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!
These emails may be too long for some email inboxes. If so, scroll to the bottom to find a link to read them in your browser (and don’t be afraid to click through to like and comment at Substack directly). All the contact information you need is also at the bottom.
From the Chair
Greetings to you in the New Year! There’s a strong temptation here to weigh in on the LA fires, but there are takes on those in this month’s Suggested Reading, so I’ll let those sum things up down there. As Los Angeles burns, let’s all take a moment to examine our own emergency preparedness. Where would you go if everything went wrong? Who could you count on? What supplies could you take with you? These are all really good questions, and are worth spending some time on.
This will be a year of uncertainty. It already feels like multiple inflection points are being reached. The incoming Trump administration has a nonzero chance of adding Greenland to America’s territorial portfolio, something that was probably on nobody’s bingo card for this year. The current British government has a nonzero chance of collapsing under the weight of quite justified public outrage over the ongoing rapes of perhaps 100,000 girls perpetrated by migrant trafficking rings. Los Angeles has a nonzero chance of burning completely to the ground while everyone responsible for fire safety tries to shuffle out from under blame.
There’s a lot going on, and your own personal preparedness may well factor in somehow. See to that, so you’re ready for whatever happens.
Stay safe this year, friends.
–Loren Dean
In the News: New Officers!
At the 2025 annual convention of the Libertarian Party of Riverside County (AKA the Q1 central committee meeting), last year’s executive committee was retained for another year. Meet them (or re-acquaint yourself with them) in their own words below, and feel free to click the comment button at the very bottom of this email to say hello in the Liberty Letter comments section.
Chair: Loren Dean
I grew up in the city of Riverside and have always called it my hometown. Nevertheless, I spent 15 years working out of state, mostly in Oklahoma, where I discovered the Libertarian party around 2013 and realized it fit my own general contrariness quite nicely. I returned to the land of my people, my beloved Inland Empire, in late 2019 to remarry and start a new chapter of my life. I got connected with the RCLP (at a meetup in the fabled back room of Bob’s Big Boy in Calimesa, IYKYK) and started volunteering to help. Now I can’t stop, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Vice Chair: Jeff Hewitt
I am a lifelong resident of southern California having been born in Redlands and living most of my life around Yucaipa and Calimesa. I came to Libertarianism in 1976 when Roger McBride was the presidential candidate. Digging thousands of swimming pool holes and voting for seemingly thousands of Libertarian candidates over the years, I concluded that there were a lot of people swimming in refreshing water and no one swimming in refreshing liberty. In 2010 I was elected to the city council of Calimesa and 5 years later became the mayor. In 2018 I was elected the Fifth District Supervisor of Riverside County. I have served on the state executive committee and national committee of the Libertarian Party and now look forward to my duties with the RCLP.
Treasurer: Joshua Clark
I grew up in Riverside and graduated from Jurupa Valley High School. I’ve been philosophically Libertarian since around 2005 when a friend gave me a copy of “The Uncle Eric Series” by Richard Maybury. I started reading a lot more libertarian oriented literature, and was a big supporter of Ron Paul in 2008, and 2012, moved back to the Riverside area in 2019, and decided to get involved with the local party in 2021. I have been RCLP Treasurer since 2022.
Secretary: Marcus Schuff
I grew up in Temecula and graduated from Linfield Christian High School. I served in the US Army and was deployed with Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I attended Mt. San Jacinto College and North Dakota State University where I studied Liberal Arts, Humanities, New Media and Web Design. I became a libertarian during Ron Paul’s presidential run in 2008, and I was a Ron Paul Delegate in North Dakota in 2012. I have been back in Temecula since 2020 where I want to continue the fight for liberty. I own and operate my own small business developing websites and apps. I am an avid Scuba Diver and hold seven dive certifications, and I am working towards a Master Scuba Diver Certification.
Note!
Our bylaws allow us to have two Vice Chairs, but for the moment we have only one. If you have been wanting to get involved in the RCLP (and we’ve got some fun stuff coming up!) let us know using the contact info at the bottom of this email.
More Suggested “Reading” This Month
(It’s not always reading; it’s the internet, you know how it is)
The people at EXIT are contemplating the death of the nation-state as we know it. It’s worth spending some time contemplating what comes after the world is set free, or, more likely, becomes free because overarching control structures collapse:
It’s not so bad, you say? Life as we know it will probably just soldier on, you say? Not if everything burns down, says Chris Bray:
Keely Covello has a take with a slightly broader view:
The LA city government (and the Newsom Regime) probably needs a refresher on the seen and the unseen. The economics olympiad is taking applications: https://economicsolympiad.us/
Meanwhile, what’s this about rape gangs? Probably a nominee for phrase of 2025, already:
https://news.lp.org/ is the website for the newly launched Libertarian Party news portal. What was once a periodic newsletter is now a 24/7 web presence. 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: https://rclp.us
5 April 2025: Q2 Central Committee Meeting
Details TBA, but save the date!
11-14 June 2025: FreedomFest
The premier meeting of the liberty movement, this year happening in Palm Springs, right in the heart of Riverside County. The RCLP will be seeking exhibit space to welcome freedom lovers from all over the country (and world) to the Inland Empire. If you’ve ever thought about going, this year is the year! Find registration info at
2025: LPCA Convention
Stay tuned for details on the state convention and election of officers. The first set of dates (in February) was forced into cancellation, incurring a substantial penalty fee. To avoid paying for two full conventions this year, the state party will probably opt to make the rescheduled event an extremely stripped-down affair; it may well be held somewhere without an attached hotel.
Whichever way, links to registration and details will be coming in the next couple of months. Given the 120 day notification requirement in the LPCA bylaws, even if the state ExCom schedules the new convention in February it probably can’t be held until July. We’ll post details to RCLP membership as soon as they’re known.
Voter Registration and Party Membership
If you vote, be sure your registration is Libertarian. 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 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!
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