Jarvis for State Representative

Hi All,

The campaign is, at long last, getting into high-gear as three months of campaigning rapidly approach. First, some news. A PayPal “Donation” link is coming by Thursday at the latest. Any funds raised will go toward leaflets and yard signs, so please donate if you are able! Secondly, more content is going up online in the next few days, starting with my platform post which follows here. A Youtube channel and issue-specific posts are coming in the week ahead.

Platform

• Repealing Property Taxes: The property tax gives government undue power over private citizens and stunts economic growth in Indiana. You own your property, not government revenue agencies. Creative and needed spending cuts in Indianapolis can make property tax reform possible and can ensure a viable economic future for our children.
• Drug Law Reform: One way to cut spending and enhance the quality of life for Hoosiers is by reforming our drug laws. Should we really be making felons out of drug addicts? Incarcerating those with drug problems is ineffective and inhumane. If drug possession were a misdemeanor instead of a felony, addicts could receive mandatory treatment sentences instead of jail time and a felony record. Let’s save money and practice compassion by no longer throwing drug addicts in jail.
• Ballot Access Reform: Every Hoosier should have the opportunity to influence the democratic system. Currently, state election laws stifle the voices of third-party and independent candidates. Let’s make it easier for everyone to have their say, and break the two-party monopoly.
• Term Limits: Term limits go hand-in-hand with ballot access reform. Politicians should be motivated by a desire to help their community, not a desire to help their careers. Initiating term limits for state legislators will allow fresh voices to be heard in politics and stop self-serving incumbents. Indiana legislators should work for the people, not the party or special interests that help them win election after election.
• Help Small Business: Property tax reform will greatly help business development in Indiana, but it isn’t enough. Hoosiers have made clear their opinion on TARP and Corporate Welfare; Indiana citizens don’t want bailouts for big business. What our state government can do, however, is to encourage economic development by reducing tax burdens and making common-sense regulation reforms.

These are the primary issues of the campaign. More info about my positions on these and other issues will be coming soon. Keep in touch and thank you!

After a productive but sustained waiting period, the campaign can officially begin! I can announce on this website that Benjamin Jarvis is a Libertarian Party candidate for the Indiana State House of Representatives, District 21. I’m very excited to be working with the state Libertarian Party, whose local representatives have been awesome. I’ll be helping campaign for the LPIN’s other candidates as well, particularly Ron Cenkush (for State Representative) and Mike Wherry (for Secretary of State). The process of advocating for small-government reform has just started, and I couldn’t be more thrilled at how it’s shaping up.

Once a few more forms are signed, I’ll be able to take donations. Until then, I’m formally setting up the campaign’s web infrastructure by linking the twitter, facebook and tumblr accounts. All three are in their relative infancy right now, but stay tuned and more content will follow.

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Benjamin-Jarvis-for-Indiana-State-House-of-Representatives/110942475618074

Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/jarviscampaign

…is coming Wednesday night! Sorry to keep you in suspense, but it really will be worth it. Promise. It’s very big, very good news, but I want to unleash it all on you at one time. Like Steve Jobs. To kill some time while you anxiously await the revelation, hop on over to the new campaign twitter account at twitter.com/javiscampaign. Lots of very cool stuff coming, so stay tuned and thanks for your support!

I paid another visit to the Elkhart County Circuit Court today, which yielded some helpful results. Essentially, I’ll need at least 163 signatures to get on the ballot. That number, however, doesn’t count the St. Joseph County portion of District 21. (Here’s a map of the 21st) So the number will likely be much higher, but with the deadline for signatures being July 30th it really isn’t impossible.

That being said, I could use all the help I can get to obtain those signatures, so if you’re interested use the “Contact” or “Ask me anything” portions of the website. 

I’m working on finishing a full platform statement with detailed positions on the issues I want to address. In the meantime, you can check out the “About” page for the three basic elements of my campaign. Drugs, spending and taxes will be my focus. Essentially, I want to make government much smaller and end the so-called “War on Drugs”. Like I said, though, more to come.

So, I couldn’t find out much of anything at the courthouse today. The primaries were yesterday, so the deputy clerk in charge of elections was overwhelmed and didn’t look entirely pleased to see me. Anyhow, I’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning to find out how many signatures I need. In the mean time, I’ll just collect as many as I can and get the message out. 

I’m off to the County Circuit Court in Goshen, Indiana to begin what I hope to be a long and successful journey toward public office. To be precise, I’m going to run for Indiana State House of Representatives in District 21, the seat being vacated by Jackie Walorski. Today’s visit will be to find out how many signatures I need for my get-on-the-ballot petition, as well as the precise geographical limits of the district and some information on campaign finance reporting. That last part, I’m hoping, will be an afterthought since I intend to spend as little money as possible.

However, before I leave, perhaps it’s best that I outline why exactly I am planning to run for office.

First and foremost, I actually care about a lot of political issues. As an ideological libertarian, I believe in a small-government, individual responsibility approach to politics. That message simply isn’t being echoed by other nominees for this position, so I feel I must step in and fill the void.

More importantly, I’m pretty sure I could do a fine job in the State House of Representatives because I actually care. Unlike my would-be opponents, I have ideas about politics that aren’t tied to party or donor interests. I’ll be able to offer the people of District 21 a fresh, independent voice in the campaign.

And to get the message out, I’ll be keeping a blog of the campaign all the way.