Hello Liberty Lovers of Riverside County!
If you would like an essay featured in the Liberty Letter, or if you read or watched something awesome that you think should be in the Suggested Reading of one of these newsletters, reach out to us at admin@rclp.us and let’s chat!
In the News: Who’s on the Ballot?
The “lawfare” regarding Donald Trump’s potential 2024 presidential candidacy proceeds at a fever pitch. It has now reached a level that should objectively concern anyone: pressure to exclude him from the actual ballots. Say what you like about Trump (and there’s plenty to say), the idea that “democracy” will be protected by government bureaucrats dictating who can and cannot be voted for is … problematic.
Of course, this is not new for the Libertarian party. We spend enormous amounts of time, money, and energy just to be able to appear on ballots, thanks to over a century of shenanigans from both the Rs and the Ds. The LP’s ballot access is a treasure, and everyone who has contributed (and is contributing) to that effort deserves thanks and applause. It also gives us space to laugh a little bit at the shock with which rank-and-file Republicans view this whole “kick Trump off the ballot” thing.
This is a hot topic in Colorado, Michigan, and Maine, and over the Christmas break California’s top nonentity, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, tried to make it happen here, too. You probably missed it (because the lieutenant governor’s office is worse than pointless) but on 20 December Kounalakis sent a letter to CA secretary of state Shirley Weber imploring her to decide that Trump appearing on a ballot was just too dangerous to democracy; this is “not a matter of political gamesmanship,” she added.
Oh, Eleni. You really went there?
The Lieutenant Governorship of the state of California is an office built entirely on political gamesmanship. The office has no substantive powers, but still earns its occupant six figures and controls a million-dollar staff budget. The California LG’s office is as useless as it gets. In fact, it’s worse than useless. It uses resources while producing nothing. It’s a net drain on everyone. It has negative value.
Want to protect democracy, Eleni? Resign and eliminate your office. You and your staff consume a million dollars annually, every cent stolen from your neighbors, to fund your flights of electoral interference fantasy. It’s absurd to read hyperbole about “securing democracy” written by a career factotum who occupies a position from which she is empowered to do nothing but beclown herself.
Hilariously, since there’s no drama quite like petty drama, the secretary of state just released the certifications for the ballot, and Trump is on the list. Let us eagerly await the stories of the watercooler catfight where Eleni reads Shirley the riot act, since Shirley is now a Trump enabler or something.
Happily, six libertarians are on the California ballot, too, running for an assortment of offices (and there could be more, see below). The voters will get to decide. And that’s as it should be, for ALL parties.
Election Officer Opportunities
The county registrar of voters needs help every election, but this year everything is going to be bigger and crazier, rife with charged suspicion about how votes are collected, transported, and tabulated. There has never been a better time to get involved and make sure the system itself is fundamentally fair and secure. As libertarians, we are uniquely positioned to help keep the voting system neutral, since it is much easier for us to avoid being accused of partisan shenanigans by the apparatchiks of the duopoly parties. And the ROV is even paying people now (which we mention here even as we recognize that as libertarians there may be some very strong opinions from this newsletter’s readership about how and why that would happen).
Take a look at the details at this link, and get involved if you can (and share your experiences in a future newsletter!).
https://voteinfo.net/county-riverside-registrar-voters-seeking-election-officers
Election Opportunities
Earlier we mentioned the Certified List of Candidates produced by the Secretary of State. It can be found here:
https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/cert-list-candidates.pdf
This sort of document can seem dry and meaningless, but when read with an eye toward opportunity it can also be a gold mine. Thanks to California’s top-two primary system, state elections with only one registered candidate can be prime opportunities for write-in activism. If a Libertarian files as a write-in candidate and gets even a few votes, that Libertarian could become one of the "top two" and appear on the November ballot. Obviously, if more than just one person registers as a write-in this gets more complicated, but if you know somebody who wants to take a crack at it to see what happens, go for it!
Here are the districts in question along with the counties with which they overlap:
Assembly District 4 - Colusa, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Yolo
Assembly District 20 - Alameda
Assembly District 32 - Kern, Tulare
Assembly District 45 - San Bernardino
Assembly District 65 - Los Angeles
Assembly District 78 - San Diego
As you can see, there is nothing in Riverside. But if you know someone in those districts that has been complaining about the way things are, pass this opportunity along. See the Secretary of State's website for details about how to qualify as a "write-in candidate". (Note: you can't just tell people to write in your name -- you have to be on a list or the votes won't be counted)
More Suggested Reading/Viewing/Listening This Month
This is the website for the newly launched Libertarian Party national news portal. What was once a periodic newsletter will now be a 24/7 web presence. RivCo’s own chairman, Loren Dean, has an article in this premiere wave regarding New Year resolutions for libertarians. Check it out, subscribe there for updates, and check out how to contribute yourself!
Calendar Notes
As always, bookmark and regularly check our website for the most up-to-date event details:
13 January 2024: Riverside County Libertarian Party annual convention. We will elect new county officers for 2024 and chart a course for liberty in the coming big election year. Vice Chair Matt Gunnell has unfortunately moved out of state, so there is at least one position wide open going into 2024. If you have ever wanted to get involved, being an officer is a great place to start! If you would like more information on being an officer, contact us (check the bottom of this newsletter) and let’s chat.
23-25 February 2024: Libertarian Party of California annual convention. Since 2024 is a presidential election year, this convention will include the election of state delegates to the national convention in May (in Washington D.C.). For us here in the southern parts of the state it’s conveniently located in Orange County this year! Find details (schedule, procedures, hotel reservation, etc.) here: https://ca.lp.org/2024-convention/
5 March 2024: The California Primary election. It never hurts to plan ahead for these, especially since ballots will be coming in the mail starting in early February. Find details here: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/pres-prim-march-2024
23-26 May 2024: The Libertarian Party National convention. Under this year’s theme, “Become Ungovernable,” libertarians from all over the country will discuss and debate the issues of our time. LPN will also conduct its regular election of officers. As this is a big election year, this will also be the event where the LP nominates its presidential ticket for the general election. Find details here: https://lnc2024.com/
Voter Registration and Party Membership
If you vote, be sure your registration is Libertarian, since different ballots get mailed to different people depending on that stated preference.
Whether you vote or not, stay abreast of your registration details on the California Secretary of State page at this link: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/cavoter
Being a registered Libertarian voter certainly allows you to call yourself a real libertarian. However, there is more you can do. You can join the national Libertarian Party as a “sustaining member" by signing the membership application statement and paying dues (currently a minimum of $25 per year) to the national organization. Note that while paying dues at the state level (California) makes you a local "central committee member," national membership is separate.
If you aren't a dues-paying member at all, you can join as a national member AND as a state/county member using a single online form:
Combined National/State/County Membership Form
Join us in taking a stand for a world set free!
Closing Thoughts from the Chair
This year’s elections are going to be THE HOT TOPIC of the year. The media blitz surrounding these elections will be unlike anything you have ever seen. You will want to tune it all out and ignore everything–it will be that bad. Please realize that it will be that bad on purpose. The people screaming loudest and longest won’t want you to “do something”. Rather, they will want you to do NOTHING. They will want you to disengage, so they can do whatever they want without opposition. Don’t fall in the trap. If you have ever wondered if you should get involved, the answer this year is YES.
You need to be aware and informed, especially about the shenanigans of your local electeds. The US will elect a new president this year. But your town will also elect new city council members, your region will elect new school board members, and Riverside County will elect new supervisors. Be informed about those races and those candidates. Those local officers will occupy positions from which they can interfere with your life. You must watch them and call them out when they try it.
Find local activist groups and join them. As libertarians, we can find value in speaking up for increased freedom and decreased government power wherever we find ourselves. In this new year, be about that business.
How can you start? Come to the annual county convention on 13 January. See the Calendar section of this newsletter for details. I hope to see you there!
–Loren Dean
Find us on the web at https://rclp.us
Email us at admin@rclp.us
LPCA Discord server: https://discord.gg/wfXzapGsTd
LNC Discord server: https://discord.gg/fxdH2bre