Gary Johnson The Johnson Deception

[krazy kaju]

THE JOHNSON DECEPTION​

There are many pundits who have opined that Gary Johnson is an important force in this election, that he offers real choice, and more importantly, that Ron Paul supporters should jump ship to the Libertarian party and vote for The Governor.

But before you do so, let's point out a few inconvenient facts that Governor Johnson doesn't want to talk about.

Such as the fact that in 1995, the year Gary Johnson became Governor, the State of New Mexico spent a total of $8.1 billion; $4.4 billion at the State Government level, $3.7 billion locally.

In 2003, the year he left office, The State spent $7.7 billion and local governments $5.7 billion, for a total of $13.4 billion.

Population went from 1.7 to 1.9 million over the same period.

The alleged Governor Veto wants you to believe he slashed spending and is a model of fiscal restraint. The truth is that state level spending increased by about 7.5% annually over his eight-year term. County and local governments did a better job of restraining spending; their spending advanced by "just" 6.5% annually during the same period.

Population advanced by about 12% over the same period, so don't let Governor Liar tell you this was all population increase; the facts are that he spent 75% more the year he left office than was spent the year he entered it.

Much-more-damning, State GDP went up by 38% during the same period, so in point of fact Governor Fraud advanced state spending twice as quickly as the economy of his state grew in size.

The coup-de-grace though is that State Debt was $1.8 billion in 1995 when Johnson took office. In 2003, when he left, it was a stunning $4.6 billion, or 155% higher. That's right -- the alleged "Governor Veto" more than doubled New Mexico's state public debt during his time in office, adding about 12% a year.

For comparison when President Obama took office total public debt was about $10.6 trillion; today it is about $16 trillion, or 51% higher. That's about a 12% increase annually.

Attention alleged Libertarians: Governor Johnson expanded New Mexico's public debt just as quickly during his adminsitration as President Obama has during his and he did so during a monstrous economic boom rather than a time of recession. He has no record to run on when it comes to fiscal restraint; Johnson did just as much damage to New Mexico's debt profile on a percentage basis as President Obama has nationally!

Gary Johnson Campaign Fiscal Check-Up​

If you remember back in February I wrote on Gary Johnson coming into the Libertarian Party with $200,000 worth of debt and soliciting Libertarians for funds -- without clearing his Republican debt first.

In short, he was trying to get Libertarians to pay for his failed Republican run.

Given the article I just wrote on Johnson's actual fiscal record in New Mexico .vs. what he wants you to believe I thought I'd take a look at the latest FEC data available for his campaign. After all, he's still soliciting funds, ostensibly to "buy him a podium" in the debates.

Is that true?

The FEC says (through 7/31) that Gary Johnson's campaign has taken in $1.48 million in contributions of various sorts, and has spent $1.46 million.

But.... the campaign has, as of the last report, $14,000 on hand and debts of $296,000.

In other words he's about 50% more in the hole than he was when he first started soliciting Libertarians, he is today asking for one million dollars in donations (after first asking for $100k, then $250k, and now one million), and on a debt-to-equity basis he has roughly $20 in debt for every $1 in cash in his account.

 

[mrsat_98]

SO my choices are:

1. Vote Obama then I could chant repeatedly "only FOUR MORE YEARS"
2. Vote Romney then I could sit up at night and wonder which is better "Obama-dont-care" or "Romney-don't care"
3. Vote Johnson HEY he advised on national TV that his pick for VP would be Ron Paul. But then I would stay up at night thinking I I helped throw the vote to number 1 or 2
4 Write in Ron Paul.

For some reason I suspect I will MR Whipple should be advertising to draw in all voters. THey trusted him for TP and this years ballot is almost as useful.

 

[krazy kaju]

Write-in Ron Paul if you want your vote to not be counted. Vote for Obama if you want to destroy the Democratic Party. Vote for Romney if you want to destroy the neoconservative wing of the GOP. Vote for Gary Johnson if you want to support a fiscally irresponsible Big-L Libertarian.

 

[misean]

Write-in Ron Paul if you want your vote to not be counted. Vote for Obama if you want to destroy the Democratic Party. Vote for Romney if you want to destroy the neoconservative wing of the GOP. Vote for Gary Johnson if you want to support a fiscally irresponsible Big-L Libertarian.

He vetoed more bills than all other Governors combined during his time in office. New Mexico went through constant threats of government shutdowns during his time in office. He was responsible for dramatically slashing the rates of growth in spending in New Mexico.

Your statement is the problem with people who live in fantasy world. Johnson wasn't elected dictator. He isn't a legislator that could just vote no and give everyone the finger while the budget passes. Calling Johnson fiscally irresponsible is Orwellian. You have to play the hand you are dealt. If Johnson is fiscally irresponsible then so is Paul. Look at how many unbalanced budgets have been passed while Paul has been in office.

Not to mention, he was one of only 4 governors in the country to have a balanced budget when he left office.

 

[liveandletlive]

look, he aint ideoligocally perfect, but im tired of shooting down people who arent Ron Paul, i mean a lot of people here like Kucinich and he's almost nothing like Ron except on a few key issues. Gary falls in the same category

 

[Indy Vidual]

He vetoed more bills than all other Governors combined during his time in office. New Mexico went through constant threats of government shutdowns during his time in office. He was responsible for dramatically slashing the rates of growth in spending in New Mexico.

Your statement is the problem with people who live in fantasy world. Johnson wasn't elected dictator. He isn't a legislator that could just vote no and give everyone the finger while the budget passes. Calling Johnson fiscally irresponsible is Orwellian. You have to play the hand you are dealt. If Johnson is fiscally irresponsible then so is Paul. Look at how many unbalanced budgets have been passed while Paul has been in office.

Not to mention, he was one of only 4 governors in the country to have a balanced budget when he left office.

+rep
GJ is the best one on the ballot.

 

[Sujan]

Gary is by far the best option on the ballot, it’s a simple as that.
He is not perfect but what do you expect? Neither is Paul.
People here look too much in absolute terms to candidates.

 

[rp08orbust]

I'm not all that enthused about GJ, but this is a pretty lame hit piece. What is a governor supposed to do when the legislature overrides his vetoes?

 

[beaven]

Really, it doesn't matter who you vote for as long as it isn't Obama or Romney. People do pay attention to the percentage of people who take the effort to show-up and still don't vote for either major party candidate.

 

[pcosmar]

look, he aint ideoligocally perfect,

He ain't even close.. I'm not so worried about perfect,, but Damn. I have heard the FOOL speak.

He is a friggin' Idiot that wants to draw on the other parties failure,,but has nothing to offer.

 

[Travlyr]

He ain't even close.. I'm not so worried about perfect,, but Damn. I have heard the FOOL speak.

He is a friggin' Idiot that wants to draw on the other parties failure,,but has nothing to offer.

What I find interesting is this: what kind of legislation are the "Republicans" and "Democrats" going to send to the "Libertarian" to sign? Heh.. heh. I'm all for people voting for him if they think he can make a difference, but, yeah, he has nothing to offer.

 

[HardyMacia]

What I find interesting is this: what kind of legislation are the "Republicans" and "Democrats" going to send to the "Libertarian" to sign? Heh.. heh. I'm all for people voting for him if they think he can make a difference, but, yeah, he has nothing to offer.

Nothing to offer? He's Governor Veto. If Congress sends him nothing to sign that is good for us. If Congress sends him crap to sign then he vetoes it. Only two of his vetoes were ever overridden while he was governor. The 2nd one being the last budget - the republicans knew Johnson was out of office due to term limits so they just caved in and let the budget go. This is why you need to support Johnson -- there will be a some in congress who will get out from behind their rhetoric if they have a real small government leader like Johnson.

Yeah the piece was a poor hit piece written by the campaign manager for one of Johnson's opponents in the LP race who still has some sort of grudge that his candidate usually received no votes in all the state straw polls and ended up dropping out of the race even before the convention.

 

[Travlyr]

Nothing to offer? He's Governor Veto. If Congress sends him nothing to sign that is good for us. If Congress sends him crap to sign then he vetoes it. Only two of his vetoes were ever overridden while he was governor. The 2nd one being the last budget - the republicans knew Johnson was out of office due to term limits so they just caved in and let the budget go. This is why you need to support Johnson -- there will be a some in congress who will get out from behind their rhetoric if they have a real small government leader like Johnson.

Yeah the piece was a poor hit piece written by the campaign manager for one of Johnson's opponents in the LP race who still has some sort of grudge that his candidate usually received no votes in all the state straw polls and ended up dropping out of the race even before the convention.

I do not have any problem with people voting for Gary Johnson. I am a NOBP guy, but Gary is worth voting for.

 

[PierzStyx]

Bump

 

[TrishW]

I am not voting for Gary Johnson, he just happens to be the man who gets my vote when I vote Libertarian. I am sick of both the Republican and the Democrat Party. I think that they are too controlled to ever have real change. The Libertarian Party could have a future for us... if we make it stronger this year. Perhaps we can get a better choice for a candidate in the next four years. The Red and the Blue are just going to be more of the same.

 

[Eire4RonPaul]

I am not voting for Gary Johnson, he just happens to be the man who gets my vote when I vote Libertarian. I am sick of both the Republican and the Democrat Party. I think that they are too controlled to ever have real change. The Libertarian Party could have a future for us... if we make it stronger this year. Perhaps we can get a better choice for a candidate in the next four years. The Red and the Blue are just going to be more of the same.

Interesting post.

The LP have come a long way - especially giving the fact that they'll be on all 50 ballots this year. What an accomplishment!

So, in effect, the days of the two-party system could potentially be over if the LP had the numbers and the money (something we've wasted the last couple of years on the GOP).

 

[Feeding the Abscess]

Not a fan of Johnson, but Denninger was a shill for Bill Still. A paid shill. As in, his campaign manager.