LPM Online

June 26, 2001

Contents

  1. Upcoming Events
  2. Libertarians Press Fight against Expanded Sales Tax
  3. Petition Drive Off to a Start

  1. Upcoming Events

    June 26, 2001 - 6:00 PM
    The monthly membership meeting of the Ottawa County Libertarian Party. Business meeting starts at 7:00.
    Location: The Denny's in Holland off of US 31
    Contact: Roger L. Bouwman Phone: (616) 218-2616 E-mail: chair@oclp.org

    June 28, 2001 - 6:30 PM
    Libertarian Party of Oakland County Monthly Meeting. Meet for dinner at 6:30pm. Business begins at 7:30pm. Public welcome.Yes, we are meeting on THURSDAY this week. We will resume our regular schedule again in July.
    Location: Sila's Restaurant on 12 Mile Road in Berkley.
    Contact: Chris Pellerito Phone: (248) 373-9411 E-mail: chair@lpocmi.org

    June 28, 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

    July 2, 2001 - 7:30 PM
    Meeting of the Andy LeCureaux for Hazel Park City Council Campaign.
    Location: LPM HQ, 619 East Nine Mile Rd., Hazel Park
    Contact: Dave Collver Phone: (248) 542-9274 E-mail: DCCollver@aol.com

    July 9, 2001 - 7:00 PM
    Clare-Gladwin Libertarian Party Meeting. Turn in signatures, get new petitions, get ready for the Fair, get ready for Freedom Banquet 2001 on October 20th.
    Location: Grant Township Hall, located 1 mile West of Jays Sporting Goods on Surrey Road.
    Contact: Ghazey Phone: (517) 386-2699 E-mail: aleckfamily@voyager.net

    July 10, 2001
    Deadline for submitting information for the next issue of the LPM's print newsletter, the Michigan Libertarian.
    Location: Send articles to Keith Edwards, 28960 Jane, St. Clair Shores MI 48081
    Contact: Keith Edwards Phone: (810) 777-7468 E-mail: newsletter@michiganlp.org

    July 11, 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

    July 12, 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

    July 16, 2001 - 7:30 PM
    Meeting of the Andy LeCureaux for Hazel Park City Council Campaign.
    Location: LPM HQ, 619 East Nine Mile Rd., Hazel Park
    Contact: Dave Collver Phone: (248) 542-9274 E-mail: DCCollver@aol.com

    July 17, 2001
    Libertarians of Allegan County.
    Location: No meeting this month, see you at the August meeting.
    Contact: Rick Dutkiewicz Phone: (616) 673-5503 E-mail: rdoogie@datawise.net

    More
    For more events, see the online calendar at:
    http://www.michiganlp.org/lpmonline/events.php

  2. Libertarians Press Fight against Expanded Sales Tax by Press Release

    6/25/01
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    CONTACT: Tim O'Brien
    (248)591-3733
    (313) 562-5778

    LANSING. The Libertarian Party of Michigan continued its fight on behalf of Michigan Internet users (called "Netizens" by cyberspace insiders) as party chair Michael Corliss testified against the "Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Administration Act" before the House Tax Policy committee last Thursday.

    The bill (aka SB-433) would send four representatives from Michigan to a National Conference of State Legislatures meeting to negotiate a multi-state agreement to provide for interstate collection and remittance of sales and use taxes.

    Although Libertarians are opposed in principle to the idea, the party chair kept his testimony to constitutional and practical arguments against the bill.

    "The Michigan Constitution specifically gives you [the legislature] the power to levy and collect taxes," observed Corliss. "I believe if this bill is adopted you'll be turning over your taxing authority," he said. The bill would give power to the four appointed Michigan representatives to negotiate a model sales and use tax system, a unified standard that would be a necessary part of the agreement. Further, the administration of the reciprocal tax system would ultimately be handed over to private companies.

    He was especially concerned that the elimination of caps and exclusions could set the stage for Michigan to expand application of its 6% tax to services and possibly even food and medicine.

    Corliss also noted that the bill was written in such a way as to insure that the appointment of all four Michigan representatives to the September NCSL meeting would be made by Republicans -- a concern also expressed by Rep. William O'Neil (D-Allen Park).

    The LP, long regarded as a non-factor in Lansing because of its minor party status, has turned that independence to its advantage by seeking support for its position on the bill from both sides of the aisle.

    "It doesn't matter to me why they vote 'No'," Corliss said. "We just want to see cyberspace continue to grow and prosper as a free trade zone. And," he concluded, "we will work on this issue with anyone from any party who agrees with us on it."

    SB-433, strongly supported by the Engler administration, was said to be on a fast track until the Libertarians got actively involved a few weeks ago -- first raising a grass roots groundswell of voter opposition in the form of phone calls and e-mails to legislators, then directly lobbying legislators and testifying at legislative hearings.

    It now appears that the momentum has shifted so much that the bill may not even make it out of the House Tax Policy committee. No vote has been scheduled at this time.

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  3. Petition Drive Off to a Start by Nancy O'Brien

    Not a great start. But a start.

    The first of our three deadlines has passed. As of June 23 we have 5,653 checked and logged signatures.

    According to our time table (a total of 50k sigs in three, 2-month periods), we should have 17k sigs. Even if your the victim of public school math, you can tell that we got less than 1/3 of the way to our first goal.

    Of course, some of our folks came through with flying colors!

    Special thanks to the Tri-Cities and Shiawassee affiliates. Yours were the two affiliates that actually followed through on my many pleas that all affiliates turn in whatever petition signatures they had by June 23.

    And now, (drum role please) the top three signature gatherers for the first trimester of the petition drive:

    Ben Steele III = 383
    Al Titran = 379
    Richard Jozwiak =228


    You guys are LPM stars! (You’ll get Ben on the next deadline, Al ;-)

    And for everyone else... Please, please, please, turn in your completed petitions! We will keep track of how many signatures you have collected. Promise. But we must check the signatures to know how many we have. Right now I am making decisions about whether we need to hire more paid petitioners with inadequate information. I believe there are hundreds (maybe, thousands) of signatures out there right now. But they are all theoretical. And I suspect that you probably don’t want me to spend thousands of dollars of your money unnecessarily. But remember what I said at the convention? “Failure is NOT an option!” If I don’t KNOW we have enough signatures to stay on track, I will go out and buy them. I plan to make this decision on Monday, July 2. Please put any petitions with any number of signatures on them in the mail to me no later than Thursday, June 28.

    Note that you can send up to four petitions in one envelope for one 34-cent 1st Class stamp.

    If you’re going to send a stack, and you're paranoid (please be paranoid) about the U.S. Mail, send them registered. It will cost you about $7.00 for postage. You may send them to me at 17015 Cicotte, Allen Park, MI 48101. There is usually someone here to sign for them. And if there isn’t, it’s easy for me to pick them up at the Allen Park post office.

    If you have questions, please contact me at nobrien321@home.com.

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