COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of March 16, 2012

COP on the Hill

Your voice in the United States Congress

Solid Week:  The House was in recess (AKA ‘the Members are working in District’), so I was in the hallways all five days.  This yielded a solid 27 presentations.

Oppenheimer Presenta:    The show aired but I did not have the station on my cable plan.  For who was on the show in detail, go to http://www.oppenheimerpresenta.com/la-despenalizacion-de-las-drogas/

If you can read it in Spanish….guests on the forum were the current President of Guatemala Perez; ANTONIO MAZZITELI – United Nations Drug Czar office; Bruce Bagley – Univ. of Miami; Eladio Paez-retired police officer; Felix Jimenez, former DEA top official in Caribbean area; Howard Wooldridge- they have me as from New Jersey because I had to go there for the proper camera.

This just in this week in the run-up to a Latin American conference in April where legalization of all drugs will be discussed openly for the first time.

“The secretary general of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, said that “we need to try something else” in the fight against drugs.

Bucket List:  Several of you asked what (besides ride a bicycle coast to coast) was the 2^nd and last item on the list.  Answer >> end all drug prohibition.  As I said in an interview in 05: “I will donate my time and Misty’s  as much as we can handle, until Drug Prohibition is in the history books, or I draw my last breath.”

Candid camera:  passing semi-pro photographer liked my jacket and took this at the end of my day this week.  I go ‘business casual’ when the Members are gone.

Stats for COP’s third year, started on August 1, 2011:

• 287 presentations to Congressional staffers:   27 this week
• 9 Letter to the Editor:   this week (at bottom)
• 3 Major Television appearances (Univision, BBC):   this week
• 16 Other media (blogs, cable TV, etc):   this week
• 12 radio shows:    this week
• 13 (Member of Congress or VIP) contacts:  1 this week
• Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative VIPs.  Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
  • 3 Major conferences attended: Drug Policy Alliance International, the Congressional Black Caucus September conference & CPAC – Conservative Political Action Conference
  • 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: 

• COP
• POB 2902
• Washington, DC  20013
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• If you have questions or comments, please send an email to: howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org
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• COP total stats in first two years:  August 1, 2009 thru July 31, 2011)
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•  649 Presentations to Congressional staffers
• 22 Appearances on major TV networks
• 10 published interviews in newspapers
• 12 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc
• 57 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $56,000)
• 19 brief chats with Members of Congress
• 13 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.
• 6 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.”