Oops!!...

I received a letter from the State Election Commission the other day, informing me that I had missed filing one of the required forms that apparently was due after the state convention. It was the same form that had been filed before the convention, and was supposed to be filed in addition to the form that the state party had filed after the convention. At any rate, I plead guilty, sent in the form, and am waiting to hear what my fine will be.

But at least I'm not alone. It seems the Republicans and Democrats neglected to meet the deadline for getting their presidential nominees on the ballot in Texas: http://www.lpin.org/node/371

From the article:

"According to Texas Election Code § 192.031 , a political party is allowed to have their candidates on the ballot if "the names of the party's nominees for president and vice-president" are submitted before "5 p.m. of the 70th day before" the presidential election.

Given that neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party nominated a candidate before Aug. 26, it would be impossible for either party to file under Texas law.

"Third parties are never given second chances when it comes to getting on the ballot," says Verney. "And third parties are often thrown off the ballot for the most minor infractions of ballot access laws. In Texas, we have a clear deadline that was not met by the Republicans and Democrats, but it is all but certain that some way, some how, the establishment candidates will find a way on the ballot. Some people are just above the law."

A spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State's Office claims that both parties "filed something" on time, despite the fact that neither party had nominated a candidate by the deadline as required by Texas law."

I'm pretty sure the rules will be adjusted to accommodate the major parties, and I'm also pretty sure most people will never hear about it. Or care.

And while you're at it....

As my wife likes to point out, I'm not very good at multi-tasking. Shortly into our marriage, she discovered my inability to read the newspaper and listen to her at the same time. I'm pretty good at walking, and I'm pretty good at chewing gum, but if I try to do both at once, one of the activities is apt to get slighted.

For the most part, I've adapted pretty well, though. When Susan is talking, I listen, for the most part. I don't chew gum if I have to be somewhere in a hurry, and if I have the desire to chew some gum, I normally try to find a place to sit down. In our homebuilding business, we build one at a time, and finish it before moving on to the next. It might not work for everyone, but so far it has worked for us.

Today, while we were preparing for the Centerville Archway Days Parade,


I saw Tom Saunders, my friend and opponent in this fall's election across the way, so I spit out my gum and walked over to talk to him about the letter I had received from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources earlier in the week.

The letter, which I discussed in a recent entry, informed me of a new law that requires anyone who works on or discovers a building or part of a building that was built before 1870 to stop work and notify the DNR. I was righteously indignant when I asked Tom if he had voted for the bill, and he was brutally honest when he said he didn't know.

It seems so many bills come up each session that many get passed before they can be analyzed, or even read. I don't think that is how it is supposed to work.

There are a few limited things that government ought to do, and the legislature should concentrate on finding the fairest way to fund those limited duties.

It would be a lot easier for them if they just didn't try to do so much.

It would be a lot easier on us, too.

Can you dig it?....

Planning a room addition or new building on the family homestead? Better make sure you know where Grandpa had the outhouse.

I received a letter from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources today, informing me of a new law that went on the books this last July.

There has for years been a mostly ignored law that if you were excavating and uncovered an arrowhead, the jobsite was to be shut down, the DNR was to be notified, and all of the workers were required to stand around and pick their collective noses while the DNR sifted around for another arrowhead. There's a good reason that particular law was mostly ignored.

Not content with just saving arrowheads, our legislators have now decided to include "nonportable evidence of past human behavior or activity, found on or in the ground, including structural remains, and formed before December 31, 1870."

Now, I'm sure this new law will be as widely ignored as the previous version. I don't know of to many builders that would shut down a job everytime they uncover an old corncrib, or something that slipped out of Grandpa's bib overalls while he was taking his morning constitutional.

This new law will, however, have a definite effect in doing what the government loves to do.

It will insure that we don't run out of criminals.

I guess that's something.

That's what we've been saying...

We had great time at the Hagerstown Jubilee Day celebration today at the parade and at our Libertarian booth.


The Parade Gang




Ray and Lucky the Wonder Dog




Even big kids love balloons


My friend and opponent in this fall's election, incumbent Republican Tom Saunders, stopped by our booth and said that someone had approached him today and wanted to talk about eliminating property taxes. Tom said he told him he needed to go see Rex Bell. That's what we've been saying all along.

Wayward wind

If you've never been to the Mooreland Fair, it's a little hard to explain. While there is a carnival, tractor pulls, truck pulls and horse pulls, it's mostly just people visiting with other people. Thousands of them. Since I was raised just 2 miles south of Mooreland, it is one of my favorite places to have a booth when I'm on the campaign trail. I get to visit with a lot of people I've known for 56 years, but only see once a year. It's a little tiring to man the booth every night after work, but it's always a good time.

On Wednesday evening, we handed out about 250 helium balloons, and apparently a few escaped. I received an e-mail yesterday from somebody in Kingston, Ohio, about 130 miles away, telling me that he had found a balloon, and wishing me good luck in the election. Even as cut-up and gerry-mandered as District 54 is, I'm pretty sure he won't be able to vote for me, but I appreciate the thought.

One of the effects of the 2000 redistricting by the legislature was to make District 54 safe for Republicans, and especially safe for Republican incumbents, so much so that the Democrats opted not to offer a candidate for the district this year.

I made it a point to discuss the situation with the Chairman of the Henry County Democrats and several of the candidates whose booth was located across from mine. I suggested that voting a straight Democratic ticket this fall would amount to not only losing their vote in District 54, but would in effect amount to a vote for the Republican incumbent.

I'm happy to report they concurred.

A fitting visitor to Williamsburg...

Some of the Libertarian candidates from Wayne County took part in the Williamsburg Community Days Parade today. We had a suprise visit from Paul Wheeler,a.k.a. Patriot Paul. I thought it appropriate that he showed up in Williamsburg.
Paul in one of those new-fangled horseless carriages

Paul and some Wayne County Patriots

If you get enough banners, you don't even have to wash your truck!

Wayne County Commissioner candidate Cheryl Heacox had a tall order trying to keep balloons inflated as fast as we could pass them out.

We are hearing a lot of support for our property tax proposal. Keep the faith.