- Upcoming Events
-
May 22, 2001 - 6:00 PM
- Monthly meeting of the Ottawa COunty Libertarian Party
- Location: NEW LOCATION: Denny's in Holland
- Contact: Roger L. Bouwman Phone: (616) 218-2616 E-mail: chair@oclp.org
-
May 23, 2001 - 6:30 PM
- LP of Oakland County General Membership Meeting. Public welcome. Meet for dinner at 6:30pm, business begins at 7:30pm.
- Location: Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile Rd, Berkley. Sila's is 2 blocks west of Greenfield on Twelve Mile Road.
- Contact: Chris Pellerito Phone: (248) 373-9411 E-mail: LpocChairChris@aol.com
-
May 24, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- The Ballot Access Restoration Committee meets the second and fourth Thursday every month -- until we submit petition signatures to the Bureau of Elections to be certified to once again be able to run Libertarian candidates in partisan races. All LPM members are welcome to attend and help with both the planning and execution of our petition drive.
- Location: LPMHQ, 619 E. 9 Mile, Hazel Park (just east of I-75)
- Contact: Nancy O'Brien Phone: (313) 562-5778 E-mail: nobrien321@home.com
-
May 24, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- Regular Monthly Meeting of the Berrien County Libertarian Party.
- Location: Chili's Bar and Grill located at the corner of Hilltop and Washington Streets, St. Joseph, Michigan
- Contact: Glenn Whitt, Secretary Phone: (616) 473-2764 E-mail: trombonist1@juno.com
-
June 5, 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
-
June 11, 2001
- School Board elections. Get out and vote!
- Location: Your local polling place.
- Contact: Phone: 111-1111
-
June 12, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- LP of Oakland County Executive Committee Meeting. All dues-paying members are welcome. Business begins at 7:00 PM.
- Location: LPM Headquarters, 619 East Nine Mile in Hazel Park, just east of I-75.
- Contact: Chris Pellerito Phone: (248) 373-9411 E-mail: chair@lpocmi.org
-
June 13, 2001 - 6:30 PM
- Libertarians of Macomb County monthly meeting. Drinks and dinner at 6:30 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
-
June 14, 2001 - 7:00 PM
- The Ballot Access Restoration Committee meets the second and fourth Thursday every month -- until we submit petition signatures to the Bureau of Elections to be certified to once again be able to run Libertarian candidates in partisan races. All LPM members are welcome to attend and help with both the planning and execution of our petition drive.
- Location: LPMHQ, 619 E. 9 Mile, Hazel Park (just east of I-75)
- Contact: Nancy O'Brien Phone: (313) 562-5778 E-mail: nobrien321@home.com
-
June 20, 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
- More
- For more events, see the online calendar at:
- http://www.michiganlp.org/lpmonline/events.php
- Libertarians Fight Expansion of the Sales Tax
by Press Release
5/16/01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tim O'Brien
(248) 591-3733
(313) 562-5778
HAZEL PARK. "I don't think the people of Michigan are eager
to start paying a 6% tax every time they go to the doctor or
get a haircut," observed Libertarian Party of Michigan
executive director Tim O'Brien. "But that's exactly what
could happen if Senate Bill 433 becomes law."
The bill, ostensibly intended to make Michigan's sales tax
easier to apply to purchases made on the Internet, has been
unanimously voted out of the Senate Finance committee,
chaired by Sen. Joanne Emmons (R-23), and is said by
insiders to be on a "fast track" to approval. Emmons is also
the bill's lead sponsor.
Currently, states are unable to compel businesses outside
their borders to impose and remit their sales taxes because
the Interstate Commerce clause of the US Constitution
prohibits it. In order to get around this problem SB-433
proposes to have Michigan join a Compact with other states
that would permit reciprocal enforcement of sales tax laws
and authorize the use of a third party as collection agent.
However, a first step in the process is to unify the various
state's sales and use tax codes. This will mean allowing the
broadest scope necessary to accommodate all of the member
states by eliminating any caps or exemptions (such as
Michigan's exemption for food and medicine) and restrictions
on application (such as Michigan's applying the tax to
goods, but not services).
"As a matter of fact," O'Brien continued, "the drafters of
our Constitution even anticipated the very kind of 'end run'
exemplified SB-433 and included an additional prohibition
against states entering into any Agreement or Compact.
However, they allowed an exception if the states can get the
consent of congress."
The LPM has brought its SpeakOutMichigan.org e-mail
petitioning web site back online specifically to let the
public express opposition to SB-433. Visitors to the site
simply type in their name and home address. The system
automatically determines the appropriate legislators and
sends the message -- with any personalized comments the user
might care to add.
"It may turn out that the congress won't allow this anyway,"
O'Brien concluded. "But we're not going wait and see. We are
going to do everything we can right here and now to have our
state lead the way in a drive to make Cyberspace a free
trade zone."
Back to Contents
- Wanted: Armchair Activists!
by Garry Reed
My name is Garry Reed and I need all libertarians to
support my new on-line column.
"The Loose Cannon Libertarian" appears twice monthly on
newsguy.com. I'm writing an opinion column that takes on
political and social issues from a hardcore libertarian
viewpoint. The goal of my column is to arouse curiosity,
stir controversy and spark debate with the web site's
otherwise general interest readership. For some people,
this may be their first encounter with libertarianism.
But the column may not survive beyond its infancy
without your help. The purpose of my column, after all, is
to attract traffic to the Newsguy.com web site in the hope
that you'll like what you see and sign up as a member. That
makes it a win-win proposition for us and for them. They
get increased exposure to their web site and we get another
outreach venue for libertarianism.
This is a perfect opportunity for armchair activists.
If you hate campaigning, petitioning or demonstrating and
can't afford to donate money you can still support the
libertarian cause by simply pointing and clicking your
mouse. Go to www.newsguy.com, scroll down to the cannon icon
and click it. Read the column. Click "View article
archives" and read my earlier efforts. Click "Email the
author" and send me your comments and suggestions.
Then check out the whole site and sign up for a
membership if you like what they offer. And visit the other
features, too. They're all free, just like mine. But most
of all, bookmark the site and become a regular reader of
"The Loose Cannon Libertarian" and help keep it alive. I
submit new articles on the 14th and 29th of each month and
they're posted soon after that.
Remember: in the war of ideas, every mouse click (and
loose cannon shot) counts.
Back to Contents
- School Board Campaign Update
by Jason C. Miller
I would like to thank everyone who has supported by
campaign and helped me to get this far. I am one of four
non-partisan candidates for two seats on the Hudsonville
Board of Education to be elected on June 11. This is a
winnable race that has received some attention from
Libertarian circles. I wanted to take a moment to let you
know where the campaign is right now.
We have already:
- Created a quality website that allows voters to
seek more in-depth information
- Distributed 2100
tri-fold fliers
- Placed a few dozen signs
- Earned some interesting endorsements (Republicans,
Democrats, Libertarians, and Greens)
- Registered
over 200 teenagers to vote (more than the total number of
voters in the last school board election)
- Begun to
secure absentee ballot for supporters who will be out of
town
- Met with private school parents and identified
myself as the candidate that supports them.
We are preparing to:
- Distribute 1900 more fliers by June 1 and then
produce a new piece to continue going door-to-door
- Place 150 more signs
- Enter the Jamestown
Township Memorial Day parade
- Witness two 3000 piece
mailings to the likeliest voters that the Libertarian
Victory Fund is doing (without our coordination)
- Run a full-sized insert in the Advance which will reach
10,000 homes targeted to our district
- Run smaller
print ads in the Advance and the Grand Rapids Press
Community Edition for the Hudsonville/Jenison/Grandville
area
- Launch a GOTV effort on the weekend before the
election and on the day of
With the continued support and enthusiasm this effort
has received so far, it looks like the LP will have another
victory on June 11.
Thank You
Jason C. Miller
P.S. If you would like to help in this campaign, please
email me -- jcmiller@egl.net
Back to Contents
- ALLEGAN LIBERTARIANS LAUNCH KVCC PLAN OPPOSITION
by Jason C. Miller
For immediate release:
May 17, 2001
News from the District 2 Libertarian Caucus
For more information:
Rick Dutkiewicz
Phone: (616) 673-5503
ALLEGAN LIBERTARIANS LAUNCH KVCC PLAN OPPOSITION
ALLEGAN -- The Libertarians of Allegan County unanimously
passed a resolution at their Tuesday meeting opposing the
expansion of the Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC)
tax district into Allegan County.
"Libertarians are not opposed to higher education," LAC
chair Rick Dutkiewicz said, "but we are opposed to higher
taxes. We support the idea that lower taxes are good for
every social group except politicians." Dutkiewicz went on
to explain that expanding the college's authority would
impose increased property taxes on everyone in Allegan
County.
"The Libertarian Party wants smaller government and so do
the people of Allegan County. It's a shame that our county
board is moving quickly to allow for more taxes on our
residents. We are convinced that, when the people hear
about the tax implications of this expansion and that most
folks won't get anything out of these higher taxes, the
voters will take our side."
Dutkiewicz also discussed the Libertarian Party's plan for
organizing against the KVCC expansion at their monthly
membership meeting. The Libertarians of Allegan County are
working with Citizens for School Accountability
(http://www.geocities.com/stoptaxes/), a coalition of
taxpayers that also supports smaller government and will be
able to mount formidable opposition to the KVCC tax
expansion.
"Our goal is to represent the ideas of small government for
the people of Allegan County. The KVCC issue is one that we
had to get involved in. We must let the proponents of
bigger government know that their actions will not go
unchallenged."
The Libertarian Party is Allegan County's third largest
political party. Its platform advocates a smaller,
constitutional government at all levels. The KVCC issue will
most likely be voted upon later this year, but the county
commission has not chosen a specific date yet.
Back to Contents
- Affiliate Contest:LPSC Commits to Gathering 5,000 Signatures
by Ben Steele III
The deadline for choosing and reporting your
affiliate's goal for the 2001 Affiliate Contest is July 1st!
So far, only one affiliate has reported a goal to me:
The Libertarian Party of Shiawassee County. The LPSC's goal
is to collect 5,000 signatures toward recovering our ballot
status!
Affiliate Chairs, please add choosing a goal for the
contest to your next meeting agenda. I can't think of any
reason why every affiliate should not enter this year's
contest.
Report your goal to me by July 1st at 989-288-5616 or
bsteele1@tir.com.
Back to Contents
- LPSC Issues a Challenge
As our goal for the 2001 Affiliate Contest, the
Libertarian Party of Shiawassee County has commited to
gathering 5,000 signatures for the restoration of our ballot
status. The LPSC, being one of the smallest affiliates in
the state, firmly believes that this goal is achievable and
therefore issues a simple challenge to the many larger
affiliates of the LPM: Get at least as many-- or more
--signatures!
If we can achieve 10% of the LPM's total goal, what can
you do?
In Liberty,
The Members of the Libertian Party of Shiawassee County
Back to Contents
- An Open Letter to LPM Members
by Nancy O'Brien, BARC chair
Dear LPM Members --
You may have heard rumors about potential problems with the
form of our Ballot Access petition. Please allow me to put
any lingering concerns to rest.
When it was first decided to go ahead with the distribution
of the petition (even though the circulator section called
for providing an address including "zip code" instead of the
older "post office"), the former state party chair, the
executive director, the chair of the BARC committee, and the
legal council to the BARC committee, were in unanimous
agreement that the petition was legal despite this
insignificant difference. Since then, legal council to the
State Elections Bureau, legal council to the State Attorney
General's office, and all four members of the State Board of
Canvassers have also agreed unanimously that the form meets
the legal definition of "substantial compliance" with the
law.
This is the SAME Board of Canvassers whose opinion was
considered by some to be of such crucial importance that we
delayed any further distribution of the petition until we
got it. Now we have it. And they are in 100% agreement that
the petitions are legally sound.
We have in our possession a Michigan Supreme Court decision
(Kadans v. Branigin) that ruled petitions printed on the
wrong size paper, 58 pages of which were held together with
a staple and only one of which included the circulator's
affidavit and signature, were nevertheless legally valid.
On the opposite side of this debate, we had a letter from a
mid-level bureaucrat suggesting changes in the petition
language to make it identical to wording in the law.
Which side do you suppose would prevail if these petitions
were ever challenged?
There is no legal requirement that the petitions get
approval by the State Board of Canvassers in advance of
circulation. The board approves petitions in advance as a
courtesy. It makes people feel better knowing their
petitions have been reviewed by an authority who didn't see
anything wrong with them on their face. However, that
"approval" will no more protect our petitions from future
legal challenge than having a priest sprinkle holy water on
them.
It is a standard tactic for the opponents of anything for
which petitions are needed to challenge the signatures after
they are collected. That has never happened to us in the
past. There is no reason to believe it will happen to us
this time. Although it always could -- with or without an
"approved" petition. If it does, the petition with the
slightly modified language will withstand any legal
challenge. As long as we have enough valid signatures to
meet the state requirements we will be safe.
There is no need for you to tip-toe around these petitions
like there is something wrong with them. There isn't. They
are perfectly valid. The clock is ticking; we need to get
going on signature collection. I am willing to get the
other "perfect" version of the petition printed for those
who want them. I will print them in rainbow colors if I
think it will get people to collect more signatures.
We have lost too much time already. Please resume
collecting signatures ASAP. The future of the party is
riding on it.
--- Nancy O'Brien, Chair
Ballot Access Restoration Committee
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