FW: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 6:19:05 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>
Subject: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

In the Libertarian National Committee 

Resolution Condemning Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation Enabled by Coercive Redistribution

Proposed by Austin Martin, R1

Libertarian Party of Hawaii Chair

Whereas, the Libertarian Party Platform and core principles denounce government welfare and entitlement programs as invasive, paternalistic, demeaning, grossly inefficient, and fundamentally reliant on the initiation of force through taxation to compel involuntary redistribution from productive individuals to others;

Whereas, these centralized, coercive systems inherently create perverse incentives that reward abuse, misrepresentation, and exploitation — leading to widespread fraud estimated at over $150 billion in U.S. welfare programs between 2020 and 2022 alone, while failing to meaningfully reduce poverty and instead perpetuating dependency and bureaucratic bloat;

Whereas, such fraud constitutes theft from taxpayers via deceit and manipulation of force-backed mechanisms, directly violating the non-aggression principle and individual rights to the fruits of one's labor;

Whereas, the welfare state's perverse incentives extend to facilitating pseudo-colonial exploitation of American taxpayers, where open-ended benefits draw in large-scale migration pipelines that impose unconsented costs, dilute accountability, and risk undermining the political self-determination of Americans by altering electoral dynamics through engineered demographic shifts and expanded claims on coerced resources — precisely the kind of unintended (but foreseeable) consequences libertarians have long warned against;

Whereas, both far-left and far-right factions treat this as a partisan football — either defending endless expansion or selective crackdowns — while ignoring the root cause: the state's monopoly on forced charity that invites corruption, inefficiency, and exploitation from all directions;

Whereas, genuine compassion, effective aid, and fraud-resistant support arise only from voluntary, decentralized private charity, mutual aid, and free-market opportunities—not from bureaucratic monopolies that socialize costs while privatizing political gains;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Libertarian National Committee strongly condemns welfare fraud in all its forms as a predictable, systemic outcome of coercive government programs that exploit taxpayers and distort incentives;

Be it further resolved that the LNC unequivocally calls for the rapid phasing out of all government welfare, entitlement, and redistribution programs to eliminate the perverse incentives that enable such exploitation, fraud, and threats to Americans' political self-determination;

Be it further resolved that the Libertarian Party reaffirms its commitment to replacing any residual needs-based support with voluntary, private, and community-driven efforts that respect individual liberty, reduce opportunities for abuse, and foster true prosperity without coercion;

Be it finally resolved that the LNC Chair is directed to publicize this resolution aggressively, contrasting the LP's principled opposition to the coercive welfare state with the failed left/right approaches that perpetuate the very problems they decry.

Proposed by:

Austin Martin | LNC-R1

Join the fight and support the removal of Cultural Communism from the LP by donating at the link below:

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 7:34:06 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Before this is properly moved, I'd like to discuss a few items so we may workshop it more efficiently.

I'm supportive of calling for voluntary charity rather than systems relying on state coercion. However, there are a couple of items I'd like to bring up:

1. The '$150B in fraudulent payments' made between 2020 and 2022 - if we're going to state a figure, I'd like to look through the source for it.  I don't doubt that there was a large amount of fraud, especially from things like the "paycheck protection program" and other pandemic-era add-ons. But where did that specific number come from? I'd just like to be safe if we're going to quote a figure.
   
   

2. The following statement, I find to be problematic for a few reasons:

1. 
   
   "Whereas, the welfare state's perverse incentives extend to facilitating pseudo-colonial exploitation of American taxpayers, where open-ended benefits draw in large-scale migration pipelines that impose unconsented costs, dilute accountability, and risk undermining the political self-determination of Americans by altering electoral dynamics through engineered demographic shifts and expanded claims on coerced resources — precisely the kind of unintended (but foreseeable) consequences libertarians have long warned against;"
   
   

1. This assumes that large numbers of people come here simply to get welfare, which is traditionally not borne out in the data. Libertarian thinktanks have shown repeatedly that migrants, illegal or otherwise, are net taxpayers. Further, they are legally barred from most types of welfare, while still being forced to pay certain taxes, such as property tax, sales tax, and in many cases, even payroll and income taxes. 
   
   

2. Warning about "engineered demographic shifts" gets us dangerously close to far-right talking points about "great replacement theory" and other nonsense. While I've no issue calling out fraud and abuse, or even the coercive nature of government welfare, I do take issue with the phrasing here - we would not want to get lumped in with anti-libertarian movements that use similar terminology. 
   
   

2. "Libertarian National Committee strongly condemns welfare fraud in all its forms" - this may be a semantic argument, but I do not condemn welfare in all its forms, because I do not condemn voluntary welfare and voluntary charity.  If we're to make such a statement, we should be specific in calling for the abolition or transition from coercive welfare.  I get what you mean here, but this is an area where I think we need to be cautious. 
   
   

Other comments integrated below - 

Thanks,

Keith Thompson

Region 3 South Rep

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 12:19 PM

To: Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>
Subject: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

In the Libertarian National Committee 

Resolution Condemning Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation Enabled by Coercive Redistribution

Proposed by Austin Martin, R1

Libertarian Party of Hawaii Chair

Whereas, the Libertarian Party Platform and core principles denounce government welfare and entitlement programs as invasive, paternalistic, demeaning, grossly inefficient, and fundamentally reliant on the initiation of force through taxation to compel involuntary redistribution from productive individuals to others;

Yes, charity funded through the initiation of force is not virtuous.

Whereas, these centralized, coercive systems inherently create perverse incentives that reward abuse, misrepresentation, and exploitation — leading to widespread fraud estimated at over $150 billion in U.S. welfare programs between 2020 and 2022 alone, while failing to meaningfully reduce poverty and instead perpetuating dependency and bureaucratic bloat;

I was unable to find a citation for that exact figure, so I'd like to read more about where you got it.

Whereas, such fraud constitutes theft from taxpayers via deceit and manipulation of force-backed mechanisms, directly violating the non-aggression principle and individual rights to the fruits of one's labor;

Yes, we should oppose the initiation of fraud.

Whereas, the welfare state's perverse incentives extend to facilitating pseudo-colonial exploitation of American taxpayers, where open-ended benefits draw in large-scale migration pipelines that impose unconsented costs, dilute accountability, and risk undermining the political self-determination of Americans by altering electoral dynamics through engineered demographic shifts and expanded claims on coerced resources — precisely the kind of unintended (but foreseeable) consequences libertarians have long warned against;

I am uncomfortable decrying "engineered demographic shifts" - expanded upon above.

Whereas, both far-left and far-right factions treat this as a partisan football — either defending endless expansion or selective crackdowns — while ignoring the root cause: the state's monopoly on forced charity that invites corruption, inefficiency, and exploitation from all directions;

Sounds good

Whereas, genuine compassion, effective aid, and fraud-resistant support arise only from voluntary, decentralized private charity, mutual aid, and free-market opportunities—not from bureaucratic monopolies that socialize costs while privatizing political gains;

I'm not sure the word "decentralized" needs to be here - would we not be okay with centralized but voluntary charity? While I have a preference for smaller groups, I don't think there's anything innately wrong with organizations handling charity from a hub - so long as there's no coercive mechanism involved.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Libertarian National Committee strongly condemns welfare fraud in all its forms as a predictable, systemic outcome of coercive government programs that exploit taxpayers and distort incentives;

I'm okay with this

Be it further resolved that the LNC unequivocally calls for the rapid phasing out of all government welfare, entitlement, and redistribution programs to eliminate the perverse incentives that enable such exploitation, fraud, and threats to Americans' political self-determination;

The "threats to Americans' political self-determination", to me, ties it back to the idea of state-welfare creating "unfavorable" demographic shifts. I don't think that's your intent, but it's a concern based on a critical reading.  Would this clause still stand, in your opinion, if we simply ended with "incentives that enable such exploitation and fraud?"

Be it further resolved that the Libertarian Party reaffirms its commitment to replacing any residual needs-based support with voluntary, private, and community-driven efforts that respect individual liberty, reduce opportunities for abuse, and foster true prosperity without coercion;

Would this still stand if we replace the words "any residual needs-based support," with "coercively-funded government welfare"?
Such that it would read "...the Libertarian party reaffirms its commitment to replacing coercively-funded government welfare with voluntary..."?

Be it finally resolved that the LNC Chair is directed to publicize this resolution aggressively, contrasting the LP's principled opposition to the coercive welfare state with the failed left/right approaches that perpetuate the very problems they decry.

Not sure we need to direct Steven here, but I don't have an issue running statements condemning coercive charity, which we do often - although I do have other concerns as stated above.

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From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 7:53:06 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

I’ll move it as-is

Andrew Watkins

At Large | Libertarian National Committee

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 2:34:06 PM

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From: Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 10:06:59 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

I cosponsor the motion as written by Mr. Martin and moved by Mr. Watkins. 

Andrew Chadderdon

Region 1 Rep | Libertarian National Committee

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From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 2:53:06 PM

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From: Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 10:17:46 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik

To: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Mr. Thompson, 

You state "we should be specific in calling for the abolition or transition from coercive welfare."

Can you elaborate on what forms of government welfare are not coercive? 

Perhaps a reminder is helpful:

"Everything the State says is a lie, and everything it has, it has stolen"

Andrew Chadderdon

Region 1 Rep | Libertarian National Committee

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From: Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 5:06:59 PM

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 10:26:40 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Sure - I'm not supporting government welfare, but private welfare (that is, mutual aid or charity). 

In so far as charity is freely given, we should support it - even if it's "centrally planned."

However, I seem to have skimmed over the word "fraud" in that particular "WHEREAS", so I'm actually okay with that one - I've no issue with condemning the initiation of fraud regardless of the funding source.

I do still have questions about the amount we attribute to fraud - it may well be correct, but I'm curious where the figure came from. We need to make sure it's defensible and well-founded.

And I hope you can see where I'm coming from with my opposition to the "engineered demographic shifts" language. 

We can be against taxation while also championing immigration and the freedom to travel unmolested by the state.

Keith Thompson

Region 3 South Rep

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From: Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 4:17 PM

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From: Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 4:02:45 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Hi Keith, 

I'm confused. You start off by signaling that you are objecting due to your support of private charity over public welfare.  However, the entire resolution is extremely specific that it is opposing government coercive welfare.  It also is explicit to praise private charity (private welfare?!?). 

Where exactly from did you come up with this opposition against the resolution because there can be voluntary central planning? That seems to just blur the distinction between public and private sectors. 

In what form would you consider a private charity to be centrally planned?  I find it difficult to imagine any form of centrally planned redistributive activity that could be considered voluntary.  

Welfare and central planning both imply government control.  I presume you are familiar with anatomy of the state?  The very term "welfare" has origins from the general welfare clause of the constitution, which established government's authority for the original redistributive policies which have only metastasized into more poverty-inducing horrors for Americans. 

Andrew Chadderdon

Region 1 Rep | Libertarian National Committee

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 5:26:40 PM

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 4:59:27 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Aloha, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Chadderdon, and members of the LNC! 

I noticed Mr. Chadderdon left one point unanswered: the $150 billion figure for U.S. welfare fraud from 2020–2022 comes directly from the Libertarian Party's official "End the War on Poverty" page on lp.org.

It states: "Between 2020 and 2022 alone, U.S. welfare fraud totaled over $150 billion." This is presented in the context of critiquing the welfare state, noting massive spending increases (e.g., over $1.6 trillion in welfare in 2022) and flat poverty rates despite the "War on Poverty."

https://lp.org/end-the-war-on-poverty-and-other-counter-productive-social-programs

Feel free to reach out if you need any additional clarifications. 

Mahalo nui loa! 

Austin Martin 

R1

Join the fight and support the removal of Cultural Communism from the LP by donating at the link below:

Lp.org/martindonor 

Ua may ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 12:26:43 PM

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From: Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 5:19:59 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Engineered demographic shifts gets a little hairy.

It’s an odd way to say non-white or non-native born.

Unlike Europe the US isn’t a white ethno-state; (except NH apparently).

Mr. Martin, can you elaborate on that clause? Perhaps ask Grok.

Also, this resolution uses too many buzzwords for a standalone forward facing public statement, "pseudo-colonial exploitation". And it feels so much like AI that I lose the element of immersion.

If you want me to write a statement on welfare and fraud, I'd be happy to just do that. 

Otherwise, how many resolutions are we expecting to churn out this week and what are we expected to do with them all? Keep them in our back pocket until we need them? Or rapid fire all off until we inundate our email list?

Sincerely,

Steven Nekhaila

Chairman, LNC

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 5:26:40 PM

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 6:41:12 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Mr. Chair, 

"Engineered demographic shifts" is a statist tactic as old as government. Historically, "engineered demographic shifts" come in many forms and are frequently used by conquerors and tyrants to subdue native populations.

However, I cannot understand why you are inserting racism & bigotry into this discussion about an objectively libertarian position: we stand against coercive, taxpayer-funded redistributions of both human and monetary resources.

Finally, I personally coined the term "pseudo-colonial exploitation" this year. It is an excellent term to describe a form of reverse-colonialism presented by political and cultural communists in the west, for the purpose of accelerating social and societal collapses. The host population is taxed and tightly regulated; pro-statist voters and resources are funneled across county, state, and even national lines, at taxpayer expense. The intent is usually to expand the government and to generally prevent the host population from overthrowing a parasitic regime. 

Mahalo nui loa for not injecting racism like some antifa-loser in future discussions; it makes us look bad and undermines the principles of our organization. 

Austin Martin

R1 

Join the fight and support the removal of Antifa-losers from the LP by donating at the link below:

Lp.org/martindonor 

Ua may ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono

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From: Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 7:19:59 PM

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From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 11:37:56 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Imagine an endless influx of illegal Martians because he didn’t keep Mars free. Utter chaos.

Andrew Watkins

At Large | Libertarian National Committee

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 1:41:12 AM

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From: Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 12:37:22 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

I think Keith’s first two concerns are worth answering or looking into; however, #3 is indeed a semantic argument, and likely a very niche one at that. 

Hardly anyone will confuse “welfare fraud” with private charity. I will not think too hard on the idea of “centrally planned” charity. The resolution is littered with modifiers steering the reader away from anything that isn't private, centralized or not. 

The demographic language could be tempered with language about economic and structural destabilization on multiple continents through United States foreign intervention, creating irregular patterns in migration that outpace natural market forces. 

Travis L. Bost

LNC At-Large

Travi...@LP.org

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From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 6:37:56 AM

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 4:58:31 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Good morning,

Yes, my third point was just me misreading the text - I'd missed the word "fraud."  I'm okay with that portion as written.

My main concern is on the following section, and a section further on that echoes it:

Whereas, the welfare state's perverse incentives extend to facilitating pseudo-colonial exploitation of American taxpayers, where open-ended benefits draw in large-scale migration pipelines that impose unconsented costs, dilute accountability, and risk undermining the political self-determination of Americans by altering electoral dynamics through engineered demographic shifts and expanded claims on coerced resources — precisely the kind of unintended (but foreseeable) consequences libertarians have long warned against;

To me, this gets uncomfortably close to the false far-right talking point that Democrats "import" migrants to sway elections - that they use welfare as an incentive to change the demographic makeup of the country in order to unjustly secure power.

It's also awfully close to some of the racially motivated "great replacement theory" ideas, which express concern over the racial composition of the country being deliberately manipulated for some nefarious purpose. 

Immigrants - lawful or otherwise - are ineligible for most types of government aid, yet they're still forced to pay in. Cato, Reason, and others have repeatedly demonstrated that immigration is a net boon to the economy and to taxpayers. Plus, we can't rightly hold that taxation is theft while suggesting that human liberties should be contingent upon net taxpayer status.

Maybe that's reading a bit more into this clause than is intended, but I'm sure you all know full well there are many in our movement who would suggest we halt (or severely curtail) free migration until such a time as the welfare state is abolished. In fact, under Chair McArdle, the Party's official stance on immigration was that we only allow it when citizens or businesses directly sponsored someone - essentially making it an anti-liberty "by invitation only" system. I do not think that's a viewpoint we should endorse - and we should never hold one liberty contingent upon another.

We should call to abolish coercively funded welfare mechanisms and also call to lift barriers to human migration, but one should not be hostage to the other.

The LP should be a voice of hope when it comes to immigration, not fear. We should recognize that freedom demands the unrestricted movement of people and trade across national borders, and that attempts to justify on economic grounds the policy of restricting immigration are doomed from the outset. There cannot be the slightest doubt that migration barriers diminish the productivity of human labor.

Maybe I'm being overly critical in my reading of that clause, but it seems to me to go beyond condemning fraud and abuse, and ventures into the territory of being outright against the Libertarian concept of free migration.

Keith Thompson

Region 3 South Rep

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From: Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 6:37 AM

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 5:46:36 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Aloha, Mr. Thompson! 

You said: "Maybe I'm being overly critical in my reading of that clause ( 🎯 ), but it seems to me to go beyond condemning fraud and abuse, and ventures into the territory of being outright against the Libertarian concept of free migration."  (False). 

It isn't against free migration; it's against government coerced and taxpayer-funded incentives that distort natural migration patterns, as Mr. Bost and other were able to easily understand, and as the language already clarifies. No one here has a problem with the general concept of freedom of movement; it's the government distortion and coercion that is the problem that bothers libertarians. 

I will say that factually, both Republicans and Democrats use engineered demographic shifts. Historically speaking, it's pretty normal for conquerors to use exactly that method to bring down a strong society and even features as part of the story of Rome's collapse. Shaming folks for noticing the issues will not erase this natural consequence of weaponized migration on any host population. 

It isn't racism to question why the government is relocating half the planet to your little town. It's not racism to say "no" to central planning and perverse incentives.  What isn't okay is denying that these things are problems by falsely calling them "racist", which effectively excuses and covers up the bad behavior of the government. That kind of cultural communism has no place in the LP. 

We should be empathetic and reasonable toward people. We should not be cheering for the government-funded destruction of their communities and calling them "racist" if they object to the terrible policies that put Americans dead-last in civil priorities. 

Remember, we are NOT talking about organic migration. 

We are talking about taxpayer-funded programs and welfare incentives — the policy levers that Dems and the GOP have been fighting over for decades to seize an electoral advantage. 

That isn't some conspiracy theory, it's lived experience and self-evident reality. I'm honestly shocked it's getting any pushback. Saying "no" to welfare fraud and central planning is a basic-bitch libertarian no-brainer. 

This is precisely why this language should be included and retained in this resolution. We are not Antifa, or any other CIA puppet, and we shouldn't be carrying water for Soros or for groups trying to engineer the collapse of our society. 

Do no harm. 

Austin Martin

R1

Join the fight and support the removal of Antifa-losers from the LP by donating at the link below:

Lp.org/martindonor 

Ua may ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 6:58:31 AM

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 5:59:10 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

I'm happy to hear you're in favor of free migration.

Would it be fair, then, to say you favor free migration but are concerned about the economic impact of immigration? 

If so, you may be relieved to learn that immigration is a net benefit:

https://www.cato.org/blog/cato-study-immigrants-reduced-deficits-145-trillion-1994 

https://www.cato.org/white-paper/immigrants-recent-effects-government-budgets-1994-2023

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/immigrants-pay-taxes-benefits-study/3973064/

https://fortune.com/2026/02/03/how-much-do-immigrants-contribute-to-us-economy-cato-institute-subsidized-deficit-national-debt/

We can (and should) condemn the coercive nature of welfare spending, however, I do not think we should tie it in any way to immigration - those are distinct issues.

Keith Thompson

Region 3 South Rep

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 11:46 AM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

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From: Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 7:37:43 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

This may need to be a state-by-state discussion, or more narrowly tailored to temporary shelter and other emergent services open to everyone that draw on federal funds. 

But I don’t think national concern is limited to whether the government is collecting enough taxes, or doing enough business, but rather are they funding and responsibly managing government welfare programs in the first place. 

As an aside, we should be providing alternatives to folks who perceive a broader problem rather than seizing on one aspect and happily informing them no problem exists (although I’m sure that was just for the benefit of the informed readers here). 

If government welfare is the aim of the resolution, I don’t know that it’s necessary to invoke the immigration discussion, either directly or with newly coined words. 

Travis L. Bost

LNC At-Large

Travi...@LP.org

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From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 12:59:10 PM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 11:40:52 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Aloha, Mr. Bost! 

Thanks for your thoughtful input, though I respectfully disagree on some points, especially about whether we should connect welfare / fraud (redistributions of capital) with demographic engineering (redistributions of human resources).  I think it's important to connect them because these two issues are so closely related, not only in today's headlines, but as an ongoing social reality. The scope of abuse in welfare (and related redistributions of human and capital resources) is hard to overstate, and as you saliently observed, the broader picture of this same issue is directly impacting migration patterns across the planet. I think we can all agree that when policies are aimed at directing these patterns to political advantage, it can lead to dire consequences. 

Only libertarians can credibly articulate this issue on the national stage. However, one of the most severe disagreements in the LP right now is about immigration. One major basis for that disagreement is rooted in coercive welfare and taxpayer-funded demographic shifts, (whether from war, withdrawal, weather, or welfare). These are connected issues to many libertarians and highly relevant to state & national narratives — (as I recently discovered at a Learing Center in Minnesota). Across the US, similar scams involving abusive redistributions of human and capital resources are facilitated by state & federal mismanagement and malfeasance.  I think it affects the whole nation. 

I am attempting to offer a way to articulate the problem from a unifying libertarian perspective that avoids simply siding with the GOP or the Dems, nor engaging in utopian imagining of a "new system". We should, IMHO, stand against the great redistribution doctrines, and connect these two ideas properly. My focus on this resolution is more on the domestic front, and the effect their central planning has had on mainline Americans. If we agree on a resolution like this, it could help bring some needed unity and credibility back to the LP in this issue. I'm open to the idea of improving the language, if it helps. I really appreciate your thoughtful input. 

Much love! 

Austin Martin

R1

Join the fight and support the removal of Antifa from the LP by donating at the link below:

Lp.org/martindonor 

Ua may ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono

(The Sovereignty of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness)

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From: Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 9:37:43 AM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

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From: Aron Lam <aron...@lp.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 8, 2026 8:21:58 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Good afternoon,

In the event this is out of order due to Mr. Martin being an alternate, I move the above resolution and likewise seek co-sponsors. 

Thank you,

Aron Lam

Region 1 Rep-LNC

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From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2026 4:40:52 PM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

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From: Mimi Robson <mimi....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, February 9, 2026 12:35:53 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Aron Lam <aron...@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Andrew Watkins moved this on Friday.

Mimi Robson

LNC Region 4 Alternate

lp.org | mimi....@lp.org

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From: Aron Lam <aron...@lp.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 8, 2026 12:21 PM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

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From: Aron Lam <aron...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, February 9, 2026 12:56:43 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Mimi Robson <mimi....@lp.org>; Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Travis Bost <travi...@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Chadderdon <andrew.c...@lp.org>; Entire LNC <entir...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Seeking Cosponsors: Resolution against Welfare Fraud as Systemic Exploitation

Thank you very much. 

In that case, I will co-sponsor this motion. 

Thanks again,

Aron Lam

Region 1 Rep-LNC

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From: Mimi Robson <mimi....@lp.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 8, 2026 5:35:53 PM