LPM Online

August 28, 2001

Contents

  1. Upcoming Events
  2. Candidate Recruitment
  3. Newsletter Submissions
  4. Petitioning Tips
  5. Candidates--The Most Effective Educators We Have
  6. BARC Update

  1. Upcoming Events

    August 28, 2001 - 6:00 PM
    Monthly meeting of the Ottawa County Libertarian Party.Important!We have lost one of our co-founders to college and we need a treasurer and other at large members.Please join us and find out what you can do to help build our local affiliate back up!
    Location: Dennys off 24th Street and US-31 in Holland
    Contact: Tim Campbell Phone: (616) 738-6033 E-mail: profreedomradical@yahoo.com

    September 1, 2001
    Deadline for submission of articles and advertising in the September/October issue of the Michigan Libertarian.
    Location: newsletter@michiganlp.org
    Contact: Greg Dirasian Phone: (248) 417-2217 E-mail: newsletter@michiganlp.org

    September 4, 2001 - 7:00 PM
    Kalamazoo Libertarian Party General Meeting
    Location: TGI Friday's Restaurant, 5650 W. Main St., Oshtemo, MI
    Contact: Mickey Hall Phone: (616) 345-2455 E-mail: mickhall09@aol.com

    September 6, 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

    September 11, 2001 - 7:30 PM
    LP of Oakland County Executive Committee Meeting. All dues-paying members are welcome. Business begins at 7:30pm.
    Location: LPM Headquarters, 619 East Nine Mile in Hazel Park, just east of I-75.
    Contact: Chris Pellerito Phone: (248) 373-9411 E-mail: LpocChairChris@aol.com

    September 12, 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

    September 13, 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

    September 16, 2001 - 6:30 PM
    Regular Meeing of the Tri-City Libertarian Party. Dinner Club 6:30 PM Guest Speaker 7:00 PM Business Meeting 7:30 PM
    Location: Howard Johnson at M-84 and I-75
    Contact: Stephen M. Townsend Phone: (989) 631-4853 E-mail: president@makingfreedomring.com

    September 17, 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

    September 19, 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

  2. Candidate Recruitment by Stephen M Townsend

    The Libertarian Party of Michigan is starting to recruit candidates for the 2002 General Election. If you are interested in helping the Libertarian Party please contact Stephen M. Townsend at president@makingfreedomring.com

    Back to Contents

  3. Newsletter Submissions by Greg Dirasian

    Just a reminder. The deadline for newsletter submissions for the September/October 2001 Michigan Libertarian is September 1. Please email your articles to: newsletter@michiganlp.org

    I know everybody is working hard. Please remember to write articles about the great work that you are doing so people around the state can share in the satisfaction of your accomplishments.

    Back to Contents

  4. Petitioning Tips by Leonard Schwartz

    The best places to get signatures are fairs, parades, festivals, concerts, political rallies, or where people are waiting in line. At such places it is easy to get 30 signatures an hour. (I usually get 40 an hour.)

    On Labor Day weekend and during September, many communities sponsor free concerts, festivals, and art fairs. In the fall there also are many students milling about outdoors at college and community college campuses.

    There first question you should ask is, "Are you registered to vote in Michigan."

    If they are registered, ask them to sign. Be brief.

    My usually pitch is, "Please sign this petition to allow the Libertarian Party to remain on the ballot. I'm not asking you to vote for us. Just allow our candidates to stay on the ballot."

    Some persons will ask for information about the party. Either summarize libertarianism in one or two sentences or say something like, "We're just another small party that wants to give voters another choice." If they ask for additional information, say "Our platform is on our website, lp.org." Then quickly walk away and ask someone else.

    Don't waste your time discussing politics.

    Just ask many persons as quickly as you can.

    Some persons will ask what benefit you get. (They may suspect that you are a paid petitioner.) Say something like, "If the Libertarian Party is not on the ballot, I will have no one to vote for."

    Don't be discouraged by rejection. Usually half the persons will refuse to sign.

    I have collected about 1700 signatures at free concerts and festivals, while enjoying the music and sights. No one has ever been impolite.

    Back to Contents

  5. Candidates--The Most Effective Educators We Have by Ghazey Aleck

    In an effort to find a way to build the Libertarian Party as fast as possible so that I can selfishly see real freedom in my lifetime, I am continually asking people how and why they became Libertarians. One response that is quickly becoming the main reason that people have become Libertarians, is that the person received a flyer from a candidate. They tell me that the flyer made sense to them and wore on them until they said, "the hell with it!", and made the switch or joined the effort.

    Candidates are, in my opinion, the most effective educators, and guess what? Even though there are Libertarian think tanks, Libertarian foundations, and Libertarian philosophers out there, the Libertarian Party is the only entity that can field an army of the most effective educators this country will ever see.

    Candidates can influence people and public policy faster than anything else. By speaking, by advertising and by distributing flyers, etc., candidates reach massive numbers of people and get more people thinking about freedom than anyone or anything else. An army of active or semi-active candidates will not only end ballot access problems, they will influence public policy forever.

    Every vote counts to Republicans and Democrats. All they care about is winning. When Libertarians start taking 3%, 5% or 10% of the votes, freedom becomes the issue. Public policy will immediately change. Candidates do not have to win, to win--athough winning will come too, believe me.

    Every Libertarian Party member should seriously consider running for office and becoming the most effective educator there is for freedom. If you can afford some signs or flyers, your effort will help the Libertarian Party explode onto the scene. Think about becoming a real freedom fighter and express your interest in being a candidate today. Contact the Libertarian candidate recruitment chair, Stephen Townsend and join the already growing list of candidates for 2002. This the only real way to make things happen. Your party needs you!

    Back to Contents

  6. BARC Update by Nancy O'Brien

    As of Friday, August 24, we have collected 18,368 signatures toward the restoration of our ballot access. We have until October 20 to collect the remaining 31,632 signatures. That’s 52 days (7 weeks, 4 days) from today. We need 591 signatures per day, or 4,519 per week. The time has come for all good Libertarians to come out from behind our computers and get to work!

    In deference to a request from Leonard Schwartz, I am making one last call for party members who want to become paid petitioners. As our top petitioner, Leonard tells me he can get 20 signatures in an hour without breaking a sweat. At 75 cents per signature, you can make $15.00 per hour doing something that helps a cause you care about. Leonard says he routinely does 40 signatures per hour at fairs and concerts. Do the math! This is a really great way to make some fast cash.

    If you are interested and think you can collect at least 1,000 signatures before October 15, please contact me at nobrien321@aol.com or (313) 562-5778.

    Special thanks to our top twenty signature collectors. As of today they are:

    
    Name                    Sigs.
    Leonard C. Schwartz     1647
    Albert J Titran          875
    Jerry E Bloom            722
    Ben Steele               603
    Richard E Jozwiak        495
    Violet Steele            380
    Charles Goodman          306
    Greg Dirasian            270
    Lloyd Sherman II         267
    Fred Collins             262
    Trafton Jean             252
    Bill Gelineau            246
    David James Eisenbacher  239
    Constance Catalfio       232
    Trevor Peck              230
    Paul Hitch               217
    James L. Hudler          213
    Barbara B. Goushaw       187
    Andrew LeCureaux         187
    William White            185
    


    Following is the current status of each affiliate in terms of meeting its “fair share” goals. Each affiliate’s fair share is determined by multiplying the number of members in the affiliate by 27. That is the number each would need to collect for the LPM’s 50,000 signature target to meet the state’s requirement. The first percentage is signatures collected. The second percentage is signatures collected plus monetary donations.

    Note: Last week I referred to database problems we were having which we ultimately succeeded in sorting out. One of these problems was that the program had been crediting the Washtenaw affiliate with the signatures from one of our paid petitioners. Washtenaw is still doing well despite the reduced numbers caused by the removal of the paid petitioner’s signatures. I have no doubt they will exceed their affiliate’s goal by the time the campaign is through. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

    
    Affiliate     Collected     Goal   % Of Goal   $+Sigs.  % 0f Goal
    Allegan           95        560      17.0%       165      29.5%
    Berrien          107        560      19.1%       137      24.5%
    Branch-Hillsdale  48        351      13.7%       108      30.8%
    Clare-Gladwin    269        320      84.0%       269      84.0%
    Ionia             23        240       9.6%        23       9.6%
    Kalamazoo         84       1013       8.3%       129      12.7%
    Lapeer-Genesee   627       1413      44.4%       814      57.6%
    Livingston        95       1732       5.5%       791      45.7%
    Macomb          1493       5784      25.8%      2909      50.3%
    Mid-Michigan     515       2852      18.1%       851      29.9%
    Midwest Michigan 305        560      54.5%       371      66.3%
    Oakland         4978      10688      46.6%      7331      72.3%
    Ottawa            83        800      10.4%        86      10.8%
    S. Central Mich   43       1652       2.6%        77       4.7%
    Shiawassee      1443        293     492.5%      1483     506.1%
    Saint Clair       11        693       1.6%        11       1.6%
    Traverse Bay       9        773       1.2%        29       3.8%
    Tri-Cities       769       1173      65.6%      1097      93.5%
    Upper Peninsula   39       1119       3.5%       284      25.4%
    Van Buren        172        426      40.4%       192      45.1%
    Washtenaw       1083       2799      38.7%      1975      70.6%
    Wayne           1145       8422      13.6%      2512      29.8%
    West Michigan    487       2799      17.4%       931      33.3%
    


    Remember: if you don’t have the time or inclination to collect signatures, say it with money. We’ll hire someone to collect your signatures for you. Every dollar you send will buy us one signature from a paid petitioner AND will count towards both your personal and affiliate goals.

    Send donations to: LPM BARC
    619 E. Nine Mile Road
    Hazel Park, MI 48130-1836
    Back to Contents

To unsubscribe, send email to lpmonline@michiganlp.org
Created with NewsNet Pipeline - The Online Newsletter Connector

Return to News Archive



Return to LP of Michigan Home Page