COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of January 24, 2014

Stories from the week of January 24, 2014

Job Option: I had my third meeting with John at a Senate office. It had been two years and we spent a minute catching up. His wife had their first child 2 months ago and he looked like a man with no sleep. I bragged on our 4 month old granddaughter and 4 y/o grandson.

Near the end of our 15 minute chat I mentioned my desire to terminate the job option to sell drugs for my grand kids and by extension John’s and everyone’s. I said having grand kids certainly focuses the mind and energy to do all one can to protect them. He agreed. He said he appreciated my passion.

I had never before mentioned my own grand kids in a presentation. I will in the future. I choked up during the chat, thinking of Hudson & Charlie whom I had just seen the prior weekend.

Slowing Down: I am making a major change in my day to day work on the Hill. I will be attempting a presentation with each of the 535 offices only once each session, instead of the previous once per year. The mental and physical requirements for completing that level of contact has become too much for this cowboy.

Late last year I had coffee with my mentor and COP Board Member Eric Sterling. I was on the verge of making COP an organization which would primarily connect speakers to Rotaries and radio. Luckily, Eric guided me to this compromise approach. I will still make contact via email and handouts to all offices in order to keep our issue and solution front and center with the Members. I love the work and always will. However, boarding a train at 0740 for a 10-12 hour day is a tough first step.

• 1477 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 07 this week
• 40 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week

COP stats since inception: August 2009

• 55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 0 this week
• 48 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0
• 65 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
• 23 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
• 17 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)
• 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
• 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. 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:
• www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
• Citizens Opposing Prohibition
• POB 543
• Buckeystown, MD 21717