Posted November 12th, 2012 by hiwayhowie
COPs on the Hill
COP in the battleground state of Colorado
Stories from the week of October 19, 2012
Misty still has star power: 3 1/2 days travel brought us to Denver and a meeting with the coordinators of Amendment 64; legalize, regulate, tax marijuana. It only took a few minutes to agree to wear their orange T-shirt, when I am ‘on duty.’ We agreed to an outline of where/when I would spend the next 3 weeks. It was a pleasure to again see Brian Vincent, Mason Tvert and a nice surprise to see my former colleague from LEAP, Shaleen Title.
Next day in Fort Collins generated one excellent CBS TV interview + fotos for the local, daily paper and the college paper. Moreover, the cell phone cameras were out in force, averaging 3 fotos per minute. On the other hand, my cell phone fell off my hip and I barely found it + I left my head set/reins on the side of the road – lost forever. This experience plus some other boo-boos sobered my passion and plan to work w/o a break for 3 weeks….I am taking Sundays off….damn the too many candles on the birthday cake!
URL for TV piece: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20121016/NEWS01/310160021
Friendly crowd? I arrived at 0830 = 3 hours before the arrival of VP Biden’s rally in Greeley. Windy and cold it was. Misty & I showed the Amendment 64 placards (see foto below), as the crowd came into the parking area. My bonus was the arrival of a national, NPR reporter who was doing a story on the 3 states who will vote to legalize marijuana. We did a 12 minute interview, allowing me to make all my major points. The local, daily paper also snapped a foto and we had a 5 minute chat. They published the foto and small article.
The group was mostly supportive, though I did receive a couple of thumbs down.
General: – It goes without saying, I am having a dozen + chats everyday with folks on the street. It is always a joy to engage and help move this terrible policy into the history books. If you feel these efforts and media exposure are worthwhile, please support Misty and me with a donation. Send to:
howard wooldridge
POB 543
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Always good for my morale: The Wall Street Journal published my LTE this week. This national, conservative newspaper continues to publish views in conflict with their editorials. On average one in ten of the LTEs I write is published. Feels good, every time. The LTE is below.
***************************
Dear Editor,
Writing as a retired Michigan detective, I fundamentally disagree with my colleague Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske’s belief that the police should be involved with drug abuse issues. Even he agrees that drug abuse is in part a health issue.
My question to him and President Obama is: what other health and medical issues should our profession inject itself into, in order to help citizens? Obesity comes to mind. Should we take into custody people who are too heavy, place them in a government facility to lose weight and become healthier? If we follow Chief Kerlikowske’s philosophy, that is where we would go. However, most police officers would rather catch bad guys.
Detective/Officer Howard ‘cowboy’ Wooldridge (retired)
Drug Policy Specialist, Citizens Opposing Prohibition
Media this week:
4 newspaper articles
1 radio interview (NPR national broadcast)
1major TV interview
Posted November 11th, 2012 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the weeks of October 5 & 12, 2012
Mundane and of value:
In this newsletter I give you the highlights of the week. Of course that is not all I do. With Congress out of session there is not much going on of great importance. Here are some examples of what I do, that I would not normally write:
Leadership Institute monthly breakfast featured author and SC talk radio host Jack Hunter. We had met several times at CPAC & we renewed our relationship. As a Libertarian, he believes in ending drug prohibition. He promised to have me on his show after the elections.
At breakfast my tablemates were two staffers from House Republican offices. We had a lively chat on drug war and prohibition, both agreed in principle with the COP objective of making it a states’ rights issue.
At a Brookings Institute seminar on marijuana policy the authors of a new legalize MJ book gave the 100 + audience much food for thought. I had a small chat with two of the panel members. Before the event started, I had an excellent conversation (in Spanish) with a professor in international affairs from George Washington University. We made contact post event and I believe this relationship will bear fruit.
On Sunday I traveled to downtown DC to attend a ‘green’ trade fair at the invitation of a COP member. I had a dozen conversations & passed out that many business cards.
Wrote several LTEs. One was published. See bottom.
This URL contains my question to the panel at the CBC conference. My question starts at the 2:08 mark (2 hours & 8 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rlyh9oA1so&list=UUIiyUkRngpU_FG2eEAcwH-Q&index=20&feature=plcp
Preparing for Colorado: Last, I spent time almost every day in the saddle exercising Misty & conditioning my butt for our month long effort to Colorado and their Amendment 64 to legalize/regulate/tax marijuana. Note: no matter how many lifetime miles in the saddle one has, it takes two weeks to not feel pain, when one has not ridden in months.
Effective Friday, October 12 I will be taking a leave of absence from COP. Misty and I will trailer out to Colorado (see foto below) to work their intersections like we did in California two years ago. A64 is ahead 51/40 & 9% undecided. We will work 3 weeks without pause to help bring A64 into the win column. A win here and in Washington State are crucial to speed up the federal process to repeal prohibition. I believe the impact of winning will generate great pressure from Mexico, etc. to end MJ prohibition.
If you would like to help out with the costs involved in this project, I am asking for donations. It takes about 20 bucks a week to keep Misty in carrots, hay and grain while on the road. I will be sleeping on couches and in Motel 5, while Misty sleeps in the trailer.
Send your check made out to me (not COP) to:
Howard Wooldridge
POB 543
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Fourth year stats for COP- August 1, 2012 thru July 31, 2013:
51 Presentations to Congressional staffers: this week
4 Radio interviews: this week
14 Blog, cable TV, minor media events: this week
2 seminar, hearing or briefing attended: this week
1 chat with Congressman: this week
10 Presentations to lesser VIPs: this week
Total stats for COP in first 3 years:
- 944 Presentations to Congressional staffers
- 26 Appearances on major TV networks
- 14 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers
- 27 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
- 66 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $65,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning my efforts & in support of COP position
- 33 brief chats with Members of Congress
- 19 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
- 10 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, etc)
- Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
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- Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 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… Go to:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20121009/OPINION02/710099999/-1/OPINION#Police-have-conflict-of-interest
Police have conflict of interest
Regarding the Wednesday article, “GOP U.S. Senate candidate supports legalizing pot“: Writing as a retired police detective, I know my profession in Washington earns about $1 billion (including civil asset forfeiture) chasing a green plant.
My colleagues have a conflict of interest when giving advice to Sen. Cantwell or any politician. Did the police of Washington advise the senator to oppose I-502 because they would lose good overtime, federal grants and job security, or do they truly believe marijuana prohibition is a more effective policy?
Detective/Officer Howard “Cowboy” Wooldridge (retired)
Co-Founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition www.leap.cc
Washington, D.C.
Posted October 2nd, 2012 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 21 and 28, 2012
Keeping the issue in front of VIPs: The main event this week was the annual CBC ALC (Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference). I made dozens of solid contacts, one radio show, offers to bring me to Cincinnati and Houston to speak and most importantly this:
At the opening plenary –town hall – session which focused on the loss of voting rights due to Voter ID Laws, I was able to ask my question to the audience of about 1000, the panel which included 3 Congressmen and Nancy Pelosi who was waiting behind the curtain to surprise us. After introducing myself I asked, ‘With all due respect Reverend Sharpton, we have two wars going on in this country. You forgot about the War on Drugs. This Drug War or New Jim Crow has taken away of the voting rights of hundreds of thousands of black Americans whether they have ID or not. Why are you (the panel) not addressing this massive problem?’
I had a large segment of the audience clap and cheer my question. The panel agreed it was a problem. Later in the hallway 7-8 came up to me and thanked me for the question. Indeed, nobody this election season is addressing this massive, failed policy. I rubbed their nose in it, politely.
Chew on that MJ bone: At Grover’s bunch this week the chief assistant to a large 501c4 (political action committee) said good morning like he has the past 3 years. He initiated a chat on my issue saying, ‘I have thought some more about legalizing marijuana & I have decided it would be okay. Someone wants to smoke in their own home..I guess that would be okay. It is still not the moral thing to do but for adults it would be okay.’
I thanked him for his change in position. ….By presenting simple & cogent reasons to legalize/regulate I create a ‘bone’ that I hope people will chew on. ‘Mike’ chewed for 3 years before he finally reached the marrow and the heart of the anti-prohibition concept. Note that now a slight majority of the Grover brunch – The Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement – take the COP position on at least marijuana in private. Small Steps.
Drug Crowd in Congress: I had a good chat with the Chief Legal Counsel to a VIP Member of the House Judiciary Comm. He explained his boss does support the marijuana repeal bill but would not publicly because of the ‘message’ it would send to other Members. I responded, “You mean the message of becoming part of the ‘drug crowd’ of the US Congress? “ Yes, he responded.
Note: this session a total of 21 United States Congressmen were part of the ‘drug crowd’ who had the courage to put their name next to the legislation. Another 145 or so voted to stop spending federal money on DEA drug raids in states with medical cannabis stores.. all total the House has about 170 Members in the ‘drug crowd.’’ My job next year (and yours) is to increase that number to 218.
I took as vacation time the week of September 28.
Fourth year stats for COP- August 1, 2012 thru July 31, 2013:
51 Presentations to Congressional staffers: 1 this week
4 Radio interviews: 1 this week
14 Blog, cable TV, minor media events: 1 this week
2 seminar, hearing or briefing attended: this week
1 chat with Congressman: 1 this week
10 Presentations to lesser VIPs: this week
Total stats for COP in first 3 years:
- 944 Presentations to Congressional staffers
- 26 Appearances on major TV networks
- 14 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers
- 27 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
- 66 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $65,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning my efforts & in support of COP position
- 33 brief chats with Members of Congress
- 19 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
- 10 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, 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. 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… Go to:
Posted October 2nd, 2012 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 14, 2012
Caravan for Peace: I brought my signs to a 100 person rally in downtown DC. I enjoyed the LEAP vehicle that LEAPer – former deputy Chief of Police of Los Angeles PD – Stephen Downing designed. I was able to do one radio program and a good chat with the DC bureau chief of Azteca America (TV), who said he would like to use me in the future. Made me recall the Spanish saying: de dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho (from the saying to the doing, there is a big distance)
I had half dozen excellent chats in Spanish with those who started the journey in Tijuana/San Diego. They seemed to believe if America stopped exporting weapons, the cartels would not be so much of a problem.
Tuesday I attended the quarterly ‘Justice Roundtable’ at the OSI. (4x/year reps from about 40 DC organizations come together to discuss events, strategies & the future)…..and Wednesday the Grover Norquist brunch. Past that was just more catching up from my trips to Tampa & Charlotte.
Small step: Comments on drug prohibition start at 54 minutes and last about 5 minutes. Worth your time. Experts state that this judge is considered a leader & legal scholar in the federal judiciary.
YouTube: Federal Judge Calls For Marijuana Legalization
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OehUOIH6QI
Fourth year stats for COP- August 1, 2012 thru July 31, 2013:
50 Presentations to Congressional staffers: this week
4 Radio interviews: 1 this week
14 Blog, cable TV, minor media events: 1 this week
2 seminar, hearing or briefing attended: this week
10 Presentations to lesser VIPs: this week
Total stats for COP in first 3 years:
944 Presentations to Congressional staffers
- 26 Appearances on major TV networks
- 14 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers
- 27 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
- 66 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $65,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning my efforts & in support of COP position
- 33 brief chats with Members of Congress
- 19 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
- 10 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, 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. 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… Go to:
Signs I displayed at the Caravan for Peace rally – foto above from John Stewart rally
Posted September 23rd, 2012 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of September 7, 2012
May I walk with you Governor?: Walking back to my car in order to take a well-deserved, late morning nap – X Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) was coming toward me on the same sidewalk. He replied I could walk with him for a minute. The gist* of our 2 minute chat was what I told all the commentators this week; namely the longest running war in our history was the 40 year, trillion dollar failure of the War on Drugs/Drug Prohibition(not the war in Afghanistan). Of course, I informed Rendell and the others about COP & LEAP and left them with my card.
NOTE: Fortune favors the bold..just walk up to a VIP and ask for a minute of their time.
*gist = im westentlichem
The Democratic Convention in Charlotte: As I said last week, Tampa was worth going but just barely. Thus I was in doubt about spending the time and money to drive to Charlotte. Luckily I asked several COP board members and they shouted “YES!!” go and do..
I was a spectator for 3 live shows of Joe in the Morning and the Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd. I positioned myself (by arriving at 0330) to make sure the guests of the show read the shirt. Joe honored COP by reading the shirt out loud to the 40 in line and finished by saying, “Yeah.” Another of his regular commentators read the shirt out loud inside the bar and finished by saying “I don’t have to ask. I already know why.”
On the Chuck Todd show I positioned myself behind him, so the camera picked up “COPS SAY – LEGALIZE” every time the camera showed Chuck. One of his camera crew came over to me before the show started to take my foto with his cell phone = he has my card for any possible future use….I was unable to grab two minutes with Chuck Todd. ..however I did grab 2 minutes with his producer (she was also a supervisor for Joe’s show) – we chatted and she has a card.
VIPs with whom I had my famous, two minute chats = your support in action:
X-Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania (now a frequent commentator for MSNBC)
Gov. Martin O’Malley (Dem – Maryland) and undeclared 2016 presidential candidate
Attorney General Harris (D- CA)
Attorney General Biden (D- DE)
State Rep from SC
Joe Scarborough – x Congressman from Florida and host of Joe in the Morning TV show
David Gregory – host Meet the Press
John Heilmann – commentator and regular of Joe in the Morning
Michael Steele – x LT. Gov of Maryland, x head of Republican National Comm. & now commentator
After my power naps on Wednesday and Thursday (in my car w/ AC running), I just stood on the sidewalk near the convention center 4 hours each day. This yielded 4 in camera interviews with non-major TV networks, 7 print/blog interviews + north of* a couple hundred fotos taken. The shirt sells itself. Maybe I should start charging a dollar per foto to help cover expenses?
*North of = mehr als
The trip resulted in one of, if not my most productive week in the past 6 years. Yes, I was dead-tired and my feet/legs ached from standing for 8 hours in my cowboy boots. Okay enough whining. I will recover…if slowly.
PS>. .arriving home late on Friday afternoon, I had 15 minutes before I did an hour on the radio station below.
Howard Wooldridge – Cannabis Nation Radio – Marijuana, Cannabis …
Howard Wooldridge, a retired police detective spends his time educating citizens about the failed war on drugs.
kcnrnetwork.com/howard-wooldridge
Fourth year stats for COP- August 1, 2012 thru July 31, 2013:
50 Presentations to Congressional staffers: this week
3 Radio interviews: 1 this week
13 Blog, cable TV, minor media events: 11 this week
2 seminar, hearing or briefing attended: this week
10 Presentations to lesser VIPs: 9 this week
Total stats for COP in first 3 years:
- 944 Presentations to Congressional staffers
- 26 Appearances on major TV networks
- 14 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers
- 27 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
- 66 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $65,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning my efforts & in support of COP position
- 33 brief chats with Members of Congress
- 19 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
- 10 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, 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. 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… Go to:
