Frontlines

SANTA BARBARA LIBERTARIAN ACTIVITY

Libertarians in Santa Barbara, California have been extremely active recently. Chapters of the Society for Individual Liberty (SIL) and Libertarian Alternative have formed in Santa Barbara and are actively recruiting members. The Libertarian Alternative is going to be presented on at least two local radio stations regularly, while SIL is busy promoting libertarianism at the University of California, Santa Barbara through leafletting and literature tables. These two groups, along with the local Libertarian Party, have entered into a coalition of local community groups to oppose the annexation of the communities of Goleta, Hope Ranch and Isla Vista by the city of Santa Barbara. The coalition is under the partial leadership of libertarians but includes a wide range of support from both left and right.

In addition, Santa Barbara libertarians have filed a slate of local candidates for school board in the March 4 municipal elections. REASON editor Lynn Kinsky and REASON office manager Ruth Sutton have filed for Santa Barbara Board of Education, and Robert Raffealli of SIL has filed for Community College Board of Trustees. They are running on a platform of drastically cutting school taxes, instituting a voucher system, and eventually getting the government out of the business of education. They have been getting good media coverage, and since they only need a plurality to win they are being given a reasonable chance of electing at least one of their candidates. (The main daily newspaper is billing Kinsky and Sutton as 2 of 4 major candidates for the 3 available seats. There are a total of 18 candidates in the race.)

Donations for the slate of school board candidates can be sent to the Santa Barbara Libertarian Party, 294 Via El Encandor, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. For further information on meetings and other activities in the Santa Barbara area call [phone] or 964-4131.

CHICAGO LP CONFERENCE

Frontlines correspondent Steve Nelson of the Libertarian Party of Illinois reports on the LPI December conference:

The conference began with a politely pointed panel discussion on the best way of investing in gold. Master of ceremonies Don Parrish refereed the debate between Donald Drapeau of the International Money Market (gold bullion), Bill Bradford of Liberty Coin Service (bulk coins), Michael P. Gauer of Hornblower & Weeks (gold stocks) and surprise guest Walter Pershke of Numisco (numismatic coins and gold futures). The opinions offered were explicit, expert and highly contradictory, and became more so as the audience of 150 people joined in questioning.

Following lunch, Dr. Joseph DeJan spoke brilliantly on the political philosophy of Jean-Jaques Rousseau, tracing Rousseau's influence on Proudhon and Hegel to the present defenders of the omnipotent state. Dr. DeJan's lecture considerably illuminated and clarified the misanthropic elements of Rousseau's philosophy.

Following Dr. DeJan came Dr. R.S. Jaggard, M.D. with a description of his fight against the state in medicine, and a considerable discussion of the avoidance of Social Security through the "Amish exemption."

Next was LP National Excom member Karl Bray with news of the tax rebellion and his reasons for joining it. Clearly one of the most popular speakers, Karl finished off by introducing another surprise guest, Jerome Daly, who drew a standing ovation, followed by intense interest as he described his experiences in jail with such things as the government's "sanity test" for tax resistors (it seems they put you in solitary confinement for 90 days—if you're still sane at the end, you pass) and a complex attempt to use the anti-trust laws of the Federal Government to restrain the Federal judiciary. Jerome drew the horse-laugh of the day as he described the case that caused his disbarment; it seems he was defending a counterfeiter accused of "reproducing the notes and obligations of the United States" (i.e., twenty-dollar bills) and Daly simply took one of the bills introduced in evidence and showed the jury that nowhere on it does the government promise to pay anything at all! Two and one-half hours later, Daly's client was free—and he was charged with contempt of court.

The evening clambake dinner produced the one disaster of the day—134 people totally jammed the facilities (planned for a maximum of 80) and disrupted the kitchen entirely, resulting in a "dinner" that was terrible even by fund-raiser standards. It's a good thing booze isn't perishable.

However, the audience managed to retain its good humor despite the intensive "togetherness" and improvised PA system, happily cheering Roger McBride's speech, "The Second American Revolution." Thus inspired, the party responded well when Steve Nelson announced that LPI would be contesting the mayorality of Carbondale, III., in the spring elections. The candidate, Irene Altschuler, sent a charming representative, Jorie Julian, whose plea for funds netted $285 for the Jackson County Libertarians. The "sardine session" concluded with host Harley Budd describing his difficulties maintaining his business against the forces of Chicago's housing authority.

NOTES

At long last the California Libertarian Party write-in votes are available: John Hospers (Governor)—1886; Dave Bergland (Attorney-General)—957; Bill Susel (Lt. Governor)—922; Lloyd Taylor (Treasurer)—811; and Bill White (U.S. Senator)—778

The Louisiana Libertarian Party will hold its third annual state convention February 15 in Baton Rouge. For further information please contact the New Orleans Libertarian Party, P.O. Box 19827, New Orleans, LA 70179, [phone]

The Capitol Hill Study Group for libertarian congressional aides has formed with about 20 members so far and meets every Monday at noon in Washington, DC. For further information call Arthur Carol at [phone] or Christopher Grieb at [phone]

Libertarians in the Berkeley, California area have established an informal discussion group which meets every Saturday morning at 11 am at the Heidelberg Restaurant, 2366 Telegraph Road in Berkeley. For further information contact John Harris or Russell E. Fridley, P.O. Box 117, Berkeley, CA 94701

The California Libertarian Party will hold its annual state convention at the Surf Rider Inn in Santa Monica February 15-17. For further information call Shirley Gottlieb at (213) 345-FREE. And for those who want to make the libertarian scene in the Los Angeles area the Feb. 15-17 weekend but prefer a more scholarly approach, there will be a revisionist history conference going on concurrently with the CLP convention which will feature Murray Rothbard and James J. Martin, among others. For further information please contact Steve Springer, 898 S. Bronson Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005

The Libertarian Party of San Diego (P.O. Box 15011, San Diego, CA 92115) is sponsoring a series of 16 taped lectures by economist Murray Rothbard called "Basic Principles of Free Market Economics" to be held Friday evenings from 7-9:30 pm, starting February 7 at 1615 Hotel Circle South, Apt. D-100, San Diego. For further information on this and other events of interest to libertarians in the San Diego area call the Libertarian Alternative Hotline at [phone]