January 1998
The Issues
Editor's Note: Each month, "The Issues" will highlight several Libertarian Party press releases. To get the complete text of all press releases issued by the LP, send a message to "announce-request@lp.org" with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
Say "No" to the Kyoto Treaty
The U.S. government should refuse to confirm the new global warming treaty, the Libertarian Party urged, because it represents a massive increase in government power and a huge cost to Americans -- all based on questionable science."There is a strong case to be made that global warming is science fiction masquerading as science fact," said Steve Dasbach, the party's national chairman.
The treaty, drafted in Kyoto, Japan, in December by 159 nations, would bind the U.S. to reduce so-called "greenhouse gases" by 7% below their 1990 levels by 2012.
If the U.S. confirms the treaty, it could result in a 50-cent a gallon hike in gasoline prices, a doubling of electricity bills for most Americans -- and could cost the economy upwards of $3.3 trillion, critics charge.
It's the theoretical nature of the dangers of global warming that has Libertarians -- and numerous other scientists and climate experts -- so worried about the treaty, said Dasbach.
"Global warming is a theory based, at this point, on speculative science, imprecise computer models, and a lot of doom-and-gloom rhetoric," he said. "Despite what politicians claim, the scientific case for global warming is tenuous, at best."
Concealed-carry laws save lives, study proves
If you want to reduce crime, allow more people to carry more concealed guns, the Libertarian Party said. And that opinion is confirmed by a new Cato Institute study, which found that violen crime rates dropped dramatically in the 24 states that have passed "concealed-carry" laws -- which allow ordinary citizens to carry concealed weapons."At this point, criminals should be the only people who don't support the right of law-abiding Americans to carry concealed weappons," said Dasbach.
The Cato Insitute study, timed to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Florida's controversial concealed-carry law, found that in the states with such laws, murders dropped by 7.7%, rapes fell by 5.2%, robberies decreased by 2.2%, and aggravated assaults were reduced by 7%.
Dasbach emphasized that although concealed-carry laws are a major step in the right direction, they're not the perfect solution for Libertarians.
"Right-to-carry laws are only a partial victory because Americans shuoldn't have to seek government permission to exercize any Constitutional right," he said. "But requiring a permit is better than sentencing innocent people to death at the hands of criminals because they can't legally defend themselves."
Put politicians on welfare-to-work program
Here's what Americans think about taxpayer-funding of political campaigns: It stinks. In fact, they dislike it so much that a whopping 87% now refuse to contribute even $3 a year to pay for federal funding of presidential elections, according to just-released figures, the Libertarian Party noted."Politicians keep talking about tax-funded elections, but they never ask us what we want," said Dasbach. "Well, in the one real vote -- where Americans voted with their dollars -- a huge majority want to kick politicians off the welfare wagon."
The FEC announced in November that the number of Americans authorizing the subsidy through the income tax checkoff has plummeted to just 12.9%. As a result, the agency, which doled out $236 million in payments in 1996, warns that the fund may run out of money to pay candidates in the 2000 presidential primary campaign.
"Here's a Libertarian campaign finance proposal that 87% of Americans already agree with: End the taxpayer checkoff," suggested Dasbach. "Allow every American to financially support whichever candidates they like. Consider it a welfare-to-work program for politicians."
