As the 2023 municipal election season in San Antonio draws near, it is essential that we take a closer look at the candidates running for office and the policies they propose. Your vote in this election will directly impact the future of our city, and it is crucial that you make an informed decision. That’s why we at LPBexar have compiled a comprehensive survey of candidates’ stances on various issues affecting San Antonio.
Our 2023 San Antonio Candidate Survey is a voting guide that features responses from the candidates to multiple issues that are affecting our community. It is designed to help voters make informed decisions by providing them with an unbiased analysis of each candidate’s views on general principles, public safety, local economy, city services, and education.
Our survey is unique in that we have also highlighted the candidates who aligned best with the Libertarian stances on these issues. These accolades are a reflection of our belief that the Libertarian philosophy is the best approach to governance and that candidates who share these values are likely to represent our community’s interests better.
Our survey covers a broad range of topics, including:
General Principles: This section covers the candidates’ positions on individual rights, government size, and scope, among other principles.
Public Safety: This section covers the candidates’ views on law enforcement and criminal justice issues, such as police accountability, criminal justice reform, and the use of force.
Local Economy: This section covers the candidates’ views on economic development, job creation, and business regulations.
City Services: This section covers the candidates’ views on infrastructure, transportation, and public services.
Education: This section covers the candidates’ views on education policy, including school choice, curriculum standards, and funding.
Our survey is a valuable resource for voters who want to learn more about the candidates running for office in San Antonio. We encourage you to take the time to review our survey and consider each candidate’s views on the issues that matter most to you.
We believe that informed voters are the key to a healthy democracy, and we hope that our survey will help you make a more informed decision on election day. Thank you for your time, and we look forward to seeing you at the polls.
LPBexar Chair, JR Haseloff, provides remarks at City Council Public Session, March 22, 2023.
This week, multiple members of the local Libertarian Party affiliate in Bexar County attended a public comment session to provide remarks on the City of San Antonio’s use of eminent domain to take Moses Roses’ Hideout from it’s owner, Vince Cantu.
Taken out of context, this may seem to indicate that the Libertarian Party will resort to violence. It is important to note that the principle of non-aggression is a core belief that has bound Libertarians together since the party’s founding in 1971. This principle asserts that individuals have the right to pursue their own interests without interference from others, as long as they do not initiate force or fraud against others.
Cherry picking sensationalist quotes may drive clicks, but the intent of the remarks as evidenced below is to prevent violence. In ensuring this end is met, it is vital that our politicians have a correct read on the pulse of their constituents. Again, we only pray that City of San Antonio and Texas politicians are receiving this message.
LPBexar’s full COME AND TAKE IT eminent domain rally can be found here:
Dear Members of the City Council, My name is JR Haseloff and I am the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County. I stand before you today to voice my firm opposition to your eminent domain vote which takes Moses Roses Hideout from Vince Cantu. It is an absolute travesty that you were willing to take it away from him in order to checks notes expand the footprint of the Alamo. The Alamo? A location where grown men found it quite reasonable to fight and die for the ideas of individualism and private property rights and in order to stand against the VERY similar government overreach that you yourselves are exhibiting today. The Alamo is a symbol of freedom and liberty, and as much as your staffers fill your twitter timelines with fake reverence to the ‘great Spirit of Texas’, your actions spit in the face of Texans who truly value what it stands for. Your use of eminent domain is an affront to the very principles of the Alamo and upon which this great nation was founded. I don’t want to parse words… What you are doing is nothing short of theft. You are taking property that does not belong to you and giving it to someone else for their own purposes/profit. This is unacceptable and must be stopped. I call on you, members of the City Council, first, quit hiding behind the City Attorney’s instructions of “Just don’t publicly comment on it”, next, take immediate actions to engage with the Alamo Trust, develop new plans that don’t require the use of stolen property, engage the GLO Office and Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, quit letting them bully you. Stand up for what is right protect a private property owner here in San Antonio. This is your job. If you forget your job voters will remember you 24April (as early Voting begins) through May6th, your reelection day. And to the people of San Antonio, I urge you to join us in our fight. Make your voices heard, replace these tyrants on City Council, and signal that the people will not stand for this injustice. Not in Texas, Not in San Antonio, And DEFINITELY NOT on the grounds of the Alamo. To finalize, last week, I was honored to emcee the COME AND TAKE IT eminent domain rally at Travis Park. And while that rally was, out of an abundance of caution, marketed as a “peaceful protest”, I have to testify that grown men, individuals and organizations alike, once again are now signaling that they are prepared to sacrifice much more to prevent your theft of Moses Rose’s Hideout. I can only pray that you and our Texas politicians are receiving this message. In conclusion, let me be clear: we will not stand idly by and watch as you steal the property from our fellow citizens. We will fight back, and we will win. Thank you.
Members of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County conclude a Rally and protest march at Vince Cantu’s Moses Roses Last Hideout.
No formal agenda, no speakers scheduled, just being good patrons of Moses Roses Hideout and discussing next steps. COME JOIN US!
Following LPBexar’s COME AND TAKE IT Eminent Domain Rally, March’s social will be an informal debrief on site to discuss maintaining momentum and important next steps.
There will be pizza!
Come join us and bring a friend. Everyone is welcome to come learn more about the Party, ask questions, and get to know others in LPBexar!
Molon Labe – Come and Take It Moses Roses Hideout IS our Alamo. If the govt can take his property against his will they can take any of ours.
5MAY UPDATE:
Moses Roses and Alamo Trust agreed on the process for the final offer, which was to include ‘projected lost income’. RSI, the appraisal company selected calculated this at $5m+.
Now, a whistleblower has alleged that Alamo Trust threatened not to pay RSI if they left it in and directed them to reduce it, something they previously agreed to pay.
End Result? A low-ball offer, which didn’t follow the terms of what Vince and the Alamo Trust had previously agreed to.
Start writing the city attorney Andy Segovia and Deborah Klein. Tell them DO NOT CONDEMN Moses Roses on Monday 5/8, until a call between all parties with appraisal company, RSI and Associates, occurs so we can find out the truth about the appraisal!
As the saying goes, a person’s home is their castle. Add a person’s business to that saying too. What happens when the government wants to take our castle away? Eminent domain is the legal process that allows governments to take private property many times without the just compensation given to the property owner.
It’s time for property owners to draw the line and take a stand against eminent domain abuse. Here are steps you can take to protect your property and your rights. PLEASE DO AS MANY AS YOU CAN in the next 10 days. Time is of the essence!
At the end of the day, we are fighting to ensure that Vince Cantu and his family are fairly represented and treated by the government. If he chooses not to sell, that right should be respected. If the city needs his property badly enough, they should make him an offer that will adequately compensate him for sacrificing his property and his future.
Find your city council representative here Once the map pulls them up, click on their name to get to their website with their contact info.
If it is DISTRICT 2 or DISTRICT 5: Tell them THANK YOU for voting against eminent domain
If it DISTRICT 1 (the district representing Moses Rose’s Hideout), 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10: Tell them that you DO NOT SUPPORT eminent domain, and you are UPSET at them for voting to authorize eminent domain. Tell them that you expect them to PROTECT THEIR CONSTITUENTS from the actions of the government. Tell them you want them to walk eminent domain back, and that this issue will affect your vote for their position in the next election.
Tell the mayor that you do not support his use of eminent domain
Tell him that you expect him as the mayor to stand up for the citizens of San Antonio and protect them from harmful government actions. It is HIS responsibility to consider the WELFARE of the VOTERS he REPRESENTS against powerful government interests. Tell him that you DEMAND he roll back eminent domain and that the Alamo Plan MUST consider alternate plans that do not rely on Moses Roses
Clicking on their name will lead you to their phone number and a link to their website.
Call them and tell them to support TX House Joint Resolution 81 by Rep Mike Schofield (HD132) (HJR 81 would amend TXCON article 1, section 17(b) to prohibit any eminent domain for transfer to a private entity for any reason, removing the development/tax qualification)
Tell Governor Abbott to SUPPORT HJR 81 which will PROHIBIT eminent domain to be used to transfer property to a private entity for ANY reason.
Tell Governor Abbott to put pressure on the GLO to explore alternate plans that do not require the use of Moses Rose’s Hideout. Not even a reasonable effort has been made at this.
Remind him that sec 2206.001 (b) notes that “A governmental or private entity may not take private property through the use of eminent domain if the taking: … (3) is for economic development purposes, unless the economic development is a secondary purpose resulting from municipal community development or municipal urban renewal activities to eliminate an existing affirmative harm on society from slum or blighted areas under…”
The Alamo Trust has made it very clear that, without Moses Roses Hideout, the economics and financials make the project unviable
“I spend a whole lotta time fighting for the underdog. If there’s a David-side to that David/Goliath fight, I’m always on that David side” –@DrBuckinghamTX, the current Goliath against @MosesRose1836, the David side.
“I am currently the president of my corporate ranching entity and believe we must fight against eminent domain.” –@DrBuckinghamTX
Our Texas Land Commissioner is the prime executor of this eminent domain action while she grandstands on the spirit of Texas and the Alamo.
1-888-456-3962 is the number for waste and abuse. This qualifies as both.
Actions for Everyone:
Sign the change.org petition
Tell the Governor and attorney general to stop eminent domain abuse at the Alamo. Sign the Petition HERE and share it!
Write to newspapers, Call Television Stations and Radio Shows
Voice your concerns with eminent domain. BE the public voice you want to hear.
Write Eminent Domain Legislation to protect citizens:
Use the ballot measure process to get local, county, and state legislation that enhances the protections of property owners against eminent domain abuse
Require that eminent domain be a measure of last resort
Require that eminent domain fully compensate property owners for real property value, unrealized future property value, and loss of economic benefit from the use of the property. Even if the property has only sentimental value, forcing someone to give it up before they are ready requires an incentive.
Require all government actions of eminent domain to secure the vote of the people in the next election.
Press Release: LPBexar Launches Candidate Survey to Inform Voters in Upcoming City Council Elections
San Antonio, TX, February 22nd – The Libertarian Party of Bexar County announced today the launch of a candidate survey that will be shared with all candidates running for one of the 10 City of San Antonio district seats as well as the Hollywood Park city council spot in the upcoming elections. The intent of this survey is to develop a Voter Guide to ensure residents of Bexar County understand the values of these candidates and can make an informed decision when voting.
The survey consists of a set of questions designed to gauge each candidate’s stance on a variety of issues, including taxation, regulation, eminent domain, and individual liberties. All candidates are invited to answer the survey, and their responses will be shared with the public as part of the Voter Guide.
“We believe that every voter has the right to know where their candidates stand on the issues that matter to them,” said JR Haseloff,, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County. “By launching this survey, we hope to provide voters with a clear and concise resource that they can use to make an informed decision when casting their vote.”
The Libertarian Party of Bexar County is committed to promoting individual liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government. The organization believes that it is important for voters to understand the values and positions of their candidates, especially in local elections where decisions made by elected officials can have a significant impact on the lives of citizens.
The Libertarian Party of Bexar County encourages all residents of Bexar County to participate in the upcoming elections and make their voices heard.
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For more information on this matter, contact JR Haseloff at JR@LPBexar.org
The Survey will cover the following topics:
Section 1 Principles:
In your opinion, what are the top three issues currently affecting San Antonio, and if elected, how would you address these?
Do you believe that there should be any additional legal limits placed on speech?
Do you support restrictions or bans on ownership of specific types of firearms?
Eminent Domain has been abused by governments, and their agents, through the seizing of property without just compensation, for reasons other than “public good,” and to shift power further in the favor of the powerful. What would you do, if elected, to improve CoSA policy around the use of eminent domain?
Do you support the idea that relationships between consenting adults, regardless of the number of participants, should have no impact on the government’s treatment of individuals in child custody, adoption, or other legal proceedings or government employment practices?
What three City of San Antonio programs would you terminate and why?
Section 2 Public Safety:
Do you support San Antonio Police Department’s policies that effectively ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants?
In 2022, voters in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen and San Marcos, overwhelmingly approved the decriminalization of possession of less than 4 oz of marijuana. Would you support an ordinance to decriminalize possession of marijuana in San Antonio?
Do you support the San Antonio Police Department hiring more officers?
Do you support repealing ordinances that create penalties for crimes with no clear victim (i.e., vagrancy, possession of a controlled substance, sodomy, etc.)?
Policing in America is a common topic of discussion in U.S. politics today, with much of the discussion focused around local policies. What is your view on the state of policing in America, and what would you seek to accomplish in San Antonio if elected?
In 2020, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University found civilian oversight of the police in San Antonio to lack access, independence, transparency, budget, staffing, legal standing, or any power to influence policy. What changes would you make to the Complaint and Administrative Review Board (CARB) to achieve effective oversight and increased civilian trust?
Section 3 Local Economy:
The sales tax rate in San Antonio is 8.25%, with the city sales tax rate being 1.25%; do you support initiatives that would reduce the sales tax rate in San Antonio?
In FY 2023, the property tax rate for San Antonio is 54.161 cents per $100 of taxable value, which has been compounded by the sharp 23% increase in appraised average home value in 2022. Do you support initiatives that would reduce the property tax rate for ALL property owners in San Antonio?
Do you support repealing ordinances that create barriers to entry for low-income entrepreneurs (i.e., occupational licensing, permits, etc.)?
Do you support a city mandate that requires public places, including private businesses, to post signage with domestic violence resources?
The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging time for state and municipal governments across America. In the event of a pandemic or other similar emergency, how do you think the city should respond? What, if anything, would you like to see done differently next time?
The official inflation rate is 7.1%, but actual inflation of food items is closer to 11% and energy is at 13%. What reforms would you recommend to reduce the burden of inflation locally?
Section 4 City Services
SA’s Ready to Work program continues to fall behind targets, despite representing a significant increase in the sales tax rate (0.125%). Do you support canceling this program and the tax increase that pays for it?
Do you believe CPS Energy is best managed by the City of San Antonio (instead of a private energy provider)?
VIA Metropolitan Transit is funded through a 0.500% sales tax increase. Do you believe taxpayers are receiving a good return on investment?
At an average cost of over $11,000 per student, Pre-K 4 SA is nearly 25% more than both the national Head Start program and the SA area school district. Do you support program reforms that would significantly reduce the cost of this program?
In October 2022, the Federal government started the House America initiative, and San Antonio was one of first cities to take the pledge. If elected, what do you believe should be done to help the homeless population in San Antonio?
In many neighborhoods across the city you will find “Mi Barrio No Se Vende” signs. If elected, how will you balance revitalization efforts, attracting investors, and fears of displacement within low-income neighborhoods?
Section 5 Education
Do you support a voucher program where a specified amount of educational funding could be applied to a student’s schooling, technology, or transportation expenses, at the educational institution of their choice?
Do you support public school districts mandating vaccinations not required by the State of Texas?
According to the 2022-2023 Parent Student Handbook, a fifth or eighth grade student must perform well on the STAAR exam to advance to sixth or ninth grade, respectively, in SAISD. Do you believe that satisfactory STAAR testing is an appropriate prerequisite for promotion to the next grade in San Antonio schools?
Do you support the Connected In the Classroom initiative, which is currently estimated to cost San Antonio taxpayers $27 million, and provides distance learning capabilities to students living in specific areas of eight K-12 San Antonio area school districts and the Alamo Community College District?
Although 95.3% of Texas schools did not permit mock intruders access during the recent 2023 state-wide safety audit, school safety is the top issue for parents according to the annual Charles Butt Foundation’s Texas Education Poll, with 53% of parents perceiving at least a moderate risk to students in their communities. How will you approach the issue of school safety in San Antonio, and what solutions will you bring to the dais?
What do you believe the public school’s role is in teaching and interacting with students on controversial topics such as sexual and gender education, historical race relations, gun control, etc.?
