Just 5%!!!
After all the hard work and countless hours put in by Jeff Spoonamore and his team, I understand the disappointment he expressed at his election night get together. Loosing an election is never easy to take, but I do not consider this a loss. This was the first mayorial race the re-established JCLP has competed in, and to get 5% of the vote instead of the typical 2% that a third party is expected to achieve in a three way race is fantastic.
Jeff did a superb job of being the Libertarian standard bearer in Johnson County, and I do mean the whole county. His debate performances were praised and those that saw him came away with a favorable view of not only Jeff but our party as a whole. Jeff also received more press than any other Johnson County Libertarian in recent memory. There was not a week that went by that Jeff was not being interviewed on the local television news, doing a spot on a radio show or being mentioned in the county paper. At each turn the Libertarian party was mentioned. Add to this the yard signs that blanketed Greenwood and we could not of asked for more exposure. The icing on the cake, Jeff raised thousands of dollars in contributions. Jeff essentially built our voter base in Johnson County and this was a victory. Thank you Jeff and his dedicated team.
Thank-you Jeff Spoonamore
We thank Jeff Spoonamore for all his hard work. Jeff did an excellent job advancing a message of liberty and common sense. Even without a win Jeff was able to affect the public discourse in a positive manner, and the Libertarian Party will continue to provide a voice for those who are trampled upon by the government.
The wisdom of our two party system and voting methods should continue to be challenged. Straight-ticket voting is a mechanism designed to protect the power of the establishment. Indiana should strongly consider a run-off style system to promote the development of more rigorous public discourse. Our ballot design could use some work a long the lines of the rotating system used in Ohio.
Frank Rossa
Johnson County Chair
jclpchair@gmail.com
Jeff Spoonamore for Greenwood City Mayor
Jeff Spoonamore is our candidate for Greenwood City Mayor. Please show him your support. Visit his website to donate and for volunteer opportunities.
http://www.voteforthespoon.com
Frank RossaJohnson County Chair
jclpchair@gmail.com
Johnson County 4H Fair
Please join us July 17-23 from 11:30am-10:00pm at the Johnson County 4H Fair in our booth. Volunteer opportunities are available for those who are interested.
Frank RossaJohnson County Chair
jclpchair@gmail.com
Change in Leadership
Greetings,
JCLP made some changes in officers at our convention. I, Frank Rossa, was voted in as county chair. Erwin Salazar, our previous chair, will serve as vice-chair. Ed Dilts will continue as treasurer. Nick Dearing will be our secretary.
I would like to thank Erwin for all the hard work he has done. He has done an excellent job representing the party. I look forward to the opportunity to grow the party in Johnson County, and to increase our presence at county events and online. I would very much like to thank everyone for their vote of confidence, and I will do my very best to advance the cause of liberty in Johnson County.
Frank Rossa
Johnson County Chair
jclpchair@gmail.com
Opposition shown against bill that would change carding of alcohol purchasers
| Shelby D. Salazar, Franklin College Statehouse Bureau
INDIANAPOLIS — During an Indiana House committee meeting Wednesday, there was more opposition than support for legislation that would repeal a year-old law that requires all Hoosiers, regardless of age, to show identification to buy alcohol. Under the current law, every person who buys alcohol must present their ID to the seller. If the seller does not card the buyer, regardless of their age, the seller faces a Class D misdemeanor. House Bill 1325, introduced by Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Danville, would repeal the requirement that every buyer must be carded and hand the discretion back to retailers. It would also do away with criminal penalties for clerks who do not card customers. Andrew Cullen, representing the Indiana Public Defenders Council, spoke in agreement with Steuerwald. Cullen said that the council opposes the fact that a person who sells alcohol could be charged with a Class D misdemeanor for not carding the buyer, even if the seller has known and sold to the buyer for years. The recommended sentence for a Class D misdemeanor is 180 days. “I think the intention of the law was to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, and that law that is in place now will not change if you repeal the revision,” Cullen said. The repeal would make the sale of alcohol to minors a Class A misdemeanor, or even a Class D felony. “If that was the intent, which I believe it was, that law is already clearly in place with higher penalties,” he stated. Opposition to the bill was greater. Those against the repeal included the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, and even the owner of several liquor stores. “We would not support that would repeal universal carding,” said Lisa Hutchenson, director of the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. “ She discussed how the coalition’s college surveys revealed that a percentage of students were able to purchase alcohol with a fake ID, another person’s ID, and even without an ID. “Minors really do know who cards and who doesn’t. If there is one establishment that they know cards every time, they’re going to go to the place where they know that they don’t card,” Hutchenson said. Hutchenson said that it’s easier to have a blanket policy to eliminate all subjectivity. “All of us in the retail sector supported this law. All of us,” said John Livengood, the head of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers. “When you take away the discretion from the clerks, and you make them card every time, they card the people that they should card.” Without retailers being required to card, Livengood said alcohol sales to underage people would start again. Scot Imus, executive director of the convenience store lobby, detailed how its members reported a significant decrease in the number of minors attempting to purchase alcohol due to required carding. “This was never about carding a senior citizen. It was about carding a 19 year old who looked 27 to a clerk who was too busy to check,” Imus said. He also offered up an alternative option to the repealing of the law. Imus suggested keeping the requirement to ask for ID. However, if a person of reasonable age declines to produce their ID, the clerk would be allowed to complete the sale. “What the balance does is to keep the minors from attempting to but at our stores,” Imus said. “Those people who complained to you, those senior citizens, it would give them an out.” Imus suggestion was challenged by Ray Cox, the owner of five Elite Beverages Stores within Indiana. “When you give a clerk discretion, and when that clerk is human, they’re going to make a mistake,” Cox said. |
Johnson County Libertarians Well Represented at State Strategy Meeting.
The Johnson County Libertarian Party-JCLP- was represented at the Libertarian Party of Indiana-LPIN_ annual strategy meeting by Erwin Salazar-JCLP Chair, Edward Dilts- JCLP Treasurer and JCLP member Frank Rossa. The meeting, held Saturday, January 15, draws libertarian leaders from across the state together to chart the course of the LPIN in the coming year. All three Johnson County residents participated in different focus groups covering a wide range of topics. Many of the ideas that came out of the sessions will be implemented at the county level.
Salazar, Dilts and Rossa all volunteered for different LPIN committees covering grass roots organizing, fund raising and communication. Additionally, Frank Rossa volunteered to spearhead the establishment of a state wide libertarian education effort entitled Liberty 101.
JCLP Makes Strides
Dear friends,
On behalf of the JCLP we hope that your holidays were filled with joy and that 2011 be your best year yet. The JCLP made some good strides in 2010, these included;
- The re-activation of the Libertarian party in Johnson County.
- Election of the board and adoption of our by-laws.
- Establishment of monthly meetings with some interesting guest speakers.
- JCLP’s first ever booth at the Johnson County fair.
- Numerous mentions in the Daily Journal.
- Recruitment of candidates for both last November and the coming election.
- A new web site- www.jclp.org – and Facebook page-@ Johnson County Libertarian Party.
- Established the ability to accept donations through paypal.
- Handed out thousands pieces of libertarian literature.
These accomplishments added to the impressive showing of the LPIN in the last elections. All this was possible because of your support, thank you all.
I encourage all of you to attend our next meeting on Thu Jan 27th at 7:00 pm. We will be planning the future of the JCLP and going over where the state party is heading. We will be meeting at El Rodeo Mexican restaurant, 3113 W. Smith Valley Rd. Greenwood In. It is at the SW corner of SR135 and Smith Valley Rd. Come out and eat some good food and find out our exciting plans for 2011.
Look for further emails and the new issue of our newsletter coming soon.
Thank you all.
County Chair
Erwin Salazar
jclpchair@gmail.com