PLATFORM
LPHI PLATFORM - Enacted 2015
PREAMBLE
As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which individuals are sovereign over their own lives, and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the sake of others. We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. Consequently, we defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from any government or any authoritarian power.
PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 1: PROPERTY RIGHTS
People own themselves, the product of their labor and of voluntary exchange. These are property rights that deserve respect and protection.The proper role of government is the protection of these rights from force and fraud. Government should not become the forceful aggressor against these rights.
Hawaii’s over aggressive use of regulatory and zoning rules has increased the cost of living, lead to a serious homelessness problem, protected the wealthy at the expense of the poor and done little to achieve community goals.
Where evidence exists that any individual or agency, public or private, has violated an individual’s right to property, the property should be restored to its rightful owner. However, libertarians recognize the right of property owners to join together in voluntary organizations to set rules and regulations governing themselves.
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PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 2: REGULATION
The conduct of individuals in respect to their rights should be conducted in voluntary, mutual agreements, contracts, and covenants. The proper role of government is the enforcement of these voluntary arrangements, not a forceful interference with voluntary action. Therefore we oppose government action that grants monopoly privileges to favored persons and commercial activities at the expense of freedom of competition in the marketplace. All individuals, both inside and outside of government, should be personally liable for the consequences of their behavior.
We oppose government regulations which dictate to consumers, impose prices, define standards, or otherwise restrict risk-taking and free choice by individuals. We assert that Hawaii’s occupational licensing, regulation of transportation, energy, utilities, and finance have harmed consumers with few practical benefits.
Libertarians advocate freedom of action and the personal responsibility that accompanies that freedom. Therefore, we oppose government action which absolves individuals of liability.
PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 3: TAXATION
All individuals are entitled to the fruits of their labor. The production and use of the fruits of labor should be allowed and secured without impediment. The market should be utilized as much as possible for the protection of rights, i.e. insurance, security, arbitration. As much as possible, essential government services should be provided by user fees and other voluntary payments. We believe that many government services could be better provided through the voluntary actions of the market place or through private charity.
Libertarians oppose taxation due to its involuntary aspects, ultimately enforced through violence. It forces people to turn over their money to support programs and agendas that they may not support voluntarily. The first step to alleviating this problem is to reduce the role and size of government to essential public services that are recognized and respected and to eliminate those which are the subject of controversy.
Libertarians advocate for the repeal of the excise taxes, such as those on food and medical services and medications.
PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 4: EDUCATION
We support the separation of school and state. We advocate freedom of choice in education. We wish to move education away from the costly and inefficient system created with the support of involuntary taxation to one governed by voluntary decisions of parents, students, and funders. This will create a better environment for learning and as a by-product improve the job satisfaction of teachers and others now struggling to deal with an overbearing bureaucracy. The concomitant reduction of taxes will provide the means to finance choice in education.
PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 5: TRANSPORTATION
Transportation needs of the community, as in all areas of commerce, are best served by freedom of choice for both producers and consumers of services. The government should not create protective monopolies or subsidies. The free market not the government should operate transportation systems. Nor should government create burdens aimed at controlling or undermining alternative forms of transportation. Therefore we advocate an end to government regulation of private transportation systems and of government favors to any part of the transportation industry.
We support the repeal of laws restricting transit competition, such as the granting of taxicab licenses, regulations controlling ride share companies, bus monopolies, and the limitation of van pools. The repeal of these laws will provide relief to taxpayers who are forced to subsidize government transit systems and will further provide a greater choice in transportation.
PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 6: JUSTICE
In a free society, adults should be left free to make decisions for the conduct of their own lives so long as they do not aggress against the equal rights of others. Thus, people should be free to make their own decisions regarding sex, drugs, gambling, and other activities, that do not infringe on the rights of others. In order to promote a society in which individuals develop a greater respect for the rights of others, each individual must develop a sense of responsibility and justice which comes from oneself and not from government. People grow by taking full responsibility for their own actions.
Hawaii’s statutes now criminalize many areas of adult consensual behavior. The effects are to increase other crimes that involve violence and theft, as well as adding to the tax burden needed to address crime and incarceration. The overall effects are negative, both to the parties engaging in victimless crimes and to the community as a whole.
If there is a proper role for government at all, it is to protect individual’s lives, liberty, and property. Rights of protection shall not be limited by age, race, religion, sex, or sexual preference. It is paramount that the government do this with efficiency and justice and without violating individual’s rights or privacy that it pretends to protect.
PLATFORM PLANK NUMBER 7: LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
We advocate the right of free association. People should be allowed to contract with each other for services at prices and conditions that are mutually acceptable, without the forceful intervention of governmental authorities. Therefore we advocate the repeal of laws which interfere with the employer-employee relationship. We believe workers should be free to bargain for the wage and benefit program that they desire and not be forced into a government regulated system that may not serve their needs.
We advocate protection for contracts between employers and employees (such as those providing job security) which are freely made. We support workers who wish to join voluntary collective bargaining units, but oppose government rules that would compel them to do so. We oppose compulsory insurance laws.
OMMISSIONS
Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not be construed as to imply approval.
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