Liberty Banquet a Roaring Success

The Libertarian Party of West Michigan's Liberty Banquet Played to a Packed House the Evening of September 23

The Libertarian Party of West Michigan held its annual Liberty Banquet on Saturday September 23.  Sayfee's Restaurant in Grand Rapids was packed with libertarians and their friends, as they celebrated an incredibly active and successful year and fired themselves up for the coming election on November 7.

LPWM Chair Dr. Eric Larson introduced the many LP candidates in the crowd, and honored in particular Steve VanTil for his webmastery, Dr. Erwin Haas for his cable television writing, directing and producing activities, and Ken Howe for his enthusiastic work as the LPWM Vice Chair and candidate for US Congress in the 6th District.

The featured speaker was Dr. Samuel Staley of the Reason Foundation.  He detailed the push of governments all across America to expand eminent domain so that no one's home or business is safe from an involuntary taking for the most arbitrary of trumped-up reasons.  He identified opposition to government seizures of private property to benefit private developers as a quintessential Libertarian issue that enjoys broad support among voters.

The annual Guardian of Liberty award was made to Small Businessman Mark London, in recognition of his principled battles with the City of Grand Rapids to preserve his and others' rights to free speech and property.  Mark London gave a wonderful speech, explaining that he had once been an active Republican Party official and candidate.  He advises that while he still supports a balanced budget, limited government and free enterprise, the Republican Party has left him and these principles behind in its thirst for political power.  Many in the audience agreed.  He requested, and took with him, two "Enough is Enough, Vote Libertarian" yard signs.  This was the first time that the award had been made to a non-Libertarian, but it appears that Mark London will certainly support Libertarian candidates in the future.

Everyone had an enjoyable evening.  The banquet was a great success.