Greeting
From the Chair
LibertyFest Review 2011
LPM Convention 2011
Constitution Would Have Prevented Great Recession

Quote of the Month
Image of the Month

Book/Movie
Past Blast
Letters
Contacts
Calendar

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Welcome to the March 2011 issue of the online newsletter of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, the Michigan Libertarian. The newsletter is our main vehicle for sharing what's happening for Libertarians in Michigan. You may manage your subscription by going here or visiting our Web site www.mi.lp.org (same as www.michiganlp.org).

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The Libertarian Party of Michigan is sad to report that David Nolan, founder of the Libertarian Party, died November 21, 2010. He was living in Arizona, where he ran a solid race for the US Senate receiving 4.7% of the vote in a three-way race. In addition to founding the party, David created the Nolan Chart to replace the traditional (and misleading) left-right axis for describing political positions. Those of us who knew David personally will miss his charm, lightning-quick intellect, and incomparable passion for freedom. The New York Times obit is decent, revealing some early background many of us did not realize.

For those who would like to make a gift in memory of David, the family has asked that contributions go to the Advocates for Self Government, http://theadvocates.org/.

Please remember the two important state meetings coming up:

LPM Leadership Meeting on Saturday, March 12 from 1-4 pm at the Hampton Inn, 525 North Canal Rd, Lansing. It’s free, requires no advance reservations, and refreshments will be served. This meeting will be a frank, open discussion about the direction of the party, what is and isn’t working, and who can step in to fill important leadership roles at the state and local levels. I hope you’ll be part of charting our future course. Contact me at chair@mi.lp.org or 734-645-5809 if you have questions.

2011 State Convention on Saturday, April 30 at the Valley Plaza Resort in Midland. Don’t miss this full day of Libertarian Party business, education, speakers and camaraderie. And remember our theme: Bring a friend to the Party! Contact Bill Gelineau at freedomlover59@hotmail.com.

YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY IS IMPORTANT

As a member of the Libertarian Party, you add your voice to those that have been calling for smaller government for the past 40 years. Your membership is important because it lends credibility to our movement and your dues provide much needed support for our operations. As a benefit, current members of the Libertarian Party are able to vote at the upcoming state convention. You are a member of the LPM if you have given at least $25 to the national LP (www.lp.org) or the state party (www.mi.lp.org) in the past 12 months. Please go to one of the web sites today and join.

Reminder: There is a 30-day rule for voting at LPM conventions. Our bylaws require first-time members of the Libertarian Party of Michigan to have joined at least 30 days prior to the convention to be eligible to vote there. That means if you’ve never been a member of the LPM make sure to join by March 31, 2011 so you can vote in Midland. Please go to http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared%20Documents/Join%20Us.aspx and join today!

Platform and Bylaws Committee Chairs Named for the State Convention

At each state convention, part of the business session is devoted to deliberating changes to our Libertarian Party of Michigan Platform and, in odd years, considering changes to our Bylaws. At the April 30 state convention in Midland, Daniel Grow of St. Joseph will be the Platform Committee Chair and Jay Longtain of Freeland will serve as Bylaws Committee Chair.

The current platform can be accessed at
http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared%20Documents/Platform.aspx;
the current bylaws, at http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared%20Documents/Bylaws%20Of%20The%20Libertarian%20Party.aspx.

Members with proposed changes to the platform or bylaws should submit them in writing to the chair of the appropriate committee by Tuesday, April 5 at these emails

• Platform: grow.daniel@gmail.com
• Bylaws: jlongtain@yahoo.com

LIBERTY FEST 2011: A GREAT SUCCESS!
(We honored our super LPM volunteers in 2010, held Saturday, February 5, 2011, Holiday Inn Gateway Center, Flint, MI)

I would first like to say "Thank You" to all that attended LibertyFest and to those that were a huge help. It was my first event putting together for the LPM and a very successful and fun evening. We were all able to meet new people and finally put a friendly face to all the names we all hear about.

This event would not have gone as well or as smooth as it did with out the help of Charles Earl, Emily Salvette and Jay Longtain. Emily thank you so much for guiding me the right direction with all the planning from your past practice. A huge thank you also for all the donations and support. This is a great party to be a part of and I hope to help out more. A Congratulations goes to the following individuals for their nomination and winning the 2010 awards:

• Spokesperson of Liberty - Chad Stevens
• Promoter of Liberty - Bill Gelineau
• Producer of Liberty - Brian Wright

These are the the kinds of people that help this party grow and stay strong. Congratulations to all. So, put on your party hats, cause you could be next! Thank you Tri City Bay Regional Area. Please enjoy the following article by Emily along with a collage of photos, some taken by Scotty Boman and some by award-winning Chad.

LibertyFest 2011: It Was a Dark and Snowy Night, by Emily Salvette

...but the mood was bright at the celebration of liberty on the evening of February 5, 2011. LibertyFest was held at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center in Flint and was organized by LEC at-large director Denee Rockman-Moon. About 35 people braved snowy roads to enjoy the evening emceed by Jay Longtain, which included a speech by guest speaker Charlie Earl and the awarding of the 2010 Defender of Liberty awards.

Charles Earl and his lovely wife, Pat, were our honored guest for the evening. Charlie, who is a former Republican State Representative from Ohio, is now active in the Libertarian Party of Ohio and ran as the LP candidate for Ohio Secretary of State in 2010. His speech, MSRP for Liberty, focused on the value of liberty in society. He stressed how important it is for Libertarian Party members to speak up loud and proud about what we stand for and not discount the value of the product we are selling.

State Chair Emily Salvette presented the Libby awards to the winners. Chad Stevens won the Spokesperson of Liberty award. Chad is a businessman from Sault Saint Marie. He co-founded and leads the Northern Michigan Liberty Alliance, a non-partisan organization comprised of individuals and tea party groups that seek a return to constitutionally limited government, free markets and individual freedoms. William Gelineau was named the Promoter of Liberty for 2010. Bill has long been a driving force behind the LP of West Michigan, was the LPM state chair 2003-4, and has organized several of our recent state conventions. The final award, Producer of Liberty, was given to Brian Wright, who unfortunately could not be at the event due to the terrible weather. Brian has been involved in Michigan’s freedom movement since the founding of the party in 1972. He was LPM state chair in the early 1980s and is currently our webmaster and newsletter editor.

The Defender of Liberty award selection committee was made up of Emily Salvette, Denee Rockman-Moon, and Amy Kilbourne, PhD, MPH. Amy is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and Core Faculty Member in the VA Ann Arbor Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation Center (SMITREC). She grew up in California and John Hospers, first LP presidential candidate, is a family friend. The committee received many nominees this year and the selection was very difficult, but in the end, we honored 3 very worthy Defenders of Liberty.

The evening was a wonderful success and everyone enjoyed meeting old friends and making new ones as we wined and dined for Liberty. Thanks to our speaker, congratulations to our Libby Award winners, and all praise to the LibertyFest committee for organizing an elegant and well-run event. Denee Rockman-Moon would like to thank everyone who attended and made donations that evening. “This is a great party to be a part of,” she notes, “and I hope to help out more.” That’s the LibertyFest spirit!

Convention 2011—"Bring a Friend to the Party"

Saturday, April 30, 2011
Valley Plaza Resort, Midland

As the snow begins to melt around the State, it's time to start thinking about the new opportunities to spread the word of liberty. Let's use the next few weeks to identify friends and other kindred spirits to come to the LPM convention this year.

With the continued growth of interest in the values of Libertarians, this year is a great opportunity for new members and others to learn more and get engaged in the activist opportunities of the LPM. Unlike nominating conventions, the off-year gathering presents a great opportunity to both learn and contribute to the plans and activities that drive the freedom message. Plans include several breakout sessions:

• Libertarianism 101—a great chance for new members and others to discuss the presentation of liberty-focused ideas.


• The Active Campaign—Nuts and Bolts for taking your candidacy to the next level In addition to several interesting speakers, there will be opportunities to meet and engage leadership, hear both statewide and affiliate activities, and offer ideas of your own about our movement. Don´t miss the evening banquet—which year after year has been a great time for all.

The Convention will take place at the Valley Plaza Resort in Midland. See: http://www.valleyplazaresort.com/.  Alongside the LPM convention, this venue offers a wide range of conveniences. If you would like to get involved with the Convention Committee, contact Bill Gelineau @ 616-723-2776 or freedomlover59@hotmail.com.

Watch for updates shortly on the the main LPM website at www.mi.lp.org for registration forms and online registration.

All the progressive elected officials (both Republican and Democrat), economists, and talking heads, when discussing the economic meltdown, will cite their three favorite talking points.

1. It was caused by a failure of the free market system
2. It was caused by insufficient government regulation
3. Nobody saw it coming

If you think any of these points have any validity what so ever, read Representative Ron Paul’s speech below—note the date—again and again, if necessary, until reality sets in. In the mean time, nothing has changed to UN-distort the markets. Time is running out.

If you want to save our country from descending into a third world country where the ‘new normal’ is high unemployment, jobs moving overseas, and the continuous decline of the middle class by way of transferring the resources of we the people to politicians and the politically well-connected large banks and Wall Street firms through bail-outs and inflation, you must act!

The meltdown could not have happened if the Congress and president had adhered to the law of the land, The Constitution. Unfortunately, the Constitution cannot enforce itself. It only functions when the voters understand it, and only vote for candidates who also understand and respect it.

Please read the Constitution (it’s only a few pages) and the Federalist Papers and learn of the great vision our founders had for ensuring a free and prosperous nation. Then, scrutinize the statements of candidates to determine their respect or lack-there-of for it, and support those who cherish its design (when you can find any), and oppose those who don’t.

Please attend rallies of organizations that cherish the Constitution (like the Tea Party), and support organizations that work to defend it (the Libertarian party, the Constitution Law party etc.). There is hope. Yes, we can change. We are now experiencing a gradual reawakening in the hearts and minds of the American people of the brilliant vision of individual liberty and responsibility given to us by our founders.

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
— C. S. Lewis

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Like the First Amendment (the right to free speech and assembly)...the Fourth Amendment (the right to privacy in your home and papers)...and the Fifth Amendment (the right not to be forced to testify against yourself), the Second has a relentless and well organized lobby of enemies. The Second Amendment is the right to have the means to protect yourself. Here's what happened in Australia when the people there decided to give in and let the government have its way. From our good friends at 2AmendmentTV.com: http://www.2ndamendmenttv.com/page/1159.html

Please submit photos and cartoons for inclusion in the monthly newsletter by sending them to E-Newsletter@michiganlp.org

The following review excerpts are courtesy LPM Webmaster Brian Wright's commentary and review site, The Coffee Coaster. If you would like to submit book or movie reviews (or commentary and articles for that matter) please notify the editor.

Movie Review
The Ghost Writer (2010)
Uncommonly truth-based political thriller __ 8/10

Finally, it's refreshing to find a film that brings up the war crimes of the Bush-Blair administrations and suggests there are still human beings in Western governments—at least in convincing fiction—who speak of trials and prosecution of the Neocons and their armies of torturing/murdering psychotics set loose on the world through false-flag state terror operations by overlords of the USG. By implication, the writers also indict as war criminals leaders of the present administrations who do nothing to make things right. Hey, LaBama, if you're against torture how about some prosecutions of those who are for it... in practice? Magnificent. [Full Review]

Book Review
The Conquest of Paradise (1992)
Decomposing the Columbus myth five centuries too late
by Kirkpatrick Sales

"Columbus is above all the figure with whom the Modern Age—the age by which we may delineate these past 500 years—properly begins, and in his character as in his exploits we are given an extraordinary insight into the patterns that shaped the age at its start and still for the most part shape it today. He is the figure as well who was primarily responsible for the ways in which the culture of Europe was implanted in the Americas, under not only Spanish flags but subsequent banners too, and his extraordinary career, very like his sailing routes, was the model for all those that came after. And he is the figure who, more than any other, provided the legacy by which European civilization came to dominate the American world for five centuries with consequences, we now realize, involving nothing less than issues of life and death." [Full Review]

Take a stroll down memory lane with this excerpt from one of the longest-running state Libertarian newsletters. Today, check out the April 1992 issue. Click on this link for the full PDF version of this newsletter.

Newsletter editor Greg Stempfle has compiled the entire body of available Michigan Libertarian newsletters up on this page of the LPM Website.

Please submit letters to the editor here, along with any personal communications that may pertain to the LPM:

March 1 **NEW DAY!** LP of Washtenaw County Monthly Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor). The LP of Washtenaw County has changed its meetings to the first Tuesday of every month. You can see more announcements and information regarding the LPWC at its new website, http://lpwc.wordpress.com. Contact LPWC Chair, Paul Giuliano, pgiulian@umich.edu

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March 2 – LP of South West Michigan Executive Committee Meeting – 6:00 – 6:50 pm at IHOP, 1981 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor. Guests are welcome. Followed by: Round Table Political Forum hosted by the LP of South West Michigan. 7-9 pm at The Livery, 190 Fifth St, Benton Harbor. Visitors are welcome to participate. Contact Bill Bradley, wbradley@i2k.com 269-637-4525, or Dan Grow, grow.daniel@gmail.com.

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March 3 – Wayne County LP Monthly Meeting – 7 p.m. - Kiernans Steak House, 21931 Michigan Ave, Dearborn (at Monroe). Contact Ray Warner, 313-598-3666

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March 3 – Livingston County LP Monthly Meeting - 7-8:30 pm. The Livingston County LP meets the first Thursday of each month at Cleary's Irish Pub, 117 E Grand River Ave, Howell 48843 (non-smoking area). The meeting will have 4 parts: Mingling (over dinner, if you want), studies in liberty, news and party business. Contact Tim Keirnan Chair.LivingstonLP@gmail.com

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March 7 – Great Lakes Bay Region LP - Monthly Meeting – The group meets on the 1st Monday of the month. Dinner at 6, meeting at 7 at Damon’s, 4960 Towne Centre Rd, Saginaw Township, MI 48604 (off Tittabawassee, just west of I-675 at exit 6). Everyone interested in liberty from Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola counties is invited. Contact Al Chia, chia4senate@gmail.com or Denee Rockman-Moon, denee.rockman-moon@live.com.

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March 8 – Capital Area LP Monthly Meeting – 7 pm at former LPM office, 2722 E Michigan Ave, Ste 22, Lansing (park and enter in back). Contact Will Tyler White, 517-349-3806, whitewi5@msu.edu

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March 8 – LP of West Michigan Monthly Meeting – 6:30 pm. Join the LPWM on the second Tuesday in January at Perkins Restaurant, 5121 28th St SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512 (just off I 96). Contact Nick Sundquist, Nicholas.sundquist@yahoo.com, 231-750-5468

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March 12 – LPM Leadership and Strategy Meeting – 1 - 4 pm at the Hampton Inn Lansing, 525 N Canal Rd, Lansing (of I-96 at Saginaw). Free. All Libertarian Party of Michigan activists are invited to discuss leadership, strategies, and the future of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. Contact Emily Salvette chair@mi.lp.org, 734-645-5809.

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March 13 - Libertarian Executive Committee Meeting – 4:00 pm teleconference. All LPM members may dial in to listen 218-844-3366, pin #576532 (long distance charges may apply).  Contact Emily Salvette chair@mi.lp.org.

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March 16 – LPOC Annual County Convention – The LP of Oakland County will hold its annual county convention to amend the bylaws and elect new county officers. All members highly encouraged to attend. 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 meeting. Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile (2 blocks east of Greenfield), Berkley. Contact Jim Fulner, fulner@gmail.com

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March 16 – Libertarians of Macomb County Monthly Meeting - All members of the Libertarian Party, their friends and family, and anyone interested in learning more about the LP are invited to attend. The meeting begins at 7:30 but feel free to join us for good food and conversation at 6:30 pm at the Loon River Café, 34911 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights. Contact Jim Allison, jim.e.allison@gmail.com

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March 22 – LP of West Michigan Annual Convention – 6 pm at Brann’s Steakhouse, 5510 28th St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512. The purpose of this convention is to elect new leadership, share in camaraderie, discuss business issues and plans that impact the West Michigan affiliate, and to discuss some of the state party plans. We STRONGLY encourage you to bring a friend--you never know who may be seeking an alternative choice and doesn't know one is out there! RSVP: Justin Robillard, robil1jr@cmich.edu; Dan Johnson, dan.johnson40@gmail.com; Josh Lillie, joshlillie77@gmail.com; or Bill Gelineau, freedomlover59@hotmail.com

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March 22 – LP of Calhoun County Monthly Meeting - Executive Committee, 7 p.m. Please contact Jack Worsham for location. (269) 963-2679, WORSHAM74@aol.com

March 31 – Thirty Day Membership Deadline for Convention Voting – Anyone who has never been a member of the LPM must join by this date to be eligible to vote at the April 30 convention. Go to http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared%20Documents/Join%20Us.aspx to join online.

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April 4 – Great Lakes Bay Region LP - Monthly Meeting – The group meets on the 1st Monday of the month. Dinner at 6, meeting at 7 at Damon’s, 4960 Towne Centre Rd, Saginaw Township, MI 48604 (off Tittabawassee, just west of I-675 at exit 6). Everyone interested in liberty from Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola counties is invited. Contact Al Chia, chia4senate@gmail.com or Denee Rockman-Moon, denee.rockman-moon@live.com.

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April 5 – LPM Bylaws and Platform Changes due – Proposed changes must be submitted in writing by this date for consideration at the state convention. Send Platform changes to grow.daniel@gmail.com and Bylaws changes to jlongtain@yahoo.com.

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April 5 - LP of Washtenaw County Monthly Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor). LPWC now meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month. See its website at http://lpwc.wordpress.com. Contact Paul Giuliano, pgiulian@umich.edu.

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April 6 – LP of South West Michigan Executive Committee Meeting – 6:00 – 6:50 pm at IHOP, 1981 Pipestone Rd., Benton Harbor. Guests are welcome. Followed by: Round Table Political Forum hosted by the LP of South West Michigan. 7-9 pm at The Livery, 190 Fifth St, Benton Harbor. Visitors are welcome to participate. Contact Bill Bradley, wbradley@i2k.com 269-637-4525, or Dan Grow, grow.daniel@gmail.com.

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April 7 – Wayne County LP Monthly Meeting – 7 p.m. - Kiernans Steak House, 21931 Michigan Ave, Dearborn (at Monroe). Contact Ray Warner, 313-598-3666

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April 7 – Livingston County LP - 7-8:30 pm. The Livingston County LP meets the first Thursday of each month at Cleary's Irish Pub, 117 E Grand River Ave, Howell 48843 (non-smoking area). The meeting will have 4 parts: Mingling (over dinner, if you want), studies in liberty, news and party business. Contact Tim Keirnan Chair.LivingstonLP@gmail.com.

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April 12 – LP of West Michigan Monthly Meeting – 6:30 pm. Join the LPWM on the second Tuesday of the month at Perkins Restaurant, 5121 28th St SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512 (just off I 96). Contact Nick Sundquist, Nicholas.sundquist@yahoo.com, 231-750-5468

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April 12 – Capital Area LP Monthly Meeting – 7 pm at former LPM office, 2722 E Michigan Ave, Ste 22, Lansing (park and enter in back). Contact Will Tyler White, 517-349-3806, whitewi5@msu.edu

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April 20 – Libertarians of Macomb County Monthly Meeting - All members of the Libertarian Party, their friends and family, and anyone interested in learning more about the LP are invited to attend. The meeting begins at 7:30 but feel free to join us for good food and conversation at 6:30 pm at the Loon River Café, 34911 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights. Contact Jim Allison, jim.e.allison@gmail.com

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April 20 – LP of Oakland County Monthly Meeting – The LP of Oakland County meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 meeting. Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile (2 blocks east of Greenfield), Berkley. Contact Jim Fulner, fulner@gmail.com

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April 26 – LP of Calhoun County Monthly Meeting - Executive Committee, 7 p.m. Please contact Jack Worsham for location. (269) 963-2679, WORSHAM74@aol.com

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April 30 – Libertarian Party of Michigan State Convention – All day – Valley Plaza Resort, Midland. Training and workshops, revision of state platform and bylaws, election of state officers.  Contact Bill Gelineau freedomlover59@hotmail.com.

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More...

For all events, see the full online calendar on the Website:
http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared Documents/Calendar.aspx

The Michigan Libertarian ONLINE is distributed on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news articles by the 25th of the prior month to:
e-newsletter@michiganlp.org

Note: The final print edition of the Michigan Libertarian is available online at http://www.mi.lp.org/Past%20Newsletters/ Michigan%20Libertarian%2038.2%20summer%202009.pdf

The Michigan Libertarian is published/posted on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news/articles to e-newsletter@michiganlp.org by the 25th of the prior month.

The Michigan Libertarian is one of the longest-running Libertarian newsletters in the country, debuting in 1973 shortly after the founding of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. The "new" Michigan Libertarian (a predominantly online version) debuted on August 1, 2009 and replaced the weekly LPMOnline and the printed-and-mailed ML.  We will post the newsletter on the Website and deliver via email on the first of every month. A printed version of the new Michigan Libertarian will be sent free to anyone who signs up, which you may do at the LPM web site www.mi.lp.org (or www.michiganlp.org).

LPM members who need a hard copy may request one be mailed to them by contacting
e-newsletter@michiganlp.org or calling the LPM toll-free number 888-Free-Now.

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Newsletter URL (Webpage address for this issue of the ML):
http://www.michiganlp.org/ENewsletters/201103/201103_ML.html

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