Submitted 9/11/09

Ever since the day after the Hancock County Council agreed to the new food and beverage tax that helped pay for the Marion County CIB salaries, they've continually proclaimed that no new taxes will ever be enacted on their watch. Obviously, they realize that by cutting back dramatically on public safety payments someone will have to pick up the slack. The townships will now have to enact new, or raise current taxes to pay the bill. Pretty good thinking for a bunch of entrenched politicians. They are hoping you don't connect the dots to see that they are willing to cut payments for public safety while still paying the big business tax that supports the Hancock Economic Development Council.

The flip side, of course is that there is no right to free healthcare, regardless of what the current president says. I see lots of ambulances sitting west of town and that private enterprise could just as easily pick up the slack with no taxpayer funds involved.

Letter to the Editor Submission 4/16/09

In response to the Hoot on 4/15/09, “ I wonder what Phil Miller is doing during National Library Week?”. Well actually I was at… the library. I was working at the Volunteer Fair that nite. If I had not been there I would have been at the Tax Day Tea Party in Indy. I do have to admit that I love it when people pay Attention. Now we have to work on the Understanding part of the equation.

There was an article a few weeks ago in the Reporter about how usage was up at the Library because of economic conditions. I followed with a letter to the editor expressing my unhappiness about using taxpayer money for novels, CD’s and DVD’s when, here in Greenfield, we’ve had locally owned bookstores and video rental business’s disappear as the tax payer funded library get’s bigger and more elaborate.

You should know that I’m not a library hater and this isn’t only about only the library. We are talking about all the different ways that big government gets into our pockets for the advantage of others. I don’t hate the schools or the parks or kids going to Japan or even professional sports (well, maybe I do intensely dislike the Colts and their new Big Mac funded stadium). They all do good things. But do you realize that there are good things that aren’t the right thing to do?

Giving money to the poor is a good thing to do. Taking that money from someone that doesn’t want to participate in giving to that person is not the right thing to do. (see the Miriam Webster dictionary - Stealing: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice).

I challenge you to count the number of times that some politician has decided that his pet project is more important than your bank account. I also challenge you to accept the responsibility for it. You may have been heartily in favor of the library or the new colts stadium but when you gave them the right to step outside of the constitution to do that, you also gave them the right to spend your tax money on a complete range of birth control, welfare and giving bonus’s to all those bankers across the country. Your silence, your cheers and your votes were tacit agreement with every decision made.

By the way, are you surprised that I would step inside the library? Come now, would you expect me to invest all of that money into it and not use it at all?

While I have the microphone, I’d like to throw in my less than 2 cents about doings at the County level. Linda Grass and I are about as far apart as two folks can get in terms of politics but I would like to say that she knows the rules and she always did her level best to make sure that we (especially me) followed them. I’m betting that in the end, Linda will be found guilty of nothing more than a series of poor decisions.

A letter to the editor submission on 3/12/09


To paraphrase an old UAW saying, "borrow a book and put a bookseller out of business."

I read most of the warm and touchy-feely article about how wonderful the county library is and how great to be able to get free entertainment in such terrible economic times.

I remember when Greenfield alone had two movie rental business's run by local folks. Both went out of business within a few years of the old, new library opening with expanded video offerings. We now have a bigger and better and more expanded new new library with even more video offerings. Didn't I read just a week or so ago where Blockbuster has filed for bankruptcy? Did Hancock County cause that national chain to head south? No, but even the most diehard tax and spend socialist amongst you has to see a pattern there. I've also been around long enough to remember two bookstores trying to make a run at it and failing (locally owned, by the way). Now there is a third that may be having a tough time.

The overriding argument in celebrating public libraries is the educational opportunities for the kids. Maybe I didn't wade quite far enough into the 2nd page but I saw nothing about education. Only entertainment with my tax dollars.

By the way, did you hear that Borders Bookstores are also looking into bankruptcy?

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results

We’ve tried taxing everyone, hoping that thru sheer numbers we can feed the goliath called the United States government. We‘ve taxed the upper class and the middle class in various proportions over the last two hundred years hoping that would solve all of our problems. We’ve taxed the corporations and the small businessman. Right now the state government is taxing a little bit less while the local government is taxing a whole lot more. Nothing seems to have worked. We still have the perceived problems that have always been there and our total taxes never go down.

I’ve got a great idea. None of that has worked, so let’s vote for another republican or democrat. Surely the 200 years we’ve given them isn’t anywhere near enough time for them to have gotten it right.

Maybe now would be a good time to talk about the wasted vote.

I socialize monthly with a number of upper/middle class professionals and it pains me deeply to hear them say, “..the Libertarian party is saying the right thing but they don’t have a chance of winning. I want to vote for candidates that can win.” Over the years, many of you have told me the same thing. This of course leads to great frustration as it is a bit tough to win elections and gain credibility when people don’t want to ‘waste’ their vote on you... especially when they agree with you.

Today I come to the majority in Hancock County and urge you to not waste your vote. Today I suggest you vote for Obama. At this point, there appears to be no realistic way that Mr. McCain can win, so obviously a vote for the Republican would be a wasted vote.

That idea isn’t palatable? Then maybe I have another. I’d ask you to use your vote to make a statement. Now is the time to vote for the smaller government and less taxes that you keep saying you want, but can never seem find in a candidate that will make it happen.

How about just one time, vote for people that agree with your principles, Bob Barr and Andy Horning. Just one time, vote for two men that have committed to getting us out of the war and letting you keep more than half of your paycheck. Can you imagine the statement that would be made if Obama got 35%, McCain got 33% and Bob Barr got 32%? Can you imagine what would happen if the republicans and democrats actually stopped taking you for granted?

Give it a try, making a meaningful vote may be habit forming.

Radio Ad for the Legislative Organization Day 2007

I won't take credit for writing this one alone. Team effort this time,

*********************

Libertarians say " its time to put up or shut up. "

Once again, high property taxes are hurting hardworking Hoosier families -- many are losing homes to foreclosure. Year after year the Old Parties have known this was coming. Yet they did nothing to deal with the root cause of the problem ----their own excessive spending.

The Libertarian Party has been preaching the solution for years...

Instead of pretending to fix the property tax ----Cut Spending

Instead of raising the sales tax -----Cut Spending

Instead of raising the income tax ------Cut spending

Instead of creating new categories to tax, or shuffling the tax burden from one pocket to another ------Cut Spending

Hoosiers know that no matter which combination of taxes are paid, wasteful spending is the real problem.

The Indiana Legislature once again is getting ready to confront their property tax disaster. Libertarians ask Hoosiers to challenge the Indiana Legislature to "put up or shut up." Contact your legislator and tell them to cut the spending!

Paid for by the Libertarian Party of Indiana

Radio Ad for the 2007 city elections

I wrote the following for the LP 2007 city races. It ran on two stations in Indy and then also in Wayne county. Kenn Gividen edited and offered suggestions.

**************************

Moms and Dads tell me they have concerns — concerns about Republicans and Democrats; they’re hurting hardworking families with high property taxes. Families are losing homes to foreclosure; some are dipping into college savings just to make ends meet.

Property Taxes are bad enough but now the politicians are talking about a mix of property taxes and payroll taxes. What this means to you is that instead of the politicians taking money from your kids's college fund, it will come directly from your paycheck... before you even see it.

Libertarians aren't like the big political parties. Libertarians believe that's wrong. Libertarians care about families.

Libertarians know that mixing property taxes and payroll taxes will hurt families.

Libertarians in office don’t vote for tax increases and will vote for spending decreases .

Tell the politicians that their wasteful spending is the real problem. Vote Libertarian November 6th.

Paid for by the Libertarian Party of Indiana

Response to a Liberty Tree Magazine Article

I was extremely disappointed on reading Kenn Gividen’s “Gay Agenda is Not Libertarian” in the September issue of Liberty Tree Magazine and felt a reply was in order.

First let me make a few points. I've known Kenn Gividen for a number of years now as we are both active in the Libertarian Party. I've voted for Kenn when he ran for Governor and I will vote for Kenn again if given the chance. I myself have been active in the LP for almost 10 years at a local, state and even national level. I've been active to a point where I ran and won a seat on the Greenfield City Council eight years ago. No small feat for a Libertarian. I think you could say I know Libertarians across the country and across the spectrum.

I'm also a Christian, brought up in the Pilgrim Holiness and Free Methodist Churches. I'm now an active ELCA Lutheran, currently on the St James Church Council and a board member of the non-denominational Love INC of Hancock County, an organization whose goal is "To mobilize local churches to transform lives of those in our community." I've also been married to the same women since 1978 and we have two kids. I think I can also speak to the Christian philosophy.

Without speaking in jest, this is the first mistake I've seen Kenn make. It pains me that it is such a hurtful mistake to Libertarians, gays and even Christians. Kenn has done exactly what so many have done to dedicated Christians over the years... he painted with too wide a brush and tried too hard to write to what he felt was the reader of the moment. In other words, he participated in “stroking,” as he called it.

I attended (along with Kenn if I remember correctly) the meeting where the LP was asked to support SJR7. We felt that SJR7 wasn’t about extra rights. The issue was asking for the same rights granted to you and me. The rights for all people to be as happy as they feel they can be just like you and me. It shouldn’t make any difference that they are sinners… just like you and me.

We are talking about people here. There is no more an all encompassing Gay Agenda about recruiting and getting special rights than there is a Christian Agenda where all movie theatres and dance halls have to be closed and TV's tossed out of the homes for the good of the youth. A few groups from both sides of the tracks and some individuals may have either of those sets of wants, but you and I both know that folks at both ends of the spectrum are a distinct minority.

As a Christian and as a Libertarian, I find it unthinkable that anyone would insist that any private group would be forced to associate or share their properties with a group that they felt was diametrically in opposition to their philosophy. The boy scouts shouldn't be forced to permit gays or pedophiles into their private club, churches shouldn't be forced to hire gays or adulterers if they choose not to and thoughts should not be a crime.

But here we find Kenn, “stroking” the reader and presenting only a portion of the story. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association had requested that the property in question be considered “public” by a state government board. In return, they were given a substantial tax break. A mixture of poor research and planning by the OGCMA, a plethora of confusing and overbearing laws written by the folks that many of you have voted for in the past and activists with poor taste resulted in that mess. It was truly a team effort.

How does the Christian Libertarian feel about the gay issue? Just like every other sinner, we invite them to church to hear the word of God. We show them daily how Christians are supposed to act... inclusive and with grace, hoping they get the point and decide to take the right path.

The ELCA is currently going through the discussion of permitting homosexual pastors in active relationships and of permitting the weddings of gay couples. I've been outspokenly against both. While every pastor is a sinner, we don't permit blatant murderers or thieves or adulterers to hold the pulpit. I don’t believe we should condone the marriage of homosexuals in our churches. That sends the wrong message to our youth and to society as a whole.

Am I telling the government to use its power to make people live like a Christian? No, and if any person chooses to take that path they are clearly going against the wishes of Christ. You and I have been clearly told to tell sinners the good news. If rejected, we are only to brush the dust from our feet as we go down the road looking for the next sinner.

Kenn, I love you and I love what you’ve done in both the Christian and Libertarian communities over the years. One slip won’t change that.