Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 55

Thread: Tho Bishop: Florida's next Ron Paul

  1. #1

    Thumbs up Tho Bishop: Florida's next Ron Paul

    Tho Bishop, the current deputy communications director for the US House of Financial Services Committee, has declared his candidacy for Florida State House in District 6. Tho has three primary opponents after the retirement of the current state representative, with the primary winner guaranteed the spot in this deep red district. I know Tho personally and he is very much committed to the principles of Austrian economics (even writing for Mises.org in the past), studied Austrian Economics at the Ludwig Von Mises Institute, and adheres to a pro liberty platform. Tho has a truly rare mixture of deep knowledge and commitment to our principles combined with the political aptitude and knowledge of having worked in DC, and I consider him a major rising star in our movement. He's one of the most impressive candidates we have on any level.

    I personally know that he'll be updating his website soon with several policy proposals, but for now he has a great bio up that should give you an idea of where he comes from. This is one of those races that we'll look back at down the line and be glad we assured victory in it if we get on board and give Tho our monetary support as well as our social media muscle right now. I consider him as much of a priority as any in 2014.


    http://www.thobishop.com/



  2. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  3. #2
    the FB link on his webpage redirects to the website itself. I found this by searching on FB: https://www.facebook.com/ThoBishopFL

  4. #3

  5. #4
    Just let him know that, thanks for pointing it out!

    Quote Originally Posted by lib3rtarian View Post
    the FB link on his webpage redirects to the website itself. I found this by searching on FB: https://www.facebook.com/ThoBishopFL

  6. #5
    His cover photo is hideous. Make him change it.

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by archer1600 View Post
    His cover photo is hideous. Make him change it.
    What the hell is that supposed to be?

  8. #7
    I don't think it's hideous, it's a picture of the beach. He's running in Florida. Anyways, that ones just a difference of opinion I guess.

  9. #8
    Below is a copy of Tho's article China: Beyond the Rhetoric

    *Written by Tho Bishop.

    While Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have spent months locked in a sophomoric scuffle on who can come across as the toughest on China, people with a serious interest in the world’s second largest economy have been engaged in discussion about the country’s future. While China is frequently portrayed as the greatest threat to American hegemony, there has been increased concern that the economy is on the verge of a new economic crisis. With the vital position China currently holds as a main driver of the global economy, it is important for anyone with a serious interest in the economy of any nation to have a basic understanding of some of the domestic variables at play in the Eastern giant.

    On its surface, most of the concerns about the Chinese economy are extremely basic. The Chinese government increased the availability of credit, most of which was driven into investments made into Chinese real estate and infrastructure creating a bubble which has shown signs of collapse. These sorts of cycles are among the most common spurs of booms and busts, as anyone in America should be able to appreciate following 2007. There are, however, some unique characteristics to Chinese investment that are worth examining.

    For one, the Chinese housing and American housing bubbles are different. While the volatility of the American housing bubble was in part fueled by subprime loans, Chinese mortgages are characteristically conservative – Chinese homeowners are usually required to make a down payment of at least 20%. More important to understanding China however is getting to the “Why” of the underlying political motivations in spurring this investment. While American policy makers were driven by a singular goal of increasing home ownership – the American Dream – the Communist Party’s top goal is different – job creation.

    A government placing an emphasis on job creation hardly seems unique, but few go to the lengths of China. As James Rickards explains in his book Currency Wars:

    No one knows better than the Chinese Communist Party leadership what would happen if those jobs were not available. The study of Chinese history is the story of periodic collapse….This is why the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989 were as troubling to the Chinese leaders as their violent suppression was shocking to the West….The Chinese leaders also understood that the Tiananmen protests were fueled not just by prodemocracy sentiments but by student and worker resentment at higher food prices and slower job growth.

    American politicians fear their re-election chances when unemployment rises. Chinese leaders fear the very social stability of their country. The result has been China to engage in a form of hyper-Keynesianism, putting Keynes’s infamous example of paying individuals to dig ditches into practice.

    Bloomberg Businessweek provides one example of this government policy in practice:

    Wang Mengshu, deputy chief engineer at China Railway Tunnel Group, says that rather than use advanced technology to carve out railroad tunnels, the group often prefers to hire millions of pairs of hands “to solve the national employment problem.”

    The result?

    Nearly every month brings news of an infrastructure failure, dramatic or mundane.

    This coincides with widespread reports of the demolishment of bridges, buildings and other construction projects which are merely a few years, sometimes even months, old.

    This problem is further exacerbated by widespread cronyism within the financing of these projects. Though China has made great strides towards a more market based economy over the last few decades, the government still maintains significant control of the economy, such as the existence of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Gao Xu, a former analyst for the World Bank, identified these massive institutions as controlling around 30% of all total assets in the country. It should not be surprising that the SOEs enjoy many competitive advantages due to their government with the state, including below-market interest rates for funding. The result is massive inefficiency amongst China’s largest market participants. In a separate study, Xu found “that if SOEs were to pay a market interest rate, their existing profits would be entirely wiped out.” That is a massive section of the economy dependent artificially upon cheap credit.

    The combination of a policy of hyper-job creation and inefficient government-backed corporations has lead to the creation of full cities that stand as a testament to waste. Standing as modern day ghost towns, Chinese building projects have let to the construction of entire cities – homes, apartment, retail buildings – with no residents to put them to use. Writing for the World Bank, Holly Krambeck describes:

    In Chenggong, there are more than a hundred-thousand new apartments with no occupants, lush tree-lined streets with no cars, enormous office buildings with no workers, and billboards advertising cold medicine and real estate services – with no one to see them.

    As my colleagues and I wandered, on–foot, down the center of Chenggong’s empty 8-lane boulevards and dedicated bus lanes, never seeing a single person, we marveled about the fiscal and political conditions that would have to exist to create something like this.

    Interestingly enough, these types of projects are spreading outside the country as Chinese SOEs expand their reach. As the BBC reports, “Perched in an isolated spot some 30km (18 miles) outside Angola’s capital, Luanda, Nova Cidade de Kilamba is a brand-new mixed residential development of 750 eight-storey apartment buildings, a dozen schools and more than 100 retail units…nearly a year since the first batch of 2,800 apartments went on sale, only 220 have been sold….When you visit Kilamba, you cannot help but wonder if even a third of those buyers have moved in yet.”

    With such warning signs, it should be no surprise that China’s economy has begun to cool down over the last few years. As The Wall Street Journal reported on October 18th, “Growth in China’s gross domestic product fell to 7.4% in the third quarter compared with a year earlier, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday, down from 7.6% in the second quarter and the weakest since the beginning of 2009.” The expectation is that even these numbers are inflated by the Chinese government. In a separate WSJ article mentioning second quarter GDP numbers, “Skeptics think the real number is closer to 4%. (One London research house says 1%.)”

    If we can identify that there is a great deal to be concerned about regarding China’s economic outlook, the next question is how bad can things get, what can be done about it and how should we feel about the nation’s long-term future. For that we must continue a broader look at the Chinese political structure, facing a once-in-a-decade transition of power, as well as the intellectual trends within the country.

    For that, I will need another post.


    http://theswash.com/commentary/china...hetoric-part-i



  10. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by archer1600 View Post
    His cover photo is hideous. Make him change it.
    I'm confused about the hookah-looking thing too.
    The enemy of my enemy may be worse than my enemy.

    I do not suffer from Trump Rearrangement Syndrome. Sorry if that triggers you.

  12. #10
    He thread title offends me because among other things, FL hasn't had someone of Ron Paul's level when it comes to supporting freedom in my lifetime. Other than that, good news! Hopefully he works hard and wins.
    Lifetime member of more than 1 national gun organization and the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance. Part of Young Americans for Liberty and Campaign for Liberty. Free State Project participant and multi-year Free Talk Live AMPlifier.

  13. #11
    I hope one day we really do get our own Ron Paul for Florida in the house or in the senate. Or maybe one day that could be me

  14. #12
    This is your chance! Tho has a degree in Austrian Economics from LVMI, he's 100% committed to our ideals. Liberty needs a leader in Florida, and we finally have a chance at accomplishing that.

    Quote Originally Posted by philipped View Post
    I hope one day we really do get our own Ron Paul for Florida in the house or in the senate. Or maybe one day that could be me

  15. #13
    They haven't yet....but this is our shot!

    Quote Originally Posted by Keith and stuff View Post
    He thread title offends me because among other things, FL hasn't had someone of Ron Paul's level when it comes to supporting freedom in my lifetime. Other than that, good news! Hopefully he works hard and wins.

  16. #14
    I'm assuming this is his Facebook page-

    https://www.facebook.com/ThoBishopFL

    Hope he can pull ahead of any serious competition.

  17. #15
    That is his page. The key at this point is consolidating the tea party vote, all 3 of his opponents are establishment. There's no run off, so 35% or a couple points above should be good for victory in this race.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.NoSmile View Post
    I'm assuming this is his Facebook page-

    https://www.facebook.com/ThoBishopFL

    Hope he can pull ahead of any serious competition.

  18. #16
    I think Tho is a very strong candidate and the bills he plans to introduce (such as making gold legal tender, bringing in REINS and the Texas abortion law) would be very good for Florida. I will definitely be donating to his candidacy.



  19. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  20. #17
    Yes, his plan to introduce Florida's version of the bill Glen Bradley introduced in particular catches my eye. We need more hard money advocates in office!

    Quote Originally Posted by compromise View Post
    I think Tho is a very strong candidate and the bills he plans to introduce (such as making gold legal tender, bringing in REINS and the Texas abortion law) would be very good for Florida. I will definitely be donating to his candidacy.

  21. #18
    This is nice but isn't a leader of the liberty movement in congress better than a back bencher in the state house?

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by CG1976 View Post
    This is nice but isn't a leader of the liberty movement in congress better than a back bencher in the state house?
    I have much more confidence in this guy than I do in Zoller. We already have a few leaders of the liberty movement in Congress, but we don't really have one in the FL State House.

    What makes Bishop a backbencher and Zoller a leader? You could equally call Bishop a leader and Zoller a backbencher.

  23. #20
    The state legislature in fl is notoriously full of liberal republicans. Not saying this guy has no leadership qualities. Also not saying zoller will be able to lead in DC, I'm saying if a liberty guy in Florida wins a us house seat he would have a bigger soapbox to speak from to change the state GOP.

  24. #21
    I believe very sincerely that the Amash blueprint is the best way to get to Washington. Get to the state house, build yourself a noteworthy record and then run for higher office. With the 3 bills he is planning to introduce day one (texas abortion bill, gold tender and recalling sitting US senators) as well as his primary goal (bringing in the REINS Act to Florida) Tho is positioning himself very well to be a leader of not just the liberty movement in Florida but the greater conservative movement generally. In a couple of terms he'll be in great position, this combined w/ his experience in DC, to run for house, senate or even governor.

    This thread is not being posted because I think Florida State House District 6 is an especially important seat for liberty. I posted it due to Tho being one of our movements most impressive candidates nation wide.This is a race that we have a serious interest in winning.

    Quote Originally Posted by CG1976 View Post
    The state legislature in fl is notoriously full of liberal republicans. Not saying this guy has no leadership qualities. Also not saying zoller will be able to lead in DC, I'm saying if a liberty guy in Florida wins a us house seat he would have a bigger soapbox to speak from to change the state GOP.

  25. #22
    Ok, well that's a good point. Although I don't really favor anyone making a career out of working in government positions. This guy does look solid though, how's his fundraising going? I'll look at sending him
    some $ today or tomorrow.

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by CG1976 View Post
    The state legislature in fl is notoriously full of liberal republicans. Not saying this guy has no leadership qualities. Also not saying zoller will be able to lead in DC, I'm saying if a liberty guy in Florida wins a us house seat he would have a bigger soapbox to speak from to change the state GOP.
    The US Congress is also notoriously full of liberal and moderate Republicans.

  27. #24
    Very true. Also has far more conservatives now, though.



  28. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  29. #25
    Thanks for sharing. I am very interested in our state rep candidates. I will keep an eye on this one

    Cover photo has to go

    I thought this was interesting:
    The state legislature in fl is notoriously full of liberal republicans. Not saying this guy has no leadership qualities.
    and Rocco, your response was:

    3 bills he is planning to introduce day one (texas abortion bill, gold tender and recalling sitting US senators) as well as his primary goal (bringing in the REINS Act to Florida)
    Can these realistically be passed?

  30. #26
    Shem,

    no no they can't be passed - the current system won't even have them get to the floor. And even if somehow a miracle got them through the house, the jack Latvala caucus would kill them in the senate.

  31. #27
    Not sure on the fund raising question, will ask him and get back to you!

    As for the FL legislature, I hear you, but I think if nothing else having these bills be voted on will help us see who's with us and who is not in the state. Not to mention the guaranteed Rand endorsement in one of the reddest districts in an early primary state.

    Quote Originally Posted by CG1976 View Post
    Ok, well that's a good point. Although I don't really favor anyone making a career out of working in government positions. This guy does look solid though, how's his fundraising going? I'll look at sending him
    some $ today or tomorrow.

  32. #28
    I do wonder if the abortion bill may have a chance, though.

  33. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by archer1600 View Post
    His cover photo is hideous. Make him change it.
    he's not the only Florida candidate with an unfortunate picture..



    ya gotta wonder what they were thinking
    Disclaimer: any post made after midnight and before 8AM is made before the coffee dip stick has come up to optomim level - expect some level of silliness,

    The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are out numbered by those who vote for a living !!!!!!!

  34. #30
    I am getting reports that Tho KILLED IT in the candidate forum tonight. Hopefully there will be a video soon!

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast


Similar Threads

  1. Bishop suggests apostle Paul was gay
    By Ronin Truth in forum Peace Through Religion
    Replies: 50
    Last Post: 10-31-2015, 02:28 PM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-23-2012, 05:28 PM
  3. Replies: 7
    Last Post: 01-25-2012, 09:32 AM
  4. Jim Bishop Castle Builder ....Ron Paul Supporter
    By Magicman in forum U.S. Political News
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-26-2011, 06:01 AM
  5. Ron Paul Raps & Bishop Lamont Performing On Feb 12th
    By ronpaulraps in forum Open Discussion
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-07-2011, 09:17 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •