Four term Sarpy county sheriff Jeffrey Davis’ reelection notice made the local news rounds. Mostly about his 35-year public service career and how he promotes himself as a fiscal conservative. This has appeared to be enough for the voters of Sarpy County to reelect the Republican sheriff having been unchallenged in at least the last two elections. Recently isn’t enough for people who found a renewed interest in restoring and preserving their liberties.
First let’s look at what is typically meant by a fiscally conservative actor. It would likely be said that they would be a budget hawk who wants to decrease their budget if possible but certainly adheres to or creates a surplus from it. Through some research Sheriff Davis has been a decent accountant and has not run up a debt while at the helm of the sheriff’s department. Unfortunately, the nature of ever expanding government shapes debate narrowly. An elected official that is capable of not taking on debt that leads to an increase in the budget can make their case for fiscal conservatism. I feel that someone with a libertarian background will do much better for the current and future taxpaying citizens of Sarpy county.
The concern most definitely should be with reducing all forms of tax burden placed on individuals at the hands of the state. Everyone would be wise to gain some self-reliance in the matter. Following economist Ludwig von Mises’ words of wisdom of becoming knowledgeable in economics and not leaving it up to a small number of experts. As Misesian economist Robert P. Murphy explaining Mises in his book Choice writes, “Citizens, in turn, must do their part by learning at least basic economics so they can appreciate the blessings of the market economy and see through the fallacies of government promises to deliver a superior outcome via interventionism.” With these tools in their toolbox citizens can better find a sheriff candidate that understands private property protection which includes interventions by the state.
Studying basic economics would lead more citizens to desire their elected officials to repeal burdensome laws or at least practice what economist Edmund Burke called “salutary neglect”. An elected sheriff being equipped with economic insight will know to not enforce(neglect) laws, regulations, ordinances, etc. that disrupts voluntary exchange believing it to be the right thing to do but also (salutary). Meaning letting the market find more solutions to increase traffic safety over revenue collection. Not filling up the jail with people who can pay restitution in order to have justice served. Save the jail space for the murders, rapists, and tyrants. When one starts to see economic rights infringements as morally wrong then drug prohibition becomes irreconcilable. Selling back peoples’ natural rights to use their property such as firearms, automobiles, their own labor, and so-on is only looked on as indefensible.
Room for a Solution:
We at the Sarpy County Libertarian Party have our eyes on the 2022 sheriff race and are setting up the foundations for a prospective candidate. We have donated copies of Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson for citizens ready to start their civic duty. We are ready to discuss with newcomers of our meetings the benefits of a constitutional sheriff. Then building on that to furthering those benefits with a liberty sheriff.
We don’t need an enforcer of the laws on the books with strict adherence to the budget. We need someone who will stand up for property rights against the state. The county sheriff is accountable only to the people who elect them. With the principles of economics and strategy of nullification promoted by the Tenth Amendment Center we can have just that. Only then will the citizens be fully confident that if any lockdowns, vaccine passports, gun laws, no knock raids, civil asset forfeiture, eminent domain, and beyond come their way that the sheriff is going to stand in the way.
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