Posted February 5th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of January 30, 2015
Seeing Eye Person: Returning to work in the basement corridor of the Cannon Building, I noticed a woman totally engaged/wrapped up in her I-Pad as she walked. I commented to her that it was a bit dangerous to not watch where one goes. She explained that her aide in front was making sure she had no trouble. I realized at that moment it was Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). I broke into Spanish to introduce myself and that I represented law enforcement who wanted to end federal prohibition of drugs, starting with MJ.
Nice: FYI..On my first visit to offices this year I remark to the aide about the Member’s votes in 2014. For those who voted to end federal prohibition I say: ‘On behalf of street cops, thank the Member for the votes in 2014 which supported a 10th Amendment approach to MJ. These votes are allowing my profession to focus on serious bad guys like pedophiles and the deadly drunk drivers. We hope and trust he/she will maintain their belief in the 10th.’
Naughty: Please let the Member know we are disappointed with the votes in 2014 and the lack of commitment in the 10th Amendment (emphasis on 10 A) {almost all the votes against the 10th approach came from Republicans..pointing out their lack of belief in the 10th is a hard sting to hear}…we need to have the police in this country focus on pedophiles, people blowing up marathons and buildings,…. not waste time on a green plant.
NOTE: my laryngitis prevented me from using my voice much. I learned I am definitely part of the LEAP team going to the United Nations drug conference in Vienna in early March. I am now spending 20 hours/week on my languages.
This week’s raw data:
1706 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 04 this week
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
58 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 0 this week
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
106 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
53 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
80 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $79,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted January 23rd, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of January 23, 2015
Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell: “Hey, where are my free samples?” shouted the Capitol Police officer who was checking people at the entrance to the Cannon building. I had just said a few words to a Member and I will admit to be momentarily speechless, before I replied, “Sorry, I already gave them all away.” The Member did not ask & I did not tell and we parted company. Too bold, too open for the officer? Yikes!
Making Grover Norquist smile: Due to the protest march against Roe v Wade, the Norquist brunch had many special guests this week. After the meeting I introduced myself to a German Right to Lifer who was part of an international org. We spoke two minutes auf Deutsch. I then turned to her colleague from Mexico and had a brief chat in Spanish. Making Grover’s guests feel welcome is part of my job.
Good Guy?: Almost late for a soirée in the Capitol I tried to use the tunnel from Cannon. The first officer said I would have to go up and out and come in via the Visitor’s Center…a 10 minute task. His colleague said I know this guy and he is okay…they let me use the tunnel and I arrived just as the event opened their doors. The event featured Senator Paul and the three, black Members: Mia Love of Utah, Will Hurd of Texas and Senator Scott of SC. I made some good contacts. Crown and chocolate that night!
Change the World: Nico Orduz of LEAP and I had a planning meeting before the soirée. We will visit the embassies in this hemisphere. We will introduce them to LEAP and suggest they sponsor changes to the 1961 treaty which began world-wide prohibition. Our first visit should be in two weeks. !Buena suerte a nosotros!
Georgia on my mind: Georgia NORML is working hard for change and a state senator asked for resources to persuade his colleagues. He and I chatted for 15 minutes. I sent his judiciary staffer several sheets on marijuana that I use in Congress. Later I started the ball rolling to provide him with LEAP assets in the Peachtree State…where I graduated from high school
I was knocked out the first part of this year with a nasty cold, laryngitis. I am back to 100%
This week’s raw data:
1702 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 12 this week
58 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 04 this week
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 01 this week
(Weber R-TX, Ros-Lehtinen R-FL, Castro D-TX, Waters D-CA, Roby R-AL)
106 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 01 this week
03 meetings this week
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
53 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
80 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $79,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. …
Posted January 19th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of January 16, 2015
Shhh! Don’t tell anybody” The House staffer had just presented to the Grover Group and was headed out the door. We met by the elevator, I introduced myself, he asked for our input on reducing spending, exchanged cards and away he went. This has happened twice more since January first.
Sitting at the VIP table at Grover’s, folks must think I am important. I’ll never tell.
Finally, a good team: one of my meetings this week was a strategy meeting regarding just marijuana legislation. For the first time since we met five (5) years ago – where I pushed to adopt the strategy of a complete MJ repeal bill – the groups were together again. I am happy to report this team is not only the best ever (COP, DPA, MPP –now has two full-time federal lobbyists—one for Dems and one for Rs—NICA (Nat. Industrial Cannabis Assoc), EVERYONE is competent and hard-working.
We have many long hours and months of work ahead but it is just wonderful to be part of such a team. I am absolutely not a Lone Ranger anymore.
This week’s raw data:
1690 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 04 this week
53 Radio Interviews.. 1 this week
4 meetings this week
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
105 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
11 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
54 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 00 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
80 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $79,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. …
Posted January 12th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of January 2 & 9, 2015
This is where the money went in 2014..
Salaries, labor costs: $0.00… a shout out to Dwight in Denver who maintains and improves the COP website
Vehicle mileage, parking and mass transit (train & subway): 2200
Conference costs to attend Drug Policy Alliance: 1000 – United Nations in Vienna & New York City (planning meeting): 2300 – CPAC: 600 and the NRA – National Rifle Association in Indiana: 800—-TOTAL: $ 4,700
Admin: $2,000 – office supplies, internet & cell phone connections, etc. (NOTE: this is about 700 more than usual due to one-time purchase of a new computer: the old, donated computer was obsolete)
Meals: 500
Misc: 300
TOTAL: $9,200
COP work done in calendar 2014:
- 221Presentations to Congressional staffers..
- 14 Radio Interviews..
- 2 brief chats with Members of Congress..
- 11 chats with Members of Congress (5 minutes or more)
- 58 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc
- 5 major conferences attended (United Nations in Austria, DPA, NRA, CPAC, CBC (Congressional Black Conference)
- 4 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 8 published LTEs
- 4 Presentations to Grover Norquist Wednesday meeting + Weekly attendance at the brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
- Assisted in having Grover Norquist speak to large audience at Burning Tree.
- Established a solid relationship with members of the German, French, Uruguay and Swiss embassies.
- A request came from the German and French embassies for COP to arrange meetings in Colorado as part of a fact-finding mission. A large shout out to the law firm of Vicente & Sederburg LLC in Denver who put the nuts and bolts together. We knocked it out of the park.
- Established a working relationship with a White House staffer
Cost: $9,200
Note: the large reduction in presentations to Congressional staffers reflects a new approach of talking to staffers once every two years, instead of every year. All 535 offices receive several visits to drop off materials & remind them of law enforcement presence on the Hill who are against Drug Prohibition.
Favorite Foto of 2014: see attached below
At a televised event sponsored by the National Journal – asking a question to the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee – Goodlatte (R-VA)
***A humble thank you to all who donated to keep COP going . COP could not produce the above without your generous support.
Posted December 19th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
December 19 & 26 & January 2, 2015
You’re doing the Lord’s work: While I was eating lunch the active-duty customs agent/supervisor spied the jacket and made contact. He gave me a five minute report on how much time his agency wastes at ports of entry scooping up tons of marijuana. He agreed that all drugs should be legalized. As he left to catch his train (we were in Union Station), he urged me to continue my efforts and said I was doing the Lord’s work. Nice.
Year end analysis: The mood in DC is jubilant and almost stunned disbelief that the Congress approved employing states rights – 10th Amendment on the issue of the medical use of marijuana….at least for the next 10 months. We ‘High-Five’ each other all over town. The consensus is the Congress will find it very difficult to close that door on October 1.
The November election victories have also thrilled us. Oregon, Alaska and DC have all ‘gone Colorado.’ Florida medical MJ grabbed 58% on its first try. All of this in the face of a Republican Tsunami in an off-year election when many young voters stay home. Woohoo!
I just learned that Congressman Rohrabacher will introduce the same language (one sentence) in 2015 to repeal the federal prohibition on marijuana. Perfect! The four organizations which place a full-time advocate on the Hill (COP, MPP, DPA and NCIA (Nat. Cann. Industry Assoc) are happy to again champion this KISS type bill. ( text at bottom)
Busy Work: I will stay engaged this end-of-the-year time…projects such as producing in Arabic why Muslims should support change, already an on-going project for the German embassy, 150 emails to every media person I know and 200 others to those I met in 2014 and finally spending the many hours it takes to add in the 100 plus new Members of Congress into my spread sheets.
It takes a village: I hope & trust you have enjoyed the newsletter in 2014. I pledge more hard work on my part in 2015. I humbly believe that my nine years, 3 sets of boot leather and over 3,000 presentations to Congressional staff had an impact on the vote in May and in December. If you agree, please consider a tax-deductible donation to COP. Go to: · www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
- Citizens Opposing Prohibition
POB 543
On behalf of the COP Board of Directors: Eric Sterling, Jerry Epstein, Karen Anderson & Orrin and Linda Carr we wish the very best of the season to you and yours.
This week’s raw data:
02 meetings these three weeks
- 01 this week…….. 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc..
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
1686 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. this week
105 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
11 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
54 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 00 this week
80 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $79,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
52 Radio Interviews.. 00 this week
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…this week
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
- Weekly attendance at 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. 30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. 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. …
HR 1523
‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the provisions of this subchapter related to marihuana shall not apply to any person acting in compliance with State laws relating to the production, possession, distribution, dispensation, administration, or delivery of marihuana.’’.
