Posted June 2nd, 2014 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of May 23, 2014
Energizer Bunny: Stopping by an R office from Virginia, the Legislative Director said ‘glad to see you again’…we had an excellent chat. He asked how long I had been here (8 years). He said he started out at the same time (as a legislative correspondent, then aide and now Director). He remarked I was the most omnipresent guy in the House Buildings over the years. He looks up and there is the hat.
His boss, the Member, will never vote to repeal any prohibition but his LD is now firmly on our side. It was a solid, feel-good moment in my career.
Constituent power: Thanks to the persistence of COP member Linda Ronan of Alaska, I was able to have a 20 minute meeting with her Congressman Don Young. I thanked him for his endorsement of HR 1523to repeal federal, marijuana prohibition. He was a down-to-earth guy and gave me some solid ideas on how to help move the bill. Thanks Linda.
Generate a Headsnap: Republican members, especially on the Armed Service Committee, from time to time have military personnel as legislative aides. When the receptionist gave me the card of the new criminal justice aide, I read James Zumwalt. I asked her if this gentleman were any relation to a former admiral in the Navy; he is the grandson. Note: my dad was a career Marine and I have had a keen interest in military affairs all my life.
Future Members of Congress:
This week four candidates for House seats presented themselves at Grover’s brunch. Afterwards I had a brief chat with them all. This is the letter I send to all such folks (2-6 per week).
Morning ‘John,’
It was a pleasure to meet and chat with you at Grover’s this week. If I can ever be of service, please just ask.
I am a retired detective who since 2005 has represented in the halls of Congress law enforcement who are against prohibition. At the federal level I push the wise and simple concept of employing the 10th Amendment regarding drug policy, starting with marijuana. NOTE: the national NAACP endorsed this bill in October 2013. Pat Robertson declared his support for legal, taxed marijuana in 2012. Governor Perry of Texas declared his support for a 10th Amendment approach in January 2014. Remember, as a Congressman, all you have to do is ‘plead the 10th.’
The federal govt wastes 3 Billion a year on marijuana prohibition, a billion of which is borrowed from China.
Have a drug problem? See a doctor, not a judge.
Sincerely,
1535 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 07 this week
56 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 01 this week (long chat)
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 81 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 1 this week
- 41 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
78 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
· 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. … Go to: · www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
POB 543
Posted May 19th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of May 16, 2014
Anatomy of a good day: Riding the escalator to catch the subway, the woman behind said, “Excuse me. I just started reading a book on marijuana policy and it starts with a guy riding his horse across America with a jacket just like yours. Would you know anything about him?”
“Guilty, ma’am. The book describes a bit of my 6 month ride.” Her eyes lit up and we had a nice chat till the train arrived.
Later: Grabbing my slice of pepperoni pizza at the Longworth café, the woman in charge of pizzas, a woman my age, out of the blue, thanked me for all my efforts, loves it when I wear the T-shirt ( I wasn’t) and knew I was making Washington, DC a better place for her to live.
I was truly humbled by her effusive praise and my feet did not touch the ground, as I walked to my table. Some people notice and appreciate; which is crucial as I enter my ninth year on the Hill.
Resistance approaches zero: As I met with staffers this week, going thru 54 doors to chat make presentations to 20 legislatives aides (good ratio, given the House was in recess), I realized on the train home that I had not encountered one pushback all week. Works for me.
I must emphasize that I am speaking of the aides, not the Members. The bill HR 1523 – to repeal federal marijuana prohibition – languishes at 28 supporters, 7 of whom are Republicans.
1528 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 20 this week
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 81 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 1 this week
- 41 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
78 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. … Go to: · www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
POB 543
Posted May 9th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of April 25 & May 9, 2014
NRA -National Rifle Association national conference and Gun Show 2014: **
“If you are too close to use missiles, switch to guns.” This large banner hanging at a booth captured the spirit and mood of this year’s gun & knife fest.
I did not see any booths selling missiles…this year
The three day weekend in sunny Indianapolis was spent amongst some 70,000 rabid gun fans, resulting in about 110 chats and xx thousands seeing/reading the COP message.
The COP message of “we trust each other to carry deadly force on our person like an AR-15 with a 30 round magazine but then that person becomes scary and untrustworthy if they have a little green plant in their home?!? …was well received and went unrefuted by even the state trooper from Utah. She did not appreciate the ‘Cops say (plural)’part of my shirt….she wanted me to change it to ‘Some Cops Say.’
The general tone was positive. I had three in camera interviews, one of which was Fox News. I rated the whole effort a modest success. Since I was headed to Michigan anyway for family business (week of May 2), it was a no-brainer to work the Midwest crowd.
The week of May 9th I had jury duty but we were excused on Wednesday, so I heard Senator Rand Paul speak for an hour and attended the Norquist brunch.
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Best: At the brunch one candidate for the US Senate began to leave early, so I caught up to him at the elevator to introduce myself…. The Ugly = I forgot we had met a few months ago and even had an exchange of a half dozen emails. The Bad = He had to remind me we had met. The Good = he remembered me and that we had an exchange of emails. AND The Best = he informed that he now supported the COP idea of employing the 10th Amendment (states’s rights) on marijuana policy. If he is elected, there is an excellent chance he will support our federal position. Git r dun.
So in the space of 60 seconds I had the whole range of feelings from being a dummy to WTG!
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 81 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 1 this week
- 1508 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 00 this week
- 41 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. … Go to: · www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
POB 543
Beretta is a major manufacturer of weapons
Posted May 9th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of April 18, 2014
Hold the Presses: At 5:15 on Friday I was at my desk catching up on paperwork, when the email came across from a former Legislative Assistant from the House side. He is now the deputy press secretary of an extremely important section in the Congress.
He needed ASAP all the info on 2014 ballot initiatives including likelihood of passing, etc. I screamed thru 90 minutes of calling experts in Florida, Oregon, Alaska, Arkansas, Ohio etc…. I gave him what I could by 7 PM that afternoon and the rest on Monday morning at 0700.
It ain’t what you know (so much), as who you know and who remembers you. If this keeps up, I will need a larger hat! Crown and chocolate that night for sure.
Back in the ‘saddle:’ 16 presentations this week and it felt good to return to my core work of talking to Congressional staff.
Next week I am off to the NRA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. My tag line will again be:
“We (at the National Rifle convention) trust each other to own and carry deadly force. But then you don’t trust that same person with a little green plant? Please explain”
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 1508 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 16 this week
- 80 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
- 41 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. … Go to: · www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
POB 543
From the town hall meeting with Chairman Goodlatte (House Judiciary Comm)
Your COP at work: 5th foto from the top
http://www.nationaljournal.com/pictures-video/conversations-with-the-chair-representative-bob-goodlatte-r-va-event-slideshow-20140404
Video of question…starts at minute 51
http://www.nationaljournal.com/events/conversations-with-the-chair-representative-bob-goodlatte-r-va-20140403
Posted April 14th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of April 11, 2014
Green time: Wednesday was a long day – first train in at 6:02 and last train out at 7:30..The conductor asked what the heck I was doing in DC so late…I told him about meetings and such, but – but —all good because it was all “ green time” after 4 = great overtime pay.
Five minutes later he came inside the rail car and asked, “So green time…how much marijuana do they give you for the overtime?!” I laughed myself silly. NOTE: in police work green time = time and half pay.
The truth, reluctantly: The early breakfast featured a former Congressman and now the President of Texas Tech University. During Q & A I asked how much he had to raise tuition because the state had reduced its support to higher education in order to build 77 prisons in Texas in the 1990s.
His political instincts kicked in and he did not answer the question in front of the 80 person audience. Afterwards I pressed him on it. He admitted that state aide had dropped from 57% of his budget to 24% He agreed that the growth of prisons had pushed up the tuition at his university and others.
Knee Jerk: I had a solid, 30 minute chat with the deputy chief of staff to a Senator who is thinking of running for president. We have known each other for years, so it was relaxed and business-friendly. When I touched upon the issue of marijuana, it was an immediate “I am against legalization.”
I gently stated that in the sandbox he and I play in, the goal is to employ the 10th Amendment regarding drug policy. He stopped and said let me think about that for a minute…as a solid conservative, he loves the 10th (states’ rights) and would think it over…. And for me that is a good day…
PS> I also urged him to recommend to the Senator that he take the same position of marijuana as Governor Perry = 10th Amendment. That would irritate the least amount of voters.
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 80 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 01 this week
- 1492 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 02 this week
- 41 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. … Go to: · www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
POB 543
From the town hall meeting with Chairman Goodlatte (House Judiciary Comm)
Your COP at work: 5th foto from the top
http://www.nationaljournal.com/pictures-video/conversations-with-the-chair-representative-bob-goodlatte-r-va-event-slideshow-20140404
Video of question…starts at minute 51
http://www.nationaljournal.com/events/conversations-with-the-chair-representative-bob-goodlatte-r-va-20140403
