January 2001 Free? State Libertarian

The Free? State Libertarian is published 3-4 times/year by the Libertarian Party of Maryland. All material is copyrighted 2001 and may be reproduced, provided credit is given as follows: "Reprinted from the Free? State Libertarian."

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The views expressed by contributors to this publication are not necessarily the views of the Libertarian Party of Maryland, its Executive Board, or the Central Committee. The Free? State Libertarian is a first amendment publication, and welcomes diverse participation from many sources.

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The Free? State Libertarian is mailed to all Libertarian Party of Maryland members and paid subscribers. You may have received a gratis copy because you are registered Libertarian, are a member of the National Libertarian Party, or requested information. We appreciate your taking the level of action you are comfortable with: become a newsletter subscriber only (send $15 to above address); join the MdLP with the back page form (if you're a National member, it's only $5 more if you renew through us!); join the Central Committee; and/or register Libertarian (when we get 1% of the state registered, we can run candidates without petition signatures).

Media Relations: Beth Newman 301-588-3704 BANewman*mindspring.com

The executive board meets monthly. All meetings are open. Contact Steve Boone for date and location.

The Fall Convention took place at the Timbuktu Restaurant in Dorsey, Maryland on Saturday, November 11^th. Forty-five MdLP'ers were present. The main order of business at the Central Committee meeting was the election of MdLP officers. The terms of four members of the Executive Board were up: Joe Miller, Stuart Simms, Bill Galvin, and Wayne Dougherty. Elected for two-year terms were: Joe Miller (remaining Treasurer); Robert Glaser (new Secretary); Beth Newman (new Media Relations); and Steve Sass (new membership).

It was reported that there are now over 4000 registered Libertarians in the state of Maryland. Due to procedural irregularities, the vote on the proposed Constitutional amendments were tabled. Keith Halderman asked the assembled to sign a petition of the November Coalition to President Bill Clinton for commutation of sentence to time served for all non-violent drug offenders. Members voted to direct the Secretary to transmit a statement affirming the MdLP's agreement with the petition to the November Coalition.

In the morning, Beth Newman spoke on the Harry Browne presidential campaign. A general discussion followed about methodologies that might be pursued in future elections.

After the Central Committee meeting and lunch, Lorenzo Gaztañaga kicked off the convention by introducing our main speaker, "Gentleman" Jim Lark. Jim is the newly elected National Chair. Lorenzo said that in his personal experience, Jim's moniker is well-deserved.

The head of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) cautioned us not to succumb to "knee-jerk" libertarianism, and come out swinging too hard. We should not judge a book by its cover; government workers are not our enemy. Many times, what we say may not be what people hear. In effect, we are asking people to perform a self-examination -- it is a painful process to go over one's entire life values -- and it takes time. We must show that government benefits come with costs, so point them out. Provide a soft landing on the issues. Jim recommended that we speak with a sense of humility and compassion. "Let's be an irritation rather than a disease." In closing, he offered to help us here in Maryland any way he can. Originally from Pulaski, Virginia, Dr. Lark is an assistant professor of Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia.

Fran Harris spoke for Republican state senator Alex Mooney. Mr. Mooney represents District 3 (Frederick and Washington counties). At 29, Mooney is the youngest senator in the Maryland legislature. He is interested in gun control issues and budgetary matters. Concerned with "prevailing wage" requirements for state spending, he is considering requesting a study on the increased cost of school funding due to that mandate. Also of concern is the ballooning cost for the same reason of the Woodrow Wilson bridge. The budget surplus has already been allocated. The state budget is expected to be $17-$19 billion this year.

Republican state delegate Don Murphy from District 12A (Baltimore and Howard counties) spoke next. He wants our help on issues that we agree on, though we may go our separate ways on other issues and at election time. In his opinion, the last election showed that Libertarians are relevant -- candidates won or lost offices with smaller margins than Libertarian candidates garnered. So Democratic and Republican politicians are more interested in addressing our concerns. Murphy had opposed the ballot access signature requirement reduction and tried to justify his position on this matter. As a past candidate, and on behalf of other Libertarian candidates, Lorenzo gave him lots of flak on this opinion. Delegate Murphy's bill on medical marijuana was defeated last session, but he intends to reintroduce it in this upcoming session. [Which emphasizes the fact that we can join forces on an issue-by-issue basis without necessarily agreeing with all views of a particular politician.]

Giff Nickol talked primarily on the gun control issue. He has been active in the motorcycle ABATE program (fighting the state requirement for helmets) and he had worked in the office of Representative Erlich in the past. He indicated that at our convention he was speaking for himself. Giff is from Bel Air, and though he would love to stay in Maryland, is beginning to entertain the possibility of leaving our state as the intrusive regulatory environment magnifies. He told war stories about gun control efforts in Congress -- sometimes legislation takes twists and turns that are not obvious to outsiders. Giff pointed out that people who are against private gun ownership are willing to work incrementally; they are satisfied to end such ownership in their children's and grandchildren's timeframe. Gun owners react to anti-gun legislation. He emphasized that we must let our legislators know when they do something we like.

Joe Pomykala wrapped up the convention speakers section. Joe was the Libertarian candidate for the third Congressional district in the House of Representatives last November. He noted that government is continuously growing and our rights are continuously disappearing. Joe found it interesting that in the last presidential debate, Al Gore used the word "give" 27 times. George Bush used it six or seven times. Joe lamented that the American population is thinking of government as Santa Claus.

After dinner, awards were given out. The Defender of Liberty award went to Spear Lancaster (below left). An auction raised money for the MdLP (Dean peddles Lorenzo's campaign jacket, below right). The evening was capped with dancing to music provided by a MusicMasters disc jockey.

Happy New Year! As we take our first steps into the new century and the new millennium, we have a lot to look forward to -- and tons of work ahead of us.

Although we missed having another four years of rapid socialism under a President Gore, where our Constitutional rights would likely have been eroded much more quickly, we're not out of the woods yet. The new Bush Administration will still take us down the governmental Leviathan path, it'll just take -- we hope -- a little longer. That gives us a little more time to fight.

Will Bush rescind Executive Orders like PDD 25? Will Bush rescind Clinton's Executive Orders "redefining" federalism? We can only hope and pray that he does. I wouldn't bet on it, and I do enjoy playing games of chance.

On the state level, we see the expression "Money talks and bull**** walks" brazenly applied in Annapolis. It happened with SB211 last year. It continued with the Democratic Party pulling out all stops to entice certain members of the General Assembly to switch parties from the GOP. The latest beneficiary of Mike Miller's largesse was Patrick J. Hogan (D-39). Parris Glendening has already promised he'd "take care of Hogan" in the new redistricting plan as a thank you gift.

Don't for a moment think that Senator Tom Bromwell (D-8) refused the top job at the Injured Worker's Insurance Fund (IWIF) because he didn't want to miss the rough-and-tumble of the political system. IWIF would have paid him several times the Senate salary. Mike Miller, the Senate

President, faced a potential serious challenge for his leadership, and Bromwell has been an active lieutenant. Bromwell is a Committee Chairman because of it. The Democrats stood to possibly lose the 8^th after redistricting, and Bromwell was the only one who could guarantee the party would retain the seat. They feared that an active campaign by either GOP delegate Al Redmer or Jim Ports (R-8) could well take the seat from any other Democrat but Bromwell in 2002.

On the county level, members of two of our affiliates have begun fairly regular attendance at meetings of their County Council: Harford was the first, and Anne Arundel has now joined in as well. Do we see possible candidacies?

We're launching into building mode. We've got lots of work to do. Without question, our first goal is retention of Party status. Under the new laws, we have two ways to do it, and neither is going to be easy. We can (1) register 1% of the state's voters as Libertarians, which will give us convention party status (no more signatures!!) as long as we hold 1% on December 31 of each year; or (2) run a candidate for governor who gets 1% of the total vote. It would retain us until 2004, but we'd still have to go for signatures until we had 1% of the total state registration.

As the months unfold and the countdown to December 31, 2002 progresses, you're going to see plenty of activity designed to help us get there. You're going to be contacted about how you can help us reach these goals. We'll ask you to be as generous with your time, skills, and cash as you can.

In the past, the State Party has not had talents to help us get the media attention we desperately needed to get the word out. Now, we do. Beth Newman, recently elected to the Board, will be handling our media affairs for us.

We've not had candidates willing to step up to the plate to run for office. Now, a dozen or more have already contacted me about running in 2002. They're not going to be on their own, because we're going to be providing training for them and their potential managers and treasurers. This training will be designed to bring along more Party leadership as well. Look for them to happen beginning in the early spring.

Let me strongly urge candidates for General Assembly to make the trip to Annapolis and sit with us in the Gallery Gang Monday nights. We get together before the session, lobby legislators as they go into the chambers, sit together in the gallery to watch, and then go to a local restaurant for an adult beverage and/or light fare. It's a way to learn how the legislature works, to see it in "action," and to get some face time networking with some of our friends. For the fourth year in a row, the LP will show in Annapolis on a regular basis -- and they know we're there.

Expansion efforts for the Party are ongoing. I've mentioned in the past that we would be using open houses to gauge interest and build groups. Harford County has just held an open house, both to expand their group and invite folks from Cecil County. We'll see how well the effort did fairly soon. Cecil has one of the top ten Libertarian registration figures, and we're not organized there... yet. We're going to have at least two candidates from that county for 2002, and I've already had the pleasure of sitting down with them for a first meeting. We're also planning to have an LP presence at the Cecil County Fair for the first time this year.

Final details are coming together for an open house concept for Howard and Carroll Counties combined. Those two counties, too, are in the top ten of Libertarian registration. Kevin and Debbie Wolf in Carroll County, and also Gail Mangum in Howard, plan to work toward regular monthly socials.

Libertarian campus groups are a new phenomenon here in Maryland. Nick Sarwark will be working closely with people from various campuses to get a College Libertarians network going. There's an active group at Western Maryland College which just formed this year, and others are in the development and student government approval stage.

We're planning a fun event for (as of this writing) April 28, in Baltimore County. A State Central Committee meeting will begin in early evening. Then, about 7:30, the fun begins. The public can come to a casino night, with wheels, blackjack, and perhaps some varieties of poker -- played with real (?) money. Dance music will be provided by one or more Libertarian bands in the area. Why Baltimore County? It's the only county that will issue such permits for nonprofit groups.

Watch this space! The Board has sketched out a very active outreach program for the coming year, and we're going to incur printing costs, literature costs, and our normal booth costs. A fundraising letter will be coming your way in early spring with a more fleshed-out outline, and will ask for your support.

And a teaser: in the fall, we're working to hold a public forum on one or more aspects of the Drug War -- in Annapolis! The details are being worked out, but we're looking to host discussion and debate, and will invite speakers from both sides of the argument. Watch for more information on the MdLP-Announce list. Thank you for your continued support!

In closing, let me give an example of how little things we do can mean so much. Just last weekend, I sat with the two candidates who plan to run in Cecil County, and several others, at a restaurant in North East. I was answering questions from one candidate's mother about the "Libertarian position" on various issues, including drugs, abortion, guns, and public schools. The two candidates were in there, backing me up. Unbeknownst to us, we weren't the only ones that were paying attention to the conversation. After our group broke up, two young women from a nearby table walked over, said "We weren't trying to eavesdrop, but we couldn't help overhearing your conversations on issues. We agree with you almost 100% on everything you said! Who are you people?" We introduced ourselves, invited them to come to Harford's Open House, and urged them to re-register as Libertarians. We added them to the mailing list, and perhaps now have two brand-new active people in Cecil.

-- Steve Boone

In late December I attempted to cash a check at a bank that required of me two forms of ID, and to my surprise and disappointment, my precisely planted fingerprint on the check. Business was slow that day, and I was essentially talking to three tellers at once.

I provided two forms of ID, but told them that I would not provide a fingerprint. The teller told me that if I did not provide a fingerprint, that they would not cash the check. I told them that if they did not cash the check, I would return it to the company that wrote it, and assess a bad check fee. The tellers looked at each other, and one said "Better get the manager."

There is a growing trend throughout the banking industry where banks require non-account holders to place a fingerprint on the check they present for cashing. The motive is to cut down on check fraud, such as thieves cashing stolen checks. While the policy no doubt works to discourage fraud (as most Orwellian tactics do), it works at the expense of privacy, and ultimately liberty, on the part of an otherwise free people.

Banks are entitled to some reasonable proof of identification from those presenting a check for payment to show they are, in fact, the party to which the check is made payable. But fingerprints are not used to identify the payee. If they were, the print would be compared to a fingerprint database prior to cashing, which it is not. Instead, it is examined only if fraud is determined days or weeks later.

This means that fingerprints are collected solely as evidence of a crime, before any crime is known -- or even reasonably believed -- to be taking place. This clearly qualifies as a violation of the 4^th Amendment which guarantees to us the right "to be secure in (our) persons... against unreasonable searches and seizures..." Certainly my fingerprint is part of my person, so by what right do banks require me to waive a right in order to cash a check?

After a few minutes, the bank manager came out, and I sat down in her office. We repeated the dialogue I just had with the teller.

I replied "You aren't serving me. You are serving your account holder that wrote me this check."

"If you refuse to cash it, I'll have to mark it as a bad check, return it to your account holder, and assess a $50 bad check fee."

I was really talking to a brick wall, but at least there was no confusion between us of where we stood.

Rights activists might assume that the bank is the party that is legally at fault for having a fingerprint policy. Yes, there are myriad bank regulations that banks must follow in order to be allowed to operate within the government regulated banking system, but those regulations cannot override our 4^th Amendment protections. Still, there's a fundamental relationship at work which excuses us from having to navigate those regulations.

Banks were first invented out of a need for those with excess money to safely store their funds. Checks were invented as a means to allow depositors to instruct banks to make payments from those stored funds. The depositor simply writes an order for the bank to pay out a certain sum, and gives the document to the person to whom he is paying.

The payee can accept the check and "take it to the bank" if it is "good enough." The bank will receive the check, judge its authenticity by the unique seal or signature (how many banks still do that?), and then pay the prescribed amount to the payee.

Giving someone a check is not payment and never has been. Checks are merely a promise of payment, and nothing more. If the bank refuses to honor a check for insufficient funds, or any other reason (it doesn't matter why), then the promise is broken. When promises are broken, no matter what the reason, recourse is against the promise maker, which is the person that wrote the check.

Being a bit angry at having wasted a trip and having a curve thrown in my immediate financial plans, I left the bank and came home. Having never had to process a bad check before, I used my best judgement. With a red flair pen, I noted the following on the face of the check:

I cc'd (sent "carbon" copies) to Ms. Bank Bigwig as well as that bank's main office, as a "courtesy" of sorts. I would guess that Ms. Bank Bigwig committed an error when she offered me a pen, thereby encouraging me to return the check, but that's a matter to be settled between the bank and my client.

One remedy that may bring attention to the fingerprint policy without risking severe repercussions from customers is to add (in advance) a $10 check handling fee for any check drawn upon a bank that requires a fingerprint. A simple but polite notice on an invoice may suffice.

Although I'm not obligated to attempt to negotiate a check in any manner beyond cashing at the bank upon which it is drawn, there are other ways. But most reasonable ones available to me carry with them cashing fees or a delay for check clearing. Certainly a $10 or $15 fee for that trouble is quite reasonable.

Of course, I'm not obligated to accept checks in the first place, and many vendors don't, so accepting checks is itself a courtesy, subject to any restrictions I would care to impose.

This could end any number of ways, and I have no idea what's going to happen. Obviously, the bank's account holder is also my own customer, and by taking this stand I may lose some business. But for this one customer and this one payment, that is a risk I'm willing to take to give this Orwellian practice some of the attention it deserves.

Fingerprints -- Neil McIver
www.cjMcIver.org

During the golden years of radio, one of the most popular shows was Fibber McGee and Molly. Toward the end of each episode, the husband would make some wisecrack about a bad situation. His wife, Molly, would always answer: "'Taint funny, McGee." Many situations Libertarians see today could fit that mold, and that is what this column will report.

-- Steven Sass

Al Gore was out jogging when he saw a boy on the sidewalk with a box of kittens. Curious, he jogged over to talk to the boy.

Al thought that was cute, so a few days later when he was out jogging again, this time with his good friend and moral compass, Bill Clinton, he told Bill to jog over to see the boy.

"Well, now their eyes are open. And in a few days when they learn to walk, they'll be Libertarians."

-- Blue Rose, via Bob Hunt

You are among a select group of known freedom, tax, and libertarian activist individuals who are being invited to a special meeting to be held in Washington, DC on February 17, 2001 at the National Press Club. We would like for you to attend. There is no charge. While the meeting is not secret, we are not seeking any media publicity.

The meeting is being organized by individuals from several key freedom groups who have been working together over the last several months to plan, prepare, and execute a large, coordinated, nationwide, multi-media public information campaign ("Project TOTO"). The goal is to educate scores of millions of citizens (along with accountants, tax attorneys, legislators, judges, IRS employees, and prospective jurors) about the true nature of the income tax laws, to expose operations of the IRS that are unauthorized by law, and to put an end to their illegal collection of taxes from people who do not owe them -- the vast majority of US citizens. We will present a plan for this multi-million dollar project that will utilize nationwide electronic, print, and broadcast media to put detailed documentation before the public.

If the government has legitimate answers to the questions raised by the legal research that has been done, we hope this kind of public informational campaign will force those answers to the surface.

We have started to see some results from previous direct, large-scale, public educational efforts. We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education ran full-page ad messages about the income tax in the Washington Times last June, and in USA TODAY on July 7^th. These ads were a big factor in prompting the New York Times to assign its senior tax reporter, David Cay Johnston, to research and write an investigative report. His article appeared on the front page of the November 19^th national edition, and was followed by an editorial on Tuesday, November 21^st. Both pieces focused on the increasing number of employers who have stopped all tax withholding from their employees. The IRS failed to rebut the legal claims of the employers. Although the articles were heavily biased, it shows that the subject is gaining national attention. You may read the Times' article and our response to the article on our web site. Another example: a producer for CBS' 60 Minutes II has now contacted Joe Banister for a piece that will air in April, which will presumably focus on Mr. Banister's decision to resign from his position as a Special Agent in the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS because he could no longer enforce the Internal Revenue Code as if payment were compulsory. This was after completing a two year private research project in which he concluded that payment of the tax was voluntary. Another example: a producer for John Stossel and ABC's 20/20 has requested a copy of the tapes of the four symposia and conferences the We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education has sponsored at the National Press Club on the subject of the fraud and illegal operations of the income tax system.

As the story of the tragic events of a taxpayer's life unfolded in Massachusetts in early January, we are reminded once again of the trail of carnage and human tragedy left by our income tax system and the government that refuses to address the legal grievances of the Freedom movement. Even if Mr. McDermott was liable for the income tax (which is not the case for most US citizens), the law prohibits the IRS and employers from doing what they were about to do to Mr. McDermott -- garnish his wages without a court order.

We believe the tide may finally be about to turn, and now is the time to publish and broadcast the collective detailed, statutory, and regulatory arguments of the Tax movement -- to put these facts before the American public to reach a critical mass of people demanding an end to these unconstitutional and illegal (corrupt) acts. We believe public exposure is the worst enemy of governmental wrongdoing.

You are being invited to participate, contribute, and join with others in this project to manifest a moment in history that would do proud to the legacy of our Forefathers. Just as those Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of liberty, we will be asking each of you to consider a similar pledge. Each of you who participates has access to intellectual property, a network of citizens and/or access to financial resources.

Although the primary project strategy is to widely disseminate our message for free, the plan also provides an opportunity for those of you who are major contributors of intellectual arguments and property to market your products and services.

All financial donations toward the cost of the public information and education plan (Project TOTO) will be held in trust, managed by an independent attorney, and released only for the stated activities of this project. If needed, arrangements may be made for protecting intellectual property rights, etc. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible !

We believe that by standing together and sharing the collective burden of this calling, we can more rapidly and effectively accomplish together what none of us has achieved alone thus far. We intend to ignite a public discussion the likes of which our Nation has not seen for 225 years.

Please come to our meeting, join your fellow countrymen, and become the heart of a moment in history when We The People carried forth a great Light and took back our country. Reservations are requested so that proper facilities and amenities will be available. To register for the conference (it's free), go to our web site.

The meeting will be held from 8:00 to 11:00 am. The National Press Club is located at 529 14^th Street, NW (at Ave. F). Blessings and safe travels to you all.

-- Bob SchulzWe The People Foundation for Constitutional Education
518-656-3578 www.GiveMeLiberty.org

I am coordinating events for April 16^th for the MdLP. Some county affiliates already do their own events on that day. We're expanding them into a state-wide coordinated effort which we can publicize in an appropriate manner.

If you can serve as a coordinator for your county or town, or already conduct events on April 16 that should be included, please contact me ASAP. In return, I promise not to waste your time with needless meetings and committee sessions. The majority of the planning and coordination for this effort will be conducted on line via email and chat. We will probably have to get together once to compile and distribute materials. Please, if you are interested in making an impact on "tax day," let me know. If we can coordinate this

well at the state level, we stand a very good chance of getting at least some local press.

We will need people behind the scenes leading up to the event, as well as people beating the streets on tax day. We will also need approved voter registrars. Any amount of time you can devote, be it 1 hour, 10 hours, or your entire day on April 16^th, we need you. Our focus will be using taxation as an issue to inspire people to register Libertarian. Remember, we need 30,000 registered Libertarians by December 2002. This critical number will never be achieved without your help.

-- Beth Newman

Tentatively, the Spring Convention will be on Saturday, April 28^th. A Central Committee meeting is scheduled for the 5:00-7:00 pm timeslot. The main order of business will be a vote on the Constitutional amendments presented at the Summer picnic. Depending upon the outcome of that vote, election of officers may immediately follow. A casino night of fun is earmarked for 7:30 pm to midnight. Since he did such a fine job of organizing the Fall Convention, the contact person is Nick Sarwark. Check the website for updates.

The Gallery Gang is active once again during this year's Maryland legislative session. Join us on Mondays through April 9 to lobby legislators before the session, attend the session as part of the Gallery furniture, and meet for drinks afterward. Meet on the State House steps at Lawyer's Mall in Annapolis at 7:45 pm. For information, contact Steve Boone.

Chip Spangler is the MdLP's new webmaster. Chip takes over from Mike Listman, who has moved to Atlanta (thanks, Mike, and enjoy the South). Give Chip a little time to absorb the possibilities before he puts his own personal spin on the site, but he welcomes suggestions. Chip can be contacted via his Senator*Corrupt.net email address.

The MdLP has begun sending regular press releases on issues that concern us to Maryland media. The current goal is to send at least one release per month, and gradually increase that number as we get better at it. If you think a particular issue or event warrants an MdLP press release or perspective, then please alert Steve Boone or myself. All you need to do is provide the topic and why you think we ought to comment, and we'll take care of the rest. Our goal with this program is to start getting noticed by the media and to establish us as a credible source in the political arena.

But remember, there's only so much media coverage we'll get just by putting out press releases. The amount of actual coverage we get will depend on the level of political activity and success the MdLP achieves. That is, activity such as running people for office, getting Libertarians elected, and registering 30,000 Libertarians in Maryland by December of 2002! The more press releases we send out, the more our name will be in front of the media. The more often we tout our accomplishments and positions, the more likely it is that the media will notice us. And, the more press releases we send out, the more likely it is we'll just get lucky and one of our releases will cross an editor's desk on a slow day. For certain, press releases are not a substitute for action. In the long run, success generates media coverage. Media coverage does not create success. Want more coverage? Do more... and I'll write a press release about it for you!

-- Beth Newman

In the last issue, I promised you a look at the county-by-county breakdowns for the 2000 presidential election in Maryland, so (grimace) here it is (www.Elections.State.md.us). We all know the poor showing we made nationally, and the picture is no different in our state. The general consensus is that with a close election, "fringe" candidates lost support. That argument doesn't wash as well in Maryland, with the outcome all but predetermined -- so look at the numbers and weep.

Harry Browne made a campaign stop at the Inner Harbor Hyatt Regency in Baltimore (photo top right) on October 25^th. Approximately 130 people attended, and about half were first-timers at a Libertarian event. Michael Cloud conducted the fundraising, which went well. Harry copiously signed books when he wasn't studying the October issue of the Free? State Libertarian (below). Harry Browne reading FSL

Joe Pomykala faced a high hurdle in his bid for the 3^rd Congressional district against Ben Cardin. Just shy of the required petition signatures to achieve ballot status, he was forced to run as a write-in candidate. One of his last campaign events was a Congressional Candidates Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters on November 1^st. Held on the Homewood campus of the Johns Hopkins University, about 50 people were present to listen to the debate. Questions from the floor were welcomed, and several of the Libertarian attendees tossed challenging questions which offered Joe the opportunity to contrast his views with the incumbent Cardin. (Photo at bottom of page on the left.) Thanks for all of your efforts, Joe!

-- Robert Glaser

Sisters, Kristi and Shannon Purcell stick it out until the end, campaigning in the dark for Harry Browne at Bel Air High School.

We're going to need money to get 1% of the registered voters in this state. We need a monthly income, income that's reliable and significant. I'm begging -- if you have been a credit card pledger in the past, please come back! And those of you who haven't ever made credit card pledges, we need you too! It is our policy that members who pledge at least $10 a month will automatically have their state and national memberships renewed.

For those who would prefer some other method of making regular donations, please give me a call. Do you want me to come to your house once a month and pick up a jar of pennies? Consider it done.

-- Joe Miller

The attempt to get government involved in the prevention of accidents is dangerous policy. One of the claims of the drug war is that "drugs" must be prohibited in order to prevent accidents.

Everyone agrees that the problem of drunk driving is a tragedy. Tens of thousands die each year because of drunk driving.

Those who attack "drug legalizers" never raise the case that alcohol should be prohibited. This is unfair, as we shall see.

In the late 1960's, the state of California commissioned a study of driving under the influence of cannabis. What they found surprised almost everyone. The state of California found that cannabis does not significantly impair driving.

In the early 1990's the US National Transportation agency also published a study of cannabis and driving. Again, they found little impairment. They report that drivers under the influence of cannabis scored slightly better than non drug users. (Although the difference with non drug users is not statistically significant, it is telling for its contrast with the failure of the alcohol drivers.)

The nation of The Netherlands also did a cannabis driving study a few years back. Again, little impairment is found in cannabis drivers.

Here is the point. If the people had the liberty to choose cannabis over alcohol, many lives would be saved. What we have now is government policy that protects dangerous alcohol, and refuses to allow safer cannabis to compete. Government policy is directly responsible for causing many people to die from drunk driving that would otherwise be alive today.

Government policy that attempts to regulate the prevention of accidents is more dangerous than the accidents.

-- Luke Bryan

The last time I went to Dick's Sporting Goods to purchase ammunition, I was asked to show my driver's license. I wanted to follow up on this "policy" of taking information on individuals purchasing handgun ammunition. After contacting the corporate office, the General Store Manager called and informed me that in fact it was not "policy" to record this information; it was only to be requested, not required. The manager has since cleared this up with the employees, and everything should be fine.

They had recorded name, driver's license number, caliber, and the quantity of ammunition purchased. Who is asking for this? I asked the manager, and he informed me that the Baltimore County Police were requesting the information. I have friends on the force in Baltimore County, and I have a special interest in law enforcement. I have not verified this with them as of yet, therefore I have to leave this to anyone who may want to pursue this any farther.

Since it is only per request, I am not inclined to take it any further, as it is not a violation of our rights. I must say that I am glad that it is by request, and I will continue to shop at Dick's Sporting Goods. The manager had informed me that the police had gotten some results from the recording of this information. If anyone would have any further questions regarding my conversation with the store manager, please feel free to email me with any questions.

-- Kurt Saberg

A recent posting regarding the Maryland State Constitution got me curious, so I decided to re-read it...

According to this article in the Declaration of Rights, those of us whose choice in freedom of religion has been to choose freedom from religion can be barred from any office if we do not declare a belief in God...

-- Mike Barnes

Conservatives should learn the difference between a sin and a crime, and liberals should learn the difference between a virtue and a requirement.

The Libertarian National Committee has set up a Strategy Committee that will include individuals who are not only Big-L Libertarians, but also small-l libertarians. My disagreements on technicalities regarding this approach notwithstanding, I say this is a good move. I think Jim Lark, as a new chair, is doing a very good job, and I empathize with this, since at one time I was a new chair of the Maryland Libertarian Party. I think and believe that one big part of a chair's role is to make sure that everyone in his or her committee gets a fair hearing, and Jim has been doing this so far in spades. So at this point, in the midst of everything, I give him a plus. Reality bites, and I think that reality, more than anything I do or say, will hopefully affect what the LNC does to make our party a meaningful force in our great nation.

-- Lorenzo GaztañagaLorenzo is a member of the Libertarian National Committee.

This year, men campaigned for the office of US President. Each wants the government to do something. And each believes his favorite kind of government is better than the others. Except one candidate. For this one, the election was not about "What kind of government do you want?" Rather, it was "How much government do you want?" More government? Or less? Would you give up more liberties? Or would you reclaim those liberties of which you have been robbed? This man is willing to sacrifice even his most cherished kind of big government in order to get small government.

Unfortunately, 99 percent of US voters voted for big government of one kind or another. What does that say about the state of politics in this country? Let me be clear: God will hold them to account, as they will get the government they deserve.

But some of us voted for small government. We're not getting the government we deserve. We are being dragged along on the road to hell by foolish men and women who, in election after election, vote for big government. And, time after time, the next morning they awake from their drunken stupor to marvel that the government continues to grow bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

-- A. Seleneaselene40*hushmail.com

You may have seen the press that New Hampshire state representative Tom Alciere has received recently regarding some of his newsgroup posts about policemen. He had submitted this for the FSL prior to the national attention. The FSL and the MdLP has taken no position on these issues; his letter is presented for your deliberation.

Greetings! I just wanted to share with the readers of your newsletter the best-kept secret in USA politics: the New Hampshire Legislature.

It has been said that if all the Libertarians would move to one city, they could clean up the municipal code. That hasn't worked out. But if one Libertarian moves to New Hampshire, he or she can get elected to the House of Representatives.

You have to be a two-year resident, so if you move here by 2 November 2002, you qualify in time for the 2004 election. Presidential elections draw out the most uninformed voters, who are clueless about the state representative race, so they voted for me because I posted lots of signs, and then smiled and waved to them on their way in to the polls. ("Hi, I'm Tom Alciere. Thanks for dropping by to vote today." I told them I'm not just a campaign worker, I'm the candidate himself. Oh, what a special day this is, they got to meet somebody "important.")

Here's the key: There are 400 seats in the House, and 1,201,134 New Hampshire residents. That's one seat per 3003 people. (2001 World Almanac.)

In Maryland, my birthplace, there are 141 seats for 5,171,634 people, a ratio of one seat for every 36,678 inhabitants. Competition for seats is further reduced in New Hampshire, because it pays only $100 per year, plus mileage. Volunteers are needed. It's not for everybody.

To capture the state senate, the trick is, when an incumbent doesn't run, one Libertarian runs as a "Democrat" and another as a "Republican," leaving the voter with about as much choice as the Republicrats usually leave us.

I ran as a "Republican" because I wanted to get elected. Only one candidate who ran as a Libertarian got elected. I'm introducing a bill to repeal the compulsory school attendance statute (LSR 504). In New Hampshire, every bill gets a committee hearing where the public is invited to come in and speak up, and a floor vote. Committee chairs can't stop it.

I didn't run unopposed, but New Hampshire is the easiest state for common folk to get elected without spending much money. I spent only a few hundred dollars, almost all of it from contributions by organizations. The Republican Party donated because I was "their" nominee.

New Hampshire has no seatbelt or helmet law (for adults), no state income tax, and no sales tax.

-- Representative Tom Alcierewww.TomAlciere.com

I have received a number of communications calling on me to resign. My reply is this: A person who is dissatisfied with the actions of the government and its cops should notify his elected officials, seeking a solution; and if they just laugh and throw the letter away, he should run for public office and propose the measures himself.

One positive thing that will come out of this is a lively discussion of just how the government and its cops should be prevented from violating the rights of the people. Folks with good, positive suggestions are invited to share them with the State representatives and State senator for the district where they reside. Maybe something positive will come out of your efforts.

Another positive thing is that the proposals I am filing in the Legislature are being brought to the attention of the public. These bills will spark public debate in the media, and will bring disenfranchised people into the political process. People, who before couldn't even name a State representative, will be visiting Concord to testify before a legislative committee.

People who want to see the War on Drugs ended will lose a lot of hope if I should quit the job I was elected to do, leaving my proposals unsponsored. There is work to do, there are bad laws to repeal. If you want people to respect the legal code, the first step is to enact a respectable legal code, with liberty and justice for all.

We had our last meeting of the year Dec 7^th. We had over a dozen members attending, and had an enjoyable recap of the year. We have added members and had a lot of participation in the area. We started the year by joining other Libertarian members at the Capitol on Monday nights. We met and were active on the Les Kinsolving show at Chick and Ruth's.

We are really excited about 2001. We will have someone try and monitor the county council meeting. Jeff Hollyburton plans to run for the county council, so we are attempting to learn as much about the council as we can. We want to be informed as to who the current members are, what their positions are, and what they are not working on that can be of interest to the voters of Anne Arundel County.

I have joined the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. I have asked to be on the government affairs committee. In the short time I have been involved, it is quite obvious that most legislative proposals will be discussed, and it will be easy to see who is for what and why. This will be valuable information for our candidates later on.

I am also on the central committee of the Taxpayers Association. This is a very effective association. They had a referendum that was successful in installing a tax cap and term limits. This fall, the teacher's union and their allies were gong to try and get enough petitions to put a proposed change on the ballot to in effect rescind the tax cap. Some smooth behind-the-scenes maneuvering convinced the big spenders that they couldn't make it fly, so they didn't put their heart into it. In fact, they couldn't even get enough signatures to put it on the ballot.

At the last meeting, we discussed how a very small percentage of the public could have undue leverage if they were select and focused. For example, there really aren't more than a dozen members on the Taxpayers Association who call the shots. The same for the Chamber of Commerce. Most of the chamber of commerce members want to expose themselves to the other members to sell a product or service. Very few have the time and patience to root out the real players, and work on them to get the program they want.

In 2001, we plan to be very active in attending the Monday night Gallery Gang get-togethers. We will also be speaking every chance we get in any public forum we can. I have approached the League of Women Voters to volunteer as a panel member for political affairs. Or to be a speaker to discuss alternative approaches to political issues. We will have our usual booth at the county fair. Only this time, we will have it better planned and focused towards getting members.

We especially want to welcome our new member, Bill Wells. Also, it was nice to have Renzo Brun Del Re and Marcia and Hal Whalen join us at our last meeting. With folks like this in our camp in 2001, I know we will make great progress this year.

-- Spear Lancaster

Kevin and Debbie Wolf have moved from Howard county to Carroll county and continue to pursue organizational activities in both counties, since they are close together. Efforts are expected to concentrate on the Westminster area.

Libertarians made a strong showing in Harford county this past Election Day, so strong in fact that we were mentioned and pictured in Harford County's paper, The Aegis, in the two editions following the election. Pictured above at the December 2000 meeting, from left to right, are: LPO Martz, Mike Linder, Daniel Michael, Derek Mancinho, Frank Young, Marianne Mancinho, Donna Young, Lori Meyers, Roy Meyers, Shannon Purcell, and David Sten.

Regular attendance of Harford County Libertarian Party meetings and events has nearly doubled since last year. Many new members have discovered the LP through outreach activities that the HCLP participates in each year, including the Harford County Farm Fair and the Darlington Apple Festival. New members have also found their way to the meetings after visiting the HCLP website (clik.to/HCLP). Dave Sten is planning to run as a Libertarian for House of Delegates, District 36.

The Harford LP held its annual election in October. This year's executive board consists of Shannon Purcell (chair), Michael Linder (treasurer), LPO Martz (secretary), Roy Meyers (parliamentarian), and Daniel Michael (historian). Roy and Dan will be the first parliamentarian and historian ever to serve the HCLP.

At the November meeting, Harford Libertarians presented Derek Mancinho with a plaque and cake to commemorate and celebrate his seven years of service to the HCLP. Derek served as the HCLP chair from 1994 through 2000. Many thanks!

-- Shannon Purcell

Many thanks for the volunteers that stepped forward this past year to help out. They recognized the need, and chipped in to protect our liberty. Without their assistance, we could not have a political party!

On Election Day, those of us who could get the time off covered the polls -- every bit counts!

We ended the year with our usual fun holiday party. Starting off with a potluck supper -- everyone brought a dish to help out. A short business meeting followed with the election of board members for the next term. Yours truly remains the county Chair. The last planned event of the evening was the annual gift auction -- a fundraising event that earned $150 each for the Maryland State and Montgomery County LP.

Let's all contribute in some way this coming year to continue our grassroots momentum in building the Libertarian Party! Don't wait to be called. Come to a meeting, LDDS, or subscribe to MdLP-Announce to find out the latest on what's going on and how you might fit in.

-- Glenn Howard

A disenchanted Libertarian in Tennessee had posted to the MdLP listserve, lamenting that "I need to get my motivation back, and to do so I need to be convinced that the effort is not in vain." He was looking for inspiration -- here is one response:

I am an activist because I must be. I am an activist, I have worked on campaigns practically 24/7 in some cases. I do it because I must. I do it because somebody has to. I do it because the statists and the socialists are not going to give up. If I give up, even if I do nothing, I will be in effect working for them. As far as if the efforts are in vain or not...

Remember the story of the young man who walked through Sodom and Gomorrah calling upon all to repent? Sixty years later he was still at it. One of his peers asked him "Why do you go on? Have you changed anything? Have you changed anyone?" He replied "Sixty years ago, I did this to change others. Now I do it so they do not change me."

That, my friend, is why I am a Libertarian activist, and why I will still be a Libertarian activist on my deathbed.

-- Mike Barnes

Happy New Year! Perhaps the (real) new millennium will bring with it an era of liberty. Doesn't look too good after the last election, but at least we can hope. As I write this, I hear on the radio news that our governor now wants to make the possession of bulletproof body armor an illegal act. But don't worry -- there would be exceptions for security guards, police (who guard the Guv), and others who ask the state government for permission to try to stay alive. Sometimes I think I must be living in an alternate universe (I keep expecting to suddenly see Rod Serling appear with Twilight Zone background music). Has the whole world gone crazy? Why doesn't the very concept of such a statement cause an outcry from the state press demanding he resign? Probably because the Lieutenant Governor might be worse. Am I the only one who sees an incongruity between being told by the State of Maryland that I must wear a seatbelt and a motorcycle helmet to ensure my safety, yet I should be prohibited from trying not to die should I somehow be caught in a crossfire of bullets caused by the failed War on Drugs? In effect, our lives are to be the property of the State of Maryland to run as it sees fit? When we arise from bed each morning, are we to telephone the Governor and ask permission to live another day?

Okay, I know that my ranting is overly dramatic. It also reminds me how good it feels to be amongst a group of libertarians who understand the above points without the need of their mention. So for your own sanity, try to make it to MdLP gatherings when you can. Every event doesn't have to result in new member recruitment -- do it for yourself!

But do try to help out on Tax Day. It's usually a lot of fun, anyway, because the general population is closer to us in sentiment on the day that their pounds of flesh are extracted.

The next issue will probably be out in May, possibly April. Please think of your lonely editor between now and then and send me articles. Let's especially try to scope out all of the summer outreach activities so that we can advise everyone of them by publication time. Keep monitoring the website and the list serves for late-breaking information. And those of you who frequent the MdLP list serve -- be advised that I do sometimes glean articles from those posts. But I would prefer that you collect the various arguments from a thread and send me a cogent piece on your own. Thanks to this issue's contributors!

-- Robert Glaser

Make checks payable to the Maryland Libertarian Party, and send along with copy to:

Note: consult www.MD.LP.org/events for up-to-date info. Contact numbers for persons listed on page 3 are omitted here. Regularly scheduled events are listed separately on the back page. Please mark your calendars now!

February 14 (Wednesday): Frederick Douglass and Terry Atwood memorial day (MdLP CC resolution 2/20/99).

April 28 (Saturday): 5:00 pm - midnight. (Tentative) MdLP Spring Convention. (page 7)

May 19 (Saturday): Joint Maryland/Virginia/District of Columbia LP picnic. (Tentative) Steve Sass

May 22 (Tuesday): Living American Flag Program, Fort McHenry. (www.FlagDay.org) Nancy Millionie

July 18 (Wednesday): 1:00 - 5:00 pm. J. Millard Tawes Crab & Clam Bake at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield. Michael Linder (abingdonmike*zdnetonebox.com)

August 10-18 (Friday-Saturday): Montgomery County Fair in Gaithersburg. Glenn Howard

Stay up-to-date on MdLP activities with our online calendar-of-events: visit www.MD.LP.org/events (often!). Check page 3 for contact numbers not listed here.

LDDS (Libertarian Drinking and Debating Society): Fridays, 7:00 pm at Enrico's, 200 S. Haven St. (one block south of Lombard St.), Balto. Earle Pearce, 410-327-1776

LDDS (Montgomery Co.): 2^nd & 4^th Wednesdays, 7:00 pm at Bennigan's, Rockville Pike in Federal Plaza near Twinbrook Pkwy. (behind Texaco gas station). Glenn Howard

LDDS (Annapolis): 2^nd Friday, 7:00 pm, at Hong Kong Buffet, 3283 Solomon's Island Road at intersection of Routes 2 & 214. Wendy Jones (redleo*juno.com)

LDDS (Timonium): 3^rd Friday, 7:00 pm in AMF Bowling Alley lounge, opposite Fairgrounds. Nancy Millionie

LDDS (Essex): 2^nd Wednesday, 7:00 pm at the Poplar Inn, Merritt Blvd. and Wise Ave. Nancy Millionie

LDDS (PG County): 4^th Wednesday, 6:30 pm at the 94^th Aero Squadron, 5240 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Pk. James McLaughlin (jimmcl*hotmail.com)

Northwest Corridor Libertarians: 4^th Monday, 7:00 pm at the Dragon House Restaurant, Garrison Forest shopping center, Reisterstown Rd., Owings Mills. Nancy Millionie

Harford County Lib's: 4^th Monday, 7:30 pm at Harford Community College, 209 Edgewood Hall. Shannon Purcell