Jim Babka
Encyclopedia
Jim Babka is a writer
, activist, and former radio talk-show host. He currently serves as president of the Downsize DC Foundation
and DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
(until it closed) and then for the Akron Beacon Journal.
On the night of Friday, May 12, 1978, the Babka family, James Sr, Joyce, Jim, and his sister Sherri, were traveling west on Route 82 through Macedonia, Ohio
when they were struck broadside by a car traveling north on Shepherd Rd. The Babkas' Pontiac spun backward two times, and settled facing west. James Sr., the driver, had deep cuts and bruises. Sherri, aged 7, was asleep on the passenger side—the side of the car that had been struck—and suffered a broken femur that required first traction, and then a full-leg cast. Jim walked away with only a cut behind his ear.
But Jim's mother, Joyce, had sat at the very point of impact. She was knocked unconscious and had severe internal injuries. She was rushed to the nearest hospital but never regained consciousness, and was pronounced dead in the wee morning hours of May 13. The next day was Mother's Day, and Jim, aged 10, stood with his father in front of his mother's casket to greet mourners.
The driver of the other vehicle, Jeff Dorsey, was only 16 years old. Officers on the scene determined he was drunk, and noted that his speedometer was locked at 70 m.p.h. Dorsey was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, and served two years in a juvenile detention facility.
Babka graduated from Baptist Christian School in Orange Village, Ohio, where he had been class President in 10th grade.
Babka's father, an auto-parts company executive, was a conservative Republican
who had supported Barry Goldwater
and Ronald Reagan
. Jim was used to hearing politics discussed regularly, and found that social studies classes came easy to him. His seventh grade history teacher, Mr. Betts, helped him discover his talent in history and social studies, and by ninth grade he recognized that he wanted to go into a career involving political action. On his senior class trip to Washington, DC, he wandered off from the group to meet his unusual idol, Congressman Jack Kemp
.
Babka attended the University of Akron
where he majored in political science
and minored in business management. Evenings, weekends, and breaks were spent working alternatively as a painter and for the Sherwin-Williams Company as an inside salesman.
Early in his college career he became involved in the College Republicans. While a member, he ran for the top student senate seat on a College Republican ticket. He campaigned hard. Despite not being part of the Greek system, he nearly won the seat—attracting more votes than the top of his ticket. But he quickly became disillusioned by politics. Favoritism, petty in-fighting, and criminal corruption in the college organization caused Babka to seek other outlets to make a difference.
While still a student, such an opportunity arrived. He took over a virtually defunct and in-debt, independent newspaper called The Buchtel Helm. Working with friends he revived it, and served as Editor-in-Chief for one year. The following year, he turned over editing and publishing responsibilities to two other students, Chet Sutherland and Jeffrey Winter, respectively. But Babka served as President of the Non-profit organization
that produced the paper, and continued to write for it. The three students renamed the paper The U of A Times.
The Babkas lived in Akron, Ohio as Jim tried a number of business, most notably as a licensed Realtor and a real estate investor/landlord. In 1996 the couple had a daughter, Jessica. In 1998 they had a son, Stephen. And almost exactly a year later they had another son, Andrew.
Each of the children have been homeschooled. Jim and Susanne are committed Christians with Wesleyan and Anabaptist leanings, who have been active in church. Jim taught an adult Sunday School class for four years.
of 1994, and particularly by a speech Newt Gingrich gave to the incoming freshman Republicans. In that speech, Gingrich, who stood in front of a hi-rise, glass back-drop of Washington, DC, pointed out that Article I, Section 8 said that all spending bills originated in the House. That means, Gingrich continued, that if we zero out the funding for these programs, the good people who work in these buildings will go home.
Babka initially tried to get involved in some 1996 campaigns, and did ultimately volunteer in one. But the Gingrich led revolution stalled, and Babka was turned-off by the GOP when they selected a big government candidate, Bob Dole
, to be the party nominee.
Babka's college friend Chet Sutherland had joined the Libertarian Party. Babka decided to watch his friend's party on C-SPAN
as they held their nominating convention. He was impressed by their nominee, Harry Browne
. While watching Harry Browne's first media appearance following the convention, Babka realized that he could be a libertarian, and that Harry Browne would get his vote.
Sutherland took Babka to a campaign event where he met Harry Browne for the first time, as well as the Libertarian Party of Ohio Chairman, Jack Matheney. The Chairman invited Babka to start a local chapter for the party. The Summit-Portage Libertarian Party, led by Babka and Sutherland, held their first meeting in October, 1996 with ten people signing the charter. Two years later, the group would have over 50 members.
But Babka rose quickly in the party. Within months he joined the state party executive committee, and then he became state party fundraising director. He co-authored the state party's strategic plan, and launched a ballot access drive, ultimately completed for the year 2000. The party had ballot status only once before, 1982. In late 1997 Matheney announced he would step down from his post, and endorsed Babka to be the new state chair.
Babka was elected state chair in April 1998, and re-elected without opposition in 1999. In the fall of '98, Babka had his first paid campaign job, working for Jim Schrader who was running for Congress. He was paid only $65 for a four-day work week.
As Chair, Babka continued the ballot drive and launched a candidate recruitment drive, which enabled the Libertarians to go from running only one candidate in 1998 (Schrader), to running 70 candidates across the state in 2000. But Babka didn't quite finish either project, nor his term as Chair, when he accepted an offer to come to work on the national campaign. Babka was the press secretary
for Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne
in 2000.
Babka also worked as a paid consultant for Libertarian Bill Redpath
in his run for Virginia Governor in 2001. But bitter party infighting and mud-dragging of the man who had hired him to work on the Browne campaign, Perry Willis, discouraged him once again. Babka became convinced that the party itself was managed in contradiction of its own principles, and he didn't like who he became as a result of playing politics. He also surrendered hope of eventual electoral success. He gave up his Libertarian Party membership in October, 2003.
In addition, Willis, Browne, Babka, and Stephanie Yanik started RealCampaignReform.org, Inc. Babka was named the President of this project. The group lobbied against McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, which ultimately passed as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
of 2002. Immediately, Babka went to work with his attorneys to organize a group of plaintiffs to challenge the law. Congressman Ron Paul was the lead plaintiff, making their case, Paul v. FEC. RealCampaignReform.org was joined by Gun Owners of America, Citizens United, Massachusetts candidates Carla Howell and Michael Cloud, and others. Even though the group made a unique "free press" argument, they were consolidated with several other plaintiff groups, and the case was named McConnell v. Federal Election Commission
. Babka was present during oral arguments at both the District Court and Supreme Court levels. And it was during this effort to fight what Babka called, "Incumbent Protection Acts," that he wrote his first report, "Liberty for Citizens, or Only for Politicians."
By September 2001, the combination of party infighting, lingering campaign matters, and a sharp decline in the fortunes of supporters who had been at the forefront of the Dot-com bubble
, left American Liberty Foundation President Perry Willis burnt out, and the Foundation itself deep in debt. Willis stepped down, and Babka became the President on September 9, 2001. On top of the debt, the ads had yet to air on TV. Two days later the attention of the nation turned to 9/11 and the victims' families. Yet despite these setbacks, by January, the ads aired on national TV.
The American Liberty Foundation launched ArmedAndSecure.org, branding their TV ad campaign, and adding radio spots and an educational website to it. As part of the Armed & Secure educational effort, Harry Browne, the Foundation's Director of Public Policy, wrote and recorded a CD titled, "How You Can Make Your Community (Much) Safer." Babka wrote a report titled, "How to Persuade Your Friends & Family Guns Save Lives & Reduce Crime."
After a survey of their supporters, the American Liberty Foundation team began building a new website DownsizeDC.org—a name suggested by Steve Dasbach
. The group had observed that there were tax-and-spend liberals and borrow-and-spend conservatives. The problem in Washington, DC is the spending. Babka wrote a report in conjunction with this website as well, dedicated to his father who died of cancer in April, 2003, and titled, "How the FDA Helped Kill My Father."
But before the Foundation team could complete the new Downsize DC site, they were inspired by Harry Browne, Jude Wanniski
, and Attorney Bill Olson to launch a site called TruthAboutWar.org. The site was launched in February, 2003, just a bit more than seven weeks before the United States would invade Iraq. It included several bold claims with a heavy dose of citations, including that assertion that there were no WMDs in Iraq. A series of radio ads, produced by Kristin Overn, were broadcast in several major cities. In most cities, they were chased out after one week of broadcasting because the stations were hearing from angry listeners. And Babka even received a death threat via email. Babka later noted that millions of dollars by major intelligence agencies turned out to be so wrong, while "my little team of roughly a half-dozen folks, nearly all of whom were volunteers, with a budget of a just a few thousand dollars, (could) get so many things so right."
Babka wrote a column published at WorldNetDaily called, "The Deliciously Absurd Plan of the NRA," and was invited on to National Public Radio to talk about it. The NRA had led another plaintiff action in the McConnell v FEC case, and the group's President, Wayne LaPierre
had promised that he would build an institutional press empire to retain his group's First Amendment rights to comment on elections. Babka loved LaPierre's response, and began suggesting that perhaps the media itself should be lobbied by the grassroots, "just like Congress is."
Lobbying remained the one, and perhaps best way to affect change. Babka began an inventory of his team's strengths and weaknesses, and Steve Dasbach, who was consulting with Downsize DC at this point, recommended that they set up a small government group that was just like MoveOn.org. Using a system that allowed people to inform and educate their members of Congress, MoveOn grew from an email to 100 people to over 1 million in just a few years time.
Reorganization began. American Liberty Foundation became Downsize DC Foundation, and the Foundation invited RealCampaignReform.org, Inc. to be an online public and Congressional education organization and website called DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
The new website, built by Magdalena Donea, one of the 100 people who received the first MoveOn message, launched on July 14, 2004. A new and more robust version of the site was built by Robert O'Gwynn and launched four years later to the day. As of mid-December, 2008, 31,358 users have registered to use the site, and sent more than 1,350,316 messages to Congress. The group claims to have won 16 victories in Congress, primarily by working in coalition with other groups, be they liberal-progressive, conservative, populist, green, or libertarian. As of July 31, 2009, the Downsize DC Army, the number of subscribers to the free e-mail newsletter, the Downsizer-Dispatch, is 27,615.
Babka described Downsize DC and its objectives to Wikinews:
In late 2007, Jim Babka co-authored his fourth report. Along with Perry Willis, he wrote "The Downsize DC Vision." The Vision report describes the strategy behind Downsize DC, inviting the reader to "ignore the axiom" that we have to get the right people elected to public office in order to change government.
The group has also assembled a reform plan, the Downsize DC Agenda, crafting and backing bills like, The Read the Bills Act
, The Write the Laws Act, and the One Subject at a Time Act. Grover Norquist gave Downsize DC and the Read the Bills Act a plug in his latest book, "Leave Us Alone," and the transpartisan bill has attracted interest from major talk shows and too many blogs to count.
. And for the entire time it aired, it was sponsored by Gun Owners of America
. Jim's final broadcast was August 24, 2008. He would sign-off his show by saying, "Support the troops -- by bringing them home. Bye, bye!"
Babka has guest-hosted other programs, including Harry Browne's political show for all but two of the last eight months of Mr. Browne's life. He conducted two weeks of tribute episodes after Mr. Browne's passing that featured live guests and recorded memorials friends and associates, as well as figures like Larry Elder
, David Nolan, Lew Rockwell
, and Ron Paul
.
In 2004, Babka also launched a website, CultureRepair.com, with one product—a CD titled, "Why Conservative Christians Are Re-evaluating George W. Bush." The CD sold more than 600 copies. Other CDs were planned, but he never found the time to get back to the project.
Babka joined the group blog PositiveLiberty.com in November, 2007. This outlet gives him a chance to write about his political interests and much more. Babka had his own blog from 2003 to 2005. He shocked many of his friends when he came out in opposition to Intelligent Design, and in favor of Theistic Evolution.
Babka has deep interests in several subjects, and he told radio host Gary Nolan
that since he was freed of his radio show hosting responsibility, he's begun working on writing his own books.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, activist, and former radio talk-show host. He currently serves as president of the Downsize DC Foundation
Downsize DC Foundation
Downsize DC is a policy advocacy organization which aims to limit the size of government in the United States through awareness and petitioning. Though it claims to be non-partisan, it does have strong political ties to the libertarian movement...
and DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
Early life and education
Jim Babka was born in Cleveland, Ohio to James Sr and Joyce Babka. He was raised in Twinsburg Ohio, where in Jr. High and early High School he had paper routes for the Cleveland PressCleveland Press
The Cleveland Press was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer....
(until it closed) and then for the Akron Beacon Journal.
On the night of Friday, May 12, 1978, the Babka family, James Sr, Joyce, Jim, and his sister Sherri, were traveling west on Route 82 through Macedonia, Ohio
Macedonia, Ohio
Macedonia is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,188 at the 2010 census. Macedonia is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
when they were struck broadside by a car traveling north on Shepherd Rd. The Babkas' Pontiac spun backward two times, and settled facing west. James Sr., the driver, had deep cuts and bruises. Sherri, aged 7, was asleep on the passenger side—the side of the car that had been struck—and suffered a broken femur that required first traction, and then a full-leg cast. Jim walked away with only a cut behind his ear.
But Jim's mother, Joyce, had sat at the very point of impact. She was knocked unconscious and had severe internal injuries. She was rushed to the nearest hospital but never regained consciousness, and was pronounced dead in the wee morning hours of May 13. The next day was Mother's Day, and Jim, aged 10, stood with his father in front of his mother's casket to greet mourners.
The driver of the other vehicle, Jeff Dorsey, was only 16 years old. Officers on the scene determined he was drunk, and noted that his speedometer was locked at 70 m.p.h. Dorsey was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, and served two years in a juvenile detention facility.
Babka graduated from Baptist Christian School in Orange Village, Ohio, where he had been class President in 10th grade.
Babka's father, an auto-parts company executive, was a conservative Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
who had supported Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. Jim was used to hearing politics discussed regularly, and found that social studies classes came easy to him. His seventh grade history teacher, Mr. Betts, helped him discover his talent in history and social studies, and by ninth grade he recognized that he wanted to go into a career involving political action. On his senior class trip to Washington, DC, he wandered off from the group to meet his unusual idol, Congressman Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
.
Babka attended the University of Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
where he majored in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and minored in business management. Evenings, weekends, and breaks were spent working alternatively as a painter and for the Sherwin-Williams Company as an inside salesman.
Early in his college career he became involved in the College Republicans. While a member, he ran for the top student senate seat on a College Republican ticket. He campaigned hard. Despite not being part of the Greek system, he nearly won the seat—attracting more votes than the top of his ticket. But he quickly became disillusioned by politics. Favoritism, petty in-fighting, and criminal corruption in the college organization caused Babka to seek other outlets to make a difference.
While still a student, such an opportunity arrived. He took over a virtually defunct and in-debt, independent newspaper called The Buchtel Helm. Working with friends he revived it, and served as Editor-in-Chief for one year. The following year, he turned over editing and publishing responsibilities to two other students, Chet Sutherland and Jeffrey Winter, respectively. But Babka served as President of the Non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that produced the paper, and continued to write for it. The three students renamed the paper The U of A Times.
Family life
In 1992 Jim Babka went on a blind date. His date, Susanne DiPuccio, worked at the same company as a business associate. A year later, they were engaged. And in March 1994, they were married.The Babkas lived in Akron, Ohio as Jim tried a number of business, most notably as a licensed Realtor and a real estate investor/landlord. In 1996 the couple had a daughter, Jessica. In 1998 they had a son, Stephen. And almost exactly a year later they had another son, Andrew.
Each of the children have been homeschooled. Jim and Susanne are committed Christians with Wesleyan and Anabaptist leanings, who have been active in church. Jim taught an adult Sunday School class for four years.
Political career
Babka hadn't done anything political for a few years, but he was reinvigorated by the Republican RevolutionRepublican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
of 1994, and particularly by a speech Newt Gingrich gave to the incoming freshman Republicans. In that speech, Gingrich, who stood in front of a hi-rise, glass back-drop of Washington, DC, pointed out that Article I, Section 8 said that all spending bills originated in the House. That means, Gingrich continued, that if we zero out the funding for these programs, the good people who work in these buildings will go home.
Babka initially tried to get involved in some 1996 campaigns, and did ultimately volunteer in one. But the Gingrich led revolution stalled, and Babka was turned-off by the GOP when they selected a big government candidate, Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
, to be the party nominee.
Babka's college friend Chet Sutherland had joined the Libertarian Party. Babka decided to watch his friend's party on C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
as they held their nominating convention. He was impressed by their nominee, Harry Browne
Harry Browne
Harry Browne was an American libertarian writer, politician, and free-market investment analyst. He ran for President of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in 1996 and 2000....
. While watching Harry Browne's first media appearance following the convention, Babka realized that he could be a libertarian, and that Harry Browne would get his vote.
Sutherland took Babka to a campaign event where he met Harry Browne for the first time, as well as the Libertarian Party of Ohio Chairman, Jack Matheney. The Chairman invited Babka to start a local chapter for the party. The Summit-Portage Libertarian Party, led by Babka and Sutherland, held their first meeting in October, 1996 with ten people signing the charter. Two years later, the group would have over 50 members.
But Babka rose quickly in the party. Within months he joined the state party executive committee, and then he became state party fundraising director. He co-authored the state party's strategic plan, and launched a ballot access drive, ultimately completed for the year 2000. The party had ballot status only once before, 1982. In late 1997 Matheney announced he would step down from his post, and endorsed Babka to be the new state chair.
Babka was elected state chair in April 1998, and re-elected without opposition in 1999. In the fall of '98, Babka had his first paid campaign job, working for Jim Schrader who was running for Congress. He was paid only $65 for a four-day work week.
As Chair, Babka continued the ballot drive and launched a candidate recruitment drive, which enabled the Libertarians to go from running only one candidate in 1998 (Schrader), to running 70 candidates across the state in 2000. But Babka didn't quite finish either project, nor his term as Chair, when he accepted an offer to come to work on the national campaign. Babka was the press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
for Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne
Harry Browne
Harry Browne was an American libertarian writer, politician, and free-market investment analyst. He ran for President of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in 1996 and 2000....
in 2000.
Babka also worked as a paid consultant for Libertarian Bill Redpath
Bill Redpath
William Redpath is the current Treasurer and immediate past National Chair of the United States Libertarian Party, first elected by delegates to the 2006 Libertarian National Convention in Portland, Oregon in July 2006...
in his run for Virginia Governor in 2001. But bitter party infighting and mud-dragging of the man who had hired him to work on the Browne campaign, Perry Willis, discouraged him once again. Babka became convinced that the party itself was managed in contradiction of its own principles, and he didn't like who he became as a result of playing politics. He also surrendered hope of eventual electoral success. He gave up his Libertarian Party membership in October, 2003.
Public policy education
After the 2000 campaign was over, Harry Browne and Perry Willis formed the American Liberty Foundation, and Willis, the President of the organization, asked Babka to come on-board as the Vice President. The group produced a series of Hollywood TV ads in defense of the private ownership of firearms as a public good.In addition, Willis, Browne, Babka, and Stephanie Yanik started RealCampaignReform.org, Inc. Babka was named the President of this project. The group lobbied against McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, which ultimately passed as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
of 2002. Immediately, Babka went to work with his attorneys to organize a group of plaintiffs to challenge the law. Congressman Ron Paul was the lead plaintiff, making their case, Paul v. FEC. RealCampaignReform.org was joined by Gun Owners of America, Citizens United, Massachusetts candidates Carla Howell and Michael Cloud, and others. Even though the group made a unique "free press" argument, they were consolidated with several other plaintiff groups, and the case was named McConnell v. Federal Election Commission
McConnell v. Federal Election Commission
McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, 540 U.S. 93 , is a case in which the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of most of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 , often referred to as the McCain–Feingold Act....
. Babka was present during oral arguments at both the District Court and Supreme Court levels. And it was during this effort to fight what Babka called, "Incumbent Protection Acts," that he wrote his first report, "Liberty for Citizens, or Only for Politicians."
By September 2001, the combination of party infighting, lingering campaign matters, and a sharp decline in the fortunes of supporters who had been at the forefront of the Dot-com bubble
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
, left American Liberty Foundation President Perry Willis burnt out, and the Foundation itself deep in debt. Willis stepped down, and Babka became the President on September 9, 2001. On top of the debt, the ads had yet to air on TV. Two days later the attention of the nation turned to 9/11 and the victims' families. Yet despite these setbacks, by January, the ads aired on national TV.
The American Liberty Foundation launched ArmedAndSecure.org, branding their TV ad campaign, and adding radio spots and an educational website to it. As part of the Armed & Secure educational effort, Harry Browne, the Foundation's Director of Public Policy, wrote and recorded a CD titled, "How You Can Make Your Community (Much) Safer." Babka wrote a report titled, "How to Persuade Your Friends & Family Guns Save Lives & Reduce Crime."
After a survey of their supporters, the American Liberty Foundation team began building a new website DownsizeDC.org—a name suggested by Steve Dasbach
Steve Dasbach
Steve Dasbach was the national director of the Libertarian Party of the United States from 1998 to 2002. He was chair of the Libertarian National Committee from 1993 to 1998 and national executive director from 1998-2002. In 1986, he was the Libertarian Party of Indiana candidate for Indiana's 4th...
. The group had observed that there were tax-and-spend liberals and borrow-and-spend conservatives. The problem in Washington, DC is the spending. Babka wrote a report in conjunction with this website as well, dedicated to his father who died of cancer in April, 2003, and titled, "How the FDA Helped Kill My Father."
But before the Foundation team could complete the new Downsize DC site, they were inspired by Harry Browne, Jude Wanniski
Jude Wanniski
Jude Thaddeus Wanniski was an American journalist, conservative commentator, and political economist.- Early life and education :...
, and Attorney Bill Olson to launch a site called TruthAboutWar.org. The site was launched in February, 2003, just a bit more than seven weeks before the United States would invade Iraq. It included several bold claims with a heavy dose of citations, including that assertion that there were no WMDs in Iraq. A series of radio ads, produced by Kristin Overn, were broadcast in several major cities. In most cities, they were chased out after one week of broadcasting because the stations were hearing from angry listeners. And Babka even received a death threat via email. Babka later noted that millions of dollars by major intelligence agencies turned out to be so wrong, while "my little team of roughly a half-dozen folks, nearly all of whom were volunteers, with a budget of a just a few thousand dollars, (could) get so many things so right."
Downsize DC
The American Liberty Foundation model wasn't taking off. The group's base was too small to maintain forward momentum and to keep ads on national TV. In addition, RealCampaignReform.org lost both of its claims in the Supreme Court case by 6-3 and 5-4 margins. Babka noted that incumbents had closed the door to change by electoral means, and he began to seek a different way to get the message out to everyone, everywhere, every day. To do that, he recognized an army was needed—a group of people so numerous that they could afford to spread the message of freedom and small government far and wide, so that it would become familiar and comfortable, rather than strange and fringe.Babka wrote a column published at WorldNetDaily called, "The Deliciously Absurd Plan of the NRA," and was invited on to National Public Radio to talk about it. The NRA had led another plaintiff action in the McConnell v FEC case, and the group's President, Wayne LaPierre
Wayne LaPierre
Wayne LaPierre , is an American author and Second Amendment advocate. He is best known for his position as the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association.-Background:...
had promised that he would build an institutional press empire to retain his group's First Amendment rights to comment on elections. Babka loved LaPierre's response, and began suggesting that perhaps the media itself should be lobbied by the grassroots, "just like Congress is."
Lobbying remained the one, and perhaps best way to affect change. Babka began an inventory of his team's strengths and weaknesses, and Steve Dasbach, who was consulting with Downsize DC at this point, recommended that they set up a small government group that was just like MoveOn.org. Using a system that allowed people to inform and educate their members of Congress, MoveOn grew from an email to 100 people to over 1 million in just a few years time.
Reorganization began. American Liberty Foundation became Downsize DC Foundation, and the Foundation invited RealCampaignReform.org, Inc. to be an online public and Congressional education organization and website called DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
The new website, built by Magdalena Donea, one of the 100 people who received the first MoveOn message, launched on July 14, 2004. A new and more robust version of the site was built by Robert O'Gwynn and launched four years later to the day. As of mid-December, 2008, 31,358 users have registered to use the site, and sent more than 1,350,316 messages to Congress. The group claims to have won 16 victories in Congress, primarily by working in coalition with other groups, be they liberal-progressive, conservative, populist, green, or libertarian. As of July 31, 2009, the Downsize DC Army, the number of subscribers to the free e-mail newsletter, the Downsizer-Dispatch, is 27,615.
Babka described Downsize DC and its objectives to Wikinews:
"DownsizeDC.org is an organization that makes it easy for every day citizens, with jobs and busy lives, to express their wishes to their two Senators and Representative. It's free and quite easy to use. The DownsizeDC.org system combines education, recruitment, and activism into one simple, seamless process. And once someone sends a message, they begin receiving our free email newsletter, or as we prefer to describe it, they become part of the Downsize DC Army. Voltaire said, "God tends to be on the side of the bigger battalions." And we're looking to build the Downsize DC Army so large that Congress cannot afford to ignore us – so big that we can get our message of small, Constitutionally-limited government out everywhere."
In late 2007, Jim Babka co-authored his fourth report. Along with Perry Willis, he wrote "The Downsize DC Vision." The Vision report describes the strategy behind Downsize DC, inviting the reader to "ignore the axiom" that we have to get the right people elected to public office in order to change government.
The group has also assembled a reform plan, the Downsize DC Agenda, crafting and backing bills like, The Read the Bills Act
Read the Bills Act
The Read the Bills Act is proposed legislation intended to require United States Congress to read the legislation that it passes. It was originally written in 2006 by Downsize DC, a non-profit organization focused on decreasing the size of the federal government...
, The Write the Laws Act, and the One Subject at a Time Act. Grover Norquist gave Downsize DC and the Read the Bills Act a plug in his latest book, "Leave Us Alone," and the transpartisan bill has attracted interest from major talk shows and too many blogs to count.
Media figure
Jim Babka regularly appears on radio talk shows, and in April 2005, began hosting his own one hour radio talk show, each Sunday afternoon, on the Genesis Communications Network. Over time, the popularity of the show expanded, and in January 2008, the network expanded Jim's show to two hours. For one year it was sponsored by the Marijuana Policy ProjectMarijuana Policy Project
The Marijuana Policy Project, or MPP, is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States in terms of its budget, number of members, and staff...
. And for the entire time it aired, it was sponsored by Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America is a gun rights organization in the United States with over 300,000 members. They make efforts to differentiate themselves from the larger National Rifle Association , and have publicly criticized the NRA on multiple occasions for what the GOA considers to be the selling out...
. Jim's final broadcast was August 24, 2008. He would sign-off his show by saying, "Support the troops -- by bringing them home. Bye, bye!"
Babka has guest-hosted other programs, including Harry Browne's political show for all but two of the last eight months of Mr. Browne's life. He conducted two weeks of tribute episodes after Mr. Browne's passing that featured live guests and recorded memorials friends and associates, as well as figures like Larry Elder
Larry Elder
Laurence Allen "Larry" Elder is an American radio and television personality. His radio program The Larry Elder Show airs weekdays 9 AM to noon on talk radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, California...
, David Nolan, Lew Rockwell
Lew Rockwell
Llewellyn Harrison "Lew" Rockwell, Jr. is an American libertarian political commentator, activist, proponent of the Austrian School of economics, and chairman of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.-Life and work:...
, and Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
.
In 2004, Babka also launched a website, CultureRepair.com, with one product—a CD titled, "Why Conservative Christians Are Re-evaluating George W. Bush." The CD sold more than 600 copies. Other CDs were planned, but he never found the time to get back to the project.
Babka joined the group blog PositiveLiberty.com in November, 2007. This outlet gives him a chance to write about his political interests and much more. Babka had his own blog from 2003 to 2005. He shocked many of his friends when he came out in opposition to Intelligent Design, and in favor of Theistic Evolution.
Babka has deep interests in several subjects, and he told radio host Gary Nolan
Gary Nolan (radio host)
Gary Nolan is an American talk radio host and a former candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for President of the United States....
that since he was freed of his radio show hosting responsibility, he's begun working on writing his own books.