Resolve for I&R [Initiative and Referendum] in Birmingham

Oppressed Birmingham citizens may appreciate LPA [Libertarian Party of Alabama] efforts for greater access to their ballots. Their Executive Committee recently approved a resolution introduced by District Representative Patrick Merritt [Region 3] to support Birmingham citizens using I&R, see Article 3.15(b) link: https://www.birminghamal.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/mayorcouncilact.pdf to restore some of their cherished liberty.

I&R enables citizens to place measures on their respective ballots to either submit a new law, such as recall and term limits, or voting up or down an existing law. This is increasingly more important when trying to undo harm like the Birmingham sewer debacle. Furthermore with big government conservatives (a.k.a., traditional Republicans) running the show in our State it is increasingly less likely libertarian/small government conservatives (for example Dr. Jimmy Blake) will be allowed to have any input on blocking wasteful spending and attenuating overbearing government as he did when on the Birmingham City Council. Apparatchiks kicking Dr. Blake out of our highly subsidized and protected Red Duopoly Party last year offered further evidence little change will result from our elected politicians.

Citizens in 26 States enjoy this right [I&R] unimpeded. I&R is blocked in Alabama, because of the controlling practices of our Montgomery politburo and the stranglehold ACCA, BCA, et al lobbyist enjoy in our State. We just elected a BCA lobbyist to the US Senate sucking $574,000/yr. salary to be more effective than “Cash-register Shelby” boasting about his parting shot of $666 mil. to keeping ringing up the obscene Trump/Biden debt these past years. Shelby Britt is just one of our high end political prostitutes not wanting others having more access to lawmaking that would devalue her services or undo some of the massive theft brokered from your city council all the way up to DC.

Statistics show Alabamians want I&R. Notasulga’s Frank Dillman, a long-time advocate and activist for the voice of the people via this mechanism said: “citizens want and deserve the right to vote on taxes, such as the unwanted state fuel tax and income tax, gaming, school choice, segments of the state budget, and recreational marijuana when our legislature continuously fails to represent us.”

Birmingham may be the sole municipality with I&R, however, the several counties which adopted the 2005 Limited Self Governance Act, see Sections 2(b) and 6 of SB 129 [https://arc-sos.state.al.us/ucp/B05146AA.AM5.pdf] also have this capability. Your county commission office and the office of judge of probate is required to know if you may place measures on your county-wide ballots. Of course, don’t your county politburo and bureaucrats to be forthcoming - more counties are feeling insulated enough to block citizen input from taxpayer provided video broadcasts, fail to produce budgets, have special elections to overturn failed tax votes on general elections, etc. Dillman closed his perspective with, “This is exciting seeing the LPA taking the lead for all citizens, regardless of political choice,” who suggested visiting http://www.LetBamaVote.org for more on Initiative and Referendum.

The text of the LPA Executive Committee Resolution is as follows:

Whereas, We consider it suitable that the citizens of Alabama should have the right to represent themselves; and

Whereas, There is no vehicle aside from elected representatives to provide this representation; therefore

Resolved, That the Libertarian Party of Alabama should be committed to the advancement and provision of Initiative and referendum to the people of Alabama.

Resolved, That the Libertarian Party of Alabama is committed to supporting efforts to make use of Initiative and Referendum in the City of Birmingham.

LPA Chair Samuel Bohler provided his thoughts:

Within the last month, Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told reporters he would not allow recreational marijuana use bills on the floor for the duration of his term. That means Alabama will be trailing behind while about half of the other States have legalized it, and others are working on legalization. For four more years, Alabama can save people from "ruining" their lives with marijuana - i.e., ruining their lives with drug convictions and putting them in prison. We could spend $100 million from the education fund to teach young kids how to lead successful lives and avoid substance abuse and dependency or reallocate that money to buy more prison space to incarcerate them. Governor Kay Ivey appears to have budgeted for the latter. The revealed priorities of those governing Alabama are concerning.

Bypassing bureaucracy and petty party politics, I&R restores some voice of the governed to the citizens so they can speak about what they value. The people of Alabama are willing and ready to engage in directly shaping the laws and allocation of funds. Let them.

Kudos to the LPA who keep fighting the duopoly in our State and championing restoration of some voice in our representative republic which grows increasing less competitive thus less communicative of the people hosting the parasites decaying what would be a an improved quality of life if allowed. Sadly as population grows and the number of representatives doesn’t adjust as designed, we’ll continue to witness more concentration of power at every level of government.

PS: Comments on last month’s column - esp. with respect to the passing of Camilla L. Rice were sincerely appreciated. Some across the State did not know of Camilla’s passing prior to reading the In Memoriam. I ask forgiveness from those who thought I ‘over-emphasized’ following generations [Exodus 20] squandering blessings accrued by ancestors who endured taking God’s righteous path. Camilla was among the last who reminded me of my Grandmothers with true Southern grace and grit. They shunned ‘Nimrods’ who made government their god. They shepherded their immediate posterity to this understanding of the Decalogue. Sadly, the 3rd and 4th generations of my grandparents observed display much more fidelity to government as their benefactor via SSA checks, etc. unwilling to speak or act against the command economy/wealth transfer society of corporate and social welfare recipients we now so ardently embrace.