Report from LPIN Executive Director on the Gividen Debate Last Night

Here's a report from Dan Drexler, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Indiana, on the Indiana Senate 41 debate last night at Franklin College:

". . . It proved to be a great night for the Libertarian Party.

Kenn was third in order for opening remarks and nailed the remarks. He started out from get-go with his party building message and the fact that he knows how to work well with people. It was awesome to see the LPIN with the most experienced candidate on stage. And it showed.

Coriden painted himself clearly as a big-government socialist, touting the universal healthcare, more money to education, expanded corporate welfare and full support for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns -- and Gov. Daniels supported -- Hometown Matters legislation. It's more like "Hometown Masters" as Coriden spelled out how much more control of our lives this legislation will provide local officials. He skirted over the fact this creates an entirely new level of taxation with municipal income tax while not eliminating any level of state taxation. I'd like Gividen to propose his "Hometown Manners" legislation that embodies responsible fiscal stewardship.

Walker surprised me. I didn't mind him, although I agree with Kenn that there's nothing fiscally conservative about the man. While he prefaced every spending decision with "I'd really have to look at that before I made a decision," he concluded with everything was a good idea from taking money from small business to provide workforce training to large corporations and full-day kindergarten. He stated his strong opposition to expanded gambling -- with which Coriden was all over the place, "I'm for the revenue stream it produces, but against gambling, so no I don't support it, but we're fools to think it will go away -- I want that to be clear". Finally, Walker addressed his alleged support for public flogging. Jim Shella asked the question to start things off and I think that with Gividen's support in killing the line of questioning this issue should go away.

Gividen came out strong against full-day kindergarten asking the simple question, "Can't you think of another way to spend $230 million and better impact education?" He went with the "you can't legislate away stupidity" line on a few answers which had heads nodding through the room. He trashed corporate welfare as the transference of wealth that it is. He more than held his own tonight. By the end of the night, he had shaped the debate and even Walker's closing remarks were in response to Kenn's positions all night.

Good night to be a libertarian.

-Drexler"