Can you tell when politicians are more concerned with numbers than how society actually operates? Maryland Senate President Mike Miller feels blessed that we don't have a large manufacturing industry here in Maryland as the unemployment numbers would be high.

http://www.steinershow.org/radio/the-marc-steiner-show/january-13-2010-hour-2

(comment is at approximately 36:30)

On a lighter note, Speaker of the House Michael Busch wants to have convicted sex offenders chemically castrated.

As always, there is plenty to write about. Unfortunately I have been caught up in school work over the past few weeks. The Leadership Committee of the Baltimore Campaign for Liberty has been active and our meetings have been great. When I finish out this last few weeks I should have more time to write.

The Baltimore Campaign for Liberty chapter locked in another speaking engagement with a local political personality. Mike Pappas, a candidate who will be running for governor here in Maryland, attended the October chapter meeting. Mike is currently a lawyer that handles construction and business litigation. He also serves on the Maryland Republican Central Committee.

I like to give a comprehensive report on local candidates and I think that this type of reporting is something that should be done country wide. This type of effort provides opportunities to empirically identify candidates that are loyal to the cause and weed out the rubbish. I think this type of reporting has definitely stimulated interest as the Jim Rutledge post is by far the most read article on this site.

We traded a few barbs with Mr. Pappas to bring his his political beliefs to the surface just as we did with Mr. Rutledge. I had a chance to offer a few questions myself. I like to question from the standpoint of the official Campaign For Liberty mission statement as it has been a pretty effective tool for soliciting the development of candidates positions.

You can find the audio from the event at the bottom of this page. If anyone happens to know where I can find that nifty plug-in that the lewrockwell.com podcast and anitwar.com interviews use for hosting audio let me know. If there are any local candidates or politicians you would like to have interviewed please contact me and I will get with the other chapter leadership to see if we can make your request happen.

Storytime

I'm not sure how this happens, but it seems that every political speaker we host is ideologically aligned with us. Mr. Pappas elaborates:

"I have always considered myself much more of a libertarian in the republican party then a lot of my cohorts in the republican party...In 2008 I ran the McCain Baltimore County Campaign...and I know that there are a lot of Ron Paul supporters in the room and I have always liked everything I heard from Doctor Paul. The fact is though, that I actually started off as a Fred Thompson guy last year."

Mike talked about how the extreme left and extreme right "ruled the message" in the 2008 election and how nobody in the middle had a chance to have their voice heard. It is his belief that "that's not where liberty happens - at either extreme". He elaborated about how people were frustrated that "the government isn't listening".

At the end of the 2008 elections, Mike decided he had "had enough" and started looking for someone to run for governor. It turns out that nobody was ready to take on the challenge. He said that party leaders and elected officials across the state asked him "why don't you do it?" With that advice, Mike decided he needed to put himself out as a candidate to "build a network".

Mike concluded by saying that we needed to get back to the "simple tenants of government" that were put in place by the U.S. constitution where government "does for people only what they can't do for themselves".

On the Issues

As we questioned Mr. Pappas it was clear that he was cognizant of the issues and was able to articulate his positions. When put in a tight spot, instead of trying to spin or wiggle around the truth he just declined to pursue the issue by stating simply "as a politician I'm not going to agree to (unpopular position) but I will agree to (popular position)".

• Mr. Pappas spoke about a supreme court hearing on private property rights case he had sat in on earlier in the day. The plaintiff in the case argued for the prohibition of the display of a cross. This cross had been erected by a VFW in 1931 in the middle of the badlands as a memorial. Mike's criticism of the case was that the symbol was located on physical grounds the government had transferred to private ownership and said that the owners property rights should be protected.
• When asked if he would accept federal stimulus were put in the position where the economy were declining again he couldn't commit to an answer. He did note that stimulus money could put people back to work and that his concern in that case would be the "strings" that were attached to the stimulus.
• When asked about his position on the energy issue in Maryland, Mr. Pappas said the construction of a new power facility in Calvert Cliffs needed to be permitted as soon as possible. He stated he is a proponent of nuclear energy and that obstruction of all forms of alternative energy needed to end.
• When asked about how he felt the war on drugs had played out and the direction he would take prohibition, he stated simply that the drug war has been a "complete failure". He supports medical marijuana but does not support the decriminalization of marijuana overall. He said we have major problems with cocaine and methamphetamine that we need to address.
• Mr. Pappas stated he is entirely opposed to "messing with the market" but is "not a laissez-faire guy".
• When asked on his position on gambling he stated the gambling is "not something we need to fear". He says should be to spend his money where he wants to spend it and questioned the way gambling was legalized (via the state constitution). He said the state could be making five times the money it is now off of and that we are chasing jobs out of the state. When asked about non-licensed gambling he said that he has had "many little gambling games with his buddies" and that gambling should be "legal in a rational way".
• When given the example of a no-knock warrant resulting in the death of Cheryl Noel and asked about his position on the empowerment of the executive branch, Mr. Pappas said this is where he "strays from his libertarian side". He spoke about how he saw the planes hit the towers on 9/11 and he was concerned that "the government may not have the ability to protect us from the people who are trying to kill us on a daily basis". He said that the actions taken after 9/11, such as the Patriot Act, were knee-jerk reactions that didn't necessarily "give us enough benefit" to be warranted. He said the death of Chery Noel was a tragedy but that most of our law enforcement officials were professionals. He said that the way we should protect ourselves is to make sure that law enforcement fears us as much as we fear them and that we hold government accountable.
• When asked what he would do to fix the state budget he said he would work towards a zero-based budget system and away from unfunded mandates.
• When asked how he would handle state sovereignty issues, Mr. Pappas stated that states rights issues needed to be handled on a case-by-case basis. He noted the federal government "has its place" and that as long as the state "keeps the federal government in check" we will be able to "live the spirit of the 10th amendment". When asked if his position was due to the amount of federal jobs in the state, he said the state of Maryland is not sovereign to the other states and that the federal jobs are "important jobs".

The Man Behind the Mask

Mr. Pappas believes in freedom from government control over our lives. That is, except in the case of drug prohibition which he admits is a total failure but won't challenge politically. Except in the case of the free markets which he supports until he doesn't. Except in the case of unlicensed gambling which he takes part in but won't support legally. Except in the case of unchecked executive branch empowerment which he thinks is necessary to protect us. Except of states rights which he doesn't believe in at all.

Mr. Pappas believes in freedom from government control over our lives - except when it isn't politically practical.

One of the most pervasive problems in American politics today is the compulsion to compromise. Constitutional legality is not brought into question. Civil rights pose no concern. Morality isn't even an afterthought. Historical or economic precedents are inconsequential. The only real objective that exists in the minds of most politicians is political practicality. It seems Mr. Pappas suffers from this very disease.

The problem with candidates such as Mr. Pappas is that the rule of political practicality has no bounds. Those who begin to sacrifice their political principles for political power will continue to do so as necessary. It is possible that Mr. Pappas has a sincere belief in small government somewhere below the layers of political concession. However, when you openly share how you are willing to hedge your beliefs for political expediency your beliefs quickly become irrelevant.

The Bottom Line

The Republican party has been beleaguered by this horse trading for the last decade. When elections get competitive they bend their principles on issues like bailouts, entitlements and "climate change". In doing so it has cast itself as a hypocritical party with no system of belief and has provided an opportunity to be depicted as the party of obstruction. This inhibits any opportunity to make a substantive intellectual argument for the case of small government.

We are now paying for the consequences of Republican concession as the march into complete socialism picks up speed. We are faced with a choice - change course now or face 10 to 20 years of irrelevance and a lifetime of lost liberty. The first action we need to take to make this change is to stop nominating people who pretend to support small government. Unfortunately, Mike Pappas doesn't make the grade.

If you take two minutes to look at the justifications for Mike's positions, his arguments for going back to the simple tenets of government and adhering to the constitution are quickly thrown out the window. It would take little political pressure to expand his list of concessions to bigger issues. His statement about who he supported in 2008 sums up his candidacy perfectly: he was a Fred Thompson guy before he sold out to McCain before he was interested in the only candidate that supported limited government. I can only wonder what issues he would concede on if he were running for national politics.

"My most important issues are to focus on providing education, health care, and personal security to every citizen in Maryland." -Mike Pappas

It seems that the Maryland Republican party is willing to exclude strict adherents to small government to fight for the middle few percent. In doing so they sacrifice an opportunity to build the party around a base of believers in order to politik for the margins. Good luck with that. We will be here if you ever reconsider.

UPDATE 11/5 - Mike Pappas dropped out of the race two days after this article was posted.

Mike Pappas, the first Republican brave enough to wade into the 2010 gubernatorial contest in Maryland, is dropping out and throwing his support behind Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. Nearly a year after Pappas declared he was “in it to win it,” he’s now saying he’s in it for Hogan.

UPDATE 8/16/2010 - It was confirmed to me today that Mike Pappas dropped from this race due to this article.

Last week I attended the Campaign for Liberty Northeast Regional Conference in Valley Forge. I was on the ropes for quite some time about going and signed up at what was essentially the last minute. Looking back I can't see why I hesitated for a second.

There was something I experienced at the conference that wasn't on the agenda. It was on the faces of attendees and in the hallway conversations. It was scribbled down on notepads and brought home to districts across the Northeast. I wanted to try and capture that message and bring it back for everyone to hear.

For me the week started when I reached my hotel room and checked my RSS feed for news. Peter Schiff had announced he had entered the Connecticut senate race that morning. I grabbed a coffee and made my way to the convention with a smile.

There were many quality sponsor's tables set up at the convention. The lovely Ladies of Liberty Alliance was on hand and getting plenty of attention. I had a brief moment to meet Jake Towne, one of our boys who is running for congress in PA-15. One of my favorite groups, The Foundation for Economic Education, had a booth on site with a few staff members. I made sure to brag about how I had come across a copy of "The Free Market and Its Enemy" at a used book store which was signed by Leonard Read. The Young Americans for Liberty were all over the convention shaking hands and distributing material. Their presence is always encouraging. The Good Doctor was flocked by admirers but I had time to have him sign my copy of End the Fed and ask him a quick question.

Jake Towne talking with attendees.

The first day ended with the Freedom Celebration. Phil Giraldi gave a great speech on the state of our foreign meddling and Mike Doherty of New Jersey spoke about bring the Liberty message to his district. Ron was introduced by his son Ronnie and was received enthusiastically. He gave a great speech covering the state of the country and the state of the movement. Several supporters waved different versions of the Gadsden on the high notes.

Day two started at breakfast with Ron where he talked about his new book and took enthusiastic questions from the attendees. When breakfast ended the training began with the fiery Mike Rothfeld and his counterpart Dimitri Kesari.

It is important to make special note of the training. One could easily notice the furious note taking of strange people that spent a beautiful Friday night in a convention hall to equip themselves for a fight. It is uplifting what our people do to support a cause they believe in. These will be the people on the ground during the next round.

After dinner, Judge Andrew Napolitano delivered an impassioned speech in which he harpooned the erosion of our civil liberties that the political duopoly has engineered, invoking several standing ovations. I thought the Judge was going to hurdle the podium on several occasions.

When the judge was done laying waste to the establishment it was time for the world premier of For Liberty. You could feel the energy of the attendees when creators Chris Rye and Corey Kealiher walked onto the stage of the viewing area. If there was any skepticism of the quality of the documentary it was surely blown away as it perfectly captured the spirit of the Ron Paul phenomenon. The documentary is an emotional roller coaster. The crowd in attendance cheered, hissed and teared up as we all relived the highs and lows of the election.

At the after party, Jordan Page laid down an acoustic cover of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" while people talked over drinks. When I asked Chris Rye if they would be willing to do it again he reported they were already kicking around new ideas. For Liberty is a steal at $20. Don't think about it. Go buy it, here. You won't be disappointed. These guys will be a big part of the movement going forward and will need the financial support.

Rob from the PA Campaign for Liberty chapter gives an introduction before the premiere of "For Liberty."

The final day started with the Campaign for Liberty State meetings. As the several Maryland chapters took turns speaking, you could already see the wheels turning. There were quite a few items that the Harford chapter, one of the largest and most active chapters in the country, shared with the Maryland and Delaware teams.

Tom Woods gave a great speech on the history and philosophy of human rights which lead into the remaining training sessions of the convention.

Afterward I took part in the gold reception which Tom Woods, Peter Schiff and Daniel Hannan attended. Tom and Peter were mobbed so I only had a few moments to speak to each of them. Dan Hannan was a little more available as it seemed people didn't know what to ask him. I had a good 15 minutes to ask about life on the other side of the ocean. Mr. Hannan is one of the most engaging gentlemen I have had the chance of speaking with.

There was one personality at the gold meeting that people didn't seem to pick up on - Ronnie Paul.

Ronnie is definitely one of the most down to earth guys I have ever met. I asked him about what Ron Sr. was like outside of politics and the conversation revolved around the Paul family. He said his dad was "a normal guy who drives a tractor around the yard". He spoke about how the campaign has been hard at times and how someone from the family always travels with Ron Sr. to keep him company.

I talked about the recent CSPAN interview with Rand and how his confident demeanor contrasted with the shoot-from-the-hip style of his father. Ronnie talked about their youth and how Rand was always the sibling to work the hardest and get the best grades.

Don't let him fool you, he has a beer in his hand.

The convention wrapped up with the Economic Liberty Symposium at which Tom Woods, Peter Schiff and Daniel Hannan spoke. The combination of wit, vision and eloquence was a perfect finale. I highly suggest you listen to, at the very least, the Daniel Hannan speech.

Two days after the convention we had a rally at Dutch Ruppersberger's (D-MD2) office. He decided not to have a town hall meeting on health care so we brought one to him. Afterward we had a steering committee meeting for the Baltimore Chapter of Campaign for Liberty at which I saw more organization then any meeting prior. The next day Rand Paul trounced Trey Grayson with a huge fund raising event and it was announced that H.R. 1207 would have a hearing.

In case I have failed to capture the message above, Dan Hannan's finale speech summarizes it perfectly:

My friends it is apt that we meet here in Valley Forge. It was hither that George Washington repaired at his lowest moment when everything seemed lost. And now you, the heirs of The Revolution, the Sons of Liberty of our day, have come here having seen last years election won by people who, contrary to the legacy of your founding fathers, saw answers in more spending and more government. In a way it is your lowest moment too.

Washington had some very black times as he looked out across the snow and contemplated the end of The Revolution. What he couldn't see, but what we know in hindsight is that (Valley Forge) was the turning point. That was the beginning of the vindication of the dream of your founders. The birth of a new republic. And what was forged here was the iron of the soul of a nation.

This train isn't slowing. This train is gaining momentum. The Democrat plans for control of the health care markets is loosing steam. Republicans have been paying attention to our message. There is no doubt we will have to put some Democrats to bed with a warm glass of milk in 2010 and scalp a few Republicans in 2012. However, make no mistake - we are having an impact.

The message I wanted to bring back from Valley Forge is the message of hope for the future and enthusiasm for the cause. The attendees of the convention experienced it and I'm sure those across the internet see it. I hope everyone can become involved with their local Campaign for Liberty chapters to make this movement grow over the next few years.

There is another message I wanted to bring back. A response from a question quickly asked. A response given with a smile. A response of which it may be best to just forget for a while...

"Its too early to talk about that yet".

Tasers are either a personal safety device for self defense or an "effective tool" the state can use to "stop people from doing something dumb". The definition you receive depends on who you ask.

Crime on the Rise

Crime in Maryland has been on the rise for quite some time. Over the last several years we have kicked around the top of various "most dangerous" lists. This article, which is based off of a Morgan Quitno Press report, pegs Maryland at #2 for both murder and robbery and #9 for overall crime.

Baltimore City, which is to a large extent the heart of the danger, is not distant for any part of Maryland and certainly not for those of us here in Baltimore County. The potential of danger is not arbitrary as crime has increasingly crept outwards. Local station WBAL reports:

Baltimore County police said there have been 12 similar thefts of ATVs, dirt bikes and scooters since the beginning of the year (RG - two months at the time of the report). ... Jerry Geisler was preparing thousands of dollars worth of dirt bikes for sale that he kept in his basement. Someone recently stole all of the bikes. ... Nearly two weeks ago, police said Neil Rivers, 20, was shot to death in his own driveway in Essex while trying to stop thieves from taking his property.

The Rivers family lives literally a bit more then a stone's throw from my house. My father would occasionally stop by and talk cars with Neil and his father. Baltimore County has always had its crime problems but the local community has been increasingly alarmed as these more heinous crimes occur.

A 23-year-old bulldozer driver was ordered Friday to spend the rest of his life in prison for the armed kidnapping and robbery of two teenagers at a light rail station in Timonium last October and the subsequent rape of one of the victims.

Police said after the Oct. 10 incident that the victims had been sitting in a car at the Deereco Road park-and-ride lot when two men approached the vehicle, brandished pistols and demanded that they open a door. The boy was forced into the trunk and the girl was made to undress in the back seat.

The two men drove around for two hours, during which the young woman was raped, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger, who prosecuted the case, said in court.

After years of "cracking down" on crime, we now have our own chapters of the Bloods and Crips.

But on Saturday around 10 p.m. - shortly after an Orioles game let out - at least one gunshot was fired inside the Light Street Pavilion of Harborplace near Phillips Seafood restaurant and Lee's Ice Cream. A 20-year-old man was struck in the calf and a 16-year-old boy was hit in the right forearm, police said. Both victims are suspected members of a Bloods faction, Bealefeld said. Neither had life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The Reality Offered by the State

Rather then allowing Maryland residents to arm themselves in self defense - as any free people should be permitted to do - our local government continually inhibits the ability of residents to defend themselves. The recent vote by the Baltimore County Council is just one example of this.

While state law soon will allow ownership of electronic control devices, commonly known as Tasers, Baltimore County has enacted a ban on purchasing the weapons for personal use.

The County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to outlaw the devices and made the law effective Sept. 21. The prohibition adds the newest electronic devices to the county's existing ban on the use, possession, sale or discharge of a stun gun, officials said. Violators face a $1,000 fine and the possibility of six months in prison. The ban will not apply to law enforcement personnel.

Our Chief of Police applauds the measure:

County Police Chief Jim Johnson called the measure a critical piece of public safety legislation and the state law a "setback to public safety." State law allows persons ages 18 or older and without criminal records to purchase them.

"This weapon can completely incapacitate most people," Johnson said. "It is dangerous in the hands of the untrained and unskilled."

Reality in the Real World

Johnson should be familiar with the dangers of taser use as the Maryland Police are the authority for killing people with tasers. Jill P. Carter, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, summarizes the situation succinctly:

"Given that all the deaths or injuries that have occurred in Maryland have come from the police use of Tasers, I don't think that's a good enough reason to take them out of the hands of citizens".

Six people died in Maryland in 2007 after being stunned by Tasers while in police custody. People like Uywanda Peterson, Jarrel Gray and Ryan Lee Meyers died in the hands of "trained and skilled" officers of the law. I have never heard of an occurrence of a Maryland resident killed or injured another resident with a taser. Yet, our entire County Council and our Police Leadership insist that it be illegal that we buy, own or operate a taser for fear that it would be a "setback to public safety".

Towson University junior Angela Glovier speaks in support of the legalization of tasers.

"I don't think they should take any form of protection away from women," Glovier said. "I walk on campus alone at night. It could be my last line of defense against a predator."

The Moral of the Story

Local state authorities feel we should be protected against our own incompetence rather then allowed to protect ourselves despite its inability to control crime or utilize tasers without killing civilians.

There stands a colossal hypocrisy in a system that provides increased authority to those who have erred on the side of death and restricts those who need protection. That this is an area where crime is on the rise compounds the injustice in the situation. It is another example of how government can't be trusted to act correctly and shouldn't be counted on as the solution.

Police can't be relied on to be everywhere at all times and they surely can't be trusted to make the right decision in every situation. (read as rape, waste, fraud, refusing information, being thugs and not reporting crimes to make the numbers look good) There are tangible reasons The Wire was filmed in Baltimore. Our residents have every right and every practical justification for the ownership and use of tasers.

In cases like this it is important to look towards the eternal truths that history has left us for answers. This one in particular speaks about how a limited government protects against issues like this:

This is why the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written. The founding fathers were not protecting criminals. They were protecting us, from an intrusive, sometimes clumsy, sometimes evil government. We are now forfeiting those hard earned, well reasoned, personal liberties out of panic.

The political climate here in Maryland will not provide for any improvement on this situation. Democrats are more focused on dumping money into pet projects like public transportation enhancement and setting up speed cameras to rake in the money to pay for it. I won't bother mentioning Republicans because they are irrelevant.

Crime is a real challenge here in Baltimore. While tasers are not a single solution for the problem they are a good self defense option for an individual who isn't comfortable with the practicality of firing a gun in a house where their family sleeps or the personal morality of blowing away a would-be car-jacker. The current state of affairs should make it clearly evident that our local government should not have even the authority to consider the matter of the right to bear arms - even when they aren't conventional arms. I think that a little restraint is in order here in Baltimore.