Here's a video clip of me debating Proposition A ($400 million earthquake bond measure) with one of its proponents for SFGovTV and the League of Women Voters -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYwrYw_lQF0 .
The segment was taped early last month and has been running on local public access TV as part of their coverage of local ballot measures, but they never got back to me to let me know it was online. I only just remembered to go and look for it a couple days ago, subsequently finding it on YouTube. There has been a lot of press recently around the issue of San Francisco becoming increasingly unaffordable to live in, and I put that circumstance in a populist, anti-government context and made it the main focus of my remarks. I could've done better, but think it came out okay.
Please don't forget to vote today, if you haven't already! The Libertarian Party of San Francisco's recommendations can be found at LPSF.org.
John Dennis, the philosophically libertarian candidate running for Congress against Nancy Pelosi for whom we are recommending a vote, is having an election party tonight. Here are details about that happening, from the Golden Gate Liberty r3VOLution Meetup (http://www.meetup.com/RonPaulSF/events/186568442/?a=ea1_grp&rv=ea1):
A special Thank You to all whom have come out and
activated themselves in precinct walking and also
for those whom would like to come and watch the
election results come in and see how John Dennis
will Shellack and leave all other contenders in
Congressional District 12 .... coming out of the gate.
Come join us in steak n ale and see how John and
The Liberty Message, is left to face once again..........
the Collectivist Nancy Pelosi in the general election.
The place is "Stock in Trade Tavern" on 2036 Lombard
Street @ Filmore. Festivities start at 6 & go till they kick
us out.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Outreach Director, Libertarian Party of San Francisco
Good job, Starchild.
What a tool George is! Seriously, I am so sick of listening to these smug
progressives spout about how important their plans are, and that money is no
object (when it's somebody elses!)
One of the common things I see where I live is the government goons spend
money on whatever stupid pet projects they want to (golf courses, stadiums,
etc, etc, etc), taking that money away from the basic services they are
supposed to be performing. Then they put a tax increase on the ballot
(ALWAYS claiming that it ISN'T a tax increase) and scream that it's an
EMERGENCY and if you don't vote yes on this 300 bazillion dollar no-tax
increase, all the police and firefighters, teachers and children will keel
over dead immediately.
And here's what makes me even more angry--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_annual_financial_report I'm
assuming you all know about CAFR? For those who don't, the very short
version is the CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) is the REAL
amount of money governments have. The budget is simply where they have
allocated for various things. Take 15 minutes to change everything you
thought you ever knew about governments and budgets by watching this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pRPBKJQnyU
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pRPBKJQnyU&feature=fvst> &feature=fvst You
can ask your town/county/state for their CAFR, you know. They may pretend at
first they don't know what you're talking about, but rest assured-THEY KNOW
EXACTLY what a CAFR is. And so should all of you.
Debbie
(Attachment image001.jpg is missing)
(Attachment image002.jpg is missing)
(Attachment image003.png is missing)
(Attachment image004.jpg is missing)
Thanks, Debbie! Didn't recall that you were on this list, but you're certainly welcome here.
I don't know anything about George Ross, don't recall having met him prior to our debate, but he didn't come across as a progressive to me. More of an establishment statist. All his arguments were pragmatic, not moral -- look at all the people who support this measure, there's a significant risk of a major quake in coming years, there's going to be oversight of how the money is spent, we're paying off the debt of bonds as we go, etc.
I think a real progressive would've responded to my point about 6-figure salaries in government by saying something to the effect of how we should tax the wealthy or corporations more -- misguided, but at least based on some underlying philosophy deeper than mere "realpolitik". George never made any such arguments, he just ignored the issue. My impression is that injustice as such just isn't that philosophically important to him -- or that he was being paid and had his marching orders, which kind of suggests the same thing.
Now this CAFR stuff is very interesting. I feel like I've heard about them before, but don't recall the details. I'm somewhat dubious about what appears to be Jerry Day's theory that governments typically have lots of hidden money socked away -- tending toward being broke and in debt and spending the money as fast as it comes in seems to accord better with what we know about politicians' tendencies to spend, and to think in the short term for their own reelections, and with government borrowing and indebtedness. Do you think governments *really* own majority stakes in Microsoft, Time-Warner, Disney, and Exxon, and over 70% of blue chip stocks, as he claims?! It would be nice if he cited some detailed sources for this information. His advocacy of protectionism is *clearly* wrongheaded; no questions there. But he spins a fascinating theory, and I'd like to hear more about it. Have you had any experience digging into CAFRs where you live? Day also calls for political parties to address this in their platforms. You and I are on the LP's Platform Committee -- do you think the party should say something about this, and if so, what?
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
I don't think governments directly own 70% or any other percent of blue chip stocks. Perhaps he is thinking that public employee pension funds together with direct investments by public employees own this percentage.
Thanks, Debbie\! Didn't recall that you were on this list, but you're certainly welcome here\.
I don't know anything about George Ross, don't recall having met him prior to our debate, but he didn't come across as a progressive to me\. More of an establishment statist\. All his arguments were pragmatic, not moral \-\- look at all the people who support this measure, there's a significant risk of a major quake in coming years, there's going to be oversight of how the money is spent, we're paying off the debt of bonds as we go, etc\.
I think a real progressive would've responded to my point about 6\-figure salaries in government by saying something to the effect of how we should tax the wealthy or corporations more \-\- misguided, but at least based on some underlying philosophy deeper than mere "realpolitik"\. George never made any such arguments, he just ignored the issue\. My impression is that injustice as such just isn't that philosophically important to him \-\- or that he was being paid and had his marching orders, which kind of suggests the same thing\.
Now this CAFR stuff is very interesting\. I feel like I've heard about them before, but don't recall the details\. I'm somewhat dubious about what appears to be Jerry Day's theory that governments typically have lots of hidden money socked away \-\- tending toward being broke and in debt and spending the money as fast as it comes in seems to accord better with what we know about politicians' tendencies to spend, and to think in the short term for their own reelections, and with government borrowing and indebtedness\. Do you think governments \*really\* own majority stakes in Microsoft, Time\-Warner, Disney, and Exxon, and over 70% of blue chip stocks, as he claims?\! It would be nice if he cited some detailed sources for this information\. His advocacy of protectionism is \*clearly\* wrongheaded; no questions there\. But he spins a fascinating theory, and I'd like to hear more about it\. Have you had any experience digging into CAFRs where you live? Day also
calls for political parties to address this in their platforms. You and I are on the LP's Platform Committee -- do you think the party should say something about this, and if so, what?
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
**asterisked below....
Debbie