COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of October 30, 2020

Like Old Times:

Halfway through my burrito at Chipotle, the phone rang with a message of “Potential Spam.”  I picked up anyway and it turned out to be the chief legal counsel to a senior Illinois congressman whom I had met multiple times before. “Sure, I have a minute.”  30 minutes later, after a half dozen probing questions, I returned to indulge in my weekly, Mexican food fix.  The overwhelmingly number of staffers are expressing a much greater level of interest in going decrim, then I imagined.  Thank goodness for microwaves!! I hate cold burritos.

Best question of the week:   Staffer: “Since the police arrested 1.4 million last year for simple possession and you want to make this a medical issue, do we have 1.4 million beds to help them with treatment?”  “No.” I responded.  I described how the vast majority of the arrests were folks who do drugs occasionally are the ones caught.   Moreover, out-patient treatment is often effective at a very minimal cost, especially versus treatment in jail or simple jail time.

Racial justice\injustice: My most important argument when making a presentation to a legislative assistant is the need to improve police/community relations. This is more obvious in the year of George Floyd and other horrific murders against people of color. The cheerful news is that in the 45 or so presentations that I have made since Labor Day, the overwhelming majority of legislative assistance, both Republican and Democrat, acknowledge the need to improve our police community relations.

Activity this week:

3373 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 16 this week

COP stats since inception: August 2009

205 interviews and reports in minor media

90 Radio Interviews… 0 this week
327 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 0 this week
397 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc.: 0 this week –
107 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 This week
44 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribute, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters
31 major conferences attended – (UN drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week
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
84 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000) 0 this week
* Consider being a member of COP at $40.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 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 drug prohibition. COP provides that voice. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org

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