Instructions for collecting signatures
Any number of signatures will help, even if it's just your own. You'll be surprised at how many of your friends, family and coworkers would be happy to sign. It costs about $1.00 for every signature collected by a professional petitioner. In contrast, every signature that you collect saves the LPNC money that can then be used for real campaigning.
If you are willing to gather signatures from people that you don't know, here's a bit of advice to help improve your petitioning experience. In general, always be polite. Remember, you are the ambassador of the Libertarian Party. If someone needs to hear more before signing the petition, that's fine, but at all costs avoid getting into arguments or philosophical discussions with people. The moment you are sure that you aren't going to get the signature (or the moment you have finished getting it), thank the person for their time and move on. For every person that says no, there are several right after them that will likely say yes.
If people want to ask you detailed questions about where the party stands, your time is better spent with a quick canned response and a reference to our website. It is a good idea to have some LP brochures to hand out, but it's not necessary. Of course, if you get someone who wants to become more active in the party, please get their information and pass it on to us at utreach@lpnc.org.">outreach@lpnc.org.

Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the petition:
The wording is less vexing this year than previously, but you may still get questions about what level of commitment they are pledging by signing. Please reassure people, if they ask, that signing the petition does not necessarily mean they are a Libertarian. All it means is that they believe in our democratic right to be on the ballot. Signing this petition will not in any way affect their voters' registration, and we will not put them on a mailing list. The only way we use the voter's info is to send it to the county board of elections for verification purposes. Tell people they can and should sign any other party's ballot access petition as well.
You'll notice the blank space for the name of the county. This is because we must turn our petitions into the various County Boards of Elections for verification. So please make sure people from different counties sign on separate sheets.
Make certain the address given is where the voter is actually registered to vote. PO Boxes generally don't count, unless the voter is a college student. Be careful that people put down their correct birthdate, not today's date. This is needed for verification, so the Board of Elections knows they signed the petition, instead of us just getting the name out of the phonebook.
Please mail signatures to:
Libertarian Party of NC
attn: petitions
PO Box 28141
Raleigh, NC 27611
If you have any questions, please contact LPNC Ballot Access Director, Bob Ritchie at badirector@lpnc.org.
Thank you for supporting the Libertarian Party of North Carolina's ballot access drive.

Get signatures to allow us ballot access.
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The Libertarian Party is working with the Green Party of North Carolina to improve third party ballot access. We need your signature!

The Munger4NCGov Campaign is in desperate need of funds to pay the costs of setting up the campaign. If you want to contribute seed money that will help us grow a great tree of liberty and sound principles for the state of North Carolina, please consider making a contribution of $100! With enough early contributions, we have an excellent chance of making our campaign credible.

The goal? A Libertarian, on the ballot, and "in the Debate...in 2008!"

The idea of the taxpayer funding political campaigns is an unfair idea which does not help the taxpayer that has to pay Federal, State, County, and Municipal Taxes and hurts parties such as the Libertarian and Green Party who do not receive Federal Funds and have to overcome obstacles such as Ballot Access Laws and Unfair Practices such as discrimination by the Republicans and Democrats against the Libertarians and Greens as well as the Independent Paty such as the one by Jesse Ventura.
Why should a taxpayer have to fund political campaigns when the political parties and their candidates receive money from lobbyists and special interest groups such as labour unions that are sycophants of their political party or movement? The person who contributes to a political party, and a political campaign should do it out of their own desire and heart without the need for taxes or forcing the individual to contribute

Another reason is that the Libertarian and Green Party who receive money from private donations instead of Government Money campaign on an uneven playing field which removes competition from the Democratic and Republican Party. It is unfair that the Republican and Democratic Party talk about the need for a free market and love for the American People and yet they repress the competition by using taxpayer money to flood the country with their propaganda of hate, lies, and deceit at the expense of an American Public that no longer has contact with the Republican or Democratic Party.

The general public also suffer since they feel that the subsidies will protect their lifestyle even though in the long run, the general public would suffer because of high prices or rationing of products.

In the same realm that State and Church should be separated, the State and the Corporations should be separated. This entails a total separation without subsidies, without contributions on both sides [i.e.: Corporations giving money to the Government or Politicians and the Government Contributing to the Corporations]. Corporations and Government are a mixture that should be avoided in order to stimulate competition and get the juices of energy for new concepts to take root. If Ford, Edison, and Firestone were alive today, they could not function in today's overregulated economy with the Corporate Subsidy being a part of the agony of doing business in the United States of America.

Coporations associating themselves with Governments usually have a way of losing money after the administation or government falls. An example of this was India and Coca Cola after the defeat of Indira Gandhi for reelection as Prime Minister of India in 1977. When we go back to Corporate Subsidies, the fact that it diminishes competition and does not help the companies, the employees, nor the area at large where the corporation is based.

Corporate Subsidies should never be used since the false sense of security that it gives to the people of the United States of America could prove fatal to the social fabric if it were to be removed. In order to avoid the pain and damage to the social fabric, Corporate Subsidies must never be allowed to function in the economy of the United States of America if there is to be a free market. A company and or a corporation has a product and as long as the people want the product, there will be more manufacturing of such products. If the people tire of such products, the company should find newer products or whither away without the help of the State in saving the company.

Worcester, Mass, May 10: Libertarian Presidential candidate George
Phillies today condemned ITAR (International Traffic in Arms
Regulations) export restrictions as "a highly effective American
subsidy for foreign manufacturers," and said they should be repealed.

"ITAR makes sense if you believe that America has a monopoly on
high-tech engineering and research," Phillies said, "and if you
believe that foreigners are not smart enough to solve problems until
told the

answers. Indeed, under ITAR an American may come into violation of
the 'deemed export' rule simply by saying the wrong thing to a
foreigner."

"Foreigners are as smart as we are," Phillies said. "The result of
ITAR is that foreigners are highly motivated to replace American
high-tech products with foreign equivalents. For example, in 2005
French firm EADS Sodern dropped their American star tracker
components, in favor of European equivalents. They did this because
they were building components for a satellite, the Apstar 6, for Red
China, and Americancomponents could not be used."

"What were the results? The Chinese got the same access to the
technology. European research got extra investment. The French are
replacing their American-component star tracker with an all-European

unit. American small business has been shut out of the market.
Permanently."

"Then there is massive waste to satisfy the letter of the law,"
Phillies continued. "The wonderful Boeing 787 is built from 'black
aluminum'--carbon composites. The same material is used in the B-2
bomber. Twenty years ago, B-2 research showed how long you could
store certain materials. Before the 787 could use those materials,
Boeing had to repeat the research, not to learn something new, but to
be able to prove that their knowledge didn't come from a military
program. That's a total waste of investors' money.

"Like most bad government programs, ITAR is completely out of
control. Thanks to ITAR, some American manufacturers don't have to
fear terrorist attacks on their foreign sales. ITAR means they don't
have them in the first place, because it's easier to buy from Europe.
The Libertarian solution: Let free trade work. Repeal the law."

--30--

Source on the Star Tracker

http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive05/Sodern_061305.html

Source on Boeing

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002754224_boeingitar22.html

On March 29th the people of Zimbabwe won an historic victory.

That historic and resounding victory should have heralded a new and joyful era for all Zimbabweans. Instead Zimbabweans have endured confusion, pain, death and despair as the result of a violent onslaught against the people by Zanu PF.

As is now well documented, my opponent in this race has decided to turn his thugs on the people. The former liberator has turned his back on the people of Zimbabwe and on the entire continent of Africa.

It is very, very sad for me to call Mugabe a former liberator. It is sad for me to say that he has turned his back on both his people and his continent. Mugabe was once my hero too. Because of his sacrifices, millions of our citizens are well educated and had great opportunities to grow and prosper.

But something happened to Mugabe on our long walk to freedom, something happened that hardened his heart. Something happened that made him abandon the very people he once fought to free.

He has unleashed violence on his own children, the people of Zimbabwe.

And for those carrying out the violence on the ground, the police, the militia, the army and the so called war veterans now is the time to give very serious thought to the implications of further attacks on innocent civilians. You are breaking Zimbabwean and international laws and the whole world is watching.

The time is now for our professional security services to follow their hearts and become professional again, rather than follow a former liberation hero on his path to destruction. You will be in Zimbabwe long after Mugabe is gone.

In view of the unfolding post-election tragedy, the leadership of the MDC, civil society, and all democratic forces have had a very difficult decision to make. We know the betrayal of ballots being followed by bullets. We know that another election may bring more violence, more gloom, more betrayal.

We know there should not be a runoff election – there was only one reason the ZEC announced results before completing verification. We know the verified total would have revealed the full extent of the dictatorship's defeat – and the full extent of the peoples' victory.

But we also know a runoff election could finally knock-out the dictator for good. A runoff election could be the final round in a very long fight to liberate ourselves from our former liberator.

We know that we have won, but do we nevertheless decide to contest a runoff election to hasten the end of this debacle? Or do we wait and hope for the political environment to improve, for mediation to start, for mediation to end….all the while the people continue to suffer?

I have asked the MDC, civil society and other democratic forces to assess the feeling of the people on the ground. Do they want a runoff election? Will they vote despite the violent attacks? Could they possibly have confidence in the ZEC again?

To be honest, the answers are very mixed. Some report that they believe the people are too afraid to vote, that they are displaced by the destruction of their homes and not even near their polling stations any more. Others point to the fact that the ZEC betrayed them once and will do so again. Others say it is simply not fair to push the people into an election.

I consider all of these valid points of view. No one can dispute that going into an alleged runoff of an election that you have already won – an election controlled by an opponent whose election tactics unapologetically include stealing and killing - is a risky venture indeed.

What matters now is what we, as Zimbabweans, think is the best way to move ourselves out of this crisis. Are we brave enough? Are we strong enough? Are we angry enough?

The overwhelming sentiment that emerged from the people of Zimbabwe is that they are ready for change now, not later. They want a chance for a better life now, and they believe that the MDC can give them that chance. They believe that we as nation are brave enough, we are strong enough and we are angry enough to fight an election once again. We as MDC believe our people would feel betrayed if we shied away from the final knock out. We have lost hundreds of people in the democracy movement since 1999. Their sacrifices must not be in vain. We must fulfill the dreams of our people who have been betrayed and traumatized since March 29th.

The MDC has decided that we will contest the runoff and the people will finally prevail. The people have spoken before, and the people will speak again. I am ready and the people are ready for the final round.

Legally this election should be no later than May 24th, two weeks from today, and that is the date we are preparing for. If Zanu PF and the ZEC hope to retain what little credibility they have left they will abide by the law and declare the Presidential runoff election between today and that date.

Therefore I shall return to Zimbabwe within the next two days.

I shall return to Zimbabwe to begin a Victory Tour. Some might say this term "Victory" is cold and callous given the hardships endured by the people.

But the people are victorious. And they are being punished for their victory. We must free ourselves from those who would steal victory from fellow brothers and sisters by using guns, sticks and screwdrivers.

In the last four weeks many leaders have rallied to the cause of Zimbabwe. To SADC Chairman Mwanamwasa and African Union Chairman Kikwete, and many of your colleagues, I want to say thank you. When Zimbabwe rejoins the family of democratic nations, history will remember what you did for your brave, peace loving African brothers and sisters now living in fear of their own government.

I want to thank the labor unions and Cosatu for refusing to allow the illegitimate regime of Zanu PF to access more weapons for use against its own people.

To Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and others in the international community, we thank you and appreciate all your work. We will continue to count on you, SADC and the AU, to ensure the upcoming runoff is administered fairly, with transparency, neutrality and professionalism.

And finally, I thank the people of Zimbabwe for their courage and devotion to democracy. And I ask them not to lose hope. Together let us finish the job. Together let us have faith that this time, the ballot paper will truly liberate our country.

I thank you.

REFERENCE:

Bush War Waste Endangers America

Libertarian Presidential candidate George Phillies today condemned the War on Iraq as an overwhelming financial catastrophe. "We will spend three trillion dollars," he said, "on a war without a reason. Beyond the irreparable loss, the Iraqi and American war dead, an astronomical financial loss is now being visited on the American taxpayer.

"Thanks to profligate Bush deficit spending, that debt will be visited on every future generation," he said. "George Bush wasted ten thousand dollars for each man, woman, and child in the United States, and that's just on his war. Thanks to George Bush, America has more than nine trillion dollars of funded debt, and close to ten times that in unfunded liabilities."

Phillies noted that the national debt soaks up liquidity, and turns it into consumer spending. "Our banks are in a liquidity and counterparty risk crisis," Phillies said. "The Federal government is borrowing savings that could have stayed in private hands, and spending those savings on projects with no plausible return. That destabilizes the banking system, motivates banks to foreclose on shaky mortgages, and means that small businessmen face increasing obstacles to borrowing money to expand their businesses and create new jobs."

Phillies reminded Americans of the link between the national debt and the trade deficit. "The only reason we can run a huge trade deficit," Phillies said, "is the national debt. All those Treasury bonds mean that China and Korea and Japan can store dollars in their banks, rather than needing to use them to buy American goods. If there were no national debt, worries about outsourcing and foreign competition would largely fade away. That debt is the Republican legacy, a legacy of a generation of wastrel Congressmen throwing money away like drunken sailors on their last binge."

"The only solution to this crisis," Phillies said, "is to pay down the debt we have inherited from our foolish ancestors. We can't do it overnight, but it can be done."

--30--

Three trillion down the drain in Iraq? That's a lot of money. Read

The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict (Hardcover)
by Joseph E. Stiglitz (Author), Linda J. Bilmes (Author)

for more details.

--
Carolyn Marbry
Press Director
National Mobilization Facilitator for Electronic Operations
(510) 276-3216
(520) 975-8002 (cell)