The usual suspects and Alex Snitker, Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate

[bobbyw24]

A paradox faces any third-party candidate for office: People don't take you seriously because not enough people take you seriously.

So I feel some empathy for Alex Snitker, a Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Florida this year.

Snitker showed up the other day at a meeting of the Florida Society of News Editors, which was hearing from the "legitimate" Senate candidates, and even we wouldn't let him talk. He isn't high enough in the polls.

So I called Snitker up and said, okay, I got a few hundred words; what are you for?

Alexander Snitker is 34 years old, grew up and attended public school in Pasco County, and served eight years in the Marines, mostly as a supply and logistics clerk, with an honorable discharge. He works in sales for an office equipment company, has been married for 10 years and has a son just shy of 2 years old.

In general, the Libertarian Party, a real, long-established party, is about limiting government power over individual freedom. That means truly limited government, unlike the kind that Republicans and Democrats practice.

We went through Snitker's major policy points:

• Replacing the federal income tax with a sales tax (that is, a tax on consumption), with no loopholes or favors. People under the poverty line would not pay the tax; everybody else would.

• A balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, although allowing a deficit by a 60 percent vote of Congress in times of war or emergency.

• An "enumerated powers" law that would basically put an expiration date on the federal government, requiring a review of whether each function is truly within the powers of Congress as listed in the Constitution. For starters, he would abolish the departments of Education, Energy and maybe Commerce.

• Term limits of 12 years total for service in the House and Senate. You could serve three two-year House terms and still run for a six-year Senate term, but that would be it — you couldn't serve longer in the House and then run for a six-year Senate term.

• An audit or even abolition of the Federal Reserve.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/the-usual-suspects-and-alex-snitker-libertarian-candidate-for-us-senate/1105303

[roho76]

I would vote for him but I would fight him on the sales tax. Preferential treatment to the poor is just as bad if not worse. What difference does it make if the tax looks like a tax on the receipt or just reflected in the price of the good or service. Some one needs to give him a lesson on taxes.

[Elwar]

Some one needs to give him a lesson on taxes.

I believe he supports the FairTax. It's a flat, 30% (revenue neutral) tax on all new goods purchased. Everyone in the US would get a monthly rebate check for the amount paid up to the poverty line.

This guy lives about 10 minutes up the road from me so I'm sure some day I'll run into him.

[South Park Fan]

PPP is smearing Snitker through guilt-by-association by posting a nasty e-mail from a supporter. Post positive civil comments regarding Snitker in the comments section (https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2799451770086337664&postID=6251188693705797455)

[roho76]

I believe he supports the FairTax. It's a flat, 30% (revenue neutral) tax on all new goods purchased. Everyone in the US would get a monthly rebate check for the amount paid up to the poverty line.

This guy lives about 10 minutes up the road from me so I'm sure some day I'll run into him.


Replacing the federal income tax with a sales tax (that is, a tax on consumption).

This is not a flat tax this is a consumption tax. This hurts the poor. Even if they exempt below the poverty line. The tax will be reflected in the price of the goods and services.

Flat tax sucks too. and I would fight him on that also. What does it matter if we pay a progressive income tax or a flat tax? We need to starve the beast not change the bowl that it feeds out of. This year it will be 30% next year it's 30.5 percent. So on and so forth.

[Elwar]

This is not a flat tax this is a consumption tax. This hurts the poor. Even if they exempt below the poverty line. The tax will be reflected in the price of the goods and services.

Flat tax sucks too. and I would fight him on that also. What does it matter if we pay a progressive income tax or a flat tax? We need to starve the beast not change the bowl that it feeds out of. This year it will be 30% next year it's 30.5 percent. So on and so forth.

I agree, I was just clarifying since the article had to generalize it quite a bit for the one liner.

His site points to: http://www.fairtax.org

The 30% was actually the number they came up with about 8 years back when they were researching it (they call it a 23% tax because it's only fair to compare it to the income tax in that way). So I'm sure if it were implimented now, it would be higher. But they'd need an Amendment for it to work anyway.

Ron Paul said he'd vote for it, though he'd prefer no tax.

I actually don't like the rebate portion of it. It's based on the poverty line which is a government settable number. So they'd be able to set it in a way that they can just distribute our wealth as they see fit with people getting monthly checks for whatever the politicians promise.

[K466]

Snitker or Rubio?

I think I like Snitker better but am I throwing my vote away? It would be an embarrassing setback for Crist to win. I hate the lesser of the two evils trap!

[South Park Fan]

Snitker or Rubio?

I think I like Snitker better but am I throwing my vote away? It would be an embarrassing setback for Crist to win. I hate the lesser of the two evils trap!

Rubio is a Jeb Bush puppet.

[Slutter McGee]

Snitker or Rubio?

I think I like Snitker better but am I throwing my vote away? It would be an embarrassing setback for Crist to win. I hate the lesser of the two evils trap!

I say vote your heart. Hell, campaign for Snitker if you want. I am not a fan of Rubio. But keep it seperate from our movement. We need not to piss of the Jim Demint fans, as we will need them to get our candidates elected.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

[Elwar]

Snitker or Rubio?

I think I like Snitker better but am I throwing my vote away? It would be an embarrassing setback for Crist to win. I hate the lesser of the two evils trap!

I hate throwing my vote away on a popular candidate. Your vote has less impact when it's one of millions instead of a rare vote of several thousand.

I only throw my vote away on popular candidates if I have to hold my nose and do it because I support their principles. Like I had to do with Ron Paul.

[South Park Fan]

http://traffic.alexa.com/graph?&w=400&h=220&o=f&c=1&y=r&b=ffffff&n=666666&r=3m&u=snitker2010.com&&u=charliecrist.com&u=marcorubio.com&u=kendrickmeek.com&

Does this look familiar to any regulars? :)

[teamrican1]

Snitker or Rubio?

I think I like Snitker better but am I throwing my vote away? It would be an embarrassing setback for Crist to win. I hate the lesser of the two evils trap!

Snitker is much better. I'll be voting for him too so you aren't throwing your vote away. Remember, there are five viable candidates in this race who are going to get significant amounts of votes, so 30 some percent is all we need to win. And the good news about Crist is whatever happens, he won't be our Governor anymore. We already have a solid base of votes in the elderly Broward and Palm Beach voters who will vote for Alex because they will confuse him for Alex Sink. This is a very winnable race!

[South Park Fan]

Snitker is much better. I'll be voting for him too so you aren't throwing your vote away. Remember, there are five viable candidates in this race who are going to get significant amounts of votes, so 30 some percent is all we need to win. And the good news about Crist is whatever happens, he won't be our Governor anymore. We already have a solid base of votes in the elderly Broward and Palm Beach voters who will vote for Alex because they will confuse him for Alex Sink. This is a very winnable race!

:D

[Elwar]

We already have a solid base of votes in the elderly Broward and Palm Beach voters who will vote for Alex because they will confuse him for Alex Sink. This is a very winnable race!

The radio host yesterday brought up the Senate race and said that Rubio and Crist wouldn't come on his show but Alex Sink did...

This may be a landslide.