Keister Withdraws From Town Council Bid:

Libertarian Candidate Encounters Paperwork Snafu Invalidating Candidacy

Clarksville, Indiana – July 30, 2015 – The campaign by Libertarian Party candidate Thomas Keister for the Clarksville Town Council District Three seat in the November general election has come to an end, as a paperwork error led to his candidacy being ruled invalid.

According to County Clerk Susan Popp, under Indiana Code 3-13-1-20, the amended notice of intent to fill a ballot vacancy was not received by the June 22 deadline as set by the Indiana Election Division. The error went unnoticed by the clerk’s staff, who notarized, stamped and filed the document on the final candidate filing date of June 30.

The campaign had marked Keister’s first foray into Clarksville and Clark County politics after four previous campaigns in Floyd County with the Libertarian Party.

While a candidate, Keister took stances for District Voting and helped inform many in South Clarksville about the South Clarksville Redevelopment Plan currently under discussion, promising more transparency and direct contact between the Town Council and the public.

Keister says: “It is disappointing that the campaign has to come to an end. The people of Clarksville still have two strong Libertarian candidates in Russell Brooksbank and Greg Hertzsch to vote for and provide the kind of reasoned and accountable councilmen the town deserves.”

Keister plans to spend the rest of the election cycle publicizing the candidates and helping to inform the community through his work as Communications Director of the Libertarian Party of Clark County (LPCC), including the continued development of the LPCC’s new website. The LPCC can be found on Facebook, and can be contacted via email at [email protected]

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Typical. Very typical. It is not like I attempt to call of work that often, because A) I have a work ethic, even when it's shitty job such as the one I have, and B) who can afford to? So, anyhow my attempt at a call-in turned into a half-day, because I'm a sucker, a later trip to give a co-worker a ride to work due to car trouble, because I'm a nice guy, and the revelation of more unrealistic nonsense from the higher ups on the chain, because as aforementioned, I have a shitty job. 

At least I'm civic-minded. This has been brewing for a week or so, but with more formal contact between the LPCC Chair, Kelley Curran, and Susan Popp, Clark County Clerk, I figured I might as well share the news. 

Now, I'm just operating on assumptions here, but I think myself, along with the Libertarian Party of Clark County and the Clark County Tea Party Patriots, have made some people nervous. Too many questions being asked the Town Council didn't want asked, and not enough satisfactory answers to go around. And they are getting scared about lil ole me entering the race? Not at all. They are getting scared that three Libertarians candidates were lining up, and the square dancing that went down at the Rally for Old Clarksville drove that point home.

My electoral history speaks for itself: 2% (2004), 2% (2006), 4% (2007), and 1.2% (2011). Obviously a reason for the mainstream parties (whichever one is behind this) to sweat. Stay tuned. There will obviously be more to come...

Not really a lot of explanation needed here. If not for a body camera, this would be simply be another dead offender that had it coming. Good for Cincinnati for getting to the bottom of things quickly, handing down an indictment, and addressing the situation and offering the solutions they have in motion to prevent future incidents like this. Even better for Cincinnati that the city stayed vigilant for answers and justice, not simply angry and rioting. 

While over the past few weeks, I have taken a little bit of heat on Twitter for my stance on the police, I will maintain here just as I have there that I am not anti-police, I am anti-bad police. There is an obvious world of difference between the two, and a badge should not have the ability to hypnotize people into backing murder and calling it law and order.

Here is the audio of last Thursday's Steering Committee meeting regarding the South Clarksville Redevelopment Plan. Much thanks to Libertarian Party of Clark County Vice-Chairman (and fellow Town Council candidate) Russell Brooksbank for recording the audio and providing it to me for download.

Click here to listen to the audio via Dropbox (no account needed)

While the contention is made that towns and cities led by a manager is the most popular and successful form for a municipal government, I would have to see some solid research regarding whether or not such a move would be a good fit for the Town of Clarksville before I definitively put my support behind the concept. 

I understand the Town Manager position freeing up our Council from daily operational tasks and allow them to focus on policy issues, but how exactly does having a Town Manager for Clarksville "empower our elected officials to provide leadership, develop a vision and strategic plan for the community?" Shouldn't our Council already be empowered to do all the aforementioned things by the very nature of their position?

While it might be sold to us as an easily correctable mistake, should a bad hire occur, I would like more of an outline as to what the procedure to remove a Town Manager would entail. While the Town Manager would presumably be making decisions without political bias, I wouldn't be as presumptuous as to how political bias would play into the hiring or dismissal of a town manager.

The Democrats have simply wasted time, energy, and money on this issue. Putting together committees for study, then basically ignoring the committee's input is the kind of circular logic that has resulted in nothing being accomplished. 

To summarize, I am remaining neutral for the time being in regards to the issue of a Town Manager for Clarksville. I believe once the issue has been fairly and thoroughly studied, then an honest discussion can take place. 

Under the current system, the Town of Clarksville elects five District Council members and two At-Large Council members every four years. All Clarksville voters are eligible to vote in all five District and both At-Large Council races.

Quite simply, this is not representative government. The current system is rife for potential disenfranchisement of large blocks of voters, and across all demographics.

The people of Clarksville deserve a government capable of addressing the needs of not only the town, but the Districts and residents that comprise the town. The only way to ensure the people have representation on all levels of town government is to ensure the people are fairly represented, and this is what District Voting will accomplish.

District Voting, in my opinion, also promotes greater involvement on a neighborhood level, as the candidates will have to meet the voters they wish to represent, rather than simply heading to where the most people are to stump for votes. This will also provide the council with a broader range of issues of concern to the people, which may allow for future preparation should the issue become a full-blown problem.

My Republican opponent lists as a “Pro” for the current voting method: “Council members are more able to focus on how a decision affects the betterment of the entire town and not just focused on how it impacts their respective District.” I would argue that, ideally, any suitable council member would and should be able to do just that, regardless of the voting method in place.

By suggesting hiring an independent research firm to conduct a survey regarding district voting, the Democrats propose not only kicking the can down the road, but getting a more expensive can to kick and having someone else kick it for them. The will of the people seems to speak to district voting, and the idea of using taxpayer money to study a question that’s already been answered is irresponsible and disingenuous.