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Welcome to the February 2015 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 Website www.michiganlp.org).

From Mary
chair@michiganlp.org

"You know, at one time, I used to break into pet shops to liberate the canaries. But I decided that was an idea way before its time. Zoos are full, prisons are overflowing... oh my, how the world still dearly loves a cage." — Maude (Ruth Gordon) from Harold and Maude (1972)

I have two items to announce that are important to the future of the party.

LPM Leadership Meeting March 14 in Lansing

Four years ago our former chair Emily Salvette hosted a leadership meeting and from what I remember it was very productive. Therefore, I would like to invite all Libertarian Party leaders and activists (former and future) to a meeting on Saturday, March 14 in Lansing. I would like to host it at the Capitol Area LP HQ 2722 East Michigan Ave., from 1 - 4 pm. It will be free, no advanced reservations required, and refreshments will be served.

I will be contacting the Lansing folks this week and hopefully the space will be available. If not, I’ll arrange another and let you know. There’s a reason why I’m making this free, easy and bribing you with food…We need to discuss our future. As far as I know all the people on the LEC are not running for re-election and several major committee chairmanships are waiting to be filled.

Some affiliates are looking for active leadership, and we all need good ways to turn names on an inquiry list into active volunteers. We also need a chance to talk about strategies and plan how we can better recruit candidates and engage voters to win races in the next election cycle. We have a lot to talk about.

Mark your calendars for State Convention 2015

This year’s convention will be held on Saturday May 9th at the Holiday Inn-W (Western Michigan University), 2747 South Eleventh Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. I met with members of the convention committee on Saturday (Jan 31st) and it’s shaping up to be a great event.

Registration will start this month or no later than March 1st. So stay tuned for further announcements. 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 May 9th state convention in Kalamazoo, Kim Moore and Jeff Wood will be handling bylaws revisions. The current Bylaws can be accessed at http://michiganlp.org/?page_id=81 Members with proposed changes to the Bylaws should submit them in writing to kmoore_libertarian@ymail.com or jeffwood531@gmail.com.

We are still in need of Platform Committee Chair. If you wish to take on that very important task please contact me at mary.buzuma@att.net The current Platform can be accessed at http://michiganlp.org/?page_id=53 I will be attending the monthly meeting of the Washtenaw (Feb 4) and Wayne affiliates (Feb 5). I hope to see you there.

In Liberty,

Mary

Greg Stempfle reports via Facebook and posted here:

• Mary Buzuma: 35,570 votes (1.13%), Governor, LPM best ever
• James Lewis: 60,874 votes (1.98%), Secretary of State, LPM best ever
• Jim Fulner: 62,623 votes (2.01%), US Senator, only minor to exceed 2% since Jon Coon
• State House average percentage 4.96%, LPM best ever
• District 61, Michael Stampfler: 2,941 votes (8.88%), LPM best ever since Coon (15.74%)
• State Senate average percentage 4.47%, LPM best ever
• District 20, Lorence Wenke: 7,263 votes (9.03%), best ever for any 3d party
• Congress average: 2.03%, best except 2012 (2.31%)
• Ed Boards: two LPM candidates finish in top three for all races

In summary, we did well. Much to digest and look positively upon. Stempfle post.

Will White of the Capital Area Libertarians testified before the House Committee on Elections and Ethics on November 17, 2014 regarding HB 5974, which modifies current election law. Closing as follows:

"It is encouraging to see this issue before the legislature, but since all legislators are members of the two parties affected, it is clearly a conflict of interest. Any changes to electoral college votes or the election system should be brought before the voters to decide. The electoral college system is primarily a federal issue anyway, with states only allowed to determine the manner of appointing electors. Ideally all states would use the same system. Enacting legislation like this that benefits the two parties writing it is unethical and violates the very first section of the Michigan Constitution cited above. Excluding entire classes of voters from equal participation in the electoral process is certainly grounds for a legal challenge as a civil rights violation."

Full testimony may be found on this pdf file. And it is expected that a video will appear on Bruce Fealk's YouTube channel. Check with Will White here.

By Scotty Boman

To make calls I am looking for people with a phone and an internet accessible computer. They need to be using both at once, so this may not work if they are using the phone for the computer. Most importantly, volunteers need to follow through on their promises. Anyone with good penmanship can hand-address envelopes. If the volunteers are far away, we can still work something out to handle shipping issues.

Scotty

Guest Column by Neil Carrick

Dear Friends,

Many of you may know this already but I will be speaking at the Wayne County Libertarian Party Monthly meeting next Thursday (2/5/15) regarding Libertarian ideas on marriage and my lawsuit and generally about Religious Freedom. I hope you can join us.

If you heard my radio interview with Bob Dutko you know that I spoke about my views on marriage as being a libertarian view. It is not simply about a single group being able to marry to me. But that all people should have the right to do as they please in their houses of worship so long as abuse or fraud are not taking place.

I have had people try to drag me down over the same sex and polygamy component, my views on it, my religious beliefs, even discussions on my divorce and churches I have worked for, personal information etc. But when everybody gets to the issue, few disagree that the state of Michigan should have this kind of power over people.

I hope you support my efforts, I hope you come and listen to what I have to say and I pray you will join me in this effort to change the law or at least the manner in which it is viewed and enforced in this state. Here is a link to the event on the Religious Freedom in Michigan page https://www.facebook.com/events/381456748702841/

If you like to be part of this effort please feel free to write or call me.

Neil Patrick Carrick 734-469-0122
neilpatrickcarrick@gmail.com

Commentary by Jason Brandenburg, Southwest Michigan Affiliate 

After the historic losses of Democrats in the 2014 election…A ‘100 year sweep’, ‘Republican landslide’, ‘Dems may never recover’. While the Republican tidal wave is significant, let’s not forget this recent election unfolded with the backdrop of historically low opinion polls of all sides at all levels. Before Republicans become too smug in their 2014 victory, they would be wise to remember they are one messianic snake oil salesman away from becoming irrelevant (see 2008).

Every two years both major parties do an excellent job of turning literally one half of America against the other. In 2016 the spin machines spew forth all kinds of nasty stuff yet again, much of it true. Years of ugly rhetoric from all forms of media has left the modern voter going to the polls, not to vote FOR something, but rather voting against the party they believe to be the “bad guys”. Every four to eight years one side manages to win enough seats to push back on the other and stakes are raised yet again.

It’s funny how incoming lawmakers are more than happy to leverage the very issues they just blasted the other side for during the campaign. The cleverest politicians keep a public distance between what they say and what they do. Some Republicans have already started tempering expectations for actions against the Affordable Care Act. Obama did essentially the same on Iraq, national debt, spying on Americans, and any number of other unconstitutional pet projects he had waiting to deploy.

[please read remainder of column here: http://michiganlp.org/?p=3343]

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The American university system is enormous and it plays an enormous role in making the nation what it is — it is not too much to say, in fact, that it is an equal partner in the military-industrial-academic complex that essentially runs the country. — Kirkpatrick Sale

 

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Take a stroll down memory lane with this excerpt from one of the longest-running state Libertarian newsletters. Click on this link for the full online version of this newsletter.

Former editor and LPM archivist Greg Stempfle has compiled the entire body of available Michigan Libertarian newsletters up on this page of the LPM Website (most if not all of the newsletters have been transferred over to the new site if you have a particular issue you're interested in and it doesn't show up on the page, please contact Webmaster@michiganlp.org).

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More... For all events, see the full online calendar on the Website:
http://michiganlp.org/?page_id=61. Note for those who do not have online access, please contact your local affiliate representative or call the office at 1-888-FREENOW (373-3669) to get a description of events in your area. 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.michiganlp.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.michiganlp.org (or www.mi.lp.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 (888-373-3669). Subscribe/Unsubscribe to Newsletter [Note: Just send us a message via our Contact page, and we will add you to the list.] We respect all unsubscribe requests.

Newsletter URL (Webpage address for this issue of the ML):
http://old.michiganlp.org/ENewsletters/201502/201502_ML.html

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