COP’s Annual Report: Year Two – August 2010 thru July 2011

COP’s Annual Report: Year Two – August 2010 thru July 2011

COP provided an anti-prohibition, law enforcement voice on Capitol Hill and in the DC area the past twelve (12) months.  The bread and butter – Congressional presentations numbered 209.  This steady contact and presence in the halls of Congress reminded all of them that solid, law enforcement professionals oppose the current prohibition approach to some drugs.

This number -209 -reflected an election year where staffing on the Hill is in great flux for two months before and after the election.  Also, Howard volunteered his services and horse to the cause of California’s Prop 19 for two months.  NOTE:  that project was in no way connected to COP.  COP paid for no expenses related to that effort.

COP continued to attract and manage major media to its name and cause.  The foto below was a two page centerfold for Reason magazine (leading Libertarian publication).

Major Accomplishments:

Repeal Bill:  Most importantly, Congressman Barney Frank introduced HR 2306 in May 2011 – The Repeal Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011.  Recall this effort started in the winter of 2010, when I called for a meeting (Whiskey Friday) of the major drug reform groups in DC.   DPA, MPP, NORML, COP and SSDP all attended.     We agreed that in the next Congress -112^th– we would ask Mr. Frank to introduce a clean bill that would repeal federal prohibition of just marijuana.  Another meeting in early 2011 reconfirmed this, when we met with Congressman Jared Polis’ in his DC office.  The bill already has 17 Members on board and we expect more.

Conferences:  Howard became the first, known legalizer to attend a NRA (National Rifle Association) national conference in an official capacity.  Three days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were spent basically saying, ‘You trust adults with deadly force.  Therefore trust them with a green plant.’  That message made a lot of skeptics think and others come to our side.

LULAC (League of United Latino American Citizens) had a national conference in Cincinnati that Howard attended for two days.   Wearing the COP shirt in Spanish and speaking it often, progress was made with many attendees.  Again Howard was the first legalizer to attend the gathering of this important constituency.

CPAC – Conservative Political Action Conference was another love fest for three days in DC in February.  Howard’s shirt was a magnet for about 150 chats and 10 media interviews.   Young conservatives are now overwhelmingly on our side..Thank you Ron Paul and Gary Johnson.

Grover Norquist’s Brunch – Continues to provide high-profile contacts with national VIPs  (on the conservative side).  Howard meeting Republicans who are striving for Congressional offices is routine.

Second year stats:  209 presentations to Congressional staffers:  

TV appearances: 14 …   (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc)

Newspaper stories: 7 dailies, 3 weeklies

Radio appearances: 13 – this week

Published LTE: 20

Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 12

12 (Member of Congress) contacts:

COP total stats in first two years:  August 1, 2009 thru July 31, 2011)

649 Presentations to Congressional staffers

22 Appearances on major TV networks

10 published interviews in newspapers

12 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc

57 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $56,000)

19 brief chats with Members of Congress

13 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.

6 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, etc)

Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 140 conservative VIPs.