Published bimonthly by the Libertarian Party of Washington State

Contents copyright (c) 1999 by Washington Libertarian. Any material may be reproduced with credit to the author and to Washington Libertarian.

For the latest on events, speakers, etc., see the ''Updates'' Calendar on the main LPWS web site, http://LPWS.org/events.htm.

Libertarians win Primary, proceed to General

Here are the Libertarians and small-l libertarians proceeding to the general election.

We found the libertarians who are not (yet) members through the Liberty Voter's Guide, which is available at www.LPWS.org.

Vote, volunteer, and donate for Liberty!

KING COUNTY:

Algona City Council:

Pat Diviney received 29% in 3-way primary, opponent got 53%

Bellevue City Council:

Jayne Peralta (member)

Bob Cronk

Burien City Council:

Jerry Robison

Shirley Basarab

Des Moines City Council:

Henry (Mike) Foote Jr

Kirkland Hospital Commissioner:

Gene Hawkridge (member) received 26% in 3-way Primary, opponent 51%

Kent City Council:

Bruce White (member)

Donna Young

Kent School Dist:

Robert "Bob" O'Bryan received 34% in 3-way Primary; opponent 45%

King County Council:

Chris Caputo (member) received 18% in 2-way Primary; opponent 82%

Dwight Ballestrasse received 24% in 2-way Primary; opponent 76%

Kirkland City Council:

Rachel Hawkridge (member)

Lake Forest Park City Council:

Kaye Pethe received 25% of Primary; opponent 67%

Lake Washington School Board:

John Hall (member) received 26% in 3-way Primary; opponent 49%

Mercer Island City Council:

Del Parker

North Bend City Council:

Ed Carlson

Northshore Utility District:

Keith R. Woods

Shoreline City Council:

Bill Healy

Vashon Island School Dist:

Glenna Mileson received 37% in 3-way Primary; opponent 35%

Water District Commissioner:

Mike Hihn (member)

Woodinville Water Commissioner:

Bob Milton

PIERCE COUNTY

Fife City Council:

John Dekeyser received 47% in 4-way Primary; opponent 27%

Fire District 16 (Key Peninsula):

Allen Yanity

Port of Tacoma:

Mark Hamilton

School Dist #003 (Puyallup):

Paul S. Gregory

School Dist #320 (Sumner):

Antoni H. Froehling

Sumner City Council:

Bevery Froehling

Tacoma City Council:

Bill Evans received 39% in 3-way Primary; opponent 39%

Wilkeson City Council:

Jean Finney

OTHER COUNTIES

Bremerton City Council:

Ed Rollman received 30% in 4-way Primary; opponent 28%

Clark County Fire Commission:

Mike Brodle (member) received 37% in 3-way Primary; opponent 53%

Colville City Council:

Eva Hart (member)

Mark Taff (member)

Lacey City Council:

Randy Brooks (member) received 29% in 3-way Primary; opponent 43%

9th District State Senate:

John Gearhart (member running as a Democrat)

Spokane Cemetery Commissioner:

Heidi Duty (member)

John Morgan Duty II (member)

Liberty Walkers Raise $$$, Have Fun

by Lauren Bain

With dozens of Libertarians running for office, I wondered how I could support them. I came up with the idea of Liberty Walk as a fund-raiser to motivate our members and non-members to contribute.

I thought the walk should be something out of the ordinary, so I decided on a ten-mile route through Seattle. Seattle's hills are legendary, but I actually came up with ten relatively level miles. I recruited walkers from our email lists, and six committed, including me. I asked for a volunteer to drive SAG (Support and Gear) and got some good sports to drive - dull duty, since the walkers never needed anything much.

The walkers' mission, in addition to toughening their feet, was to garner pledges from as many people as they possibly could. Liberty Walk raised about $500 for the candidate fund. With a few more walkers and a little more moxie, the amount could be much more next year. But raising $500 is a good outcome of a few friends out having a good time together for an afternoon, and we voted unanimously to make the Walk a tradition.

My pharmacist pledged, hoping we will reduce the health insurance regulations that cost him so much time and his customers so much money and inconvenience. My non-Libertarian friends pledged because they like the idea of liberty. My mother-in-law pledged Number One Son and me because, well, "What's a mother to do?"

Ernie Ludwick, candidate for Port of Seattle commissioner, walked part of the Walk with us between other campaign duties. Walkers took turns carrying his signs and shouting "Elect Ernie" to passersby, who honked and waved. Ernie's vote-seeking radar led him to approach pedestrians and people at bus stops to talk about his campaign. And he narrated the various boondoggles of the Port of Seattle as we passed them along the route, informing us of the issues so we could better inform other voters.

I heartily recommend a Liberty Walk as a way of raising capital and getting Libertarians out for a good time together. O

Several regional events didn't get details to calendar@LPWS.org in time, so for more info in your region, check with www.LPWS.org, events section, or your local chair (see back page). No need to RSVP unless noted, no need to be a member or resident.

LPWS Convention April 29-30, 2000. See page 5 for more info.

LPWS State Central Committee Nov. 13, 1pm-4pm. Issaquah Library, 120 E Sunset Way, Issaquah. Directions: From eastbound I-90, Exit 17/Front St; turn R onto Front St, L lane into town about .6 miles; L onto E Sunset; will be on L after a few hundred feet (look for the small library), R across railroad track. From westbound I-90, Exit 18 to E Sunset Way; R into driveway at construction just after fire station. Lost? call 425-392-5430. Contact Carol M at director@LPWS.org or 206-329-5669 for more info.

Benton/Franklin Counties Business meeting 4th Thursdays except Nov/Dec (contact Dave for those dates) at the Godfathers Pizza, Richland. 6:30pm social time, 7pm meeting. Godfather's Pizza, 1051 George Washington Way, Richland. Directions: From I-182, take Exit 5 = north on George Washington Way, it's 1/2 block past Swift Ave. on the L. From Hwy 14, take the George Washington Exit, head north, and it's 1/2 block past Swift Ave. on the L. Lost? 509-943-8488. Questions? contact Dave C at 509-627-1303 or benton@LPWS.org.

Clark County Business meetings 3rd Thursdays at the Clark County PUD Operations Center Community room, 8600 NE 117th Ave., Vancouver, 7 to 9pm. Contact Bruce L, brucekey@ix.netcom.com.

Grays Harbor County Business meeting Saturdays Nov. 20, 1pm. River Haven Restaurant, 120 Lincoln Ave, Hoquiam. Directions: on Hwy 101 just N of Hwy 109 turnoff. Lost? 360-532-0126. Contact Art R, 360-289-4940 or grays@LPWS.org.

King County

1. Liberty Supper Club: Thurs. Oct 28, Talk Show Host Peter Weissbach featured speaker! Dinner at 6:30pm, Speaker at 7:45. Brief meeting at 8:30. Hidden Harbor Restaurant, 1500 Westlake Ave. N, Seattle. Red Cabbage Steak (a vegan delight) $19, or Chicken Fettuccini $14 including tax and gratuity. No substitutions, no menu ordering except beverages and desserts, no credit cards. Dinner orders taken until 7pm. Directions: From I-5, take Mercer St / Seattle Center Exit (#167), immediately turn R onto Fairview, immediately turn L onto Valley, after a couple of blocks turn R onto Westlake, it will be on your R after 1/2 mile. If lost, call 206-282-0501. Dec 2: Radio talk show host Mike Siegel: Mike would like to "celebrate" the WTO protests that will be going on at about the same time; location TBA. Further info: Lauren B, lbain@evergo.net or Carol Miller, (206) 329-5669.
2. Liberty Forum: (Bellevue) 3rd Wednesdays: Nov 17. Las Margaritas, 437 108th NE. Dinner at 6:30, announcements at 7:15, speaker at 7:30. Bring a friend!
3. Liberty Forum: (Covington) Tuesday evening, Oct 26th, 1999 (then monthly on the 4th Tuesday, except Nov/Dec.) Special guest speaker Phil Fortunato, 47th District Rep. Phil will share insights into local city councils and service districts. A's Restaurant, 17051 SE 272nd St, Covington. 6:30pm dinner optional; 7:15pm speaker, 8pm business meeting. Sugg. donation $2. Directions: At W end of Covington Square, just E of SR 18 on the S side of 272nd St (also known as Kent-Kangley Rd or SR 516). SR 18 from Kent: go E along SR 516. SR 18 from Maple Valley Hwy: go W at 4 Corners. Questions? Steve P, 425-432-4215 or stevephillips@hotmail.com.
4. Liberty Forum: (Issaquah) Date TBA. Special guest speaker Joe Huffman, "How can we defend our second amendment rights? Joe is a certified firearms instructor, spoke at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in St Louis, and appeared on "Gun Talk" radio program. For more info, contact Juliana T at 425-557-9423 or juliana@summerwalk.com.
5. Kirkland Libertarians: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, meet before City Council meetings, Wendy's, 312 Central Way, 6:30pm. Confirm, Rachel H, 425-814-4548 or raehawkrij@alt.net.
6. Business Meeting, East King County,changing to 1st Weds, contact Doug W as above.
7. Business Meeting, West King County Libertarians: Dec. 9, vote on proposed by-laws, 7 pm, Vashon Library, 17210 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon. This location tentative and will be confirmed on Nov. 1. Lost? call 206-463-2069. Directions: From Fauntleroy ferry, take Vashon Hwy to Vashon Center, nearly 5 miles. Library is on the L, just past Ober Park. Optional: Meet for pizza, 5:30pm at Rock Island Pizza & Pub, 17322 Vashon Hwy SW. Questions? Lauren B, lbain@evergo.net or Carol M, 206-329-5669.
8. Help elect Libertarians! (a) Bill Healy to Shoreline City Council: Bill seeks volunteers to hold yard signs at busy intersections on Nov 1. 6-10am or 3-7pm. To volunteer, call Bill at 206-517-2613, email him via www.electbillhealy.org, or meet at 145th and Aurora. (b) Chris Caputo to King County Council: Wave signs Nov. 1 and 2. Contact Gail W, campaign manager, for more info, 206-367-4299.
   
9. Election Night Victory Party! Nov. 2. Libertarian candidates and supporters invited to the home of Chris C. on the evening of the election, 8:30pm. BYOB and snacks. 12512 9th Ave NW, Seattle. Directions: From I-5 northbound, take N 130th St Exit #174; L off exit, up to the stoplight 1/2 block north; L onto NE 130th for 1.3 miles; L onto Greenwood Ave N; R onto N 125th St; R onto 9th Ave NW; immed. on R. From I-5 southbound, N 145th St Exit #175; R off exit onto NE 145th for 1.3 miles; L onto Greenwood Ave N; R onto N 125th St; R onto 9th Ave NW; immed. on R. Tall house with lots of stairs on L side which lead to front door. Lost? 206-367-4299.
10. Liberty Video Night Nov 16, Dec 21 (3rd Tuesdays). At member Brian J's home, contact him for directions at bjames@microsoft.com. 7pm, movie shows at 8pm. BYOB and munchies.

Kitsap County

2nd Tuesdays, 6:30pm; Roundtable Pizza, 3276 NW Plaza Rd. (between Toys R Us and Target). Directions: Hwy 16, then Highway 3 North to Silverdale, take the Hwy 303 South = Kitsap Mall Exit, turn R off exit onto Kitsap Mall Bvd, turn R at second stoplight at Plaza Road, the restaurant will be on the R. Lost? call 360-698-4040. Questions? Harry James, 360-779-3328 or kitsap@LPWS.org.

Pierce County

1. Liberty Supper Club, date TBA. Special guest speaker: Sherry Bockwinkel of CLEAN (Citizens for Leaders with Ethics and Accountability Now). Topics: 1. "Pierce County Election Fraud" and "SLAPP suits -what to do." SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation in government. New Location TBA.
2. Business meeting Thurs. Nov 18 (tent.) Nov 18 agenda includes officer elections. Roundtable Pizza, 7901 S Hosmer Street, Tacoma, 7pm at "round table" up front. Directions: I-5 to Exit 129; take 72nd St east; turn south at first light; restaurant next to theatre. If lost, call 253-988-7031. Questions? Kelly H at pierce@LPWS.org or 253-858-7523.

South Sound (Thurston, Lewis, Mason Counties)

First Wed's at 6pm, Ramada Inn Governor House, 621 Capitol Way S., Olympia. Special guest speaker Nov 3rd: Shawn Newman. Shawn is an attorney with a reputation for exposing politicians and the "politically connected" who misuse the political and justice systems for personal gain and power. Shawn is President of CLEAN, Citizens for Leaders with Ethics and Accountability Now. He will be speaking on some unjust aspects of the justice system. Special Guest Speaker Dec 1st: Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders. Supreme Courts are our last defense against the erosion of our individual liberties. Directions: from I-5, take State Capitol exit; turn R onto Capitol Way after exiting tunnel in front of Capitol. About 10 blocks down on L, free parking. Lost? 360-352-7700. Contact Erne L, ernelewis@home.com or 360-866-7347 to get on the email list or for more info.

Spokane County

Liberty Dinner Club, 2nd Mondays, Nov 8 dinner optional 6pm, announcements 7pm, speaker 7:15pm. Special Guest Speaker: Nora Callahan on "Casualties of the Drug War." Nora is founder and director of the November Coalition. KayLon Gardens restaurant, 2819 N. Division St, Spokane. Directions: From I-90, Exit #281=Division St; go north 28 blocks; restaurant is on L. Questions? Morgan D, 509-292-0706, spokane_rep@LPWS.org

Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille (NE WA)

1. Libertarian Coffee at Eva Hart's home. 1pm, 531 E Birch Ave #3, Colville. 4th Saturdays.

2. Monthly Business Meeting at Cookie's Cafe. 1pm to 3pm; Cookie's Cafe - 198 E Second Ave, Colville. Guests are welcome. $2 sugg. dues. 3rd Saturdays. Questions? Eva H, ehart@theofficenet.com or 509-684-3595. O

Weighing in for Liberty

LPWS member Jesse Brocksmith is losing weight for Liberty! Starting at 343 pounds, he seeks pledges for each pound lost between Oct 11th, 1999 and April 14th, 2000. That's six months to lose as much as healthfully possible.

Jesse promises, "I won't be using diet drugs, rubber work out suits or any of that junk. Just plain exercise and dietary control.

"Contributions will be given to our year 2000 candidates, much like the Liberty Walk this year. The more donations, the more weight I lose, the better for the LP and my health. This way I have a great incentive."

Contact Jesse at jessebrocksmith@yahoo.com, 425-820-5133, or 13110 119th Place NE #N-5 Kirkland, 98034. He also welcomes people to join him. O

Liberty in Y2K!

By Mark Taff, Vice Chair

The LPWS has meet with unprecedented success in 1999.

• We have fielded a record number of candidates for office, and they performed quite well in the primaries.
• New regions have been chartered, and more are on the way.
• Candidate recruitment for the 2000 election cycle is going very well, and we expect to have a record field of candidates.
• Many supper clubs featuring lively speakers have been formed, with more on the way.
• We are getting more and more positive press.
• We have reached out to the public with booths at fairs, letters to the editor, radio advertising, yard signs, bumperstickers and more.
• Membership is up.

In short, the LPWS is on a roll!

Why all the success? It is because of members like you, members who have the gumption to get actively involved. I shall not list names, as my space in this newsletter is not long enough to contain such a list. My thanks to all of you who have made such a commitment to Liberty.

Now is the time to redouble our efforts. There are open positions on the standing subcommittees mandated by our Constitution and Bylaws. There are even some Chairmanships available. The positions available are on the Campaigns, Membership, Finance, and Public Relations committees. If you have a talent in one of these areas, please consider volunteering your time. Even if you do not have such a talent, but are interested in learning more about one of these areas, this is an ideal opportunity.

In 2000, the LPWS will likely achieve Major Party Status in accordance with state law. With your help now, we can become a real Major Party. Imagine Libertarians regularly getting elected to the legislature. Imagine a Libertarian governor. Imagine Libertarian sheriffs, and Libertarians in the U.S. Senate. This is the success that is waiting for us. It will happen. With your help, it can begin in 2000.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at vicechair@LPWS.org or 509-684-6240.

Liberty in Y2K!

Editor's note: The LP of Northeast WA, which Mark chairs, leads the Lights of Liberty competition with 17% of members qualified. More info in August/September Washington Libertarian, available at www.LPWS.org. O

There is a lot of misinformation being spread by opponents of I-695. I encourage you not to look for logic and honesty in those who want to take your hard-earned money. To do so would be like inviting the fox to guard the hens.

If I-695 passes, the state budget will still increase by $8 billion in 2000. The Libertarian Party found a spending cut that alone would save over 10% of the estimated effects of I-695. Simply close the sales offices Washington State maintains in foreign countries on behalf of big business. Call me crazy, but I believe billion dollar companies should be able to pay for their own sales force.

Senator Morton expressed a willingness to reallocate the way the state spends our money. I suggest the legislature first eliminate corporate welfare, fraud, waste, and abuse. If the legislature doesn't want to cut the special interest spending their campaign contributors favor, they could simply send some of this massive budget increase back to our cities and counties.

Rather than proclaim that the sky is falling, the legislature ought to take I-695 as a sign that the citizens are fed up with being the fifth highest taxed state in the nation, and significantly cut the budget, and return our money to us. We are the best judge of how our money should be spent. Let hard working Washingtonians decide how to spend their money.

This is also an excellent opportunity for our cities and counties to reevaluate their budgets and eliminate wasteful and inefficient spending. As a candidate for Colville City Council, I look forward to eliminating such spending to compensate for the very minor effect I-695 will have on our city budget. I stand for reducing this outrageous tax burden, and I for one will cast my vote in favor of I-695. Won't you join me?

Mark A. Taff
Colville
published in Statesman-Examiner, Sept. 29th. O

Learning to live with other organizations' ratings

LP News Services

The Municipal League reviewed many Libertarian non-partisan candidates in the weeks before the primary, and not all Party members were pleased with the results.

The league evaluates candidates on four criteria (knowledge, involvement in civic activities, integrity and objectivity, and effectiveness) and hands out ratings ranging from outstanding to poor and not qualified.

"They want to know how effective a candidate will be in office," said Bill Healy of Shoreline. "They call your references. They want to know how well you will do if elected, and they judge this by your previous experience."

Kelly Haughton, recent LPWS Campaigns Chair, who once worked with the League in Pierce County, said raters try to focus on how much candidates know about the office. "The raters I worked with were looking for people who understood the powers and nature of the position. They were more interested in whether or not the person even knew what the issues were, than what the their stand was."

He also called on the LP to be proactive in the future. "Candidates need to prepare themselves to know about the office and the issues they would face if elected," said Haughton. "At this stage in our development, we need to help our candidates to prepare for this event."

Not all Libertarians were rated. Candidates might consider being "too busy" to meet interviewers if they feel a bad rating is unavoidable and undesirable. O

Literature at Bellevue Mall

Harvey Morton explains how, about one year ago, he started displaying Libertarian brochures. "This area is one of my coffee stops. While coffeeing & thinking there one day, I noted the diverse people that passed by. Due to a long-time friendly business & social interaction with the owner of The Daily Planet News Stand, and due to his civic mindedness, I was given the OK to use premium space to display & dispense Libertarian literature to inquiring minds passing by from countries that do not have the choices that Libertarians are trying to protect here."

Carol Miller, Executive Director of the LPWS, notes: "I was startled when I saw our literature there! This an important contribution to making Libertarian ideas understood by the general population. I sometimes put the Advocates for Self-Government's Smallest Quiz up on community bulletin boards, but brochures at Crossroads mall are 100 times better."

Harvey typically restocks literature every week or two, and notes he's been careful not to run out.

Displaying I-695 in retail establishments was absolutely crucial to getting enough signatures to put it on the ballot.

Contact Carol Miller (info on back page) to receive literature to place in your community.

Campaign Info Wanted

Vice Chair Mark Taff asks that candidates send samples of campaign literature and commentaries on tactics that worked or failed. This information will be compiled in a campaign resource library. Send electronic copies to marktaff@theofficenet.com, hard copies to 531 E. Birch Ave. #2 Colville, WA 99114. The library will be secured for LPWS member use only. O

Primary Lessons

by Ernie Ludwick

Ludwick ran for Seattle Port Commissioner, placing sixth in a field of nine, with 12,000+ votes. Afterwards, he compiled a wrap up, which we reprint for your reference in the coming year. - Editors

From personal experience these last few months, here are a few things I've learned:

1. Ballot position played a far smaller role than I had hoped (I was second on the ballot).
2. The top 3 candidates, tied at 18%, were the main endorsees of the major parties and a candidate who bought TV ads. Conclusion: in a dull, lightly attended election, most voters are stalwart party followers. To compete, we need our own hardcore voters or other ways to reach voters in huge numbers.
3. TV, radio, and weekly newspapers required payment weeks before running my ads - some sold out their space. Next time, I'll fund-raise earlier.
4. I found it vital to define issues in the media, and would do it earlier next time, distancing myself from the pack in time for journalists to become intrigued and begin following my themes. They love to compare and contrast.
5. Bright, easily readable campaign signs definitely helped, judging by the many people who mentioned them. While signs don't necessarily get votes, I believe they reaffirmed my name recognition and let potential voters know they were backing a serious candidate.
6. As this was a non-partisan race, I showed up at both R and D picnics and rallies. This created support and gave me a chance to make great contacts with reporters, donors, senators, other candidates, etc.
7. Tailoring campaign materials to the group I was addressing worked well. At the Republican picnic, I handed out fliers that decried the Port's "government competition with private business." At the Democrats' picnic, my fliers said, "the Port's expansion wipes out jobs by displacing waterfront businesses." At football games, I handed out team rosters with campaign issues printed in the margins. People actually asked for them, while other candidates couldn't force their materials on the fans.
8. Organizing lots of volunteers early counts for a lot! It was late in the campaign before I realized how much more ground I could cover with the help of campaign volunteers. I tried to do too much myself and with the small cadre of close friends involved in my campaign, who eventually burned out. (Thank you, all who helped).
9. Gimmicks work. My use of "Ernie" dolls caught people's eyes and complemented my strategy of first name recognition. Many voters told me that the children's TV character reminded them of my name at the polls.

Briefly, what did we accomplish? My campaign placed libertarian ideas in the households of one million registered voters in the county. Thousands also heard me espouse those ideas on local radio (4 times), on TV (12 times), cable access (one 30-minute interview show), newspaper ads, and dozens of panel interviews, debates, and endorsement reviews. Many newspaper articles, in the Times, PI, Weekly, and others, quoted me on the wisdom of allowing the market to control waterfront development, and my indictment of the tax-and-spend policies of the Port of Seattle. I was interviewed by 3 stations for prime time TV news. Several letters to editors and calls to talk radio shows spontaneously promoted the Party and my campaign. Volunteers placed over 12,000 pieces of Libertarian literature in voters' hands.

My free market, anti-tax philosophy was assimilated by my fellow candidates, who heard it again and again at our mutual campaign appearances. By election time, many of them were using my ideas, verbatim, in their position papers and speeches. This will impact the thinking of these civic leaders for years to come, as they aspire to other offices and interact with supporters.

Finally, I would like to announce that I intend to maintain the momentum and name recognition I gained by making myself available as a candidate in the year 2000 election.

This was a ton of work, but also the most fun I've had in a long time. I urge anyone who is considering candidacy in 2000 to go for it.

I learned and grew so much, in so many unexpected ways - let me assure you, you will be amazed and delighted by the experience. O

LP Wins Big at Rock Concert

By Dave Carson

The Libertarian Party of Benton-Franklin Counties undertook its first Operation Politically Homeless Booth on Oct 9th in the courtyard of Pasco's Posse Stadium during an all-day concert sponsored by a local radio station.

It was a fun, enlightening day, with many, many folks (most of them late high-school age) exposed to libertarian ideas and the LP for the first time, and some folks re-exposed from earlier sightings of the Party.

Getting folks to take the Quiz wasn't always easy (like the two guys who always said "We need just one more beer before we can do that"), but most folks became interested rather quickly, and the booth/Quiz worked as they were designed to, sparking discussion and questions, and letting us distribute quite a bit of literature.

The Yes-I-695 bumperstickers were a big hit, as were the Gun Rights and "Toward a More Sensible Drug Policy" pamphlets. (With two head shops running um, interesting booths just down from us, we made sure to have a big stack of those right up front).

The questions that people raised were fun too, and there were even a couple that I couldn't answer.

The results of the quiz were interesting. Only 3 people (out of about 80 or 90 who took the Quiz) scored as "right conservative", and 2 of those were young women. About a dozen scored "authoritarian" too, which was surprising to me (as was the fact that most of them were also women!).

In general, the Quiz-takers scored out in a broad vertical band about the width of the "Libertarian" section, with something of a bulge off to the "Liberal" side. I'll do some analysis of the filled-out quizzes to find out which questions were answered "M" or "N" more of the time than "Y".

Overall, it was a gratifying, interesting (though cold) experience. We learned lessons on what to do, and what not to do next time, and gathered quite a few names of folks who want more contact with us.

(Note: contact Carol Miller, info on last page, to obtain LPWS booth materials for gun shows, rock concerts, fairs, etc.)O

Use Oxygen Masks to Promote Deregulation

By Brien Bartels

Regulation is a specter haunting America. The great task of libertarians is to somehow persuade the public that they don't need Big Brother to watch over them with an administrative codebook. Personally, I find this task difficult and frequently embarrassing, in the case of person-to-person communication. If I suggest doing away with government meat inspectors and letting in-house quality control and liability laws work, I get bogged down in arguments about how evil and short-sighted corporations profit from allowing people to die from eating listeria-tainted deli meats.

The vast majority of Americans in the middle class don't deal with regulation frequently enough to become annoyed with the process, let alone desperate enough to overthrow the rule makers' reign of error, whether it is murder through bureaucratic inertia at the FDA or the three ring circus of county planners. Aside from idle complaints or guffaws, Americans do not feel threatened by regulation until it is their own life or property on the line.

The usual way for libertarians to argue against it is to point out the costs it inflicts on sectors of society, and how those costs reduce welfare of society at large. This hasn't worked, even though one study in 1994 put the cost of regulation per household at $6,000 a year.

It doesn't work because the cost of each regulation is not perceived by taxpayers and consumers who pay the bills. It is hard to get someone whipped into a revolutionary fervor about $6,000 that they never saw and didn't personally spend when bacterial death is only a cold cut away.

A similar but more provocative approach was introduced in 1995 in the journal Risk Analysis (Vol. 15, No. 3). In this study, the overall economic costs of a life-saving regulatory intervention is expressed in terms of increases in life expectancy. For example, regulation by the Federal Aviation Administration has a median cost per life-year saved of $23,000; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's median costs are $88,000 per life-year; and the EPA's set us back merely $7.6 million per life-year.

I consider this great information. It is also political poison, exactly the type of disembodied left-brain-in-a-jar logic that people expect from libertarians and have learned to laugh off.

Cool calculation has a limited impact when it comes to public life. So when we talk about regulation, let's talk about emotions: humiliation, wrath, frustration, boredom.

After experiencing these four emotions on a recent business trip, I had a flash for an unanswerable deregulation proposal. It's an easily implemented reform that will increase the comfort, dignity and well-being of a vast number of Americans, without materially reducing their safety, and improve the working conditions of a perpetually restless workforce.

The FAA should stop flight attendants from giving that spiel about the oxygen masks and the emergency exits.

On my short junket, I was subjected to the spiel and the mime show no less than four times. I stopped listening after the first one, but did not stop being annoyed by this insult to my intelligence. I could tell by the steely glint in the eyes and frozen smiles on the mouths of the attendants that they enjoyed giving the safety spiel as much as I enjoyed listening to it. The short-haulers probably have to repeat their puppet show with the disconnected oxygen masks four or five times a day. Those doing duty on the longer flights maybe only once or twice, but that's probably once too often for them.

Is there an American over the age of six who hasn't committed a version of the often-parodied safety spiel to memory already? Go ahead and test that. Ask the next person you see what will happen if the room you are in experiences a sudden decrease in cabin pressure. That's right. An oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling. Place the mask over the face and adjust the straps as shown. Next, have that person show you the emergency exits.

The safety spiel has been duly injected into the collective unconscious. If ever an airplane in the United States gets into a mid-air crisis, its passengers will be able to carry out the procedures from genetic memory, whether they have been annoyed by The Spiel on that flight or not. But given the recent history of air disasters, it is a sad fact that most passengers do not get a chance to benefit from the oxygen masks in the ceilings or even the floating seat cushions. If a planeload of Americans are doomed to die in a crash, they should at least be allowed to go into death happy that their last precious minutes on earth were not wasted by another instruction to "read" the picture book showing the plane's evacuation routes for the event of landing on water. That's the way I'd want to go. Wouldn't you?

In the safety spiel is the entire regulatory process writ small: a practically Mosaic pronouncement in scope and longevity, it forces one group of people (the enforcers) to act like zombies in the course of placing another group (the enforcees) in a position of frustrating subservience, in which mindless indifference is the only refuge. So when persuading citizens of the evils of regulation, add a calculation of the anger and personal humiliation involved to arguments based on cost. When the regulations of the EPA are seen, even by bureaucrats, through the lens of the safety spiel's nonsensical (but far, far cheaper) requirements, the tide will have turned against the regulatory state. O

Getting Started in Public Access Cable

by John Tyson

South Sound Libertarians, under the direction of Paul Goodwin, have filmed two one-hour segments for Thurston County Public Access TV.

The first segment, filmed in early August and aired a half dozen times since, was hosted by Randy Brooks (Libertarian candidate for Lacey City Council) and included panelists Lauren Bain, Erne Brooks, and myself. The show was divided in to three twenty-minute segments discussing the history and goals of the party, I-695, the war on drugs and resulting asset forfeiture. The panel prepared in advance, and Lauren provided a constitutional and legal perspective. Paul lined up an all-volunteer production crew, which produced professional graphics, incorporated music, and created a cosmopolitan back drop.

The second show, taped on the September 13, was dedicated entirely to the "paycheck protection" battle currently being waged in the court system. (The State Supreme Court has agreed to an expeditious hearing of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation appeal of an appalling ruling.) Jami Lund, manager of the paycheck protection project of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (an Olympia area think tank) showed a very-well produced 16-minute film on the history of union dues deductions that violate both the First Amendment and state law. He then further discussed the issue and fielded questions from Randy, Erne and John.

Paul, with a bit of flair, describes it this way, the day after the taping: "Last night the world was treated to the most remarkable example of pure talent the likes of which it has rarely seen. The 'Three Libertarianeers,' Randy, Erne, John and their guest Jami, took to task those rascally pro-WEA chumps, who are not only walking but stomping on our liberties."

Rich Schwender, floor director for the second production, has his own show, Tinkers' Tales. He hosted Randy, Erne and myself earlier in the summer.

We plan on two segments each month. Paul continues to line up crews to produce the film and we believe there is a large audience for public access TV in Thurston County (the author has been approached by five different people who "saw him on TV").

Impetus for this show was developed in part from our participation with Schantz on his show in Centralia. Public access TV is very easy to use. Typically crews are volunteers and must first be trained on the equipment. In Thurston County, TCI Cable has provided two studios and very sophisticated electronic equipment. For further information, call your cable company or email Paul at pgoodwin@yelmtel.com for tips on getting started.

The South Sound Chapter strongly encourages all affiliates to investigate the possible use of this next-to-free publicity. It requires time and effort, but it is indeed inexpensive and, we think, effective exposure to the inquisitive mind. O

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