LIBERTARIAN PARTY of
Colorado
"Limited Government - Individual Liberty - Personal
Responsibility"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 21st, 2002
CONTACT: Mike Seebeck, Public Information Director
PHONE: (719) 382-9529
REPUBLICANS THREATEN FREE ELECTIVE CHOICE
COLORADO SPRINGS -
"Republicans can't stand a little competition! They are trying to
steal people's choices." So said John K. Berntson, Chair of the
Libertarian Party of Colorado.
Berntson was reacting to House Bill HB03-1142, which is now winding its way
through the Colorado Legislature. This bill would have the effect of
causing all minor parties to go through the caucus and primary system of the
major parties.
"Certainly they realize that most minor parties average less than one
registered party member per precinct," continued Berntson.
"They also know that they have trouble getting participation at
their own caucuses, as many people as they have, so what chance would the minor
parties have in meeting their requirements?"
Across the country, the two major parties have long tried to control ballot
access, keeping off everyone except themselves. They have even coined the
incorrect phrase, "Two Party System," to make people think that this
is what the Founding Fathers had in mind for our republic.
Yet the Founders never spoke in favor of political parties. They wanted
multiple voices, forming and reforming coalitions, depending on the issue.
George Washington even explicitly warned against them. The Libertarian issue is a simple one:
freedom. The Republican and
Democrat issues are the same: control.
Colorado has been blessed these past five years with the most open ballot
access in the nation. Our Minor
Party Law gives ballot access to any party that can register one thousand
members - something that only a handful of groups has been able to do.
"This bill is aimed squarely at the Libertarian Party," said
Berntson. "The other minor parties have only nominated a comparative
handful of candidates, while we have had between seventy and ninety candidates
in each of the past two cycles.
"This is really about the 2000 elections. Republicans blame us for
throwing the State Senate to the Democrats in 2000. Now they are in power
again, and they want to stop any possibility that 2000 could happen again.
They are simply covering their own assets, because they think they can
get away with it.
"The truth is, they have lost some votes to us, because they have failed
to represent their own base supporters. If they would shrink the size of
government, bring about real tax relief, grant people the right to defend
themselves, and stop stealing people's property, they would not have to worry
about us."
Did the Libertarians "steal" Republican votes? Only if you
believe that Republicans - or Democrats - own votes to begin with, instead of
earning them. Republicans know that their base supporters would never
vote Democrat, and so were content to ignore their concerns. When
Libertarians offered a real choice, those voters took advantage of it.
In a handful of races, Libertarians got enough votes to cost the Republicans
seats, though nobody can ever say for sure how those voters would have voted
without a Libertarian in the race. Yet Libertarians maintain that this is
how our system is supposed to work, that Republicans and Democrats should be
required to earn votes, not just cut off the competition at the knees.
"Anyone that wants representative democracy to work should be horrified at
this bill," said Berntson. "Though they are sure to say it was
written to ensure 'fairness,' all these people want to do is change the rules
to eliminate competition. It is the most un-American thing I can think of
them doing.
“To them, ‘fair’ means they have all of the advantages. To us, ‘fair’ means ‘fair’”.
The Libertarian Party of Colorado decries this legislation
and urges the people of Colorado to call their legislators to kill this bill
NOW.
