NEW MEXICO LIBERTY

“Let Freedom Ring”

The Official Newsletter of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico

November 2009 http://lpnm.us v.2.2 N.14

Table of Contents
Notes from the Editor
Page 1 Libertarian Media from New Mexico by Mike Blessing
[ mikewb1971@gmail.com ]
Notes from the Editor by Mike Blessing
Page 2 Events at a Glance The LPNM Returning to Channel 27
BATFE Acknowledges A Nationwide Database Of Gun
Bill Koehler and I are planning to resume our weekly TV shows at
Owners
Channel 27 on Albuquerque Comcast. Details to follow next month.
from Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
Page 3 Voice of the Chair by Ken Cavanaugh This, of course, assumes that Channel 27 is still in operation. At
Running as a Third Party Candidate present, they've been put on notice that they're basically being
evicted from the old County Courthouse (415 Tijeras NW in
Page 4 A Platoon of Spetznaz by A.X. Perez
Downntown Albuquerque). Where will they end up? Good question
from The Libertarian Enterprise – the staff at Quote Unquote, Inc. (Channel 27's parent
The LPNM's Candidates organization) are currently evaluating available options.
Page 5 Remarks to the WNY Tea Party on July 4th Seeking a Nomination?
by James Ostrowski If anyone wanting to get ahead of the curve in getting nominated as
Page 6 Restructure Government Workforce, Don't Up Taxes a candidate for public office on the LPNM's ballot line, I
by J. Scott Moody and Wendy P. Warcholik of the recommend that those persons print a copy of the "Enrollment /
Rio Grande Foundation Renewal Form" from New Mexico Liberty (page 9 of this issue), fill it
out as though they were signing up as an LPNM Caucus Member
Page 7 Contacts / Internet Resources for the first time, hand-carry it to the 2010 State Convention, and
Page 8 Administrivia personally hand it over to Ron Bjornstad and/or the State Chair.
Page 8 The Unanimous Consent Challenge That way, we can be sure that –
Page 9 Enrollment / Renewal Form 1. We have current contact information for you, including but not
limited to phone number(s) and email address(es).
Page 10 Paid Advertisement from Tactical Solutions
Institute 2. There's no dispute between you and anyone else in the LPNM
Table of Contents
as to whether or not you've signed the Non-Aggression Pledge.
Page 1

• Notes from the Editor

Libertarian Media from New Mexico Simultaneously with turning in a completed form as I've described
Page 2 – Events at a Glance

Page 3 – Voice of the Chair by Ken Cavanaugh

(not necessarily endorsed by LPNM) above, I'd recommend collecting your nominating petition
Petition gathering to regain Minor Paty Status

signatures for the County Clerk's Office (or Secretary of State's

Speaking Freely
Page 4 – The Next Best Thing to Coulter by L. Neil Smith
From The Libertarian Enterprise

Page 5 – Federal judge rules police

cannot detain people for Office, as applicable).
hosted by Paul Gessing and Jim Scarantino
openly carrying guns

Page 6

• And it couldn't hurt to gather as many ballot-access petition

Saturdays 9 – 10 AM on KJOY 1550 AM
Reforms can cut costs, improve public safety by Paul Gessing
From the Rio Grande Foundation

• signatures as possible, too – if you want to be on the LPNM's ballot

A Little Gun History

Page 7 – Contacts / Internet Resources

riograndefoundation.org/pg_rp.html line, the LPNM has to have a ballot line in the first place.
Page 8
tinyurl.com/dcnpwm
• Administrivia
Need a reason why you should run for office? See Ken's column on
• The Unanimous Consent Challenge Hemp TV – Tuesdays at 7PM page 3.
myspace.com/nmhemptv
Page 9 – Enrollment / Renewal Form

Page 10 – Authorization for Automatic Transfers

=======================

Libertarian Media from New Mexico

And it really doesn't hurt to show up at some LPNM events before
The One Party State – Wednesdays 11PM announcing your prospective electoral bid. After all, you're asking
not necessarily endorsed by LPNM)

Speaking Freely
hosted by Paul Gessing and Jim Scarantino
Saturdays 9 – 10 AM on KJOY 1550 AM

Contact Lance Klafeta [ lklafeta@yahoo.com ] for details

riograndefoundation.org/pg_rp.html
tinyurl.com/dcnpwm

Hemp TV – Tuesdays at 7PM

the LPNM's membership to stake their collective credibility on your
proposed campaign. We'd like a chance to get to know you before
myspace.com/nmhemptv

The One Party State – Wednesdays 11PM

Contact Lance Klafeta

Reeferhead – Saturdays at 6PM

[ lklafeta@yahoo.com ] for details

Reeferhead – Saturdays at 6PM

myspace.com/reeferheadtv giving you the official nod and endorsement.
myspace.com/reeferheadtv
The Fringe Element
thefringeelement.net / postpubco.com

The Fringe Element New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 1

thefringeelement.net / postpubco.com
YOUR ADVERTISING IN
NEW MEXICO LIBERTY?
CONTACT THE EDITOR OR
SEE PAGE 9 FOR DETAILS
EMAIL mikewb1971@gmail.com
 Events at a Glance
Bernalillo County – The BCLP is hosting two meetings per month,
on Thursday, 3 September and Thursday, 17 September, 6:00 to
7:00 PM at Fiesta's Restaurant & Lounge (Carlisle & Montogomery
NE). Contact Mike Blessing for details [ mikewb1971@gmail.com /
505-918-6567], or see the BCLP website – lpnm.us/bernalillo.
Mark Curtis and Jay Vandersloot have been manning a table at the
gun shows hosted in the Manuel Lujan Building at the State
Fairgrounds.
Precinct 553 Chair Elisheva Levin, is considering a run for State
Representative, District 22.
See kcufmedia.xanga.com for more information concerning The
Weekly Sedition and New Mexico's Consumer Advocate.
Dona Ana County – The next scheduled Dona Ana County Central
Committee Meeting is 13 January 2010 at 6:30 PM to plan for the
county convention. Contact chair for more information. The
committee would be delighted to meet before then with any Doña
Ana County Libertarian wishing support in running for office or with
any ideas to advance the party or political issues that the party
should address. Please contact the chair – lpdacnm@lpnm.us /
575-541-9079, or check the LPDAC website – lpnm.us/dona-ana.
Otero County – The Otero County LP meets on Wednesday, 2
September – contact Dr. Gilberto Heredia for more information [
thrill@zianet.com / 575-439-8234 ], or see the OCLP website for
details – lpnm.us/otero. The OCLP hosted this year's state
convention in April.
Rio Arriba – Lynette Cannon is the Rio Arriba County LP Chair, as
well as the Taos County Chair.
Sandoval County – The LPSC is having its monthly meetings on
the fourth Tuesday of each month. Tuesday, 22 September – The
BATFE Acknowledges A
Sandoval County Libertarian Party will meet – contact Ron
Bjornstad [ rbjornstad@earthlink.net / 505-288-4228 ] for details. Nationwide Database Of Gun Owners
4 November 2009 – jpfo.org/alerts03/alert20091104.htm
Santa Fe County – Due to personal circumstances, Ed Nagel has "E-trace is a nationwide database maintained by the ATF that lists a
resigned as the Santa Fe County Chair. The LPNM wishes him the firearm's first purchaser, date of purchase and the retailer from
best, and is seeking volunteers to fill the vacancy. which it was purchased. The information is compiled from police
Taos – Lynette Cannon is the Taos County LP Chair, as well as the records of gun purchases provided by local departments, but until
Rio Arriba County Chair. today was only accessible by the ATF and the police department
that provided it." Read all of this article from August 2007.
If you live in a county with an inactive affiliate and want
We have been telling you about this long standing national
to get involved, contact the county chair. See Page 7 for
registration scheme. It's time for every gun owner to to notify every
a list of county chairs, campus contacts and Central politician in America that a national registration of firearms will not
Committee members. be tolerated. You have two choices - save the 2A or destroy it. It's
up to you.
Special Events
The Liberty Crew
LPNM Central Committee Meeting – 13 December 2009 Protecting you by creating solutions to destroy "gun control"
The LPNM's Central Committee will have its regularly scheduled
meeting on Sunday, 13 December 2009. Lunch at 12 PM, meeting Mirror site -- jpfo.net
from 1 PM to 3 PM. The (tentative) location is Quarters BBQ at P.O. Box 270143
3700 Ellison Dr NW Albuquerque, NM 87114 [ tinyurl.com/lh89ws ]. Hartford, WI 53027
For details, contact State Chair Ken Cavanaugh [ 505-489-8099 / Phone 262-673-9745
phloyd113@cableone.net ]. County and Campus Contacts Fax 262-673-9746
encouraged to attend! jpfo@jpfo.org

2010 Annual State Convention

The 2010 LPNM State Convention is scheduled for the
weekend of 16-18 April 2009 in the greater Albuquerque area.
More details to follow soon.

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 2


Voice of the Chair
by Ken Cavanaugh
[ phloyd113@cableone.net ]
Running as a Third Party Candidate
We would all know that running for office as a Third Party (or even
independent) candidate is an uphill battle every time. Though just
this week in New York, we saw a Conservative Party candidate
almost win a U.S. House seat in NY-23. Of course, things
happened there which boosted the Conservative Party candidate.
For example, the GOP candidate withdrew merely days before the
election, and even though she pledged her support to the
Democrat, the Conservative drew about 45% of the vote. Things
happen during a campaign, and one never knows how things will
play out. Still, it would unrealistic to run on the basis that something
might happen during a campaign making a third party candidate
become a front-runner.
There are usually races where one of the two major parties may
choose not to oppose the dominant party, and thus allow one of the
parties to run unopposed. These are opportunities for a third party
candidate to make an impression, if not win, an election.
Sometimes you might not know if one of the two major parties is
going to be involved or not, particularly still early in the process.
However, a trend can be established by looking at recent election
results, which can be found at this link:
sos.state.nm.us/Results.html
If you might be interested in running, you wold want to research
some of the recent election results, and you may find a race that
you can enter where it has been one-sided recently. Of course,
residency requirements may come into play, but still this is a great
starting point.
By running in a race which is unopposed by one of the major
parties, The People could still have two choices by running as a
third party candidate. Also, the third party candidate would garner
an amount of media attention (though to a lesser extent) as if they
were a major party candidate. In the end, the vote count would be
significant since one of the major parties supporters would have no
one else to vote for on the ballot. There are a number of histories
which can show that even a relatively unknown can get over 20%
with very little effort in such a race. In the example of NY-23, a
Conservative Party candidate received over 45% of the vote,
though they had a reasonable amount of support prior to the GOP
candidate dropping out, but clearly gained ground once that
happened.
Also, there is an advantage in running in very close-knit races (I
had that experience in a U.S. House race (PA-13) in 2000), where
in a third candidate can impact the outcome of the election by
garnering votes that would otherwise be distributed to the two major
parties. Of course in such cases, the more visible the race, the
better. Still, keep in mind that the two major parties will continue to
vie for control of the legislative branches at the State level, so even
running in a tight race for State House can attract attention.
In either case, once a candidate has cleared the hurdle of making it
on to the ballot, they will be invited to the debates for that race (at
least the bigger ones), which gives our candidates an even greater
opportunity to spread our message. I cannot describe how
rewarding that was in 2000 for me to be a part of the debates;
giving me the opportunity to suggest solutions that weren't being
considered. One here in the greater Albuquerque area had an
interesting experience a few years ago when The People started to
support one of his positions to the point of forcing one of the major
party candidates to adopt it. I had such an experience myself in
2000 as well. On that note, even if all we can do is turn a major
party platform more into our direction, that must be considered a
success as well.
Of course, running for office can be expensive, but it doesn't have
to be so. If you want to run as an unknown, and win, it will take
money to do so – a LOT of money relative to the office being
sought. If instead you choose to run merely to have an entry, that
can be done much more cost effectively than you might think. Again
I turn to my own experience. I ran for U.S. House (PA-13) in 2000.
The two major party candidates together spent around $20 million
on their campaigns. I spent about $500 which includes the filing
fees. True, I garnered only 1.7% of the vote, but as I stated before,
that gave me the opportunity to be involved in the debates. So if
you consider such a low expenditure for U.S. House, a run for State
House or less can be done with even less money. But this is based
on the aspect that winning isn't the expectation (thus a negative).
Still, if you were to run for office, do so with serious enough intent to
make it to the debates (once ballot access is achieved), which
takes me to my next point.
The biggest mistake frequently committed by LP candidates is
being a one-topic candidate, and that topic isn't of interest to the
main stream. I have spoke about platform in the past, and will not
detail that here a second time. Essentially, however, the two major
parties will usually create the main points that will be addressed, as
the LP is unable (without other efforts) to create and escalate their
own. So whatever office is being sought after, one must be
prepared to provide libertarian-based solutions that clearly
separates us from the field. Since there are so many variables, I
cannot go into detail without knowing a specific race or office
involved. However, once a candidate makes choices, the LPNM
can be of assistance in addressing issues from a libertarian
standpoint, even should our candidate not be able to create a
position. There is a libertarian solution to everything out there, we
just need to know what the issue is, and get that into the hands of
our candidates.
Running for office will require time and effort, even if you choose a
low-cost option. There is no way out of that. If our registered
libertarian numbers were greater, we could run candidates without
visibility and still garner votes. In the long run, that would still be
detrimental to our supporters. So if you want to run, make sure that
you have the time to do so.
As for supporters, one would need to build a support base by being
(or getting) involved with the local community. All politics is local,
and that still remains true to an extent. In order to win, you must
have votes. In order to have votes, you must be well known in the
district. In order to be well known in the district, you have to have
made the effort to do so. So start with the last part, and work
forward. If you are an effective individual, you can gain support
early on from the local community so that, as time goes on, you
develop your own foot soldiers to help you out. Even if they are
unable to make financial contributions (in today's economy, there
will be some resistance to that), once you start getting people to
agree with you, one can ask for their time, if not money. Time is
money, and can be useful when running a campaign.
Finally, let me end on a realistic note. As I said, a serious bid for an
office requires a huge amount of money; far more than the office
would pay (go figure that one out! There is clearly an underlying
motivation to control the government that goes beyond riches – or
is there?). On that note, one would generally expect not to win in a
first bid, unless they have such funding. John Corzine won a U.S.
Senate seat in 2000 because he was wealthy (former CEO of
Goldman Sachs), and virtually bought the seat using money. So be
it. Without such resources, we should expect to not be able to
compete in the marketing aspect of a campaign, and thus possibly
doomed to defeat – the FIRST try.
[ Continued on Page 4 ]
New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 3
[ Continued from Page 3 ]
What I am implying is that, a candidate might have to consider
multiple efforts to grow their base over a couple of years before
truly thinking about winning. I myself only wish I could have
remained in Pennsylvania for a few more elections cycles, as I
knew I was gaining support in the area.
So, consider running if you can make the time available. Consider
running with little money so that you do not deplete your personal
finances on an effort that you might not cash in on. To grow support
as a candidate, and the party as a whole, we need to be visible. But
be sensible with your positions, as many libertarian philosophies
will appear, on the surface, to be extreme. We know they are
actually fundamentally American in nature, but the Democrats and
Republicans have so twisted the founding concepts that freedom is
now defined by the government, and not by The People. It will take
considerable effort to start re-educating the public.
But let's get that started, as the public is ripe for new ideas!!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The LPNM's Candidates
State Legislature
State Representative, District 11 – Eric Pino
epelsewhere@gmail.com
State Representative, District 16 – Mike Blessing
mikewb1971.xanga.com
State Representative District 22 – Elisheva Levin
ragamuffinstudies.blogspot.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE
Number 542 -- 25 October 2009
A Platoon of Spetznaz
by A.X. Perez [ perez180ehs@hotmail.com ]
ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle542-20091025-06.html
It was August of 1991. Misha Gorbachev was being held captive by
Communist Party apparatchiki who wanted to end perestroika.Boris
Yeltsin led the resistance to these Conservative Communists, who
included much of the KGB and GRU. A platoon of Spetnaz was
tasked with killing Yeltsin and ending the resistance to a return to
good old fashion Soviet style Communist Party rule. They refused
to carry out the order. Yeltsin remained in power as president of the
Russian Federation and Gorbechev was rescued. Four months
later the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
All because a bunch of Spetznazniki refused to continue to support
what they saw as a dying world order. You can make all sorts of
correct psychological, economic and sociological arguments as to
why the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was doomed to be
swept into the dustbin of history (and yes, I love turning this phrase
on them ). But the USSR received its death blow the day
Spetnazniki refused to commit a political murder to keep it alive.
These brave young men, and one of these days someone should
interview them to see why they changed the world, were a critical
failure point. If they had obeyed a bunch of crazy old men and their
sycophants and other hangers on would have retained power a few
more years, perhaps starting Ragnarok on their way out. When
they disobeyed the course of history was determined.
Every government is based on force, every political system is
based on force. Ultimately the American Dollar ( fiat,
representational or honest gold and silver coin) has value in the US
because if you don't accept it soldiers will come and shoot you
dead. Theoretically it is the responsibility of every law enforcement
agency in this country to detain, arrest, and bring to trial any of their
own members and members of other agencies operating in their
jurisdiction who violate people's rights under the Constitution.
As Washington observed and Heinlein repeated, government is
force. The US Bill of Rights was an attempt to put limits and a
conscience on that force. All constitutions are meant to harness
and direct that force, but that force would still be there without the
constitutions. Those who view constitutions as mere pieces of
paper and boilerplate to be dumped when the going gets tough are
advocating the application of force without any limitation of
conscience, i.e., tyranny.
Many who write for and read TLE are concerned that the USA is
headed for a crisis similar to the one which ended the USSR. The
question must be faced if we are to avoid being reduced to a punk
dictatorship or torn about by breakdowns of Federal authority (not
power, authority, the moral right to use power) and secessions by
states. It must be faced if failing to avoid secession the Union
become a group of free states instead of a Balkanized morass of
nasty, vicious tyrannies, some fascist, others socialist. and as each
phase of the crisis is met failure points will arise where all lies in the
hands of soldiers who must decide whether America remains free
and or unified or not.
I don't think any soldier or group of soldiers can ultimately stop the
growth of freedom, correct choices on their parts can make that
growth somewhat less bloody and faster. Contrariwise, they can
hasten the failure of tyranny, which lacking any moral claim to the
people's obedience, relies totally on force.
May our Spetznazniki and other young people in uniform choose as
wisely as those Russians did back that fateful August of 1991.
New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 4
 So, radical doesn’t mean violent. It means principled. It means
going to the root cause of our problems. That root cause is the
Remarks to the WNY death long ago of the natural human right to liberty as a governing
Tea Party on July 4th principle.
by James Ostrowski [ jimostrowski.com ] Liberty, that age-old dream of humanity – we have never tasted it.
4 July 2009 We can only imagine what it was like after the Revolution for
lewrockwell.com/ostrowski/ostrowski91.1.html Americans of that era to wake up in the morning and know that the
day is yours, not the king’s or some politician’s. Your life is yours.
Your property is yours. You are in command of your destiny.
Frank Sinatra used to ask in song, "What is America?"
May I suggest that’s why we are here today. We Patriots are here
Let me change that question slightly to "What was America?", today to keep the flame of liberty burning. We stand on the
because whatever America was, no longer exists. shoulders of giants who have fought and died for liberty for many
You can say the pledge of allegiance and sing the national anthem centuries in many countries. Their dream has not died; it is merely
all you want but please don’t pretend you are honoring the land of asleep. America is not dead so long as the idea of liberty lives. We
Washington and Jefferson. It has been many decades since here today are keeping its flame alive. And we honor those brave
America was governed by Jeffersonian principles of limited men and women at Lexington and Concord who stood up to the
government or Washington’s foreign policy of minding our own best army on earth and sent them scurrying back to Boston,
damn business. Having a global military empire is not what I would carrying their wounded and dead.
call minding our own business. If we have one-tenth of their courage, we can win this fight to
America is a free country? In your dreams maybe. Or, if you define restore the Republic and finally win the fight for the natural right to
a free country as a country whose government is free to do liberty which is the very definition of America.
whatever it pleases, then, yes, America is a free government. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
Perhaps you think a free country is a country with elections. When equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
did you ever agree to exchange your right to liberty for the right to unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
vote for which politicians will be your new slave masters? And pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments
where do you go to undue that idiotic "bargain" you never made in are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
the first place? consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of
If we can’t tell the difference between individual freedom and Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of
voting, all is lost. If you fail to understand that majority rule and The People to alter or to abolish it . . .
elections are just an excuse to violate your natural right to liberty, Happy birthday America. Long live the American dream!
we might as well all go home right now.
James Ostrowski is an attorney in Buffalo, New York and author of
We just stumbled on the answer to the question "What was Political Class Dismissed: Essays Against Politics, including
America?" For thousands of years of recorded history, men and "What’s Wrong With Buffalo."
women were governed by thugs who grabbed power by brute force
and then called themselves kings, emperors, czars, kaisers,
caesars, khans, shahs, and sultans. Then, about 300 years ago, a
movement arose that led to the creation of America. We keep that
movement alive here today. That movement holds that all human
beings have a natural human to right to liberty that the government,
democracy or not, could never violate.
I asked at the last tea party, what were those men and women at
Lexington and Concord fighting for? The natural right to liberty.
Liberty is simply the ability to do what you wish with what you own.
Doing what you wish – with what you own.
Liberty is what the American Revolution was fought for. Jefferson
explained that in the Declaration of Independence and in his first
inaugural when he said: "a wise and frugal Government, which shall
restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise
free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and
shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This
is the sum of good government."
It’s not an issue of left or right, liberal or conservative, Democrat or
Republican. Neither party has remotely stood for liberty for many,
many decades, in fact, during the lifetimes of anyone standing here
today.
The idea isn’t liberal as that term is now understood, or
conservative. America was based on the radical idea of natural
liberty which led to the violent overthrow of the evil old regime first
in England, then in America, then in France.
Radical doesn’t mean violent, however. The founders tried every
peaceful means for redress and their actions at Lexington and
Concord were defensive in response to an attack by the British. No,
those who favor the natural right to liberty constitute the party of
peace since liberty is peace and peace is liberty.

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 5

 Liberty, Opportunity, Prosperity County
In the long-term, efforts Contacts
to reduce the employment in higher
education needs to focus on non-instructional employment which
includes
Bernalillo administrative, clerical, custodial, cafeteria, health
– lpnm.us/bernalillo
personnel,
Mike Blessinglaw enforcement/ mikewb1971@gmail.com
– 505-918-6567 personnel and paid student
Restructure Government Workforce, Don't Up Taxes employees. This category especially stands out because its
J. Scott Moody and Wendy P. Warcholik deviation under the employment ratio is the highest in the country
Colfax
15 October 2009 – tinyurl.com/ydod3p5 standing at 256 percent above the national average – employing
Richard Moore – 575-377-6849 / myliberty@mail.com
3.4 people per 100 private sector workers versus 1.59 nationally.
When Gov. Bill Richardson and the Legislature convene in special Elementary
Dona Ana –and secondary education is a bit trickier since money
lpnm.us/dona-ana
session, their goal will be to close the current $650 million budget flows
Siebertfrom the– state
Ickler to localities
575-541-9079 in the form of state aid payments.
/ lpdacnm@lpnm.us
deficit. The situation shows little sign of improving without difficult However, these payments could be made conditional on finding
cuts being made. employment
Lea efficiencies through administrative reforms and the
As such, the budget cuts should fundamentally restructure the way consolidation
Christina Groth and/or privatization of non-curriculum related
– 575-397-9366
government does business. One such area of spending that they functions.
should look closely at is the state and local government workforce. Lincoln
Finally, now is the time to enact a fundamental restructuring of New
Richard Obergfell – 575-378-8025 / lplcnm@valornet.com
For too long the government workforce has grown out-of-control Mexico's state and local workforce. Over the next five to 10 years,
with few, if any, constraints. For example, since the current many government employees will retire simply as a reflection of the
Los Alamos
recession began in January 2008 to August 2009, the private sector overall retirement of the baby boom generation. If we start putting
Allen Cogbill – 505-662-7833 / acogbill@geopotential.com
has lost 33,200 jobs, a decline of 5.2 percent. For these workers valuations on government positions today, as workers retire the
their lives have been turned upside-down. State and local government will have a roadmap as to which positions get re-filled
Luna
governments, on the other hand, have added 1,300 jobs, an and which positions are to be scaled back or eliminated.
Marilyn Steffen – 575-531-2556 / b_lamont5@hotmail.com
increase of 1.2 percent. This special session is going to cost taxpayers $50,000 a day, so
Overall, state and local governments employed 167,000 people in taxpayers
Otero need to see a significant return on their money.
– lpnm.us/otero
August. This is more people than are employed in each of the top Richardson and the
Gilberto Heredia Legislature should
– 575-439-8234 seize the moment and begin
/ thrill@zianet.com
three biggest private sector industries including trade, a comprehensive restructuring of the government workforce. The
transportation and utilities (135,300), education and health services only other option is to raise taxes on a private sector that is already
Roosevelt
(119,700), and retail and wholesale trade (112,200). Government, it hemorrhaging
Ken Sanders – jobs. It is simply unfair to ask a recently laid-off
505-749-2085
seems, is New Mexico's largest industry. worker to pay more in taxes to fund the continued expansion of
government bureaucracy.
San Juan – sjclp.org
Based on data from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of
Economic Analysis, New Mexico's state and local government Gary
J. Wood
Scott – zang5775@msn.com
Moody and Wendy P. Warcholik are adjunct scholars with
employed 24.54 workers for every 100 private sector workers in New Mexico's Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation
2007 – or 51 percent above the national average of 16.22. Sandoval
is an independent, non-partisan, tax-exempt research and
Lowering New Mexico's state and local workforce to the national Ron Bjornstad
educational – 505-288-4228
organization / rbjornstad@earthlink.net
dedicated to promoting prosperity for New
average would have saved taxpayers up to $2.3 billion in 2007 Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic
alone. Santa Feand individual responsibility.
freedom
Ed Nagel – 505-471-6928 / ed123nagel@aol.com
Where are all of these excess employees? Additional data from the
U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau reveals that
Valencia
almost 60 percent of the employment problem resides in our
Abran Gabaldon – 505-864-6870 / abran_d@yahoo.com
elementary, secondary and higher education system. The evidence
points to far too many administrators and bureaucrats and too few
front-line personnel such as teachers, librarians, etc. LPNM Vacancies
Unfortunately, Richardson was recently quoted as saying: “I will not Central Committee (1)
cut schools or education….”
District 3 Representative, Seat A
Is he serious? State and local education spending is the single
largest expenditure at $5.2 billion out of $16.4 billion total (32 County Contacts (20)
percent) FY 2006 spending according to the Census Bureau. If you
can't find budget savings in education, then where else are you
Catron / Chaves / Cibola / Curry / De Baca / Eddy / Grant
going to find budget savings?
Guadalupe / Harding / Hidalgo / McKinley / Mora / Quay
Of course the challenge will be culling real budget savings from Rio Arriba / San Miguel / Sierra / Socorro / Taos / Torrance / Union
reducing the administrative and bureaucratic overhead in
education. Higher education is under the most direct control by the College Contacts (3)
state government, and institutional reforms can and must be made
there. Eastern New Mexico University (Portales)
New Mexico State University (Las Cruces)
In the short-term, a simple hiring freeze would save millions
New Mexico Tech (Socorro)
pending a more thorough review of employment practices. A quick
University of New Mexico (Various Campuses)
search at the University of New Mexico's Web site shows 192 staff
Western New Mexico University (Silver City)
openings and an additional 198 faculty openings. In addition,
numerous other positions will become vacant throughout the rest of
Contact the state chair if you're interested in filling a slot.
the fiscal year.
If you don't, who will?

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 7

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 6
 LPNM Central Committee County Contacts
Chair Bernalillo – lpnm.us/bernalillo
Ken Cavanaugh – 505-990-4024 / phloyd113@cableone.net Mike Blessing – 505-515-7015 / mikewb1971@gmail.com
Vice Chair Colfax
Jay Vandersloot – 505-362-1733 / jayvandersloot@yahoo.com Richard Moore – 575-377-6849 / myliberty@mail.com
Secretary Dona Ana – lpnm.us/dona-ana
Siebert Ickler – 575-541-9079 / lpdacnm@lpnm.us Siebert Ickler – 575-541-9079 / lpdacnm@lpnm.us
Treasurer Lea
VACANT Christina Groth – 575-397-9366
At-Large Representative, Seat A Lincoln
Allen Cogbill – 505-662-7833 / acogbill@geopotential.com Richard Obergfell – 575-378-8025 / lplcnm@valornet.com
At-Large Representative, Seat B Los Alamos
Attila Csanyi – 505-286-7861 / drcsanyi@yahoo.com Allen Cogbill – 505-662-7833 / acogbill@geopotential.com
District 1 Representative, Seat A Luna
Mike Blessing – 505-515-7015 / mikewb1971@gmail.com Marilyn Steffen – 575-531-2556 / b_lamont5@hotmail.com
District 1 Representative, Seat B Otero – lpnm.us/otero
Bob Finch – 765-412-2374 / nmlibertarian@gmail.com Gilberto Heredia – 575-439-8234 / thrill@zianet.com
District 2 Representative, Seat A Rio Arriba
Gilberto Heredia – 575-439-8234 / thrill@zianet.com Lynette Cannon – 575-756-1511 / kevincannon55@msn.com
District 2 Representative, Seat B Roosevelt
Kathleen Hodgkinson – Ken Sanders – 575-749-2085
575-437-6042 / hodgkinson@cybermesa.com
San Juan – sjclp.org
District 3 Representative, Seat A Gary Wood – zang5775@msn.com
Ron Bjornstad – 505-891-4541 / rbjornstad@earthlink.net
Sandoval
District 3 Representative, Seat B Ron Bjornstad – 505-288-4228 / rbjornstad@earthlink.net
Mike Moss – 505-564-4905 / mmoss@plumbersoft.com
Taos
Membership Coordinator Lynette Cannon – 575-756-1511 / kevincannon55@msn.com
Ron Bjornstad – 505-288-4228 / rbjornstad@earthlink.net
Press Secretary LPNM Vacancies
Bill Koehler – 505-264-0835 / bkoehler8@comcast.net Executive Committee (1)
Media Director Treasurer
Bob Finch – 765-412-2374 / nmlibertarian@gmail.com
County Contacts (20)
Campus Contacts Catron / Chaves / Cibola / Curry / De Baca
Central New Mexico Community College [CNM] Eddy / Grant / Guadalupe / Harding / Hidalgo
groups.myspace.com/cnmlibertarians McKinley / Mora / Quay / Santa Fe / San Miguel
Mike Blessing – 505-515-7015 / mikewb1971@gmail.com Sierra / Socorro / Torrance / Union / Valencia
College of Santa Fe College Contacts (4)
Morgan Wells – mwells109@gmail.com Eastern New Mexico University (Portales)
New Mexico State University [NMSU]
New Mexico Tech (Socorro)
Kathleen Hodgkinson –
575-437-6042 / hodgkinson@cybermesa.com University of New Mexico (Various Campuses)
Western New Mexico University (Silver City)
Internet Resources
Contact the state chair if you're interested
Official Website – lpnm.us
in filling a slot.
LPNM Discussion – groups.yahoo.com/lpnm-discuss
Open forum (unmoderated for the most part) If you don't, who will?
Blog – lpofnm.blogspot.com
Facebook group – facebook.com/group.php?gid=20233114967
Ning.com social utility – lpofnm.ning.com
Myspace group – groups.myspace.com/lpnm

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 7

 Administrivia Subscriptions and Correspondence
by Mike Blessing, Editor
For a print subscription, contact Ron Bjornstad for details. New
If you have news, interesting stories, op-ed pieces, a letter to the Mexico Liberty will be posted to the web, in PDF format, to the Files
editor, or timely information that you think belongs in the newsletter, section of the Google group I’ve set up for it –
please send it along. I can be contacted at 505-918-6567, or just
groups.google.com/group/nmliberty
send it to email address mikewb1971@gmail.com.
If you are moving or change your mailing address, please use keep
When sending your submission as an MS Word (or Open Office
us in the loop so we can keep your New Mexico Liberty coming to
Text) file, send it single-spaced in 9-pt Arial – like this is. Margins
you – contact Ron Bjornstad [ rbjornstad@earthlink.net ] if you're a
should be quarter-inch (0.25”) around, with no headers or footers. If
print version subscriber. Otherwise, contact the editor.
you send it in a text-only format, make it clear to me if you want
anything in bold type, underlined, in italics, struck-through, Advertising in New Mexico Liberty
different colors, etc. I’m not telepathic here, so help me out. And
Current rates for year-long spots
NO Wordperfect files – I can't open those.
Full page Ø60.00
Graphics (pictures, cartoons, etc.) – send the highest quality
Half page Ø30.00
graphics you can – email them to me at the address above, and I’ll
Quarter page Ø15.00
do what I can to get them in the next issue. In particular, what I
Business card Ø 8.00
want are pictures of YOU the LPNM members, either at LPNM-
sponsored events or at other peoples' events. Submission deadline Rates are subject to change at the discretion of the editor. The
for each issue – midnight, third Tuesday of the month. editor will do his best to make any such changes only when
absolutely necessary.
Articles
Inserts – For an insert into the PDF version that goes out over the
As for writing your article, It should be concise (no longer than a full
internet, contact the editor at email address . For an insert into the
page) and topical. A bit of humor helps, especially for op-ed pieces.
print edition, contact Ron Bjornstad at email address
What I'm really looking for in the way of articles is what's going on
rbjornstad@earthlink.net or phone number 505-288-4228.
in the LPNM – what YOU the membership are up to in spreading
the message. For example, an article about the stupidity, insanity Ø – The symbol for Federal Reserve Note(s), as used by Boston T.
and evil of the UN might get put in, depending on available space Party in his books. In plain-text message traffic (such as email), the
and the quality of the article. A group of LPNM members counter- acronym “FRN” will be used by the editor. See javelinpress.com for
protesting the raising of a UN flag by the city council WILL get put more information. Also see the Wikipedia page for “Federal
in, and probably will get first priority. Reserve Note” – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Note.
Editorial Viewpoint
THE LPNM OFFICIAL WEBSITE – lpnm.us
The basis for libertarian thought is the Zero Aggression Principle
LPNM OFFICIAL MAILING ADDRESS
[ZAP] –
AND PHONE NUMBER
A libertarian is someone who believes that no human being
918 Ivory Road SE
has the right – under any circumstances – to initiate force
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
against another human being, nor to threaten, incite or
505-288-4228
delegate its initiation.
If the date on your mailing label reads before 12/01/09, it's time
New Mexico Liberty holds that Libertarian candidates, officeholders
to renew your LPNM membership.
or appointed spokespersons at all levels of government or the Party
should refrain from advocating new or more restrictive laws, new or
more expensive spending programs, or new or higher taxes. To THE UNANIMOUS CONSENT CHALLENGE
paraphrase from the medical profession, “First, do no harm.” CASH Ø10,000 PRIZE
Submissions Policy To the first person to write a logical and documented essay
showing one of the following to be compatible with the Declaration
The editor reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any of Independence:
reason. The editor will most often be willing to explain any such
reasons. Appeals of the editor's refusal to post an advertisement, Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890
article, letter to editor, or anything else can be made to the LPNM's Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
State Chair, Central Committee and/or Judicial Council. Federal Communications Act of 1934
National Firearms Act of 1934
Copyright Banking Act of 1935
Copyright © 2003–2009 Libertarian Party of New Mexico. All rights The Internal Revenue Code
reserved. Permission is explicitly granted for subscribers to recopy Controlled Substances Act of 1970
New Mexico Liberty for non-commercial purposes, specifically as RICO Act of 1970
use as an outreach tool, provided that New Mexico Liberty is copied Federal Elections Act of 1970
in its entirety. Use your imagination here. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
Plumbing Products Efficiency Act of 1992
Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1992
USA PATRIOT Act of 2001
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
This challenge is also on the web at tinyurl.com/hn982
To claim your prize, contact
Mike Blessing at 505-515-7015 or
send an email to mikewb1971@gmail.com

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 8

 Libertarian Party of New Mexico
Enrollment / Renewal / Donation Coupon
(Please print in all areas)

Name ___________________________________ Address ____________________________________

City ___________________________ State ________ Zip ______________ Phone _______________

Email _______________________ Employer ____________________ Occupation _________________

[ ] I am registered to vote as “Libertarian” in the State of New Mexico and wish to [ ] join or [ ] renew as a caucus
member. I am paying $25 annual dues. I will receive a one year (12 issues) subscription to the LPNM state
newsletter “New Mexico Liberty” (the national “LP NEWS” IS NOT included) and I will have delegate status at state
conventions. I certify that I do not advocate the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals.

Signed _____________________________________________

[ ] I am not registered to vote as “Libertarian” in the State of New Mexico and/or [ ] I do not wish to sign the
statement opposing the initiation of force to achieve social or political goals. I am paying $25.00 for a one year (12
issues) subscription to the LPNM state newsletter “New Mexico Liberty” (the national “LP NEWS” IS NOT
included). I understand that I will receive no other benefits.

[ ] I am making a DONATION to the LPNM in the amount of $ ________ to be applied as follows:

$_____ General Fund $_____ Chairman's Fund $_____ Major Player Fund $_____ Win One Fund

TOTAL of DUES or SUBSCRIPTION plus DONATION $_________ to be paid as follows:

[ ] by enclosed CHECK payable to “LPNM” (Sorry, we cannot accept corporate checks)

[ ] by CREDIT CARD (circle one): VISA / MASTERCARD

Number: __ __ __ __-__ __ __ __-__ __ __ __-__ __ __ __ Expires: ____/____

Signature: _____________________________________________

Government mandated notices:

● The US Postal Service requires us to notify you that the annual New Mexico Liberty subscription cost is
included in your LPNM membership dues of $25.00.
● The Internal Revenue Service requires us to print “political contributions are not tax deductible” on all
fundraising appeals.
● The Federal Election Commission requires us to ask for the employer and occupation of each individual
whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.

The preceding notices alone should be enough reason to join the Libertarian Party, the only political party working
to increase your freedom.

COPY OR PRINT, FILL OUT, AND SEND TO:

LPNM c/o Ron Bjornstad

918 IVORY RD SE
RIO RANCHO NM 87124

New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 9

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New Mexico Liberty – November 2009 – Page 10