COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of November 20 and 27, 2015

COP on the Hill

Stories from the week of November 20 and 27, 2015

DPA Conference: My wife Karen and I worked the four day conference. We could have paid all expenses, if we had charged for having our picture taken. It was fun.

Front & center on the stages was the topic of ‘reparations.’ Money for anyone who has been hurt by a marijuana arrest. At one session I stood up and spoke forcefully against such a notion, “If you want to kill any chance for a ballot initiative or a bill in the legislature to end MJ prohibition, include language for reparations. Alaska in 2004 lost by a large margin an other-wise good initiative to legalize/regulate MJ. It took another TEN -10 years to end that states’ prohibition in 2014.”

Helping out: I was finishing up an interview with a German reporter, when Neill Franklin (President of LEAP) walked up with a Senator from Costa Rica. They waited 30 seconds, until I finished. Neill said he needed a translator, saw my hat from across the room and voila. I switched gears in my brain, broke into Spanish to help Neill the next 10 minutes.

Helping LEAP and Neill look good. Priceless.

Local Expert: Allen St. Pierre of NORML related,’ I was smoking on my porch, when a DC bicycle cop rolled up on the sidewalk. He stopped and said, “Smells like some good shit.” In DC not only has the page been turned, the book is about closed.

Fun Story of the week: At a conservative meeting this week a presenter spoke of reducing regulations on his product. He then described what the product did. Someone in the audience called, “Or you could just drink a beer.” Unable to help myself, I added, “or just smoke a joint for the same impact.”   A majority of the group laughed….attitudes are changing, even as a change in the law is still a few years out.

1983 Presentations to Congressional staffers..  08  this week

23 major conferences attended..DPA this week..   (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review,  etc)    01 this week

92 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc..   04 this week..one in French, two in German and one in Spanish

  COP stats since inception: August 2009

105 personal chats with a Member of Congress..  0 this week

152 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc.     0 this week

60 Radio Interviews..  0 this week

82 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 this week

38 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week

38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)

*   2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position

Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders.   Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”

*      Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year.   All contributions are tax-deductible.  30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year.   Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal prohibition.  COP provides that voice.  www.citizensopposingprohibition.org