Tag Archives: Shane Trejo

Guest Column: “Groundbreaking Opportunity for YAL?”

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Young Americans for Liberty Used as “Rent-a-Mob” for Big Govt. Republican
By Shane Trejo, The Liberty Conservative [Original column here]

BREAKING:

Just a few weeks ago, dozens of precocious young libertarians from throughout the country were bussed out to beautiful Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan. Advertised as “a ground breaking opportunity for liberty,” starry eyed activists hit the pavement with enthusiasm and vigor to make liberty win. Little did they know they were being used as pawns by a big government politician with questionable values.

“You will be the deciding factor that brings Liberty to a state this summer and lays the ground work for exciting opportunities to come,” Young Americans for Liberty boasted on their “Liberty Summer” page.

It continued, “It’s time. All eyes will be on this. Want Change? Change Something.”

Field representatives were offered $1,500 pay with housing provided as well as stipends for gas and “a month of liberty immersion” to participate in the project. One crucial detail conspicuously absent in the description was who the activists would really be working for: Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley. Continue reading →

Guest Column: Libertarians and The Alt-Right…

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… brothers in arms toward leftist destruction
by Shane Trejo [go to source original column here]

Lately, there has been a great deal of petty bickering going on between libertarians and members of the alt-right. This turf war is being waged primarily through social media, and much of the time, it is centered around disputes on contentious issues such as multiculturalism and open borders. Instead of arguing about the specifics of these nuanced issues and further dividing the two factions, libertarians and members of the alt-right should find common cause against on their extremely dangerous, increasingly deranged, and virulently statist enemies of the political left.

The Impact of the Alt-Right

At the current moment, the alt-right is emboldened by their perceived success. Whether true or not, they have given themselves credit for memeing Donald Trump into the White House. Based on the media coverage of their exploits, it is hard to disagree with this assessment. Hillary Clinton read Alex Jones’ conspiracy theories and ridiculous headlines penned by Milo Yiannopoulos at live events during the height of campaign season. Her campaign actually released an online resource depicting Pepe the Frog as a white supremacist threat. The alt-right is the left’s preferred boogeyman of the moment, a distinction that libertarians enjoyed at the height of the tea party era.

Sadly, many libertarians have reacted to the alt-right with much of the same admonition as the left. They have repeated talking points straight out of CNN, led by the once relevant Jack Hunter and other creatures of Washington D.C. swamp. These hacks are only concerned about protecting their bread and butter and refuse to see the bigger picture. At the very least, libertarians should be cackling feverishly at the Idiocracy-meets-the-Twilight-Zone new political normal that has resulted due to Trumpmania. Libertarians should appreciate the bizarre and ruinous impact that the alt-right is having on the body politic at large. Continue reading →

Guest Column: Comment NOW! on New Michigan ‘Smart’ Meter Rules

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New State Rules Will Force You into Orwellian Hell!
by Shane Trejo [from column for Michigan Tenth Amendment Center]

smart_meters_take_backFriends,

I have some troubling new information to report about Smart Meters. Unaccountable bureaucrats have cooked up some new rules that will limit consumer choices to maximize profits for the utility companies. This is another example of public-private collusion that has made our state government a national laughingstock.

I was able talk to Lori Ebaugh, an expert on the topic of Smart Meters. She was able to give me the run-down on the topic, along with some action steps on what you can do to fight back.

What are the most troubling aspects of these new proposed rule changes?

There are several troubling aspects of these rules. First, there was no input elicited from actual consumers or the public until now, although work has been on-going to rewrite these rules for over two years. Secondly, these rules cement the supposed right of the utilities to shut power off from customers who refuse installation of a new AMI (“smart”) meter. Thirdly, there is no provision made for customers who refuse a smart meter for medical reasons. These people may have doctor’s letters verifying their health conditions, electromagnetic sensitivity or cancer susceptibility. They may require electrical power for their medical equipment (for instance, breathing machines). Yet, there is no provision for them to keep their analog meter. In fact, there is not even the provision to delay a power shut-off for any length of time. Compare that to the extensive provisions given to customers who risk a power shut-off in cases of non-payment. Continue reading →

Guest Column: Michigan’s Big Brother Helper Arlan Meekhof

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Meekhof Emboldens Orwellian Surveillance State in Michigan
By Shane Trejo [Original column here in West Michigan Politics]

meekhofThe Michigan Republican establishment has been desperately trying to improve their public relations in lieu of a recent Hillaryesque streak of crushing scandals.

From the Todd and Cindy’s sexcapades to the rape of Democracy by changing the ballot rules in the middle of the process to the immense environmental calamity in Flint, the establishment is truly giving the Democrats a run for their money.

However, a chance for redemption recently emerged. A YUUUGE no-brainer was sitting the legislature and gave Republicans the perfect opportunity to save face. A binding resolution  was proposed last year by Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) that would have put the question on the ballot in November allowing voters to approve common sense language in the state Constitution that would give explicit privacy protections for electronic data and communications.

If HJRN was approved, voters could have amended the state Constitution to read as follows: Continue reading →

Guest Column: Liberty Lessons Learned via Trump 2016

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What the liberty minded can take away from Trump’s triumph
by Shane Trejo [full column via The Liberty Conservative]

Image courtesy of Pong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Lessons Learned: What the Liberty Minded Can Take Away from Trump's Triumph ID 100170695

Take some notes, class is in session

I have noticed a troubling trend amongst liberty conservatives that is growing lately. Instead of forging alliances with the anti-establishment Republican grassroots, they are pouting, whining, doing the bidding of the Bill Kristol’s of the world, abandoning ship, taking their ball and going home. They are proving all the worst stereotypes about the liberty minded: that we are marginal, petty, flaky, unreliable, melodramatic and undeserving to enjoy the blessings of freedom.

Although events in the last year have killed morale and bruised many of our egos, there is a silver lining. The Trump phenomenon has harmed our enemies more than it has us. The elite media is reeling, having been out-smarted by a reality TV star. The neocons have never looked more foolish and out of touch. The special interest money machine that fuels Washington D.C. has been neutered by Trump’s garbage machine. When looked at as a case study, there are many lessons that we can learn from Trump’s historic campaign.

Lesson #1: Populist, antiestablishment politics are a gold mine

Donald Trump has proven this once and for all. Nigel Farage has overseas proven it as well. The people are fightin’ mad for a multitude of obvious reasons. We have to embrace this fact, not reject it. The liberty movement is not a cheerleader outfit for the status quo. We want to rock the boat. We want to turn the table on establishment politics. We are not guardians of liberal democracy nor the defenders of equality. We are liberty warriors on march to ultimate victory for a radical, anti-statist cause. Continue reading →

Guest Column: Important Petition on Common Core

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Please sign this petition to support two repeal bills
by Shane Trejo

CommonCoreFriends,

The fight against Common Core continues. Right now, we are building pressure for the two bills to repeal Common Core that are currently active in Lansing. They are Senate Bill 826 and House Bill 5444.

We have to make sure that our public officials know that they must stop Common Core and replace it with a proven, student-centered alternative. That is exactly what these bills would accomplish!

The team at Stop Common Core in Michigan have started an important petition which can be accessed here: http://citizengo.org/en/signit/34651/view.
Continue reading →

Brian’s Column: Firewalling Tyranny the American Way

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Interlode in The Truman Prophecy on Nullification

NullificationNullification: The Rightful Remedy

Sean was beginning to appreciate the Big Picture, Hiram Chance style. At the same time, he had already become one of Michigan’s leading young liberty activists—nom de guerre Shane Trejo—by focusing his energy on projects that produced nearer-term tangible successes. This was nowhere more true than in the nationwide effort to uphold the 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights via an individual-state legislative process called Nullification.

Interestingly, again as if destiny were taking a hand, Chance’s mother had passed along to Chance her uncanny political wisdom that federal tyranny—the publicized and rampant domestic evils, anyway—prudently were stopped by the states just saying “we’re not doin’ it.”

The 10th plank in the Bill of Rights is exceptionally clear: Continue reading →