MICHIGAN LIBERTARIAN
June 2021
In This Issue:
- Official 2021 Libertarian Party of MI Call to Convention
- Using Political Signs During Your Campaign
- Convention Hype: The LP Michigan 2021 Extravaganza!
- Officers & Staff
- Upcoming Events
Contributions welcome
We welcome new contributions with careful attention to our guidelines. Articles for the next issue of the Michigan Libertarian must be submitted to chair@michiganlp.org, and newsletter@michiganlp.org no later than the 20th of each month. This allows for publication on the first of each month. We routinely post articles to the website homepage ahead of our publication date.
Special thanks are in order to circulation editor Catherine Filus for her continued work, behind the scenes, to get these issues to our readers. Also to Jeff Pittel and James Weeks who have been exceptionally helpful with the transition from MailChimp to CiviCRM, which we will be using for distributions moving forward.
The Libertarian Party of Michigan depends on contributions to carry out it's mission Please Visit us at MichiganLP.org and scroll down to the bottom of our homepage to gain access to our contribution form.
Back to ContentsOfficial 2021 Libertarian Party of MI Call to Convention
By Greg Stempfle, Chair
The Official 2021 Libertarian Party of Michigan State Convention will be held the weekend of June 26th through 27th, 2021, at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mt. Pleasant.
Saturday June 26 Official Business Session and Banquet
The business meeting will be held during the day on Saturday to consider LPM business which will include the election of state party officers and proposals to amend the LPM platform and bylaws. There will also be a lunch program and the Liberty Fest Banquet in the evening. Anyone may attend the convention, but only delegates, or in their absence their alternates, will be able to vote.Sunday June 27 Training Seminars and Speakers
A second day full of training seminars and speakers will be held on Sunday along with breakfast and lunch programs. All official business will be conducted on Saturday.Convention Registration
You can register for the convention by following this official link:https://michiganlp.org/event/2021-libertarian-party-of-michigan-spring-convention-2021-06-26/
The deadline to join the Libertarian Party of Michigan to be eligible to be a delegate to the convention is May 27. You can join the party at michiganlp.org/donate/
Convention Speakers
Saturday Speakers
Lunch - Spike Cohen
- Presentation of silent auction itemsPre-Banquet - Justin Amash, Spike Cohen
- Photo opportunities for saleLiberty Fest Banquet, Libby Awards
- Larry Sharpe - MC, Libby Awards Presenter
- Justin Amash Keynote Speech
- Spike and Tasha Cohen - Culture of Winning
- Larry Sharpe - Training
- Cara Schulz - Candidate Training
- Angela McArdle - Affiliate Building
- Shane Hazel - Georgia Senate Race, Helios Initiative
- Magnus Panvidya - The Boogaloo and You!
- Decriminalize Nature MI - Campaign to legalize entheogens in Michigan
Prices and Packages
Official Convention Weekend Package
Includes Saturday Lunch, Saturday Liberty Fest Banquet, Sunday Attendance, Sunday Breakfast, and Sunday Lunch.
$170
Saturday Package
Includes Saturday Lunch, and Saturday Liberty Fest Banquet
$80
Sunday Package
Includes Sunday Attendance, Sunday Breakfast, and Sunday Lunch
$95
A La Carte
- Saturday Attendance: $0
- Saturday Lunch: $35
- Saturday Liberty Fest Banquet: $50
- Sunday Attendance: $40
- Sunday Breakfast: $25
- Sunday Lunch: $35
- Printout of Convention Materials: $10
- Vendor Table: $100 - Email Connor Nepomuceno (cjnepo1@gmail.com)
Sponsorship
Opportunities for Advertising and exposure at the event and in marketing materials are available. Please contact Andrew Chadderdon (andrew.chadderdon@gmail.com)
Hotel Reservations
The discounted guest room block is available on-line or by individual call-in for a rate of $189/night plus fees. Please go to www.soaringeaglecasino.com and click on Reserve Now or call 877-232-4532, Option #1 for Reservations. Please refer to "Libertarian Party of MI Executive Committee" or "Group Code" FMP062621. Attendees will need the "Group Code" (enter using the drop-down menu initially populated with "Promo Code") when making reservations on-line.
In case the room reservation indicates there are no rooms available at the discounted rate, please call the hotel at the number above to make the reservation by phone, and if any further challenges arise, contact Dan Ziemba (dz4liberty@gmail.com)
* Please note that Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort prohibits outside food or beverage on the premises.
How to Become a Delegate
Many affiliates have already selected some or all of their delegate spots. Below is a list of the current LPM affiliates and their chair or contact person. If you are interested in being a delegate from your affiliate, please reach out to your contact person to see if there are open spots available.
Affiliated Regions
Capital Area
(Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Shiawassee)
Luke Sciberras - CapitalAreaLP@gmail.com
Genesee County
(Genesee) Dave Canny - cannyds@gmail.comHuron-Raisin
(Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw)
Larry Johnson - MichLibertarian@gmail.com
Jackson-Hillsdale
(Hillsdale, Jackson)
Norm Peterson - norman.peterson@comcast.net
Livingston County
(Livingston)
James Weeks - jamestweeks@outlook.com
Macomb County
(Macomb)
Mike Saliba - themikesaliba@yahoo.com
NW Michigan Libertarians
(Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Wexford)
David Holmer - davidholmer@yahoo.com
Oakland County
(Oakland)
Paul Vainer - paul.vainer@gmail.com
SW Michigan
(Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St Joseph, Van Buren)
Jason Brandenburg - swmi4liberty@be-innovative.net
Straits Area LP
(Cheboygan, Emmet, Otsego, Presque Isle)
Andy Evans - amevans_1968@yahoo.com
Upper Peninsula
(Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft)
Ryan Roberts - Ryan_r03@hotmail.com
Wayne County
(Wayne)
Jami Van Alstine - jamiracquel2004@yahoo.com
West Michigan
(Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa)
Alex Avery - alexavery@jalchavware.com or LibertarianPartyofWestMichigan@gmail.com
Unaffiliated Regions
The four unaffiliated regions will hold their delegate selection caucus on June 12 at noon via zoom video conference. Members of the LPM living in these counties are encouraged to attend.
Mid-Michigan
(Bay, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw)Mid-North
(Arenac, Clare, Crawford, Gladwin, Iosco, Ogemaw, Roscommon)North-Eastern Lower Michigan
(Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda)Thumb Area
(Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, St Clair, Tuscola)LPM Unaffiliated Regions Caucus
June 12th, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89808851244
Or dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 898 0885 1244
Using Political Signs During Your Campaign
Donna Gundle-Krieg, Mancelona Township Trustee
"Using Political Signs During Your Campaign" is the sixth in a series of articles about "How to Get Elected as a Libertarian." This article focuses on how to effectively use political signs during your campaign.
In summary, while campaigning as a Libertarian, it is vital to be competitive with political signs, as distasteful as they may be to many of us.
Simply put, signs get your name out there. In addition to being an elected official, I am also a real estate broker and am well aware of the importance of being visible in a community, and becoming a "known commodity." Regardless of how much networking or internet marketing we do, our real estate signs are vital to market our properties and our company. It is no different for a political candidate.
Start by finding out what the sign restrictions are in your area, and make a list of people and businesses who you feel would be willing to put up a sign. You can then estimate how many signs you might need. You can always order more later as your campaign progresses.
Types of Political Signs and Where to Order
Political signs are usually very simple, and consist of the person's name and which political office they are running for. There also has to be a statement somewhere on the sign about who is paying for the signs.Of course, you need to choose a color. It is important for the sign to be very visible. Gold is the color of the Libertarian Party, but I used red for my signs as that is the color of my real estate company's logo.
The 18' x 24" size signs are best for most purposes. Of course, the bigger the sign, the more it will be seen. Depending on your campaign finances, it may be worth it to order larger signs for busy and high visible areas.
Most yard signs are made from corrugated plastic with vertical fluting so that wire stakes can be easily inserted. Anything made of regular cardboard will not survive weather, and stronger signs such as metal signs will be cost prohibitive.
Where should you order your signs? If there is anyone in town who can be competitive, try to buy your signs from a local business! Sadly, in my rural small town, I was unable to find anyone who charged less for signs than Vistaprint.
When and Where to Put Your Signs
If your municipality doesn't have a date dictating when signs go up, it's best to start placing them a couple months before the campaign, as many people vote early by absentee ballot.
You can also check for the local ordinances governing where signs can be placed. In my town, I was lucky enough to be able to put signs underneath stop signs at all the corners on the busy roads.
Don't be afraid to ask friends and family if you can put signs in their yard or at their business. All they can say is "no!"
While you are campaigning door to door, you can also ask friendly people if they will help you out.
I was able to put 100 signs in my township, which is 6 miles by 12 miles. By the end of the campaign, my signs were prevalent on major roads as well as private yards. Obviously, when you are campaigning for a regional or state position it's more difficult to cover larger areas, but I am hoping that most people reading this are attempting a winning campaign for a local position.
Of course, you will lose signs as the campaign progresses. Weather, opponents, and teenage pranksters commonly destroy signs. My favorite campaign story is when one of my favorite clients snapped a photo of someone stealing my sign. It turned out to be the town drunk who didn't like me. I can't begin to put a price on the resulting publicity my campaign received on social media as a result of this sign thief!!
Being Responsible With Your Signs
Last but not least, being responsible with your signs is important. They should not be placed on private property without the owner's permission. It is important to keep a list of where you have all your signs, so that you can pick them up after the election.
In summary, political signs should be an important part of any Libertarian's campaign for public office.
As an elected Libertarian for a Township Trustee in a small rural northern Michigan town, I believe that the Libertarian Party of Michigan should recruit as many qualified, freedom loving candidates as possible to run for similar local roles across the state.
The topic next month will be about organizing door to door campaigns. I welcome ideas and questions any time at dokrieg@gmail.com.
Series: How and Why to Get Local Libertarians Elected:
Libertarians: Start Now to Choose a Winning Race
Networking: Attend Community Events / Government Meetings
Media campaigns including social media
Political Signs (this article)
Organizing Door to Door Campaigns
Mailings
Convention Hype: The LP Michigan 2021 Extravaganza!
Connor Nepomuceno, Social Media Director
Editors note: "Convention Hype" is an open letter to Libertarian Party of Michigan (LPM) members by Social Media Director Connor Nepomuceno.
Michigan Libertarians,
It has been a long time coming, but our convention is just about finalized! The Convention Committee worked very hard to line up new convention dates and a new venue following the issuance of state mandates relating to COVID-19. Now our event is set to go as scheduled on June 26th and 27th at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant. We have scheduled a fun, two day event to bring our Liberty Family together, celebrate the end of 16 months of COVID Tyranny in Michigan, and build up our Party in preparation of the 2022 Election Season.
On Saturday, we will begin Credentialing at 9:00 AM, and proceed into scheduled business at 9:30 AM. The business session will include the election of state party officers and proposals to amend the LPM platform and bylaws. We have sponsorship opportunities available for the convention business items. You can have YOUR name or the name of your business in the agenda with a statement read off by Chairman Gregory Stempfle. If that is of interest to you, contact Andrew Chadderdon at andrew.chadderdon@gmail.com. We will then convene for lunch at Noon, where we will have Spike Cohen lead a LPMI Lifetime Membership pinning ceremony, and announce our Fundraiser Auction items.
We Need Donations for Our Auction
We are soliciting your donations for the auction. If you have an item you would like to donate, please submit it at the Credentials desk when you arrive that morning. We already have several submissions, including 3D Printing lessons by local Libertarians, locally crafted art works, and tickets to dinner with Tasha Cohen and Spouse at our Libby Awards Banquet!
We are scheduled to adjourn the business meeting at 5:00. While the meeting room is converted into a banquet hall, we will have paid photo opportunities with Justin Amash and Spike Cohen. The Libby Awards Banquet will begin at 6:00. Larry Sharpe, our Master of Ceremonies, will be presenting the Libby Awards to our winners. The only Libertarian in Congress ever, our hometown hero Representative Justin Amash, will be our keynote speaker, and will be taking Q&A for twenty minutes when he finishes his speech. At 8:00, Larry Sharpe will conduct our auction fundraiser. Our banquet is scheduled to end at 9:00, and then it's party time.
Sunday will be jam packed with training and speakers. We have a breakfast session scheduled to start at 9:00 AM. Liberty Lawyer Nicholas Somberg will teach how to protect yourself legally from the police. Cara Schulz, Libertarian elected to City Council of Burnsville, Minnesota, will be providing Candidate Training. Larry Sharpe, 2018 New York Gubernatorial Candidate and podcaster, will teach Fundraising. Angela McArdle, Chairwoman of the largest LP County Affiliate, will teach Affiliate Building. During Lunch at 12:00, Spike Cohen will lecture us on the Culture of Winning.
In addition to training, we will have presentations from several speakers and causes. Magnus Panvidya, a Michigan Anarchist, will present his praxis on the Boogaloo and You. Decriminalize Nature will talk to us about their mission to legalize psychedelics through the Michigan legislature and their success in Ann Arbor. Shane Hazel, the 2020 Georgia Senate candidate, will be speaking about his experience running a statewide race, and his 2022 Helios Initiative. Our event should be done at 5:00 PM.
It has been so long since I have seen many of you. I look forward to bringing everybody together and having a great time while we move the Party, we love so much, forward.
In Liberty,
Connor Nepomuceno
Officers & Staff
General Contact: Libertarian Party of Michigan: PO Box 27065, Lansing, MI 48909; Phone: 888.FREE.NOW.Chair: Greg Stempfle. chair@michiganlp.org
First Vice Chair: Ben Boren. vcaffiliates@michiganlp.org
Second Vice Chair: Jamie Lewis vcpoliticaldirector@michiganlp.org
Secretary: Mary Buzuma. secretary@michiganlp.org
Treasurer: Norman Peterson. treasurer@michiganlp.org
District 1 Rep: Dana Carver. dist1rep@michiganlp.org
District 2 Rep: Andrew Hall. dist2rep@michiganlp.org
District 3 Rep: Jay Gillotte. dist3rep@michiganlp.org
District 4 Rep: Will White. dist4rep@michiganlp.org
District 5 Rep: James Harris dist5rep@michiganlp.org
District 6 Rep: Shane Allen. dist6rep@michiganlp.org
District 7 Rep: Jason Rees. dist7rep@michiganlp.org
District 8 Rep: Jeff Wood. dist8rep@michiganlp.org
District 9 Rep: Mike Saliba. dist9rep@michiganlp.org
District 10 Rep: Jim Fulner. dist10rep@michiganlp.org
District 11 Rep: Dan Ziemba. dist11rep@michiganlp.org
District 12 Rep: Lawrence W. Johnson. dist12rep@michiganlp.org
District 13 Rep: Andrew Chadderdon. dist13rep@michiganlp.org
District 14 Rep: Tim Yow. dist14rep@michiganlp.org
Judicial Committee Members
Kerry Morgan. judicialcommittee@michiganlp.orgKen Proctor. judicialcommittee@michiganlp.org
Vacancy. judicialcommittee@michiganlp.org
Volunteers
Webmaster: James Weeks III. Webmaster@MichiganLP.orgNewsletter Editor: Scotty Boman. newsletter@michiganlp.org
Ciculation Director: Catherine Filus. catherine@catherinefilus.com
Social Media Director: Connor Nepomuceno cjnepo1@gmail.com
Historical Committee Chair: Emily Salvette esalvette@gmail.com
Affiliate Contacts
Capital Area: Luke Sciberras, Chair. 248-302-1064, capitalarealp@gmail.comhttps://capitalarealp.wordpress.com
Genesee County: Chair David Canny, cannyds@gmail.com.
https://www.facebook.com/LPGCMI
Huron-Raisin: James Hudler, (734) 475-9792, james.hudler@gmail.com or contact Larry Johnson at: michlibertarian@gmail.com
https://lpwc.wordpress.com
Jackson-Hillsdale: Norman Peterson, (269) 330-2980 norman.peterson@comcast.net
https://www.jhlp.org
Livingston County: James Weeks II, (810) 422-8769, j.weeks@riseup.net
http://livingstonlibertarians.org
Macomb County: Mike Saliba, chair@macomblp.org
https://macomblp.org
Northern Michigan: Philip Lindsay. philiplindsay25@gmail.com
Oakland County: Paul Vainer, paul.vainer@gmail.com or Vice Chair Ben Carr at 248-919-8152
http://lpocmi.org
Southwest Michigan: Jason Brandenburg. swmi4liberty@be-innovative.net
https://swmlp.com
Straits Area: Chair Andy Evans, (231) 625-8403, . amevans_1968@yahoo.com
straitslp.com or facebook.com/StraitsAreaLP
Upper Peninsula Libertarian Party: Chair Ryan Roberts, (906) 420-2995, . ryan_r03@hotmail.com
Wayne County: Jami Van Alstine, jamiracquel2004@yahoo.com
https://michiganlpwayne.wixsite.com/index
West Michigan: Bob VanNoller . (616) 406-7784, Email Bob VanNoller at bob@rollaway.biz
http://lpwm.org Back to Contents
Upcoming Events
For reasons that require no repetition, the regular meeting venues of some affiliates will be closed. Please contact local affiliate officers to learn how to get involved in their meetings.Some events are also posted by their hosts at the Meetup.com site. The Michigan Libertarian recommends contacting an affiliate officer or check the Website (or Facebook page) associated with the meeting host (if they have one) before arriving at a meeting. Some meetings can get canceled, or locations can change with short notice. Contact information connected to most events can be found by expanding the item on the "Agenda view" of the Events page of our website.
June 1, 2021 - Southwest Michigan Libertarian Party Affiliate Meeting, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Traveler's Cafe and Pub. 5225 Portage Rd. Portage, MI 49002
For more information, contact Jason Brandenburg email at swmi4liberty@be-innovative.net
June 3, 2021 - Livingston County Monthly Meeting, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Due to covid-19 this event may have been moved to an online platform, please contact that affiliate chair for more information. Some virtual meeting information is posted here
Live meetings are at Cleary's Pub. 117 East Grand River Ave. HOWELL, MI.
For more information, contact James Weeks II at 810.422.8769 or email jamestweeks@outlook.com.
June 5, 2021 - Libertarian Party of West Michigan Affiliate Convention, 4:00 PM.
Band shell at Riverside Park [2301 - 2311] Monroe Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.
Members will meet to select delegates to the state convention.
Members from the 28th State Senate District, located in Kent County, will also caucus to select the Libertarian nominee for the open 28th State Senate District seat for the November 2021 special election. For more information email LibertarianPartyofWestMichigan@gmail.com http://lpwm.org
June 9, 2021 - Libertarian Party of Wayne County Business Meeting, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Leon's Family Dining. 23830 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, Michigan, 48124.
Please visit the Libertarian Party of Wayne County's new Website for updates.
For more information, contact Jami Van Alstine, jamiracquel2004@yahoo.com
June 9, 2021 - Libertarians of Macomb County Affiliate Meeting, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Ike's Restaurant. 38550 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights, MI 48312.
For more information, contact Mike Saliba at macomblp@gmail.com
June 10, 2021 - Huron-Raisin Affiliate Meeting, 7:00 PM
Aubree's Pizzeria & Grill. 39 E Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198
For more information, contact Larry Johnson at 734-475-9792 or email michlibertarian@gmail.com or call (734) 320-7237
June 12, 2021 - Unaffiliated Region Caucus to Select Delegates to State Convention, Noon.
This is where people residing in this region can seek to become, and vote on, state convention delegates. It is a Zoom teleconference
To join by phone: Call one of these numbers: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 898 0885 1244.
Or click the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89808851244
June 13, 2021 - Capital Area Affiliate Meeting 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
CALP will select state convention delegates at this business meeting, to be held in person at Renos North - 460 S. US Highway 27. Lansing, MI
If Renos is unable to open CALP will meet over Discord teleconfelerence app.
Contact Luke Sciberras at 248-302-1064 or email capitalarealp@gmail.com for event details and instructions to join.
June 16, 2021 - Libertarian Party of Oakland County Affiliate Meeting, 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM.
Farmhouse Coffee and Ice Cream. 29936 W 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-3900..
Business starts at 7:00 PM. To confirm the meeting email Paul Vainer at: paul.vainer@gmail.com https://lpocmi.org/
June 20, 2021 - Straits Area Libertarian Party Affiliate Meeting, 2:00 PM
The 211 Bar and Grill family restaurant. 5 Miles North of Onaway. 3444 M-211, Onaway, MI 49765
For more information, contact Andy Evans at (231) 625-8403 or email amevans_1968@yahoo.com.
Back to Contents
If you are new to the Michigan Libertarian, you can link to 2016 issues here, http://michiganlp.org/category/newsletters . Other issues are preserved in our historical archives here: http://old.michiganlp.org/resources-2/newsletter.
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