FreeNY The official newsletter of the Libertarian Party of New York March, 2002 Editor: Al Dedicke In this Issue: 2002 Convention Details By-laws changes go to Convention Scott Jeffrey campaigns for Governor Drop The Rock ! Dedicke runs for Chair Jak Karako runs for Senate From The Editor Libertarian Lee Monnett to run for Assembly Manhattan LP Plans Events Convention Registration Form Take Action! Calendar Endnotes

By-laws changes go to Convention
Two proposals to change the LPNY by-laws were approved by the State Committee in February. According to the current by-laws, any changes to the by-laws must be submitted by the State Committee to the membership and voted on at the Annual Convention, which will be held this year in Rochester on April 13 & 14. Approval by a 2/3 majority at the convention is needed to pass the proposed amendment.

The first proposal is to delete paragraph E from article 8 which reads, "No candidate shall appear on the Libertarian Party line for any political office in New York State who is not a member in good standing of the Libertarian Party of New York." Steve Healey, representative from Monroe County, voted for the proposal. "Requiring a candidate for office to be an LP member will not save us from bad candidates, but it may, on rare occasions, prevent us from running a good one. Let's trust our local affiliates to make the call."

Rob Goodman is another State Committee member that would like to see the rule go. "It's an imposition on the autonomy of our county affiliates to nominate according to their own lights. I opposed its adoption, and I'm sponsoring its repeal. It's ironic that we've imposed this rule on ourselves, while in California the LP is fighting a similar rule imposed by the state."

The second proposal is to amend bylaws Article VIII, Endorsements, Section C to read

"All endorsements for public office where the geographic boundaries for such office lie wholly within a county or counties in which there is no County Organization shall be made by the State Committee."

The section currently reads "shall be made by the State Committee or body designated by 2/3 vote of the State Convention".

A third proposal was passed by the committee in early March. It reads, "Shall the business of the 2002 LPNY annual convention include consideration of deleting the word in brackets below, and adding the words in capitals, in article 8, paragraph E of the bylaws?

"No candidate shall appear on the Libertarian Party line for any [political] NON-JUDICIAL office in New York state who is not a member in good standing of the Libertarian Party of New York OR OF A COUNTY ORGANIZATION THEREOF."

Take Action!
Let's face it- there are tens of thousands of people working every day to create more government, bigger government, more intrusive and expensive government. We all need to be doing something to promote libertarian ideas, or we will lose what freedom we have left. So what are you doing? Every month I will present suggestions in this column that you can use to promote libertarianism. The more active we become as individuals, the more effective we become as a group.

Write a letter to the Editor- Letters to the Editor are read by thousands of people in your area. Each letter should focus on one subject, comply with the requirements set down by the Editor, and be reasonable.

Attend an LP meeting- There you can meet other libertarians, get involved in local projects, and help promote the party in your area. The biggest complaint I hear at local meetings is that not enough people get involved. You can change that.

Join Toastmasters International- At Toastmasters you can learn public speaking skills in a friendly, supportive environment- skills that you can use to promote libertarian ideas. To join in Rochester, e-mail me at aadedicke@yahoo.com. In NYC contact Jim Lesczynski at lesczynski@yahoo.com.

Scott Jeffrey campaigns for Governor
Scott Jeffrey, a libertarian who ran for Manhattan Borough President in 2001, is seeking the LPNY nomination for Governor. Scott attended the Monroe County LP convention in February to seek support for his campaign, and hopes to visit other chapters and the State Convention in April. Scott's campaign platform includes Education Choice, Empowering Youth, and Legalizing Marijuana. Scott is the Founder and President of Legalize (www.legalize.com), a website empowering Americans to speak out to legalize marijuana.

You can find out more about Scott's campaign by going to www.votejeffrey.com, or come to the State Convention and meet him in person.

Drop The Rock !
Drop the Rock held a planning meeting on Feb. 16 at the Schuyler Inn. At the meeting, MCLP Chairman Steve Healey presented DTR with a check for $300 from the Libertarian Party of New York. Drop the Rock's protest last year drew 3,000 people to Albany; this year's protest is scheduled for March 26. For more information, go to www.droptherock.org.

Dedicke runs for Chair
Rich Cooper, the LPNY Chairman for the past 2 years, has decided not to seek re-election as Chairman to focus his time on campaigns and elections. I (Albert Dedicke) have decided to run for Chairman. As Chairman I will focus on building up our local chapters so they can become strong enough to run candidates and win, running issue oriented projects, establishing relationships with groups that share our goals (such as SCOPE and NORML) and building membership. I believe we can build up the party in NYS by working with other groups and defending our freedom. For my platform, go to http://www.geocities.com/aadedicke/platform.html.

Calendar
Calendar

April 15, 2002
Deadline for FNY articles
May 1, 2002
Next FNY issue

Drop The Rock
March 26, 2002
Albany, NY
Call (212) 254-5700 x306
Buses leaving from all
over the state
April 15
Tax day protests

Jak Karako runs for Senate
With the Republicans losing ground in Manhattan all eyes turned to the remaining GOP stronghold-Senate district 26, held for 33 years by liberal Republican Roy Goodman. Goodman, who had been losing ground in the last few years- his last margin of victory was 200 votes- retired to accept a position at the U.N. Upon announcing his retirement Liz Krueger, a socialist Democrat and John Ravitz, a liberal Republican and current Assemblymember declared for the Senate seat in a special election held Feb. 12. I (Jak Karako) decided to run for the same seat. Jim Lesczynski, who also ran for city council last year, joined me as campaign manager. If the race was as close as last time, I could have made a difference as the Libertarian candidate. Unfortunately Ravitz lost to Krueger by a huge margin and our expected attention didn't materialize. I was amazed to see the GOP rally behind Ravitz who, in his $1.5 million campaign never once mentioned that he was a Republican. Krueger, though more honest, has the ability to do more damage. One of her supporters saw me on the street and said "I remember you. You are the Libertarian candidate." After the intital friendly exchange he said that we didn't agree with each other to which I replied "We do agree on civil rights and on social tolerance, right?" He smiled. "I don't believe in individual rights." It was a wake up call for me. The Democratic party in New York is full with the same sort. They have given up on civil rights. On Feb. 3, Superbowl Sunday, the candidates were invited to debate their issues at the Lenoxhill Neighborhood House. The auditorium was packed by supporters of all candidates, including 20 libertarians. The contrast between my answers and both of my opponents was very visible. My opponents defended higher taxes; I opposed them. At the end, something unexpected happened- claps! Next came my response about the war on drugs and its devastating effects which drew yet more cheering from the crowd. In conclusion I see a lot of support, mixed feelings, and downright hatred for Libertarian ideas. All of these reactions are better than the "Liber-what" response I am used to getting on the street. I will say this much- it can happen. Together, WE can make a difference. If you don't know how, here is a quick list: Did you renew your membership? Did you ask any of your friends to be members? Did you attend any local meetings recently? How about running for office? Jak Karako, New York County LP Chair

From The Editor
After many years of dedicated service, Jeff Doty has retired as Editor of Free New York to spend more time on his business. Good luck Jeff! Last year we spent $5,441 on the newsletter. Reducing that expense would allow the LPNY to spend more money on member recruitment, candidates for office, and other projects. You can help by subscribing to the on-line version of Free New York. Just send me an e-mail with ?FreeNY? in the subject area.

Libertarian Lee Monnett to run for Assembly
Lee Monnett, a libertarian from Ogdensburg, has decided to run for the Assembly seat now held by Dierdre Scozzafava (R). His campaign slogan is "Freedom of Choice". "I feel that as a libertarian candidate I can give people an alternative to status quo politics. I would like to let the people of the 112th assembly district know that the libertarian party truly represents freedom as was intended by the founding fathers." Monnett was unanimously endorsed by the LPNY State Committee. "I heartily endorse his candidacy", said Richard Cooper, LPNY Chairman. Monnett's campaign will emphasize civil liberties, smaller government, and ending the War on Drugs. "I feel that the issues actually drive each other. For example, the drug war has been very corrosive to civil liberties, bloated our prison system to an all time high, caused an increase in law enforcement personnel, and placed a heavy burden on the judicial system at a cost of millions to taxpayers. Although these aren't the only important issues, I feel that addressing them would be a very good start toward regaining our personal and financial freedoms." Lee was born and raised in Ogdensburg, and is the Chairperson and Founder of the Northern NY chapter of ReconsiDer: Forum on Drug Policy. Lee advocates a smaller, more limited government. "I think government's role in society and the economy should be as minimal as possible. Government should not be 'big brother' by watching our every move and telling us how to live our lives." You can help Lee's campaign by sending donations to: Lee Monnett 249 Haggert Road Ogdensburg, NY 13699

Manhattan LP Plans Events
The Manhattan LP is planning several events in the next few weeks. On April 10, they will have Audrey Silk as guest speaker. Audrey is the founder of NYC CLASH, Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment. The meeting will be at Kennedy's Restaurant, 327 West 57th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues at 7 pm. On Monday, April 15 they will hold a Tax Day Protest from 9 pm to midnight at the main Post Office at 32nd St. and 8th Ave. Last year they had 10 libertarians in attendance and got a good response; this year they will have 20+ members helping. To help, contact Jak Karako at jkarako@hotmail.com

Endnotes
Send Your Articles ! Let your fellow libertarians know what you are doing to furthur the cause of liberty in New York State. Elections and Party Politics come first. But we will consider other stories of interest to libertarians. To Contact Free New York Albert Dedicke- 13 Lake St. Mt. Morris, NY 14510 E-mail: aadedicke@yahoo.com Visit our website at http://www.ny.lp.org Address Changes All address changes or corrections should be sent to:

The Libertarian Party
Watergate Office Building
2600 Virginia Ave. NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20037

Convention Registration Form
Registration For 2002 Annual Convention Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Rochester

Name_________________________________           Dinner
Choices:            Number

Address_______________________________
Prime Rib________________

City,State,Zip___________________________
Chicken Marsala___________

Phone_____________e-mail_______________
Fillet of Salmon____________

Prices:                                       Before
April 2     After April 2    # Attending    Total

Saturday lunch & afternoon speakers     $35
       $45           x______    =_____

Saturday Dinner & evening speakers      $35
       $45           x______    =_____

Sunday Seminar                                     $10
                  $15           x______    =_____

Eastman House Tour                             $5
                $5             x______    =_____

High school and undergraduate students, $10 off each
item except Eastman House.

Send Payment and Form to: LPNY, 1331 Howard Rd.,
Rochester, NY 14624

2002 Convention Details
Friday, April 12

6:00 Dinner at Jillian's, 61 Commerical St. Sports bar, billiards, bowling, arcade, dancing Pay as you go.

Saturday, April 13
8:00 Continental Breakfast and Welcome
9:00 Business Meeting
1:00 Buffet Lunch
2:00-5:00 Guest Speakers, including:
 Prof. Robert Holmes Dept. of Philosophy, University
of Rochester
'Foreign Policy and Terrorism'
Dr. William Cala, Supt. Fairport School District
?Unintended Consequences of School Reform?
Geoffrey Neale, George Phillies, Dan Karlan
National Chair Candidate Forum
Winner, LPMC Homeschool Scholarship

Dr. Jennifer Daniels
5:30 Break
State Committee Meeting
6:30 Dinner, cash bar
7:30 Awards
7:45 Gubernatorial Candidate Acceptance Speech
8:15 Dr. Gene Tinelli, Addiction Psychiatrist
    'Public Health, Substance Use, & Libertarian Values'

Sunday, April 14
9:00 Organizing and Campaigning, Part 1
         with George Phillies
11:00 Organizing and Campaigning Part 2
         with Geoff Neale
1:00 Close of activities at the Sheraton
1:30 Private guided tour of George Eastman House.