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Indiana may no longer have a two-party government.
The Libertarian Party is fighting for seats in Indiana government and their fight will affect Kosciusko County, where three Libertarian party members are running for seats on the county council.
"For so long, America's been like a sporting match, two teams against one another," Libertarian District 3 county council candidate Daniel Stevens said.
Other Libertarians running for county council seats include District 1 candidate Michael R. Houze and District 2 candidate Deanna F. Newton.
"Libertarians believe that a person is in charge of our own destiny," Houze said.
In the state, several members of their party are running for office. Stevens said the number of Libertarians running for political positions in the state has grown because the number of Libertarians in the state has grown.
"The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party. In Indiana, Libertarians are running for (public) offices from county coroner to senator," Stevens said.
Houze said, "In the state of Indiana, there are over 500 paid (party) members. In the county, there aren't that many yet, but the number is growing."
Libertarian Rebecca Sink-Burris is running for U.S. senator against Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke and former Gov. Evan Bayh. Stephen W. Dillon is up for election for secretary of state, Francis Leon Findley is running for auditor, Leona McPherson is running for state treasurer and Ronald J. Tavel is a candidate for clerk of the Supreme Court.
"We would like to win these elections, but also educate the people on our party," Houze said.
Stevens said the Libertarian Party, "draws on the good parts of both (Democrats and Republicans). Like the Republicans, we're for free trade and less government. As for personal issues, we're like the Democrats - it's up to the individual."
Newton said, "We're for the Constitution and constitutional rights."
Stevens said that some people associated Libertarians with the word "liberal." But, Stevens said, the word "libertarian" came from the word "liberty," not "liberal."
Stevens is running for county council for several reasons, he said.
"I'd like to see a Libertarian solution to the county problems," he said.
Stevens said the council is entrusted with a great deal of money. He said they keep raising taxes but it's not at the same rate as local pay, and that's a problem. The taxes that are paid, he said, don't provide the same amount of benefits to everyone.
"I plan to find every place I can to attack those places where few people benefit from large taxes taken," he said.
"I want to be able to vote against any other higher taxes," Newton said.
Stevens said he qualifies as a candidate because he is creative and can look at the issues from all angles. He said he is good at using his talents to apply Libertarian ideas to issues.
He also said, "I'm a taxpayer and I vote in the district in which I'm running."
Newton said she is adamant about eliminating such taxes as the property tax. She said if elected to the county council, she would do whatever she could to see property taxes eliminated.
"Why should you pay on (your home) forever?" she said.
Another tax Newton would like to see eliminated is the personal income tax. She said a better taxation would be sales tax. She said income tax hurts the poor and middle class and does not affect the rich as much because of all the tax breaks offered to them.
"Those who spend more would pay more," she said of an increased sales tax.
When asked about the Clinton scandal, Stevens said the Libertarian Party does not have an official position on the affairs. Constitutionally, the party thinks Clinton should have been thrown out long again, he said.
"There's plenty of reasons that he should have been impeached," he said of Clinton. Stevens cited Clinton's policies on gun control, health care and encryption laws as a few of those reasons.
A controversial stance of the Libertarian party is that the prohibition on drugs should be ended.
"The government dumped $17 billion into the war on drugs that failed miserably," Stevens said.
He said the party believes that with the legalization of drugs, there would be less crime. The state and federal government should not be spending money on the prohibition, he said.
Newton said, "The drug war is a total failure. A person who wants to take drugs is taking drugs right now."
She said that what a person does in their own home is their own private business. An individual has rights in their own domain.
"I don't care what someone does in their own home," she said.
Houze said, "I think drugs should be legal. At the same time, people should be responsible for their actions."
Houze said he is not responsible for the actions of others and neither is the government. Houze also said a person who drinks under the influence, or does drugs under the influence, should lose their driver's license for life.
Another area that the government needs to get out of, Newton said, is public education. She said the government has no business monitoring and controlling education.
"As far as public education goes, we need to get the government out," she said.
Her stance on education is along the party's beliefs, she said.
"The Libertarian Party stands for less government. People can do what they want without infringing on the rights of others," Newton said.
"If I were to attain a council seat," Houze said, "it's going to be a learning experience for me."
He said his goal would be for a county council that is least intrusive and most efficient.
Houze said that no matter what he or any other politician tried to achieve, the county has to play an active part in government.
"It takes everyone in the county to make things work. We've all got to be involved," he said.
