Republican Liberty Caucus

The Florida RLC is doing its part to rebuild the party. According to former national RLC Vice-Chair Philip Blumel, “The RLC is doing its part to rebuild the party. In 2008, RLCers built up its network, labored in the primaries, registered new Republicans, lobbied the legislature, endorsed candidates, participated in educational forums, provided speakers for GOP clubs, worked on general campaigns and added its members to Republican Executive Committees around the state.”

On Saturday, December 6, 2008, the Republican Party of Los Angeles County (RPLAC) met at the Ronald Reagan State Office Building in Los Angeles to choose its leadership for the next two years. After a brief but intensive parliamentary battle with the entrenched leadership, control was wrested away by a newly formed coalition of those who were anxious to re-dedicate and re-energize the Party along traditional Republican principles and strategies.

The slate of seven candidates selected by a limited government coalition was elected in its entirety to the Executive Board. One of those elected was a carry-over from the previous Board. All the others were new. The new Executive Board has resolved to move quickly to re-build the Republican Party based on the principles mentioned previously; and, through candidate research and development, to find good men and women to run for many offices who will carry the message of freedom, prosperity, and peace.

Members of the new RPLAC Executive Board are:

Glen Forsch, Chairman
Lydia Gutierrez, First Vice Chairman
Robert W. Vaughn, Second Vice Chairman
Gary Aminoff*, Treasurer
Roger Eshleman, Secretary
Gwen Patrick, Assistant Treasurer
Connie Ruffley, Assistant Secretary

*RLC member

The Michigan chapter of the RLC is urging its supporters to support State Representative Jack Hoogendyk for the position of Chair of the heavily divided Michigan GOP.

According to GOP Precinct Delegate Scotty Boman of Detroit, “Libertarians and conservatives share many fundamental principles, most especially with respect to reducing the size, scope and cost of government.  Jack has articulated these principles of conservatism with superb eloquence.  While serving in the State House, Rep. Hoogendyke has been one of the legislature’s strongest advocates for limited and transparent government.  I believe he has what it takes to move Michigan’s Republican Party in the direction of limited government and conservative principles.”

To learn more about Jack Hoogendyk’s campaign, visit http://www.jackformichigan.org/.

In November, the Republican Liberty Caucus helped elect five new State Representatives to the Montana House. The new legislators will join sitting libertarian Republicans in the legislature and are forming a strong coalition for limited government in the Montana House. According to newly elected State Rep. Mike Miller (R-Helmville) says the libertarian-conservative coalition in the Montana House have big plans for the coming year. According to Miller,

“My current goal is to get more money into the hands of the people and less in the state coffers. I have two bills in to do that: (1) a tax credit of up to $100 for anyone that purchases Long Term Care insurance and (2) to make necessary health care expenses a tax credit at the lower income levels (limit $1k), phasing into a tax deduction at the higher income levels. Anything I can do to reduce the size of government and the amount of government intrusion into our personal lives is high on my list of priorities.

The House is split 50/50 so the Speaker is of the same party as the governor - Democrat. Also of note is that four-term State Rep. and RLC ally Scott Mendenhall of Helena has been elevated to the Number Two post in the House GOP Caucus.

State Rep. Mike Miller was endorsed by the RLC
and pledges to work for limited government.

(Hat tip to the blog libertarian Republican for information.)

On Friday, December 19, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Maryland had its first formal meeting. According to Matthew Gagnon, chapter Co-Coordinator, “We had a GREAT meeting. About 35 or so people showed up, and I actually have money from several of them to sign up for the RLC.”

Gagnon said the Maryland RLC is making progress: many former Congressional candidates were in attendance (including RLC endorsed candidates Collins Bailey, Rich Matthews, and Mike Hargadon) and two elected State Delegates attended, including the featured speaker, Del. Joe Boteler. “We did nominations for officers, discussed what was required of chartering, what the purpose of the state level RLC is going to be, and so on,” said Gagnon.

The Maryland RLC has set a new meeting date for January in Annapolis, during which time chartering, by-laws, officers, and more will be discussed.

Photos from the event are provided below. Thanks to Matt Gagnon for his tremendous efforts.  Without Matt’s leadership, this meeting would not have occurred.

Maryland RLC’ers discussing issues.

Maryland RLC’ers taking notes.

Former Congressional candidates Mike Hargadon and Collins Bailey.

Matt Gagnon, RLC Co-Coordinator, and former Congressional candidate Richard Matthews.

Group photo.

The California and Nebraska affiliates of the RLC have rolled out their new web sites. Log on and view the new sites:

California RLC

Nebraska RLC

The Republican Liberty Caucus is proud that one of our members, Mark Cross, is running for State Chair of the Republican Party of Florida.

Best of luck, Mark! To learn more about Mark’s campaign, click here.

December 12, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: William Westmiller, (805) 493-4332

Liberty Caucus: Auto maker Bailout Rewards those Responsible for Financial Collapse, Penalizes all Americans

Thousand Oaks, CA — A national caucus of Republican activists is urging members of Congress to oppose the Big Three automakers bailout of a corrupt financial regulatory system. “This proposal is a government takeover of yet more of the already stifled U.S. economy,” said Republican Liberty Caucus Chairman William Westmiller, “and when and where will the bailouts stop?” he asked.

“For decades, auto makers have been forced to comply with arbitrary congressional dictates that are not supported by consumers,” said Michigan RLC Chairman and National Board member Dan Sheill. “The solution is to cut regulations, not to give taxpayer dollars for the continuation of poor government mandates. The auto industry doesn’t need a dictatorial ‘czar’ to run their businesses,” said Sheill, “but the industry needs the freedom to respond to consumer demands for safe, efficient, and inexpensive transportation.”

The Caucus [www.RLC.org] opposes any taxpayer payoff to rescue those who made bad investments in any sector of the economy. “This plan violates basic principles of honest business practices and free-market capitalism by transferring money from taxpayers directly to three failed automakers,” said Westmiller. “Individuals and firms can only be held to account if they are allowed to both succeed and profit, to sustain losses and sometimes even fail.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus favors clear legislation protecting individuals against fraud, misrepresentation, and theft. It opposes any law that benefits one class of Americans at the expense of another, including any form of financial guarantee or subsidy that rewards failure or encourages foolish investments.

The RLC applauds the stamina and fortitude of multiple Republican members of Congress who have opposed any corporate bailout, expansions of government fiscal20power, new burdens on taxpayers, or any further assaults on the value of the dollar through inflation. “Those Republicans voting for this package and other similar bailouts need to pause, reflect, and ask themselves to reexamine their core beliefs,” said Westmiller. “If these Congressional ‘leaders’ don’t change their willingness to spend away Americans’ savings, they are simply going to be voted out of office,” he warned.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a political membership organization working within the Republican Party in support of individual rights, limited government, and free enterprise. The Caucus has members in all 50 states and 20 chartered state chapters. The RLC has urged all of its members to communicate to their representatives in Congress their total opposition to any auto maker bailout.

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References:

RLC Statement of Principles and Positions:

“We oppose all restrictions on the voluntary and honest exchange of value in a free market … We oppose all legislation that concedes Congressional power to any regulatory agency, executive department, or international body. We support the phase out of any government subsidies and incentives that support or favor any business or special interest … We favor the privatization of all government assets an a transition to free market management and services for all programs that exceed the enumerated powers of the Constitution.”

California’s Sonoma County Republican Party, led by RLC activists Michael Erickson and Matthew Heath, voted to censure Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in response to his decision to terminate his own ‘No New Taxes’ Pledge. In 2003, Schwarzenegger ran on a platform of cutting taxes. Among his reversed positions:

• Schwarzenegger issued a statement on November 6 that he intended to increase the state sales tax by 1.5 percent — a whopping 20 percent increase in the state-mandated portion of the tax — and expand its applicability to previously immune transactions (ranging from automobile and appliance repairs to veterinarian services); and

• Of particular note for those living in California’s wine country, Schwarzenegger proposed an extravagant new excise tax on beer, wine, and spirits, adding an additional 25 cents a bottle to the existing 20 cents a gallon excise for wine.

In response, the Sonoma County GOP issued a press release expressing the members’ wishes for a censure of Governor Schwarzenegger. On the cutting edge of politics in California, the Sonoma County GOP inspired their allies in the Placer County GOP to follow suit with both a resolution and press release in opposition to the any sales tax increase.

In these releases, the county Republican Parties called attention to the fact that the California Republican Party had remained sadly and impotently silent.  As a result of the actions by RLC members, the California Republican Party went on the record as being opposed to the sales tax increase proposal. It should be noted at this time that, excepting a few, the Republican Caucuses in the State Senate and Assembly also remained firmly against the proposal, and it was defeated in the end.

“The primary reason we issued the release was … to prod the California Republican Party into action,” according to Sonoma GOP Chair Michael Erickson. In that purpose, we succeeded; and the example is set that when activists organize and clamor loudly enough, the leadership has the capacity to do what is right.

Concluded Erickson, “The best service that the RLC, or any other organization committed to freedom, may provide in these most trying days of billion dollar bailouts and neoconservative adventurism abroad is to recruit, to organize, and then to win. Period. Anything other than those tasks is an avoidance of vigilance and not worthy of free persons.”

Michael Erickson is an attorney, a former officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and a former Reserve Chaplain in the California Army National Guard.  He is a former Executive Committee member of the California Republican Party.

Some updates from RLC state affiliates:

CALIFORNIA

An affiliate of the state RLC, the Constitutional Republicans of Alameda County, scored a victory in late November when Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch discarded a lawsuit against them. The lawsuit attempted to void the memberships of seven RLC activists who were elected to the County Central Committee. In filing the suit, County GOP Chair Paul Cummings was attempting to replace the elected pro-liberty candidates with individuals of his choosing.

Commenting on the suit, Walter Stanley of the Constitutional Republicans said, “One can only wonder what the [November election] results would have been if the resources diverted by this lawsuit had instead been directed at supporting our candidates this November. We are sure the Democrats are … grateful [to Paul Cummings].”

For additional details on the suit, visit this press release (pdf).

MARYLAND

The Maryland RLC is holding an organizational meeting on Friday, December 19 at 6:30 pm at the GOP Maryland HQ in historic Annapolis.  State Delegate Joe Boteler, III of northeastern Baltimore County will be the guest speaker. For details, contact Matthew Gagnon or RSVP at the Facebook event invitation.

MISSOURI

The first meeting of the newly chartered Missouri RLC will occur on December 6 at 12noon in the upstairs meeting room (WiFi hotspot!) at the Midtown Carnegie Library, 397 East Central Street, in Springfield, Missouri. For additional details, contact Rob Hillman.

NORTH CAROLINA

The North Carolina RLC is planning to hold an organizational meeting in January. Contact Leonard Burton for details.

NEW YORK

On Tuesday, November 18, several members of New York’s Republican Liberty Caucus met with about 15 Town of New Paltz and Westchester County Libertarians  at the College Diner in New Paltz, New York.

Carl Svensson, New York RLC Chair, organized the meeting. The attendants ranged from college students at SUNY New Paltz who have organized a campus Libertarian Club to a retired math professor and a recent candidate for mayor of Peekskill, New York (who lost by only two percent).

The meeting focused on strategy rather than ideology and the attendees are thinking of ways to get involved in Republican politics and to potentially run for office in several cases. The dynamic and lovely Raquel Okyay was in attendance.

Carl Svensson is doing an excellent job, and we anticipate that the meetings will continue next month. I am on the state board of the RLC. As long as the ideological discussion can be minimized and the focus remain on action toward a few well defined goals, the group can potentially make a dent.