The time might be right for a third party to try to make a difference in Genesee County politics, the way Phil Ricci sees it, so he along with a small group of like-minded residents are working getting the Libertarian Party established locally.
The process involves signing up members for the committee, holding a convention and finding a candidate or two to run for local offices.
"I think this has been coming for a long time," Ricci said. "There's a growing interest in the breakdown of the two-party system. People see either Republican or Democrat and they just don't fit in. I think what the ideology of Libertarian stands for is vastly misunderstood. More people have what I believe are libertarian beliefs and are looking for viable options to the two-party system. They want less intrusive government and people in government who are responsible financial stewards."
Rather than trying get candidates elected to national and state offices, Ricci thinks any viable third-party effort needs to start at the local level where it's easier to build an organization.
And localism fits well with the basic Libertarian tenant of less intrusive government.
"Here's the big thing -- I'm tired of people far away telling people here, where we live, what's best for us," said Ricci, who ran for Batavia City Council in 2009 and is currently a member of the Batavia City School District Board of Education.
"We control were we live, and we do that as an individual, so why does our government, which has no real local connection, even think about telling us what we should do for our local community? We need local ideas, local vision, to fix local issues."
At a minimum, Ricci would like to have Genesee County Libertarians well enough organized by late summer to run at least one candidate for city council, perhaps a candidate or two in village or town elections and maybe the county legislature.
"Our first goal is to allow people who support individual liberty to have a viable choice at the local level," Ricci said.
On Facebook: The Genesee County Libertarian Committee.
YES!
YES!
Yes! Please do Mr Ricci.
Yes! Please do Mr Ricci.
AWESOME!
AWESOME!
excellent idea!! hopefully
excellent idea!! hopefully these candidates have common sense and the ability to recognize the consequences of their potential actions
Good Job Phil!!
Good Job Phil!!
Want to find out more about
Want to find out more about the Libertarian party? Visit www.lp.org . Or try the worlds smallest political quiz
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz
I took the quiz.... i am 100%
I took the quiz.... i am 100% . Libertarian.......
End "corporate welfare." No government handouts to business.
End government barriers to international free trade.
Let people control their own retirement; privatize Social Security.
Replace government welfare with private charity.
Cut taxes and government spending by 50% or more.
All those ideas sound like what the republicans ran on this year....
Phil if these are all ideas supported by the Libertarian Party then i guess im on board...When and were are we meeting....
Bravo!
Bravo!
I stopped going to
I stopped going to Libertarian meetings in Rochester a few years ago. To far to drive and I wasn't really interested in Roc. politics. I'm really looking forward to this.
It would be nice to have
It would be nice to have another choice.