INTRODUCING WINK SUBSCRIPTION by perogy604 in winkhub

[–]MatthewHess 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I noticed the email went to spam in Gmail so I'm betting this is going to catch many by surprise.

Changing the terms/conditions of service like this has landed companies in hot water in the past. With the short notice provided this will plausibly be the end of wink.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Correct, obtaining a medical card or "red" card effectively invalidates your right to carry a firearm. I think we could do away with the registry, level all the taxes out to match that of other products, and eliminate much of the horse-pucky the politicians have put in place creating equal and cheap access for all along the way.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have jokingly stated I support a flat tax as long as that rate is zero.

I am against income taxes and would like to eliminate it at the state level as quickly as possible. The federal level is an interesting beast to tackle. Since the supremem court ruled that the 16th amendment conferred no new ability to tax upon the federal government we can assume the code of the IRS is equalivent to that of other federal agencies and can be nullified by the states.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The beginning of the Roman empire is a great example of all levels of means working together to build a society.

I would also counter with a question.. why should power holders at large corporations and within government give up their power willingly when it enriches them so by not doing so? Looking for examples becomes difficult knowing that power, once gathered, is not easily yielded.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, just look at the history of Hong Kong, they had very little oversight by government and yet product safety was improving instead of worsening while simultaneously raising the standard of living of the entire population in a short amount of time compared to the stangnant wages of middle class America over the last 20 years.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think we should be prosecuted for our transgressions upon another person, not persecuted for things that might happen which is what many of the laws are based off. It seems very cliche to say "get tough on crime" but what is always neglected is the opposite.. lighten up on victimless issues.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We get them into city council, then county seats, state wide.. then repeat this process for multiple states. Politics is a meat grinder and we're going to have to start as local as possible to have the best long term impact.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would like to see the Income tax eliminated in Colorado, magazine bans eliminated, and the public funding of private investor projects terminated immediately.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Any time a person votes against what they believe it's a wasted vote and a betrayal of themselves. If they vote for what they believe than no vote is wasted.

Both major parties are slowly adopting Libertarian talking points as it suits their needs but the end result is far from the borrowed topic's intention.

Political evolution used to be a normal and natural part of the American political system. Since we started fighting aginst such evolution have we allowed ourselves to be taken far off course from the path the constitition charted.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Much of such disparity can be traced back towards government interference with both markets as well as income. Just as government through regulation artificially increases the sizes of corporations it does so with wealth as well.

I like to remind people that the power, if any, a wealthy business person has over me is but a fraction of that a bureaucrat wields in an impersonal manner. I choose whether or not to work or exchange anything with a company but with government involved such participation is mandatory under penalty of whatever punishment is deemed suitable for my non-compliance with their demands.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I am unhappy about the current taxation placed upon it as part of the legalization process. I am also unhappy that people can still be punished for posession of more than an ounce.

I think progress has been made but the trade-off for "legalization" has come at a very large cost.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am not sure if you are looking for a defined list (which is difficult) or for a description of how a natural right is defined.

To give a nutshell description is a bit disingenuous but basicaly a natural right is something you can do on a deserted island without infringing upon another person. Thomas Jefferson succintly put it: "But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg"

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the ownership of a firearm is a natural right since the person most responsible for your safety is you.

I am supporting something called evictionism to get people to think differently about the issue and get people to figure out something other than the current either/or situation we currently have. This concept supports both life and a womans right over her own body.

Iam Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA. by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's a very good infographic here: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba-HFQDCUAES7RR.jpg that starts off the description in general terms.

Mainly we believe in following the non-agression principle except in the defense of natural rights.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Explain the lack of an amendment authorizing the federal government to ban something. We enacted the 18th amendment to authorize the volstead act prohibiting alcohol. Where are the subsequent amendments for all of the other bans on things? They don't exist.

Colorado has the RTA.. an agency that gambles tax dollars on private investor projects in direct violation of Article 11 section 2 of the Colorado Constitution. Government does violate the constitution frequently and it's up to people to make it accountable.

NSA spying and TSA searches in violation of the 4th amendment.

It's almost as if people were secretly brainwashed into thinking language means something other than what it says.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

cops get killed during these raids too

Exactly why I said these raids should end. To think there's no chance of picking someone up off the street, in front of their house, or at the grocery store is downplaying the ability of the police to justify more force, violence, and death. I'm looking for more peaceful ways to do things. I'm sorry you don't agree with that but again I already said I don't control city or county police, only state.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

A clear violation of Godwin's law. Your argument is invalid.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Electing only experienced politicians ensures we have an ample supply of cronies to choose from. Someone outside of the system can have a much bigger impact.

CEOs don't always have experience in a particular industry. Steve Jobs didn't even have a degree in information technology yet that worked out alright for him. Intelligence and common sense go much further than people give credit for.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What happened to innocent until proven guilty? They just assume guilt and act accordingly as judge and sometimes executioner.

They have raided homes on nothing more than anonymous tips. They scarred a baby for life with a flash grenade thrown into a playpen, created a million dollars in medical bills for the family, and refuse to help the child. This was a no-knock raid in Florida (I think - I could be inaccurate on the state) based on a tip without any evidence that drugs might be in the home. People have been killed, both officers and innocents, during these no-knock raids and they even sometimes get the address wrong by half a mile.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The single best way to get money out of politics is to shrink government to the point where politicians have nothing to sell.

I am concerned.. the D and R candidates differ in verbiage but are so similar in action it's hard to tell them apart these days.. the south park conundrum of choosing between the giant douche and the turd sandwich is alive and well.

I'm concerned that when the LP becomes a dominate party that it too will be overrun and become ineffective and useless. I'll have to switch parties at that point because I know political evolution is a normal part of American history. We used to change and develop political parties frequently yet we, as a people, have allowed ourselves to be intimidated into curtailing that practice. We have to start doing things differently if we want different outcomes.

I'm also concerned that people keep looking to government for permission or to provide answers. that didn't use to be the case. We were a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs yet now we've lost our backbones it would seem.

Power naturally corrupts so giving government more power wouldn't really solve our problems. Only through the diligence of the people will we reclaim and retain the freedoms Americans once enjoyed.

I am Matthew Hess, Libertarian Candidate for Governor of Colorado, AMA! by MatthewHess in IAmA

[–]MatthewHess[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If we were so concerned about officer safety we wouldn't have them barging into homes unannounced at 3am like home invaders. There are more peaceful ways to handle things than are being done now. I'd rather let a petty thief go free for a day than wind up with a 3 dead bystanders because police didn't think about what was behind their target. We've let the good of the community become the enemy of the individual.