LPM Online

August 8, 2006

1. Upcoming Events

   August 08, 2006 - 08:00 AM

   Primary elections. An excellent chance to reach active voters (especially on exit). Some local offices and mileages may also be up to a vote.

   Location: All around the state.

   Contact: Scotty Boman Phone: 313-247-2052 Email: scottyeducation@yahoo.com

   
   

   August 08, 2006 - 7:30 PM

   Monthly meeting of the Capital Area Libertarian Party. No official business this monthing - open to the public for general political discussion.

   Location: Barley's Grill, 727 E Miller Rd., Lansing

   Contact: Will Tyler White Phone: 517 349-3806 Email: whitewi5@msu.edu

   
   

   August 09, 2006 - 7:30 PM

   The West Michigan LP will be having its executive committee meeting to decide the outlays for the election year, coordinate election activities, and plan for the outreach events.

   Location: IHOP on East Beltline (Knapp's corner)in Grand Rapids.

   Contact: Matt Friar Phone: 616-949-2844 Email: Secretary@lpwm.org

   
   

   August 10, 2006 - 6:00 PM

   The monthly meeting meeting of the "Libertarian Party of Southwest Michigan". This will be an important meeting since we will be discussing some changes for our party. Everyone is welcome. Dinner is optional.

   Location: The IHOP Restaurant on Pipestone, just off the I-94 exit(about 150 yds west).

   Contact: Bill Bradley Phone: 269 637-4525 Email: wbradley@i2k.com

   
   

   August 12, 2006 - 12:00 AM

   The LPWM will be holding its second annual summer picnic. This is an opportunity for all our members to get together socially. Please RSVP soon. We ask that everyone bring a dish to pass. For those of you who missed last year, be sure to make it and don't miss out! Directions can be found on our website www.lpwm.org.

   Location: Bill Hall's home in Rockford, Michigan.

   Contact: Eric Larson Phone: 616-949-2844 Email: chair@lpwm.org

   
   

   August 23, 2006 - 7:30 PM

   Libertarian Party of Oakland County monthly meeting. Optional dinner at 6:30. Meeting at 7:30.

   Location: Sila's Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile, 2 blocks east of Greenfield, in Berkley.

   Contact: Chris Watson Phone: 586-203-9608 Email: c.j.watson@comcast.net

   
   

   September 04, 2006 - 5:00 PM

   A protest (about the Rainbow Farm case and the deaths of Rollie Rohm and Tom "Grover" Crosslin.) at the Cass County Courthouse in Cassopolis on Labor day, September 4th. Tentatively held from 5 PM to 6 PM.

   Location: Cass County Courthouse in Cassopolis

   Contact: James Parker Phone: (517) 439-2460 Email: jamesparker2@earthlink.net

   
   

   September 05, 2006 - 00:00 AM

   On Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th, Kathy Kennedy plans to hold vigil (about the Rainbow Farm case and the deaths of Rollie Rohm and Tom "Grover" Crosslin.)

   Location: in front of the State Capitol, Lansing, MI

   Contact: James Parker Phone: (517) 439-2460 Email: jamesparker2@earthlink.net

   
   

   September 09, 2006 - 10:00 AM

   Dally in the Alley. There will be a Libertarian information booth there. Thousands of people attend this grassroots festival.

   Location: West Forest St. and Second Ave. (Whole block) Detroit, Michigan. South of Wayne State University

   Contact: Scotty Boman Phone: 313-247-2052 Email: scottyeducation@yahoo.com

   
   

   September 23, 2006 - 5:00 PM

   Samuel Staley will be the featured speaker at this year's event. He is a policy expert on eminent domain and property development from the Reason Institute. Also, the event will feature our annual Guardian of Liberty awards. Come join us as we celebrate our march to liberty in west Michigan and throughout the state. Tickets are $40 which cover the gourmet meal and festivities. RSVP to Bill Gelineau, membership director.

   Location: Liberty Banquet at Sayfee's Restaurant in Grand Rapids.

   Contact: Bill Gelineau Phone: 616-897-0488 Email: wgelineau@firstam.com

   
   

   More...

   For more events, see the online calendar at:

   http://www.michiganlp.org/lpmonline/events.php

   
   

2. Michigan Libertarian Special Delivery — by Michigan Libertarian Staff
   
   Because of problems delivering the Michigan Libertarian by Snail mail, I have made it available via this link:
   
   http://www.mi.lp.org/mi_libertarian_July_2006.pdf
   
   The PDF file will be removed when newsletters start reaching homes. The LEC is working to ensure more timely deliveries in the future. If you are not a member of the Libertarian Party, or your dues have lapsed, consider this an introductory complementary copy.Back to Contents
   
3. Getting in touch with the voters for Free — by Scott Boman
   
   The League of Women Voters is one
   of the few organizations that distributes
   candidate questionnaires and hosts forums
   in which alternative political parties get
   equal treatment. One of the reasons they
   no longer host presidential debates, was
   because they wouldn’t promise to exclude
   third parties.
   Libertarians have been invited to
   speak at some of their forums. So I was
   surprised not to get a candidate
   questionnaire in the last election. I was
   even more surprised when their voter
   guide listed me as not responding to the
   questionnaire.
   I think they simply made an error
   with my address, and they have assured
   me they will be in touch this year. They
   have the statewide list of candidates that
   we delivered in Lansing, but if you
   registered locally you may wish to forward
   your contact information to them to make
   sure:
   League of Women Voters of Michigan
   200 Museum Drive
   Lansing, MI 48933-1997
   Telephone: (517) 484-5383 Fax:
   (517) 484-3086
   e-mail: info@lwvmi.org
   Don’ t bother sending them
   promotional information. They aren’t
   interested in it. Just contact information.
   Apparently they have taken some nonlibertarian
   positions on some issues, but
   save your argument s for thei r
   questionnaires and the candidate forums.
   Back to Contents
   
4. Donations to Special Funds are Welcome — by Scotty Boman
   
   The LPM Federal Fund has funds in it, but could use more. Also, there needs to be money in the Libertarian Party of
   Michigan Campaign Fund. Why? Because the government says
   so of course. What will we use this money for? To tell the voters about our candidates.
   Campaign finance laws require that any promotional materials the party distributes (such as a slate list of our candidates) must be paid for out of the LPM Campaign Fund.
   The bad news is that the LPM campaign fund is empty. The good newsis that the LPM has money in it's Federal Fund. It
   is illegal to move money between funds.
   There is only one way for the LPM to
   promote it's slate of candidates statewide...
   Donate today.
   Checks must be made out to the “LPM Campaign Fund” Checks that don’t include the suffix “Campaign Fund” will go into our general fund.
   Donations can be sent to:
   The Libertarian Party of Michigan
   Campaign Fund
   P.O. Box 27065, Lansing, MI 48924-7065Back to Contents
   
5. How to Distribute Litterature (Reprinted from the ML) — by Leonard Schwartz
   
   To promote the Libertarian Party and its candidates, you should distribute handbills and brochures that are designed
   for outreach.
   The state party has three new outreach brochures publicizing that the Libertarian Party is the only political party
   (1) that supports equal rights a n d opposes racial preferences, (2) that supports small business, and (3) that
   wants to get government busybodies off your back. Some of our candidates will have handbills or brochures.
   Other outreach material is available from
   the national party and o t h e r l i b e r t a r i a n
   organizations, such as The Advocates for Sel f-G o v e r n m e n t , www. theadvocates.org, and the
   International Society for Individual Liberty, www.isil.org.
   You shouldn't waste time and money distributing the Libertarian Party News, the Michigan Libertarian, and other party newsletters. They are designed for members, not for recruiting voters or new members. Distributing party newsletters to nonmembers also creates campaign
   finance problems.
   Distributing outreach literature to friends is most effective. Because they like and respect you, friends are more likely to read the literature.
   But LPM has only a few h u n d r e d m e m b e r s , each with a limited number of friends, who probably have h e a r d o u r promotions for the Libertarian Party. Therefore, outreach to strangers is essential. An inexpensive way to distribute outreach material is the literature drop;
   walk door-to-door leaving a packet of information. Don't put outreach material in mail boxes; it is a federal crime. To protect the material from rain and wind, try to leave the material between the door and screen door. Many libertarians find it more fun to hand out outreach material at parades, arts and crafts festivals, concerts in the park, and other outdoor events where people are sitting or strolling. If you are a candidate for a statewide office (or if you think that most people at the event live in your district), say something like "I'm a candidate for [name of office]." If you are not a candidate (or if you think that most people don't live in your district), say something like "Please consider voting
   Libertarian." You can distribute several outreach items simultaneously. You should have everything assembled before hand in packets. Place one brochure inside another, with the brochure that you think is most effective on the outside.
   
   Back to Contents
   
6. Wired for Wires — by Scotty Boman
   
   One of the most expensive parts of political signage is paying for sign wires. November 9th is a great day to get lots of free wires. After the primaries, most of the candidates have lost, and picking up all those wires is but the post mortem of their campaign. Such scavenging may seem distasteful, but it is a great way to help your favorite candidate. Of course one should observe some basic etiquette:
   
   1. Respect private property. Only signs wires in public places, like freeway embankments, are fair game. Many are there illegally, and you may be saving the campaign that put them there unwanted hastles and fines.
   2. Don’t touch the public sinage until the day after the primary. This is a matter of fair play. Let’s face it; some of our favorite candidates put signs on public property too. It’s a “do unto others” thing. If the signs are up after the primary, then they are already due to be removed.
   3. Don’t get in arguments about them. If someone says the wires are theirs, they are probably right.
   Back to Contents
   
7. Confusion About Membership Costs the LPM Money — by Scotty Boman
   
   Earlier this year, the National Libertarian party discontinued its Unified Membership Program (Ump). Under UMP, if you sent $25 to either the national or state organization, you were a member of both. This made matters simple for members. You were either caught up on your dues or you were not.
   
   Now it’s like this: You may have current membership in the national organization (at no charge) and pay $25 to the national organization, but still not be a member of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. To assure your membership you must renew with the Libertarian Party of Michigan.
   
   Is this less convenient? Yes. Is it important to support both organizations? Yes. Without a Libertarian Party of Michigan, there is no slate of libertarian candidates on the ballot. Even if the national organization nominates a presidential candidate, he or she cannot be on the ballot without going through the State Party, or spending thousands of dollars on ballot access. Likewise we need a national organization to coordinate presidential efforts during presidential election year, and to speak the libertarian position on national issues.
   
   So double check you records, or contact our membership director if you have any doubt. We need dues paying members to keep an office open and produce a newsletter.
   Back to Contents
   
8. Opportunity for Candidates in Caro Michigan — by Scotty Boman
   
   If you are running for office, and able to get out to Caro Michigan, you may be interested in their meet the candidates night. Here is the complete text of the letter Davenport University sent me:
   
   July 6, 2006
   
   Dear Candidate:
   
   Davenport University is pleased to announce after a great deal of inquiries and requests, we will again be hosting our Meet the Candidates night. On Thursday October 5, 2006 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the Caro Location of Davenport will be open to candidates to meet with the public.
   
   We welcome you and your agents to attend this forum for the purpose of meeting with the public in a casual setting. I think you will find our newly renovated building and upgraded technology will offer you a wonderful stage for meeting with the communities you represent.
   
   Please contact myself, Audrey Kelly, at (989) 673-5857 if you, or your agent, plan to attend and to request any accommodations such as technology, display tables, or other additional equipment we may be able to supply you with. As an alternative, you may email me your attendance and necessary equipment at audrey.kellv@davenport.edu. In the event you are unable to reach me directly feel free to leave your response with our customer service staff.
   
   On behalf of Davenport University, we are delighted to bring to you Meet the Candidates night once again and look forward to a successful evening of community conversation!
   
   Sincerely,
   
   Audrey Kelly Admissions Representative
   
   James Auld
   Department Coordinator for Legal Careers Director of Student Life
   
   
   1231 Cleaver Road · Cara, Michigan 48723 · 989.673.5857 · 800.968.9710 www.davenport.edu
   Back to Contents
   
9. Good Morning! It's Primary Day!
   
   If you read this early enough for it to matter, you may say "so what! The LPM already selected it's candidates" This is true, but it's a great chance to get hard-core voters by surprise.
   When they go in you can watch them dodge the volley of literature foisted before them. They may deliver some of it to the trash basket.
   On the way out the are empty handed. You hold out your libertarian outreach or candidate brochure. They smugly say, "I already voted." You say, "Yes. This is for you to look at between now and November."Back to Contents