- Upcoming Events
-
October 10, 2000 - 6:30 PM
- Monthly meeting of Libertarian Party of Lapeer-Genesee. Paul Hitch, our new Chair, will have Harry Browne lawn signs available for interested parties. Make a difference this election! Join us!
- Location: Whitey's Restaurant, Davison, MI. Whitey's is on M-15, about 1 mile north of I-69.
- Contact: Trish Marie Phone: (810) 742-7268 E-mail: Trishmare7@aol.com
-
October 10, 2000 - 7:00 PM
- South Central LP meeting.
- Location: Tom's Grill, 3705 Ann Arbor Road, Jackson (about 1/2 mile east from the Michigan Avenue exit from U.S. 127. There is a map on the web site.).
- Contact: Albert McCallum Phone: (517) 857-2531 E-mail: admccallum@columnist.com
-
October 11, 2000 - 6:00 PM
- Libertarians of Macomb County monthly meeting. Drinks and dinner at 6:00 PM, business begins at 7:00 PM.
- Location: Miles World Resturant, 17689 Masonic, Fraser, MI 48026, 810-415-4500
- Contact: Diane Barnes Phone: (810) 774-1625 E-mail: dbarnes98@aol.com
-
October 11, 2000 - 7:30 PM
- LP of Oakland County Executive Committee Meeting All dues paying members are welcome. Business begins at 7:30PM.
- Location: LPM HQ, 619 East Nine Mile in Hazel Park, one block east of I-75
- Contact: Greg Dirasian Phone: (248) 592-9731 E-mail: greg@newsnetpipeline.com
-
October 12, 2000 - 7:00 PM
- Ballot Access Retention Committee meeting.
- Location: LPM Headquaters, 619 East Nine Mile in Hazel Park, one block east of I-75.
- Contact: Barb Goushaw Phone: (248) 355-5058 E-mail: bgoush@aol.com
-
October 12, 2000 - 7:00 PM
- The Libertarian Party of West Michigan hosts it's monthly meeting at Brann's. All members and interested individuals are encouraged to attend. Meeting begins at 7:00 pm.
- Location: Brann's on Leonard, Just off of US 131. Meeting takes place in the private meeting room.
- Contact: Derek Hollemans Phone: (616) 262-1008 E-mail: derek@triton.net
-
October 17, 2000 - 7:00 PM
- Libertarians of Allegan County monthly meeting - - - Business Meeting at 7:00 PM - - - Open to public at 7:30 PM
- Location: The Blue Heron coffee shop - - - Directions: The entrance to the Riverfront parking is at the corner of Hubbard and Chestnut. Drive down and park behind Dockerty's. The Blue Heron is right next door to Docherty's, entrance on the riverfront.
- Contact: Rick Dutkiewicz Phone: (616) 673-5503 E-mail: rdoogie@datawise.net
-
October 18, 2000
- Monthly meeting of the St. Clair County affiliate. Last meeting before elections!
- Location: Armbrusters Sports Bar and Grill located at 1211 Griswold, Port Huron, MI 48060. TX: (810) 982-2255. Join us for dinner at 6:00 PM. Business begins at 7:00 PM.
- Contact: Richard Friend Phone: (810) 982-7178 E-mail: rfriend2000@advnet.net
-
October 18, 2000 - 1:00 PM
- Mailing party! This is the last of the mailing to past members/interesteds and will likely continue into the afternoon and evening. Call 248-591-3733 to check on our progress if you can come in the evening. Thanks so much for your continued help.
- Location: LPM HQ at 619 E. 9 Mile Rd 1/2 mile east of I-75 (see www.mi.lp.org/hq for directions and a map)
- Contact: Joann Karpinski Phone: (248) 591-3733 E-mail: momjoann@aol.com
-
October 19, 2000 - 7:00 PM
- Meeting of the Corliss for U.S. Senate Campaign Committee. All are welcome!
- Location: LPM Headquarters, 619 E. 9 Mile Rd., Hazel Park. Directions: Take I-75 to Nine Mile Road. Go east on Nine Mile for approximately five blocks. The HQ building will be on the left. See www.mi.lp.org/hq/ for a map.
- Contact: Michael Corliss Phone: (734) 326-5406 E-mail: Mrcorliss@aol.com
-
October 19, 2000 - 7:30 PM
- The speaker for the evening will be Lee Parker of Bangor. Lee is a home schooled 8th grader and a member of the Kalamazoo Area Home School Association. He will tell us about home schooling from the inside. Lee came to our attention at the VBCo Youth Fair last summer and agreed that he would speak to us this fall. Whether or not you have an interest in home schooling you will enjoy what Lee has to say. So bring a friend and come hear this interesting young man.
- Location: CTs Restaurant, South Haven, at the corner of Blue Star Hwy (County Route A-2) & Business Loop I-196 about 1 mile north of I-196 Exit 18.
- Contact: Bill Bradley Phone: (616) 637-4525 E-mail: bbradley@cybersol.com
-
October 21, 2000 - 7:00 PM
- Trafton Jean speaking at LPSC Monthly Public Meeting: "Stop Wasting Your Vote!"
- Location: Brenda's Bistro, 230 W. Main Street, Durand
- Contact: Ben Steele III Phone: (517) 288-5616 E-mail: bsteele1@tir.com
-
October 22, 2000 - 1:00 PM
- LPM Executive Committee meeting
- Location: LPM Headquarters, 619 E. 9 Mile Rd., Hazel Park. Directions: Take I-75 to Nine Mile Road. Go east on Nine Mile for approximately five blocks. The HQ building will be on the left. See www.mi.lp.org/hq/ for a map.
- Contact: Stacy Van Oast Phone: (810) 784-8783 E-mail: stacyvo@eesc.com
- More
- For more events, see the online calendar at:
- http://www.michiganlp.org/lpmonline/events.php
- Register Now for LibertyFest 2000!
by Mark Heil
You can now find out all you need to know about the
upcoming LibertyFest 2000 Awards Banquet on our website at
www.mi.lp.org/libfest/ This years banquet features the
awarding of our "Defender of Liberty Awards" with Master of
Ceremonies, Ghazey Aleck and keynote speaker, Jacob
Hornberger.
Tickets are $35 per person if reserved before October
23, 2000, $45 after that date and $50 at the door. You can
use our printable web page form, found at
www.mi.lp.org/libfest/form.html, to mail in your
reservations.
The event will take place on November 11, 2000, 6:30 PM
at Mile's World Restaurant, 17689 Masonic Blvd., Fraser,
Michigan (just east of Groesbeck Hwy.) For directions and a
map, go to www.mi.lp.org/libfest/map.htm.
Back to Contents
- Candidate Appeals Being Denied Place on Ballot
by Press Release
10/9/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tim O'Brien
(313) 562-5778
(248) 591-3733
DEARBORN. "We'll go all the way to the Supreme Court
if we have to," vowed State Board of Education candidate Jon
Coon as an appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals was filed
on behalf of both him and the Libertarian Party he
represents.
The appeal arises out of a ruling by the Bureau of
Elections barring Coon from appearing on the November 7th
general election ballot because he refused to sign a new
form stating under penalty of perjury that he is in full
compliance with every detail of campaign finance law.
"We are challenging the constitutionality of this new
ballot access requirement," said party executive director
Tim O'Brien. "The legislature is empowered by the
constitution to regulate the 'time, place and manner' of
elections in order to ensure that the process is orderly,"
he continued. "They do not have the lawful authority to
deny an otherwise qualified candidate, properly nominated by
a bona fide political party, the opportunity to appear on
the ballot at all as a method of enforcing an essentially
unrelated law."
But isn't campaign finance related?
"No," O'Brien answers. "There may be good and
compelling reasons why candidates should be required to
disclose the sources and amounts of their campaign funding.
But that is about how -- and on behalf of whom -- they
conduct their campaigns. It has nothing to do with
regulating 'the time, place and manner' of elections," he
reiterated, "which is the only constitutional authority of
the legislature in the area of elections."
Both Coon and the LP were undaunted by an August 23,
2000 ruling by Ingham County Circuit Judge Michael Harrison
that upheld the Election Bureau's decision.
"The sum and substance of Judge Harrison's ruling was
that the new law merely requires that candidates swear that
they have filed every form, not that the information they
provided is true and complete. That is a strained, if not
just plain silly distinction," he concluded with more than a
hint of exasperation.
"I expect," said attorney Ghazey Aleck, "that the case
will be remanded to Judge Harrison to rule on our main
contention that the new law unconstitutionally makes
compliance with the Michigan Campaign Finance Act a
qualification for running for office."
The appeal is expected to take months to complete and
will not get Jon Coon back on the November 7th ballot.
Back to Contents
- Freedom 2000 Shatters All Expectations
by Ghazey Aleck
Freedom 2000, Clare-Gladwin LP's first annual
fundraiser stunned observers. A large crowd of people
gathered at the Town & Country Restaurant in Clare to hear
Michael Corliss for US Senate and others speak on the
libertarian option in American politics. The news is the
shock waves that Freedom 2000 is making. Since
Clare-Gladwin LP was only formed in April of 2000,
expectations by many were low. However, the turn-out was
spectacular and the event itself was a inspiring. Billed as
an all-American party and all-American event, Freedom 2000
put forward a convention style atmosphere with signs,
ribbons, logos and banners hanging from the ceilings and on
the walls advancing Harry Browne, Michael Corliss and the
Libertarian Party. Literature was abundant. Clare-Gladwin
LP custom signs (Keep Your Guns, Lower Your Taxes, Vote
Libertarian) sold like hot cakes. About 50% of those in
attendance were there for their 1st ever libertarian event.
The feeling was electrifying! Earlier this summer the 2
major parties in Clare County had similar events that drew
50 and 70 people. Freedom 2000 blew right past them in
attendance numbers. We put them on notice that we fully
intend to be a force to be reckoned with. Besides hearing
from a resoundingly inspirational speech by Michael Corliss,
Richard Whitelock promoted his Congressional campaign while
Tim O'Brien played the State LP radio ads for the audience
and Diane Barnes was present to announce Liberty Fest. How
did we do it was the question of the evening and will
probably stay the question for a while. Our party has made
it a policy to go to the people. We sent out flyers, made
calls and contacted people in person. We started with
people we knew and went out beyond that. Libertarian team
work was apparent locally, regionally and from the State LP.
Other affiliates were represented including a fine contigent
of tri-city libertarians. This rally proved that it can be
done.
Back to Contents
- Student, Candidate team up to fight curfew
by Jason C. Miller
To help enact , Ottawa County Libertarian's Jason
Miller and Tim Campbell are fighting to repeal the City of
Hudsonville's curfew ordinance. They will present their
arguement at City Hall on Tuesday to the commission. This
has already generated coverage for the OCLP and its
candidate in the Grand Rapids Press and will generate even
more after the event. To read the GR Press story, visit:
http://gr.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20001003ghudccurf105303.frm
Back to Contents
- Let's Be Outright Libertarians in S.E. Michigan
by Todd Andrew Barnett, LPM member
Are there any gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered
Libertarians working actively in the state party? If so,
then we need to join together in an organization that will
represent the Libertarian Party as a building force for
free-thinking advocates of liberty and those with different
sexual orientations. Are you tired of statist organizations
like GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) or
WRAP (Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project)? These GLBT
organizations are run by statists who might as well be an
extension of the Democratic Party. Of course the Republican
Party has no love for those organizations, but they have no
love for equal rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered communities either.
Recently, a new Libertarian organization was formed by
members of the Libertarian Party of Georgia in the state of
Georgia called Outright Libertarians. It is a grassroots
organization that speaks on behalf of the gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered Libertarian communities, and for
all who are advocates of liberty for all. I recently joined
the organization, and I believe that an Outright Libertarian
of South-East Michigan chapter would gladly bridge the
Libertarian Party of Michigan to the gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgendered communities. I believe that, if people are
interested, we can begin protecting equal rights for all -
including gays, lesbian, bisexuals, heterosexuals, the
transgendered, etc. If you need any info, please contact me
at abarn@earthlink.net, or call me at (810) 725-9218. In
order to start a chapter, as few as five members of the
Libertarian Party must appoint officers for the
organization, set up a mission statement and charter, and
adopt a set of by-laws for the regional (or city) chapter.
Thank you for your kind attention and understanding!
Yours In Liberty,
Todd Andrew Barnett
Back to Contents
- Honest Politics
by DON BABWIN
CHICAGO (AP) - Mindful of the city's history as a place
where elections have been bought, Chicago officials are
trying to shut down a Web site that offers votes to the
highest bidder.
The Board of Elections sent letters on Tuesday to federal
and state prosecutors, saying that the site
www.voteauction.com should be shut down.
``In Chicago we react strongly and quickly to this type of
activity - whether it's tongue-in-cheek or not - because we
need to guard our reputation here that this is a place where
voting activity is legal and above board and beyond
reproach,'' board chairman Langdon Neal said.
Voteauction.com provides ``a forum for campaign contributors
and voters to come together in a free market exchange,''
according to the site. Voteauction.com says it will collect
absentee ballots from voters, verify them, and then sell
them to the highest bidder who can ``choose who the group
will vote for en masse.'' Sellers then receive money
depending on how much is bid.
So far, the site boasts that 8,313 voters nationwide have
signed up - 380 in Illinois. The price tag thus far in
Illinois, according to the Web site, is $15.79 a vote or
$6,000 for the state.
California, the national prize because of its 54 electoral
college votes, has a high bid of $22,000 offered to make the
choice for 1,230 voters. The Web site notes that it is not
valid in New York after that state questioned its legality.
Neal said there is no indication any money or ballots have
changed hands. Nor, he said, is there any way to verify how
many voters have signed up or even contacted the Web site.
But, he said, ``we don't think it can work.''
The U.S. Attorney's office has forwarded the board's letter
to the Department of Justice in Washington, and the state's
attorney's office would only say it received the letter.
A New York graduate student, James Baumgartner, launched the
site this summer and said it wasn't really meant to work, at
the time.
``It was more to make a point that the campaign financing
system operates as a business,'' he said.
Neal said while others may think the site is funny, ``To us
it is not, particularly because of the history of Chicago.''
Stopping it, though, may be tough. The site has been sold to
a Vienna businessman, Hans Bernhard who, Baumgartner said,
is ``in Austria and the server is in Bulgaria, so he thinks
he's outside the jurisdiction'' of any American board of
elections.
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