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Editor: Jeffrey Russell |
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Candidates speak at Queens Convention
On May 9, the LP of Queens County celebrated its 4th anniversary with a convention that included addresses by most of the LPNY statewide candidates. The setting was the Bohemian Benevolent Society in Astoria, which has been selected by LPQC as its site for regular meetings from June 1998 onward.
After opening remarks by LPNY Chair Jim Harris and LPQC Chair John Clifton, a fact-filled, exciting luncheon keynote address was given by Gubernatorial candidate Christopher Garvey. Garvey elaborated on the LILCO bond issue, that has been a lead theme of his campaign, due to the prospect that taxpayers throughout New York will probably end up paying for it. When asked about how to "soundbite" this complicated issue, Garvey replied,
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Garvey touched on other matters, such as the monopolistic rules set up by the utilities to frustrate the establishment of cheaper, independent power plants. The candidate also promised, to frustrate the myriad gun-control laws that restrict use of firearms to state-approved militias, to so authorize all able-bodied New Yorkers as members of a militia, immediately upon taking office. Garvey laced much of his commentary with poetry that wittily summarized his libertarian worldview.
Donald Silberger, Bill McMillen and Robert Goodman made additional speeches to the attendees about their campaign themes and organization; e.g., Silberger noted his campaign team included past LPNY Chair Lloyd Wright. Jim Harris made remarks about promoting the party and our candidates during the upcoming petitioning period, and announced that the LPNY petition coordinator would be John Clifton.
Bradford Arter, CUNY instructor and LPNY member at large, was elected new LPQC Chair in the county business session that followed. Arter promised a more activity-oriented county chapter, with briefer business meetings and more relaxed settings, such as provided by Bohemian Hall. A special award was presented to Mr. Clifton for his yeoman service as Chair of LPQC for three years.
LPQC's next meeting will be June 20 from 10 am-12 noon; afterward it will be the second Saturday of each month from 11 am-1 pm, at Bohemian Hall. For further information on the LPQC's activities, contact us at (718) 670-3270, or LPQC@aol.com
LPNY Gears up for Petition Drive
The LPNY petition drive will begin on Tuesday, July 7 and end six weeks later on Tuesday, August 18. During this time, LPNY must collect a minimum of 15,000 valid signatures to get its slate of statewide candidates on the ballot. To withstand any challenges that may be filed, LPNY would like to turn in at least 30,000 signatures. This mailing is going out to slightly over 1,000 Libertarians across New York. You can all do the math. If every member collected 30 signatures during that first week, we could all spend the next 5 weeks concentrating on other things. Included with this newsletter is a petition for the 1998 petition drive. On the back of the petition are directions for collecting signatures. Please, do not use the petition sheet with the instructions on the back. Just photocopy the front of the petition. Make as many photocopies of the petition as you need. If you really hate doing this type of thing, you can send a contribution to help pay petitioners. Paid petitioners will cost about $1 per signature. Please fill out the coupon below indicating your preference and send it in as soon as you can. To those who have already given money and pledged signatures, we thank you. To those who haven't, please do so now. It won't get done without you.
Campaign funds for Chris Garvey, the LPNY candidate for Governor of New York, Dan Conti, the candidate for Attorney General, and Robert Goodman, the candidate for Comptroller have been established. Contributions may be sent to: NY Libertarian Campaign '98, 1773 Harold Ave, Wantagh, NY 11793.
In order to avoid entangling the state candidates with Federal Election Law requirements, a separate fund has been set up for Bill McMillen, the candidate for U.S. Senate. To contribute, make checks payable to "McMillen for U.S. Senate" and mail them to The Capital District Libertarian Party, PO Box 482, Albany, NY 12201-0482.
For geographic reasons Donald Silberger, the candidate for Lt. Governor has set up a separate fund. Make checks payable to Silberger for Lt Governor 1998, and mail to: Silberger for Lt Governor 1998, c/o David Harnett, 234 Cream St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-6316.
To contribute to the campaigns of Chris Garvey, Dan Conti and Robert Goodman, make checks payable to "NY Libertarian Campaign '98" and mail them to NY Libertarian Campaign '98, 1773 Harold Ave, Wantagh, NY 11793.
To contribute to the campaign of Bill McMillen, make checks payable to "McMillen for U.S. Senate" and mail them to The Capital District Libertarian Party, PO Box 482, Albany, NY 12201-0482 To contribute to the campaign of Donald Silberger, make checks payable to: Silberger for Lt Governor 1998. Mail them to: Silberger for Lt Governor 1998, c/o David Harnett, 234 Cream St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-6316.
Count on me for ________ signatures
I prefer to make a donation of ________
Name: _____________________________
Address: ___________________________
City, State & ZIP _______________________
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Please make checks payable to LPNY, and mail this form to
Jim Harris
PO Box 1036
Rockville Centre, NY 11571
before July 7th
Signature Gathering Instructions
Print out the online version of the petition, and make copies of it. DO NOT photocopy these instructions onto the back of your petition sheets.
You must be registered to vote in New York State to collect/witness signatures.
If you have signed another independent nominating petition, you cannot sign or witness signatures!
You can't witness your own signature. Have a friend witness your signature on a separate sheet.
Instruct the person signing not to use a title such as Dr., Mr., Ms., etc.
Instruct the person signing to give his/her street address only, no P.O. Box addresses.
Be careful about dates and signatures. Do not alter a signature. If the signer must alter or move his/her signature, he/she must initial the change. If you change a date, you must initial the change. You need not initial changes to addresses or town data. You do not have to be a member of the LPNY to collect or witness signatures.
Never argue with or try to convert anyone when working to get his/her signature. Smile, be friendly, and get his/her signature. Remember the 20 second rule: if a person doesn’t agree to sign within 20 seconds, move on to someone else! Don't sacrifice the many for the few.
Carefully fill out the witness statement at the bottom. Any errors or omissions will invalidate the entire sheet. If your post office address is in a different town than your residence, or if you have a P.O. Box, you must put down both addresses!
Do not fill in the Sheet Number. We will add that when collating the sheets.
As soon as possible, give all completed signature sheets to your local coordinator, or mail them to: Jeff Russell, 55 Via DaVinci, Clifton Park, NY 12065-2903, no later than August 10th.
"Excuse me please, are you registered to vote in New York State?&qout;"Anybody should have the opportunity to be on the ballot, don't you agree?"
"Sign on the dotted line."
Always check that a signature, name and address are legible before the person leaves.
Carry the signature sheets with you during your daily activities, you never know when you might have an opportunity to collect a signature or two!
Have fun.
If you need more petitions or have questions, please call (212) 656-1196.
NY Libertarians March to Legalize Marijuana
Mayor Giuliani declared that the march had been called off. Howard Stern announced that the march had been cancelled. They were wrong. Over 2,000 people marched on Saturday, May 2 for the movement to legalize marijuana. It was Phase I of the Million Marijuana March, Phase II to take place May Day (Saturday, May 1) 1999, at which a million people are expected to attend.
For years, the annual protest against marijuana prohibition has been held on the first Saturday in May, at Washington Square Park. This year, Giuliani changed all that. The first step, taken last year, was to install video cameras in the park, ostensibly to "stop drug dealers" -- that action intimidated many protesters into wearing scarves or bandannas over their faces to mask their identities. His latter act of suppression was to declare "Family Day" in the park, as a thinly-veiled excuse to deny the protesters a permit. Balloons, clowns, and kiddie rides were brought in; the First Amendment was tossed out. Thus, on this day which has traditionally been reserved for the legalization rally, and playing what we have all come to recognize as the favorite trump card of government officials these days, Mayor Giuliani held up his constituents' children as human shields to protect the marijuana prohibitionist lobby from the voice of dissent.
A permit was ultimately granted to rally in Battery Park, approximately two miles south; the protesters marched down Broadway, stopping briefly at City Hall to voice complaints. Displaying the Libertarian Party banner along the route, the LPNY was prominently represented by Gubernatorial candidate Chris Garvey, his running mate Donald Silberger, Vice Chair Blay Tarnoff, and party activists Max Fordham and John Reed, who heard a passer-by remark,
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Garvey touched on other matters, such as the monopolistic rules set up by the utilities to frustrate the establishment of cheaper, independent power plants. The candidate also promised, to frustrate the myriad gun-control laws that restrict use of firearms to state-approved militias, to so authorize all able-bodied New Yorkers as members of a militia, immediately upon taking office. Garvey laced much of his commentary with poetry that wittily summarized his libertarian worldview.
The march culminated in a concert in Battery Park, at which many speakers with widely varying agendas criticized various aspects of current marijuana policy. Chris and Don each spoke at length to the receptive crowd, eloquently articulating the Libertarian position on marijuana prohibition and its attendant evils.
Sadly, the police were everywhere. About 200 of them ringed the crowd, while a number of undercover agents milled about within it. Anyone identified as possessing marijuana who was foolish enough to wander from the crowd was arrested and booked in one of the very intimidating Mobile Arrest Centers that surrounded the park -- large mobile home-type vehicles with little jail cells inside.
On a positive note, we successfully ran an Operation Politically Homeless booth at the concert, complete with Nolan Chart, a few quotes, and a "Does the Government do a Good Job?" sign wrapped around a tree. Fifty people took the quiz, with an amazing 84% scoring libertarian or on the libertarian border. Many had no idea they were libertarian, and their eyes lit up upon hearing the news. We would congratulate them, shake their hands, and say, "welcome home!" Most left their addresses for follow-up information and took a brochure. As usual, those who left addresses will be sent information from the Advocates for Self-Government, plus a host of other libertarian organizations, and will receive several solicitations to join the party, as well.
In contrast to the attitudes of most in the crowd, an undercover police officer who took the quiz scored scored 50% on personal freedom and 20% on economic freedom, placing him at the point where the liberal, centrist, and authoritarian sections meet. His was by far the lowest score of the day, and even without his police radio going off every few minutes, it was easy to tell he was generally out of synch with the freedom-loving crowd.
Over all, everyone had lots of fun, and we encourage everyone to do an OPH booth at one time or another. Each time we do one, we find more sympathy, understanding, and respect for our point of view. So, each time it just gets better and better. See you soon.
US Mail: Jeffrey Russell
55 Via Da Vinci
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: (518) 371-3641
E-Mail: JRuss1776@aol.com
Fax: (518) 371-3364 (but call first, normally it's not turned on)
Address Changes
The mailing list for LPNY is now being maintained by national.
All address changes/corrections can be sent to:
Libertarian Party HQ Watergate Office Building 2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100 Washington, DC 20037
Chair: James Harris, PO Box 1036, Rockville Centre, NY 11571
(516) 646-8897
Vice-Chairs: Blay Tarnoff, 50 DeKalb Ave., Apt S6, White Plains, NY 10605
( 914) 949-1945 e-mail: blay@bigfoot.com
Audrey Capozzi, PO Box 613, Bellport, NY 11713
(516) 286-7631 e-mail: Audgeo@aol.com
Secretary: Caryn Cohen, 601 Pine Drive, Bay Shore, NY 11706
(516) 968-6164 e-mail: CCohen@suffolk.lib.ny.us
Treasurer: John Ayling, 337 Lakeview Drive, Mahopac, NY 10541-3344
(914) 628-7676 e-mail: John.Ayling@IBM.com
At Large: Bradford Arter, 7912 31st Avenue, Flushing, NY 11370-1820
Robert Goodman, 1402 Astor Ave., Bronx, NY 10469 (718) 547-4165
e-mail: RobertGoodman@godi.adirondack.fidonet.org
David Harnett, 234 Cream Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-6316
(914) 452-4753 e-mail: doberman@sprynet.com
Mary McAllister, 18 Craigville Road, #8-3, Goshen, NY 10924
(914) 294-5264 e-mail: MaryMc@warwick.net
Donald Silberger, PO Box 1080, New Paltz, NY 12561-0020
e-mail: DonSilbs@mhv.net
Past Chair: Lloyd Wright, 16 Fairview Road, Hopewell Jct., NY 12533
(914) 226-3387 e-mail: lw.free.ny@mhv.net
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