We at the Libertarian Party often say that we’re in it for the long haul. We know that much of what we want to do with the government can’t effectively be done overnight, and in addition to that, know that to even begin to implement our reforms in everything from the tax system to the size of government, will still take lots of time (and election cycles).
But, there’s one man from Montgomery County, MD, who personifies the true meaning of "patience is a virtue." Robin Ficker, a real estate agent and well-known anti-tax activist, began his crusade against taxes in 1974, when he got his first initiative on the ballot. It lost, but Ficker kept at it.
For the next 34 years (17 election cycles), Ficker pounded the pavement in his county drumming up enough support to put measures on the ballot that aimed to protect the taxpayers of Montgomery County. All failed, until this.
"Some people did not think this was that big a deal, maybe because this was Ficker and because he had been defeated in the past," said County Executive Isiah Leggett in a Washington Post interview about the "Ficker Amendment." Leggett helped fund the opposition to the amendment, which included robo-calls and a ballot warning against the measure.
Ficker’s first successful initiative will hamper the ability of the County Council to raise the limit on revenue that can be collected through Montgomery County property taxes.
Ficker’s relentless pursuit of anti-tax measures and steadfast determination to protect the taxpayers of Montgomery County make him the Libertarian Party’s Free Market Hero of the week.
For more information about Ficker, please read his story in the Washington Post here.
If you have a recommendation for a Free Market Hero, please send your suggestion to media (AT) lp.org.
