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MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT DIRECTOR TO SPEAK AT ALASKA LIBERTARIAN PARTY CONVENTION & OTHER LIBERTARIAN PARTY NOTES
Al Anders
Rob Kampia founder and Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project will be the featured speaker at this year's Alaska Libertarian Party State Convention, April 17th In Juneau. His talk is free (but volunteers will work the crowd with all the earnestness of a deacon at the Anchorage Baptist temple).
Also, if someone has frequent flyer miles they could donate, they will save the Juneau Libertarian Party over $500 dollars. Please, pretty please, with sugar on top.
Below are the details in the fundraising letter that the Libertarian Party is sending out to its members.
Dear Alaska Libertarians,
The climate in Alaska is changing and I'm not talking just about the weather. In recent months a number of exciting things have happened. The University of Alaska just appointed recent Nobel Prize winning libertarian economist Vernon Smith the Rasmussen Chair of Economics. That's right, libertarian. In an interview in the December issue of Reason (Reason vol.12.02, pg 34), Nobel laureate Prof Smith explains his odyssey from socialist to libertarian. Let's hope his appointment to the University of Alaska has a similar effect on many others. We had hoped to have Prof. Smith as our convention speaker but he will not arrive in Alaska until May; maybe next convention.
Which brings me to another important announcement: Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) will be this year's featured speaker at the Alaska Libertarian Party State Convention. MPP was behind the heroic effort to legalize medical marijuana in Washington DC and the effort to decriminalize up to four ounces in Nevada this past summer. Mr. Kampia is a life member of the Libertarian Party and recently ran as the LP candidate for DC mayor.
The convention details are as follows:
When: Saturday, April 12, 2003 Speaker: Rob Kampia, Marijuana Policy Project Hotel: Anyone wishing to book a hotel room should call the Prospector Hotel, 907 586-3737, and tell them that they are with the Alaska Libertarian Party. Hotel rooms will each have two queen size beds at a cost of $84 including taxes.
Airfare: Alaska Air constituent fare is only $199 from ANC to JNU. The Web site for more info is http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/Promo/FarePromos/2003ConstituentFares.asp
Cab fare: While the Prospector does not offer a shuttle service from the airport, there is local bus service that will bring guests within a block of the hotel for $1.25 or a cab ride will run $15 plus tip.
Schedule:
Morning business session: 10am -2pm; Coffee, tea, pastries, and fruit for breakfast: Conventions are always a fun time as libertarians who rarely get to see each other through the year gather under one room to plot and scheme to win their freedom back. Act today to be a part of this fun time. If you can spare the time, plan to come early or stay a day late so you can give the politicians a personal word about the proper size and focus of government. This year, the Alaskan that travels the farthest in state miles to reach the convention will win a free copy of the Ballad of Carl Drega, Vin Suprynowicz's latest book. Mr. Suprynowicz was a speaker at the convention two years ago and we hope to have him back either this summer or next for the Alaska State Fair. Remember that conventions are when the party chooses its leadership. So if you would like to be an office holder than contact us at the Alaska Libertarian Party, PMB 373 205 E. Dimond Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99515 or 566-1235.
In more news, local libertarians have started a talk show and a 501(c) 3 to fund it. The show and the organization funding it is the Alaska Liberty Forum. Airing Sunday's from 5 - 6 pm on AM 700 KBYR, the Alaska Liberty Forum addresses Alaska issues from a libertarian perspective. Then after the Alaska Liberty Forum, Harry Browne is on from 6-8 pm. So that's three hours of libertarian discussion on KBYR.
The Alaska Liberty Forum is a live call in show (insert call-in numbers) that can be heard from Kenai to Big Lake and Glenallen. It is also aired via translator on the North Slope. Please call-in and if you have ideas for guests or topics, please send them to:
Alaska Liberty Forum These shows cost money so please send contributions to the same address. If you have something to advertise, thirty second spots go for $28. Contribution will hopefully be tax-deductible. We await word from the IRS.
Here are some updates on other news. Alaska Libertarians are involved in a few lawsuits against the state. The party is suing the state because the Alaska Public Offices Commission is using a different definition of party than the Division of Elections. The Alaska legislature amended the law to allow parties to be recognized by either receiving 3% of the vote for governor or have registered voters equal to 3% of the votes cast for Governor in the last election. We chose the later route for party recognition. Unfortunately, APOC doesn't recognize this definition because the part of the statute that governs APOC was not explicitly changed. In other words, the politicians in Juneau screwed up. Attorney Ken Jacobus is handling this litigation for us.
Alaska libertarians are also helping in efforts to decriminalize marijuana state-wide and, in Anchorage, to legalize the pipes and accessories that one would use with marijuana whether medically or as a right to privacy. Both of those efforts are currently in court and expect to win places on the 2004 ballots. Updates on those efforts can be found at www.freehempinak.org . Alaska libertarians are also suing the municipality of Anchorage to allow a vote on allowing a free market in tax cab permitting. Those wishing to help with that effort or to get updates can visit www.taxireform.com. Of course those listening to the Alaska Liberty Forums will already be up to date on this and the rest of the exciting projects involving Alaska Libertarians. Everyone attending the convention will be able to help us guide our efforts for 2003-2004. So I hope to see you there.
In liberty,
Alvin A. Anders
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