LPM Online

Contents

1. Upcoming Events
   
   

   January 17, 2001

   Monthly meeting of the St. Clair County affiliate

   Location: Figaro's is located at 1503 11th Street, Port Huron, MI 48060. TX: (810) 987-3588. Join us for dinner at 6:00 PM. Business begins at 7:00 PM.

   Contact: Richard Friend Phone: (810) 982-7178 E-mail: rfriend@advnet.net

   
   

   January 18, 2001

   Monthly meeting. Public Welcome. Business begins at 7:30pm. Optional dinner begins at 6:30pm.

   Location: CT's Restaurant (M-140 & Blue Star Highway)

   Contact: Bill Bradley Phone: (616) 637-1788 E-mail: bbradley@cybersol.com

   
   

   January 23, 2001 - 7:00 PM

   The monthly meeting of the Ottawa County Libertarian Party

   Location: The Yellow Jacket Inn. 12011 Lake Michigan Dr. West Olive, MI

   Contact: Jason C. Miller Phone: (616) 669-2851 E-mail: jcmiller@triton.net

   
   

   January 24, 2001 - 6:30 PM

   LP of Oakland County General Membership Meeting. Public welcome. Meet for dinner at 6:30PM, business begins at 7:30PM. Election of officers and bylaws changes will take place at this meeting.

   Location: Sila's, 4033 W. 12 Mile Rd., Berkley. Sila's is located 2 blocks east of Greenfield on 12 Mile Rd.

   Contact: Greg Dirasian Phone: (248) 515-3675 E-mail: greg@newsnetpipeline.com

   
   

   January 25, 2001 - 7:00 PM

   Organizing meeting for the LPM's Ballot Access Restoration Committee. We will be making our preliminary plans for our ballot access petition drive.

   Location: LPM Headquarters, Hazel Park (see www.mi.lp.org/hq/ for directions)

   Contact: Nancy O'Brien Phone: (313) 562-5778 E-mail: nobrien321@aol.com

   
   

   February 4, 2001 - 10:00 AM

   LPM 2001 Winter Leadership Conference

   10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

   Hosted by the Ottawa County Libertarian Party.

   For more information, contact Ben Steele III at 517-288-5616 or bsteele1@tir.com or Jason Miller at 616-669-2851 or jcmiller@triton.net

   Location: The Comfort Inn, 622 Allegan Street, Plainwell

   Contact: Ben Steele III Phone: (517) 288-5616

   
   

   February 6, 2001 - 6:30 PM

   Monthly Meeting - LP of Wayne County Dinner 6:30pm. Program starts at 7:45pm.

   Location: La Trattoria Restaurant - Dearborn MI

   Contact: Joann Karpinski Phone: (313) 925-6917 E-mail: Momjoann@aol.com

   
   

   February 6, 2001 - 7:00 PM

   Kalamazoo Libertarian Party General Meeting

   Location: TGI Friday's Restaurant, 5650 W. Main Street, Oshtemo, MI.

   Contact: Tim Miley Phone: (616) 668-3951 E-mail: thmiley@yahoo.com

   
   

   February 8, 2001 - 7:00 PM

   Libertarian Party of Berrien County will hold its monthly meeting. Please contact us in case of a change of meeting location. Please tune in to designated broadcast stations in case of cancellation due to inclimate weather conditions

   Location: To be determined

   Contact: Glenn Whitt Phone: (616) 473-2764 E-mail: trombonist1@juno.com

   
   

   February 11, 2001 - 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

   
   

2. Ballot Access Organizing Meeting Scheduled by Nancy O'Brien

   Regaining the LPM's ballot access is the single most important thing the state party must do this year. This is a huge undertaking that will require the help of all affiliates and as many volunteers as we can get.
   
   The first organizational meeting of the Ballot Access Restoration Committee will be at HQ Thursday, January 25 at 7:00 P.M. If you want to be involved in the planning of the petition drive, please attend this meeting.

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3. Adding Substance To The Argument -- Cutting Income Taxes by Ghazey Aleck

   We all hate it when it happens ... someone you are trying to convince that cutting income taxes will work challenges you for some specifics. Well here it is:
   
   General Government $16 Billion
   Administration of Justice $26 Billion

   This is the cost of basic government. There are other spendy areas like Energy, International Affairs, Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture, Commerce and Housing credit, Transportation, General Science-space and technology, Community and Regional Development, Education, Health, Medicare, Income Security, Social Security, Veterans, National Defense, Interest payments, allowances and undistributed offsetting receipts.

   Federal government costs $1.8 trillion in its present form to run, yet a mere $42 Billion is all that is needed to run general government and justice. The military and national defense is $275 Billion--more than the next 7 highest spending countries combined! Social Security is presently $390 Billion and counting Income Security another $238 Billion. Can we run the government without income taxes?
   
   Individual Income Taxes $952 Billion
   Corporate Income Taxes $192 Billion
   Payroll Taxes $650 Billion
   Excise Taxes $70 Billion
   Estate and gift taxes $30 Billion
   Customs Duties $21
   Miscellaneous Revenues $43 Billion

   Thus, the general duties of government costing $42 Billion can be run by Miscellaneous Revenues of $43 Billion leaving $121 Billion for the National Defense or other matters. If we divide the National Defense cost by 7 to get us down with the top seven spending countries' average, the national defense would cost about $40 Billion leaving $80 Billion for Veterans $43 Billion, Space $18 Billion and Emergencies.

   Social Security, Medicare and Income Security should be covered by their separate taxes. The problem is that interest on the National Debt is $220 Billion. The point is, though, yes we really can run government without income taxes if we quit all the unconstitutional spending and functions we presently are involved.

   Source:http://w3.access.gpo.gov/usbudget/fy2001/guide02.html A Citizen's Guide to the Federal Budget. Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2001. From the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

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