Join us on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 12:00 pm (noon) at Tu Casa Spanish Restaurant (119-05 Metropolitan Ave in Kew Gardens, New York) to hear Philip Ernest Schoenberg, PhD speak on the subject, “The Six Dooms of Earth Day 1970 that Never Happened.” According to Dr. Phil, “On April 1, 1970, the first Earth Day, six dooms were predicted within a decade. Doesn’t this sound familiar to us today; Back then, they were fresh and imminent: We were warned of a new ice age, overpopulation, famine, running out of natural resources especially oil, poverty growing, and pandemics will sweeping the globe. Doom was around the corner and we had to do something about sacrificing everything material and spiritual to save humanity and the planet.”

Dr. Philip Ernest Schoenberg will explain why none of this never happened, including the COVID crisis that doomsayers and prophets of gloom kept on saying was bound to happen unless we sacrificed everything to survive these forth coming catastrophes.

Details and Directions

From a Reason video on the changes following its annual national convention in Reno. New incoming Chair, Angela McArdle, won with 70% of the vote. For those interested in laborious details concerning budget and ballot access issues, a video of the last LNC meeting (June 9) can be seen at https://youtu.be/8XgCmtnXr1k :

From Mises.org:

For parents who rely on baby formula—whether by choice or due to medical necessity—the nationwide baby formula shortage has become increasingly difficult to ignore. According to the Wall Street Journal, Walgreens, Target, CVS, and Kroger have all begun rationing supplies of formula.

Covid lockdowns, combined with a product recall by formula manufacturer Abbott Nutrition, have created a very real shortage in a product that is key for proper nutrition in many children.

With the shortage have come the usual half-baked bromides about “evil corporations” and how baby formula companies are supposedly not regulated enough. Throw in a few references to “late-stage capitalism,” and you’ll get a good taste of the usual “blame capitalism” narrative that accompanies every bout of shortages or rising prices.

Formula Is Heavily Regulated and Subsidized

In reality, federal government intervention in the formula market is rampant. Thanks to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), formula companies are heavily subsidized by voucher programs, which means that the US government is “provid[ing] more than half of the formula that is used in the US.”

Within these voucher programs, funds are funneled to select corporations through programs that grant a company “the exclusive right to have its formula provided to WIC participants in the State.” In practice, this means the largest companies with the most lobbyists are able to dominate the subsidized portion of the market. Since the subsidized portion of the market is so huge, usually those subsidized companies dominate the market overall. This makes it harder for newcomers to break into the market and offer any real competition. This means the marketplace becomes reliant on a small number of large firms… Read the Rest, or hear the Audio:

The real politics of the alleged “insurrection” events of January 6, 2021 are explored by the other side of the election integrity issue, as per the 40% of the American public who question the official story. Keep this counter position in mind if you are going to watch the J6 committee public hearings on the matter this week, and ask yourself, why are none of the issues brought up in this documentary being mentioned?

New tech commentator Styx on recent trends affecting the national Libertarian Party:

The recent and tragic mass shooting incidents in Texas and elsewhere have provoked new debate over “gun violence” (i.e., violent acts committed by people, using guns). It has also led to inevitable election year emotional demagoguery (“let’s ‘do something’ about increasing gun control, or else you don’t care about children”). Here are excerpts adapted from one email discussion that include remarks by QL members and former LPNY Chairs Mark Glogowski, and John Clifton:

Steve James:
…Let me expand on what I am proposing. I am saying repeal the second amendment that radicals have used to forbid any common-sense regulation of killing machines. Our country needs to do away with the militia amendment which is hopelessly out of date and adopt rules that license and regulate the use of these exponentially more lethal machines than the muskets of the authors of the constitution could possibly have imagined. We need about 300 million fewer guns in circulation, age limits, licensing that requires training, bonding, insurance, background checks so that guns are not sold to international and domestic terrorists, and other rules of use. The rules should be as restrictive as the rules for driving trucks and cars that are also lethal but not designed to be as dangerous as automatic weapons.

Canada and Mexico are far less dangerous than the US. We can debate the reasons why, but whatever the reasons, at the very minimum, we should have enough sense to not put assault weapons and 375 rounds of ammunition in the hands of teenagers.

If you want protection, use body armor and a helmet like our soldiers and SWAT teams. A killing machine will not protect you. That’s a fantasy.

One more thing. My nephew died by gun-related suicide or accident — no one knows for sure. “In 2020, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides (24,292), while 43% were murders (19,384), according to the CDC. The remaining gun deaths that year were unintentional (535), involved law enforcement (611) or had undetermined circumstances (400).” https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/ Suicide or accident by gun takes a spilt second, often alcohol-related. That alone is a good reason to change the constitution, get rid of the militia amendment, and make guns available only to responsible, trained adults.

Mark Glogowski:
… Repealing the 2nd amendment is not necessary. No elected officials are enforcing it. They ignore the fact that the 10th amendment mentions specifically ‘restrictions’ in the constitution that governments must follow, especially the states. Your right to bear arms is a 9th amendment right. Sort of like your right to own property, and your right to raise your family as you please, and your right to accept any job that you want that someone would offer you, and your right to work, too relax, to interact with people you choose, your right to travel. These are all 9th amendment rights. But not one Grand Jury will protect them. Your right to use deadly force to protect those rights is part of the 10th amendment powers we never gave up. The same as the right to vote and choose individuals we want to place into office. If none of the rights alluded to in the 9th and 10th amendments mean anything to you, then by all means don’t get a weapon because when you completely lose your unenumerated rights, it probably won’t mean anything to you anyway.

As a Libertarian, I will not comply with any of the registration laws nor the requirements to have a license or permit. But I also will not violate the law. The consequence is, I am unarmed. If I see someone in trouble, being robbed, butalized, or a victim of any crime, I am going to look the other way, or flee. That is because people like you want honest people to be totally defenseless. Consequently, we have shootings, and murders, and muggings, and robberies galore – because good people have had their hands legally tied. A person who fires a warning shot to ward off a criminal will go to jail in most cities, almost 100% of the time. The criminal, who just robbed a store or shot someone will get away with it nearly 80% of the time (and that is giving the benefit of the doubt to the police and courts that they will do their job). I can cite many incidents – from Kathy Gifford to police strikes, to countries going 100% gun free, to prove that an armed citizenry, empowered to use weapons to defend themselves, their families, and their neighbors, will actually produce a more civil, peaceful society than all the gun restrictions in the world. Only honest people obey the law. Criminals are criminals and they want gun control. That makes their job much easier because they don’t have to worry about the ‘honest citizen’ interfering. So, next time you know of someone being shot, you can think of me, because if I were there, all I would do is watch, and I might even say to myself is – oh well,too bad for them. And I would move on as quickly as possible.

The violent world we live in was not created by Libertarians, it was created by people like you. Apparently you enjoy being powerless and want everyone else to be at the mercy of the no-goods in our society too. With every new gun restriction you are getting your dream come true. Can’t wait to hear of another shooting in a safe ‘gun free’ zone. What a utopia you seem to be creating.

John Clifton:
Steve clearly wants effective self defense to be a government privilege, not a basic right of a sovereign people whether government recognizes it or not. Which means, of course, a bureaucratic managerial elite will be deciding (and endlessly extending) the “common sense” restrictions that will be imposed upon the peasants. Would there have been a US at all, if the British regulars were appointed to be the deciders?

There are already over 300 “common sense” gun control laws at the federal, state or municipal levels. How much “common sense” do we actually need? The elite never answers this question, and just keeps on advocating to pile on more restrictions. Would we put up with 300 such restrictions on our 1st amendment rights, or our 4th amendment rights, and so on?

The notion that this nation is more gun-dangerous than other countries (such as our neighbors Mexico and Canada, or in terms of mass shootings) is vastly overstated. The Lott studies have shown the number of such shootings in the US is only 2% of mass shootings worldwide:
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Comparing-the-Global-Rate-of-Mass-Public-Shootings-Lott/fbbbcb6b32e57c07334cfab0a1483063f5fa1a98

Finally, the point of specifying no infringements on keeping and bearing arms in the Bill of Rights, was to recognize the federal government did not have the authority under the Constitution to even be legislating in this area at all—it was reserved to the people, or the states. Currently, the states that recognize this Constitutional consideration have responded to the gun incidents by REMOVING gun restrictions, not adding more gun control freak laws to the books.

P.S.: Guns Prevent Thousands of Crimes Every Day, Research Shows

“Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, or 6,849 every day. Most often, the gun is never fired, and no blood (including the criminal’s) is shed. Every year, 400,000 life-threatening violent crimes are prevented using firearms.”

Due to acoustic complications at the OBA Grill, QL will be moving its monthly location to Tu Casa Restaurant (119-05 Metropolitan Ave in Kew Gardens, New York, corner of Lefferts Blvd and Metropolitan Ave.) beginning with the June and July meetings. Tu Casa was the venue for the last Christmas/Holiday luncheon in December, was its second choice for a permanent meeting site, and overall has the positive elements needed to serve QL going forward. If other members have a better site in mind, please contact us by email or in person with that info. Upcoming meeting speakers for June 11 (Dr. Luster) and July 9 (Dr. Phil) remain the same, meeting time 12:00 pm, details here.

Wow, who knew? From Reason:

The Internal Revenue Service demands transparency when its agents conduct audits. They open ledgers, snoop through bank accounts, and review receipts. But its appetite for disclosure disappears when the roles reverse.

The IRS stonewalled for more than six years when our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, sought access to the agency’s forfeiture database. Initially, the IRS wanted $750,000 in fees before it would accommodate the request—an unreasonable demand that would render the Freedom of Information Act useless for all but the wealthiest citizens.

Once in court, the IRS attempted a bait and switch. Rather than provide the actual data, it released a summary report that was 99 percent redacted. It then declared that it had gone above and beyond the legal requirements. The ruse worked at the district court level, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled against the agency in 2019. After a second trip to the district court, the IRS finally coughed up the full database in April 2022.

For anyone without a law degree or the resources to endure a long legal battle, the message from the IRS is clear: Do not try this at home. Accountability is good for the taxpayer, but not for the tax collector… (Read the rest)

Join us on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at OBA Mediterranean Grill (corner of Austin St and 70th Rd) in Forest Hills, New York to hear retired NYU Professor Robert Luster speak on the topic of “Is Vladimir Putin a Master Poker Player in Foreign Policy?” Luster will discuss the background and history of Putin during his past two decades as ruler of Russia, and his motives and tactics in conducting Russia’s “special operation” of invading Ukraine. What do Putin’s foreign policy aims or skills say about those of the US, NATO or EU going forward? Luster will speak for about 45 minutes, followed by interactive conversation. Details and Directions

Note: Reminder, QL meeting time has been moved up to 11:00 am at the request of OBA Grill. Also, reminder that LPNY candidate for Comptroller Bill Schmidt will be speaking on May 14.

Long time QL supporter and speaker, as well as mighty champion of liberty Becky Akers passed away this week, and her partner and fellow QL supporter Mark Axinn related the following words below to Lew Rockwell. We honor her passing with videos of her remarks at the End the Fed rally in 2009, and appearance on the Alex Jones show about the tyranny of the TSA:

Three months ago, Becky was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer in her colon, liver and lungs. Of course, she tenaciously fought it with every ounce of her being.  

My darling Becky went very peacefully at 1:10 Monday morning. She made a beautiful little sound of goodbye and a tear formed in her eye. She is at peace.

Becky wrote for several different organizations, but many readers knew her as Becky Akers of LewRockwell.com. Thank you so very much for your support of her efforts to promote liberty for over twenty years.  

God bless you.  

Statist politicians in New York have suddenly  begun to proclaim the benefits of marijuana, now that the recreational use of  it has been legalized in the state. Did they get religion, or did they know all along? From the Daily News:

Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul pitched the economic benefits of legal cannabis on Wednesday, 4/20, the international day celebrating weed.

Adams is set to propose that the city spend $4.8 million to reach out to those most impacted, especially minority entrepreneurs impacted as a result of past usage. The plan would help them learn about the industry and set up their new small businesses — things like navigating the licensing process and obtaining financing, among other areas.

“The cannabis industry could be a major boon to our economic recovery — creating new jobs, building wealth in historically underserved communities, and increasing state and local tax revenue,” Adams said…  Read more

LPNY candidate for Governor Sharpe on the subway shooting, crime, and much more. Petitioning starts April 19, download the form here:

Urgent release from LPNY:

WE ARE HAVING AN IMPACT! Assembly Bill A8683, which restores independent petitioning thresholds to pre-2020 levels, has been amended to further reduce per-congressional-district signature requirements. In addition, a “same as” Senate bill, S8730, has been introduced by Senator Boyle (R, SD 4). These are huge developments, as it indicates the bill is moving forward amidst and despite the public focus on getting the state budget passed.

In addition, the LPNY Legislative Affairs team identified technical errors in the amendment which Mr. Salka’s office confirmed and has committed to correcting with a subsequent amendment.

To recap: Assemblyperson John Salka (R, AD 121) and four Republican co-sponsors in the Assembly introduced Assembly Bill A8683, relating to the number of signatures required for independent nominating petitions. This bill reestablishes pre-2020 signature and vote thresholds and independent petitioning schedule that are key to winning back and maintaining our ballot access. In brief, this bill does the following:

-Reduces the number of signatures required for independent nominating petitions from 45,000 signatures or 2% of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election (whichever is greater) to 15,000 or 1% of the votes cast (whichever is less);

-Reduces the number of votes required for recognized party status from 130,000 votes or 2% of votes cast (whichever is greater) to 50,000 votes or 2% or votes cast for governor (whichever is less);

-Increases the length of the independent petitioning period from 6 weeks to 12 weeks;

-Moves the independent petitioning period from April/May to June/July/August.

A8683 is back in the Assembly Election Law committee, S8730 is in the Senate Election Committee, and we need your help to get them to the floor. Just as importantly, these bills need Democratic co-sponsors, as well as awareness and additional support in both chambers. Because we are quickly approaching the independent petitioning period, we need you to take action today:

Contact Assemblyperson Latrice Walker, chair of the Assembly Election Law Committee, and tell her you support A8683. Contact the the other members of the committee, listed here.

Contact Senator Zellnor Myrie, chair of the Senate Elections Committee, and tell him you support S8730. Contact the other members of the the committee, listed here.

Search for your assemblyperson here or find their email address and office phone number here.

Call and email your representative in the NYS Assembly, and ask them to support A8683. If your assemblyperson is a Democrat, additionally ask they sign on as a co-sponsor to A8683. Be concise, respectful and non-partisan – this is an issue that affects ALL voters and their freedom of choice at the ballot.

Find your State Senator here, then click on their name, then “Contact”. Call and email your State Senator to make them aware of the legislation, and voice your support for S8730. If your state senator is a Democrat, additionally ask they sign on as a co-sponsor. Again, be brief, respectful, and non-partisan.

Click below to support the LPNY 2022 Petitioning Drive.

THIS BILL MUST MAKE IT OUT OF COMMITTEE AND ONTO THE FLOOR, QUICKLY. Please take action today to help ensure our candidates can get on the ballot with the same ease as duopoly candidates.

Thank you for all that you do.
In Liberty,

W. Cody Anderson
Chair, Libertarian Party of New York

DONATE TO SUPPORT LPNY 2022 PETITIONING

The Brooklyn Nets star sounds off on (what recently was) the Mayor’s incoherent NYC mandate policy:

Join us on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at OBA Mediterranean Grill (corner of Austin St and 70th Rd) in Forest Hills, New York to hear William K. Schmidt, 2022 LPNY candidate for Comptroller, make a presentation regarding the theme “The NY State Spending Crisis.” Schmidt will discuss his candidacy, and fiscal issues affecting the state. He will speak for 45 minutes followed by 45 minutes of interactive conversation.

William K. Schmidt, a libertarian Republican, came very close to being elected Mayor of Peekskill. He served as a Peekskill Councilman and on the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. He was a Claims Manager at the NY Liquidation Bureau and is a graduate of St. John’s University and Peekskill High School. Schmidt has served on the LPNY State Committee, and on the Larry Sharpe 2018 campaign for Governor.

Details and Directions