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Were all socialists now, apparently. No, really it turns out even the most rugged of the free marketeers have been coaxed by the coronavirus to fall into the government safety net.

The national press has been filled with stories this week about how the well-connected, the billionaires, the white-shoe lobbying firms and the most anti-government think tanks all got relief money under Congress $2 trillion coronavirus rescue act.

The latter includes no-new-taxes activist Grover Norquist, who infamously wants to drown the government in the bathtub. Also the libertarian Ayn Rand Institute, and anti-debt crusader Citizens Against Government Waste. All these groups that pillory big government suddenly found common cause in lining up to get a piece of one of the biggest government spending programs of all time.

And Im actually OK with that. Its what it was for to provide a measure of relief to businesses in need, of any and all types. The Seattle Times got a Paycheck Protection Program loan, too and we definitely didnt head into 2020 thinking wed be the recipient of government aid.

But I wonder whether this awkward moment will spark any internal reflection about the lift-yourselves-by-your-bootstraps, no taxes ever mantra that dominates the conservative political world.

Take, say, Washington states own free-market think tanks. The Washington Policy Center, a Seattle-based conservative group, got between $350,000 to $1 million from the federal relief program (the loans, which can convert to forgivable grants, were reported in ranges in data released Monday).

Meanwhile, heres the philosophy the think tank uses to describe itself in its annual reports:

We dont receive government money. We dont ask for it and we wouldnt take it even if it were offered. WPC relies on the generous support of our donors people like you who understand that free-markets are superior to a government rigged economy, and liberty is the air that a free people must breathe.

Except for this one time, I guess. To keep on breathing those liberty vapors required being put on a government ventilator.

Or take the Freedom Foundation, a business-backed outfit out of Olympia. Its been rallying against government spending and taxes since the early 1990s. Recently its been on a jihad against unions. During the pandemic it has called for governors to halt all public-sector union dues payments, on the grounds the union organizations dont need the money and the workers do.

But unions specifically werent eligible for the paycheck protection program, so they were left to fend for themselves. Not so the Freedom Foundation, though it got between $350,000 to $1 million from the federal relief fund, records show.

We have a vision of a day when opportunity, responsible self-governance, and free markets flourish in America because its citizens understand and defend the principles from which freedom is derived, the Freedom Foundation says on its website. We accept no government support.

Maybe just this one eensy-weensy time.

The laissez-faire capitalist Ayn Rand Institute, in California, went still further, rationalizing that going on the dole this one time would somehow strike a moral blow against big government.

It would be a terrible injustice for pro-capitalists to step aside and leave the funds to those indifferent or actively hostile to capitalism, it explained in a statement, titled To Take, or Not to Take.

Look, Im a capitalist too, but what a crock all that is. As I said up top: Its fine for any qualified business or association to get the relief money. Yes, even Kanye West, whose Yeezy clothing and footwear line got between $2 million and $5 million. Even the paid anti-government scolds. The programs point was to disperse the money as rapidly and widely as possible, to keep the economy somewhat functioning during this pandemic. It did that to more than 16,000 businesses in Washington state alone.

But To Take, or Not to Take that is not the question. The coronavirus has shown, if nothing else, that we all sometimes need a little boost. We have just been treated to a national case study in how we all depend on strong governmental social and health safety nets and not only when theres a pandemic.

This is not about taking at all, or shouldnt be. Its about giving back paying for basic good government and then, sometimes, when you need it, receiving help.

So can we at least dispense now with the breath of liberty canards? The drowning the government in the bathtub nonsense? The whole no-tax bluster?

Because now we know: Even groups that put freedom right in their name have apparently concluded theyre A-OK with some big-government, debt-financed, taxpayer-backed collectivism after all.

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Local anti-tax groups find even they need big government aid sometimes - Seattle Times

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Voters across Wayne County participated in the 2020 primary election on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.(Photo: Jason Truitt/Palladium-Item)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect there are two contested races for county-wide offices in the Nov. 3 general election. Information given to the Pal Item by the Wayne County Voter Registration Office on Monday was incorrect.

RICHMOND, Ind. Wayne County voters will have just two county-wide races to decide in the November election after Monday's deadline to fill ballot vacancies came and went with only one new candidatestepping forward to run for office.

Last month's primary electionfeatured a handful of contested races for county offices on the Republican side but none for Democrats. In fact, just one Democratic candidate had signed up at all.

That would be C. Yvonne Washington, who will take on the incumbent county clerkRepublican Debra Berryin the Nov. 3 general election.

Political parties had until noon Monday to fill any ballot vacancies left over after the primary election. It also was the deadline for anyone wishing to run as a write-in candidate to declare.

Libertarian Robert Brent Meadows was the only addition to the races for county offices. He'll face Republican Kevin Fouche for coroner. Fouche is running to return to the position after eight years away. Meadows competed for the Republican nomination back in 1996, finishing second in a five-way race.

RELATED:Libertarian Party adds candidate to race for Wayne County coroner

With no others being added to the general election ballot, several Republicans now can begin to make plans to take county office next year. That list includes:

The lack of contested races at the county level doesn't mean there won't be plenty of reasons for local residents to vote this fall.

In addition to contests for president, U.S. representative, governor and state attorney general, many seats on local school boards also will be up for grabs. Filling for those races will begin Wednesday, July 22 in the Voter Registration Office at the Wayne County Courthouse and run through noon Friday, Aug. 21.

If you haven't registered to vote yet, you still can do so through Monday, Oct. 5. If you aren't sure whether you already are registered, you can check your status atindianavoters.in.gov.

Jason Truitt is the team leader and senior reporter at the Palladium-Item. Contact him at(765) 973-4459 orjtruitt@pal-item.com.

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Wayne County will have just 2 county-wide offices up for election in November - Palladium-Item

Posted Jul 8, 2020, 11:03 am

Jeremy DudaArizona Mirror

TheSecretary of State's Office found reasonable cause that the GoldwaterInstitute, a Phoenix libertarian think tank and litigation center,violated a law requiring lobbyists to register with the state.

Sambo Dul, the state elections director for Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, referred the matter to the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday.

Dul'sfindings came in response to a complaint filed by an attorney with thelobbying and consulting firm HighGround, which clashed with GoldwaterInstitute over the issue of fees that Phoenix imposed on ride-hailingcompanies like Uber and Lyft that operate at Sky Harbor InternationalAirport.

JeffKros, an attorney at HighGround, filed a complaint with the secretaryof state in February arguing that two Goldwater Institute employees,Jonathan Riches and Christina Sandefur, should have to register asauthorized lobbyists because they testified in legislative committees infavor of a bill that would have barred cities from imposing additional fees on ride-hailing servicesthat operate at airports. HighGround represents the City of Phoenix andthe League of Arizona Cities and Towns, both of which opposed the bill.

Statelaw defines lobbying as "attempting to influence the passage or defeatof any legislation by directly communication with any legislator." Adesignated lobbyist is the person who is the "single point of contact"for an entity that engages in lobbying, while an authorized lobbyist isany other person who lobbies for that entity.

TheGoldwater Institute has long been an active player at the Capitol, andits employees testify frequently in committees. But the organizationonly has one person registered as a lobbyist with the secretary ofstate's office, and it contends that people like Riches and Sandefurdon't need to register because they fall under various exemptions.

However,Dul concluded that none of the exemptions applied, and said Riches andSandefur should have registered as authorized lobbyists for theGoldwater Institute.

TheGoldwater Institute argued that Riches and Sandefur were testifying asexperts on the issues at hand, and therefore fell under a lobbyistregistration exemption for people who testify to provide technicalinformation or answer technical questions. But Dul rejected that claim.

"Basedon the content of their testimony, Mr. Riches and Ms. Sandefur were notacting in the capacity of individuals who provide technicalinformation, but rather that of policy advocates urging legislators toadopt a desired position," Dul wrote.

Statelaw exempts "natural persons" who speak only for themselves fromregistering as lobbyists. And even though Riches and Sandefur registeredas supporters of the bill representing themselves, they identifiedthemselves in their testimony with their titles at the GoldwaterInstitute and repeatedly referenced "we" or "our" position on thelegislation.

Whilethere is an exemption for lawyers who are representing clients, Dulfound that Riches and Sandefur, both of whom are attorneys, were notactually representing clients when they testified. And though there's anexemption for members of an association, she concluded that theexemption wasn't applicable in this case.

AndDul rejected the Goldwater Institute's argument that requiring it toregister employees who testify in legislative committees as lobbyistswould infringe on its First Amendment freedom of expression or its rightto participate in government.

"Inthis case, requiring the Goldwater Institute to list employees aslobbyists before those employees appear before committees is minimallyintrusive, and would do nothing to limit their access to the committeesor the ability to communicate their desired message," Dul wrote.

Dulnoted that, in order to register additional employees as lobbyists, anorganization such as the Goldwater Institute that is already registeredwith the secretary of state need only fill out an online form and submitit within five days of the lobbying activity.

Kros was pleased with the secretary of state's findings.

"Allwe think is everybody should follow the same rules," he said, echoing acomplaint that some lobbyists at the Capitol have voiced about theGoldwater Institute for years.

The Goldwater Institute disagreed with Dul's findings and is still reviewing them, spokeswoman Jennifer Tiedemann told Arizona Mirror.Tiedemann said the nonprofit organization engages in policy analysis,education and litigation, and its employees spend the bulk of their timedeveloping and analyzing policy and litigating cases.

"Wehave one employee who lobbies for Goldwater, and she is registered. Onrare occasions, other staffers come to the Capitol at her request toprovide expert testimony, but they are not lobbyists. And, of course,none of these employees are making lobbying expenditures, which is theprimary purpose of the lobbying registration statutes," Tiedemann said.

TheAttorney General's Office confirmed that it received Dul's referral,which will be handled by its governmental accountability unit. AttorneyGeneral Mark Brnovich worked for the Goldwater Institute from 2003-2005.Spokesman Ryan Anderson said Brnovich won't be involved in theinvestigation, and noted that the attorney general has clashed severaltimes with the Goldwater Institute in recent years.

Ifthe attorney general finds that the Goldwater Institute must registerits employees and it fails to do so, it could face a fine of up to$1,000. Knowingly violating the lobbyist registration requirement is aclass one misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fineof up to $2,500.

TheGoldwater Institute has long resisted calls to register its employeesas lobbyists. It registered one person for the first time in 2011, but declined a request by then-Secretary of State Ken Bennett to register more of its employees.Over the past decade, there have been times when the institute hadmultiple employees registered as lobbyists at the same time. Currently,only Jenna Bentley, the organization's director of government affairs,is registered as a lobbyist.

This report was first published by the Arizona Mirror.

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Secretary of state: Goldwater Institute attorneys should have registered as lobbyists - TucsonSentinel.com

To first-term state Rep. Jeff Shipley, the threat of the coronavirus is overblown.

As he faces a reelection, the sauerkraut salesman, comedian and Republican lawmaker from Birmingham is unapologetic for views that at their best fall outside the political mainstream and at worst undermine public health recommendations to prevent the spread of a deadly virus.

He wrapped up his first term earlier this month in the Statehouse by drawing sharp criticism and statewide headlines for downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. In a speech on the Capitol steps to a group advocating that parents, and not governments, should decide on vaccinations. Shipley claimed the virus isnt even killing anybody. As of Wednesday morning, 732 Iowans have died from the novel coronavirus.

He later walked back his false claim on Twitter. In an interview, Shipley chalked up his statement to putting my foot in my mouth.

I was at a rally, and I spoke quickly, unprepared and threw out some red meat for a crowd that was, you know, really wanting to hear controversial stuff, he said.

Shipley still thinks the state should take a more libertarian approach to the virus avoiding government-mandated shutdowns, mask-wearing and vaccinations once they are is available. Iowa is one of a handful of states where face coverings are not required in at least parts of the state. The mayor of Muscatine issued an order this week requiring masks be worn in public there, but there is growing agreement her proclamation is not legal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends face coverings as an effective and simple method to stop the spread of respiratory droplets that carry the deadly virus in places where social distancing is difficult.

Shipley says hes OK wearing a mask in stores that ask him to but thinks voluntary health measures are sufficient for people to follow.

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Mother Nature created this virus, I feel the best solution is for human beings to be healthy enough to withstand it, Shipley said, adding that for him personally, catching the virus and developing an antibody would be a more permanent strategy.

According to the CDC, its still unclear whether those who recover from COVID-19 can be infected with the virus again.

People are a little bit disgruntled and upset and stressed out and impatient with some of the public health measures. So what I was really hoping to voice is we need a critical examination of the pandemic response in the emergency proclamations, Shipley said of his speech at the Capitol.

Headlines from the controversial rally prompted Jefferson County Public Health Department Administrator Christine Estle, who said she normally doesnt wade into politics, to share the post with the caption No words ... on Facebook and reach out to her representative.

I felt that it was my responsibility as a public health administrator to reach out to him. And voice my concerns and frustrations on a local level, she said.

She said they set up a half-hour Zoom call, the focus of which she said was on her concerns that the local department wasnt receiving enough public health guidance from state-level departments. She said she largely receives the same guidance thats issued publicly, adding the local department doesnt have a magic playbook nobody else has access to.

When you are in a medical crisis or a pandemic, you want to hear from medical professionals. You dont want to hear from elected officials thats not their area of expertise, she said, but added that she appreciated how quickly Shipley returned her request for a meeting.

The legislative district covers Van Buren and Davis counties and most of Jefferson County.

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Iowa lawmaker tries to walk back claim that no one has died from coronavirus - The Gazette

Opponents of a property tax increase designed to provide additional education funding for Jefferson County Public Schools said they have the signatures to force a referendum on the issue.The group, "No JCPS Tax Hike," announced Wednesday they have 43,000 signatures, well above the 35,000 signatures needed by Friday. State law allows referendums on any property tax increase above 4.5 cents.The Jefferson County Board of Education approved a 7-cent increase in May, which would raise the annual tax bill on a $100,000 home by $70. JCPS had originally sought a 9.5-cent increase."We're in a recession right now and people are really struggling," said Theresa Camoriano, a longtime Libertarian activist who organized the group. "This is no time for a tax hike."Camoriano and others accuse JCPS of mismanaging the money it already has.A state audit of JCPS criticized the school district for not raising property taxes over a long period of years, saying the failure to do so has resulted in backlog of needs.JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio has said the money could be used for renovations and new school construction, investments in technology and pay incentives to lure the best teachers to the city's highest-need schools.The plan has drawn the support of groups like the Urban League, who say it will help address the achievement gap."If we say that we really care about our kids, we care about what our city is going to look like in 10 to 12 years, and even in the short interim, we need to invest in our children," said Dr. Kish Cumi Price, director of education policy and programming for the Louisville Urban League.Opponents of the tax increase must turn in their petition and signatures to the Jefferson County Clerk by Friday. The referendum will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3.

Opponents of a property tax increase designed to provide additional education funding for Jefferson County Public Schools said they have the signatures to force a referendum on the issue.

The group, "No JCPS Tax Hike," announced Wednesday they have 43,000 signatures, well above the 35,000 signatures needed by Friday. State law allows referendums on any property tax increase above 4.5 cents.

The Jefferson County Board of Education approved a 7-cent increase in May, which would raise the annual tax bill on a $100,000 home by $70. JCPS had originally sought a 9.5-cent increase.

"We're in a recession right now and people are really struggling," said Theresa Camoriano, a longtime Libertarian activist who organized the group. "This is no time for a tax hike."

Camoriano and others accuse JCPS of mismanaging the money it already has.

A state audit of JCPS criticized the school district for not raising property taxes over a long period of years, saying the failure to do so has resulted in backlog of needs.

JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio has said the money could be used for renovations and new school construction, investments in technology and pay incentives to lure the best teachers to the city's highest-need schools.

The plan has drawn the support of groups like the Urban League, who say it will help address the achievement gap.

"If we say that we really care about our kids, we care about what our city is going to look like in 10 to 12 years, and even in the short interim, we need to invest in our children," said Dr. Kish Cumi Price, director of education policy and programming for the Louisville Urban League.

Opponents of the tax increase must turn in their petition and signatures to the Jefferson County Clerk by Friday. The referendum will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3.

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Group says it has signatures to force referendum on Jefferson Co. tax increase for education - WLKY Louisville