May 1998
Affiliate News: Pennsylvania
"No subsidies for millionaire stadium owners" was the message carried by Libertarians who protested against a new taxpayer-funded baseball stadium on the Philadelphia Phillies' home opener on April 7."We were very visible and got a lot of positive feedback from the public," said LP organizer Richard Schwarz. The group handed out more than 1,000 flyers at the rally, which featured gubernatorial candidate Ken Krawchuk.
Libertarians pointed out that they are the only party opposing the plan to replace Veterans Stadium with a new facility -- and saddle taxpayers with two-thirds of the cost. "This is a phenomenal issue for Libertarians because the majority of the public -- and most of the Phillies' fans -- are with us," said Schwarz.
A Libertarian who testified before the state Board of Education urged the government to refuse to impose academic standards or graduation requirements, as part of "Outcomes Based Education" (OBE).
"Implementing state academic standards to improve student achievement is like treating brain cancer with bad aspirin: It doesn't address the fundamental issue, and it doesn't even make the headache go away," said S. Douglas Leard of the Montgomery County LP.
Instead of taking more control over schools, state bureaucrats should be transferring control to local school districts and to individual families, Leard said at the February 11 hearing.
