Posted April 9th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
Your Voice in the United States Congress
Bienvenido: At Grover’s Brunch this week came two senators and a house member from Bolivia. They addressed the group, describing two of their main problems, one of which was associated with the prohibition of cocaine.
After they sat down, I had a hushed* chat with one in Spanish to introduce myself and COPs. I informed them that powerful police voices in the USA were working everyday to end drug prohibition/guerra de drogas. All three leaned in to hear my words. We exchanged business cards. I wrote to all three and one Senator replied for the group. More contacts for the future.
Made him think?: Also at Grover’s came 3 Congressmen and one US Senator. During question and answer I was able to ask one if he would support a 10th amendment approach to marijuana policy. He slowly replied he would not, saying he knew people harmed by marijuana. Later a buddy complimented me on the question& how it had made the Congressman squirm.*
Don Quixote has a brother: While in the Senate this week gathering names of aides (as of this writing 6 offices still have not hired an aide for judiciary!), I ran into the chief legal counsel to Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)..whom I have met with four times in five years. We caught up on my issue then…
He said he was the point person for moving the legislation to reduce the excessive bank ‘swipe fee’ for credit cards. The $13 BILLION dollars the banks earn from this has the whole banking lobbyist world breathing down his neck, wanting to separate his head from his shoulders.
Over the past five years I have had several police lobbyists treat me with open disdain.* I know how the aide feels.
*hushed = gedämpft – leise
* squirm = sich winden
*disdain = Verachtung
Howard
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
TV appearances: 11 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 7 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 7
Published LTE: 13 (one this week)
Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 9
132 presentations to Congressional staffers: (5 this week)
8 (Member of Congress) contacts:
5 other VIP (MD state Senator & Rep):
Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support keeps the COPs 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:
COP
POB 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Modern Prohibition/The War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional & immoral domestic policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Posted April 3rd, 2011 by hiwayhowie
Your Voice in the United States Congress
Door to door salesman I am: Finally I hit my stride* this week, as the House was in recess. Between scheduled appointments and going door to door, I made 35 presentations. Almost all were new Tea Party offices whose staffers were often eager to hear a message of a policy employing the 10th Amendment and did not require money.
This week I had to retire my trusty briefcase which after five years and nearly 2,000 presentations to Congressional offices simply broke. I have a good feeling that I won’t need a third. I had fair number people ask if my briefcase contained free samples, perhaps due to its larger size. J My third set of boot leather will last thru the summer.
Tombstones* in their eyes: A staffer commented this week that since January many of the 33,000 lobbyists in DC were coming into his office with a dullness on their face. Yes, they make the pitch* for money but they know that most often they will come away with nothing. Per the staffer, they are just going thru the motions.
On the other hand..: A staffer I have known for four years now works for one of the new R offices. Besides our good chat, he gave me the name and contact info of a Texas state legislator whom he believes to be a good resource on building support for the 10th Amendment-based marijuana bill we should see this spring. This is just one example (amongst many) of how staffers are helping COPs succeed.
Marketing tool: At the bottom is the jacket which has sparked so many chats this winter. A guy at the train station asked why and later wanted a foto of it… he was kind enough to send me a copy.
Personal note: This week the Democratic Party asked me for support in 2012. The drug policy portion of my reply letter at the very bottom. The other areas I mentioned were the wars in Afghanistan and Libya.
*hit my stride = im Gang setzen
*tombstones – Grabstein
*pitch = Verkaufstaktik
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
TV appearances: 11 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 7 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 7
Published LTE: 13 (one this week)
Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 9
127 presentations to Congressional staffers: (35 this week)
8 (Member of Congress) contacts: (one this week)
5 other VIP (MD state Senator & Rep):
Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support keeps the COPs 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:
COP
POB 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Dear Mr. President,
To put me back on the horse and work for your re-election, you will have to begin to show leadership in the following areas:
#1 domestic public policy disaster: Drug Prohibition/War on Drugs – How many Mexicans must die for our prohibition? You have so little compassion for that country. 72 billion spent every year and nothing to show for it. Your new DEA head is anti-science and defies your directive to allow states with medical cannabis laws to live free from DEA arrests. How does my grandson compete with China with so much spent on prisons & cops? You admit the policy is an “utter failure” and yet do nothing. Pitiful.
Howard
Posted March 30th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
As a retired police detective, I can say with some authority that the government can not fix stupid. Yet, after 40 years of failed drug war/drug prohibition policy, you still believe that the police can fix personal stupidity, via Sen. Carter’s bill.
Show me the evidence please.
Yes, people are hurt and killed by taking too many pills like Oxicodone. Many more are hurt and killed by cigarettes and booze.
Should we track and restrict their sales as well? Allow an adult to only buy one bottle of whiskey a week? Where do you nanny-staters wish to draw the line?
HOWARD WOOLDRIDGE
Albany
Posted March 27th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
Your Voice in the United States Congress
Your turn: After finishing a typical presentation to a new staffer, she commented to me that she enjoyed the chat. She went on to say that she expected as much, as colleagues in her office who had already heard me over the years told her she would find the time informative and a bit entertaining. My reputation certainly preceeded me!
Working while walking: Wearing my COPs wind breaker, I was asked why by a Congressional staffer shortly after leaving Union station walking towards the House buildings. We ended up having a conversation the whole 15 minutes. The next day the jacket had a Kentucky family ask why, as we walked towards the Cannon Building. The woman was my adamant* and angry that her neighbors were not allowed to grow industrial hemp.
States are hurting: This week I hand delivered to the New Jersey offices a newspaper report that The Thin Blue Line lost 11% of its members in 2010. More cuts are expected in 2011. I delivered to the Kentucky offices the news that their state government cut many drug crime punishments across the board. Personal amounts of marijuana for example went from a possible one year in jail to 45 days.
If you read in your local or state paper that the police or fire departments are losing personnel, please forward that to me via email copy or simply the URL. I will hand deliver it to the appropriate Congressional office(s) and the two Senators. Thanks.
*Adamant = bestehen
Howard
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
TV appearances: 11 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 7 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 7
Published LTE: 13 (one this week)
Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 9
103 presentations to Congressional staffers: (11 this week)
8 (Member of Congress) contacts: (one this week)
5 other VIP (MD state Senator & Rep):
Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support keeps the COPs 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:
COP
POB 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Posted March 20th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
Your Voice in the United States Congress
Good Start to any chat: Meeting an aide for Senator McCaskill for the first time, he began the meeting by saying he had seen me on my horse in Reason magazine. Given that Reason supports the COP position, I knew we would have a good chat and we did….Recall we were a two page centerfold.
Break the rules: On Tuesday I needed to finish up collecting the data/changes on all the offices in the House. Comfortable in my COPs t-shirt and because of it, I had short chats with two Members plus dozens of tourists, all very positive. I had thoughtful 4-5 minute chats with visitors with a total of some 25 people listening. I passed out 20 business cards. It was a highly successful day which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thus….
Fun days: Frankly speaking, it has become harder to fire up, put on a coat and tie and go to work…this routine going into its sixth year. Based on my experience of being all positive-fun days wearing my shirt to Congress, I had a chat with my mentor Eric Sterling about any downside to wearing the shirt two times per month. Given that I have established myself as a serious advocate for staffers and Members, Eric gave me the green light. I will wear the shirt about two times per month and NOT when I give presentations to staffers, attend hearings etc.
Who you going to call? Ghostbusters? No, Howard…. I spent an hour this week being interviewed by an organization interested in how to frame the drug reform message for conservative audiences. I asked her if I should put on my NRA baseball cap (National Rifle Association) to better get in character. J We had a great chat.
$$ for sign: After my magnetic sign was stolen a few months back, I received a membership renewal of an odd amount. Calling the COPs member, I learned the amount covered membership plus the forty-seven (47) dollars to replace the stolen sign. Thanks Dick.
Howard
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
TV appearances: 11 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 7 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 7
Published LTE: 12 (one this week)
Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 9
92 presentations to Congressional staffers: (11 this week)
7 (Member of Congress) contacts: (two this week)
5 other VIP (MD state Senator & Rep):
Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support keeps the COPs 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:
COP
POB 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
