![]()
Quote of the Month [main]
We have many opportunities ahead of us. The folly of big government is becoming apparent even to casual political observers. The number of people rising up to question heretofore unquestionable institutions, such as teachers unions, are increasing and getting louder. The initial actions of many Republicans who rode into office in November have not been particularly bold or liberty-advancing. In fact, some are promoting bigger government in support of their social agendas. So, the cause of individual freedom, personal responsibility and tolerance for others’ choices still needs a clear voice. For forty years that voice has been the Libertarian Party. With your help the LP will continue to be a growing voice in the coming years. Like all volunteer organizations, the LPM could do more if it had more money, volunteers and leadership. I encourage you to lend a hand in this worthy endeavor. Make a donation, volunteer to help run your local affiliate (or if there isn’t one in your area, start one), come to the state convention and run for a state office. It’s clear to me Michigan still needs a Libertarian Party, and the Libertarian Party still needs you so it can grow into the voice of freedom Michigan needs. Thanks for everything these past two years, and thanks in advance for supporting the party and its leadership in the years to come. [For the full chair report (and convention rules for the upcoming convention) please refer to the PDF link here.]
With this being the final newsletter I will be writing as Vice Chair…I had to take some time to step back and look at the year in review. And what an amazing year it was! We had great success in filling ballot positions in the 2010 elections. We had some extremely active campaigns by passionate Libertarians. From Jay Longtain, Jim Rogers, Ken Proctor, to some of the statewide races like Bob Willett. 2010 was a year where we made a presence and had a great deal of success. We have seen some affiliates picking up steam (Livingston County) and even have a new affiliate (finally) for some folks from the U.P. to be able to call their own (Straits Libertarian Party aka SLaP). We had an excellent convention last year and hope to have an excellent one this year as well. We have organized meetings for training of candidates as well as meetings for leadership to step forward from the fold and be ready to lead the charge during the next year. All in all, this has been beyond encouraging and exciting. There will be a shift in leadership in the upcoming convention. It is my hope that those that step up to take the mantle of freedom will wish to develop new ideas for growth, retention and for a distribution of responsibilities throughout the organization, that by doing so will allow MORE individuals to do MORE for the party. It is an exciting time to be a Libertarian indeed. Dan Johnson
(freedomlover59@hotmail.com) Convention 2011—"Bring a Friend to the Party"
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. "Call a Friend! Do it today!" 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:
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. Early Bird registration rates have been extended to April 4, but you must still have been a Libertarian member by 3/31/11 to be able to vote. Watch for any updates on the the main LPM website at www.mi.lp.org. James Lewis Seeks LPM Chair Position
I am writing today to let you know of my intention to run for the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Michigan at the state convention on April 30, 2011. As such I thought I would take a minute to let you know a bit about me and where I believe I could help the party as your State Chair. I am a business owner and have been a champion of liberty since I began to work my way through college. My formal background and education is in economics and finance based on free market principles and Austrian economics. As such I am a firm believer in economic freedom, personal liberties and limited government. As your State Chair, I would have three goals.
Check my full letter here for details. I would love to hear from you and get your input about my ideas and plans if I were to become your State Chair. Please email me at electjameshlewis@gmail.com. I would be honored if you voted me for State Chair and look forward to seeing you all at the convention on April 30th in Midland. In Liberty, James H. Lewis II Denee Rockman-Moon Seeks LPM Treasurer Position Hello Fellow Libertarians,
It is with great pride that I have been able to help this party grow and prosper for many years to come. At the upcoming state convention, the treasurer position will be opening up from the hands of Erin Stahl. I have been approached by Erin and other members of the board to run for this position. I have a great interest in obtaining this position and feel that I would be a first-rate treasurer. I have an MBA (Master in Business Administration), the background knowledge of what the position entails, and experience in the current programs. Please consider voting for me as the new Treasurer for the Michigan Libertarian Party on Saturday April 30th. Thank you for this opportunity and if you would like to talk to me before the convention, please feel free to give me a call. Your Friend in Liberty, Denee Rockman-Moon
Mary Buzuma Seeks LEC Director Position Dear Friends of Liberty, My name is Mary Buzuma and I will be a candidate for LEC Director. I recently moved to Michigan from Virginia where I was an active member of the Tidewater Libertarian Party (treasurer) and the 2nd Congressional District Representative to the Virginia State Libertarian Party. I was also a delegate to the Libertarian National Convention in 2008. It's hard being a “transplant”, but n the short time after my arrival from Virginia I’ve met some really great people both in the LPWM (of which I am a member) and in the Libertarian Party of Michigan. They have all made me feel more than welcome. This is why I want to put my energy and experience to work for the Libertarian Party in Michigan. The Libertarian Party is the only party of principle and our time is now. I look forward to meeting all of you at the convention. Mary Buzuma Others Who Have Indicated Interest in LPM Offices and Committees The recent Leadership Conference resulted in the following individuals showing their interest in filling openings in the LPM leadership structure:
Volunteers for state-level committees:
Affiliate Guidelines are Coming—Your Input Needed! Jay Longtain and others will be developing affiliate guidelines to help local LP groups know how to interact more effectively with the state and national LP, other affiliates and their communities. Your input would be very helpful in crafting this document. What do you think you need to know or do to run a successful affiliate? What have you found in your affiliate that works well? Please send ideas, suggestions, experiences, successes to Jay at jlongtain@yahoo.com by May 15. Campus Outreach Coordinator appointed Shyler Engel’s appointment as LPM Campus Outreach Director was confirmed. Shyler is a recent Seaton Hall Law School grad who has just moved to the Grand Rapids area. He has worked with the Federalist Society and Students for Liberty. He will begin by distributing a survey to find out what Libertarian things are happening on our state’s campuses. He’ll also reach out to current student Libertarian and liberty-oriented groups. He will be helping coordinate the student outreach workshop at the state convention. Contact Shyler at shyler.engel@gmail.com. Straits Libertarian Party (SLaP) approved as LPM’s newest affiliate The LEC voted unanimously to accept SLAP’s bylaws and list of officers to create the affiliate, which covers Cheboygan, Chippewa, Emmet and Mackinac counties. The chair is James Johnson (minidu@gmail.com), Vice Chair is Chad Stevens, Treasurer is Jude Reed and Liz Zajac is Secretary. Congratulations to our newest affiliate, and to LPM Affiliate Director Dan Johnson, who worked tirelessly to make this happen. Libertarian National Committee Meeting and State Leadership Conference Columbus, OH, in August The Libertarian State Leadership Alliance will hold its annual conference on Friday, August 19 from 9:45 am-6 pm at the Chestnut Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The LSLA is an organization of state chairs and other state leaders from around the country. In addition to a business meeting for the state chairs, there will be workshops and social events. There will be a joint LSLA-LNC reception on Friday from 6-8 pm. LPM leaders should take advantage of the training and networking opportunities so close to Michigan. The cost is only $35 per person. For more information or to register, visit http://lsla.lpin.org/ A Libertarian National Committee meeting is being held in the same hotel Saturday, August 20-21. All LNC meetings are open to LP members. This is a great opportunity for Michigan LP members to see your national leadership in action. (c/o Dan Johnson dan.johnson40@gmail.com) The annual meeting of the Libertarian Party of West Michigan was held on March 22 in Grand Rapids.
Chairman Dan Johnson and his team addressed a packed house to conduct their yearly event at which the accomplishments of the previous year were r Joe Cassius (rightmost in photo, with Dan Johnson) of Coldwater was recognized for this year's Guardian of Liberty Award. Joe is a former employee of Walmart Corporation who was dismissed when a random drug test revealed his ongoing treatment for cancer with medically approved marijuana. Since that time, Joe has pressed his case in Federal Court. He spoke passionately to the LPWM membership about the difficulty in obtaining treatment of his serious medical condition, pain management, and a strong desire to help support his wife and children despite his condition. New officers were selected at the meeting. Larry Warner was chosen as Chairman. Chaz Rodriguez was selected as the Vice-Chair. Tom Hren (Treasurer) and Nicholas Sundquist (Secretary) were both re-elected. Dan Johnson, as immediate past chair, was affirmed as Board Advisor for the coming year. These officers will be chosing the remainder of the Executive Committee at their next meeting. Several members have already made commitments to website management, community outreach, TV Discussion Group, and other committee positions. Members are encouraged to get involved....and can reach Chairman Larry Warner at the_real_radnex@yahoo.com. This morning, I was reviewing my e-mail and spotted an item from the Mackinac Center referencing a new telecommunications deregulatory bill now pending in the Michigan House. Michigan Capitol Confidential reported: "The Michigan House is looking at how much regulation of old landline phones is needed in the age of wireless devices." Well, I clicked on the hyperlink and started reviewing Michigan House Bill 4314, introduced by Republican Rep. Ken Horn of Frankenmuth. And after reading the bill, I am shocked. This bill is a total sell-out of consumer protection and will allow large corporations to ride rough-shod over the public, while contributing to a significant deterioration of the quality of telephone service available to individuals and businesses in this state. This bill has little to do with deregulating landline phones. What is does is boost corporate profits and removes checks and balances on corporate power. I also note with great interest that Horn is one of the Legislature's largest recipients of telephone industry political contributions. The bill can be found here: An excellent, independent analysis of the bill can be found here. I know from my past experiences as the owner of an Internet company and a Washington journalist covering the FCC and telecommunications industry on a daily basis for seven years that the large phone companies are anti-competitive and threats to the economic competitiveness of America. Please refer to my complete article on the subject of HB 4314; your comments are sincerely encouraged. Pat Clawson (c/o Kevin Takenaga ktakenaga@ca.lp.org) The official website for Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 includes a database of all theaters where the film will open in the United States on April 15 (http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/theaters). Without a major Hollywood studio behind the production, the distribution plan for the film is modeled after several successful internet campaigns to generate interest and excitement online through social networking sites (e.g. Paranormal Activity, a film made on a $15,000 shoestring budget in 2007 that ultimately grossed over $107 million, largely by having people request screenings at their local theater). We'd like to ask Libertarians to click on the "Demand" button at http://eventful.com/performers/atlas-shrugged-part-1-/P0-001-000245241-9/demand?widget=1&viral=0 and input their zip code to ask that the film be booked at a nearby theater. If enough people request a screening in a certain area, the producers will contact a theater nearby with confidence that the engagement will be profitable. The more money the film makes on its opening weekend, the more likely they will be to expand the release to more theaters in the following weeks. It is also important to link your local party's tax day protests to the film's premiere. Since the income tax deadline has been extended to April 18 this year (thanks to shenanigans in Washington, D.C.), Libertarians have TWO opportunities for tax day publicity, one on the traditional April 15 that can be associated with the film's premiere, and one on the 18th at post offices that stay open late for last-minute filers. Media attention on both days can help to promote not only your local party, but the film as well. Many more people have heard about Atlas Shrugged than have ever read the novel, so an opportunity to see a faithful adaptation can encourage more people to seek out the book, read it and become educated in the philosophy of self-reliance and freedom. Let's do our part to spread the word about the film and about our own local activities.
Take a stroll down memory lane with this excerpt from one of the longest-running state Libertarian newsletters. Today, check out the March-April 2001 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. ![]() Dear Leadership of the Libertarian Party, I am writing you to inform you about recent events threatening firearms rights in Michigan. As you may know, Michigan law preempts firearms regulations by local government. Recently, the Capitol Area District Library in the Lansing area banned firearms possession in its facilities claiming the Library can do so because it is an “authority” and not a local government. A judge in the 30th Circuit Court for Ingham County, Michigan has issued a Preliminary Injunction authorizing the Library's gun ban and enjoining ALL MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC from openly carrying a holstered firearm in this public library, subject to the court's contempt powers. The Library's director has stated under oath that his goal is to BAN all firearms from the Library (open and concealed carry). The Library is also asking the judge to declare all public libraries as K-12 schools so that under Michigan and federal law they will become gun free zones. This Court case has chilling implications for the Right to Keep and Bear arms in
Michigan.... Dan Meadows
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 Subscribe/Unsubscribe to Newsletter ### |