The Colorado Liberty Newsletter
is the official publication of The Libertarian Party of Colorado.
Having Trouble Seeing Everything In This Email? Click Here To View It Online (HTML Format) Click Here To View It Online (PDF Format)
According to a recent Washington Post poll,
40% of Americans have an "unfavorable" view of the Democratic Party, and 56% have an "unfavorable" view of the Republican Party.
There is a lot of discontent out there, and we as Libertarians must tap into that discontent.
It is our duty to tap into that discontent.
We must be living prophets for the gospel of freedom. Whenever a political discussion arises,
we can simply point out that the government cannot do anything for individuals
without force (or the threat of force). Point out, in a civil and "matter-of-fact" way,
that Libertarians are opposed to the initiation of force to achieve social/political goals,
and that Libertarians believe in freedom and liberty.
"Freedom and liberty" should be our mantra, like "hope and change" was for our current President.
One way we as Libertarians living in Colorado can begin to increase our freedoms and champion liberty,
is for each of us to
sit on as many state boards and state commissions as possible.
This month, I'm asking each of you to thoroughly investigate and apply for a position
on one of the many Colorado State Boards and Commissions.
Go to the Colorado Boards and Commissions website.
You will find a
64 page document listing all of the Boards and Commissions in Colorado,
and the requirements to serve on each.
I bet that every one of us can find an appointed position for which we qualify. Once you have found this position, download the
one page application.
Fill it out. Apply. All the State can do is tell you "no", and they just might say "yes".
When you apply, let me know how it goes.
We want to track the process and keep a list of all Libertarian Party of Colorado members in any government position in the state.
With this list, we will be better equipped to support each individual member in their respective Board and/or Commissioner roles.
Have you each tried to bring someone into the Libertarian Party? Keep trying. Freedom sells itself.
Let Freedom Ring, David K. Williams, Jr. Libertarian Party of Colorado State Chair
The LPCO Board is seeking a highly organized Libertarian
to act as recording secretary for all legal purposes in the office of Records Director.
The State Board invites those who are willing to devote the time and energy needed
to perform these vital tasks, to present themselves to the Board at the
July 13th Board Meeting
at:
LPCO HQ 6989 S Jordan Rd STE 5U Centennial CO 80112-4369
A Summary Of The Duties of Records Director:
The Records Director shall be responsible for maintaining membership records.
The LPCO would like every potential candidate to have the following information from the Secretary of State.
Dear Candidates, Agents and Other Interested Persons,
The Secretary of State's Campaign Finance staff will be conducting a training session on
Wednesday, July 1, 2009, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
at the Arapahoe County Clerk & Recorder's Warehouse located in Littleton, Colorado.
Space is limited; reserve your spot by sending an R.S.V.P. by e-mail to
CPFHelp@sos.state.co.us
or call 303-894-2200 ext. 6383.
Additional training sessions are being planned and once the dates, times and locations have been set, an e-mail will be sent.
You may also visit the Campaign Finance page of the Secretary of State’s office
for information regarding upcoming training dates and other pertinent information.
Thank you.
The Campaign Finance Team
Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division
1700 Broadway, Ste. 270
Denver, CO 80290
303-894-2200 ext. 6383
303-869-4861 Fax CPFHelp@sos.state.co.us
8,689 active + 2,729 inactive for a total of 11,418. The monthly growth rate slipped to
0.84% causing the projected growth rate for the year to fall from nearly 20% to a little over
17%. As usual, our limited funds and activism are holding us back from what we ought to
be able to do.
Event Planning
Work continues on a Libertarian Party presence at each Van's Warped Tour venue; national is not giving it as much attention as I wish they would.
I intend to have a table at Sharlene Holt's July 3 concert and at the July 4 Tea Party.
I still need to get in touch with Joe Petersen of Coloradans for Family Equality to find out where they are with their petition, and hopefully have them available for signing at PrideFest.
Equipment and Materials
The new quiz design met with rave reviews from the booth activists.
The links card I produced is proving to be very handy, as it is readily accepted by just about everyone I talk to, regardless of whether they decline to register, give us contact info, or take other literature.
I have fronted the money for 5,000 "ProChoice on Everything" buttons from LPStuff.com to sell at cost (half price from their website) to other states for use at Van's Warped Tour. However, I am sure we will end up with extras to use at some of our other events.
I have requested 200 copies of "Gay Rights: A Libertarian Approach" from Bob Cole; these are being sent for free, so Mr. Cole has my profound gratitude.
Please consult with me before doing ANYTHING in the supply room. People have been rearranging things, no doubt with the best of intentions, but it costs me in time since I don't know where to find things.
Recruiter Training
No activity to report.
Voter Registration Drives
I have been working on automating parts of the process - still a lot of work to go.
I have also started modifying the national form and manual from the Election Assistance Commission to highlight the states that honor our First Ammendment right peaceably to assemble (ie accept Libertarian as the party affiliation).
Contact Processing
I am several events behind, except for Boulder Creek Festival because Eva wisely badgered me; I am in dire need of assistance.
One-on-One Outreach (o4)
No activity to report; I am hoping to get Gene Freeland to give another one of his training for "personal outreach" seminars.
Speaking Program:
Event Planning
I spoke with a high school teacher at People's Fair about speaking at her school and gave her my card.
Jim Remmert is interested in a statewide scholarship; LPAC may consider combining efforts with him, since their committee (of which I am a member) has stalled out.
Student Groups
No activity to report
College Program:
Student Groups
No activity to report
Activism Training
No activity to report
Alliances
The one good thing national did out of the Van's effort was to put me in touch with the executive director of Students for Liberty. I intend to develop that further, and also to reopen my line of communication to the Boulder chapter of Young Americans for Liberty.
Outreach:
We are confirmed for our Voter Registration Drive Booth at Van's Warped Tour.
Paul Langford, Outreach Director of Arapahoe, is assisting in the documentation of outreach booth equipment,
supplies, and processes. If you would like to help with this and other documentation efforts,
please email me at Outreach@LPColorado.org.
I am STILL looking for program managers for:
Voter Registration Drives,
Outreach Events,
Speakers Bureau,
High School Student Groups, and College Student Groups.
If you would like to be a program manager, or assist one of the program managers, or be on one of the program activist teams,
please email me.
As always, our efforts depend on the number of activists and the amount of contributions.
Help us grow the party so that we can field and support strong candidates and influence our local and state governments.
I will be organizing and taking inventory of the outreach materials and
preparing for The Van's Warped Tour
concert at Mile High Stadium. Please note, we paid lots of money to participate,
which means that it is imperative that YOU help make the expenditure worthwhile;
either with your generous monetary contribution, or with your time during the event.
To support the effort with your money, use PayPal and click here.
To support the effort with your time, use Meetup to R.S.V.P.
Sunday August 9th, 2009 Van's Warped Tour - Libertarian Voter Registration Drive:
I'm looking into the LPCO sponsoring a concealed carry weapons class.
I'm still in the research phase and am getting proposals and information to decide if this is a good fundraising opportunity.
I've talked to a dozen people who are interested in taking the class.
License Plate Frames:
I have been looking into options for Libertarian Party license plate frames (with lots of help from Clint Jones).
There are lots of options available, which I will report on at the next Board meeting.
A family picnic and barbecue to be held August 15th, 2009
at my home in eastern Centennial. The LPCO has not had a summer event for a couple years.
We hope to make this a fun and profitable event, with good food, lots of friends,
music by DJ Mykl (An Ovation Entertainment),
entertainment for kids, and maybe some political discussions.
More details to follow, but mark the date on your calendar,
or RSVP Here for automatic announcements and reminders.
Monthly Pledge Program
Support the Libertarian Party of Colorado in making a political
difference. This support goes toward building the voice of liberty,
increasing support for local candidates, and providing more outreach and
education to Colorado voters.
Choose one of the contributions below, and
PayPal will automatically send us your contribution each month. Don't
have a PayPal account? Click any button below and use your credit card
or bank account instead. (Government requires us to say contributions
are not tax deductible.)
Join the "Copper Club!"
Donate $10.00 each month easily using PayPal.
Receive a Libertarian bumper sticker, outreach handouts for friends, and a Libertarian cap.
OPPORTUNITY to help liberty: Volunteer Coordinator for the Libertarian Party of Colorado.
This person will use their people skills to find, motivate, and guide the various volunteers
that contact the LPCO, matching the volunteer interests to the needs of the organization.
This is a volunteer position for a political party that showed 62% growth in the past year
and has a Board of Directors that is committed, interesting, and active in the community.
A one year commitment with an average of 4-6 hours per week is needed.
Please contact membershipdirector@lpcolorado.org with interest and questions
Clint Jones
Libertarian Party of Colorado
6989 S. Jordan Road
Second Floor, Suite 5U
Centennial, Colorado 80112
(303) 936-3874
Since the closure of the Rocky Mountain News earlier this year, Colorado's print news has changed dramatically.
Not only has the content availability changed, but so have the opportunities to speak your voice
through opinon-editorials and letters to the editor.
A recent submission from Libertarian Chuck Wright to the Denver Post serves as a prudent reminder that Letters to the Editor
still have an important place in journalism. Not only could your letter run in the Sunday print edition, as Chuck's did,
but if accepted it will also be posted online and readers can stumble upon it through Google and relevant searches
for pro-liberty topics.
If you are interested in submitting a LTE or opinion piece to your local newspaper and have questions about how to do so,
please feel free to contact us at MediaDirector@lpcolorado.org with questions.
Enjoy Chuck's piece below, which appeared in the June 21 edition of the Sunday Denver Post.
Letter To The Editor - By Chuck Wright:
Re: "Current approach failing," June 14 letter to the editor.
"Our present free-market, for-profit approach has failed us so badly," writes letter-writer June R. Hyman.
She is partially correct. Nearly everyone agrees that our present system is an expensive, colossal failure.
But it's not the free market that has failed.
A free market is a market where government's only role is to protect us from force and fraud,
and is otherwise completely free of political interference. However, political interference permeates the U.S. health care market.
More than half of every health care dollar is spent by government. U.S. tax policy provides perverse incentives that result in health insurance
being tied to one's place of employment. The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency go far beyond just protecting us from force and fraud.
So, the U.S. health care market can hardly be called a free market. Instead of a free market, our health care market is a politically controlled market.
And responsibility for the failures of our politically controlled health care system falls squarely on the shoulders of politicians - who can't resist interfering in the health care market in order to obtain political gain.
Let's end political interference in health care altogether, and thus create a true free-market health care system.
Are you looking for an opportunity to be involved with the state Libertarian party and growing liberty movement?
Steve Gallant has served as Records Director since 2005 and was recently appointed to serve as state party Vice Chair.
We are actively looking for a replacement to begin in August.
The Records Director is responsible for maintaining membership records, coordinating membership data with the National Libertarian Party,
providing information (such as mailing labels and precinct walking lists) as needed, and administering the Party's physical office space
(including computer systems, telephone systems, and any paid positions).
The Records Director also acts as recording secretary for all legal purposes.
Database Manager Jim Frye will continue to support the new Records Director by providing mailing labels and membership data as needed.
Steve Gallant will also be available to answer any questions the new director might have.
This is a volunteer position for a political party that has shown over 60% growth in the past year and has a Board of Directors that is committed,
engaging and active in the community. The position is open from August 2009 until the next state convention in May of 2010.
Please contact current Records Director,
Steve Gallant (recordsdirector@lpcolorado.org) with interest and questions.
I am still calling registered Libertarians in Denver County (on # 575 out of 1281) using just 4 quick questions
on getting the monthly Colorado Liberty emailed newsletter, supporting Libertarian candidates with signs or contributions,
and supporting the LPCO with activist time or contributions.
Two more people have volunteered to call – Ken Wyble in Arapahoe County and Steve Gallant in Jefferson County.
I am still looking for 5 – 10 more volunteers to help in calling Colorado Libertarians using a short 3 minute script and putting the results in Google Docs.
Email me if you want to volunteer calling as few as 100 people this summer. membershipdirector@lpcolorado.org.
I'm meeting with the newly elected LPCO Fund Raising Director, Deni Cates, to define what I have done in the past and coordinate with her what we will do in the future.
Colorado has slipped from a 3-way tie for first place to the second freest State overall in the
US according to the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
Reason's new Taxpayer's Guide to the Stimulus breaks down each section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
to explain just how all that money is being spent, who is spending it, and how the whole stimulus will affect your bottom line.
Because we all should know what is happening to all that money.
If you want to see all of Reason's coverage of the economy, go to;
www.reason.org/bailout
If you would like to be informed about the activities of the Libertarian Party of Colorado,
subscribe to the Colorado Liberty Newsletter.
Subscribers need to make sure that our newsletter is whitelisted,
and check their "Junk" & "Spam" boxes. (This will also help the Campaigns Director and candidates in the coming elections.)
Some email programs need to be told what to do with certain mail, or it will be blocked.
Members are encouraged to make sure that they have added "Libertarian Party of Colorado" [lpcoliberty@lpcolorado.org]
to their "Safe Sender's List" so that Newsletters, like this one don't end up in their spam folder.
Also, if your email address ever changes, please remember to update your email address for your subscription to The Colorado Liberty Newsletter
to avoid any interruption in service.
Thank you to our 1776 Club members.
Thank you to our 1776 Club members.
These are the people that keep the doors open and the lights on at the State Party. Please consider joining them!
Bette Rose Ryan
Clint Jones
Curtis Harris
Daniel Underkofler
David K. Williams, Jr.
Debbie Schum
Deni Cates
Doug Anderson
Eva Kosinski
Frank Atwood
Grace Reed
Jaime Brown
James J. Frye
Jeff Lucius
Jeff Orrok
Jennifer Amerkanov
Kathryn Chappell
Leah Kelley
Martin Buchanan
Michele Poague
Mike Spalding
Norman Olsen
Paul Langford
Rand Fanshier
Richard Randall
Shannon Murphy
Steve Adams
Steve Gallant
Stu McFarland
Travis Nicks
We have increased our Membership to nearly 12,000 members. Still, there are only Thirty 1776 Club Members.
Please join these 30 dedicated individuals who help us build the voice of liberty, support local Libertarian Candidates, and increase outreach/education to Colorado Voters.
I have contacted several new and long time Libertarians who are interested in helping organize our party in Western Colorado.
The LPDC (Delta County LP, where I am also chair) has finally established a website (we’re still working on content!)
to help further this cause.
I have established communication with the San Miguel County Commissioner who is a Green Party Club 20 board member,
so that we can work towards 3rd party debate access statewide, starting at Club 20. However, as both of us have found ourselves swept away by unscheduled
and undesired events, the communication is sporadic at the moment.
I regret to inform that one of our good Libertarians and a very close personal friend of mine died in very tragic death on May 30th,
and I have been caught up in his memorial service and estate issues.
I have been encouraging western Colorado Libertarians to volunteer/apply for positions in their communities
where we can begin to make a difference and lead by example in the ways of personal responsibility.
For my part, I tried repeatedly to volunteer for an Area Planning Committee (UGH!) and have not been accepted.
But Last month I was accepted by the Hotchkiss Volunteer Fire Department.
I encourage others to step up to the plate as well, and join organizations that affect our lives in order to make changes from within.
The Colorado Liberty Newsletter was sent by:
• The Libertarian Party of Colorado •
• 6989 S. Jordan Road, Suite 5U •
• Centennial, CO 80112 • Phone: 303.837.9393
Contact the LPCO Online Subscribe To The Colorado Liberty Newsletter
