Sunday, May 29, 2011

Memorial Day 2011


Memorial Day, first just a day and now a weekend, is a time to remember those past and present that serve -- and have served -- their country and communities with honor and dignity.  These men and women have done this so that others can enjoy the freedom and liberty we call the American dream.  There is so much I want to say, but for once it will not be political.
 
Long before I was a Libertarian, a distinction I grow more proud of every day, I was first American.  Long before you were a Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Independent, Liberal, Tea Party, or Green you were, and are, Americans first.  Let's remind ourselves of that often. 

On this Memorial Day, my prayers go out to all those that are currently serving in the armed forces, especially those serving in combat areas around the world.  These prayers extend to POW's and missing in action, asking for a speedy and safe return.  

I pray our leaders find the wisdom in the words of our founding fathers and hear their warning to avoid entangling alliances, so that our troops can come home now. There is a better way.  

Above all, to those families and friends of fallen soldiers, I say a special prayer today that you find solace and comfort knowing that your loss will not be forgotten, and they are at peace with those few that gave their all for the greater good of mankind. 

         With this Memorial Day blog, I would also like to acknowledge an individual that has risen above all odds to give hope, encouragement and a voice to those that fight daily with mental health disorders.   I know first-hand all the obstacles, self doubt, anxiety, and ups/downs this recently announced Citizen of the Year has gone through over the years because it is one of my sisters, and one that I am most proud of, Christine Jasikoff.  (
http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/05/07/news/doc4dc5e513a653f529109024.txt )
We are all here for but a speck of time, so why not make the most of it?  In the scheme of things will anyone really remember, or care that you got that report out on time, or made that sales quota?  When you have reached your later years is that what you will remember, or be proud of?  Of course not!

So make that difference now.  Get involved.  Trust me on this, we all have something.  It could be drinking, drugs, gambling, over-eating, too much shopping, the list goes on and on.  None of us is perfect.  Except Libertarians , of course  LOL!  Oh, I forgot I said no politics today, so enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Hopefully you take some time to be with yourself, family and loved ones.  The craziness begins again on Tuesday!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Talk Radio: Jasikoff on Sue Henry


Lou Jasikoff calls in to Sue Henry on Primary Day -- some of our elected officials do not even know it is legal to sign third party candidates' petitions!  Click above to hear the interview.

Libertarian, Green Parties Slam GOP Judicial Choice

Romanelli, Krawchuk, Wayne Allyn Root
Join Jasikoff in Voicing Concern

Pennsylvania Libertarian Party chair Lou Jasikoff declared the GOP’s choice for Superior Court Judge as nothing short of shameful.  Republican candidate Victor Stabile led the charge to get Libertarians knocked off the ballot in 2008 and was recently quoted as being pleased by efforts to keep the Green and Libertarian Parties from appearing on the statewide 2010 ballot. “Mr. Stabile cloaks himself in the American flag while trampling on the very cornerstone of our democracy and should not be rewarded under any circumstance with a judgeship on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court,” insisted Jasikoff.

Green Party representative Carl Romanelli stated, “The last defense of democracy and the Constitution is the judiciary. When it is corrupted or co-opted, it represents the most significant threat to the principles that once made America the grand protector of liberty. The shame and disgrace of Stabile should not only be rejected by victims of his partisan decisions, but also by his peers. The lack of meaningful review reflects as poorly on justice in Pennsylvania as does Stabile’s blatant obstruction of our rights. It is sad to think that the cradle of democracy, Pennsylvania, has now become its graveyard.”


Romanelli, the US Senate candidate in 2006 for the Pennsylvania Green Party, has long contended that his own removal from the ballot could not have been accomplished without the aid of partisan judges. Romanelli, a retired employee of the Luzerne County Courts, added; “Stabile’s comments, and record in ballot access cases, prove that both old parties are equally corrupted at the judicial level. The prevailing attitude is that anything goes in keeping other voices out of political debate and participation. Judges remain in violation of the Judicial Canons with such partisan behavior.”

Ken Krawchuk, the Libertarian candidate for Pennsylvania Governor in 1998 and 2002, was shocked to hear Victor Stabile was running for Superior Court Judge. “This is the same man who led the failed challenge to have the 2008 Libertarian presidential candidate removed from the statewide ballot. When someone is so ignorant of the law as to mount a frivolous challenge, or so inconsiderate of the voters of Pennsylvania to attempt to limit their choices on the ballot, it’s clear he lacks the knowledge, character and integrity to serve as a judge at any level.” Krawchuk, who is the Libertarian representative to the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (www.PaBallotAccess.org), added, “If Mr. Stabile had any sense of justice at all, he’d be working
with us to reform Pennsylvania’s atrocious ballot access laws, which are among the worst in the nation, not exploiting them for political gain.”

“Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation where judges elected in partisan elections determine which candidates may appear on the ballot,” said Oliver Hall of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Competitive Democracy. “Now that Pennsylvania courts have begun to assess costs against candidates just for defending nomination petitions that they are required by law to submit, it is more important than ever that judges demonstrate a commitment to protecting candidate and voter rights to participate in free and equal elections – rather than the partisan interests of the judges’ campaign contributors.”

Wayne Allyn Root, Libertarian 2008 VP Candidate
Wayne Allyn Root, Vice-Presidential candidate on the 2008 Libertarian ticket concluded, “Ballot access is a fundamental right we enjoy as Americans. We can no longer allow or tolerate political operatives like Mr. Stabile to subvert that right; simply put it is Un-American. To purposely disregard laws on the books that allow for candidate substitution, or applaud efforts that totally ignore voter intent is unconscionable. Mr. Stabile is the face of everything wrong with Pennsylvania’s ballot access laws and his flawed and biased judgment should not find its way on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court.”

The Libertarian Party along with the Green Party and groups like the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, Free and Equal Organization and other liberty groups in Pennsylvania intend to make ballot access a major focus of conversation this election cycle. Only when all Americans can freely compete in the arena of ideas will we be able break the back of corruption that has so permeated our political system.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Commentary: Free and Equal Elections


The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania states in Article 1, Section 5 that “Elections shall be free and equal; and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.”

In the current election cycle Victor P. Stabile, Chairman of the Cumberland County Republican Committee is running for the office of Superior Court Judge. In 2008 he led the charge to preclude Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr and vice presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root from appearing on the Pennsylvania ballot even after the Libertarian Party collected over 60,000 signatures from registered voters in Pennsylvania. In the most recent election cycle Mr. Stabile praised the efforts of the Republican Party to remove all third party candidates from the statewide ballot in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Stabile wrote, “I am very pleased to report to you that challenges to the Green, Tea Party, and Libertarian candidates for state-wide office have been successful and these third party candidates will not be appearing on the November ballot.” He went on to say the following; “Voters do not get disenfranchised when fraud is uncovered. Unfortunately, this seems to be the process we are left with to deal with these situations until this type of impropriety is prosecuted.”

So let’s examine some of the alleged fraud, to which Mr. Stabile alluded. The Republican lawyers challenged the legitimacy of more than 2,000 signatures submitted by Betsy Summers. Her purported fraud and egregious error was in signing her petition ‘Betsy Summers,’ as she was to appear on the ballot, rather than ’Elisabeth Summers’ as she is listed on the voter registration rolls. I would hope this impropriety does not rise to the level of prosecution that Mr. Stabile speaks of in his comments.

The attorneys challenged nomination papers in which a notary entered the county where the petitioner lived, rather than the county in which the signatures were gathered. Signatures of voters who signed their names where they should have printed it, and printed it where they were supposed to sign it were challenged. Dates that did not have the full year filled out were challenged. They flagged entries that matched voter registration cards but whose address disagreed with the State’s outdated SURE data base, and the list goes on and on. Anything to subvert free and fair elections.

But the abuse did not stop there, as lawyers for the Republican Party then gave the Libertarian candidates a choice: drop out now or face fines personally of over $100,000 if the challenges proved successful. Yes, economic intimidation is now the preferred tactic used to keep third parties off the ballot and circumvent the Constitution of Pennsylvania, a tactic instituted and effectively utilized by the Democrat Party against Carl Romanelli.

I applaud Mr. Stabile’s fervor to promote the Republican Party as a party partisan; but being a party partisan should not be the qualification for a Superior Court Judge. We need judges who believe in the Commonwealth’s Constitution, and the rule of law and that above all else, our elections are to be fair and equal as prescribed by that Constitution. We need individuals who understand that we have men and women dying in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world to insure free elections n those far-off lands, and yet right here in Pennsylvania politicians like Mr. Stabile look to quash that right by means of economic intimidation.

Mr. Stabile, you cloak yourself in the American flag and speak of protecting the electorate from fraud and impropriety while you choose to trample the very cornerstone of our democracy, that being free and equal elections. You, sir, in my opinion are not fit to be any judge no less a Superior Court Judge. I urge all groups and individuals who believe in the constitution and good government to send a clear message that despite one’s party affiliation, this behavior cannot and should not be tolerated any longer, and should certainly not be rewarded by a judgeship on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court.

Louis R. Jasikoff
Chair, Pennsylvania Libertarian Party
Contact: ljasikoff@gmail.com

PA Libertarian Party Elects New Officers

Jasikoff takes State Chair, Summers tapped for NEPA Chair


At the annual state convention on April 30th in Franklin, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania elected a new slate of officers and adopted a new streamlined party platform.  Libertarian Lou Jasikoff was elected to chair the state party. Betsy Summers is now chair for the Northeast Pennsylvania (or NEPA) Libertarian group. Other elected officers were Kat Valleley, Eastern Vice-Chair; Jim Fryman, Western Vice-Chair; Vernon Etzel, Secretary; and Patti Fryman, Treasurer. Numerous other committees were filled along with the initial delegate list to the 2012 National Convention to be held next year in Las Vegas.

Jasikoff stated, “The Libertarian Party is poised to make serious inroads into Pennsylvania’s political process. More now than ever the message of a limited, constitutional government is on the voters’ minds. There is one and only one party that has relentlessly advocated getting government out of our wallets, out of our bedrooms, and out of foreign civil wars, and that is the Libertarian Party.”

Lou Jasikoff and Betsy Summers

“I plan to continue to expand on the successes we have made here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We have unprecedented opportunities to see our ideas and party grow and will do whatever is necessary to promote and support our current candidates along with recruiting new ones. 2011 should be a very good year for the Libertarian Party in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” added Summers.

Jasikoff concluded, “One of our major initiatives will be to work with the Green, Constitution, and Independent Parties, as well as the Tea Party movement to educate our current elected representatives, the media, and the public at large, about the merits of the recently-introduced Voters’ Choice Act (VCA). It is imperative that we make our election process equal and fair as prescribed by our State Constitution. Chicanery, coercion, and economic intimidation are the current ‘modus operandi’ of party officials in the Democrat and Republican Parties and this can no longer be tolerated. The first step in restoring good and honest government starts with competition in politics, competition afforded all candidates that wish to compete in the arena of ideas.”


For more information or interviews, please visit us at www.lppa.org