COP on the Hill: Stories from the weeks of October 5 & 12, 2012
Posted November 11th, 2012 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the weeks of October 5 & 12, 2012
Mundane and of value:
In this newsletter I give you the highlights of the week. Of course that is not all I do. With Congress out of session there is not much going on of great importance. Here are some examples of what I do, that I would not normally write:
Leadership Institute monthly breakfast featured author and SC talk radio host Jack Hunter. We had met several times at CPAC & we renewed our relationship. As a Libertarian, he believes in ending drug prohibition. He promised to have me on his show after the elections.
At breakfast my tablemates were two staffers from House Republican offices. We had a lively chat on drug war and prohibition, both agreed in principle with the COP objective of making it a states’ rights issue.
At a Brookings Institute seminar on marijuana policy the authors of a new legalize MJ book gave the 100 + audience much food for thought. I had a small chat with two of the panel members. Before the event started, I had an excellent conversation (in Spanish) with a professor in international affairs from George Washington University. We made contact post event and I believe this relationship will bear fruit.
On Sunday I traveled to downtown DC to attend a ‘green’ trade fair at the invitation of a COP member. I had a dozen conversations & passed out that many business cards.
Wrote several LTEs. One was published. See bottom.
This URL contains my question to the panel at the CBC conference. My question starts at the 2:08 mark (2 hours & 8 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rlyh9oA1so&list=UUIiyUkRngpU_FG2eEAcwH-Q&index=20&feature=plcp
Preparing for Colorado: Last, I spent time almost every day in the saddle exercising Misty & conditioning my butt for our month long effort to Colorado and their Amendment 64 to legalize/regulate/tax marijuana. Note: no matter how many lifetime miles in the saddle one has, it takes two weeks to not feel pain, when one has not ridden in months.
Effective Friday, October 12 I will be taking a leave of absence from COP. Misty and I will trailer out to Colorado (see foto below) to work their intersections like we did in California two years ago. A64 is ahead 51/40 & 9% undecided. We will work 3 weeks without pause to help bring A64 into the win column. A win here and in Washington State are crucial to speed up the federal process to repeal prohibition. I believe the impact of winning will generate great pressure from Mexico, etc. to end MJ prohibition.
If you would like to help out with the costs involved in this project, I am asking for donations. It takes about 20 bucks a week to keep Misty in carrots, hay and grain while on the road. I will be sleeping on couches and in Motel 5, while Misty sleeps in the trailer.
Send your check made out to me (not COP) to:
Howard Wooldridge
POB 543
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Fourth year stats for COP- August 1, 2012 thru July 31, 2013:
51 Presentations to Congressional staffers: this week
4 Radio interviews: this week
14 Blog, cable TV, minor media events: this week
2 seminar, hearing or briefing attended: this week
1 chat with Congressman: this week
10 Presentations to lesser VIPs: this week
Total stats for COP in first 3 years:
- 944 Presentations to Congressional staffers
- 26 Appearances on major TV networks
- 14 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers
- 27 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
- 66 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $65,000)
- 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning my efforts & in support of COP position
- 33 brief chats with Members of Congress
- 19 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
- 10 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, etc)
- Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
- Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal prohibition. COP provides that voice. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow… Go to:
- www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
- POB 2902
- Washington, DC 20013
Police have conflict of interest
Regarding the Wednesday article, “GOP U.S. Senate candidate supports legalizing pot“: Writing as a retired police detective, I know my profession in Washington earns about $1 billion (including civil asset forfeiture) chasing a green plant.
My colleagues have a conflict of interest when giving advice to Sen. Cantwell or any politician. Did the police of Washington advise the senator to oppose I-502 because they would lose good overtime, federal grants and job security, or do they truly believe marijuana prohibition is a more effective policy?
Detective/Officer Howard “Cowboy” Wooldridge (retired)
Co-Founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition www.leap.cc
Washington, D.C.
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