.
If federal lawmakers do not pass a budget or a "continuing resolution" (CR) by Oct. 1, a government spending slowdown will take effect. This could halt almost $1 trillion in annualized spending that the CR would authorize, which is the size of the current federal deficit. If made permanent, this would cut annual federal spending by approximately 27 percent to $2.7 trillion — the current level of revenues coming in.
In other words, a federal slowdown — if allowed to take full effect — would balance the federal budget. This would greatly benefit the U.S. economy.
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- Written by: Libertarian Party
- Category: Latest News
For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Libertarian Party Chair Geoffrey J. Neale today strongly opposed any U.S. military intervention in the civil war in Syria.
"There is no Constitutional justification for America to unilaterally use force in Syria," Neale said.
"Syria is not threatening our country," he added. "We have no national interest in intervening there. There are no reasons for the U.S. to support either the Assad dictatorship or the opposition warlords."
Neale reaffirmed the party's longstanding foreign policy of nonintervention, quoting part of the National Defense plank of the party platform: "The United States should both avoid entangling alliances and abandon its attempts to act as policeman for the world."
He also quoted from the International Affairs plank, which says, "American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid."
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- Written by: Alex Pugliese
- Category: Selected Blogs
There are many progressives in the media, in academia, in politics and elsewhere that have this belief that for the good of society and for the good of the nation, one must surrender his or her liberties and rights for “the common good.” That one must surrender one’s right to own and have property for “the common good;” that one must surrender his or her privacy for “the common good;” that one must surrender his or her conscience, speech and thoughts for “the common good;” and that one must surrender his or her own individuality, being and body for the so called “common good.”
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Police Accountability Project
On October 10, 2012, the City of Union City (Hudson County) agreed to pay $80,000 to a man who sued members of the Union City Police Department for allegedly assaulting him after taking him into custody for violating the City's curfew ordinance.
In his suit, Diego Diaz, through his mother, Maria Lopez, said that at 3:43 a.m. on February 6, 2010, while he was 15 years old, he was taken into custody by Union City Police for violating the municipal juvenile curfew ordinance. He claimed that while in custody, he "engaged in a verbal altercation with Officer Corey Corbo which resulted in Corbo assaulting him. He also claimed that Officer David Chasmer assisted Corbo in the assault.
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- Written by: Walter M. Luers, Esq.
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
by Linda Baum / edited by Walter Luers, esq.
New Jersey Foundation For Open Government
August 2013
New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), effective in July 2002, is one of the best tools the public has to obtain information about what government is doing.
OPRA requests must be in writing. While many governmental entities have a specific form for this purpose, you are not required to use it. In fact, legally you can send an email request, with the description of the records you are seeking in the body of the email itself. Importantly, the email must clearly state “OPRA request” in the email. Also, you should include your name, address, phone number and email address so the records custodian may contact you. (There is no legal requirement to identify yourself when making an OPRA request – the OPRA law allows you to submit a request anonymously.)
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
09/07/13 Update: The case has been scheduled for a hearing before Hon. Mary C. Jacobson, A.J.S.C. in Trenton on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at 11 a.m. The signed Order to Show Cause is on-line here.
When you see a police car protecting a construction site on a public roadway, the taxpayers are probably not paying that officer's salary. Instead, the construction or utility company pays the police agency for the officer's salary and for use of the police car and the agency in turn pays the salary over to the officer. This is known as "extra-duty" and can be a lucrative source of income for local police officers.
I requested to know the amount of "extra-duty" pay a particular Ewing Township (Mercer County) police officer received during 2012, but the Township denied my request. The Township's position is that "payment for voluntary, off-duty work paid by a third party does not involve the expenditure of public funds" and is not a public record.
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- Written by: Mark Richards
- Category: Letters to Editor
Originally published at Suburban Trends newspaper
Dear Editor:
Libertarians are evidently getting under the skin of some folks, a sign that the philosophy of individual liberty and small limited government is growing!
On the one hand we have our bully of a governor, Mr. Christie saying libertarianism is dangerous in his attacks on Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. We then have a local letter writer giving a completely distorted view of what he thinks Libertarians believe in.
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- Written by: Alex Pugliese
- Category: Selected Blogs
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently stated in an interview that there is a strand of libertarianism that is in both the Democratic and Republican parties that he finds repugnant and “dangerous” when it comes to foreign and domestic policy. In the same interview, he attacked libertarian politicians like Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and others both personally and professionally.
On foreign affairs, Mr. Christie believes that it is justified to have U.S, troops stationed in 140 countries for the sole purpose of sending them into battle in wars and conflicts that are not in U.S. interests. He further believes that it is the duty of the U.S. to be the world’s policeman. Mr. Christie agrees with Neo-Conservatives like William Kristol and Charles Krauthammer that the U.S. must follow the foreign policy of Woodrow Wilson to make the world safe for democracy no matter where. Libertarians believe the opposite. They are of the belief that wars should only occur when a nation is attacked or threatened. Furthermore, while they believe that all nations of the world should be free and prosperous, they are the well wishers of their own nation. They also believe that the U.S. should stay out of the affairs of other nations both internally and externally.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Police Accountability Project
On August 6, 2013, an Administrative Law Judge will conduct a confidential settlement conference regarding a police discipline matter captioned In the Matter of Jon Andrews, OAL Docket No. 08542-2013 or Civil Service 2013-3466).
Andrews, a Lavallette Police sergeant has appealed a 20 day suspension for "conduct unbecoming a public employee" and "other sufficient cause" that was imposed by way of a Final Notice of Disciplinary Action issued on May 31, 2013. According to the police, Andrews was "suspended without pay" by way of a written notice issued by Police Chief Colin Grant on August 22, 2012. The notice accused Andrews of being "involved in sending and receiving text messages and pictures of a lewd, lascivious and/or inappropriate nature during working hours to a fellow member of the Lavallette Police Department with remarks as to another Department member." He was also charged with claiming three hours of overtime for attending a court session that he did not in fact attend.
Despite the "without pay" provision of Chief Grant's notice, the Borough Council, at a September 5, 2012 special meeting, "voted to extend the paid medical leave of Sgt. John Andrews until a disciplinary hearing can be held by the police department." (See, Ocean Star, September 7, 2012 "Council Votes to Extend Officer's Paid Medical Leave.")
Andrews' appeal and Grant's August 22, 2012 notice are on-line here. Andrews is being represented by Anthony Pope, Esq. of Newark. The Borough is being represented by Eric Bernstein, Esq. of Warren.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
As a result of a request from the NJLP Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project, the Manville Borough Council has agreed to repeal their Morality Ordinance at their upcoming meeting on August 12th1. This ordinance covers loitering, being drunk, fighting, cursing, trespassing, lewdness, public nudity, annoying a school teacher, cursing at a police officer, and other things. The Manville News covers the story here.
Local laws like this in New Jersey are invalid because the 1978 criminal code preempts local ordinances like this. The 1978 criminal code specifically excluded several acts that were at one time illegal, including loitering, public drunkenness, and some consensual sexual acts.