COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of October 20, 2017

COP on the Hill:

Stories from the week of October 20, 2017

Real Team: We (10 full-time professionals) met for the second time at a swanky office near the Capitol to push a letter and effort to deny the DEA money in Fiscal Year 2018 to go after state-legal MMJ businesses and citizens. It was right out of the movie: “Miss Sloan.” http://www.misssloanemovie.com/

And it felt damn good to be part of large and serious team, focused on protecting 2,000,000 MMJ patients. For the first time in 12 years. Yes, this is lobbying and COP is allowed about 5% of its time to lobby, in order not to break 501c3 rules.

From the archives – December 30, 2005

Funny Story of the Week: Meeting with a Congressional staffer on Tuesday, I came to realize I was not in Kansas anymore. This man was sympathetic with LEAP’s position but he said I just did not understand how Washington works. “It is all about pork.” He said. “Take your idea of treatment instead of jail. How does that help my district? You need to propose that the federal government build a regional treatment center in our district. That would definitely help you get such a bill passed. Your ideas would lay off thousands of high-paying, federal prison guard jobs. You have to replace those lost federal paychecks with other paychecks or you won’t go anywhere in this town.” I lost it and just started chuckling. I am so naïve but this cowboy is learning the ropes.

It was a slow week on the Hill, since many offices were closed. I did meet with a half-dozen aides and made my first presentation to a Rotary club in Maryland. I’ll ‘saddle up’ after the holidays and tilt my lance at Capitol Hill slightly wiser.

This week’s stats:

2560 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 03 this week

217 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 03 this week (candidates running for Congress)

2 meetings

COP stats since inception: August 2009

232 personal chats with a Member of Congress… this week
149 interviews and reports in minor media = 0 this week.
79 Radio Interviews. 0 this week

84 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000) 0 this week
42 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
72 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media..This week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss. French TV and radio) 00 this week
27 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc) 00 this week (CPAC)
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
* 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