7,668
edits
Libertarian Party of Wisconsin: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m
event tags; changed link
m (timeliness tag) |
m (event tags; changed link) |
||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
executive_director = | | executive_director = | | ||
region = [[LNC Region 6|6]] | | region = [[LNC Region 6|6]] | | ||
foundation = | foundation = {{Event|year=1973|event=Founding}} | | ||
address = PO Box 20815<BR/>Greenfield, WI 53220 | | address = PO Box 20815<BR/>Greenfield, WI 53220 | | ||
website = http://www.lpwi.org/ | website = http://www.lpwi.org/ | ||
| Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
[[Roger MacBride]], [[1976]] LP Presidential candidate, visited Wisconsin in the summer of 1976. He got an invitation to address a large gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts who were coming together to protest the helmet laws. It was the largest group that MacBride addressed during his campaign -- around 30,000 people on Madison's Capital Square. Thousands and thousands of motorcyclists streamed up East Washington Avenue to the Capitol and then around the square, none of them wearing helmets, which was illegal at the time. In fall, 1976, Wisconsin begin its signature collection to put Roger MacBride on the ballot as an [[Independent]]. An independent presidential candidate needed 1,000 signatures to get on the ballot. Most of these signatures were collected on the library mall in Madison. | [[Roger MacBride]], [[1976]] LP Presidential candidate, visited Wisconsin in the summer of 1976. He got an invitation to address a large gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts who were coming together to protest the helmet laws. It was the largest group that MacBride addressed during his campaign -- around 30,000 people on Madison's Capital Square. Thousands and thousands of motorcyclists streamed up East Washington Avenue to the Capitol and then around the square, none of them wearing helmets, which was illegal at the time. In fall, 1976, Wisconsin begin its signature collection to put Roger MacBride on the ballot as an [[Independent]]. An independent presidential candidate needed 1,000 signatures to get on the ballot. Most of these signatures were collected on the library mall in Madison. | ||
In | In {{Event|year=1974|event=Elected|redirect=Dan Endsley|notes=elected to Monroe City Council and the first Libertarian officeholder in Wisconson}}, Libertarain [[Dan Endsley]] was elected to a [[non-partisan]] open post on the Monroe City Council. Endsley, the first Libertarian officeholder in Wisconsin, said that "the Democrats and Republicans didn't know what a Libertarian was. Each of the Parties invited me to their meetings." Endsley served for two terms on the Council, ending his final term in [[1978]], at which point he moved to Ohio. In {{Event|year=1978|event=elected to Madison City Council|redirct=Gary Gates}}, [[Gary Gates]] was elected to a non-partisan post on the Madison City Council. He served on the City Council until [[1984]]. | ||
The [[1979]] Libertarian Party nominating Convention (Los Angeles, CA) saw a tight race between [[Bill Hunscher]] and [[Ed Clark]] for the LP Presidential nomination. Illinois and Wisconsin were grouped together for the purposes of electing a representative to the Libertarian National Committee. Wisconsin Chair [[Leslie Graves Key]] ran against Illinoisan [[David Padden]]. Despite that Illinois had a larger delegation, Leslie Graves Key won because the Illinois delegates an internal scuffle. Leslie Graves Key served as a regional representative on the Libertarian National Committee until [[1983]], when a number of LNC members decided to pursue other interests. | The [[1979]] Libertarian Party nominating Convention (Los Angeles, CA) saw a tight race between [[Bill Hunscher]] and [[Ed Clark]] for the LP Presidential nomination. Illinois and Wisconsin were grouped together for the purposes of electing a representative to the Libertarian National Committee. Wisconsin Chair [[Leslie Graves Key]] ran against Illinoisan [[David Padden]]. Despite that Illinois had a larger delegation, Leslie Graves Key won because the Illinois delegates an internal scuffle. Leslie Graves Key served as a regional representative on the Libertarian National Committee until [[1983]], when a number of LNC members decided to pursue other interests. | ||
The Wisconsin party decided to go through the rather onerous process of petitioning to be its own political party so that candidates could run as Libertarians instead of as Independents. In 1979, the LP embarked on the petition drive that required getting signatures of 10% of those who had voted in the last gubernatorial campaign in 10 different counties. So the Wisconsin activists picked the ten least populous counties and sent out teams of petitioners, because by and large there were no LP members in those sparsely populated counties. | The Wisconsin party decided to go through the rather onerous process of petitioning to be its own political party so that candidates could run as Libertarians instead of as Independents. In {{Event|year=1979|event=Ballot Access|notes=gained ballot access}}, the LP embarked on the petition drive that required getting signatures of 10% of those who had voted in the last gubernatorial campaign in 10 different counties. So the Wisconsin activists picked the ten least populous counties and sent out teams of petitioners, because by and large there were no LP members in those sparsely populated counties. | ||
In [[1980]], despite its relative youth, the party ran eight candidates (one for U.S. Senate, two for U.S. House, and five for State Representative) for public office. In [[1982]], the LPW ran 23 candidates for public office (including candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, U.S. Senate, six U.S. House seats, one State Senate seat, seven State Representative seats, Milwaukee County Sheriff, Milwaukee County Treasurer, and Iowa County Coroner). All of these candidates had achieved something the Wisconsin LP had never achieved before: Having the label Libertarian next to their names. | In [[1980]], despite its relative youth, the party ran eight candidates (one for U.S. Senate, two for U.S. House, and five for State Representative) for public office. In [[1982]], the LPW ran 23 candidates for public office (including candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, U.S. Senate, six U.S. House seats, one State Senate seat, seven State Representative seats, Milwaukee County Sheriff, Milwaukee County Treasurer, and Iowa County Coroner). All of these candidates had achieved something the Wisconsin LP had never achieved before: Having the label Libertarian next to their names. | ||
| Line 56: | Line 56: | ||
In [[1982]], the Wisconsin LP ran an aggressive set of petition drives to get candidates on the ballot for all the statewide offices, which was six at that time. One of them needed to get at least 2% of the vote in order for the party to retain ballot status. | In [[1982]], the Wisconsin LP ran an aggressive set of petition drives to get candidates on the ballot for all the statewide offices, which was six at that time. One of them needed to get at least 2% of the vote in order for the party to retain ballot status. | ||
Dr. [[Timothy Correll]] became the first partisan Libertarian elected in Wisconsin when he was elected Iowa County Coroner in 1982. | Dr. [[Timothy Correll]] became the first partisan Libertarian elected in Wisconsin when he was elected Iowa County Coroner in {{Event|year=1982|event=Elected|redirect=Timothy Correll|notes=as Iowa County coroner, a partisan office}}. | ||
In [[1983]], or possibly [[1985]], the Libertarian Party persuaded the legislature to ease the new party petition. The old law required one-sixth of the last gubernatorial vote in any 10 Wisconsin counties. The new law was 10,000 signatures overall. | In [[1983]], or possibly [[1985]], the Libertarian Party persuaded the legislature to ease the new party petition. The old law required one-sixth of the last gubernatorial vote in any 10 Wisconsin counties. The new law was 10,000 signatures overall. | ||
| Line 86: | Line 86: | ||
* Libertarian [[Bob Bowman]] sought to give five acres of his own land to his daughter for her to build her house adjacent to his. But a Dane County zoning ordinance precluded town governments from having their own zoning ordinances. After submitting two rezoning petitions to the County Executive, Bowman was finally able to give his own land to his daughter, and rightfully so. Bowman didn't stop there: He has been a Board member in the town of Cross Plains (Dane County) since 1995; | * Libertarian [[Bob Bowman]] sought to give five acres of his own land to his daughter for her to build her house adjacent to his. But a Dane County zoning ordinance precluded town governments from having their own zoning ordinances. After submitting two rezoning petitions to the County Executive, Bowman was finally able to give his own land to his daughter, and rightfully so. Bowman didn't stop there: He has been a Board member in the town of Cross Plains (Dane County) since 1995; | ||
* Libertarian Ed Thompson was one of 42 tavern owners in Juneau County who had their businesses shut down by the Attorney General and the County Executive because he offered gambling to customers. Thompson didn't give up: He fought back. The County Executive lost re-election after Thompson campaigned from house to house with his story. Then Thompson ran for | * Libertarian [[Ed Thompson]] was one of 42 tavern owners in Juneau County who had their businesses shut down by the Attorney General and the County Executive because he offered gambling to customers. Thompson didn't give up: He fought back. The County Executive lost re-election after Thompson campaigned from house to house with his story. Then Thompson ran for Mayor of Tomah (Juneau County) and was elected in a landslide. As Mayor, Thompson opened up the city government to the people, ending waste in the city by, among other things, reducing the number of committees from 24 to 9 and creating the "Committee of the Whole". He reduced city debt by about five million dollars (over 15%). He saved the city about $250,000 in yearly health care expenses by renegotiating city employee contracts, while increasing employee wages well beyond the expected. He established a senior and disabled program at minimal cost a year while also establishing a senior center at no taxpayer cost. And Ed Thompson forced the settlement of a 14-year Environmental Protection Agency Superfund lawsuit for under $1.5 million in settlement and clean-up costs-about a quarter of the expected expense; | ||
* Libertarians in Milwaukee and Green Bay worked (albeit unsuccessfully) to defeat public taxes for sports complexes; | * Libertarians in Milwaukee and Green Bay worked (albeit unsuccessfully) to defeat public taxes for sports complexes; | ||