The Harvest Moon Fundraiser (which was planned since May 2009) is cancelled.
Sadly, our friends at the Republican Liberty Caucus decided that Libertarian Party Ballot Access isn't as important they claim it to be, and pulled their promised support from this noble cause because of how it might look to their fellow Republicans.
I am truly heartbroken promised support was withdrawn and hope to hold another fundraiser for the Libertarian Party in the near future. To make up for it, I am personally donating $300 to the LPIN, and hope that you will do the same.
If you were planning to come to the fundraiser and you believe ballot access for a third party is important to keep, please donate here. I'll throw a private party for all the people who join me in donating to the Libertarian Party's effort to retain our ballot access in Indiana.
-Melyssa for HFFT
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Libertarian Fundraiser: Explanation of event cancellation
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Melyssa Donaghy & Lisa Kelly to host Fundraiser
Lisa Kelly of the Republican Liberty Caucus and Melyssa Donaghy of the Libertarian Party are teaming up to bring you a night of fine food, libation, and entertainment to benefit the Libertarian Secretary of State Race.
You might be asking yourself why there is Republican support for the Libertarians. It is because there are individuals within the liberty faction of the Republican Party, the RLC, that want to help ensure that the Libertarian Party maintains its ballot access by getting 2% or more of the vote in the upcoming election.
There's a long history of political cross over support in Indianapolis. Many remember that the Republican establishment gave a great deal of support to ensure democrat Bart Peterson's mayoral victory in 1999. We feel what works for the Establishment insiders should also work for the Liberty insiders. Early this year, Lisa Kelly committed to co-host a fall party to benefit the Secretary of State race for the Libertarian Party and she is making good on her word.
Having three parties represented on your ballot is good for Indiana and liberty comes before party in our circles.
In addition to a lavish gourmet menu of rare roast beef tenderloin, shrimp cocktail, and delightful canapes, we arranged for you to relax with professional chair massages, fortune tellers, and an after dark backyard bonfire. The house will be well stocked with a nice selection of champagne, good beers, and wines too.
Tickets are $100 for singles and $150 for couples. Students, currently enrolled in classes, can buy tickets at half price.
Please do not wait to purchase tickets because there are only 50 available. This is one party, I promise will be memorable and you don't want to miss it!
--Melyssa for HFFT
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Need graphic designer to volunteer for small project
I am looking for a graphic designer to volunteer time in the next week to create an invite for a Libertarian fundraiser to benefit the Secretary of State race in 2010.
Email me if you want to help.
--Melyssa
Our unprincipled, City Council puts party before The People at last night's CIB bailout vote
As if we didn't know already, last night confirmed to Marion County residents that the majority of our civic leaders at City Hall are not philosophically principled and serve the city's elites, not you.
The democrats, who in 2007 rammed a 65% income tax hike down our throats on the coattails of massive property tax increases, found religion last night. In block, except for Jackie Nytes (D) whose council seat is considered safe, they voted against the bailout. A deal was likely struck in advance with the tax-and-spend-Republicans for her "yay" vote to continue to feed the CIB monster.
The democrats did not find principle last night. They voted against the Republican tax increase, so that they can use their voting record in an onslaught of campaign fliers which will litter your mailboxes and front porches during the next election cycle.
The Marion County Democrat machine thinks they can trick you into believing they are looking out for you. The reality is that they are not and will not. They made sure their own Jackie Nytes voted "yay" so that the tax increase would pass.
We even heard the ethically challenged Monroe Gray (D) give a rousing speech beginning with the words, "It's a dark day in Indianapolis". What a damned hypocrite. You might remember Monroe Gray cares so little about the CIB bailout that he did not show for the recent committee hearing on the proposal. While the democrat party wrote to HFFT to give explanation for Joanne Sanders absence from the hearing, they offered no explanation for Monroe Gray's failure to show up to do his job. A job, you should always remember, we pay him several thousand dollars each year to do for us.
It was leaked that Republican Mike Speedy (R) intended to vote "nay" before the council meeting. Our sources inform us that he was instructed to wait to cast his vote until all other votes could be seen. Sure enough the entire council's vote appeared on the board except for Speedy. After about 30 seconds, when it was clear his "yay" vote was needed by his Republican party masters, he voted to increase taxes too.
Ryan Vaughn (R) should have recused himself from voting. Ryan, who recently lost his bid to replace Senator Lubbers, works for Barnes and Thornburg. Ryan's boss is Bob Grand of the CIB and the firm's clients include the Pacers.
Of the councilors, two showed they are philosophically principled by their vote. Those two lone councilors are Libertarian Ed Coleman and Republican Christine Scales. They cast their "nay" vote for you, and not their party bosses. Please be sure to thank them.
There is a silver lining, however, brought about by local attorney bloggers, Gary Welsh and Paul Ogden by their constant drum beating to expose the CIB's ponzi scheme. But for their persistence and diligence reporting on the workings of the CIB, it is doubtful the CIB would have backed off their original request for $47 million per year and whittled it down to $4 million a year. None of the CIB officials explained exactly how the CIB got to that lower number. That goes to show you just what a secretive disservice we are being done by the CIB.
Voted FOR the CIB Bailout
Virginia Cain (R)
Jeff Cardwell (R)
Bob Cockrum (R)
N. Susie Day (R)
Ben Hunter (R)
Robert Lutz
Barb Malone (R)
Janice McHenry (R)
Mike McQuillen (R)
Jackie Nytes (D)
Marilyn Pfisterer (R)
Lincoln Plowman(R)
Kent Smith (R)
Mike Speedy (R)
RyanVaughn (should have recused himself - his BOSS is CIB President)
Voted AGAINST CIB Bailout
Paul Bateman (D)
Vernon Brown (D)
Ed Coleman (Libertarian)
Jose Evans (D)
Monroe Gray (D)
Maggie Lewis (D)
Brian Mahern (D)
Dane Mahern (D)
Angela Mansfield (D)
Doris Minton-McNeill (D)
Mary Moriarty Adams (D)
William Oliver (D)
Joanne Sanders (D)
Christine Scales (lone Republican "nay" vote)
Councilor Christine Scales, the only principled Republican on City Council.
At last night's city council meeting every single Republican, except one, turned their backs on the campaign promises they made to not raise taxes. They chose to bailout the ponzi scheme known as the CIB instead. After the vote was taken, Christine Scales, made a statement as to WHY she voted no to bailout the CIB. Here are the words of the lone Republican councilor who voted to stop feeding the monster known as the CIB. We want to know why the information from the Governor's office was not made known to the public to study advance too. This is OUR money, and these people are our servants. Never forget that.
--Melyssa for HFFT.
STATEMENT FROM COUNCILOR CHRISTINE SCALES:
I would like to explain my vote on Proposal 285. Despite speculation by some, the motivation behind my vote was not influenced by whether I might win or lose a future election. It is an honor for me to serve this community in the many ways a councilor is able to. BUT-if this, or ANY vote I cast costs me another term, I can live with that. I really am here to serve, not to advance a political career.
Before I vote on any issue, I do my homework. I speak to as many of the stakeholders involved in an issue and get as many perspectives on a matter as possible. I read articles and books and take time to process all I have learned. That is how I came to make my decision on how to vote on this proposal tonight.
It was difficult for me to accept the terms of the CIB funding package handed to the Council from the General Assembly. So, I set about trying to devise alternative solutions. Most of the community leaders with whom I discussed these other possibilities, did not offer much hope that any of them would go anywhere.
Not one to easily accept defeat, I sent a letter to Governor Daniels asking him to consider supporting the alternative solution I had to Proposal 285. I was hoping for a last minute reprieve.
I appreciate that Governor Daniels took the time to respond to my plea. He and Chief of Staff Earl Goode made room in their schedules late this afternoon to discuss Proposal 285, and why MY idea wouldn’t work. During my time with the governor and his chief of staff, I was shown financial data and given information I had previously not been privy to.
The governor made a compelling case for the need to vote for Proposal 285. Had the hour not been late, and had I enough time to review and process all the new information given to me, I might have come to vote yes on this proposal tonight. But I didn’t have the time, and could not on short order abandon the research and analysis that I used to determine my reasons for voting no on tonight’s proposal.
Friday, August 7, 2009
For Who Then Shall Save Us From The Other?
The City Council is likely to take up a proposal again this coming Monday that would seek to ban 'panhandling' by barring all manner of sign holding, protest or begging within 50 feet of an intersection. The proposal; however, well intentioned, is over broad and even fails to specify how the '50 feet' is to be measured. It runs the risk of violating people's right to free speech and I would hope the council is wise enough to go back and strengthen existing panhandling laws or petition IMPD to increase enforcement of such.
My point for the day is this:
The Council would seek to protect us from panhandlers on street corners who seek voluntary contributions to their cause, however worthy or otherwise.
If only the Council saw equally fit to protect us from the professional panhandlers that come in the form of sports teams or arts organizations. Those organizations seek to extract money by proxy using the force of government - essentially offloading the panhandling to people with badges to somehow legitimize it.
One million dollars to an arts organization still divides out to an involuntary contribution of probably about $5 per family in Marion County. Might not seem like much, but some family somewhere would probably have liked that five dollars back so they could buy a gallon of milk and some bread for their kids.
If the purpose of the law is to protect our life, liberty and property from the predations of others; should it not be interested in protecting us equally from all such threats? Perhaps a proposal that outlaws lobbying the Council by private organizations within 50 feet of the City County building would be more appropriate and certainly would save us all more money.
