The Peconic River Sportsmens' Club held its annual Candidates' Night on Friday, September 25th. Four Libertarian candidates were represented on the program. Chris Garvey and I spoke for ourselves; Cary Cohen presented Adele Bolger's remarks and added her own; Chris Padgett represented John Bloom. Following is (an approximate reconstruction of) the speech I gave.

(Aside:) I've never had the privilege of being here, before. This is a very impressive facility, befitting a very important organization. But it's even more impressive from up here! Even better, talking to members, I've come to feel very much at home.

My name is Bruce A. Martin.
I am a candidate for New York State Assembly, 3rd district.
I've been an enrolled Conservative all my life, but I'm proud to say that I am the Libertarian Party candidate for the 3rd Assembly District.

There are two other candidates on the ballot.
Both of them are enrolled Democrats.
Both of them are Tax & Spend liberals -- as demonstrated clearly by their public records as members of Sheldon Silver's majority in the State Assembly.

Unbelievable as it seems, NO OTHER PARTIES have enrolled members in this race!
There is no Republican on the ballot.
This election contest is just two liberal DEMOCRATS versus a LIBERTARIAN.

The Libertarian Party stands for lower taxes -- MUCH LOWER TAXES!
The Libertarian Party stands for smaller government -- MUCH SMALLER!
-- rolled back to what the U.S.Constitution specifies and what the N.Y.Constitution allows.
The Libertarian candidates oppose the monstrously-huge state government in Albany,
a hideous monstrosity that was created jointly by Demoblicans & Repucrats:

a power-hungry state government that takes our dollars to Albany and sends back pennies,
then sends down "mandates" that force our local governments to raise and spend even more local taxes.

Had enuf? Vote Libertarian!
Libertarians believe that YOU can decide, better than your bureaucratic masters in Albany, what to do with your own tax dollars and how to run your own communities.

I support Chris Garvey's call for an end to the state sales tax, reduction of the state government, and a restoration of our Constitutional rights -- including the Second Amendment.

All eight Libertarian Party candidates in this area opposed the LIPA/LILCO Bailout Bond Deal. (Chris Garvey and I spoke before the County Legislature in March, demanding a Referendum.)

What is the Libertarian Party? What does it stand for?

It is the third-largest political party in the United States, with over 250 Libertarians already serving in public office.
Its candidate for President was on the ballot in all 50 states (plus DC) in most of the recent Presidential elections.
LP members have served in the legislatures of several states, and in the Congress.
It's 1972 candidate for Vice President was the first woman in American history to receive an Electoral College vote.
Our 1996 Presidential candidate, Harry Browne, called for an end to the Federal Income Tax and the I.R.S., long before other candidates jumped on the bandwagon.
In New York, the Libertarian Party is the only political party which officially opposes the LILCO/LIPA Bailout Bond Deal and supports a Suffolk County Referendum on it.
The Libertarian Party stands for ALL TEN Articles of the Bill of Rights -- including the Second and the Tenth Amendments.
The Libertarian Party was founded on the principles of Thomas Jeffereson:
- Governments are established to protect your inalienable rights, and
- That government is best which governs least.

I want to leave you with an interesting comment about gun control laws that I heard the other day, from my son (who, at 15, was one of the youngest delegates to the Libertarian National Convention, in July). He said that making laws to outlaw guns is like putting up a "No Parking" sign in front of the bank to deter bank robbers.