LPM OnlineMay 4, 1999 |
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SOUTHFIELD. The Libertarian Party of Michigan held its annual convention at the Ramada in Southfield the weekend of May 1 and 2. Michigan's largest "minor" party elected Ms. Stacy Van Oast from Richmond it's new Chair. "I'm looking forward to helping advance the cause of returning our country to its libertarian roots," said the former two-term LPM Vice Chair. "The party is beginning to gain some real momentum and I feel privileged to take up the cause from the dedicated Libertarians who preceded me and who persevered through more than a quarter century of painstaking progress." Teresa Pollock of Brighton was chosen Vice Chair. Keith Edwards of St. Clair Shores was elected Secretary. David Nagy of Livonia was re-elected to the Treasurer post. In addition, Mark Heil of Harrison Township, Doug MacDonald of Livonia, Nancy O'Brien of Allen Park, Bruce Hoepner of Southfield, and Dan LaFavers of Ypsilanti were elected as At-large Directors. The new Chair of the country's fifth largest state affiliate of the Libertarian Party outlined an ambitious plan for accelerating the growth of the 1500 member Michigan organization. "My first official act," said Van Oast, "was to appoint my immediate predecessor in this office, Tim O'Brien, to a newly created position of Executive Director." Mr. O'Brien served as party chair from May of 1997 until last weekend when he did not seek re-election to that position. His two-term tenure saw party membership rise by more than 40% and the party budget more than double. He also began a monthly op-ed column which now runs regularly in the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press as well as numerous other papers throughout the state. "Tim has given us a much higher profile and taken us to a new level of professionalism," said Van Oast. "Making him Executive Director along with assembling this kind of Executive Committee team was the next logical step. We intend," she concluded, "to make the Libertarian Party a force to be reckoned with in campaign 2000...and into the next millennium."
I have posted changes to our leadership directory on the LPM website to include the newly elected officers and at-large committee members. You can find the directory at www.mi.lp.org/lpmdirec.htm I have also posted the revised platform at www.mi.lp.org/platform/ The two planks that were revised in the convention were Elections and Health. If you would like a copy of the old platform in Word 97 format, let me know at markfheil@worldnet.att.net (I also have the revised platform in Word 97 format available).
“U.S. Congress should put an end to Presidential war powers !” says Richard Friend, Libertarian for U. S. Congress Port Huron, April 29, 1999: With the conflict in Yugoslavia intensifying and with no end in sight, Richard Friend, Libertarian candidate for Michigan’s 10th U.S. Congressional seat declared, “President Clinton has been showing his true colors these past few weeks. He’s resembling a dictator more and more and we owe it all to Congress who apparently fell asleep on ‘we the people’.” Despite the fact that the United States Congress has not declared war on Yugoslavia (as is required by the Constitution before engaging in military strikes), President Clinton acted first, then asked for Congressional approval later. Now Congress has recently made the demand that President Clinton asks for approval before sending in ground troops. The fact of the matter is Congress is responsible in the first place for giving us President Clinton – Dictator Extraordinaire. “The United States Congress has given up it’s war powers when they allowed the President of the United States certain privileges to use the military at his own will” says Richard Friend, “Now Congress is complaining that they have an out of control dictator on their hands that is recklessly putting America in danger. We blame no one but Congress for allowing this to happen” says Richard Friend. Richard Friend is demanding that the United States Congress reign in the president before we end up with a loose cannon with too much power at his discretion. “If the Democrats and Republicans in Congress would stick to the Constitution, like the Libertarian Party has called for, we wouldn't be on the verge of having an American Napoleon in the White House”, said Richard Friend. “According to the Constitution, the President is only Commander-In-Chief of the military when Congress calls him to be. Lately, it’s been President Clinton calling the shots - literally.” |
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