News
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- Written by: Mark Hinkle
- Category: Latest News
Libertarian Chair: Time to Re-Legalize Immigration
WASHINGTON - Amid controversy over U.S. immigration policy, Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle says the proper way to end illegal immigration is to re-legalize immigration. Hinkle released the following statement today:
"In debate after debate, Democratic and Republican politicians have decried the problem of illegal immigration, called for more border security and employer sanctions, and eagerly searched for evidence that their rivals employed undocumented help. The Obama administration proudly touts the fact that it is deporting more undocumented aliens than George W. Bush, while many of the families they support remain stranded in the United States, and most of whom were guilty of nothing more than the inability to satisfy a nightmarish bureaucracy.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
BY LUKE FUNK
MYFOXNY.COM - Auditors say the New Jersey Turnpike Authority wasted $43 million on unneeded perks and bonuses. In one case, an employee with a base salary of $73,469 earned $321,985 when all payouts and bonuses were included.
The audit says that toll dollars From the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway were spent on items ranging from an employee bowling league to employee bonuses for working on birthdays and holidays.
It took place as tolls were being increased.
The biggest expense uncovered in the audit was $30 million in unjustified bonuses to employees and management in 2008 and 2009 without consideration of performance.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
In January of 2009 the police were called to Brian Aitken's parents house in Mount Laurel over a family dispute. The police found guns in Brian Aitken's car and arrested him for not having a permit to possess these guns. At the time of the arrest, the guns were unloaded and locked in the trunk of the car.
When Brian moved from Colorado to New Jersey he properly checked his guns in with the TSA. He called the New Jersey State Police and asked if he needed to register the guns. He was told that he did not need to register them.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
At the Libertarian Party's request, the Township of Edgewater Park (Burlington County) repealed its "Disorderly Conduct" code. While not strictly a loitering code, the Disorderly Conduct code sought to prohibit conduct such as "us[ing] offensive words in a public place which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction."
The original ordinance, repeal ordinance and the LP's letter to the Mayor and Council are on-line at http://ogtf.lpcnj.org/2010279Pw//EPPreempt.pdf
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
I would like to commend the Borough of Hightstown (Mercer County) on the transparent manner in which it recently filled a vacant seat on its municipal council.
One member of the Borough Council, a Republican, resigned. According to the Municipal Vacancy Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:16-1, et seq., the local Republican Committee submitted the names of three nominees to the Borough Council. The Council was then obliged to select one of those nominees to serve the remainder of the vacated term.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project
As a result of a request from the NJ Libertarian Party Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project the township of Franklin (Sussex County) has repealed their loitering ordinance. Copies of the correspondence can be see here.
Washington Township (Warren County) has also announced that they will repeal their loitering ordinance. Lehigh Valley Live has covered it here.
A full listing of the success of the Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project is posted here.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
The CATO institute released a report today, The Budgetary Impact of Ending Drug Prohibition. According to the report, drug prohibition has cost New Jersey state and local governments $832 million in 2008. $183 million of this is for marijuana prohibition alone.
The NJ Libertarian Party State Board urges Governor Christie to immediately commute the sentences of prisoners whose only offense involved consensual acts between adults. At a time where the NJ State Budget must be cut, we cannot afford to imprison people who have harmed no one.
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- Written by: Wes Benedict
- Category: Selected Blogs
WASHINGTON - In response to the recent Republican "Pledge to America," Libertarian Party executive director Wes Benedict released the following statement:
Instead of a "Pledge to America," the Republicans should have written an "Apology to America." It should have gone something like this:
"We're sorry, America. Sorry we grew the federal government budget from $1.7 trillion to over $3 trillion. Sorry we added $5 trillion to the federal debt. Sorry we doubled the size of the Department of Education. Sorry we started two incredibly costly foreign wars. Sorry we supported the absurd and costly TARP bailouts. Sorry we created a huge and costly new Medicare entitlement. Sorry we did nothing to end the costly and destructive War on Drugs. Sorry we did nothing to reform the federal government's near-prohibition on immigration. But hey, at least we helped you by shifting a lot of your tax burden onto your children and grandchildren."
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
On September 24, 2010, I wrote to the Neptune Township Housing Authority complaining that the Authority's Board of Commissioners is not in compliance with the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and the Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). Among the issues complained of: a) the Authority charging an excessive amount for copies of public records, b) the Authority's failure to respond to a request for executive session minutes and c) the Authority's failure to adequately inform the public of the topics that will discussed during non-public (i.e., "executive" or "closed") session. My letter and attachments are on-line here.
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Open Government Advocacy Project
Sometimes I get questions from readers that I think may be of general interest. Here is one such question and my response to it.
Question:
The county in which I reside owns and operates a miniature golf course. The Freeholder Director claims that the course is making money and doing well, but I'm not so sure. When I attempted to OPRA the golf course's income and expense records from the County, I am told that the records I seek do not exist, that the county is under no responsibility to create records for me or that my request is too broad. Since I don't know the records that the county keeps and how it arranges them, it is difficult if not impossible for me to request them. What do I do?
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
George Donnelly has recovered some of the footage that was deleted by federal authorities during his illegal arrest. Libertarian activists were harrassed while peacefully giving out Fully Informed Jury Pamphlets. During the confrontation, George Donnelly is assaulted and arrested.
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- Written by: William F Sihr
- Category: Student Rights
Dear NJLP Friends,
Recently (at least since September 10th ) Rowan University has decided that in light of a startlingly high number of alcohol related hospitalizations to require all Undergraduates of the school to take an online alcohol awareness class. Now when I first heard of these plans I found them to be perfectly understandable and even went as far as to applaud the administration for taking a proactive position in educating uninformed students about the potential hazards of excess drinking. Many students who enter into the college realm are overwhelmed by their new found independence and are unable to make mature decision without the immediate guidance of their parental figures. Also I found this to be a better alternative than having more school regulations put in place, however my praises quickly disappeared.
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
Campus organizations are currently being organized (or reorganized) at Brookdale and Rutgers University.
The Rutgers Libertarians are holding a meeting on Wednesday 9/21 at 9:15 in room 115 of Murray Hall. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for additional information.
The Brookdale Libertarians are still in the organizing stage. If interested visit their Facebook page.
In addition efforts are underway to organize a college organization at Rowan University.
If you are interested in forming a college organization let us know by emailing us at
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- Written by: John Paff
- Category: Selected Blogs
QUESTION:
My municipal government does not obey the law and does not care that it does not obey the law. For example, state law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:9-139, requires each municipality to pass an ordinance providing for the appointment of a municipal attorney. Despite this law, my town doesn't have such an ordinance and refuses to enact one. My complaints to the Attorney General, County Prosecutor and various state agencies haven't helped and I don't have money to hire an attorney. What can I do?
ANSWER:
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Latest News
Recently I've been receiving phone messages from Congressman Chris Smith and his Democrat opponent in the fourth district, Howard Kleinhendler, accusing the other of not being Islamaphobic enough. First Kleinhendler left a message accusing Smith of supporting the Islamic Center in Manhattan, now a message from Smith stating that that is not true and that he is on record of "strongly opposing" Mosques.
Congressman Ron Paul is correct in his recent statement calling this grandiose demagoguery.
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- Written by: Guest Author
- Category: Selected Blogs
Originally published on Cop Block, republished under Creative Commons agreement.
I know we need to protect our children – there is no greater loss than losing a child. Though the state of New Jersey is taking it to far. They have just fined a novelty company $70,000 for selling a toy that is less dangerous than a Yo-Yo, it’s a Yo-yo waterball.
New Jersey has just won a settlement against the Yo-yo waterball distributor Kipp Brothers for selling the banned toy, although it’s nothing more than a rubber ball filled with liquid attached to a rubber cord.
Could you imagine watching the police come and arrest your child for playing with this.
Think back to when you were a child and some of the toys you used to play with. When I was growing up I remember playing with a chemistry set that was filled with harmful chemicals and I was never injured. I might have singed my eyebrows off once or twice, but that’s part of growing up.
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
- Category: Chair's Report
Our state consistently fares poorly when evaluated on tax ratings, government waste, government corruption, and value returned from the government. The Tax Foundation ranks New Jersey along with the rest of the Union:
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- Written by: Webmaster
- Category: Latest News
The first line of our statement at Copblock.org reads “Cop Block is a decentralized project supported by a diverse group of individuals united by their shared goals of police accountability.” I believe this officer did a great job accomplishing that goal by holding himself accountable.
This officer gets a thumbs up from myself and I hope he can set an example for other officers in this country. I wish I could say the same for the troopers that let him go and apologized for pulling the Chief over.