LPM Online, March 2009

------ March 2009 -----

CALENDAR
March 3 - St. Clair and Sanilac Counties
Monthly Meeting - LP group meets the 1st Tuesday of the month starting at 6 pm at Military Street Music Cafe, 1102 Military Street (downtown), Port Huron .  Contact Mark Byrne, 810-987-9856, iwantska@hotmail.com

March 4 - Washtenaw County
LP of Washtenaw County Monthly Business Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson Rd , Ann Arbor (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor ). Contact James Hudler, 734-475-9792, or Larry Johnson, michlibertarian@comcast.net

March 4 - South West Michigan
LPSWM Executive Committee Meeting - 6:00 - 6:50 pm at IHOP, 1981 Pipestone Rd. , Benton Harbor. Guests are welcome.  Followed by:
Round Table Political Forum hosted by the LP of South West Michigan. 7-9 pm at The  Livery, 190 Fifth St , Benton Harbor. Visitors are welcome to participate.
Contact Bill Bradley, 269-637-4525, secretary@lpswmich.org

March 5 - Wayne County
Monthly Meeting - Dimitri´s on the Avenue, 41316 Michigan Ave, Dearborn 48126, Dinner Orders 6:30, Meeting 7:30. This meeting will serve as our county convention at which time we will be electing officers for the next year and conducting other party business.  We will be electing a new Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, and three at-large members.  Due to his shift switching to afternoons, Greg Stempfle will be unable to serve as chair this year, so he is actively looking for someone to lead the affiliate for 2009. Contact Greg Stempfle, stempfle@hotmail.com, 313-929-1789

March 10 - Capital Area
Capital Area LP Monthly Meeting - 7 pm at former LPM office, 2722 E Michigan Ave, Ste 22 , Lansing (park and enter in back). Contact Will Tyler White, 517-349-3806, whitewi5@msu.edu

March 11 - Macomb County
Monthly Meeting of the Libertarians of Macomb County.  All members of the Libertarian Party, their friends and family, and anyone interested in learning more about the LP are invited to attend.  The meeting begins at 7:30 but feel free to join us for good food and conversation at 6:30 pm at the Loon River Café, 34911 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights. Contact Jim Allison, jim.e.allison@gmail.com

March 11 - Oakland County
Annual Convention of the LP of Oakland County. 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 meeting. Sila´s Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile, Berkley (2 blocks east of Greenfield on south side of 12 Mile). Please join us in planning out and implementing the next phase of our Libertarian presence in Oakland County .  Aside from electing our new officers, there will be further discussion of an impending race in the County.  Join us in bringing Real Change.  Contact Bruce Hoepner, 248-219-3303, bahoeps@sbcglobal.net

March 14 - Libertarian Party of Michigan
Regional LP Activist Conference - 2-5 pm at Holiday Inn Express, 6569 Clay Ave SW , Grand Rapids . Includes volunteer orientation and affiliate leadership training.  Contact Emily Salvette, 734-645-5809,  salvette@umich.edu (see article below)

March 18 - Washtenaw County
LP of Washtenaw County Social/Work Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor). Contact James Hudler, 734-475-9792, or Larry Johnson, michlibertarian@comcast.net

April 1 - Deadline for Michigan Libertarian; send to michiganlibertarian@gmail.com

April 1 - Washtenaw County
LP of Washtenaw County Monthly Business Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor). Contact James Hudler, 734-475-9792, or Larry Johnson, michlibertarian@comcast.net

April 1 - South West Michigan
LPSWM Executive Committee Meeting - 6:00 - 6:50 pm at IHOP, 1981 Pipestone Rd. , Benton Harbor. Guests are welcome.  Followed by:
Round Table Political Forum hosted by the LP of South West Michigan. 7-9 pm at The  Livery, 190 Fifth St , Benton Harbor. Visitors are welcome to participate.
Contact Bill Bradley, 269-637-4525, secretary@lpswmich.org

April 2 - Wayne County
Monthly Meeting - Dimitri´s on the Avenue, 41316 Michigan Ave, Dearborn 48126, Dinner Orders 6:30, Meeting 7:30. Contact Greg Stempfle, stempfle@hotmail.com, 313-929-1789

April 4 - Libertarian Party of Michigan
Regional LP Activist Conference - 2-5 pm at LPM Office, 101 W Big Beaver, Suite 1400 , Troy . Includes volunteer orientation and affiliate leadership training.  Contact Emily Salvette, 734-645-5809,  salvette@umich.edu (see article below)

April 5 - Libertarian Executive Committee
Conference call meeting at 4 pm. Any LPM member who would like to listen in may go to the Troy office (Columbia Center II, 101 West Big Beaver, Ste 1400 , Troy ) or contact an LEC member to listen at his/her location. Contact Bill Hall, 616-460-9516, chair@michiganlp.org

April 7 - St. Clair and Sanilac Counties
Monthly Meeting - LP group meets the 1st Tuesday of the month starting at 6 pm at Military Street Music Cafe, 1102 Military Street (downtown), Port Huron.  Contact Mark Byrne, 810-987-9856, iwantska@hotmail.com

April 8 - Macomb County
Monthly Meeting of the Libertarians of Macomb County.  All members of the Libertarian Party, their friends and family, and anyone interested in learning more about the LP are invited to attend.  The meeting begins at 7:30 but feel free to join us for good food and conversation at 6:30 pm at the Loon River Café, 34911 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights. Contact Jim Allison, jim.e.allison@gmail.com

April 8 - Oakland County
Monthly Meeting of the LP of Oakland County. 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 meeting. Sila´s Restaurant, 4033 W. 12 Mile (2 blocks east of Greenfield ), Berkley . Topics will include the potential of two city council races.  Please join us in planning out and implementing the next phase of a Libertarian presence in Oakland County .  Contact Bruce Hoepner, 248-219-3303, bahoeps@sbcglobal.net

April 14 - Capital Area
Capital Area LP Monthly Meeting - 7 pm at former LPM office, 2722 E Michigan Ave, Ste 22 , Lansing (park and enter in back). Contact Will Tyler White, 517-349-3806, whitewi5@msu.edu

April 15 - Washtenaw County
LP of Washtenaw County Social/Work Meeting -7 to 9 pm at Classic Cup Cafe, 4389 Jackson (In the Parkland Plaza west of Ann Arbor ). Contact James Hudler, 734-475-9792, or Larry Johnson, michlibertarian@comcast.net

May 23 - Libertarian Party of Michigan
LPM State Convention in Jackson .  10 am - 9 pm. Make sure to join the LP or renew your membership so you can vote at the convention! Contact Nathan Allen, trustynathan08@yahoo.com


More...
For more events, see the online calendar at:
http://www.mi.lp.org/Shared%20Documents/Calendar.aspx

Another Important Link.
The current Michigan Libertarian is available online at...
http://www.mi.lp.org/Past%20Newsletters/Michigan_Libertarian_Nov-Dec_2008_37.6.pdf

The deadline for the next edition of the print newsletter, the Michigan Libertarian, will be April 1.  Please submit all articles, news, and advertising to michiganlibertarian@gmail.com
 
This will be the only mailed newsletter to go out prior to the state convention scheduled for May.


REGIONAL ACTIVIST CONFERENCES

MEET other Libertarians
LEARN about the LP
VOLUNTEER to help-we need you!

The excitement is building for the two upcoming regional activist conferences, where we'll orient new volunteers and do a bit of affiliate leadership training.  The meetings will be an opportunity for new volunteers to learn about the LPM and ways to get involved, as well as meet affiliate leaders from the area. These meetings are free and open to everyone.

The first conference will be on Saturday, March 14 from 2-5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, 6569 Clay Ave SW , Grand Rapids (near the intersection of 131 and M-6).  This facility features an indoor water park, so it may be a chance to enjoy a nice family get-away.  Contact Emily Salvette Salvette@umich.edu for information about special hotel rates.

The second conference will be on Saturday, April 4 from 2-5 p.m. at the LPM offices at Columbia Center II, 101 W Big Beaver Rd, Suite 1400 , Troy .

So pick the conference most convenient to you and make plans to attend today! While there is no charge, reservations would be appreciated so we know how many to expect.  Please RSVP to Emily Salvette, Salvette@umich.edu.  See you there!


BAILOUT & STIMULUS BACKLASH AIDS LPM
By Bill Hall, LPM Chair

Strong public opposition to the $700 billion bank bailout and the recently-enacted $787 billion "stimulus" plan has resulted in a dramatic increase in inquiries and potential volunteers for the Libertarian Party of Michigan.  Normally, interest in politics and the Libertarian Party in particular wanes following an election.  Yet, since the first of this year, the LPM has been receiving an average of one new inquiry or volunteer (mostly volunteers) every other day, primarily via the Internet.  

It doesn't take a degree in free market economics to realize that it's just not right for taxpayers to be forced to bail out banks that made risky loans.  Simple common sense tells you that borrowers who bought homes with no money down and not enough income to make their mortgage payments should NOT be bailed out by those who saved to buy a home, and dutifully met their mortgage obligations.  People who never cared about politics and never would have dreamed of supporting the Libertarian Party, are coming to the conclusion that only the Libertarian Party sensibly opposes this latest insanity in Washington .

This wave of interest in the LPM presents an excellent opportunity for us to mobilize these inquiries and volunteers.  As noted elsewhere in this newsletter, we plan to do exactly that, with our regional activist conferences on March 14 in Grand Rapids and April 4 in Troy .  Plan to attend the regional activist conference nearest you.  Help welcome others into the LPM.  Spending a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon with others who share your concern for the future of our way of life can yield big rewards.  

Contact me at chair@michiganlp.org or Emily Salvette at salvette@umich.edu, if you can help us promote these conferences.  We need volunteers to contact potential attendees and get them out to these conferences.

VOLUNTEER THANKS
Thanks to Michael Whetstone, a new LPM member, who has volunteered to respond to volunteer inquiries.  We appreciate your help, Michael!


LEC TO SELECT NATIONAL PLATFORM DELEGATE
 At its April 5 teleconference meeting, the Libertarian Party of Michigan Executive Committee will select the LPM´s representative to the 2010 Libertarian Party National Convention Platform Committee. Any LPM member interested in the appointment should submit their request for appointment and a resume setting forth their qualifications to LPM Secretary Emily Salvette at salvette@umich.edu no later than Wednesday, April 1. The Platform Committee will likely meet in February of 2010 at the annual Libertarian State Leadership Alliance Conference, to prepare its preliminary report to delegates, and then again in St. Louis prior to the National Convention, which will be held May 27-31, 2010.

LPM CONVENTION 2009
By Nathan Allen, Convention Chair
This year's state convention will be held on Saturday, May 23^rd in Jackson , MI . The convention will be designed as a, drive in and drive out, one day affair. Business will commence at 10am and the banquet will conclude no later than 9pm.
The cash bar will remain open until midnight.
Details are still being ironed out.
Bylaws discussions will be held to a minimum this year.
If you have any bylaws changes, send them to Leonard Schwartz at: leonard@leonardschwartz.us
Please CC all suggestions to Nathan Allen at: trustynathan08@yahoo.com
All suggestions must be received by midnight, April 4, 2009
Please send your suggestions in Microsoft Word format. The suggested changes will be published in the May edition of this LPM monthly online newsletter and the print newsletter. Please be very specific with your wording.  We will be doing a simple vote on each change in an up or down format.  You will be afforded 5 minutes to address your bylaws change suggestion on the convention floor.  Opposition will also be afforded 5 minutes.

OAKLAND COUNTY WANTS YOUR COP STORIES
By Bruce Hoepner, LPOC Chair

Many of our local communities are feeling the consequences of the current government generated economic downturn.  Running true to form, many of these communities have resorted to using local traffic and code enforcement as a way of restoring lost revenue.

Of course, cutting spending and reducing staff aren't really options for them, so they are sending out the Mounties to make up the difference.  The Libertarian Party of Oakland County is taking the initiative to document these abuses and present a plan of action for LPM affiliates at the State Convention.

We would like for all of you who subscribe to this on-line newsletter to gather anecdotes from your local communities, family and affiliate members.  Let us know about the excesses that the local law-enforcement is inflicting in the name of fiscal enhancement.  Bogus traffic stops, strict code violation enforcement or any other creative efforts by the local government to cover their excesses would be appreciated.

Please send your anecdotes to bahoeps@sbcglobal.net 
Please indicate if you wish to maintain confidentiality.  We cannot promise that all incidents will used in out presentation, but all items will be saved for future action.  Thank you for your input

LPM ONLINE.
is distributed on the first of each month. Send calendar events and news articles by the 25^th of the prior month to Emily Salvette, salvette@umich.edu.