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He's not a Libertarian. He's a Republican that smokes pot. There is a difference. But I'll play along.
Here is a chart that shows the growth of New Mexico's government spending in 5 areas...
Here is a chart of the gross public debt growth under Johnson
This is "Libertarian"?
If you actually could READ charts -- the top one shows relatively FLAT spending in all areas except HealthCare and Education. Now that spending INCLUDES FEDERAL grants and $$ that bloomed over that period and did NOT come from the pockets of New Mexico voters. Or as put in this NReview OpEd ---
Correcting the Record on Gary Johnson’s Fiscal Legacy
One problem is that Spiller “credits” Johnson with spending money he had little control over. His spending numbers include federal dollars that flow into the state for everything from Medicaid to education. Including just the General Fund that the legislature and governor must agree to each year, Johnson’s first budget was $2.7 billion and his final budget, eight years later, was $3.9 billion (an increase of about 41 percent). Thus, under Johnson, New Mexico’s General Fund spending grew by 4.67 percent annually, not the outrageous 7.29 percent rate cited by Spiller. Once you factor in inflation and New Mexico being a relatively fast-growing Western state (population growth in the Land of Enchantment has stagnated since the late 2000’s economic crisis), Johnson’s spending record looks much better.
Richardson succeeded where Johnson failed in cutting taxes in large part because during Johnson’s tenure the New Mexico legislature was controlled entirely by Democrats. These were no razor-thin margins either: Democrats held approximately 60 percent of all legislative seats.
With so many Democrats in the legislature, Johnson’s main impact was in vetoing an astonishing 739 bills over his eight years in office.
He was RE-ELECTED in a Blue State BECAUSE of his fiscal restraint and liberal social views.
Gary Johnson's plate of choice cuts
Before he was termed out as governor, Johnson was proud of his record number of vetoes. He attributes his 1998 re-election in a heavily Democratic state to New Mexico voters' appreciation of his "good stewardship of tax dollars." In what must be music to some Tea Party movement followers' ears, Johnson told me that he believes he could have cut "a third of state government and no one would have noticed the difference.
And he's expressed similar beliefs about WIDE SPREAD cutting of the Fed Bureaucracy that he knows 1st hand as a Governor -- was not at ALL helpful to the folks of his state when it came to mandates and grants with strings and restrictions on innovation by the 50 state governors and legislators.
In a time of low inflation, with a 60% opposition majority in his State House, he USED that Veto power to control the RAMPANT increases in Pensions and Bond Issues that has put MANY other states like Illinois and Cali on the brink of existence. Getting help from both Reps and Dems -- just involves some general truth telling. THings that neither side mentions to the public. Like WHY GE pays no corporate taxes. (corporate handouts for stuff they already make) Or how SSecurity went bankrupt 12 years ahead of schedule and is now a MAJOR source of Fed Deficit. (Because there is nothing of VALUE in the "trust fund" to pay out the shortfall in revenues.)
You need REAL outsiders to explain the myriad of things that are kept silent by collusion of the 2 parties. And that's why REAL outsides should be given an opportunity.
"Stoner" Johnson is confused and doesn't know what a libertarian is. . He believes that a "Libertarian" is a mix of fiscal conservative and socially liberal.
Being socially "liberal" and fiscally "Conservative" is not libertarian. The role of a libertarian in politics is to maximize freedom and minimize government. Here is a link and excerpt to an excellent article that lays out the case against Johnson quite succinctly:
As to his fiscal record of failure - whether the spending increase was 5% or 7% - the bottom line is simple - Johnson is not a real libertarian, nor is his running mate and fellow Republican, Bill Weld. They are both moderate republicans who believe that holding a few socially "liberal" positions qualifies them as "libertarians. It's comically misguided and a complete lack of understanding of the philosophy.
"Stoner" Johnson more than doubled the public debt in New Mexico in 8 short years. He also increased the size and scope of government every single year of his tenure.
You've just misrepresented the position on the ONLY LP policy you seem to be aware of.
We are not PRO drug. We are anti-Drug War. And the policy there is LARGER than marijuana. It's ending asset forfeiture laws, no-knock searches based on incarcerated snitches. making the "WAR" about medical and solutions other than incarceration that don't work. Realizing how much of a problem PRESCRIPTION drugs are and balancing proper access to the UNDER-medicated and stopping access to illegal use. Prison and justice reform. Too many non-violent drug offenders on sentences that are too long. Federal or State.
You also misrepresented the position on cake baking. Or for that matter "bathroom selection". The latter being TOTALLY a medical/psych world declaration and not a simple personal declaration,. The FORMER being something govt should NEVER be involved in.
And if you can find a Johnson position on guns that favors any NEW gun control -- I'll refrain from calling this shitpile what it is..
As for your 2nd chart of "public debt" in NMex -- like most ALL states -- the General Fund is ALWAYS balanced. Leaving no "public debt" other than "off-budget" items like pensions and Bonds. Part of those massive vetos exercised were on those topics. And that period from 98 to 2008 saw an ASTRONOMICAL GROWTH in nearly every state over State pension funds. Because of unsupportable deals that had been cut decades before. That growth in off-budget items is far less than other Blue states governed by Republicans..
Excuses are easy to make.But the facts are the facts and Johnson's record is his record. He more than doubled the public debt during his 8 years after promising to cut spending and cut debt, He did neither, he increased spending and increased debt. He never passed a single "libertarian" bill or initiative. He failed to make the people of New Mexico any "freer", instead he put them deeper and deeper in debt.
He is just another big government "moderate" Republican who holds liberal social views on abortion and marijuana. He actually believe a Libertarian is "a fiscal conservative and social liberal".
I do give him credit for talking a good game, but he gets almost no credit for the "doing" part. It's easy to talk....
Bottom line - Gary "stoner" Johnson,and his running mate, the equally squishy fellow moderate Republican, William Weld, will be lucky to get 1% of the vote and will not garner a single vote in the Electoral College. Rendering them irrelevant.....
..
What put New Mexico in debt was the same Pension bomb that was planted in the 70s and 80s. Had nothing to do with discretionary operation of the states. For comparison how about that Republican Governor of Texas that got elected same time Johnson did..
U know HIS name?
Or the Republican governor up in Wisc during that period with a Dem legislature ?
You know damn well that Pension debt which is the BULK of these graphs was untouchable until it reached CRISIS proportions and a few like Scott Walker had to force a new deal..
And the conviction to do some of the things that YOUR parties have only jawwed about for decades is actually there. Like ending Corporate subsidies for stuff they make anyway. A policy that BOTH Dems and Reps secretly love., The Dems are SHOCKED when GE pays no taxes, but they helped create those tax breaks. and Republicans will never EVER bring it up..
Same with immigration actually. Could END Mexican immigration TODAY if the CURRENT law was enforced. All you have to do is insist that folks NOT BE HIRED without immigration status. There is even a system to CHECK that. They all go home. OR -- as Johnson proposes -- start CONTROLLING and issuing work visas to limit the number remaining. Allow the states input as to the amount of "guest workers" their economies can handle.
THOSE will never get fixed under Dem/Rep leadership.. They CREATE the problems and just talk smack about fixing anything. It's not hard -- you just need consistent principles of smaller govt and less social legislation..
Libertarians are full 2nd amendment. Actually recognize the Constitutional role in immigration.. And if you have still have a innate distrust of concentrated political power -- you MIGHT BE -- a libertarian. Go read some Kat Timpf in Nat Review or watch Kennedy do her show on Fox Biz. Spend some time on the ReasonMagazine blog on the web.. I think you'd bond a bit with their beliefs.
