Patrick
The Democrats’ Massive New Spending Bill is Too ...

By Lee Enochs

When Joe Biden was elected President last year he promised to bring unity to a country that was highly divided during the Trump presidency.

However, he and the Democrats quickly forgot that campaign pledge to bring unity and healing to our divided nation as evidenced by Biden and the Democrats’ massive $3.5 trillion dollar spending bill called the “Build Better Act.”

The 2,465-page bill which promises to significantly expand America’s social safety net, is Joe Biden’s chief legislative priority, and if passed will fund everything from expanded Medicare funding, free community college and the fight against climate change.

The Democrats’ Massive New Spending Bill is Too Partisan
Patrick
On Donald Rumsfeld's Failed Iraq War Policy

By Lee Enochs

History now shows that Rumsfeld and the second Bush administration were gravely mistaken about WMD's being in Iraq at that time and the consequences of this blunder of unfathomable proportions, was the loss of over 5 000 American soldiers and over 100,000 innocent Iraqi lives.

Because Rumsfeld was considered the "chief architect" of the second Bush administration's Iraq war policy, any objective discussion over his legacy must include this monumental and historic foreign policy mistake. This was left out of your comments on Rumsfeld.


On Donald Rumsfeld's Failed Iraq War Policy
Patrick
Cryptocurrency, Human Liberty, and Economic ...

If we want freedom and privacy, we must persuade others that these are worth having.

Cryptocurrency, Human Liberty, and Economic Education
Patrick
A Response to John MacArthur’s Attack on ...

by Lee Enochs

Anyone that has been paying attention to what is transpiring in current affairs throughout the United States should acknowledge that political progressives and socialists have been emboldened and are increasingly influencing public policy decisions in America. With this increased influence of leftism has come a proportional erosion in our civil and constitutional liberties.

Case in point, the massive social media popularity and “Green New Deal” agenda of Democratic socialists Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other leftist environmentalists, have already influenced new President Joe Biden to kill the economically prosperous Keystone Pipeline contract and with it, thousands of American jobs.

A Response to John MacArthur’s Attack on Religious Freedom
Patrick
The Capitol Riot Wasn’t a Coup. It Wasn't Even ...

By Ryan McMaken

On Wednesday, a mob apparently composed of Trump supporters forced its way past US Capitol security guards and briefly moved unrestrained through much of the Capitol building. They displayed virtually no organization and no clear goals.

The only deaths were on the side of the mob, with one woman—apparently unarmed—shot dead by panicky and trigger-happy Capitol police, with three others suffering nonspecific “medical emergencies.”

Yet, the media response has been to act as if the event constituted a coup d’etat. This was “A Very American Coup” according to a headline at the New Republic. “This Is a Coup” insists a writer at Foreign Policy. The Atlantic presented photos purported to be “Scenes from an American Coup.”

The Capitol Riot Wasn’t a Coup. It Wasn't Even Close.

new jersey

New Jersey Libertarian Party Nominates Tosone for NJ Senate

New Jersey Libertarian Party Nominates Tosone for NJ Senate

The New Jersey Libertarian Party has selected Jim Tosone to run as its candidate in the General Election in the 39th Legislative District. The District is comprised of towns in northern Bergen and Passaic Counties.

A life-long resident of New Jersey, Tosone has lived in Township of Washington with his wife since 1988. He was the Libertarian Party’s nominee for this Senate seat in 2017 and for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. He was also Vice Chair of the New Jersey Libertarian Party in 2016 and 2017.

Tosone was a Contributor to the 2007 and 2016 editions of the series “Idiot’s Guide: The U.S. Constitution” published by The Penguin Group.

Woman Attacked by Police Dog Gets $250K Settlement from New Jersey Town

Woman Attacked by Police Dog Gets $250K Settlement from New Jersey Town

By John Paff

On February 3, 2020, the Borough of Oaklyn (Camden County, NJ) agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a Collingswood woman who claimed that Borough cops sicced a police dog on her after chasing her home because she parked incorrectly in a 7-Eleven parking lot.

In her lawsuit, Natalie Diaz said that in the early evening of February 2, 2016, she went to the 7-Eleven in Oaklyn to purchase a cup of coffee. After seeing that there were no parking spaces, “she parked her car by one of the exits to the parking lot” with her engine running and lights on. When she exited the store “a few minutes” later, several people, including Oaklyn Police Officer Jayne Jones, “were yelling at her to move her car.”

Mid-Atlantic States Enact Historic Reforms, But Remain Stalled on Legalization

Mid-Atlantic States Enact Historic Reforms, But Remain Stalled on Legalization

By Patrick McKnight

Recent comments from Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney suggest one final legislative effort to legalize marijuana in 2019.

“I think I’ve been consistent that I hoped we could have one more shot at this,” Murphy told reporters last week. “Getting something to happen sooner, if we have a real shot at that, I’d be all in. … Count me all in to try and work toward that.”

The Governor’s promised to legalize marijuana within his first 100 days in office. That was nearly two years ago. The following year and half have been a rollercoaster of rising and falling expectations for reform advocates. After Murphy and Sweeney came to an early 2019 agreement regarding how recreational marijuana would be taxed, the stage appeared finally set for a legislative vote.

Veterans Struggle to Gain Access to Medical Marijuana

Veterans Struggle to Gain Access to Medical Marijuana

By Patrick McKnight

Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana programs. Despite this expansion military veterans often face greater obstacles to gaining access to medical marijuana than other groups. Veterans suffer widespread health problems including chronic pain, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder at a rate higher than the general population. When veterans seek medical care from the federal Veterans Administration health system, they not only lack access to medical marijuana but may fear jeopardizing all federal benefits if they admit to personal use. Notwithstanding the rapid spread of medical marijuana across the United States, many veterans report feeling left behind.

Another Delay for New Jersey Cannabis Legalization

Another Delay for New Jersey Cannabis Legalization

By Patrick McKnight

An ongoing political saga took another unpredicted turn this month. After over a year of building momentum, hopes for a legislative vote on legalizing the adult-use of recreational cannabis have once again faded. Senate President Steve Sweeney announced he is no longer working towards a legislative solution, instead proposing a ballot referendum in 2020. In the meantime, he pledged to continue efforts to expand the Garden State’s medical marijuana program. He also expressed his support for an expungement bill.

On May 15, 2019, Sweeney tweeted “We will move forward with the expansion of our medical cannabis program as well as the progressive social justice reforms in the expungement legislation. We will not, however, pursue the legalization of adult use marijuana at this time.”

What’s Inside New Jersey’s Proposed Cannabis Legalization Bill?

What’s Inside New Jersey’s Proposed Cannabis Legalization Bill?

By Patrick McKnight

Over a year after reform advocates first began predicting swift legislative victory, the recreational use of cannabis remains illegal in New Jersey. When Governor Murphy and Senate President Sweeney agreed on a $42 per ounce flat tax in February, legalization supporters once again hoped for quick adoption of New Jersey Assembly Bill 4497 (“A4497”). Once again, the much-publicized March 25th vote was called off due to lack of support. Now legislators have a limited window to act before the state budget deadline on July 1st.

Hopes for reform have ebbed and flowed since Governor Murphy was elected on a platform including legalization within his first 100 days. Despite his party controlling both the Senate and Assembly, the Governor has only been able to expand the medical program since taking office. That executive action doubled medical marijuana enrollment in just six months.

While the media has spilled considerable ink analyzing the political drama, actual details of the bill itself have received considerably less attention. A4497 attempts to incorporate lessons learned from other legalization regimes in Colorado, Washington, and California. Some critics argue certain provisions in the bill are too ambitious. Others wish the bill would go even farther. These disputes will need to be resolved before the ongoing 18-month saga finally comes to a vote in Trenton.

New Jersey Moves Closer to Legalization

New Jersey Moves Closer to Legalization

By Patrick McKnight

New Jersey took another big step towards legalizing the recreational adult-use of cannabis last week, but legislators stopped short of taking the historic vote. After a breakthrough in negotiations over taxes and regulatory oversight between Governor Murphy and Senate President Sweeney in February, the scene appeared to be set for legalization. A vote was scheduled for Monday, March 25 but was postponed due to a lack of support. Leaders now hope to work out remaining sticking points and pass legislation before June.