Stories from the week of August 12, 2011

COP on the Hill

Your Voice in the United States Congress

Busy week:  Vacation was definitely over this week, as I made 25 presentations in four days (10 per week is about average).  Recess also allowed the staffers more time for each chat, thus improving our relationship.   25-30 minutes per meeting was the rule, even for follow-up visits.

Bull Rider?:   Meeting a house staffer –Jim -who used to work for at a Senate office, he told me a story.   A few weeks ago a colleague had asked, if he had heard about a retired cop with a huge belt buckle inscribed with BULL RIDER.   He was a retired cop who wanted to legalize drugs.   Jim replied that he had seen the guy in the Dirksen (Senate) café and believed he had an appointment with him this week.

I spent the first minute talking about my ‘Paul Revere Ride’ & how Misty carried my little butt across America, thus earning the buckle of LONG RIDER.  Then we got down to business and had a good chat.  LOL

Love/Hate to see staffers leave:  HATE-Every year about 25% of staffers leave the Member’s office.  Short term – this is lousy because our relationship is over and I have to ‘break-in’ a new person.  This makes it less certain the aide will ‘carry water’ i.e. the bill or the COP message to the Member with a positive recommendation.

LOVE: -As Peter Christ of LEAP pointed out many years ago, once a person has heard an anti-prohibition presentation by a police officer or other law enforcement professional, they will always filter any discussion about drug policy thru the COP/LEAP filter.   Staffers often move back home, where they continue in politics, becoming young members of state legislatures or upper level staff of state politicians.   The time & information I give them are not lost by any means.   This prohibition will take many more years to be stamped out at the federal and state levels.

­New record:  I spoke to 5 legislative directors (second most important position in a member office) this week, all of whom gave me 30 minutes.  Most I had met before, so such a long chat was much appreciated.   They all had great questions about 2306 – the repeal MJ bill.  One gentleman from Tennessee completed several of my statements =great feeling.

The very last presentation on Friday was a 37 minute chat with John Boehner’s judicial aide.  I floated down the hallway.  It was double Crown Royal and Swiss chocolate night!  (now you know that the real reason I went to Europe this year = I was out of Swiss chocolate!!)

COPs 2nd year stats to date:

231 presentations to Congressional staffers:  25 this week

TV appearances: 14 … this week (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc) 

Newspaper stories: 7 dailies, 3 weeklies

Radio appearances: 13 – this week

Published LTE: 20 (this week) –see below

Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 12   (this week)

 12 (Member of Congress) contacts:     this week

6 other VIP (state Senators & Reps):   

Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year.   All contributions are tax-deductible.   Your support keeps the COP voice loud and strong in the halls of the United States Congress.   We agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.  Go to: www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:

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