LP Monday Message: Regulate Marijuana Like Wine

Fellow Libertarians,
 
The United States government has just declared war on medical cannabis, throwing patients and dispensaries into a panic and with good reason.  Even those with years of unblemished operations, including some of our finest and most respected MCDs, are being targeted.  The Feds are even threatening to prosecute anyone who runs ads about medical marijuana.  According to the latest proclamation from the Bluecoats, "Nobody is immune."
 
Many Libertarians saw this coming when President Bush holdover, Michele Leonhart, boasted she would ignore the administration's formal medical marijuana guidelines, yet was still appointed to head the DEA.  As a result, our campaign team carefully crafted a revolutionary new voter initiative that will legally allow California to Opt Out of the Controlled Substances Act. Of course, the Feds can challenge our voter initiative once it passes, but we believe we have the necessary legal tools within this initiative to defeat them.
 
Libertarian James Gray, a retired superior court judge, and chief proponent for our initiative, blasted this unprecedented intervention by the Federal government in a press conference. "For the federal government to interfere with state and local implementation of California's medical marijuana law is tantamount to a government bailout for criminal gangs and violent drug cartels. For some reason the federal government wants to force legal medical marijuana patients toward a dangerous criminal market and away from an above-ground industry that pays over $100 million per year in state taxes and provides jobs for thousands of our citizens. California voters can tell the feds to back off and let Californians implement our own laws by voting to regulate marijuana like wine next November," said the former judge.
 
This action by the Federal government against the state of California is no more about marijuana than the Boston Tea Party was about tea.  This is about tyranny and the battle to restore the rule of law to our Republic. By supporting this initiative to opt out of the Controlled Substance Act, you are laying the foundations for bringing a rogue Federal government back into compliance with the 10th Amendment, something that is long overdue.  Last June the US Supreme Court made a 9-0 ruling that dramatically upholds the 10th Amendment and rebukes the Federal government for assuming powers through treaties to which it is constitutionally prohibited.
 
A Gallup Poll that was just released shows support for legalization at an historic high of 50% nationwide and 55% in California. We also have a poll by the Economist magazine which shows 62% support for regulation.  The first petition to the White House to qualify for a review and comment by President Obama was a petition to Legalize and Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol. It should be clear to everyone from these polls -- as well as the recent call by 35,000 California  physicians to legalize marijuana -- that voters are more than ready to pass a legalization initiative that replaces unregulated black markets with a market that is regulated and taxed just like wine.  Our initiative also places a strict cap on any other taxes or regulations for cannabis, beyond those that apply to growing grapes and selling wine.
 
We have just received our Title and Summary and have officially launched our petition drive.  While I am confident that the big funders will come around, once they see us moving forward, it is imperative that every Libertarian in the country get involved now and make a 100% effort over the next three weeks to get donations and signatures.  We need for large numbers of people to go to our website on Tuesday, November 1st, download a PDF of the petition, and print it out on both sides.  After that, they will have a week to sign up their friends, family and coworkers, before they mail their petition to us to be validated and counted.
 
We will provide PDFs of our petition on our website and ask people to download and print on regular 8.5 x 11 paper or legal size paper, 8.5 x 14, on both sides.  You can use your own printer for the regular size petitions or take our legal size PDFs to a copy story and they will make copies for you.  Join the growing number of Libertarians who are working for the biggest victory ever for our party, this November 6, 2012.  Remember, this is no more about marijuana than the Boston Tea Party was about tea.  It's about Tyranny, be it King George or our own federal government.  That's the way the Orange Country Register sees it and why they like this initiative.
 
During the Prop. 215 campaign, we also experienced a lot of apathy in the beginning.  That changed once people realized we were actually collecting signatures and moving forward.  Once the major funders realized we were within striking distance of qualifying, they set aside their objections and jumped on board.  I believe the same will happen now, especially given the terrible sense of betrayal that so many people have about the mean spirited  actions of this President and his unprovoked attack upon sick, disabled and dying patients who depend upon medical cannabis dispensaries and state law to protect them and keep them  alive.
 
So the key to our plan is launch with a bang, make sure everyone knows we are for real, and give the major funders a reason to believe we are the winning ticket. 
 
ACTION PLAN:
 
    --Go to the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine website at: http://regulatemarijuanalikewine.com/
    --Make a donation of whatever you can afford to create a future of liberty and a restrained Federal government.
    --Go to the website, download the petition, print it up, sign it and mail it back to us ASAP.
    --Do your part for freedom by speaking to friends, family and coworkers to pledge signatures and money.
 
It is up to us Libertarians to make sure our launch on November 1st is an impressive display of fireworks, not a dud.  Your effort is urgently need to ensure that we have money and signatures three weeks from now.  Please join us now and help make 2012 the greatest Libertarian victory of all time.
 
Yours in liberty
 
THE REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE WINE COMMITTEE
 
James P Gray Chief Proponent
Steve Kubby Chief Officer
Bill McPike Chief Counsel
Steve Collett Treasurer

Lobbyists too powerful because government is too powerful

WASHINGTON - Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle released the following statement today:

 

"President Obama is currently caught in a bit of a scandal over his pledge not to take campaign money from lobbyists.

 

"According to the New York Times, 'Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.'

 

"It's unfortunate that the president has added one more to his pile of broken promises. But it's not at all surprising.

 

"Our government has far too much power and money at its disposal. The inevitable consequence is that businesses, organizations, and individuals will work very hard to guide that power and money in their own favor.

 

"In fact, it often seems like politicians intentionally create incentives for people to try to bribe them.

 

"Businesses especially will fight for more corporate welfare, and also for regulations that stifle potential competitors. What choice do they have? If they don't fight for those special government favors, then someone else will, which will put them at an increasing disadvantage, and might drive them out of business.

 

"A recent Economist article pointed out that over the last ten years, companies that lobbied heavily had a much bigger increase in stock value than those that didn't. Executives might conclude that if you're not lobbying, you're ripping off your shareholders!

 

"And of course, these entities that stand to benefit from government favors will work hard (and spend hard) to get friendly politicians elected.

 

"Some people feel that massive campaign finance regulations will stop this unholy bargaining. It won't. When the dust settles, campaign finance restrictions usually just make life easier for incumbents and harder for challengers. We Libertarians know that only too well.

 

"I have to remind myself, lobbying isn't essentially a bad thing. It's an expression of our right to 'petition the government for a redress of grievances.' It provides information to politicians. But when politicians get in the habit of handing out favors, you can bet everyone is going to run up to the trough.

 

"The only way to reduce the power of lobbyists is to reduce the power of government. That choice rests with the voters. If voters keep electing Democrats and Republicans, then the power of government and lobbyists will continue to grow. If voters start electing Libertarians, things will change."

 

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

 

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971.  The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

 

P.S.  If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

VIDEO: Obama: 'We Can't Wait to Create Jobs'

President Obama says that we can’t wait for Congress to take action to grow the economy and create jobs and highlights actions he took to help families refinance their mortgages, put veterans to work, and lower the cost of student loans.

Weekly Update from Rep. Denham

Dear Friend,

 

With thousands of our overseas troops scheduled to come home by the end of this year, it is our responsibility to uphold the promise to ensure care for our active service members, veterans and their families. I have heard from many veterans in our area who are frustrated with the bureaucratic obstacles they have faced in attempts to receive care when they return home.  I am working to make these transitions seamless.

 

At Vet Centers across the country, thousands of veterans continue to encounter obstacles when obtaining their DD-214, a verified record of their service.  This week, I introduced the Efficient Service for Veterans Act to streamline the bureaucratic processes for veterans at Vet Centers, allowing the Vet Centers access to electronic records programs. I was proud to have the support of the American Legion behind this legislation.

 

A recent study from the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that in 2009, approximately 76,000 veterans were homeless on any one particular day and 136,000 veterans were homeless at some point during the year. To begin raising awareness of this issue, on Monday, I introduced a Resolution supporting the creation of a National Underserved Veterans Awareness Week. This week will help educate veterans and the public on the available resources offered to current and returning veterans.

 

Couple of weeks ago, the House passed the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act, coming together in bi-partisan fashion to put veterans back to work. This week, the House found another area where we can agree—protecting American businesses from increased regulations. We passed H.R. 674 yesterday, which will repeal the 3%withholding tax and prevent another regulation from being forced on our job creators. With so many Californians out of work, we must work harder than ever to improve the climate for job growth in our country.  I voted to repeal the 3% withholding tax, because instead of putting obstacles in the way of job growth, we must focus on making America’s business climate competitive again in order to get people back to work.  To track the progress of the job-creating bills that the House has passed, "like “my Facebook page and check out the Jobs Tracker for real-time updates. It is my hope that the Senate will take action on these bills and help us in our effort to get Americans back to work.

 

Next week, the House will remain focused on job creation and deficit reduction, and we will begin to hear more about the progress that the Super Committee is making in finding $1.2trillion in cuts to reduce our deficit. I know there are areas of government where we can identify real savings that we can all agree on; this is why sent a letter to the Committee urging them to include my bill, H.R.1734, the Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA)in their proposal. Many people are not aware of the significant amount of savings we can find in vacant and underused properties our government owns, and taxpayers continue to pay for. If eliminated, this waste would amount to billions in savings for Americans. To find out more, click here.

 

Thank you to all of my followers on Facebook and twitter. I also encourage you to tell your friends and family members to sign up for this weekly re-cap. Each of these forums is great way to stay up-to-date with my activity and learn about upcoming events and votes.

 

Have a safe and Happy Halloween weekend!

 

Sincerely,

 

JEFF DENHAM

United States Representative

Wounded Libyan Fighters To Receive U.S. Medical Care

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta

October 27, 2011

 

After months of struggle and sacrifice, the Libyan people have liberated their country with the support of the United States and the international community. The violent dictator and his regime have collapsed. But Libya’s new freedom has come at a price in human life and suffering. Just as the United States and the international community stood with the Libyan people during the revolution, we continue to work with Libya to address urgent humanitarian needs.

 

Saturday, in response to a request by the Transitional National Council, the United States is transporting 24 seriously wounded fighters to Spaulding Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. An additional six critical cases will be transferred to Germany for immediate care. All of these patients were injured as a result of recent fighting and suffer from conditions that cannot currently be treated in Libya.

The United States offers this humanitarian gesture of emergency medical evacuation assistance as a token of our support for the democratic aspirations of the Libyan people and our hope for a continued strong partnership as they build a new Libya.

We the People Takes the Next Step

Yesterday one of President Obama's top education advisors, Roberto Rodriguez, issued the first response to a petition created through We the People.

We the People was launched to bring the voices of Americans around the country into our government and we're thrilled to see so many Americans engaging members of the Obama Administration in a constructive dialogue on such an enormous scale. Stay updated on the latest petition responses and other news by following @WeThePeople [and @PublishPolitics] on Twitter.

Former Abramoff Colleague Kevin Ring Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Conspiracy, Honest Services Fraud, and Payment of Gratuities Related to Illegal Lobbying Scheme

WASHINGTON—Kevin A. Ring, a former lobbyist who worked with Jack A. Abramoff, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for his role in a scheme to corrupt public officials by providing an illegal stream of things of value, including vacations, employment for a congressman’s wife, meals, drinks, and high-priced tickets to exclusive concerts and sporting events, the Department of Justice announced.

 

Ring, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle in the District of Columbia. Judge Huvelle also sentenced Ring to 30 months of supervised release following his prison term.

 

On Nov. 15, 2010, a jury convicted former lobbyist Ring of corrupting public officials. The jury found Ring guilty on one count of conspiring to corrupt congressional and executive branch officials by providing things of value to them and their staff members in order to induce or reward those who took official actions benefitting Ring and his clients. In addition, Ring was convicted of one count of paying a gratuity to a public official and three counts of honest services wire fraud for engaging in a scheme to deprive U.S. citizens of their right to the honest services of certain public officials. The jury acquitted Ring on three counts of honest services fraud. A previous federal jury failed to reach a verdict in the case and the court declared a mistrial.

According to evidence presented at trial, as a lobbyist working in Washington, D.C., Ring solicited and obtained business throughout the United States, including with Native American tribal governments operating and interested in operating gambling casinos. Trial testimony established that Ring sought to further his clients’ interests by lobbying public officials in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. Evidence at trial established Ring to be the “COO of Team Abramoff,” and at one of his sentencing hearings, the court also found that evidence at trial established that Ring was a supervisor of the conspiracy.

 

Ring and his co-conspirators identified public officials who would perform official actions that would assist Ring and his clients, and then groomed those public officials by providing things of value with the intent of making those public officials more receptive to requests on behalf of their clients in the future. These things of value included all-expenses-paid travel, meals, drinks, golf outings, tickets to professional sporting events, concerts and other events, and an employment opportunity for the wife of a congressman. According to evidence introduced at trial, these things of value were often billed to Ring’s and Abramoff’s clients. Evidence established that Ring and his co-conspirators engaged in this illegal conduct with current and former congressional staff members, including chiefs of staff, as well as officials at the Department of Justice and the White House.

 

Evidence at trial demonstrated the nature of Ring’s lobbying efforts and his attempts to corrupt and reward public officials. In one e-mail message, Ring instructed his co-conspirators to “thank your friends on the Hill and in the Administration. In fact, thank them over and over again this week—preferably for long periods of time and at expensive establishments.” On another occasion, Ring described to a co-conspirator lobbyist what he expected of a public official who had attended a sporting event: “Glad he got a chance to relax. Now he can pay us back.” Similarly, Ring e-mailed a co-conspirator public official and stated: “You are going to eat free off our clients. Need to get us some [appropriations] money.” Testimony at trial from Ring’s co-conspirators described Ring joking about corrupting public officials by saying, “Hello quid, where’s the pro quo.”

 

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Ring corruptly sought assistance from public officials on numerous client projects, such as appropriations and authorizations, congressional letters to executive branch entities, as well as meetings and other legislative and official actions. Evidence at trial showed that Ring corruptly sought, among other actions, $14 million in congressional transportation appropriations and an additional $7 million from the Department of Justice to build a jail.

 

Ring remains charged with an additional two counts of obstructing justice. Those charges stem from alleged efforts by Ring to thwart criminal and congressional investigations by preventing the reporting of his criminal conduct to federal authorities. The court severed those two counts and Ring is scheduled to stand trial at a later date. Ring is presumed innocent of these charges until proven guilty in a court of law.

 

To date, 20 individuals, including lobbyists and public officials, have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial in connection with the investigation into the activities of Abramoff and his associates. Abramoff pleaded guilty in January 2006 to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, honest services fraud, and tax evasion. He was sentenced in September 2008 to 48 months in prison.

 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Nathaniel B. Edmonds of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Deputy Chief Peter Koski of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The investigation of this case is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

Engage with the White House Online

The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) is proud to launch a new one-stop-shop for all the ways you can engage with the White House online. Check it out at WhiteHouse.gov/Engage.

When describing OPE, President Obama said, “Our commitment to openness means more than simply informing the American people about how decisions are made. It means recognizing that government does not have all the answers, and that public officials need to draw on what citizens know.” Our hope is that WhiteHouse.gov/Engage will make your communication with the administration easier than ever!

 

WhiteHouse.gov/Engage is your best resource to learn about the many opportunities to available to inform the work of the President.

 

We have highlighted new and on-going programs, including:

·         American Jobs Act

·         Champions of Change

·         Let’s Move

·         We The People

·         Immigration Roundtables

·         Joining Forces

 

We updated the latest news and videos section and the community pages with constituency specific information. We invite you to get to know our team.

 

The most exciting part of the new website is the tools available to help you get more involved. We want to hear from you and encourage all of you to join the conversation by:

·         Nominating people doing extraordinary things in their community to be a Champion of Change;

·         Hosting roundtables and conference calls;

·         Finding out more about Let’s Move and the Presidential Citizens Medal;

·         Applying to become a White House fellow or Intern;

·         Joining us for White House Office Hours, Open for Questions, and Advise the Advisor events.

 

Our virtual doors are always open and you can contact us via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jon Carson

Director of the Office of Public Engagement

P.S. – The White House just launched a new page about the Administration's efforts to help the economy. Be sure to check it out at WhiteHouse.gov/Economy.

What Are Your Ideas?

Good morning,

 

It's part of my job to make sure President Obama gets to hear the voices and perspectives of people outside Washington – and lately, that's not been difficult.

 

Everywhere the President goes, he gets the same message: Americans just want folks in Washington to work together to build an economy that works for the middle class, not just the wealthiest – and is based on rewarding responsibility, hard work and fairness. 

 

That's why the President has proposed the American Jobs Act, a set of bold but common-sense measures that will put up to 2 million Americans back to work and more money in the pockets of working Americans.

 

Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress keep blocking this bipartisan proposal, putting their party before our country. 

 

We can't wait for Congress to act, so President Obama is moving ahead with executive actions to strengthen the economy, help middle class families and move this country forward.

 

On Monday, he was in Nevada to discuss concrete steps we're taking, like removing caps for deeply underwater borrowers and eliminating fees, so that homeowners can refinance their mortgages and save money. On Tuesday, he announced new initiatives that will help put veterans to work in community health centers. And today, he's proposing to offer immediate relief to college students by making it easier to manage their debt while they get on their feet.

 

These policies aren't a substitute for the American Jobs Act, but they will make a difference. And we don't intend to stop there.

 

The best ideas for growing this economy won't come from Washington – they'll come from Americans like you. So let me tell you about a new way to make your voice heard in our government.

 

More than 750,000 people have already used a new feature on WhiteHouse.gov called We the People to create and sign petitions calling on the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues. Learn more about We the People here:

 

The President's changes to the student loan program will make it easier for graduates to make their payments and avoid default.

 

It's also a great example of We the People at work.

 

In the past month, thousands of citizens signed a petition about student loans. These individuals rightly pointed out that the weight of this debt is preventing graduates all over the country from achieving their dreams.

 

It's a message received loud and clear and one that President Obama – who spent almost a decade paying off his own student loans – understands.

 

A new report shows that our investments in student financial aid have made a big difference for families, but too many students still struggle with debt. Today, the President announced clear actions to help young people who are doing everything right and living up to their responsibilities, but having a hard time making loan payments while the economy continues to recover.

 

So what else do you have? What's the next issue you think needs attention?  Make sure your voice is heard in our government WhiteHouse.gov/YourIdeas.

 

We can't wait to see what you have to say.

 

Sincerely,

 

David Plouffe

Senior Advisor to the President

Libya for the Libyans: Stop the intervention!

After the killing of former Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi, some in  the corporate controlled media are extolling the overall operation as  the right way for the United States to project force overseas.

 

We beg to differ.

 

We find the whole episode, starting  with the beginning of NATO intervention in March, to be very troubling.  Rather than a model to be emulated, the operation sets very bad  precedents.

The United Nations was crudely superseded by the North Atlantic  Treaty Organization (NATO), whose leaders took a mandate to prevent a  possible massacre of civilians and transformed it into a gung ho mission  of "regime change".  NATO is now posing as an international  organization. It is nothing of the kind; it is a military alliance in  which there is no representation of African, Latin American or, with the  exception of Turkey, Asian nations. The key role in the NATO  intervention in Libya is being played by the former colonial powers  (France and the UK, and, to a lesser extent, Libya's former colonial  master, Italy as well as the United States) who have a vested interest  in trade policy with the African continent, and control of that  continent's natural resources. Window dressing was provided by some of  the Arab states, which themselves are hardly paragons of democracy and  good government.

Efforts by many nations and groupings, including the African Union,  the BRICS countries and the ALBA grouping, to obtain a cease fire and  get negotiations for a peaceful solution underway were cynically brushed  aside. This led to a far bloodier conflict than might otherwise have  been the case.

 

Although Gadaffi was correctly denounced for his repressive  policies, little or nothing was said or done by the NATO powers about  the well-documented persecution and reprisals against Black Libyans and  immigrants from other African countries residing in Libya. Unless some  action is taken, these and other reprisals are likely to continue.

 

There is a real danger that the NATO powers, and especially the  former colonial powers, will use the elimination of Gadaffi to increase  their control of the economies and trade of the African states, in the  process imposing even harsher neo-liberal policies of "free" trade,  privatization and austerity on some of the poorest countries in the  world.

 

The Communist Party of the USA calls for a halt to this kind of  interventionist policy. We call for the strengthening of real  international organizations in which all nations and regions of the  world have a vote. Rather than NATO military intervention, conflicts  within and between nations in Africa and everywhere else should be  settled peacefully by negotiations.  There is, in fact, no reason for  the existence of NATO, let alone its transformation into a worldwide  imperialist intervention force that has ranged as far afield as the  Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya.

 

The danger now is that the NATO powers, and international monopoly  capital, take advantage of the Libya situation to maximize their profits  from Libyan oil, natural gas and water resources, as well as  strengthening their control over the economies of the impoverished  African countries which depended on Libyan aid to survive.  The  Communist Party of the USA pledges to oppose all policies which plunge  Libya and its African neighbors into deeper poverty and dependency.

 

Libya for the Libyans!  Africa for the Africans!

 

International Department

Communist Party

Source: E-letter from CPUSA. Photo by Amar Abd Rabbo.

LP Monday Message: Libertaria​n Party HQ must move

Dear Libertarian Party supporter,

 

I'd like your help.

 

The lease on our national Libertarian Party headquarters is up at the end of February 2012.

 

The landlord has indicated they'll be raising the rates 10% to almost $140K per year.

 

The building (the infamous Watergate Building) is only 60% leased as it is, so we think they're trying to get everyone to leave.

 

Speculation is that the owners want to sell an empty building, ready to occupy, to George Washington University, which is right across the street from our office.

 

Also, building maintenance has begun to slip and we're overrun with mice and rats!

 

Time to move!

 

So, rather than jump into another expensive long-term lease, former LNC Chair Geoff Neale suggested last year that we create a Building Fund to buy a building or office condo/townhouse outright.

 

And the LNC late last year authorized the creation of an Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Geoff Neale, to do just that.

 

In honor of our Party's co-founder, we named the committee the David F. Nolan Memorial Building Fund. And we'll be offering naming rights to individual offices, e.g. the Harry Browne Library, etc.

 

Just within the leadership of the LNC, we have pledges of almost $50,000 and through some limited phone calling by Geoff Neale and myself, we've raised another $50,000 in pledges.

 

Our goal is to raise about $125-200K for the down payment and moving expenses. And medium term, our goal is to pay off the building in about 5 years. Imagine never having to pay a rent or a lease payment for office space ever again. That will free up more funds to pursue ballot access, candidate recruitment, media communications, membership growth, etc., etc., etc.

 

We've identified a prime office condo in a nice building, with free parking, access to the DC Metro, and a good layout and the right size for our needs. We'll continue to review other sites as they come on the market, but in the meantime, we need to get busy raising the funds for this project.

 

As I noted above, we need to vacate the Watergate office by the end of February 2012.

 

We've done a detailed analysis of the financial aspects of this project and determined that buying a building is dramatically less expensive than leasing our current space. And still less expensive than other leasing options we've found that are suitable for our needs and safety of our staff.

 

We can eliminate the uncertainty of a lease by purchasing a building; will lease payments go up or down and in what time frame? If we lock in a 3-5 year lease now and rents go down, we'll be overpaying. If rates go up, we'll have to pay higher lease rates at the end of our lease and without any retained equity. Buying a building gives us certainty in the short term and long term we get the prospect of never having to make a lease or rent payment ever again and substantial equity.  And at a cost less then we're paying for our current lease.  Win, win, win!

 

We don't see this as just another donation -- we see it as an investment. $10,000 given for the purchase of a building will still be there in five years, in the form of equity. Finally, who knows what the market value of a building will be in five years -- and that value could have grown measurably. This really is the gift that keeps on giving.

 

Please let me know if you can help us achieve this historic goal.

 

We're in this fight for freedom over the long haul. We can establish ourselves in the DC Metro area and send a message to the R's and D's that we're here to stay, just like the Cato Institute did when they bought their building.

 

What I would like from you is a donation toward this goal. And I would encourage you to think about the legacy you can have in the battle for freedom with a substantial investment towards our goal of freedom in our lifetimes.

 

Any amount up to $30,800 (Federal Elections Commission legal limit) can be donated this year and an equal or slightly increased amount may be donated after December 31, 2011.

 

If you think we should create a permanent beachhead in the DC Metro Area, please send me an email note with your pledge. And, if you want to go ahead and send the Libertarian Party a check or donate online, please note that your donation to this Building Fund project can only be used to buy a building and for associated moving expenses.

 

By law, it cannot be used for anything else.  Online, you can donate here or if sending a check, please note "building fund" in its comment field.

 

To review the highlights of this project, we get:

 

·         the stability a permanent office offers over having to renegotiate a lease every few years.

·         the ability this gives us to attract qualified staff, with an office convenient to reach, with available parking, in a good and safe neighborhood.

·         the improved financial condition of the LNC, that currently gives it the ability to qualify for a mortgage, something it could have never done in the past, and may not be able to do in a future rough spot.

·         the ability to leverage an individual's contribution, with savings compounded each year.

With your support, we will make this happen. You can make a one-time donation online. If you would like to make a monthly pledge toward the Building Fund, please call LP Headquarters at 1-800-ELECT-US.

 

Please let me hear from you soon via email (chair@lp.org).

 

Yours in liberty,

 

Mark Hinkle

LNC Chair

 

P.S. my wife and I have already pledged $1,000 toward this project.

P.P.S. Doug Craig, LNC member, has already pledged $1,000 toward this project.

P.P.P.S. Geoff Neale and his wife have already pledged $5,000.

P.P.P.P.S. Current LNC Treasurer, Bill Redpath has pledged $5,000.

P.P.P.P.P.S. and Past LNC Chair Jim Lark has pledged $25,000!!!

VIDEO: RNC Launches New Web Video As President Obama Heads West to Save His Own Job

By Matt Sauvage

 

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) launched a new web video "His Job" to highlight President Obama’s latest campaign swing on the West Coast.  As the Campaigner-In-Chief struggles to build support for his Stimulus 2.0 after another rough bus tour last week, President Obama is going to use more taxpayer dollars campaigning to save his own job.

 

The web video can be viewed here:

“The president is back to doing what he does best—raising money to save his own job,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “Instead of focusing on getting the 14 million unemployed Americans back to work, he’s focusing on protecting his own. By the time he returns, President Obama will have done more than 50 fundraisers. It’s abundantly clear by Air Force One’s travel log where his priorities are.”

 

“For each campaign office he opens, there are 15,000 foreclosures. Even worse, for every million dollars Obama raises for his billion dollar campaign, he adds more than 6 billion to the national debt. We need to change direction, America can’t afford four more years of President Obama.”