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Eric Allen and Chris Gault discussing why they are the best choice for vice-chair
09 Jan
0

Libertarians hold annual county convention

by in News, News, Press Release

Black Dog Brewing Company in Mooresville, IN; 1:00 PM Saturday January 9th, 2021

The Libertarian Party of Morgan County held its annual county convention at Black Dog Brewing Company this Saturday January 9th. At this year’s convention the members of the party voted to elect county officers, delegates to the Libertarian Party of Indiana State Convention, and approve a 2021 budget.

Anna Elliott, who was re-elected as the party’s Treasurer unanimously, gave the financial report. The party raised $4,234.95 in 2020.

Danny Lundy was re-elected as Chair for the party in a nearly unanimous vote (he abstained from voting for himself). Mr Lundy later thanked the members publicly on Facebook.

“Thank you to the Libertarian Party of Morgan County for re-electing me as chair. We’ve come a long way in two years, but there is a lot of work still to be done.

I look forward to watching this party #LevelUp in the coming years.

To our new Officers and Directors: Thank you for your commitment. We’ve got work to do.”

The Vice-Chair position was contested this year. Eric Allen and Christopher Gault both put their names forward for the position. Eric Allen gave his statement to members first, stating he was excited to see the party growing in Morgan County and he wanted to pitch in and help as much as he could. In Chris Gault’s statement to members he stated that he was willing to help shoulder some of the Chair’s responsibilities as he knows Danny currently has a lot of commitment to the State party. After a brief discussion the membership chose Chris Gault to be its Vice-Chair. Chris also took to Facebook to thank the members:

“I was elected and am looking forward to serving Morgan County Libertarians as Vice-Chair. I appreciate the confidence my party has in me as we move forward into 2021. Excited for our future!!”

Kristin Alexander also had an overwhelming amount of support from the members to continue as Secretary as she too was re-elected to her position unanimously.

The members also approved a 2021 budget, select several delegates to the State Convention, to be held March 26th-28th at the Forum Event Center in Fishers, and announced a wide range of goals they have set for 2021.

Immediately following the convention, the party also held an Executive Committee meeting to appoint Directors:

The Libertarian Party of Morgan County seeks a principled and innovative approach to local government; inclusive communication with the public, and accountability for our officials.

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08 Jan
0

Williams, clerks office debate records and purchases

by in News

Williams, clerks office debate records and purchases

MOORESVILLE — When Mooresville Town Councilman Shane Williams ran for his current seat, he made a campaign promise to donate his salary back to the town.

In 2020, members of the town council received a salary of $3,000 — which is paid in $750 increments every three months.

Williams wrote two checks, both totaling $750, in May 2020.

Money from those two checks, one dated May 5 and the other dated May 14, were both placed into a non-reverting fund known as “town improvement donation.”

At the start of 2020, that specific fund had $90.15.

According to a “fund account detail report,” which shows the deposits and expenses for the entire year, those two checks are the only two that Williams deposited in the calendar year 2020.

However, Williams donated an additional $750 at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Mooresville Town Council after he got paid in mid-December.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Williams discussed a recent “claim” from Morgan County Libertarian Party Chairman Danny Lundy that he had not made his donations to the town.

Williams pointed to the two TV monitors that hang in the town government center, a laptop to use for presentations during public meetings and a painting as examples of his donations to the town.

While the painting was purchased by Williams and then donated to the town, the TV monitors, laptop and supporting equipment were bought using two credit cards.

The town then used money Williams donated to make payments to the credit cards.

One credit card transaction was at the Camby Walmart on May 7 for $245.18 for items like TV mounts and HDMI cables.

Another two transactions also took place on May 7 at Meijer stores in Camby and Avon for the two TVs for $469.99 each.

On May 8, there was a transaction for Amazon to purchase the laptop for $469.

“One thing I think (Lundy) was right to criticize on was the town wasn’t keeping track of donations very well,” Williams said Tuesday night.

Williams said that information regarding the painting donation was not provided to Lundy.

The price of the painting was $802.50.

During the meeting, Mooresville Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Debbie Monts expressed her feelings that she thought Williams was saying the town’s clerk-treasurer’s office was not properly maintaining records.

“Any donation or check that is made out to the clerk’s office is reconciled against the bank, monthly,” Monts said. “Audited by the state board of accounts. Anything that is not monetary, obviously, there is no way to receipt that in.”

At the meeting, Williams provided the town with a receipt for the painting and his canceled donation checks for public record.

“If somebody wants to see what I’ve donated, they can ask for that file and pull the copy of the receipt,” Williams said.

On Wednesday, Monts said that Lundy’s request was not for specific information on William’s donation.

“What it asked for was the detail expenditures of all the donation funds in the town,” Monts said Wednesday, later adding that the request also wanted to know the balances of those funds.

Monts went on to say that the clerk-treasurer’s office did not know that the painting was part of Williams’ salary donation.

“Even had we had a receipt for the painting, and had the knowledge that he was expecting that to be considered part of his donation, we still would not have provided that information in that particular records request because that was not the information that was requested,” Monts said.

During a conversation on Thursday, Williams acknowledged he did not know exactly what was in the public records request.

“When I said the town hasn’t done a good job, I was talking about all of us,” Williams said Thursday.

Setting an example

During Tuesday’s meeting, Williams said that when he wanted the TV monitors purchased with his donated money, he was asked to set an example when it comes to wants versus needs as it relates to town expenses.

Monts explained Wednesday that she had initially asked Williams to lead by example — conserving money whenever possible — after Williams had requested that a town employee go to the clerk-treasurer’s office to get a credit card and purchase the TV, laptop and supporting equipment.

On Thursday, Williams also said that he had asked a town employee to get a town credit card from the clerk-treasurer’s office to pay for the equipment.

At the time, the town had sent a memo to department heads that there could be financial issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So they had to be ultra-conservative until we found out how this was going to affect us,” Monts said Wednesday.

Williams also noted that the town had requested that department heads watch spending due to potential financial strains.

“We had told department heads to be frugal,” Williams said.

Williams said that there was a disagreement with the idea of whether or not the town needed the TV monitors.

According to Monts, the town employee came to the office ask for the credit card to purchase the equipment, which would then be paid back out of the donation fund.

At the time, though, Monts said that Williams had not donated any money to the town, leaving it with the same amount of money it began the year.

“So, I didn’t want to give up the credit card without being told how they plan to pay for it,” Monts said.

She then said that she told Williams to “lead by example” because department heads had been told not to spend money unnecessarily.

“But, he wanted to spend money without there being any money in the fund,” Monts said.

After Williams’ two donations in May, there was $1,590.15 in the “town improvement donation” fund.

Two payments were then made to “Card Service Center” for $478.81 and $1,185.16 for the credit cards, which brought the fund balance to $-73.82.

On Dec. 3, there was another payment out of the fund to an individual listed as Brett Durham for $500.

The next day, Mooresville Towing donated $500 to the fund, which brought the balance back to $-73.82.

On Dec. 30, the Libertarian Party of Morgan County donated $73.82 — bringing the fund balance to $0 by the end of 2020.

~ By Staff Report | Published January 8, 2021 in The Mooresville Times

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28 Oct
0

City BZA approves variances

by in News, Appointees, News

City BZA approves variances

MARTINSVILLE — Martinsville resident David Dalton will be able to construct a new garage on his property after the Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) approved two variances Tuesday night.

The property in question is located in the 600 block of East Walnut Street.

At the beginning of the meeting, Martinsville Building Inspector Bob Strader explained Dalton’s request.

Strader said that he has visited the property on three different occasions, which currently has a two-car garage and storage shed, both of which Dalton wants to demolish.

Since those structures were built, Strader noted, a city ordinance has been enacted that requires a 10-foot setback.

“He’s needing 2 foot,” Strader said, explaining that the proposed building would have an 8-foot setback.

There is also an ordinance that requires a 9-foot wall height, but Dalton’s proposed garage was being built with 12-foot-tall walls.

“I did speak with a couple neighbors there, and they spoke highly of him and had no issues whatsoever,” Strader said, adding that the garage would be built on an alley.

According to Dalton, he has lived on the property for about 20 years.

“What I am wanting to do is tear down the old garage, get rid of the shed, and just put one building in basically the same place that the garage and the shed are at now,” Dalton said.

BZA member Anna Elliott noted that the proposed building would be “quite a bit larger,” in terms of square footage.

When compared to the existing garage, the proposed garage is larger, Dalton noted.

But, the proposed garage is also replacing the storage shed.

“One of the questions that we have to ask is, if you were to follow the city ordinances to the letter of the law, would it impede you from being able to do what you need to do with that building?” Elliott asked.

“Yes, it would,” Dalton responded.

“Explain that,” Elliott said.

Dalton noted that a 10-foot setback would leave less yard compared to the requested 8-foot setback.

“I’ve got grandkids that like to come over and play,” Dalton said. “I would have to move the garage closer to the house.”

The reason Dalton is wanting higher walls is because he would like to have a lift inside the garage to work on vehicles.

The lift, Dalton noted, would just be for personal use on his and family member’s vehicles.

“Not for any type of commercial use,” Dalton added.

Before the vote, Elliott wanted Dalton to confirm that the current structures have 8-foot setbacks.

“Yes, that is 8 foot from the property line,” Dalton said.

No one from the public offered any concerns to Dalton’s request.

Before the vote, Strader said that the new garage would be an improvement to the neighborhood.

Board member Katie Barnard made the motion to approve the two variances, with member Tom Hacker seconding.

The variances were approved unanimously, 5-0.

Attorney search

BZA members also briefly discussed the search for a new attorney for it and the plan commission.

The current attorney is Dakota VanLeeuwen, who will be stepping down.

According to BZA chairwoman Ann Marvel, the city will be advertising for a new attorney.

A committee of BZA and plan commission members will be formed to look into a future attorney.

The next meeting of the Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in council chambers at Martinsville City Hall, 59 S. Jefferson St.

~ Staff Report | Published October 28, 2020 in The Reporter Times

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13 Oct
0

Libertarians stump in Martinsville

by in News, Appointees, Campaign, News

Libertarians stump in Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE — For Donald Rainwater, the reason he’s running for Indiana Governor is quite simple.

“I grew up learning and believing that our constitutional republic, our constitutional government, is designed for us to have a limited government and only collect the taxes that government needs to operate,” Rainwater said on Saturday.

Rainwater, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for governor, is running against the incumbent, Republican Eric Holcomb, and Democrat Woody Myers.

He, along with his running mate William Henry and 9th Congressional District nominee Tonya Millis, were at the American Legion in Martinsville on Saturday for a campaign stop.

Before the start of Saturday’s event, Rainwater took time to discuss why he believes voters should support him in the upcoming General Election.

“We are raising taxes, increasing the size and scope of government agencies and programs, and much of it doesn’t really benefit Hoosier citizens,” Rainwater said.

Rainwater, 57, previously ran twice for a seat in the Indiana General Assembly.

“This time, I felt like I needed to lend my voice to a more direct executive office position as governor,” Rainwater said.

The year 2020 has been a difficult one throughout the state of Indiana. The ongoing CO VID-19 pandemic has caused drastic changes to how Hoosiers go about their daily lives.

Earlier this year, Holcomb issued several executive orders — from requiring restaurants and bars to operate as carry-out only to stay-athome orders that caused many to be furloughed from work.

Some of these orders have been relaxed, but the long-term effects remain largely unknown. According to Rainwater, Holcomb’s executive orders going back to March 1 have put nearly one million Hoosiers onto unemployment.

“The thing that really concerns me more than anything else is that we have one man deciding the health, welfare and economic stability for 6.7 million people in the state of Indiana,” Rainwater said.

In Rainwater’s opinion, every Hoosier has the right to decide how to protect themselves as well as their families and businesses.

Holcomb’s executive order has limited church services, which Rainwater believes is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

“If people are allowed to peaceably assemble, and exercise their religion, there is nowhere in the Constitution that it says that a governor can suspend that in an emergency,” Rainwater said.

Donald Rainwater talks to supporters after his speech

If elected governor, Rainwater said the first thing he would do is eliminate Holcomb’s executive orders.

“The second thing I would do is go to the General Assembly and say, ‘You need to pass legislation immediately
that limits the governor’s powers in an emergency, and requires the governor to call a special session if the General Assembly is not in session,’”

Rainwater said. “There is no way the governor of Indiana is supposed to have that kind of power.”

Rainwater would also like to re-create the base of Indiana’s economy — family farms and small businesses.

“For too long, state government has eroded the small business and family farmer foundation of our state economy,” he said. “It is almost like there has been a war on Hoosier business in favor of out-of-state and out-of-country corporations coming in here.”

Rainwater added that he is not “anticorporation” but that small businesses and family farms helped build the state.

In the Libertarian nominee’s opinion, bringing in a bunch of jobs that Hoosiers are not trained to do is not helpful.

“My focus over the next four years is going to be shrinking the size and scope of state government, innovating and updating process, procedures (and) systems so that state government is more cost effective,” Rainwater said.

Recently, an Indy Politics and Change Research poll showed Rainwater within striking distance of both major party nominees.

Holcomb was polling at 36 percent, Myers at 30 and Rainwater was coming in at 24 percent support among likely voters during the survey conducted in early September — numbers that are almost unheard of for a third-party nominee.

“I think my message is one of limited government and personal responsibility and personal freedom,” Rainwater said. “I believe that the majority of Americans — not just the majority of Hoosiers, but the majority of Americans — believe in limited government, and they want control of their own lives and not to have government dictate it.”

Millis speech

During Saturday’s event, Millis was given an opportunity to speak to the crowd that had gathered.

Millis is running against Republican incumbent Trey Hollingsworth and Democrat Andy Ruff in the state’s 9th Congressional District.

“For decades now, I have been watching our freedoms and liberties slowly being whittled away,” Millis said during her speech. “We the people’s independence is fading — you all know it.”

She added that if just 15 Libertarian wins in the House of Representatives, the two-party system could be broken up.

Millis also pointed to recent changes in laws that banned anyone under the age of 21 from buying tobacco products.

“Let’s say a soldier who is 19 or 20 years old comes home from serving overseas, he can’t have a celebratory cigar with Grandpa on the back porch because it is against the law, and that is wrong,” Millis said.

She would go on to say that Hoosiers have the ability break up the twoparty system by voting Libertarian in the upcoming election.

Election information

This year’s General Election will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Early voting, however, has already begun in Morgan County.

There are three early voting sites this year and residents can cast ballots on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Mooresville First Christian Church, 525 N. Indiana St., Mooresville and the Morgan County Administration Building, 180 S. Main St., Martinsville.

Voting will also take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct 24 and 31, at Monrovia Christian Church, 710 Gordon Road, Monrovia.

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A sign stands in a town of Mooresville right-of-way at the intersection of Samuel Moore Parkway and Indianapolis Road on Oct. 2
02 Oct
0

Libertarians argue First Amendment violations

by in News, Articles, News, Reports

Libertarians argue First Amendment violations

MOORESVILLE — The Libertarian Party of Morgan County, Indiana (LPMCIN) is threatening a possible lawsuit against the town of Mooresville in the ongoing saga related to the placement — and removal — of signs in Mooresville rights-of-way.

Going back to the spring, the town has been removing signs in town rights-of-way, justifying the action by citing Mooresville’s unified development ordinance (UDO).

Attorney Mark Rutherford, from the law firm Thrasher Buschmann & Voelkel, sent a letter dated Sept. 28 to the Mooresville Town Council and the town’s legal counsel, Chou-il Lee, asking that the town “rectify” its ruling or face a possible lawsuit.

One of the main topics of controversy has been the placement of political signs in the town’s rights-of-way.

“The Town of Mooresville is ignoring the ruling of the United States Supreme Court concerning regulation of political signs,” Rutherford stated in his letter. “Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Ariz., 576 U.S. 155 (2015) is highly critical of such restrictions and perhaps should be reviewed and studied by the Town Council of Mooresville.”

In the Reed case, the Supreme Court determined that a sign ordinance in the Arizona city, which placed stricter limitations on signs for religious services, was a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The three-page letter goes on to note that the town’s restrictions of political signs are “discriminatory” towards the county’s Libertarian Party, and lists examples of that discrimination.

“In one instance, the LPMCIN installed a ‘Rainwater for Indiana’ sign in the median of Indianapolis Road in Mooresville,” Rutherford notes in his letter. “That sign was placed on May 19, 2020, next to a commercial sign that had been placed there prior to April 18, 2020. Soon thereafter derogatory public comments about the Rainwater sign were made by Town Council President Shane Williams, and the LPMCIN was asked to remove it less than a day later.”

The letter then notes that both the Rainwater sign and commercial sign were removed, with Rutherford going on to write that “only a political sign was subject to derogatory public comments.”

“(T)he Town’s enforcement of its Ordinance is illegal and demonstrates an active and illegal effort to silence LPMCIN and apparently and reluctantly one commercial sign,” the letter notes, while pointing out that other commercial signs remain in place throughout Mooresville.

The letter also points to the fact that the town recently gave permission to a local sorority to place signs for an event it was hosting, and the Mooresville Parks Department also placed a sign in a right-of-way at Samuel Moore Parkway and Indianapolis Road.

On July 13, the town’s public works superintendent Dave Moore gave Delta Theta Tau permission to place signs for its annual Flag Town 5K Run/Walk after a representative from the sorority sent Moore an email.

Then, on July 21, the Mooresville Parks Department was granted by the town council to install a sign in order to advertise concerts at Pioneer Park.

A moveable letter sign sits in an island at the intersection of Indianapolis Road and Samuel Moore Parkway in Mooresville in July. Earlier this year, campaign signs in this island, and other town rights-of-way, became a hot topic in the weeks leading up to the June primary.
A moveable letter sign sits in an island at the intersection of Indianapolis Road and Samuel Moore Parkway in Mooresville in July. Earlier this year, campaign signs in this island, and other town rights-of-way, became a hot topic in the weeks leading up to the June primary.

Following the controversy in the spring related to political signs, Morgan County’s political parties were asked to bring up their request to install signs to the town’s Board of Zoning Appeals.

In August, the BZA denied the parties’ variance request to install signs in rights-of-way.

“Apparently, political parties have a heightened standard and must ask permission from the Board of Zoning Appeals first and then to the Town Council if there is a negative decision,” Rutherford’s letter notes. “A sorority only need to email the head of the street department. The parks department can go directly to the Town Council. This discrimination is content-based (political speech) and thus unconstitutional.”

Apparently, political parties have a heightened standard and must ask permission from the Board of Zoning Appeals first and then to the Town Council if there is a negative decision,” Rutherford’s letter notes. “A sorority only need to email the head of the street department. The parks department can go directly to the Town Council. This discrimination is content-based (political speech) and thus unconstitutional.”

The Mooresville-Decatur Times reached out to both LPMCIN chairman Danny Lundy and Williams to get their comments on this matter.

Lundy said that it was unfortunate that the situation has led to the letter being sent, adding that the fight is not about the Libertarian Party.

“It is really about protecting everybody’s rights in town,” Lundy said. “If you can’t put a ‘Just Be Kind’ sign out by your mailbox, I mean, that is an infringement.”

Williams offered a comment through attorney Beth Copeland, who practices in the same firm as the town’s legal counsel.

“The Town of Mooresville is in receipt of the letter from the Libertarian Party of Morgan County and stands by the actions it has taken thus far involving the issue of signs,” the statement reads. “Given the Libertarian Party of Morgan County is threatening to sue the Town for decisions it has made, the town has no further comment on the matter.”

Rutherford’s letter ends by noting that “if action is not taken within 14 days” he would recommend that the Libertarian Party consider legal action against the town of Mooresville.

~ By Lance Gideon | Reporter | Published October 2, 2020 in The Mooresville Times

** On November 5th, 2020 a response was Taft law firm issued a response to the letter. You can read that here.

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29 Sep
0

COLUMN: The Holcomb, Myers malaise

by in News, Articles, Campaign, News

COLUMN: The Holcomb, Myers malaise

I’m thinking of doing something different in the gubernatorial election. Some will say I would be wasting my vote.

The same temptation teased me in the 2016 presidential election. Disgusted that our political process delivered the two worst candidates imaginable in Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, I flirted with the idea of going third party or simply staying home and not voting at all.

In the end, I resisted the urge.

It was going to be a close enough election that relatively few votes could make a difference. If I abandoned my usual practice — voting for the candidate, however flawed, who most matched my worldview — it would not be just a wasted vote. It would have the effect of voting for the other candidate. It made no sense to make a point by voting against my own interests.

But the situation is different in the governor’s race this year, so I’m giving serious thought to ignoring Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and Democratic challenger Woody Myers and casting my vote for Libertarian Donald Rainwater.

For one thing, this doesn’t seem to be a close election. Holcomb is likely to win by such a wide margin that an individual ballot will hardly matter. I can use my vote to make a point without worrying about the outcome.

And for another, it’s hard to imagine how I can vote against my interests with Holcomb or Myers when I have such trouble meshing my worldview with either one of them.

I struggled toward this conclusion after seeing news reports that the Indiana Debate Commission is asking Hoosiers to send in questions for possible use in the Oct. 20 and 27 debates between the three candidates.

Since everyone else would likely be developing the usual sort of questions that could be answered in 30-second, stump-speech sound bites, I reasoned that I could make a contribution with questions forcing Holcomb to defend his record and the other candidates to offer substantively different approaches. Try as I might, I could not find a major issue I cared about in which Holcomb and Myers could offer me a clear choice.

The governor’s enthusiastic COVID-justified use of the sweeping powers ceded to him by the General Assembly in clear violation of the Indiana Constitution? Myers’ chief complaint against Holcomb is that he did not issue the mask mandate soon enough.

How about the almost complete state takeover of public education, first by the Legislature, then by the governor’s office, despite the fact that none of the politicians know what in the world to do with it? Anyone who thinks Myers would be different should consider that the Republican secretary of education has endorsed him.

Speaking of which, the Indianapolis Star reports that Gov. Holcomb, with his wily, moderate ways, has scored numerous key endorsements from organizations that backed the Democratic nominee four years ago, including major donors such as the state teacher’s union, fraternal order of police and trade groups.

I think of the state’s $2 billion surplus when I make my final effort at candidate differentiation. Holcomb would continue to sit on it forever. Myers would spend it just as quickly as he could. Rainwater is the one who might say, “Wait a minute here, isn’t all that loose cash really taxpayer money?”

If I thought it mattered that much, I’m sure I could look harder and find enough reasons to hold my nose and vote for Holcomb, in the faint hope that I would get at least some of the prudence I want in state government. But I don’t think it matters that much.

If I end up voting for Rainwater, and enough other disaffected conservatives do likewise, something interesting might happen.

In the last five gubernatorial elections, the Libertarian share of the vote ranged from a low of 1.29 percent in 2004 to a high of 3.95 percent in 2012. What would happen if, in 2020, the Libertarian broke into double digits or came very close to it?

The potential upside is that the idea of a deliberative, fiscally responsible state that gives up more home rule to cities and counties might take hold again, at least enough for more Hoosiers to consider it a valuable option. The bigger the Libertarian vote, the more credibility that idea will have.

The potential downside, of course, is that the election is closer than I think and an even modest increase of Libertarian votes will swing the election to Myers.

A possibility I confess to not losing much sleep over.

~ By Leo Morris | Indiana Policy Review | Published September 29, 2020 in The Reporter Times

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29 Sep
0

LETTER: A fresh choice over old two-party system

by in Campaign, News, Letter to the Editor, News

LETTER: A fresh choice over old two-party system

People are clamoring for a choice this election season. The media would have us believe that the highest office in the land may only be held by one of two long-standing political parties — parties that have given us ever-increasing levels of inefficiency, ineptitude, irresponsibility, imperialism and partisan inhospitality.

We have another choice.

Dr. Jo Jorgensen, the presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party, is on all 50 state ballots in 2020. She holds a PhD in industrial psychology from Clemson University and currently holds a position at her alma mater as senior lecturer. Prior to this, she started, grew and sold multiple multi-million-dollar businesses, without sending any of them into bankruptcy.

The old parties continue to grow the size and influence of government, despite their promises to reduce it.

The Libertarian Party consistently espouses and provides plans for a government that will stay within its constitutionally-dictated bounds: just large enough to do the work it should do, and small enough to stay out of our personal, day-to-day lives. Less government will always equal more freedom.

Please do your research on a viable alternative. When you get to the ballot box on Nov. 3, vote Dr. Jo Jorgensen for president.

Eric Allen

Martinsville

~ By Eric Allen | Letter to the Editor | Published September 29, 2020 in The Reporter Times

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25 Sep
0

Keys to the Candidates: U.S. House, District 9

by in News, Articles, Campaign, News

Keys to the Candidates: U.S. House, District 9

EDITOR’S NOTE: Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name. No corrections or changes have been made to the responses submitted.

Three candidates are vying for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 9th District of Indiana, including Trey Hollingsworth (R), Tonya Millis (L) and Andy Ruff (D).

1. Please describe the occupations, education/training and experience that qualify you for this office.

HOLLINGSWORTH: I was a small business owner in the real estate and manufacturing sectors. In business, I found myself constantly frustrated by the roadblocks created by the federal government demonstrating those who wrote these laws and regulations never actually had to feel their burden. Now in Congress, I have mobilized that experience into better outcomes for hardworking Hoosiers and my mission continues to be empowering every American to live their American Dream including helping families during this difficult time, safeguarding our communities, ensuring our safety, and boosting the economy back to where we were in February (the best economy in generations).

MILLIS: As a Real Estate Broker, I have been a leader in my industry by serving as President of the Board and serving in other positions. The work I have entailed involves contract negotiations and multi-tasking. I am a grandmother with life-long experiences as a Hoosier. I have a detailed biography on my website, www.tonyaforcongress.com.

RUFF: I am a former Bloomington City Council member with 20 years of service as an elected City of Bloomington council member, including multiple terms as president. I have tremendous experience building policies that improve the lives of ordinary Hoosiers at the local level. I have a master’s degree in public & environmental affairs from Indiana University and a bachelor’s in natural resource management from Cornell. My education and professional experiences have given me a deep understanding of the complexities and vulnerabilities of our world, setting me on a path of lifelong service and protection for the environment and my community.

2. Why are you running for this office?

HOLLINGSWORTH: I am fighting for a government that is run by the people and for the people. Congress is filled with career politicians who worry more about their own careers than those they represent. Washington for too long hasn’t been concerned with us and our values despite hardworking Americans remitting over $3.5 trillion to the federal government every year. I signed a term limits promise to Hoosiers that I won’t serve in the House more than four terms, and I’ve introduced legislation to make term limits law for everybody. Serving you, your family, and your future is my priority.

MILLIS: I have watched our Country’s freedoms and liberties slowly being whittled away over decades. ‘We, the People’ have watched our independence fading away. I feel compelled to stand up and serve. I intend to win this election, go to Washington D.C. with like-minded members of Congress, and put a halt to the unconstitutional behavior that has been going on for years by both parties.

RUFF: Right now the 9th District is poorly served and represented by a son of a billionaire with no ties to Indiana. I am a lifelong Hoosier with a decades-long political record of working selflessly to benefit the residents of our district and the people of our state. As a U.S. congressman, I will work with the same tireless devotion to provide 9th District residents with access to their federal government using the skills I sharpened as a counselor, educator and civic leader for over 20 years. Brown County deserves no less than someone whose values and challenges mirror their own.

3. Please discuss the current state of race relations in the U.S. and what actions, if any, Congress should take to address these.

HOLLINGSWORTH: Our country aspires to treat everybody equally and judge us only by the sum of our actions, not the color of our skin. We have, as individuals and as a nation, in many places and many times fallen short of our aspirations. It is up to us as Americans, and in our capacity as parents, neighbors, and friends, to hold us to our own country’s standards. To make a difference, we have to start one by one, and each take individual responsibility for our own actions. Let’s continue to reach for better together.

MILLIS: Over recent years, modern technology (cell phones w/video) has been shining a light on the dark wrong doings that has been going on for hundreds of years. Although the process for change has been too slow, communities and local leaders are banning together to correct the problems. The ‘people’ are working together with their officials to weed out racism in our institutions. State’s and townships (under Article 4 and 10th Amendment) are finally starting to work together to right the wrongs. The federal government (Congress) is limited under their constitutional authority while encouraging change needed across our Country.

RUFF: The state of race relations in the U.S. is this: Huge problems exist, and too many people either refuse to acknowledge them or latch onto any excuse to blame the victims of systemic injustice for social unrest. While some politicians use their bully pulpit to help reassure and temper the masses rising up against injustice, others stoke fear while encouraging us to arm ourselves against our own countrymen. Many do nothing at all. Those in the latter two groups include my opponent. Real and substantive changes in our legal system and law enforcement can and must be done now.

COVID-19 has exposed strengths and weaknesses in public health and health care. What changes, if any, would you make to health care nationally that would benefit Indiana?

HOLLINGSWORTH: Great health care starts with top-notch cures. This pandemic has been a reminder that we need to empower our health care researchers to develop the best cures, which this country has been the leader in for decades. I’m a strong supporter of biotech research and making advances in cures for Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer.

Also, ensuring access to affordable health care for Hoosiers is hugely important to me. While there are plenty of proposals that want to consolidate government control of health care, I believe the patient should be able to decide what provider they see and what cures they use.

MILLIS: The coronavirus revealed the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) was unprepared for a crisis it was designed to handle. The CDC is an extremely large beaurocracy (sic) that is over-funded and outdated. When the C-19 outbreak hit the U.S., FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) took over and managed the responsibilities that were under the CDC’s purview. It’s time to reduce & streamline the CDC into FEMA for efficiency and to save the taxpayer millions of dollars. Today, most parents, businesses and patrons are using ‘best practices’ for safety as appropriate for their own situation. This has been a learning curve for everyone. As a member of Congress, I would encourage the recommendations of well-regarded scientists, and I would encourage ‘the people’ to be safe as reasonably possible while living their lives the best they can.

RUFF: Over 200,000 citizens have died from COVID. Job losses rival the Great Depression, yet health insurance remains tied to employment. Millions lose coverage during a global pandemic while my opponent tells people to get “back to work.” Big U.S. medical industries still care more about saving money than lives. Can there be any doubt any longer that we finally need to ditch the profit-driven system for a far cheaper public one that guarantees health care fit for the greatest nation on Earth? Universal health care will help all Hoosiers, and not just so they can get back to work5. .

5. Please explain what national actions, if any, should be taken to address our climate and related environmental concerns.

HOLLINGSWORTH: America is the leading country in innovation, ideas, and technology, and the track record of American firms reducing emissions per dollar of GDP over the last two decades has been impressive. We must be mindful that long-term, sustainable solutions only work when we offer Americans the opportunity to improve their economic and environmental situations simultaneously, not try to mandate tens of trillions of dollars in regulations, taxes, and rules from the federal government stifling freedom and opportunity. Hoosiers want abundant opportunities for their kids not trillions more in debt on partisan mistakes like the Green New Deal.

MILLIS: From my perspective, the majority of people want clean air. They want a safe & clean society for their families going well into the future. Congress should continue to inform the public of its findings and make recommendations, in general, while not infringing on the personal freedoms of each individual. There is a balance here. It doesn’t matter your age, race or religeon, (sic) on behalf of Indiana’s District 9, I will have a voice in Washington D.C.

RUFF: We don’t need scientists to tell us man is destroying nature anymore. It’s right outside our windows. Indiana may not have hurricanes or fire tornadoes, but the poisoning of our Hoosier grounds and waters is causing extinctions and public health crises even in populated 9th District cities like Franklin, Martinsville and Bloomington. I’ll protect our state through market incentives for green products and tech; a zero-emission and carbon-neutral government and military; protecting public lands from further exploitation; battling corporate influence in politics; strengthening the EPA; supporting relief for disaster victims and climate refugees; and especially lowering impacts on marginalized communities.

~ From the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County | Published September 25, 2020 The Reporter Times

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25 Sep
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City approves setback variance

by in News, Appointees, News

City approves setback variance

MARTINSVILLE — A proposed house along east Pike Street cleared a hurdle Tuesday night during a meeting of the Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals, which lasted less than 10 minutes in length.

That is because the BZA approved a side setback variance for the new house that is being built in the 1200 block of East Pike Street on the city’s northeast side.

The requested variance is to allow the setbacks from the new house to be 5 feet instead of 10.

Denney Walls, the owner of the parcel of land, was present during Tuesday’s meeting to answer questions.

BZA chairperson Ann Marvel noted that the proposed house would be 30 feet wide, and that the previous house that sat on the land was 28 feet wide.

“And it is a small, small lot,” Marvel said.

Marvel then asked Walls if there was anyone that knew where the corners of the property were located.

Walls responded that the lot is a little more than 41 feet wide by about 132 feet long.

According to Marvel, most of the lots in the city of Martinsville are supposed to have 10-foot setbacks, but many of the older sections of town do not meet that requirment.

Martinsville Building Inspector Bob Strader said that he has previously visited the property, and noted that there is a carport on the back end of the property that has a roughly 5-foot setback from a neighboring property.

“I believe Denney’s intentions are to kind of more or less stay in line with that,” Strader said.

Walls said that he has spoken with the neighbors directly to west of the property, who, according to Walls, are OK with the plans for the new house.

BZA member Anna Elliott asked where the new house would be built in relation to the house that previously sat on the property.

Walls responded that the new house would be built in the same location, and that the structure itself would be 28 feet wide, but the overhang from the roof would be 30 feet wide.

Elliott asked if a survey location report had been completed on the property, with Walls responding that no report had been completed.

Martinsville Director of Planning and Engineering Gary Oakes said that the new house would be an improvement on the property compared to the old structure.

The property has previously come to the attention of the city’s unsafe building and hearing authority.

It was noted during the meeting that part of an adjacent alley is partially in the property, with BZA member Tom Hacker asking why that alley cut into Walls’ property.

Walls noted that the alley has been like that for several years.

Marvel also noted that the property in question sits on the boundary between two historic subdivisions.

“When you get in that kind of a situation, you don’t know what happened,” Marvel said about the alley.

There were no members of the public present to speak out against the requested zoning variance.

BZA member Katie Barnard made the motion to approve the setback variance, with Hacker seconding.

The variance was approved unanimously, 5-0.

The next scheduled meeting of the Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in council chambers at Martinsville City Hall, 59 S. Jefferson St.

~ Staff Report | Published September 25, 2020 in The Reporter Times

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22 Sep
0

COLUMN: 4 things to know about Libertarian candidate

by in News, Articles, Campaign, News

COLUMN: 4 things to know about Libertarian candidate

“His views on some issues confronting our state may differ from yours.”

That clarification popped up on Donald Rainwater’s Facebook page last week.

The fantastically named Indianapolis native and U.S. Navy veteran will battle Republican incumbent Eric Holcomb and Democrat Woody Myers as the Libertarian candidate for governor in the November election.

All political ideologies are tough to pin down these days. Republicans will ditch their flirtation with small government if they want to spy on you, and Democrats will abandon high-minded talk about civil liberties if they want to … well, spy on you.

But Libertarianism, for better or worse, is pretty consistent. More than anything, it wants to banish government from your everyday life. And Rainwater’s stances usually adhere to that.

Here are a few things you should know about him as the election nears.

COVID-19

On his campaign website, Rainwater decries the coronavirus-related shutdowns Holcomb has issued since the pandemic officially roared across our borders in March.

He lambastes the cratering economy and ballooning jobless numbers, and points out that many Hoosiers who applied for unemployment struggled to receive their payments in a timely fashion — if at all.

“As governor, I would propose that the Indiana General Assembly pass legislation to ensure that a governor never has the unilateral power to shut down our economy again. I will not mandate the shutdown of businesses, churches or schools,” he wrote. “I will not mandate the wearing of masks. I will not mandate vaccinations. I will end any such executive orders upon taking office. “Hoosiers must be well-informed and be allowed to make their own choices as citizens, not subjects.”

“Hoosiers must be well-informed and be allowed to make their own choices as citizens, not subjects.Similar sentiments pop up in campaign ads posted to his Facebook page.

Like every other social media post about COVID-19, you’ll find plenty of “coronavirus is a hoax” blather lurking in the comments. But according to a statement he issued in April, Rainwater takes the virus seriously.

He just thinks prevention measures should be left up to the people — a stance that would make sense in a world without conspiracy theories and selfishness.

“While we should all voluntarily do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, I believe that state and local government should encourage individuals and businesses to voluntarily operate within the recommended guidelines put forth by our health care professionals without issuing inconsistent and unilateral executive orders which arbitrarily allow some businesses to continue operations while others are shut down,” he said.

Marijuana

Rainwater’s pretty straightforward on this one.

“As your governor, I will work with members of the Indiana General Assembly to decriminalize both medical and recreational cannabis,” he writes on his website.

“… If beer, wine and liquor are legal for adult recreational consumption,” cannabis should be, too, he added.

He also calls for weed to be made available to veterans suffering from PTSD. And he says anyone convicted of a marijuana-related crime should have their records expunged and their prison sentences commuted.

He’s been pushing for weed legalization at least since 2018, when he wrote a letter to the Indianapolis Star in the midst of the opioid crisis. In it, he accused state and federal governments of “protecting” pharmaceutical giants and demonizing marijuana users.

“How many of the 1,808 Indiana overdose deaths in 2017 were caused by marijuana overdose?” he said.

Taxes

He’s a Libertarian, so he wants to hurl most of those into the sea.

On his website, he says he’ll abolish personal income tax, as well as residential property taxes on primary residences.

If that happened, how would Rainwater replenish the millions of dollars in revenue Indiana would lose?

“I wouldn’t replace it,” he wrote on his campaign’s Facebook page last week. “Period.”

He claims he would find additional cash by nixing “fraud, waste and abuse” from the budget process.

Grab bag

Education: In a Facebook post, Rainwater called for Indiana to end standardized testing, revamp how it evaluates teachers and expand vocational school opportunities.

Guns: “The right to bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Abortion: Pro-life. But he would allow for abortions if the pregnancy threatens the mother’s life or if the woman was impregnated after being sexually assaulted. “Abortion is a sensitive issue … that people can hold good-faith views on all sides,” he writes on his website.

End of life: He supported legislation from Bloomington Democrat Matt Pierce that would allow sick Indiana residents who meet certain requirements to obtain medication from their doctor that would help them end their life. The bill, drafted during the chaotic 2020 session, went nowhere.

Rainwater hopes his candidacy fares better. But as usual, it won’t be easy.

In 2016, Libertarian candidate Rex Bell only mustered 3 percent of the vote. Things were just as rough in 2012, when former Survivor star Rupert Boneham nabbed 4 percent.

~ By Jon Webb | Columnist | Published September 22, 2020 in The Reporter Times

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