The Libertarian Party

Yesterday, I published the Green Party's response to my questionnaire. Today, I am giving that of the Libertarian Party.

1. What do you consider to be the most important statewide issues in this year’s campaign?

The single most important issue is the economy. Ohio's unemployment rate in February was 10.9%, the highest it has been in a decade, and a full 1.2 percentage points higher than the US as a whole. The rate of job growth in Ohio over the past decade is ranked 49th out 50 states, and the GDP growth of the state was 6th worst. What these numbers tell us is that companies don't want to open facilities in Ohio, even though there is ample workforce available. Why is this? Taxes and government bureaucracy are keeping businesses from coming to Ohio, and chasing away those that are here. Ohio needs to make it easier for companies to come here, and give them a reason to stay!

2. What legislation will be the highest priority for Libertarian Party candidates for the General Assembly?

The main legislative issues from a party point of view include anything that increases the freedoms of Ohioans, reduces or eliminates income taxes, and protects the property rights of Ohioans. However, unlike the Republicans or Democrats, we don't dictate to our candidates what their views or legislation must be; they are free to do that on their own.

I requested further information from their legislative candidates. This is the answer from Michael Johnston, Libertarian candidate for State Representative from the 19th District):

However, for many of our candidates to the General Assembly, their highest priority in office will be working to improve the economic climate of Ohio to generate both short-term and long-term growth in a sustainable manner. We need to make Ohio an attractive place to do business and take advantage of the many natural and social resources Ohio has to offer to a diverse array of businesses looking for an educated, hard-working labor force.