Charlottesville Area Delegates Vote for Libertarian Party Candidates in Denver

Congressman Bob Barr is Nominated for President

Members of the Jefferson Area Libertarians attended the Libertarian Party National Convention in Denver, Colorado, and are pleased to announce that the Libertarian Party has selected former Congressman Bob Barr as its 2008 nominee for President of the United States.

The Jefferson Area Libertarians held the annual Bill of Rights Acclamation Saturday, December 15, 2007.

This was the 216th birthday for the Bill of Rights.  James Curtis lead the crowd in reading the Bill of Rights, including the little known Preamble.  Comments followed by Dr. James Lark and John Munchmeyer.

Our many thanks to Rick Sincere for videotaping the event and posting it online.  You can see the video by clicking here:  http://ricksincerethoughts.blogspot.com/2007/12/bill-of-rights-day-2007.html 

Click on the "Read More" link below to see text of the event.

The following letter was printed in the The Daily Progress on September 11, 2007:

Eight Days for MOD Proposal is Unacceptable

Editor:

The Albemarle Planning Commission has a work session scheduled for September 11 that concerns recent proposed ordinance changes that will severely restrict property rights.  These proposals are similar to those from previous years under the title “Mountain Overlay District” (MOD).  However, in this case they are much more extensive, as they apply to the entire rural area, and they greatly restrict how citizens may leave land to their children.  After that, on September 19, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public comment session.

The timing between the two meetings is completely unacceptable.  Eight days is a ridiculously small amount of time between the Planning Commission work session and the Board of Supervisors public comment session.  In the interest of good government, and because these proposals involve a radical change in the way one may direct the use of one’s own property, the public needs at least 90 days after a final concrete submittal by the Planning Commission in order to read and understand these proposals so that effective comments may be made.

The Board of Supervisors should postpone the public comment session until such a time as a concrete proposal is submitted and adequate time has transpired so that people may have an adequate opportunity to read and study it.

John Munchmeyer
Chairman, Jefferson Area Libertarians

Members of the JAL marched in the Crozet parade on June 30, the Staunton parade on July 4, and the Stuarts Draft parade on July 6.

"The Income Tax is the main fuel for the massive explosion of federal spending," noted JAL Chair John Munchmeyer.  "The bulk of this spending is in areas where the federal government should play no role.  IRS regulations are almost 10,000 pages in length, and the amount of money and time we taxpayers spend complying with these regulations is staggering."

Massive Tax Increase in Albemarle Labeled "Tax Relief"

The Albemarle County Supervisors are deciding at what level to set the property tax rate for residences.  Assessments have SKYROCKETED, therefore a reduction in the tax RATE (from $0.74 to $0.58 per $100 of assessed value) is required to keep the taxes NEUTRAL to the county.  They are now discussing going to a rate of $0.70.  Supervisor Slutzky, in opposition, called it "Tax Relief".

What is happening is the ULTIMATE IN  DECEPTION .  THEY ARE SAYING THAT A MINOR REDUCTION IN RATE IS A TAX CUT, WHEN IN REALITY, IT IS A HUGE TAX INCREASE!  Any rate over $0.58 is a tax increase.  Tax collections by the county are increasing at over 10% per year!  This is ridiculous even after taking into account inflation, population growth, and school enrollment.  It is obviously unsustainable.

Please click "Read More" below.

Members of the Jefferson Area Libertarians worked at the polls on Election Day, November 7, at many locations throughout the 24th District in support of the Sime for State Senate Campaign.

SUCCESS!

Thhe "Phasing and Clustering" ordinance was KILLED at the working session of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.

The ""Mountain Overlay District" ordinance, however, is still breathing.

The Jefferson Area Libertarians is fighting the "Mountain Overlay District" and "Phasing and Clustering" ordinances currently being considered by the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

Tell your Albemarle County Supervisor to THROW OUT these proposals!

Click on the "Read more" link below for contact information for Supervisors.

Members of the Jefferson Area Libertarians marched in the Crozet Independence Parade on July 1, 2006, and the Staunton and Harrisonburg Independence Day parades on July 4, 2006.

Friday, June 23, 2006 marks the one year anniversary of the controversial Kelo v. New London Supreme Court decision.  Friday, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the JAL will have an information booth on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, right outside of Fridays After Five.  Arin Sime will be in attendance.

JAL members attended the VICFA Farm Food Voices Thursday, June 15th from 5:30p.m.-9:30p.m. at Western Albemarle High School in Crozet.

The Libertarian Party of Virginia (LPVA) held its Annual Convention on Saturday, Aprill 22, at the Doubletree Hotel in Charlottesville.

Arin Sime Announces Candidacy for State Senate at JAL Tax Rallies

April 17, 2006--Against a fitting backdrop of Tax Day protests held at both the Waynesboro and Charlottesville post offices, Jefferson Area Libertarians vice chair Arin Sime today announced his candidacy for Virginia State Senate for the 24th District.

Read the story by Lindsey Burke.

On March 30, members of the Jefferson Area Libertarians held their annual convention at the home of Dr. Hallee Morgan, in Crozet, Virginia.  At the convention, new officers were elected for upcoming year.  John Munchmeyer was elected Chair of the JAL, Jim Lark was re-elected Secretary of the JAL, and Lindsey Burke was elected Treasurer.  Past Chair Arin Sime chose not to seek re-election to the Chair position in order to prepare for a run for office in 2007.  As the JAL Constitution requires, Mr. Sime automatically became Vice-Chair of the JAL upon Mr. Munchmeyer's election as Chair.

VICFA, the Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association, recently sent out an action alert.  After all their troubles fighting over zealous bureaucrats in Richmond, it appears they are now going to get slammed by Charlottesville city busybodies too.  Please read the info in this newsletter and send a message to the Charlottesville City Council in support of private property rights, small business rights, consumer rights, and farmer rights.

ALSO in this newsletter:  The latest update on Richmond's non stop efforts to make eminent domain abuse LEGAL in Virginia.

If consumers to the market truly have concerns, it will show up in the cash drawers of those vendors they don’t trust. The truth of the matter is that a farmers’ market allows consumers to develop a much stronger bond of trust with vendors than with any product in a grocery store. That bond of trust is not based on any stamp of approval the City can offer, but is based on the personal relationships developed when you meet the people growing your food.  If a vendor violates that trust, consumers will make them pay for it more than any City bureaucrat could. Let the Farmers’ market (in the free market sense) determine who are the best vendors, and please leave City government out of it and out of the homes of our farmers.

The JAL today sent a press release stating in part that:  Local libertarians support the efforts of the Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (VICFA) to salvage the rights of small farmers from the corporate agricultural lobbies in Richmond.  VICFA has been opposing House Bill 982, which allows the state to create a licensing and registration system for small farmers that is specifically exempted from the usual requirements for public participation and the "Administrative Process Act."  This means that the General Assembly is giving bureaucrats the power to regulate out of existence small farmers without any public oversight or comment.

VirginiaPropertyRights.org, an eminent domain reform website founded by JAL members, has issued a press release stating in part:

The General Assembly is consolidating all eminent domain bills into one bill that was authored by special interests with a vested interest in local governments maintaining wide powers of eminent domain. "The General Assembly is seeking to pass a bill that they will claim protects private property rights in the wake of the Kelo decision, but in fact keeps the definition of 'public use' so vague that local governments will have all the power they want over our homes," stated Arin Sime.