|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*| ============================================= NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF VIRGINIA PO Box 28263 Richmond VA 23228-0263 703-715-6230 World Wide Web: http://www.LPVA.com ============================================= For immediate release: February 23, 2009 ============================================= For additional information, contact:
LPVA Communications Committee [email protected] Voicemail: 703-715-6230 Website: www.LPVA.com ============================================= LIBERTARIANS WARN AGAINST BAILOUT AND GOVERNMENT PARASITES The good news this week for all fifty states is, "The check's in the mail." Unfortunately, that federal check - nearly a billion dollars for Virginia - is borrowed from your paycheck next year, and for many years after, in the form of inflation and crushing debt. What does Governor Kaine have to say? He's happy and relieved! This morning's headline from the Richmond Dispatch explains, "Kaine says state may not need further budget cuts." (see http://snipurl.com/KaineNoBudgetCuts ) For libertarians, this response by the governor is both predictable and criminal. It is predictable because governments at all levels are necessarily parasitic, and their first and only loyalty is to their own survival and growth. State bureaucratic survival and growth is based entirely on what it can safely extract from its host, or beg from the larger company of thieves in Washington, D.C. Libertarians understand that only free people engaged in what Jefferson called the pursuit of happiness can truly produce value for themselves, and their communities. Statists like Tim Kain Andy Coppolae and legislators in both Republican and Democratic parties, think about pursuit of happiness in a very different way. For Richmond, and Virginia's many state aid-dependent agencies, pursuit of happiness is defined as maintaining the offices, getting new furniture, and hiring more assistants and overseers. Beyond parasitic, there is an element of criminality in the state's attitude towards its host, specifically the productive and creative citizens of Virginia. State "productivity" is defined entirely by what it can take (through increased taxes and fees, and a myriad of punitive penalties against voting minorities, e.g. small business owners, smokers, out of state drivers, cell phone users, farmers, and on and on). Instead of belt tightening and reduction in size, scope and number of state tax funded programs, Richmond, like most other state governments, wheezes along, hungry again only minutes after its last snack, wondering why so many taxpayers are beginning to stare. We are staring because we are belt-tightening, we are working harder at our jobs, and we are making hard decisions about our honest responsibilities to ourselves and our families. We are staring because in 1997, the state budget was $17 billion and they were complaining then. In 2009, the state budget is over $37 billion, and still that's not enough. In only a dozen years, the Virginia budget has more than doubled, while the income of the average Virginian has not. We are staring because the legislature has been feasting at a buffet - of steamed, pickled and overcooked Virginia taxpayers. The current economic crisis, like previous ones, is an awakening to the real value of money and where it comes from. Virginians understand money doesn't grow on trees, or come like manna from a mysterious place called Washington, D.C. Virginians know hard work and budget cutting is key to their survival, and many believe this behavior is virtuous and good. Virginians don't take an endless supply of money for granted, because we have to earn every penny of it. The Virginia Libertarian Party believes Governor Kaine and the legislature could learn a lot from the average Virginian. # 30 # 30 # 30 # |*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*|*| References: http://snipurl.com/kainenobudgetcuts is: http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/va._budget_shortfall_increases_but_federal_stimulus_will_offset/207931/ For additional Information, the below individuals are prepared to answer questions on this issue: Karen Kwiatkowski <[email protected]> Communications Committee, Libertarian Party of Virginia Jeff Bowles <[email protected]> Chairman, Libertarian Party of Virginia (540) 529-9818 or (540) 473-2030 Jim Lark <[email protected]> Vice Chairman, Libertarian Party of Virginia (434) 973-5958 Marc Montoni <[email protected]> Secretary, Libertarian Party of Virginia (804) 288-2766 -- end -- ############################################################# Have an announcement you'd like to post? SCC members & many committee heads are all authorized to post; or you may send your announcements to the List Master: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=announcement>. ################################################## Unsubscribe: Send an email to [email protected] with no subject and "Unsubscribe Announce" as the text. ############################################################# Libertarian Party of Virginia http://www.LPVA.com Phone: 703-715-6230
