AUSTIN, TX (5/12/13) – Florida IT consultant Matt Nye of Melbourne, FL was elected National Chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC). He will serve through 2015.

The RLC is the nation’s oldest grassroots organization of the Liberty Republican wing of the GOP. State chapters from Alaska to Florida and from California to Maine gathered at the biennial national convention in Austin, Texas to elect new national officers, participate in activist training workshops and to hear major Liberty Republican speakers like Congressman Steve Stockman (R-TX).

“Our nation’s founding principles of individual rights, personal liberty and free markets are under assault as never before,” said Nye. “The RLC has a long track record of advocating for these ideas from within the Republican Party, and I look forward to working with the new board to capitalize on the popularity of the liberty message to grow our ranks and get pro-liberty candidates elected.”

Nye is a relative newcomer to politics, but has made his presence felt at all levels. In 2009 he organized the Brevard Tea Parties, the largest of which drew almost 4,000 people to the Space Coast Stadium on the July 4th holiday. In 2011 he was elected Chair of the RLC of Florida. Nye assumes the National Chair position after serving for the last two years as National Treasurer. He takes over from Dale Nalle of Texas who was National Chair from 1999-2013.

Also elected at the convention were Vice Chair Ed Lopez of Connecticut, Secretary Laura Ebke of Nebraska and Treasurer Norann Dillon of Minnesota. The four elected officers are automatic members of the RLC National Board which coordinates with the state chapters for the all-volunteer organization. Elected as at-large National Board members were Matt Dubin and Sandi Belzer, both of Washington State, and Levi Lippincott of Nebraska.

Portland, Maine was selected as the site for the 2015 RLC National Convention.

Pro-Liberty Caucus Announces Congressional Endorsements

Bills, Hernandez, Fields and Byberg will be advocates for sensible, constitutional government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2012

CONTACT: Norann Dillon, 763-516-1175 or info@rlcmn.org

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, the Republican Liberty Caucus [rlc.org] and its Minnesota Chapter [rlcmn.org] jointly announced endorsements for four Congressional candidates who will sincerely uphold the oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

Change Congress to Restore Accountability and End Federal Mandates
Republican Liberty Caucus Candidates Have the Answer to Obamacare and Out of Control Government

WASHINGTON, DC  – Today’s Supreme Court Ruling on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is a strong reminder of how important it is that we elect new leaders to the House and Senate who will stand up for smaller government and to protect individual liberty and who will make repealing this tyrannical legislation a top priority.

While Obamacare may technically be Constitutional, because the 16th Amendment opens the door to all sorts of unreasonable taxation, that does not mean that it is good policy. Raising taxes enormously on every citizen, either directly in the form of penalties or indirectly in the form of mandated health insurance and inflated prices, is outrageous in a time of high unemployment and economic uncertainty. As fewer and fewer people pay taxes at all, placing an even greater burden on the productive segment of the population is unconscionable.  Even worse, this is just the first step.  As insurance prices rise the call will come for more interference by government and we will slide into a the complete control of the healthcare system by unaccountable bureaucrats, an end to individual choice and a rapid decline in quality of service.

In today’s ruling the Supreme Court has at least identified Obamacare for what it is, the largest tax increase in United States history, though it is much more and much worse than just that. In the middle of an election year this provides a winning issue and a rallying cry to all true fiscal conservatives, and the Republican Liberty Caucus is supporting a nationwide slate of candidates who share the highest possible commitment to protecting the rights of citizens to be free from unjust government mandates of every kind, to preserving personal and economic liberty and to getting the increasingly heavy weight of out of control government off of our backs.

Candidates like Ted Cruz in Texas and Barry Hinckley in Rhode Island are  poised to join our prior endorsees like Rand Paul and Mike Lee in creating a powerful voting block in the Senate which will never compromise when liberty is threatened. In the House those same values which are being championed today by Ron Paul and Justin Amash will be carried forward with reinforcements like Thomas Massie in Kentucky, Lauren Stephens in Wisconsin, Kerry Bentivolio in Michigan,  Jessica Puente Bradshaw in Texas and scores of others.  With their guidance Congress will reassert its authority over the federal bureaucracy and demand accountability from the executive branch.

We are the  grassroots backbone of the Republican Party, committed to issues which truly matter to the people and an agenda which demands reform from our own party as well as the national government. The time for compromise on principle is over. As so many of our own leaders fail to stand up to the Democrats and their agenda of plundering and spending, the momentum has shifted to the Liberty Movement within the GOP and with a rapidly growing membership and new chapters springing up all over the map, the Republican Liberty Caucus is carrying the banner.

Repealing Obamacare makes a great battle cry, but it is just the beginning. It is just the cap on the mighty pyramid of government excess which we must tear down. Government has reached too far into our pockets and taken too much control of our lives. As we reclaim our independence we must elect new leaders who will defend our right to be free, to make our own decisions and to take back responsibility for our lives. Let us start by repealing Obamacare and keep fighting until government is once again dedicated first and always to protecting our personal and economic liberty.

Pro-Liberty Caucus Announces Candidate Endorsements Candidates will be advocates for sensible, constitutional government FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2012 CONTACT: Norann Dillon, 763-516-1175 or rlcminn@gmail.com SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Minnesota [rlcmn.org] announced endorsements for 13 Legislative candidates who will work for fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and reduced size in government. "State government spending has averaged a 10% growth rate since the 1960s.  Minnesotans have felt the drain when state government spends money we don't have.  We need fiscal conservatives who will build on the Republican-led legislature's initial work to set the state's spending priorities within the realities of revenue," said state RLC Chair Norann Dillon. The Caucus endorsed nine incumbents: Rep. Mary Franson, House District 8B; Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, House District 18B; Rep. Steve Drazkowski, House District 21B; Rep. Peggy Scott, House District 35B; Sen. Roger Chamberlain, Senate District 38; Rep. Kathy Lohmer, House District 39B; Rep. Doug Wardlow, House District 51B; Sen. Ted Daley, Senate District 51; and Sen. Dave Thompson, Senate District 58. Non-incumbents endorsed by the Caucus are David FitzSimmons, House District 30B; Dale Helm, House District 41A; Paul Tuschy, House District 52B; and Mark Fotsch, House District 66A. "These candidates know that government grows at the expense of individuals and businesses.  It's not only good fiscal policy to keep state spending in check.  It also protects and preserves our freedoms here in the North Star State," concluded Andrew Noble, Co-Chair of the Candidate Committee. Founded in 1991, the Republican Liberty Caucus works to advance the principles of individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party.  The Minnesota Chapter was chartered in 2003. - 30 -

RLCMN credits and thanks Walter Hudson for providing this summary and resource.

 

Unions created their own dilemma by initiating force against competitors, which include other unions or individual workers wishing to contract with employers separate from a union. Federal law enables unions to establish contracts granting them exclusive representation, meaning they are the only entity which can negotiate on behalf of employees. It is these exclusive representation contracts, not right-to-work, which obligate unions to represent non-members and those not paying dues. The solution is simple, unions can change their contacts to give up exclusive representation. Under right-to-work, the choice for the unions would come down to maintaining a contractual monopoly and enduring the resulting "free riders," or giving up their monopoly and competing in a free market for labor. In either case, all parties concerned would retain their freedom of association. Whether with exclusive representation or without right-to-work, employees do not have the freedom to choose whether or not to associate with a union.

Excerpts from "Effects of Right to Work Laws on Employees, Unions and Businesses" by John W. Cooper

Federal law allows unions the special power to create “exclusive representation” agreements with employers. If they choose to create these exclusive representation agreements, they are indeed required to represent all members, both dues paying members and free riding members alike. However, it does not appear that unions are actually required to set up these exclusive agreements (Greer, Union Representation).

Some proponents of RTW laws rightfully argue: “Nothing in federal law prevents union officials and employers from negotiating contracts in which the employer recognizes the union for its members only” (Greer, Union Representation).

Therefore, it appears that unions are not required by law to enter into exclusive bargaining agreements with their employers, and that if they wanted to they could form member only bargaining agreements in which they only represent their members, only their members are required to pay union dues, their contracts only pertain to their members, and other people are allowed to work for the employer independent of the union.

 

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Minnesota believes every citizen has the freedom of association.  This includes the freedom to decide on their own whether to join or not join a union and whether to pay or not pay union dues.  Just like workers in 22 other states, Minnesotans should not be forced to join a union or pay dues to an organization if they do not wish to belong.

House File 2140 (Senate File 1705) proposes that all citizens be granted the freedom to decide to join or leave a union as well as to pay or not pay dues without having it affect their employment status.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Minnesota encourages the Minnesota Legislature to pass a constitutional amendment, during the 2012 legislative session, giving individual voters the freedom to decide whether to become an employee freedom state.

 

Thank you Sen. Thompson and Rep. Drazkowski - both are RLCMN endorsed members of the Legislature.

 

 

SENATOR DAVE THOMPSON, REPRESENTATIVE STEVE DRAZKOWSKI ANNOUNCE EMPLOYEE FREEDOM CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

St. Paul- Senator Dave Thompson (R-Lakeville) and Representative Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) announced the introduction of a constitutional amendment that would give Minnesotans the opportunity to vote on whether or not Minnesota workers should have the freedom to join a union or not. Currently, if someone is hired by a company with a collective bargaining agreement in place, that person is required to join the union or pay fair share dues.

“In Minnesota law, if a worker refuses to pay union dues, they are fired. This isn't fair and it's definitely not free,” Representative Drazkowski said. “To me, this is the most important pro-jobs bill we can pass this session. It's estimated that had Minnesota passed this amendment 30 years ago, the average Minnesota working family would be earning an additional $7,000 or more every year. Nearly 70% of Minnesotans support employee freedom - let's allow the people to decide whether they want to guarantee this fundamental right in our constitution.”

If Minnesotans vote in favor of this amendment, every Minnesota worker would still have the right to join or support a labor union, only now it would be his or her own decision. Union employees would still be able to collectively bargain the same as under current law.

“Our bill is simple: let’s allow Minnesotans to vote on whether or not an individual should be forced to pay a third party in order to work. Jobs are our number one priority – this bill recognizes Minnesota workers’ ability, and right, to decide whether or not they’d like to be part of a union. States that have granted employees this freedom have experienced rapid growth in business, leading to greater job growth. From 1993 to 2009, private sector employment increased nearly 38% in those states versus only 19.6% in forced-unionism states,” said Senator Thompson. “We have an opportunity, as a state, to increase freedom and grow jobs – it’s an opportunity Minnesota cannot afford to turn down.”

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RLCMN Secretary Rudy Takala wrote an article that was featured by American for Taxpayer Reform.  Congratulations Rudy!

 

 

 

 

 

Today the Republican Party is at a crossroads. It faces the choice of continuing down a path of failed leadership and forgotten principles, or taking the hard and rutted road back to its beginnings. The party was established to restore the values of our founding fathers in a time much like today, when those values had been forgotten.

Today as in 1854, the political system has fallen into the hands of greedy and ambitious leaders who disregard the rights of the people and promote ideas which are fundamentally un-American because they see them as a route to greater political power and control. The forces of special interests, sectionalism, bureaucratic indifference and institutionalized oppression are stronger than ever before. They will not be stopped unless the Republican Party remembers its purpose and stands up against them.

From its very first platform, the Republican Party has been dedicated to the ideals of the Founding Fathers as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the enlightenment belief that all men have an inalienable right to life, liberty, and property. Although it has occasionally lost sight of those ideals, eventually core values reassert themselves and new leaders of vision set the party back on the right course.

The party was formed in 1854 in an era when the existing parties had strayed too far from the original republican values on which the nation was formed. The new party embraced the ideals of the founding fathers with the goal of securing liberty for those held in slavery and obtaining equality for all members of society.

Through the years the Republican Party has taken the lead on the great moral issues of the times:

* In the Platform of 1860 the party made opposition to slavery a national issue for the first time and expressed clear support for the rights of workers and industry.
* In the Platform of 1876 the Republican Party became the first US political party to endorse equal rights and universal suffrage for women.
* In the Platform of 1892 the Republicans became the first US political party to endorse universal suffrage and access to the polls to Americans of all races.
* In the Platform of 1896 the Republican Party first declared its dedication to fiscally responsible government.
* In the Platform of 1900 the Republicans were the first US political party to take a clear stand in opposition to racial discrimination.

During the early 1900s the Republican party also led the way in opposition to monopolies, in passing child labor laws, workplace safety regulation, and establishing reasonable working hours. The Republican party was also the first party to propose national policies for resource management and conservation. And almost from the moment the 16th Amendment made an income tax legal, the Republican party worked to minimize the tax burden, hold down federal spending, and institute fairer and more limited taxes. By the 1950s the Republican Party had taken the lead in applying federal pressure to implement desegregation and equality in the southern states.

The differences between the Republican and Democratic parties of the modern era were clear as early as 1908 when the Republican Party platform clearly delineated the differences between the two parties, which are still strikingly apparent today:

The present tendencies of the two parties are even more marked by inherent differences. The trend of Democracy is toward socialism, while the Republican party stands for a wise and regulated individualism. Socialism would destroy wealth, Republicanism would prevent its abuse. Socialism would give to each an equal right to take; Republicanism would give to each an equal right to earn. Socialism would offer an equality of possession which would soon leave no one anything to possess, Republicanism would give equality of opportunity which would assure to each his share of a constantly increasing sum of possessions. In line with this tendency the Democratic party of to-day believes in Government ownership, while the Republican party believes in Government regulation. Ultimately Democracy would have the nation own the people, while Republicanism would have the people own the nation.

That description of the Democrats is as accurate today as it was 100 years ago, and the same Republican principles are just as valid today as they were then. Some may have forgotten the history of the party, but defending individual liberty by standing firm in the face of socialism and statism remain at the core of what makes the GOP unique.

The Republican party was born in liberty, and even in the darkest days of racial strife, that dedication to liberty and equality for all Americans regardless of race, creed, religion or lifestyle remained central to the beliefs of the GOP. The party has always dedicated itself to the ideal of the responsible individual citizen being allowed to live life in his own way without unnecessary interference from government. This principle was expressed clearly in the Republican platform of 1964:

Every person has the right to govern himself, to fix his own goals, and to make his own way with a minimum of governmental interference.

This idea of the sovereign individual goes hand in hand with an understanding that government has a legitimate, but limited, role to protect the rights and welfare of the people and to be answerable to the people for its actions. This was expressed clearly in the 1964 Platform:

It is for government to foster and maintain an environment of freedom encouraging every individual to develop to the fullest his God-given powers of mind, heart and body; and, beyond this, government should undertake only needful things, rightly of public concern, which the citizen cannot himself accomplish.

This platform from 40 years ago, written in a time of great national challenge and under the clear-eyed guidance of Senator Barry Goldwater, expresses better than almost any other document the fundamental beliefs of the party, including the principles of individual liberty, but also the importance of the Constitution in protecting that liberty:

Within our Republic the Federal Government should act only in areas where it has Constitutional authority to act, and then only in respect to proven needs where individuals and local or state governments will not or cannot adequately perform. Great power, whether governmental or private, political or economic, must be so checked, balanced and restrained and, where necessary, so dispersed as to prevent it from becoming a threat to freedom any place in the land.

Perhaps most unique in that document was an awareness which seems to be forgotten today, that not only do individuals have responsibility for their actions, but that there is a greater responsibility invested in the government through the social contract to do right by its citizens:

It is a high mission of government to help assure equal opportunity for all, affording every citizen an equal chance at the starting line but never determining who is to win or lose. But government must also reflect the nation’s compassionate concern for those who are unable, through no fault of their own, to provide adequately for themselves.

The high ideals of Republicanism also extend to the behavior of politicians and how they use the sacred trust invested in them by the people:

Government must be restrained in its demands upon and its use of the resources of the people, remembering that it is not the creator but the steward of the wealth it uses; that its goals must ever discipline its means; and that service to all the people, never to selfish or partisan ends, must be the abiding purpose of men entrusted with public power.

Today it seems as if the Republican party and many of its leaders have lost their way. Yet the basic values of the party have not changed, though some seem to only pay lip service and to have forgotten what it has meant to be a Republican for the last 150 years. In the generation since Goldwater reasserted the core values of the party, the lure of power and greed and opportunism has been stronger than ever. This isn’t the first time that this has happened. In the late 19th century the party suffered a similar identity crisis, turning away from core values of liberty towards corporatism and arrogant complacency. Leaders like Teddy Roosevelt set the party back on track, and though the leadership foundered in the aftermath of the Depression, Eisenhower and Goldwater were there to set the party on what should have been an ideal course by the 1960s. Yet Goldwater’s defeat and the rise of socialism in the 1960s followed by the failures of the Nixon era produced a generation of leaders who have been willing to sacrifice principle for votes no matter what unsavory compromises that required. Leaders like Roosevelt and Goldwater understood that it was better to be right and lose an election than to win at any cost, because the price of such a corrupt victory is invariably too high.

This problem has been compounded by an invasion of the GOP by disaffected southern Democrats who were driven away from their party when its northern wing embraced civil rights under Kennedy and Johnson and the policies of the party became increasingly socially progressive and dominated by northern issues. As the Republicans struggled to retain their identity, this influx of angry bigots and religious zealots gave power at the polls at the cost of compromises on fundamental principles which had sustained the party for a hundred years. They were followed by strong-defense Democrats whose imperialist ambitions didn’t fit with the post-Vietnam pacifism of the Democratic Party. Both of these groups brought with them beliefs which were alien to the Republican tradition, including a belief in a strong federal government, an expansionist foreign policy, a bizarre moralistic agenda, a big dose of intolerance and a willingness to sacrifice the rights of individuals in pursuit of their political objectives. Accepting these outsiders was an act of desperation which put the integrity of the party at risk in order to hold on to political power.

Now we are paying the price for compromises which have left the party fractured with no ideological center, our history forgotten and our future uncertain. The weakness of our current generation of leaders and the harm they have done to the party with foolish alliances and venal servility to every bulging purse has to end in this new millenium. We must commit ourselves to lead where our leaders have failed and to retrieve the party from the cesspit of corruption. The GOP must reaffirm an absolute commitment to the idea of true Republican government which serves the people and does not rule over the people, and of restoring a nation dedicated to preserving the liberty of every individual equally and absolutely.

This may mean purging the party of corrupt leaders and unsound ideas so that we can restore fundamental values. We need to remember that big government, corruption, and trying to run people’s lives are the politics of the socialist left and we should not tolerate leaders who are seduced by the power socialism gives to the political class. If this means giving up some power for a few years then we should accept that. We are not worthy to lead the country until we are Republicans again and can earn back the trust and respect of the people. It would be better to be a minority party and the conscience of the nation as we were when the party was born in 1854 than to carry on as an insult to the memories of the idealists who founded the party and led it as a party of principles in past eras. We must restore the party or we will lose the party. We must demand adherence to principles from our leaders or eliminate those leaders for leading the party in the wrong direction.

In support of the Palm Beach County 8-year county commission term limits law, the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee approved a pro-term limits resolution 170-0 at their Aug. 10 meeting.  The resolution was written by Philip Blumel, a Florida RLCer and president of the Fairfax, VA, based U.S. Term Limits.

Half of Florida's 20 "home rule" charter counties have adopted term limits via a direct vote of the people, as you can see on this chart. A gaggle of politicians in Broward County challenged their term limits law -- passed in 2000 with 80% of the vote -- and found a local judge to strike down the law. The decision was written by Judge Carol Lisa Phillips, wife of the term limited former mayor of Ft. Lauderdale, who couldn't resist editorializing against term limits in her decision. An appellate court overturned the flawed Phillips decision, unanimously and unequivocably, on Aug. 10.  But the politicians have appealed and the case is going to the Supreme Court. You can follow the case on Blumel's  statewide term limits blog.

To read the Palm Beach County resolution in its entirety, go here.

If any RLCers are members of their local REC in a county with term limits, you are encouraged to submit a similar resolution in your county. If you would like help drafting it, contact Philip Blumel at pblumel@bellsouth.net.

In preparation for the 2012 election cycle, the Miami-Dade RLC is kicking into gear after reforming last year. Finishing up the affiliation process for official recognition by the state RLC, the group on Sept. 6 held elections and made plans for running candidates for public and party officies and participation in the upcoming Presidency 5 straw poll.

The Southernmost RLC club has some pedigree to live up to, as prior to statewide revival of the RLC in 2004, the Miami RLC was the flagship Florida RLC organization.

At the Tuesday meeting, at The Bar in Miami, it was determined that the following members present would form the pro-tempore executive committee:

Marcus Rivchin, chair (pictured)
Emmanuel "Manny" Roman, vice-chair
Alex Stauber, secretary
Ira Paul, treasurer

It was determined that the following members present would form the by-laws committee:

Hector Roos
Channie Kahan
Alden Dominguez

The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18 at Sushi Cafe & Shilla Korean Restaurant, 7917 NW 2nd St., Miami, FL 33126, (305) 261-4266. To be alerted of future Miami-Dade RLC activities, join the Miami-Dade RLC online Meetup here.