Without new ideas during times of peril, societies stagnate and often decline.  During the collapse of the Roman empire, the time intervals between emperors shrank and shrank without change to the underlying corruption until its collapse.  The elections of 2008 with the Democrats’ theme of “Change!” and 2010 GOP theme of, well, “We’re not Democrats” have the same overall feel about them as this quote from Quigley a few decades ago and short video:

“The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can ‘throw the rascals out’ at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy…. Either party in office becomes in time corrupt, tired, unenterprising, and vigorless. Then it should be possible to replace it, every four years if necessary, by the other party, which will be none of these things but will still pursue, with new vigor, approximately the same basic policies.” – Carroll Quigley, from Tragedy and Hope

From the not-yet-100%-official results from the state elections board, 15,241 votes were cast in favor of freedom in the district yesterday, for about 8% of the total.  I suppose the bad news (and sorry to be blunt) is this means 92% of the votes were cast for more debt, war, taxes and reckless government spending.

The volunteers have all my thanks, for without them, there would simply be no campaign.  Close to 70 volunteers staffed many of the major polling stations for the day, and at most reported the GOP or Dem workers  were not present – or got cold or left after several hours.  Also, many thanks to the owner of Pies On Pizzeria in Catasauqua for holding the Victory Party, the place was packed!  I am very humbled by all the support from voters, volunteers, and the 1,019+ donors who backed the campaign.  You are all my heroes/heroines.

In regards to my own personal plans, I am going to take a short rest and am not making any commitment at this time.  It has been a huge personal sacrifice to place a halt on my personal and professional life and spend 18 months campaigning full-time, though I am well aware it pales in comparison to the sacrifices others have made to defend liberty.  At this point I’ll just say please keep your yard signs for now.  If you pick up any from the roads, I’ll collect them to recycle as the stakes save some money for the next liberty candidate to run, whether it is myself or someone else.

My email and Facebook accounts have been swamped with notes from supporters, but this one was perhaps the highest compliment received for the campaign from a voter in the district:

“Reviewing the election results…, I came to the truth that the only vote I cast that really mattered was for you.“

That Freedom Shall Not Perish.

Jake

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

“Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

“And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”    – Robert Frost

Please vote tomorrow!!  The polls are open from 7 am – 8 pm, and you can look up your voting location here online or on your voter registration card.  Vote early as this will influence voters later on in the day.

If you have yard signs at your residence, feel free to plant them at the polling location, just not within 10 ft of the entrance.

Please share electronically or print this campaign flyer on the issues and also the Express Times endorsement with any voters you know of.  The more voters are informed, the more votes I will win by!!

Watch the “Debate at the State” here where I won the Express Times endorsement, and the WFMZ-TV debate here!!

All volunteers and supporters are welcome to attend the Victory Party at Pies On Pizzeria at Front and Pine Streets in Catasauqua beginning at 8 pm when the polls close!!  Updates to the website tomorrow will be pretty difficult as everyone will be manning polling stations, but the campaign’s Facebook account should have any important announcements.

Here are a couple short videos to sway any undecided voters!

…and a song “I Have a Dream” by a local musician and supporter, Arianne Elinich, put together by a grassroots supporter.  When we all take a little responsibility and vote out the Republocrats tomorrow, the world will be a much better place!!

Jake Towne Issues Flyer Oct 2010
Express Times Endorsement – Mr Towne Should Go to Washington

“The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting a different result.” – Einstein

“The definition of insanity is voting for Republocrats and not expecting more tyranny, war, and debt.” – Towne

Check out the complete footage and clips from the State Theatre Debate in Easton on Monday, it was a clear victory for the campaign!!

Material pickup for the polls is TODAY, Thursday, October 28 at the American Sandwich Company in Coopersburg from 5pm to 8 pm – if you cannot make it, the materials will be delivered but please try to make it!!

I was also invited to attend the “Rally to Restore Sanity” which will take place on Saturday at Porter’s Pub in Easton.  The rally is from 12-3 pm, and I will be there from 3-4 pm to meet people and answer questions.  You can also pick up materials for the polls there as well.

Feel free to volunteer at the polls on November 2nd, and at the below Halloween parades.  Teams will be heading out to canvass and flyer blitz neighborhoods all week and over the weekend, so feel free to join or flyer your own neighborhood.  An electronic copy of the flyer is here.

Yours in liberty,
Jake

• Northampton Community College Forum, October 28, 11 AM till perhaps 12:30 or 1 PM.  Open to public, Q&A. Location Changed!! Location is in the Student Life Zone on the 2nd floor of the College Center.  3835 Green Pond Rd Bethlehem, PA 18020.  Campus Map.
• Live interview on WDIY, 6-7 PM on Thursday, October 28.  Listen locally at 88.1 FM or here online.
• Rally and Poll Materials Pickup, 5PM-8:30 PM on Thursday, October 28 at American Sandwich Company at 7001 Route 309, Fairmont Village Shopping Center, Coopersburg, PA 18036.  MAP.  A volunteer will be there to hand out materials from 5 PM on, Jake will arrive around 7:30 to talk for a bit.

• Rally to Restore Sanity, 12 PM- 4 PM on Saturday, October 30 at Porter’s Pub, 700 Northampton St., Easton, PA 18036.  MAP.  The Comedy Central march in DC will be televised from 12-3 pm and Jake will be taking questions from 3-4 pm.  This is not a campaign sponsored event.
• Slatington-Walnutport Halloween Parade: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Replay of “Debate at the State”, 8 PM on Saturday, October 30 on WFMZ Channel 69.

• Easton-Phillipsburg Halloween Parade: 12:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Allentown Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Bethlehem Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• NOVEMBER 2nd ELECTION DAY!! Volunteers are needed to hand out literature outside of local polling stations, please volunteer here and share your name, phone #, city, and if you live in the district, your current polling location.
  • Post-Election Victory Party for all volunteers at 8 PM on Election Day at Pies On Pizzeria at Front and Pine Streets, Catasauqua!!!!

Independent congressional candidate Jake Towne claimed a clear victory at the “Debate at the State” – held and co-sponsored by Easton’s historic and beautiful State Theatre.  The Express Times was the main sponsor, and is commended by the campaign for its commitment to hear all candidates.

When Towne challenged Mr. Dent on the constitutionality of his support of the War on Terror and the PATRIOT Act’s civil liberty violations, the incumbent had no coherent response and the 20-year career politician pitifully resorted to accusing Towne as believing in 9/11 conspiracies, a complete and utter lie.  Towne also challenged Mr. Callahan on HIS unflagging support of the unconstitutional War on Terror and endless nation-building.

Towne’s closing statement was met with by far the most applause, which is quite significant since most of the crowd were not previous supporters and were converted by the debate.  While the Republocrat candidates were busy with negative mudslinging, Towne focused on offering solutions to the problems the country faces.

The debate will air on Saturday, October 30th on WFMZ-TV, Channel 69.   Watch footage from the Express Times Debate below, and also from the previous WFMZ debate here.  (Photo courtesy Sue Beyer/Express Times)

Closing statement from Jake Towne (below left)  Towne questioning the constitutionality of Mr. Dent’s support of the undeclared wars and PATRIOT Act. (below right)

Towne asking Mr. Callahan to pledge to take a paycut and give up the congressional perks.  When Mr. Callahan first attempted to dodge the question, snickering from the crowd led him to address the question… and say he would think it over.  (below left)  Towne asking Mr. Callahan why he supports the endless and unconstitutional War on Terror and nation-building.  (below right)

To Towne’s delight, Mr. Callahan asked him a question on the federal department of education.  (Below left)  Towne outlines his stance to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and highlights the contrast on bailouts.  (Below right)

Jake takes a moment to state his stance on Cap and Trade and highlighted hydraulic fracturing as the key environmental risk to the district.  Read his solutions with hydraulic fracturing here.  (Below left)  All candidates share their stances on jobs.  See Jake’s plank here.  (Below right)

All candidates are asked a question about troop withdrawal.  Only Towne answers the question while Mr. Dent and Mr. Callahan mudsling at the expense of our veterans.  Only Towne has published a veterans plank.  (Below left)  Towne answers a question on healthcare. (Below right)

Lastly, all candidates are asked a question about negative campaigning.  True to form, Mr. Callahan and Mr. Dent answer by mudslinging, while Jake responds by saying, “I think you see so much negative campaigning because they have no new ideas.”  Jake outlines his “Our Open Office” idea.  (video)

While my Republocrat opponents, Mr. Dent and Mr. Callahan, had enough time to shun six debates locally, they did have enough time to spare for a 1 hour live chat sponsored by the Morning Call.  You can read my transcript here, Mr. Dent’s here, and Mr. Callahan’s here.  Local columnist Bill White wrote that I was the clear victor and the chats were like Secretariat racing two mules.

Mules, donkeys, elephants, whatever.  The career politicians of today are practically dinosaurs, as this short clip demonstrates that both Mr. Callahan and Mr. Dent simply cannot grasp – or, as a far worse possibility, simply won’t talk about – the money-printing practices and upcoming quantitative easing of the Federal Reserve.  They do not wish to talk about their own perks either.  (On the right is a 30 minute interview with Tekoa da Silva of Contrary Investors Cafe.)

Upcoming Events -

• Meet The Candidates Morning with the League of Women Voters, Saturday, Oct 23rd from 10am-noon.  Whitehall Township Public Library at 3700 Mechanicsville Road off of Rt 145.  MAPQUEST.  Refreshments provided by the League.

• Macungie Halloween Parade: 5 p.m. Oct. 23.  Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Hellertown-Saucon Valley Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 24. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Express Times Debate, Monday, October 25 at the State Theatre in Easton, 7 PM.  453 Northampton Street Easton, PA 18042.  MAP.  Suggest arriving at 6:30 PM to ensure seating.  Open to public.  Channel 69 to broadcast on October 30 at 8 PM.  Airing live on Service Electric Channel 69.3 Retro TV.
• Northampton Community College Forum, October 28, 11 AM till perhaps 12:30 or 1 PM.  Open to public, Q&A. Location Changed!! Location is in the Student Life Zone on the 2nd floor of the College Center.  3835 Green Pond Rd Bethlehem, PA 18020.  Campus Map.
• Live interview on WDIY, 6-7 PM on Thursday, October 28.  Listen locally at 88.1 FM or here online.
• Rally and Poll Materials Pickup, 5PM-8:30 PM on Thursday, October 28 at American Sandwich Company at 7001 Route 309, Fairmont Village Shopping Center, Coopersburg, PA 18036.  MAP.  A volunteer will be there to hand out materials from 5 PM on, Jake will arrive around 7:30 to talk for a bit.

• Slatington-Walnutport Halloween Parade: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Easton-Phillipsburg Halloween Parade: 12:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Allentown Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Bethlehem Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• NOVEMBER 2nd ELECTION DAY!! Volunteers are needed to hand out literature outside of local polling stations, please volunteer here and share your name, phone #, city, and if you live in the district, your current polling location.   
  • Post-Election Victory Party for all volunteers at 8 PM on Election Day at Pies On Pizzeria at Front and Pine Streets, Catasauqua!!!!

Jake will have an online chat at noon today with the Morning Call.  (It’s over, view the transcript here.)  He will also be talking to the East Penn Taxpayer’s Association tonight at 7:30 pm in Emmaus, details below.

Independent congressional candidate Jake Towne has had a tough time locating opponents Mr. Charlie Dent and Mr. John Callahan at debates. Unfortunately, so has the general public. Out of 11 debates, Towne was banned from two (2), was the only candidate to attend another two (2) debates, and another four (4) debates have been canceled due to lack of a response from both career politicians.

Towne stated that after destroying both Establishment candidates in the WFMZ debate last Tuesday and receiving a flood of support, he would be highly surprised if either campaign manager would even allow their candidate to debate, and hopes they still show up to the Express-Times “Debate at the State” on Monday.

Towne for Congress stresses that all public officials are not MASTERS, but SERVANTS. To not accept public scrutiny during candidacy simply highlights how unanswerable, inaccessible, and unresponsive these Establishment career politicians plan to be in office. This is not the type of representation and behavior voters should accept, and underscores Towne’s point that the “two-headed, one-party” system has betrayed and failed the people.

When elected, Jake Towne’s novel-yet-simple form of accountable and transparent government, “Our Open Office,” will give constituents new levels of transparency and accountability never before seen in American government.

(Towne attended the WFMZ and College Hill Neighborhood Association/League of Women Voters debates with Mr. Callahan and Mr. Dent. All candidates will be in the October 25^th Express Times debate. Towne was banned from the PBS/Morning Call and JFLV debates. Mr. Callahan and Mr. Dent did not show up to the Cedar Crest and LV Tea Party debates, and due to lack of response from both the Pen Argyl, Northampton Community College, Nazareth Chamber of Commerce, and DeSales University debates were canceled. Towne accepted invites to all events.)

Upcoming Events -

• East Penn Taxpayer’s Association Candidates Night on October 19th, 7:30 PM.  Open to the public, will speak for a few minutes and answer questions.  Emmaus Fire Co. #1 on 610 Broad Street, Emmaus, PA.  MAP.

• Catasauqua/North Catasauqua Halloween Parade: Oct. 20 at 6 PM.  Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Talk to Young Americans for Liberty at Moravian College.  Oct 21st at 11:45 AM.  Location is the PPHAC in Room 112.  Building #39 on this campus map.

• Northampton Halloween Parade: Oct. 21 at 6 PM.  Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Macungie Halloween Parade: 5 p.m. Oct. 23.  Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Hellertown-Saucon Valley Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 24. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Express Times Debate, Monday, October 25 at the State Theatre in Easton, 7 PM.  453 Northampton Street Easton, PA 18042.  MAP.  Suggest arriving at 6 PM to ensure seating.  Open to public.
• Northampton Community College Forum, October 28, 11 AM till perhaps 12:30 or 1 PM.  Open to public, Q&A. Location Changed!! Location is in the Student Life Zone on the 2nd floor of the College Center.  3835 Green Pond Rd Bethlehem, PA 18020.  Campus Map.

• Slatington-Walnutport Halloween Parade: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• Easton-Phillipsburg Halloween Parade: 12:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Allentown Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Bethlehem Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• NOVEMBER 2nd ELECTION DAY!! Volunteers are needed to hand out literature outside of local polling stations, please volunteer here and share your name, phone #, city, and if you live in the district, your current polling location.   Victory Party for all volunteers at 8 PM at Pies On Pizzeria at Front and Pine Streets, Catasauqua!!!!

The campaign has an urgent need to raise another $4,000 to pay for TV ads in the final couple weeks prior to the election. Watch the ad here or below!

Please consider donating as for some very affordable rates we can get the message out to key demographics. The schedule of ads will be published when available, and I expect everyone will be quite pleased with the number of spots, times and channels the campaign can air with such a limited budget.

Donors giving at least $100 will receive a hardbound copy of Henry Hazlitt’s timeless Economics in One Lesson as a thank-you gift (please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery).  After another 10 copies, I will have to substitute a hardbound copy of “What Has the Government Done to our Money?” as our Hazlitt copies are going quick!

Last month, the campaign raised $2,200 for radio ads during a money bomb, and carefully spent over $6,000. As a result, just about everyone who listens to the radio in the area has heard the ad.

“Know ye not, Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow?” – Lord Byron

Debate footage from last night, a YouTube playlist, then from WFMZ’s website!
And don’t miss “Interview with Two Zombies!!”

Wednesday evening at 8 PM EST on WFMZ-TV Channel 69 will be a live debate between myself and my two career politician opponents, Mr. Dent and Mr. Callahan!!  Tune it to watch as it should be a fun time showing the audience how inept the Republocrats are!
Track record so far:

• First Debate – A clear victory, check out the footage here
• Second Debate – Dent and Callahan don’t show, winner by TKO!
• Third Debate – Dent and Callahan don’t show again!
• Fourth Debate - Banned from participating, but I was in the audience
• Fifth Debate – Wednesday night, 10/13, 8 PM EST live on Channel 69!
• Sixth Debate – Banned from participating courtesy the Morning Call and PBS-39

Here is the campaign’s new 30-second TV ad! This Thursday, October 14th, the campaign is holding an online money bomb, all donations will be put towards buying air time!!  Donate here!!

Many thanks to Adam Temple of A.R.T. Productions http://artproandgraphics.net/ for providing this ad!!!

“Know ye not, Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow?” – Lord Byron

The campaign has an urgent need to raise another $4,000 to pay for TV ads in the final couple weeks prior to the election.  The ad is in final production ** Now it’s done!, Watch it here! ** but will be similar in quality/message to the campaign’s radio ad and “Interview with Two Zombies” (though not humorous!).

Please consider donating as for some very affordable rates we can get the message out to key demographics.  The schedule of ads will be published when available, and I expect everyone will be quite pleased with the number of spots, times and channels the campaign can air with such a limited budget.

Donors giving at least $100 will receive a hardbound copy of Henry Hazlitt’s timeless Economics in One Lesson as a thank-you gift (please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery).   As the funds are needed as soon as possible, all donations raised will count towards the October 14th money bomb.

Last month, the campaign raised $2,200 for radio ads during a money bomb, and carefully spent well over $4,500.  As a result, just about everyone who listens to the radio in the area has heard the ad.

“Know ye not, Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow?” – Lord Byron

Yesterday a bunch of campaign volunteers assisted Habitat for Humanity’s Lehigh Valley chapter build homes in southside Bethlehem.  I have volunteered throughout my life for Habitat, and it is a great charity.  For those unfamiliar with it, Habitat builds homes for folks who are not well off.

A big reason why I like this group is because it gives folks a “hand-up” rather than a “hand-out.”  The way it works is individuals, churches and companies donate $, building materials, and labor, and the recipient family of the home is carefully screened before being given favorable mortgage terms.  The recipients must also work on their own home and put in “sweat equity” so often you work with the people who are moving in.

Next weekend is a Cropwalk, see details below if you would like to attend.  Some of the proceeds will go towards assisting a soup kitchen I’ve been volunteering at every week for the past 6 months or so, which has been quite a rewarding and humbling experience.  To lead, one must serve – a point usually missed by today’s career politicians, many of whom masquerade as public servants, a key reason why I came up with the Our Open Office concept.

If you would like a yard sign, or would like to help plant yard signs along public roadsides, volunteer here with your name, address, and phone number!!!  Thank to the volunteers helping putting up signs today!

• Tea Party of the Lehigh Valley Candidates’ Night, Monday, October 4, Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, 6 PM.  325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229-2811.  Directions.  I will be speaking at 6:30 PM, open to the public.
• PA Liberty Conference. Friday, October 8.  I will be sharing the “Our Open Office” idea with this group at 3 PM in Harrisburg, PA.  Ticketed event, see here for details.
• Crop Walk, October 10th in Bethlehem, registration at 1p.m. under the Hill-To-Hill Bridge, Main and Spring streets.  This charity event benefits soup kitchens around the Lehigh Valley, including the one I volunteer at every week.  The walk begins at 1:30 p.m.  MAP.  Please RSVP to towneforcongress@gmail.com or call 610-392-8156.
• WFMZ-69 Debate to be televised live, October 13 on WFMZ-69, 8 PM.
• Lunch with Allentown Rotary Club, Friday, October 15 at the Holiday Inn, 12:30-1 PM.  904 W. Hamilton Streets, Allentown, PA 18101.  Map.  Briefly address and answer questions from this group.
• Nazareth Area of Commerce Debate on Monday, October 18th, from 9:30-11 AM.  Economic focus.  Tickets are necessary for breakfast, see www.nazarethchamber.com.  Location is Rt 22 and 512 at the Best Western.
• East Penn Taxpayer’s Association Candidates Night on October 19th, 7:30 PM.  Open to the public, will speak for a few minutes and answer questions.  Emmaus Fire Co. #1 on 610 Broad Street, Emmaus, PA.  MAP.
• Pen Argyl Area Concerned Citizens Debate, Wednesday, October 20, evening, exact time/place to be announced.
• De Sales University Debate, Thursday, October 21, 7:30-9 PM in Center Valley, PA.  Located in the Commonwealth Room in the University Center (Building #48 in this map).  Open Q&A from the audience.
• Express Times Debate, Monday, October 25 at the State Theatre in Easton, 7 PM.  453 Northampton Street
  Easton, PA 18042.  MAP.  Open to public.
• Northampton Community College Forum, October 28, 11 AM.  Open to public, Q&A. Location is the World War II Conference Room – CC117 located on the first floor of the College Center.  3835 Green Pond Rd Bethlehem, PA 18020.  Campus Map.
• NOVEMBER 2nd ELECTION DAY!! Volunteers are needed to hand out literature outside of local polling stations, please volunteer here and share your name, phone #, city, and if you live in the district, your current polling location.

And for those who missed it, check out “Interview with Two Zombies”