Posted September 30th, 2013 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 27, 2013
Hat trick: Besides 5 regular presentations on Thursday, I bumped into three Congressman for short chats. I simply mentioned how the Holder decision for CO and WA had made my job/life a bit easier.
Marketing: As I reported many years ago (yikes!!), I have my hair cut in the House Barber Shop. Joe has been cutting hair there since the 60s. On the walls of the shop hang the fotos of about 35 famous Congressmen thru the ages whose hair he cut. He asked for my foto which now hangs in a prominent spot on his wall. He insisted the horse be included, naturally.
Adjust the sails: After discussing this with a lot of smart folks, I have made the following changes in how I approach Congress: A. for the rest of this session I will focus almost exclusively on Republican offices. As Dan Riffle (MPP.org) said, we need more Rs on the Rohrabacher bill to balance out the Dems. Besides the general R offices, I will make sure every Judiciary Member has been educated to the COP viewpoint.
This week’s stats:
- 1395 Presentations to Congressional staffers..12 this week
- 43 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 03 this week
I need your help >>Reminder: have you sent your Congressman a letter in support of HR 1523? Sample here:
Dear Congressman XXXXXX
I hope and trust you will become a co-sponsor of Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013: HR 1523
I hope we can agree that the 10th Amendment should be employed in many more areas. Our state should be allowed to set its own path regarding Industrial Hemp, Medicinal Use and Personal Use of Marijuana. Highly-trained federal agents are needed to find the terrorists that attack us at every opportunity, not fly around in helicopters looking for a green plant.
Moreover, the federal government currently wastes about 4 billion dollars looking for a green plant and its users. The Congress is also missing about a billion dollars in lost tax revenue. I challenge you to tell me one, substantive advantage of our prohibition approach. We all know the disadvantages (funds The Taliban, Mexican Drug Cartels, kids hurt selling, less money to education, easier for kids to buy pot than alcohol, etc).
And please, no wishy-washy letter that says thanks for your views. Take a position. Silence equals you will vote no & thus help The Taliban buy weapons which kill our troops in Afghanistan.
Sincerely,
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 42 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week (OK State Senator)
- 63 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 01 this week
- 33 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 16 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 22 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
- 72 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $70,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Permanent invitation to 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… Go to:
Posted September 25th, 2013 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 20, 2013
See it in their eyes: I spent two long days attending the annual Congressional Black Caucus Leadership Conference (5,000 or so attending). For the first time I had zero.zero push back on the shirt/message. I also modified my answer to start with: ‘To eliminate the job option of selling marijuana which causes teens to be shot on a regular basis. Then I finished with: ‘Catch more pedophiles and others hurting our kids…..’
On a number of persons who heard that, you could see in their faces a wince, a personal connection to a teen being shot/shot dead. And still the leadership at the conference had no sessions on the War on Drugs/Drug Prohibition (as a policy), even as EVERYONE recognized the harms done to people of color. See me shaking my head.
PS.. I asked several and they all had the same answer. It is redundant and unnecessary to point out the horrific racism of drug policy to a person of color.
? Can I take some credit? This week Republican, freshman Congressman Steve Stockman became a co-sponsor of HR 1523 – the repeal federal prohibition of marijuana act. When I met with that office’s legislative assistant back in January, his boss (legislative director) and another LA sat in on the 30 minute meeting. During August recess I emailed the LD to remind him of our chat and HR 1523. A week after the return of the Member, they are now on the bill. Either way…wooohooo!
Reminder: have you sent your Congressman a letter in support of HR 1523?
This week’s stats:
- 1383 Presentations to Congressional staffers..02 this week
- 40 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 01 this week
- 42 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 01 this week (OK State Senator)
- 63 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 01 this week
- 33 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week
- 16 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) 01 this week (Congressional Black Caucus)
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 22 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
- 72 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $70,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Permanent invitation to 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… Go to:
Posted September 13th, 2013 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 13, 2013
This week’s stats:
- 1381 Presentations to Congressional staffers..07 this week
- 39 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 02 this week
- 41 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 01 this week (KY Agriculture Commissioner)
- 62 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 01 this week
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A friend of yours =a friend of mine: Ben Droz, lobbyist for www.votehemp.com put together a briefing on industrial hemp for House staffers this week. A packed room heard support from Congressmen Massie (R-KY) and Polis (D-CO) extol the virtues of industrial hemp. Of note, KY Ag commissioner stated that due to the Holder memo of August 29, farmers in Kentucky WILL be putting seed in the ground next spring. KY is one of three states that have in place the rules/regs for growing hemp.
After the meeting I had an excellent six minute chat with Congressman Massie, giving him & Ag Comm. James Comer the full COP rationale of ending fed, MJ prohibition and why legalize/regulate/tax the entire green plant. Such opportunities are rare. Thanks Ben for the invite.
Senator Leahy’s hearing on marijuana was a snoozer: = Perfect. It was a who’s who of the drug reform/marijuana reform movement on hand Tuesday for the first ever Senate hearing on marijuana prohibition. Essentially the Dept. of Justice did not back down an inch from the Holder memo of two weeks ago. The sheriff of King County (Seattle, WA) testified like a LEAP speaker, not just defending the voter’s decision but actually promoting legalize/regulate/tax marijuana. It was a wonderful moment in my eight years on the Hill.
Change: Due to the Holder amendment, I am doing a thorough, top to bottom, critical analysis of how COP should proceed in this new environment. I am speaking to staffers I trust, mentors, drug reform experts, etc. As part of that, I analyzed where the legislative aides are on the issue. In particular one Democratic, Ohio office went from an aide who believed in prohibition (she left) to one who will help pass HR 1523. In the entire House I can count on two hands how many aides are believers in MJ prohibition. I wish I had kept my first spreadsheets from 06, 07 to see concretely the difference.
Hell froze over this week: Senator John McCain said the time may have come to legalize marijuana. “I will respect the will of the people.” Recall his former aide (and probably the Senator) thought the solution was to kill any and all who sell drugs.
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 32 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 22 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
- 72 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $70,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- 15 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc)
- Permanent invitation to 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… Go to:
Posted September 12th, 2013 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 6, 2013
The enormity of AG Holder’s decision to respect the 10th Amendment (States’ Rights) regarding Colorado and Washington to regulate, sell and tax marijuana continues to roil, unsettle and stir up DC. So many questions have been generated. Senator Leahy is going forward with his hearing next Tuesday and some answers may be forth coming from the US Justice Dept. Stay tuned.
Probably the hat: At the Leadership Institute’s (training ground for young conservatives) monthly breakfast with about 70 attending, the reporter from the Washington Times sat down across from me. We had a good chat on the topic and exchanged cards.
Just shoot me now: I met with a Senate office this week and the aide said one thing that was so disheartening. “I get most of my information from the DEA and what they tell me is a lot different from what you just said.” YIKES! Truly I am a Lone Ranger + two.
The aide accepted that the DEA is fighting for its very existence, paychecks, etc. and that reality might alter what they tell Congressional offices. That COP does not ask for an appropriation/$$$ is still a powerful message in this town.
Legalization coming to more states; Article at bottom is a roadmap to where/when.
Professional note: Several of you miss-read my “Dear Boys and Girls” part last week. I am NOT returning to Texas anytime soon. My mission is still active and we need to pass the repeal bill. Then I would consider leaving. Know I will work at this drug prohibition (all of them) until they are in the history books or I draw my last breath.
This week’s stats:
- 1374 Presentations to Congressional staffers..19 this week
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COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 32 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 61 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 22 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
- 72 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $70,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- 37 brief chats with Members of Congress..this week
- 40 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week
- 15 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc)
- Permanent invitation to 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… Go to:
Pot Legalization Advocates List Target States, Say Obama Policy Helps
Some advocates of marijuana legislation are claiming victory in the Obama administration’s announcement of a laid-back approach to states with softer laws on marijuana, reports USA Today. Political opponents of marijuana legalization can no longer cite the federal government as a reason to squelch reform, said Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project. Legalization advocates are geared up for 2014 and 2016 elections with ballot initiatives in states, including Alaska, California, Maine, Nevada and Oregon, says Stephen Gutwillig of the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates a public-health approach to drug use. Tvert expects to see legalization measures by 2016 in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana and Nevada.
Drug abuse prevention groups say they will work to derail the movement. Arthur Dean of the Community Anti-Drug Coalition, said, “We remain gravely concerned that we as a nation are turning a blind eye to the serious public health and public safety threats associated with widespread marijuana use.” USA Today
Posted September 9th, 2013 by hiwayhowie
Work done in fourth fiscal year:
To make record keeping simple, I stopped recording yearly stats and just keep a running total since COP inception. The bread and butter Congressional presentations numbered roughly 340. This number reflects being absent from DC for 4 weeks in the spring for personal reasons and 5 weeks in the fall to volunteer for Colorado’s legalize/regulate initiative.
Know that about 20% of the offices simply refuse to meet with me. 70% of the House offices force me to go door to door to meet as opposed to responding to my email for an appointment to meet. Luckily the Senate offices agree to set up a meeting at about 60% of the time.
The champions of drug reform Misters Paul and Frank left the House. The new champions are Misters Polis (D-CO) and Rohrabacher (R-CA). They introduced repeal legislation early in the 113th Session. Neither bill is doing well with only 16 and 18 co-sponsors respectively. COP continues to educate the Congress on the need to repeal federal, marijuana prohibition.
I attended the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions, the CBC fall conference, the national ASA conference, CPAC and the NRA conference.
Media: In Colorado I was on three (3) local TV stations clips..one of which went national Fox News for 24 hours. http://www.fox21news.com/news/story.aspx?id=821424#.Ui2w19KOSbZ I was in at least 3 major newspaper articles with fotos.
At CPAC I was interviewed for a 6-8 blogs and minor media. www.BuzzFeed.com being the biggest coup having my foto displayed + Reason TV. I was quoted in Germany’s largest, daily newspaper.
Attending Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch continues to pay solid dividends. He asked me to present twice to the 150 conservative VIPs on Colorado & Washington MJ programs. Norquist also spoke at a reception in favor of the House bills to repeal federal, MJ prohibition.
COP raised $15,488 in fiscal year #4. Expenditures were $7,900.
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 1297 Presentations to Congressional staffers..this week
- 58 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 22 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
- 72 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $70,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- 31 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 37 brief chats with Members of Congress..this week
- 40 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week
- 15 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc)
- Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
