RLC of Florida

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RLC VIDEO:

The GOP and the libertarian vote -- part one

The role of the RLC in the GOP -- part two

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First Principles: Restoring the Republic

RLC NATIONAL CONVENTION -- DETROIT SEPT. 12-14

          In the wake of the GOP National Convention two weeks earlier, the RLC will hold its 8th biennial National Convention the weekend of Sept. 12-14 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Detroit Airport. Speakers will include Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, a prominent advocate of individual liberty, and Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

AFT president Grover Norquist and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson

          The Convention Committee has invited many prominent libertarian Republicans to participate in panels, debates and seminars. RLC advisors and state legislators are expected to be in attendance and RLC national business -- and elections -- will be conducted.

Kimberly Abelon, Sarah Lovett and Mike Durden; Neal Conner, rear

RLCers bring freedom message to Tallahassee

          Over 40 RLCers from around the state converged on Tallahassee on March 25-26 for the RLC’s annual grassroots lobbying trip to the state capitol and two busy days of organizing, lobbying and rallies.

          RLCers started arriving around noon on March 25 and participated in a rally for tax cuts on the state house floor which included a supportive talk by House Speaker Marco Rubio.  Then, led by RLCer and political consultant John Hallman, RLCers went legislative office to office to agitate for lower taxes, spending restraints and a free market in property insurance.

Rick Shepherd and Bill Tinneman; John Hallman with Rep. Adam Hasner

          Notable among the meetings were those with Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Sen. Mike Haridopolos, Rep. Gayle Harrell, Majority Leader Rep. Adam Hasner and Majority Whip Ellyn Bogdanoff.  RLCers also met legislators or staffers in the offices of Gov. Charlie Crist, Sen. Jeff Atwater and others.

Eric Wall, Sherman Platt and Bobby Bucur; Bryan Donnelly and Rick Sippel with Rep. Don Brown

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Santoro Switches to State Senate Race

          Santoro announced the switch at a Miami press conference on April 3 in the Opera parking lot at 245 NE 14th Street, across from the Carnival Performing Arts Center and the Miami-Dade Board of Education building. RLCers and other Santoro supporters attended and held supportive signs.

          Santoro said that with the entry of former Hialeah mayor Raul Martinez into the race against Lincoln-Diaz Balart, the dynamic of the race had changed.

          “While I have significant differences with Diaz-Balart, I certainly have more in common with him than Martinez,” Santoro said. “I don’t want the democrats to use me against him. I believe it is better for Florida, the Republican party and for me to seek a different office.”

          Party leaders recruited him instead for the open State Senate seat district 35. Due to term limits, entrenched incumbent Sen. Gwen Margolis cannot run again. Santoro will face state Rep. Dan Gelber in the general election, who is term-limited out of the House.

         Gelber, currently Democratic minority leader in the House, thundered against budget cuts at a press conference March 27 calling for tax increases or dipping into reserves to keep spending soaring in spite of a slowing economy and lower state revenues.

         Santoro is a Connecticut-born third-generation American with Italian roots now living in Miami. The MBA-educated computer specialist founded and sold his technology consulting firm and is now a technology manager for an international retailer and host of a weekly podcast and radio show. Dean is organizer of the RLC Meetup of Miami-Dade County.

          For more info on Santoro’s race, go here. To join the Miami-Dade RLC Meetup, go here.

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RLC at the Capitol, March 25-26

          Join us for two days in Tallahassee to meet with dozens of legislators, including the leadership of both houses and the governor's office, as part of the RLCFL's annual grass roots lobbying trip.

          In 2008, our chief legislative goal is the passage of the Taxpayer Protection Amendment (TPA), which would limit the increase in spending -- by both the state and counties -- to the growth in inflation and population, a recipe for restraint that would have prevented the current spending crisis and will prevent the next one.  The TPA has made it successfully through two subcommittees of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission and is headed for the final hearing and vote on March 26. The RLC will be there; join us!

The RLC has the opportunity to play a decisive role in the fate of the Taxpayer Protection Amendment. Join us!

          The two days will be kicked off by noon property tax reform rally on March 25 in the courtyard in front of the Capitol.  Then, we have meetings with legislators in the afternoon. In the evening, there will be a state RLC meeting and legislative briefing at the Best Western on Apalachee Parkway near the Capitol. One highlight 0f the meeting will be the kickoff of the new Tallahassee RLC Meetup group.

          On March 26, we will begin the day with more legislative meetings and then attend the TBRC hearing on the TPA.

          The RLC has the opportunity to play a decisive role in the fate of the TPA, just as it did in our Kelo and term limits efforts of previous sessions (scroll down for stories). Please join us; you do not have to be a member of the RLC to participate.

          This is a great opportunity for new RLC members and friends to meet each other, veteran RLCers and the state RLC leadership on a fun and productive trip.

          For more info or to RSVP, call John Hallman at (561) 392-4432. For more info on the TPA, go here. For up-to-date TPA news, see here.

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RLCFL state board expands along with the RLC

          After the Florida primary, the Ron Paul for president campaign was largely finished, but many supporters of Dr. Paul's limited government message are not. And now they have found a new vehicle for their activism -- the RLC of Florida!

Steven Talcott Smith,Woody Engle, Steve Burden, Nick Egoroff, Nick Sherman, Katie Luck and Chris Dillard at the March 1 RLCFL strategy meeting in Kissimmee

          Several of the key organizers of Florida Ron Paul Meetups -- the volunteer network that coordinated support for Paul's candidacy -- have joined the state board that runs the RLC in the state.  Six new board members were voted in so far in 2008, including Will Pitts of Jacksonville, Steven Talcott Smith of Boca Raton, Nicholas Egoroff of Orlando, Eric Wall of Panama City, Christopher Dillard of Gainesville and Woody Engle of Naples.

          Geographically, the new board represents far greater coverage of the state, providing leadership in areas of the state with historically little RLC activism, including the Panhandle.

          At a meeting in Kissimmee on March 1, the new and existing board members discussed strategy and set priorities for the year. At the top of the list were the lobbying trip to Tallahassee March 25-26, informing Ron Paul supporters about the RLC and recruiting and aiding candidates for both county Republican Executive Committees and public offices. There was also discussion of the creation of a Florida PAC and the creation of a campaign school program.

          To join the RLC, please go here. Welcome aboard!

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TPA YES!

RLC joins Florida tax (and spending) revolt

          All RLCers are encouraged to read the James Madison Institute Backgrounder #54 to educate themselves about the problem and proposed solution, the TPA. Feel free to order additional copies of this publication for distribution at your monthly Republican club meetings.

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RLC to Congress:

Make it Flake

           Over the last eight years under a Republican Congress and president, federal spending has been increasing at a rate last seen under the Democratic administration of Lyndon Johnson. Rep. Jeff Flake has been an activist for appropriations reduction and reform and is exactly who is needed to get spending under control and restore our party's credibility on fiscal issues.

          You can help! Go to www.makeitflake.com and send a message now to Congress.

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RLC heeds Americans for Prosperity's

Call to Action

Saturday, Jan. 26 Orlando

          Americans for Prosperity is a nationwide grass roots lobbying organization that is launching its operations in Florida with a ambitious project: securing a Taxpayer Protection Amendment for our state.

          To do this, they are pulling together a coalition of Florida organizations, from the grass roots to the well-heeled, to lobby the legislature for serious institutional restraints on spending, much like Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

         On Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., we'll be converging on Orlando for a AFP and RLC co-sponsored "Defending the American Dream Summit" focusing on this and other pro-market projects. Join us!

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Ron Paul HQ, Miami, Jan. 10

          In his presentation, Blumel looks at libertarianism from three angles (historical, philosophical and political), identifies the most prominent individuals and institutions of the modern libertarian movement and discusses the role the libertarian minority plays in the GOP currently – and could play in the future.

          Providing educational speakers to GOP clubs is a ongoing project of the Florida RLC. For other RLC speakers available to your club, see: http://www.rlcfl.org/RLC_speakers.htm.

Bob Burg: Give and you will receive

          Noted business author and speaker -- and Florida RLCer -- Bob Burg has done it again. Best known for his bestselling first book, Endless Referrals, Burg has just released his latest, The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea with John David Mann.

          The book is garnering immediate praise. "This is the best little business book I have ever read," said Raymond James financial advisor Paul Rampolla of West Palm Beach.

          The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns to be successful.  Joe learns that putting the other person first and focusing on how he can help others, instead of on how he can get ahead of the competition, can ultimately lead to unexpected returns. The Go-Giver is a heartwarming and inspiring tale that brings new relevance to the old proverb “give and you shall receive.”

         Burg is a staunch defender of the free enterprise system and, while not a political book, his appreciation of the libertarian values of individual initiative, peaceful cooperation, productive work and genuine tolerance and concern for others shows through on every page.

          Congrats, Bob!

          To buy The Go-Giver -- perhaps as a holiday gift -- click on the Buy the Book icon above.

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RLCers reach out to the Ron Paul 'revolution' at Clearwater rally

          Ron Paul supporters from all over Florida converged on Clearwater to promote Ron Paul’s presidential bid on Nov. 17 – and the RLC was there to greet them and invite them to join the permanent GOP libertarian movement.

          Florida RLC members, including Jim Riis, Mark Cross and Steven Burden, were there with a table and plenty of literature and membership applications. Over the course of the day, over 1,000 liberty lovers attended the Ron Paul Freedom Rally at Coachman Park.

          As part of the event, Coachman Park was also the final destination of six independent “Ron Paul Road Rallies” organized by Meetup groups all across the state, and originating as far away as Miami, Jacksonville and Pensacola. Along each of the road rally convoy routes -- Suncoast  (Gulf), I-4 Corridor, I-10 Corridor, I-75 Corridor, Southeast and Southwest -- individual Meetup group rallies were held at selected locations. These individual rallies were timed to begin Saturday morning at specific locations along each convoy route. As the growing convoy of supporters passed, each individual Meetup group rally join the growing convoys enroute to Coachman Park. All were sporting Ron Paul signs and banners.

          The rally was a family event and included everything from food to face-painting, and featured live music by several nationally known bands -- as well as a speech by RLCer John Conway. In addition to the RLCFL booth, there were also booths providing information on a range of issues important to citizens of every political persuasion, as well as voter registration and party-switching.

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All the major GOP presidential candidates -- from Fred Thompson to Ron Paul -- were represented at the Florida GOP's Prez IV convention.

Prez IV:

Big weekend for RLC

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Cross Joins Ron Paul 'Revolution'

RLC treasurer Mark Cross named state coordinator for Ron Paul  presidential campaign

          RLC treasurer Mark Cross has joined the staff of the Ron Paul campaign as the Florida state chair.

          As chair, Cross will be responsible for developing a network of leaders within Florida, including district chairmen, precinct coordinators and block captains. He will also be working closely with the 55 Ron Paul Meetups that have spontaneously sprung up across the state.

          Cross has been a Republican Party activist in Florida for over 20 years. He has served as a county party chairman, as an appointee on several RPOF committees, and was part of the transition team for former state chair Carole Jean Jordan. He has served as treasurer of the RLC of Florida since May 2004.

          For more information about the Ron Paul campaign in Florida, see www.ronpaulflorida.com or www.ronpaul2008.com.   

U.S. Term Limits names Philip Blumel new president

          (Fairfax, VA) The Board of Directors of U.S. Term Limits (USTL) announced the unanimous election of Florida RLCer Philip Blumel of Florida as president of the national organization.  

          “Phil has been a longtime advocate for term limits and has built a strong reputation for principled activism in Florida and nationally,” said USTL Chair Howard Rich. “His character is of the highest rank and I am elated with his election and his willingness to serve.”

          Blumel worked as a signature gatherer for term limits referenda inside and outside Florida in the early 1990s. A decade later, Blumel was the campaign manager for the successful 2002 referendum to limit the terms of Palm Beach County commissioners to eight years in office.

          In 2006, the Florida legislature voted to place a referendum on the ballot that would the voter-approved 8-year term limits on the state legislature to 12 years. Blumel was a leader with a statewide citizen effort, Stop the Politicians, which led to the retraction of the referendum from the ballot.

          Blumel, 42, is a certified financial planner and has also worked in journalism, public relations and sales. He is a two-time graduate of the University of Florida with an undergraduate degree in journalism and a master’s degree in economics.

          “Term limits are one of the few checks in place to control corrupt politicians, and USTL has been the front line of defense for term limits nationwide,” Blumel said. “I look forward to aggressively fighting to extend term limits to all politicians, from state representatives all the way to Congress.”

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1930:

Will history repeat?

17 Florida economists among 1,028 opposing protectionist tide

          In 1930, Congress passed and President Hoover signed into law the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. At the time, this protectionist measure was vigorously opposed by 1,028 of the nation's top economists. They rightly predicted the tariffs would devastate the economy. And, in fact, the country subsequently plunged into the Great Depression.

          Now some in Congress are considering ways to enact similar protectionist policies against China, a nation that will soon be America's second largest trading partner. Once again, 1,028 of America's top economists, including 17 from Florida, have signed this petition sponsored by the Club for Growth in opposition to protectionist policies against China.

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          The Republican Liberty Caucus raised its flag in Hollywood – and, by extension, nationally -- over the long July 4 weekend as a Governor’s Level sponsor and active participant in the Young Republicans National Convention at the Westin Diplomat Resort.

          For the length of the convention, the RLC manned an outreach table utilizing the World’s Smallest Political Quiz as a way to identify libertarian-leaning YRs as prospects for RLC membership. Those who scored in the ‘libertarian’ quadrant will receive follow-up letters shortly. The RLC also distributed hundreds of its new RLC tri-fold brochure and materials generously donated by the Atlas Society and the Reason Foundation.

          The convention was attended by many RLC members and alumni including Lisa Bullion, Steven Burden, Jeff Palmer, Jeff Odgis, Steven Alcott Smith, Alan Turin, Philip Blumel, Ethel Rowland, Laura Kotelman, Ernie Martinez and Dan McDaniel. Over 600 attended the convention.

RLCers Steven Burden (left) and Jeff Palmer (right) assist conventioneers as they take the World's Smallest Political Quiz at the RLC exhibit booth

          The RLC found enthusiasm for libertarian ideas among many YRs, including Sam Roth of Washington DC, who in a platform committee debate over civil unions referenced “the libertarian in me” in making his case to the assembly. Also, an embrace of British-style snooping with public security cameras went down in flames on libertarian grounds.

          Outside the resort as the delegates arrived, a sign-waving rally in support of former RLC national chair Ron Paul was held, attracting approximately 50 enthusiastic supporters. The event, sponsored by the Broward and Palm Beach Ron Paul Meetup groups, also spilled over into the next morning when approximately 15 or so showed up to catch the late-arriving delegates. By the evening of the 5^th, footage of the event was appearing on YouTube.

          RLCer Alan Turin, who attended the Ron rally on the street outside said the response from the public was very positive (lots of waves and honking horns) with only four negative responses out of about 900 drivers.  “No other candidate at the convention had any presence to the general public except for Ron Paul,” said Turin.

          Both the Florida Federation of YRs Chair Todd Goberville and national Executive Director Jon Woodard came out to check out the rally.

          Ron Paul was also ubiquitous inside the convention center where several sported Ron Paul lapel pins and hundreds of Ron Paul tri-fold brochures were distributed by pro-Ron conventioneers.

Jeff Odgis; Steven Talcott Smith with GOPAC Chair Michael Steele; another Ron fan

          As the RLC has not endorsed Ron Paul, none of the campaigning took place at the RLC booth. However, the campaign did spark interest and questions from YRs about libertarian Republicanism. So, there was a good deal of symbiosis between the two projects.

          But for the Ron Paul campaign, there was not enough. In the straw poll which finished off the week, Dr. Paul came in sixth (just ahead of John McCain and behind Duncan Hunter, who attended the convention). While the Ron Paul volunteer activist base was larger and more enthusiastic than any of the other candidates, insufficient groundwork had been laid within the established GOP to be a challenger in the competitive poll. To change this, Ron Paul supporters are invited to join the RLC and lend a hand in building the machine that will make winners of the party’s libertarians.

          In addition to the YRNC 2007 event, the RLC also participated in the National Taxpayers Union convention in Washington, DC, and FreedomFest in Las Vegas in its most current efforts to accomplish this goal.

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          RLCer John Hallman pulled together individuals from numerous Florida grass roots organizations to craft a unified response to the weak – and rapidly weakening – tax reform proposal emerging in the state legislature's special session.

                                                Steven J. Burden, RLCFL vice chair

1. Rollback local budgets to 2000-2001 levels adjusted for inflation and population growth.
2. Establish a 3% cap on all government expenditures growth.
3. Establish a 3% cap on all government revenue growth.
4. Voter approval of any taxes beyond these caps – our local governments can no longer be trusted with this responsibility.
5. Surplus revenues should be returned to taxpayers.
6. School funding would be exempt from both caps.

          There is change afoot in Tallahassee. RLCers returned from their annual Days at the Capitol March 7-8 invigorated from meeting and working with fellow RLCers, impressing their views on legislators and seeing firsthand how Florida government works. But they left with some concern too – with the change in administrations from Bush to Crist there is a changed political climate in the state capitol.

RLCers meet with Rep. Adam Hasner and Rep. Peter Nehr

          Once again, the trip was made in conjunction with  FreedomWorks and organized by RLCer John Hallman and Tom Gaitens.  Joining them were RLCFL Chair Lisa Bullion, RLCFL Vice Chair Steven Burden, Frank Bubb, Tom Walls, Rick Gaber, Philip Blumel, John Parsons, John Earley, David Wood and Bill Tinnerman.

          The group met with legislators or their legislative aides in the offices of Sen. Rhonda Storms, Rep. Carl Domino, Senate President Ken Pruitt, Rep. Dennis Baxley, Sen. Mike Haridopolos, Sen. Daniel Webster, Speaker Marco Rubio, Rep. Bob Allen, Rep. Adam Hasner, Rep. Peter Nehr, Rep. Andy Gardiner and Gov. Charlie Crist.

          At the top of the agenda, the RLC crew impressed upon legislators the need for institutional restraints on spending, the ultimate cause of the explosion of property taxes in the state. Specifically, the group pointed to a Colorado-style Taxpayer Bill of Rights – or TABOR – that would cap both state and county spending growth to a combination of population growth and inflation.

Meetings with Jerry McDaniel, director of the Office of Management and Budget, left, and with Lori Scott, legislative assistant for Sen. Mike Haridopolos

          The message was timely, as some legislation to deal with the issue is nearly certain, but the details are currently being debated. There are dozens of plans and provisions on the table and a consensus has not yet formed around any one of them. Some are tweaks in the system (such as portability of Save Our Homes assessment caps and extending the caps to non-homesteaded property, etc) and some are quite radical (such as scrapping property taxes altogether and increasing the sales tax by 2.5% or so).

          Rep. Adam Hasner, in particular, took time to go over what is being called the Rubio two-part plan to give immediate property tax relief and then replace the property tax with a sales tax. Rep. Hasner met twice with the group and made a persuasive case that the plan would reach its goals.

          “To us, the most important issue is spending,” said RLC Chair Lisa Bullion. “We are concerned that legislators are seeking to shift the burden of taxes, rather than address the core issue – how much money is being spent.”

          Other issues discussed included the prospects for school vouchers, property rights, Florida’s reaction to the federal Real ID act and paper-trail voting. The group also shared its serious objections to the recent insurance reform, considered an egregious expansion of government intervention in the market that will come back to haunt the state in the future.

          At a nearby hotel, the group received a briefing from Bob Sanchez, chief policy analyst for the James Madison Institute, to prepare us for the legislative meetings.  We also heard from Dave Mica at the Florida Petroleum Council to brief us on energy issues, particularly permitting the expansion of offshore energy exploration.

          We had some encouraging experiences in Tallahassee. Seeing our white-on-blue “libertarian Republican” lapel stickers generated mostly positive reactions, with one staffer in an elevator telling us the Florida RLC has “a great website” and then asking if we had read Neil Boortz’s new book. Executive director of the Port of Palm Beach Lori Baer, among others, stopped to ask “what does that sticker mean?” We were happy to explain.

          There were also some ominous signs that thinking had changed. The group was told by one legislator that a TABOR-style spending restraint was dead on arrival.

          Another disconcerting omen appeared in the office of the governor. Gov. Crist was called out of town and was unable to meet with the group as planned, but we sat down to address our concerns with Jerry McDaniel, the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

          McDaniel informed us that Gov. Crist will pick up where Gov. Bush left off on school vouchers, but this was not a “first year priority.” In discussing Florida’s tax structure, RLCer Steven Burden referred to the work of the James Madison Institute on the subject and McDaniel – a 17-year Tallahassee resident and a top advisor to the governor -- professed to be unfamiliar with Florida's premiere Tallahassee-based free market think tank! 

           Things have changed in Tallahassee. Our work in presenting the libertarian alternative there is more important than ever. Join us!

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RLC to push TABOR at 2007 Day at the Capitol

           For 2007, the executive committee of the RLC of Florida met at the Disney Swan Hotel in Orlando in February to pick its battles for the year. At the top of the list is a campaign to enact a Florida Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR. TABOR is a statute that would limit the growth of state and county budgets to the increase in inflation and population. To spend more than the TABOR cap would require voter approval.

          RLCer John Hallman is working with the James Madison Institute and other organizations in promoting a TABOR bill. Hallman will lead a group of RLCers to Tallahassee March 7-8 to lobby for the bill for our annual Day at the Capitol in conjunction with FreedomWorks.

RLCers and friends meet with House Speaker Marco Rubio during last year's Day at the Capitol.  To join us in Tallahassee March 7-8 this year, call John Hallman ASAP at (561) 392-4432.

          RLCers will be arriving in Tallahassee in the afternoon on Wednesday, March 7. Rooms are reserved at a discounted rate ($84.95 plus tax) at the Best Western/Pride Inn & Suites, 2016 Appalachee Parkway. A briefing will be held at 7 p.m. at the Best Western meeting room. Meetings with legislators will be scheduled 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 8. There is no cost to participate. To reserve your room or for more information, call Hallman as soon as possible at (561) 392-4432.

          In the meantime, Hallman and Tom Gaitens, both field reps for FreedomWorks, are taking advantage of town meetings that state leaders are currently holding around the state to ask for public input about the state's property tax explosion. RLCers and other concerned citizens will be showing up and asking for TABOR protection from skyrocketing property taxes.

Ron Paul explores presidential bid

          Since he was first elected to the U.S. House in 1976, Rep. Paul has long been an icon of libertarian Republicanism, a mix of stubborn principle and successful electoral politics. In the RLC’s Liberty Index,

Mike VanDyk of Miami with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) at a 1998 RLC-hosted event with Ron Paul at the home of Ray Flow in Palm Beach

Rep. Paul’s voting record consistently ranks at or near the top of the U.S. House and as a result Ron is the largest Congressional beneficiary of contributions from the RLC’s PAC.

          In a Jan. 22 Reason Online interview with Brian Doherty, Rep. Paul was asked what his campaign theme would be. "I think the biggest thing for Republican primary voters is that most Republicans are turned off right now," Rep. Paul answered. "They’ve had a beating and are reassessing their values. They have to decide what they believe in. The

Republican Party has become about big government conservatism, and Republicans need to hear the message they used to hear: [they] are supposed to be for small government."

          This is a key message of the RLC, and if Rep. Paul officially declares his candidacy the national RLC will quite naturally consider an endorsement. According to national RLC bylaws, an endorsement

Rep. Ron Paul speaks to friends and supporters at a RLC-cohosted event in downtown West Palm Beach

requires a vote of the national executive committee of the RLC and ratification by a majority of chartered RLC state affiliates. In Florida, there is likely to be a non-binding vote of the membership to guide the state RLC’s decision.

          The RLC has only endorsed one presidential candidate since its inception in 1990, magazine publisher Steve Forbes in his first primary attempt in 1996.

          Those who would like to see a 2008 Ron Paul for President campaign are encouraged to contact his exploratory committee. At the Jan. 27 Florida RLC excom meeting in Orlando, the current unofficial consensus was that the Florida RLC will jump on the Rep. Paul bandwagon if he officially announces, runs on traditional libertarian themes and does not face primary competition from another notable libertarian Republican candidate.

          In preparation for a potential Paul campaign, RLCer Tom Walls set up a unofficial Ron Paul campaign news and blog site.

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The GOP and the libertarian vote

RLCer Philip Blumel uses the two-dimensional 'Nolan chart' as an aide in explaining the libertarian philosophy to Republican Party activists

          In his presentation, Blumel looks at libertarianism from three angles (historical, philosophical and political), identifies the most prominent individuals and institutions of the modern libertarian movement and discusses the role the libertarian minority plays in the GOP currently – and could play in the future.

Milton Friedman on libertarian Republicans

"I am a Republican with a capital 'R' and a libertarian with a
small 'l.' I have a party membership as a Republican...because that's the way I am the most useful and have most influence. My philosophy is clearly libertarian."

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RLCFL Calls for New GOP Leadership in House

          On Nov. 13, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida sent a letter to each Republican member of Florida's delegation to the U.S. House urging them to vote for Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) for minority whip and Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) for minority leader in Friday's House leadership election.

          According to the letter, such a move is needed to "refocus on what is not only one of our party’s central principles, but also our best selling point at the polls: fiscal responsibility. The Republican Party has to regain our credibility in this area by pursuing earmark reform, spending cuts, presidential vetoes, opposing tax increases -- and by choosing solid fiscally conservative leadership."

          The endorsement of Reps. Shadegg and Pence echoes that of U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), an RLC Advisory Board member, as well as the Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore, U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), the National Taxpayers Union, the Club for Growth and a growing list of fiscally conservative organizations and individuals.

          Rep. Shadegg is a member of the RLC and has a career rating of 'libertarian' in the RLC's Liberty Index.

          Voters clearly were not enamored with Republican big spenders who try to preserve their conservative credentials by aggressively pandering to social conservatives or the close-the-borders crowd. Of the 19 Republican U.S. House reps that lost their job on Nov. 7, only two had better than average (for Republicans) spending ratings from the National Taxpayers Union.

          "While the voters handed over leadership in the Congress to the Democratic Party, we do not believe that this shift represents a rejection of the limited government philosophy that the GOP has traditionally championed," wrote RLCFL chair Lisa Bullion on behalf of the RLC state executive committee. "On the contrary, we believe the Republican Party is being punished because the voters perceive that the GOP has rejected it. To win back the Congress, we must shatter that perception with genuine reform in the Congress and in our party."

          RLCers are encourage to call or email their Republican House reps this week and urge them to support the Shadegg/Pence ticket.

At 2006 RLC convention, GOP libertarians call for renewed emphasis on limited government, individual liberty

          From U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris to the Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore, diverse elements of the GOP's big tent gathered at the 2006 national meeting of the libertarian-oriented Republican Liberty Caucus Sept. 15-17 in Orlando. But their message was unified: the GOP must rediscover its winning commitment to individual rights, limited government and free enterprise.

          Since the RLC was founded in 1990, the Orlando meeting was the first RLC national meeting ever held in the state. The meeting attracted approximately 125 participants over the course of the weekend.

It was a full house at the Orlando Renaissance Saturday night for Stephen Moore. At right, Moore chats with an unexpected dinner guest, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris.

          One of these was U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris who dropped by to speak at the meeting's pre-banquet reception. Harris elicited cheers with her call for cuts in taxes and government spending and a call for a radical flattening of the U.S. tax code. She was introduced by State Sen. Mike Haridopolos, once identified by that day's luncheon speaker Florida State University economist Randy Holcombe as perhaps the most libertarian member of the Florida legislature.

          At the banquet event, Stephen Moore -- economics writer for the Wall Street Journal editorial page, a co-founder of the Club for Growth and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute -- pointed to the presidency of Ronald Reagan as evidence that committed advocates for limited government can achieve real change through the Republican Party. In this, he cited the drop of the highest federal tax bracket from over 70% to 28% during the 1980s as a fundamental GOP-led change that reversed America's 1970s economic malaise.

          As well as lower taxes, Moore called for a return to the Reaganesque combination of lower taxes, less government spending and expanded free trade and immigration.

          Convention participants also heard from elected RLCer Rep. Ken Lindell of Maine, Bob Sanchez of the James Madison Institute, Bob Burg of the Stop the Politicians term limits campaign, economist and author Mark Skousen, Ivan Osorio of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Paul Jacob of Americans for Limited Government, Cheryl Moore representing U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, former Florida police chief Jerry Cameron of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Orlando-area radio talk show host Doug Guetzloe, national Libertarian Party vice chair Chuck Moulton, RLC Liberty Index editor Dr. Clifford Thies, and James Madison Institute writer Adam Goldman. Former Floridian Eric Dondero Rittberg of Texas -- effectively the founder of the RLC -- also attended the event.

          On the business side of the convention, the RLC made the initial steps to re-launch a national RLC newsletter after several years of experimenting with state-based newsletters published by the RLC's state affiliates. While this resulted in some excellent state newsletters, the consensus is it also left some smaller affiliates -- and potential affiliates -- out in the cold.

         The delegates also gave its national board discretion to hold its biannual conventions in odd years in order to avoid conflicting with elections. They also considered holding its next national meeting in conjunction with Mark Skousen's Freedom Fest or other national libertarian or Republican gathering.

          Jerry Cameron of St. Augustine, among others, was elected to the national board. Chair Bill Westmiller was reelected by general affirmation as was former Floridian Jeff Palmer of North Carolina as treasurer. Aaron Biterman of Wisconsin received the 2006 Liberty Award for his work organizing college campuses and setting up new RLC state affiliates.