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Turn candidate paperwork into Nancy O'Brien at Convention on April 3 or 4 for proofreading and maintaining an accurate candidate list for the Libertarian Party's Certification of Nomination. After the paperwork has been processed, county office paperwork will be returned to the County Caucus Chair and/or Secretary along with a Certification of Nomination (on Sunday, April 5, at Convention) which must be signed by the Caucus Chair and Secretary and delivered to the county clerk early in the morning of Monday, April 6, 1998.
Candidates: If you don't already have your forms, please request them from your county chair or secretary ASAP (or from Nancy, if you live in an unorganized county). It would help if you had your paperwork filled out in advance of Convention.
Caucus Chairs and Secretaries: Please let me (Doug MacDonald) know when/if you are elected as the Caucus Chair or Secretary for your county by email at dm@compserv.net. I need the information to generate the Certifications of Nomination.
The LPM will have more candidates in 1998 than in 1996! Congratulations! But, we still need many more candidates. Our membership now is at a record all-time high, but we are about 20 candidates shy of the record number of candidates for the LPM. It's not too late to throw your hat in the ring. Sunday, April 5, 1998 at Convention is the deadline. If you won't pay the price of Liberty, who will pay your way? There is no such thing as a 'Liberty Welfare' program!
The announced candidates for 1998 are:
Representative in Congress: John Loosemore District 1 Bruce Smith District 2 Erwin Haas District 3 Dan Marsh District 4 Clint Foster District 5 Glenn Whitt District 6 Ken Proctor District 7 Ben Steele III District 8 Malcolm Johnson District 9 R. Friend District 10 Richard Gach District 11 Al Titran District 12 Dean Hutyra District 13 Mike Freyman District 14 Linda Willey District 15 Edward Hlavac District 16
Member State Board of Education: Diane Barnes Jon Coon Regent University of Michigan: James Montgomery Bill Hall Trustee Michigan State University: Barbara Goushaw Mark Heil Governor Wayne State University: Scotty Boman Tom Jones Justice of the Supreme Court: Jerry Kaufman David Raaflaub State Senator: Connie Catalfio District 1 Erich Trager District 6 Kristin Stoner District 7 Joe Turek District 8 Doug MacDonald District 9 Don McCloskey District 10 Russ Kohler District 11 Paul Soyk District 12 Gary Atkinson District 13 Brian Ludwig District 15 Tom Baker District 20 Richard Samul District 26 Dave Jackson District 28 Charles Gershfield District 38 State Representative: Joann Karpinski District 3 Greg Stempfle District 15 Kerry Smith District 16 Robert Irwin District 17 Michael Corliss District 18 John Tatar District 19 David Nagy District 21 Jim Sager District 22 Gary Lloyd District 23 Kathie Orvis District 24 Nick Stoner District 25 Keith Edwards District 26 Tom Sydlow District 27 Ron Burcham District 28 James Pietrangelo District 29 Gerald McKeon District 30 Scott Allen District 31 Robert VanOast District 32 Joe Zemens District 33 Terrence Ray, Adams District 34 Pam Collins District 35 Lorna Tate District 41 Mark Carney District 46 Teresa A. Pollok District 66 George Sise District 67 Mike Brinkman District 70 Scott Beavers District 79 Max Dollarhite District 85 Allen Bauer District 97 Gregory Willis District 102 Robert Black District 110
Houghton County: Doug Hull County Clerk Iron County: Paul Fox County Commissioner, District ? Christine James County Commissioner, District ? Leelanau County: James Anderson County Commissioner, District ? Macomb County: Laurel Pietrangelo County Commissioner, District 6 Oakland County: Jeff Hampton County Commissioner, District ? Tonya Storey County Commissioner, District 15 Washtenaw County: James Hudler County Commissioner, District ? Wayne County: Paul Woolum County Executive Thomas Casey County Commissioner, District 1 Karin Corliss County Commissioner, District 12 Loel Gnadt County Commissioner, District 13 Mike Drummond County Commissioner, District 14 Mike Johnson Jr County Commissioner, District 15 Wexford County: Floyd Willis County Commissioner, District ?
For those who are wondering why the slate is broken up into multiple articles: I was unable to put the full ticket into one newsletter article ... it appears that our list of candidates exceeds the limitation on news story sizes for DIGITS! ... so I broke it up into multiple articles ... [so much for rules and limitations ...] Great job! Thanks to each candidate for stepping to the plate to help fill our slate in '98. But, we still do not have enough candidates ...
A political party seeks to influence public policy through the electoral process. A 'political party' that only acquires members is a mailing list or a magazine subscription. A 'political party' that only holds meetings is a debating society or a supper club. A 'political party' that seeks to influence the opinions of voters without contesting elections is a special interest group. A 'political party' that seeks to influence elected officials without contesting elections is a lobbying organization. While some of all of the above may be an integral part of pursuing the primary objective: contesting elections, we must never let secondary objectives and tasks take precedence over the primary objective.
The reason for the existence of the LPM is to contest elections. The reason for the existence of the LP of Wayne County [or Macomb County or Oakland County or ...] is to contest elections. All the members in the world won't influence policy if you don't exert political pressure. All the meetings in the world won't influence policy if you don't exert political pressure. Political pressure is exercised through the electoral process. Everything that we do is for the primary purpose of participating in the electoral process. Membership growth is an 'intermediate' objective. It is based on a perceived correlation between membership level and ability to influence policy. Meetings are a way of keeping and growing membership, and for planning methods by which our resources can be utilized for greater success in achieving our primary objective of influencing policy through the electoral process. As a matter of political self-defense, we hope to convince voters to prefer our position and indirectly make better choices on their elected officials. Also, as a matter of political self-defense, we hope to scare the opposition parties into taking political positions closer to our own.
But we exist as a political party for the purpose of contesting elections and influencing policy through the electoral process. That is what we do. That is who we are. Now IS the time to become a candidate and further our movement toward achieving Liberty in Our Lifetime!
Thank you!
Yours in Liberty, Doug MacDonald
PS A hearty Thank You is due to the people listed in the previous articles for having the courage to pay the price of Liberty.
PPS If you are intending to run for office and you are not listed above, please notify me (Doug MacDonald) via email at dm@compserv.net.
As of March 29, we are just 6 State Senate candidates shy of contesting a majority of seats in the Michigan State Senate. With the exception of State Senate district 38, there is NOT ONE SINGLE State Senate candidate west of Livingston county and north of Genesee County!
If Washtenaw County can contest the 17th and 18th Districts, Mid-Michigan the 24th and 25th Districts, and West Michigan the 30th and 31st ... Well, then, the LPM will be contesting a majority of the seats for State Senate! Of course, we don't have to contest these particular districts ... any as yet unfilled district will do ... but Washtenaw, Lansing, and Kent Counties are some of our more active affiliates.
Also, in the Metro area, Oakland county's State Senate districts 14 and 16, and Wayne County's State Senate districts 2, 3, 4, and 5 are open.
This IS an easily achievable goal! Let's have some volunteers ... this would be a newsworthy event.
If you are not currently a candidate and you have ever wanted to be a candidate and you live in State Senate district 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, or 37, NOW is the time to put your hat in the ring for State Senate!
The Friday night party for the Libertarian Party of Michigan Nominating Convention has been moved from the confines of the Marriott hotel to BW-3's, one of East Lansing's favorite night spots. BW-3 is a restaurant that specializes in Buffalo Wings, although many other choices are available. This means that drinks will be less expensive and convention-goers will be able to get food to go along with those drinks.
The restaurant is a mere half-block south of the Marriott, and is conveniently connected to the hotel via an airwalk connected to the parking structure across the street. LPM members will be given directions and a special nametag which will entitle them to get in without waiting in line. Information will also be left at the front desk of the Marriott for those who arrive after the Friday registration at 8 p.m.
As you have seen, this issue of the LPM Online has some important news items regarding the upcoming campaign season. Its important that the news items in this and future editions of this newsletter reach as many Michigan Libertarians as possible, beyond just those with e-mail.
With this in mind, I'd like to ask all of you to share these newsletters with the rest of your local party members by printing it out and taking it to your next local meeting to pass around. Also, make sure your local party's newsletter editor is either subscribed, or sent a copy of the LPM Online. He/she is free to reprint any of the inforamtion in your local newsletter.
It is also vitally important that all prospective candidates are aware of the upcoming deadline at the convention THIS WEEKEND! Please make sure the candidates in your area who are not online are aware of the items in this weeks newsletter.
Thank you.
This was an actual letter from and reply to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. -----Original Message----- STATE OF MICHIGAN Reply to: GRAND RAPIDS DISTRICT OFFICE STATE OFFICE BUILDING 6TH FLOOR 350 OTTAWA NW GRAND RAPIDS MI 49503-2341 JOHN ENGLER, Governor DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HOLLISTER BUILDING, PO BOX 30473, LANSING MI 48909-7973 INTERNET: http://www.deq.state.mi us RUSSELL J. HARDING, Director December 17, 1997 CERTIFIED Mr. Ryan DeVries 2088 Dagget Pierson, MI 49339 Dear Mr. DeVries: SUBJECT: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023-1 T11N, R10W, Sec. 20, Montcalm County It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity: Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated. The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all unauthorized activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the strewn channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 1998. Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions. Sincerely, David L. Price District Representative Land and Water Management Division ----Reply Letter---- Dear Mr. Price: Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N, R10W, Sec 20; Montcalm County Your certified letter dated 12/17/97 has been handed to me to respond to. You sent out a great deal of carbon copies to a lot of people, but you neglected to include their addresses. You will, therefore, have to send them a copy of my response. First of all, Mr. Ryan DeVries is not the legal landowner and/or contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan - I am the legal owner and a couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, nor authorize their dam project, I think they would be highly offended you call their skillful use of natural building materials "debris." I would like to challenge you to attempt to emulate their dam project any dam time and/or any dam place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no dam way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic. As to your dam request the beavers first must fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity, my first dam question to you is: are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers or do you require all dam beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request? If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, please send me completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams,of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws annotated. My first concern is - aren't the dam beavers entitled to dam legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said dam representation - so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event causing dam flooding is proof we should leave the dam Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling their dam names. If you want the dam stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition - contact the dam beavers - but if you are going to arrest them (they obviously did not pay any dam attention to your dam letter-being unable to read English) - be sure you read them their dam Miranda rights first. As for me, I am not going to cause more dam flooding or dam debris jams by interfering with these dam builders. If you want to hurt these dam beavers - be aware I am sending a copy of your dam letter and this response to PETA. If your dam Department seriously finds all dams of this nature inherently hazardous and truly will not permit their existence in this dam State - I seriously hope you are not selectively enforcing this dam policy - or once again both I and the Spring Pond Beavers will scream prejudice! In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their dam unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam right than I to live and enjoy Spring Pond. So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more dam elevated enforcement action now. Why wait until 1/31/98? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no dam way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them then. In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention a real environmental quality (health) problem; bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the dam beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The bears are not careful where they dump!) Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office. Sincerely, Stephen L. Tvedten xc: PETA
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