FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 15, 2006

Vermont Libertarian Party Nominates Candidates for 15 Races

(Montpelier, VT)  The Vermont Libertarian Party nominated candidates for fifteen races spanning nine counties this November.

The candidates consenting to the Libertarian nomination are

Ben Todd of Barton, State Representative, Orleans-Calendonia-1
David Atkinson of Braintree, State Representative, Orange-Addison-1
Hardy Machia of Grand Isle, State Representative, Grand Isle-Chittenden-1-1
Don O’Donnell of Marshfield, State Representative, Washington-6
Bob Wolffe of Randolph, State Representative, Orange-Addison-1
Jeff Manney of Rutland, State Representative, Rutland-5-1
Thomas Carpenter Jr. of Rutland, State Representative, Rutland-5-3
Kevin Volz of Rutland, State Representative, Rutland-5-4
Andrew Thomas of South Burlington, State Representative, Chittenden-3-8
Kelly Todd of Barton, State Senator, Essex-Orleans
Milton C. DeGeorge Jr. of Island Pond, Probate Judge, Essex County
Milton C. DeGeorge Jr. of Island Pond, High Bailiff, Essex County
Dwight Duke of Marshfield, Sheriff, Washington County
Don O’Donnell of Marshfield, Assistant Judge, Washington County
Cindy Myrick of Bridport, Assistant Judge, Addison County

Candidate photographs and links to candidates’ websites are available here: http://www.vtlp.org/main/campaigns.asp

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Vermont Libertarians Batting .750 in Contested Primary Races

Libertarian Fusion Candidates Win Three State Representative Primaries in Green Mountain State

(Washington, D.C.) Benjamin Todd and Jeff Manney are running for Vermont State Representative seats on a Libertarian-Republican fusion ticket. As their races were uncontested, they easily won Tuesday’s Republican primary elections for their districts. Vermont’s other four LP fusion state representative candidates had to fight a bit harder, but still pulled off an impressive win/loss ratio.

Vermont Libertarian Party Chair Hardy Machia was responsible for recruiting most of the candidates and orchestrating the state representative campaigns. He stated that he is “very pleased with the showing of our candidates in the major parties’ primaries.”

Two of the winners were Bob Wolffe and David Atkinson in the Orange-Addison-1 district. According to the latest election returns, Atkinson won his race by one vote. Machia wasn’t merely coordinating campaigns; he was running in the Grand Isle-Chittenden-1-1 race himself – a race which he won.

“Running a fusion campaign as a Libertarian-Republican makes it easy to talk to Democratic and Independent voters who are very frustrated with the Republicans in DC, because I can empathize with them against the war in Iraq, against out-of-control spending, and against infringements on our civil liberties,” Machia said. “The voters I talked to want to see change. They want the property taxes problem fixed.”

The Wolffe and Atkinson campaigns were assisted with GOTV calls from the national Libertarian Party’s Ballot Base. Machia felt confident enough about his potential to win his own race that he insisted the other candidates receive the priority for GOTV telephone calls.

The single defeat these Libertarian candidates took isn’t a complete loss. While Kevin Volz lost the Democratic primary in Rutland-5-4, he will still be on the ballot as a Libertarian in the November General Election.

In addition to their fusion candidates, the Vermont Libertarian Party will be running three more candidates for state representative positions on the Libertarian Party ticket: Thomas Carpenter, Jr. in Rutland-5-3, Andrew Thomas in Chittenden-3-8, and Don O’Donnell in Washington-6.

Recent polling has shown Libertarian candidates performing at higher than normal levels in multiple states and races around the country. In Vermont, the combination of voter discontent, an effective state strategy and the Libertarian Party’s Ballot Base program was the deciding factor in this set of Libertarian victories.

“The incumbents have been ineffective and are not addressing voters’ concerns,” Machia said. “A lot of people are ready for change. It’s time to take the momentum from this win into the general election.”

Bob Wolffe Enters Vermont State Representative Race

(August 7, 2006) Bob Wolffe this week announced his candidacy for the Vermont House of Representatives in Orange-Addison1 District that includes the towns of Braintree, Brookfield, Granville, and Randolph. He will appear on the Republican primary ballot in September and is seeking the Libertarian nomination as well.

Alarmed by a state government that is out of touch with thea people, Wolffe promises action, “I want to be part of the solution. I have been involved by writing letters and calling our representatives for years. I?m running in order to be a voice for the forgotten working Vermonter. Standing up and being counted is my way of protecting the future of my family and other working families in Vermont.”

Wolffe, 48 years old, is married and has three grown children. He served in the U.S. Army during the post-Vietnam era and has 19 years of military and Federal civil service. From 1995 to 1998 he owned the Pittsford Village Store in Pittsford, Vermont. Remembering those years, Wolffe lamented, “I know how unfriendly Vermont is to businesses of all sizes; if Vermont is going to maintain its world class quality of life, that attitude has to change for the better.”

“We need more accountability from our government in order to reduce the tax burden on the people. People in Vermont are tired of paying high property tax. It raises our cost of living and makes our paychecks smaller. Good paying jobs in Vermont are becoming harder to find because of government regulations which are too complicated and deter large corporations from establishing businesses in the state. Better paying jobs will raise the standard of living and will make health care more affordable.”

He believes Vermont should be a leader in this nation in the development of renewable sources of energy. “We must promote these enterprises for our future growth as well as for a cleaner environment”. Currently working for local full-service Energy Company, Wolffe sees first-hand how high fuel prices are affecting Vermonters. “I know the hardships of those trying to maintain their household budget in the face of higher heating fuel and gasoline costs”.

Wolffe grew up in the Randolph area and attended Randolph schools until enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1976. Wolffe is confident he can have a positive effect in Montpelier, “I have the life experience, the understanding of how government operates, and a willingness to challenge the establishment to make things better for hard working Vermonters and their families.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Benjamin Todd of Barton is pleased to announce his candidacy for the Vermont house in the Orleans-Caledonia 1 district. This includes the towns of Albany, Barton, Craftsbury, Glover, Greensboro, Sheffield and Wheelock.

He is seeking both the Libertarian Party nomination and the Republican Party nomination. The Libertarian Party will nominate candidates on July 31 2006, and the Republican Party primary will be held in September.

I would like to touch on a few issues that are important to me.

Property rights: Current Vermont septic law forces anyone who is building a house to hire an engineer to design a septic. The problem being that there are not enough engineers, and they are very costly. My solution is to offer a licensing program for contractors, builders, and /or homeowners. They could take a course in septic design and then would be able to build a septic system for a fraction of the cost of an engineer.

Vermont needs to have a policy on wind towers. Instead of tying up companies for years only to deny the permit we should have a streamlined legal process to either quickly approve or deny the application.

Taxes: Property taxes are out of control. We need to find a better way to fund education then property taxes or give control of schools and how they are funded back to the towns. Even since the state “fixed” the education problem by taking property tax money and then doling it back out we have seen huge tax increases that are much more then people bargained for.

Currently state federal and local governments take over 40% or the average Americans income. That means you work for over 1/3 of the year just to pay taxes. Although I can not do anything about the federal government, I will work to cut taxes across the board by privatizing many of the services that the state now offers. A private company will be much better at stopping abuse, and will be able to manage many programs in a fiscally responsible manner.

Healthcare: A big problem for many Vermonters is a lack of decent health insurance. Laws passed restricting insurance companies in Vermont have driven all but a few out of the state. Many candidates are supporting a Canadian style health care system where the government pays all medical bills. If anyone watches the Canadian news they would hear constant stories about people on 6 month waiting lists to see a doctor. I am supporting a Swiss style health care system. First we would eliminate all restrictions on health insurance companies. Second we would build a safety net to cover the costs above 10% of a person’s income. This would insure that seniors, disables persons, or people with pre-existing conditions would have quality private health insurance while keeping rates low for others.

Personal freedom and responsibility:

I believe that individuals have the right to live their lives as they see fit as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others to do the same. Individuals are also solely responsible for their own actions.

Benjamin Todd lives in Barton with his wife Kelly and their two children Gabrial and Brooklyn. He ran for state house on 2004 as a Libertarian, and is a member of the Vermont Libertarian Party state committee. He is a member of the Castle coalition (citizens against eminent domain abuse).

To join the Todd for house email list just send an email that says “subscribe” to toddforhouse2006@gmail.com

To volunteer you can email me at the same address.

Atkinson Enters Vermont State Representative Race

July 28, 2006 David Atkinson of Braintree this week announced his candidacy for the Vermont House of Representatives in the Orange-Addison-1 District, which includes the towns of Braintree, Brookfield, Granville and Randolph. He said the focus of his campaign will be to address the growing cost of government on working families and small businesses by reducing taxes and burdensome regulation, to advocate the development of green energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro, and to promote the restoration of local decision making powers in the education of our children.

Atkinson, age 65, has extensive experience in town government politics and has served on numerous committees and boards, most recently as a two-term member of the Provincetown (MA) Select Board.

“My desire to serve is driven by my concern for small businesses and working families in Vermont,” Atkinson said. “When you are concerned about the continued quality of life in our diverse community, you have to be aware of the growing cost of government.”

Citing the fragility of the current economic climate in Vermont, Atkinson continued, “We need to increase opportunities for small business, not opportunities for governmental expansion. When we begin to reverse decades of uncontrolled government growth, more productive jobs will be created; productive jobs that pay livable wages, make health care more affordable, reduce threats to our environment and improve the quality of education for our children.”

While serving as an elected official, Atkinson was as close as the phone when citizens needed answers. “Vermont is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. We are blessed to have such a diversity of towns and villages, each a place with true community spirit. The quality of life we enjoy comes from our diversity, our community spirit and our willingness to help each other.” Atkinson concluded.

Atkinson has deep roots in Vermont, first moving to the state in 1981. He purchased his current Braintree home in 1997. Since 1990, he has owned and operated Picture Perfect Tree Surgery.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 26, 2006

US SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH LIBERTARIANS, UPHOLDS POLITICAL FREE SPEECH

As Vermont Libertarian Party Chair Hardy Machia predicted in February, the US Supreme Court overturned Vermont’s onerous campaign finance laws. Libertarians in Vermont are cheering upon hearing the news.

A 6-3 decision in the Randall v. Sorrell case by the US Supreme Court threw out the restrictive spending and contribution limits on candidates and political parties passed by the Vermont legislature in 1997.

Vermont Libertarian Party Chair Hardy Machia said, “This is a huge win for political free speech in Vermont. The right to speak your mind, the right to use your hard-earned money to spread your message–either directly or via a candidate of your choice–ought never be infringed. This decision helps level the playing field between the entrenched parties and newer parties who have fresh ideas and are seeking to be heard.”

Libertarians want to strike at the root of the problem of money buying political influence.
Large amounts of campaign spending are just a symptom of the problem: politicians being able to dole out a lot of special favors and other types of pork while in office. Libertarians believe that government spending is out of control and that we can fix the problem by electing libertarian legislators.

Audio Quote by Hardy Machia:

• Hardy Machia speaking on Randall vs. Sorrell Decision

Links to old press releases on topic:

• PR: Libertarian Challenge of Campaign Finance Law Being Heard
• PR: Libertarian Chair Predicts Campaign Finance Law Will Not Stand

Montpelier: The Vermont Libertarian Party announced the survey results of local officials for 2006. There were 12 questions ranging from eminent domain to death with dignity. Responses were received from 31 towns across Vermont.

Hardy Machia, Chairman of the Vermont Libertarian Party, stated, “The survey responses highlight the need for a state government and party that better represents the respondents’ views.

Nearly all survey respondents wanted much tougher eminent domain restrictions. Only one respondent agreed with the weak bill passed by the Vermont Legislature this year.

Seven out of ten respondents thought spending should be reduced instead of raising gas taxes. A backlash of protest and some moderate leadership in the Senate removed the gas tax increase passed by the Vermont House.

Nearly all survey respondents thought we needed major reforms in health care, but were split 40-60 on whether a single payer system or free market system was the better way to accomplish those goals.

Support for Death with Dignity and treating marijuana like alcohol both had strong support, with over 80 percent supporting both these reforms.

Zero respondents thought our school system was working great. Getting out of No Child Left Behind received majority support, as did, public and private school choice, limiting spending to the rate of inflation, and shifting funding to an income tax instead of the controversial Act 68 & 68 property tax distribution.

Seven out of ten respondents thought Vermont’s state budget should be 4 billion dollars or less, with a quarter of respondents believing spending should be rolled back to 2002 levels, 3.3 billion. The Governor and Legislature passed a budget that was a 400 million in excess of 2005′s budget of four billion.

The open-ended question on the biggest issue facing their town revealed that education funding is still a top priority for many towns, followed by roads.

The Vermont Libertarian Party has been active in Vermont politics for over 30 years. Vermont Libertarians have served in local office throughout the state. The National Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 and is the third largest political party in the United States. Millions of Americans have voted for Libertarian Party candidates in past elections throughout the country. Libertarians believe the answer to America’s political problems is the same commitment to freedom that earned America its greatness: a free-market economy and the abundance and prosperity it brings, a dedication to individual liberties and personal freedom, and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade.

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May 25, 2006

Vermont Libertarian Party Adopts New Platform

(Montpelier) The Vermont Libertarian Party (VTLP) adopted a new platform at their state convention in Montpelier. Their single-page platform covers the specifics of fifteen areas libertarian legislators will work on over the course of the next few legislative sessions.

Hardy Machia, chairman of the Vermont Libertarian Party, stated, “We taken another step into the realm of practical politics with our new platform. It lays out a sensible middle ground toward more freedom, lower taxes, and smaller government-which a majority of Vermonters support.”

A few highlights of the Libertarian platform are:

1. ECONOMY: We believe in competitive free enterprise as the source of wealth for our people, jobs for our labor force, and the tax base necessary to support the legitimate demands of government.

2. TAXATION: We will adopt a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to limit the growth of government to the rate of inflation, and to require a voter referendum to raise any tax.

4. PROPERTY RIGHTS: We will protect the human right of private property ownership against government regulation, confiscation and eminent domain.

8. HEALTH CARE: We believe health care should be affordable and available to all Vermonters. We believe health care decisions are between patient and doctor, not patient, doctor and legislature.

15. LIBERTY: We will pass up every opportunity to tell peaceable, independent Vermonters how to live their lives.

The VTLP’s 2006 platform is available online at
http://www.vtlp.org/main/media/papers/VTLPPlatform.pdf

Just before town meeting in Woodstock Hunter noticed no one was running for Grand Juror. He mounted a quick write-in campaign and got 29 votes. He needed 30 votes to win a write-in election, so he had to be appointed by the Selectmen for the position, which they did last week.

The Vermont Libertarian Party will hold its Convention on Saturday, April 29, from 9:30 AM to 4 PM at the Capitol Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Montpelier.

During the morning business meeting, Vermont Libertarians will reaffirm and amend the state Party platform, and elect delegates to represent Vermont at the National Libertarian Party Convention.

An onsite luncheon will follow the business meeting and in the afternoon, convention attendees listen to a variety of guest speakers, followed by a social hour.

The speaker line up is:

• Ethan Allen travels through time to add some revolutionary gusto to the
  party.

• Rob Williams, Vermont Commons/Second Vermont Republic
• Martin Harris, Citizens for Property Rights
• Rob Roper, FreedomWorks
• Professor Frank Bryan, Keynote Speaker – Writer, humorist, and foremost
  expert on Town Meeting Democracy

“We have a great lineup of speakers for our convention this year, and they’ll be covering a variety of issues that are very important to all Vermonters,” said Hardy Machia, chair of the Vermont Libertarian Party.

Attendance at the 2006 Vermont Libertarian Party Convention business meeting is free and open to the public, though only registered party members may vote on the convention floor.

A small fee is required to attend the afternoon luncheon and activities.

To schedule media interviews for the day of the Convention, please call Hardy Machia at 802-372-9512 or e-mail chair@vtlp.org.

The Vermont Libertarian Party has been active in Vermont politics for over 30 years. Vermont Libertarians have served in local office throughout the state. The National Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 and is the third largest political party in the United States. Millions of Americans have voted for Libertarian Party candidates in past elections throughout the country. Libertarians believe the answer to America’s political problems is the same commitment to freedom that earned America its greatness: a free-market economy and the abundance and prosperity it brings, a dedication to individual liberties and personal freedom, and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade.