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THE VILLAGE CHOICE - Volume 4, Issue 29
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Manhattan Libertarian Party
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Jul 29, 2005 09:55 PDT
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THE VILLAGE CHOICE
A Weekly Rundown of News, Views and Events Affecting Freedom in NYC
Volume 4, Issue 29 * July 29, 2005
THE VILLAGE CHOICE is brought to you by the Manhattan Libertarian Party.
http://www.manhattanlp.org
In this issue:
* Running against Bloomberg!
* Mike’s phony tax cuts!
* Big Brother is watching diabetics!
* Your calendar of pro-freedom events!
* Much more!
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* News Bites *
Ban Bloomberg
Audrey Silk wants to talk about something new: government's infringement
on civil liberties, starting with the city's smoking ban. She organized
opposition to the ban, and then was approached by the Libertarian Party
to run for mayor. Now the retired cop sees the ban as part of a slick
sales pitch by an overbearing nanny state. "Mayor Bloomberg," she says,
"is trying to market us as a product."
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0530,murphy,66227,5.html
It Depends on What Your Definition of Tax Cut Is
Mayor Bloomberg's campaign claims in a radio advertisement that the
mayor has given the families of New York City two years of property tax
cuts and a lower sales tax. Despite two years of $400 rebates for most
homeowners, property taxes are higher now for many New Yorkers than they
were when Mr. Bloomberg took office, and, although the city portion of
the sales tax will soon return to its 2002 level, the overall rate is
higher than it was when Mr. Bloomberg arrived at City Hall.
http://www.nysun.com/article/17530/
Not Too Sweet on Privacy
A century after New York became the first American city to track people
with infectious diseases as a way to halt epidemics, officials here
propose a similar system to monitor people with diabetes, a
non-contagious foe. The list of illnesses reported to public health
authorities has grown over the years, but it still is almost entirely
contagious diseases, like HIV, or conditions related to environmental
toxins, like lead poisoning. Diabetes is different, threatening no one
but the people who have it. "This isn't smallpox," said James Pyles, an
attorney who represents health care groups concerned with medical
privacy. "The state, or the city in this case, does not have a
compelling interest in the health of an individual that overrides that
individual's right to privacy."
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050725/ap_on_he_me/tracking_diabetes_3
Nanny State at Sea
The governor has signed a new state law that raises the age limit for
those driving personal watercrafts. The old law allowed youngsters at
age ten to drive the water scooters - that can travel as fast as 60
miles per hour. The new law raises the age to 14. New York had been one
of three states that allowed ten year olds to drive watercraft. The
governor signed the measure while at Heckscher State Park in East Islip.
The new law takes effect on January First.
http://wcbs880.com/local/NYC--WatercraftLaw-nyn/resources_news_html
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* Rant of the Week *
There are No Terrorists, You Stupid Fuckers
by Matt Siegel
The purpose of exploding a bomb in a public place is not to kill people;
it is to scare the shit out of all the people who are still alive
afterwards, and to cause the breakdown of infrastructure by radically
changing people's behavior.
These subway searches do nothing to prevent terrorism. If I was a
suicide bomber carrying a bomb into the subway, and I was about to be
searched, I'd just blow myself up right then and there. There is little
difference whether I blow myself up on the train during rush hour, or
blow myself up in the train station during rush hour. These subway
searches do nothing to prevent terrorism, and all you stupid fuckers are
just bending over and taking it because you're all scared.
If there really were terrorists in NYC, and these subway searches really
did prevent terrorism on the subways, wouldn't we just get terrorism
somewhere else? There are no random bag searches when you go into a
pizzeria during the weekday lunchtime rush.
Think about it. A bomb doesn't even have to kill anyone, so it doesn't
have to be well made. It just has to scare the public. There are about
10 million people working in NYC every day. Let's say 5 million go out
to lunch, and they spend $10, on average for food every day. That's $50
million every day spent on lunch.
With an investment of less than $300, you can build a backpack bomb from
readily available materials. It may not contain high explosives. It may
not kill a lot of people, or anyone at all. But when it goes off, the
media will pick up the story, and scare the shit out of a lot of people.
So, you take your cheap-ass bomb into a pizzeria during the lunchtime
rush, eat your pizza, and just happen to leave the backpack behind when
you walk out. It blows up a few minutes later, only injuring a few
people, but making international news. Keep in mind, you're still alive,
probably won't get caught, and you've only spent about $300.
After watching the nightly news, the next day, half of the 10 million
people who normally go out for lunch, will bring a brown bag lunch to
work. Do the math. That's 5 million people, times $10 per person, equals
$50 million you just removed from our city's economy with a $300
investment.
If that keeps up for a week, you've removed $250 million from the city's
economy. And that doesn't include the cost of the cops, EMS, etc etc.
You could bomb a random joint once each week. It's easy. So if there
were really terrorists in NYC, wouldn't they be out bombing things?
Don't tolerate the loss of your freedoms over this bullshit. Our country
should not be run in order to create a perception of safety for stupid
people.
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* Upcoming Events *
Friday, July 29 – Sunday, August 7, 8:00 p.m.
Busted Jesus Comix
Theater production loosely based on shocking court case of the first and
only artist ever convicted of obscenity
$15 admission (20% off for members of MLP or LPNY and their guests.
Email in-@BlueCoyote.org for ticket information.)
Access Theater, 380 Broadway
http://bluecoyote.org
Saturday, July 30, 9:00 p.m.
Fundraiser for Jak Karako, Libertarian/Democrat for City Council
Tango shows, live music, raffle, cash bar and dinner available
$20+ suggestion donation
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, 140 Second Avenue
http://www.electjak.org
Monday, August 1, 10:30 p.m.
"The Libertarian Alternative"
A Libertarian political talk show
Time Warner Cable Ch. 34, RCN Cable Ch. 110, MNN Ch. 1
http://www.libertarianalternative.org
Thursday, August 4, 7:00 p.m.
Junto monthly meeting
Guest speaker: Dr. Marty Lewinter, Professor of Mathematics, Purchase
College
General Society Library, 20 West 44th Street
http://www.nycjunto.com
Wednesday, August 10, 6:30 p.m.
Manhattan Libertarian Party monthly meeting
Guest speaker: Henry Stern, former Parks Commissioner and founder of NY
Civic
Business meeting starts at 6:30; guest speaker at 7:30
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, 140 Second Avenue
http://www.manhattanlp.org
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* Manhattan Libertarian Party Honor Roll *
Benefactors (have given at least $1,000 to the MLP in 2005)
Ron Moore
Victor Niederhoffer
Founders (have given at least $500 to the MLP in 2005)
Your Name Here?
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* News tips, rants and events wanted! *
Help us improve THE VILLAGE CHOICE. Send news bites, rants and event
announcements to village-@manhattanlp.org. Please include a web
link whenever possible. We will occasionally consider broader topics,
but our strong preference is for items pertaining to freedom (or the
lack thereof) in New York City.
THE VILLAGE CHOICE is edited by Jim Lesczynski.
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If you're offended by anything in this newsletter, you're obviously a
humorless socialist of either the right-wing or left-wing variety.
See you next week!
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