Document:New York Newsletter June 2001 Free New York

F R E E N E W Y O R K June 2001 circulation 1475

1.) LPNY Runs OPH Booth at Gay Pride Fest

2.) Dr. Jennifer Daniels is the Right Medicine for Syracuse

3.) Kramer Offers a NEW New York City

4.) Other LPNY Candidates for Public Office in New York City and Long Island

5.) News From Around the State a.) LP of Monroe County Denounces Urban Planning Conference b.) LP of Livingston County Offers Legislative Watch c.) State Chair to Speak at Nassau Meeting d.) Libertarian Cookout on Long Island

6.) Minutes of State Committee Meeting - June 23, 2001

LPNY RUNS OPH BOOTH AT GAY PRIDE FEST

by Blay Tarnoff

In what has become an annual tradition, the Libertarian Party of New York ran an OPH booth for the sixth consecutive year at the New York City Gay Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday June 24 from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm. We had over 500 people take the quiz and collected 110 names. About ten quiz takers, when asked if they identified themselves as Democrat, Republican or independent, spontaneously answered "Libertarian." Also, several declined to take the quiz because they said they had already taken it online, at the Advocates for Self-Government's website. Although certainly a small sample, this was a big improvement over last year when only four people self-identified as "Libertarian" and no one mentioned the website. Slowly but surely, the word is getting out. About 55% of responders identified themselves as Democrat, and about 45% as independent, with about ten self-identified Republicans and as many Libertarians. Responses fell about 40% in the liberal quadrant, 35% in the libertarian quadrant, 25% centrist. About ten responses were in the authoritarian quadrant and three in the conservative. About fifty people answered 80/80 or above. In addition to the OPH booth, the Libertarian candidate for Mayor of New York City, Kenny Kramer, marched in the parade itself and campaigned at the booth for about an hour. Scott Jeffrey, candidate for Manhattan Borough President, campaigned at the festival all day. Everybody had a lot of fun bringing out the libertarian message and just enjoying the spectacle, at what is one of the wildest events New York City has to offer.

DR. JENNIFER DANIELS IS THE RIGHT MEDICINE FOR SYRACUSE

by Marc Romain, Central NY LP Chair

The Central New York Libertarian candidate for mayor of Syracuse Dr. Jennifer Daniels has caused people inside and out our party to take notice. Virtually every time that there is press coverage of the mayoral race here (almost daily), we are mentioned. We received front-page coverage on several occasions. Our May meeting, at which Dr. Daniels was nominated unanimously, garnered a very generous ¼ front-page with pictures. A Harvard graduate (cum-laude) with a medical degree and M.B.A from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, her accolades are too numerous to mention but include awards from the Governor and many civic organizations. Dr. Daniels has also been able to capture the Green party nomination. Her feeling is that the more lines she can appear on the easier it will be to find her name and generate a vote. Many people have expressed concern. How could she appeal to a party so diametrically opposed to what Libertarians stand for and still remain philosophically Libertarian? Dr. Daniels is not a "Green" in the Ralph Nader mold. She does not support much of what the Green party stands for, but focused on the areas that she does agree with, when seeking their nomination. She is against corporate welfare, and a staunch foe of the War on Drugs and forced treatment. She is for a "living wage" but not through government mandates! Stopping tax breaks for big corporations, (in particular the local Carousal Mall), which then employs people at minimum wage compelling government assistance to get by (food stamps, housing vouchers, etc.), is the best way to achieve that objective. She also says that, then the tax rate has to be raised or maintained at an artificially high rate on everyone else. Dr. Daniels does not believe in income ratio or other income limits, or more taxes on the rich or anyone else. Dr. Daniels practiced medicine for over ten years in an inner-city low-income area, but has refused to take Medicare or Medicaid because she doesn't want to be constrained by government regulations. While not a focus of this campaign, she understands that more guns equals less crime. Dr. Daniels is currently involved in a legal battle with the Office of Professional Medical Conduct in which she returned her medical license rather than surrender all of her patient files so they could go on a fishing expedition. She is being persecuted (I believe) for her community activism. Unfortunately there is no other way to characterize this action. A couple of years ago Dr. Daniels - almost single-handedly - killed a 30 million dollar "Avenue of the Arts" boondoggle that raised the ire of some very influential people. Before this "investigation", Dr. Daniels had practiced for over ten years without a blemish on her record. No lawsuits, no disciplinary actions. This "investigation" arose from a reviewed case of a diabetic, and no fault was found in Dr. Daniels' care. She had furnished all charts and related documents in that inquisition. The patient was offered two options, insulin or a medically sound and accepted diet and exercise regimen. The diet and exercise recommendation mutually decided on, that Dr. Daniels prescribed and meticulously oversaw, can and was working for him. He was faring better before he went off it than he is now on insulin. He has not sued or filed a complaint. The fishing expedition the prosecutor wants to go on may not even find improper care (I doubt he could, she swears he can't) but can always claim a lack of good record keeping, arrange probation and then set impossible harassing requirements, or huge fines. A local doctor was recently fined a quarter of a million dollars for "poor record keeping." When this proceeding is weighed against the widely reported number of Doctor errors causing one hundred thousand deaths per year, it is hard to interpret this "disciplinary action" as anything but selective and malicious prosecution. It is easy to understand why she refuses to cooperate. Dr. Daniels' plight has garnered sympathetic coverage in the press with widespread support in the community. Ultimately she should prevail in this matter. However, she is committed to campaigning and serving even if her license is returned. Making the futility of the drug war a central theme in her campaign splits the prohibition vote between the Democrats and Republicans. I think the odds are good that she will win this election (not because, or in spite, but regardless of this platform) and thereby driving another stake into the body of prohibition. We only need a plurality, not a majority to win. 100% of any contributions from Libertarian Party members will go toward purchasing Syracuse cable TV ads (time, production costs are being donated) slamming the War on Drugs and promoting Dr. Daniels and the Libertarian Party. 100 ads per day targeted on TNT, CNN, CNBC, The Weather Ch., Sci. Fi. Ch. etc. scattered throughout the day cost about $1000. The maximum donation is $3000. Any amount is appreciated. Make checks payable to "Libertarians for Daniels". Mail to Dr. Jennifer Daniels, 3100 S. Salina Syracuse N.Y. 13204.

KRAMER OFFERS A NEW NEW YORK CITY

Kenny Kramer is offering New York City "a NEW alternative, a NEW look at the issues, NEW answers and a NEW style of Government." If elected, Kramer will promote individual liberty and prosperity by ending the "politics as usual" that is offered by the candidates from the two major parties. As Mayor, Kramer will offer a new strategy with respect to crime. He will "order a complete de-emphasis on the enforcement of victimless crimes, including drug usage." He will order the NYPD to "focus on the prevention and prosecution of crimes with real victims." He will also promote "school choice" options, including: privatization, charter schools and vouchers. Administrative waste will be found and eliminated. Kramer hopes that race relations in New York City will be improved as a result, since minorities are disproportionately the victims of both the War on Drugs and the dysfunctional education system. A Kramer administration will also rejuvenate the economy of NYC by de-regulating industries (eg. taxi cabs) and by cutting taxes. Kramer believes that the "Unincorporated Business Tax, which unfairly targets small business owners, should be abolished." He will end corporate welfare programs including taxpayer funding of new sports stadiums. He will also attempt to end the state's abuse of eminent domain procedures which helps those with political connections at the expense of the common man. More information on the Kramer for Mayor campaign can be obtained at its website: www.kramerformayor.com

OTHER LPNY CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE IN NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND

The following individuals are running for office in New York City. They are currently collecting signatures to earn a spot on the ballot. As always, they would greatly appreciate your help with petitioning. If you live in NYC and can spare any time at all, please contact Scott Jeffrey at jeffrey@votejeffrey.com or (212) 280-2882.

Mayor Kenny Kramer www.kramerformayor.com

Comptroller James Eisert www.jeisert.com

Public Advocate Travis Pahl www.votetravis.com

Manhattan Borough President Scott Jeffrey www.votejeffrey.com

City Council Candidates D1 Jordan Kaufman www.kaufmanforcouncil.com

D2 Tom Capotosta

D3 Christopher Cerra

D4 Jak Karako www.electjak.org

D5 James Lesczynski www.lesczynski.org

D6 Gary Snyder

D7 Greg Draves profiles.yahoo.com/gmdfornyc

D9 Michelle Olave

D18 Dalia Flores

D48 Yehuda Katz

On Long Island in Suffolk County, the following individuals are campaigning for office.

County Court Judge Chris Garvey

District Attorney Dan Conti

Treasurer D. Martin

Southold Council J. Lizewski

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

LP OF MONROE COUNTY DENOUNCES URBAN PLANNING CONFERENCE

An urban planning conference was held on June 21-24 at the University of Rochester. It was organized by "Planners' Network", a group which advocates government control of urban planning. Workshops included sessions with topics such as "Promoting the Left within the Architecture and Planning Professions", and "Urban Sprawl and Social Justice."

"The decline of this country's urban areas correlates with an explosion in government spending and regulation. It's time we recognize that the true beneficiaries of government programs are the perpetually-employed bureaucrats and politically well-connected local interests," said Sara Gillis, chairwoman of the LPMC.

"We call on Mayor Johnson and the City Council to abandon so-called 'smart growth' policies that actually make the problem they were intended to solve, worse," said LPMC Public Policy Chairman Ed Trefzger. "Municipalities whose policies stifle economic development through oppressive regulation are directly responsible for driving economic development and jobs outside their borders."

"When cities limit property development, they reduce the supply of housing which, in turn, drives up the price. This causes the most harm to the community's neediest citizens, the very people that 'anti-sprawl' proponents claim they want to help," added Trefzger.

LP OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY OFFERS LEGISLATIVE WATCH

The Libertarian Party of Livingston County (LPLC) has developed a Legislative Watch program for all libertarians in New York State. This program tracks legislation that is being considered by the NYS legislature and informs people on its mailing list. The members can then write to their Assembly members, Senators, and the Chairpersons of various committees and attempt to influence legislation that passes through the Legislature. The more active people that are on this list the more influential they can become.

The LPLC invites all libertarians in New York State to join this list by sending an email message to Albert Dedicke at aadedicke@yahoo.com with "Legislative Watch" in the subject space (if you send an email without this phrase, it will be deleted without being read). Once a week you will receive an email with that week's bill and who you can notify to influence the outcome. Help Us Help You! Join the Legislative Watch today.

STATE CHAIR TO SPEAK AT NASSAU MEETING

LPNY Chair, Rich Cooper, will be speaking on Tuesday, August 21st at the regular monthly meeting of the Libertarian Party of Nassau County. The meeting will be held in the downstairs conference room at 230 Hilton Avenue, Hempstead. Starting time is 8PM and is free of charge. The topic of his speech will be: "Libertarians Saving St. Luke's, Defending Everyone's Property Rights." He will be speaking about eminent domain in general and the fight for St. Luke's Pentecostal Church in particular. For more information, call: 5l6-746-5769 or email nylibertarian@hotmail.com

LIBERTARIAN COOKOUT ON LONG ISLAND

Saturday, August 25th is the date of the Fifth Long Island Libertarian Cookout hosted by Jim Harris at his home, 426 Center Street (corner of Livingston Street) in Westbury, Long Island. Time is from 11am - 7pm. All are welcome. Cost: $2 and food to share or; $5. Directions: Take exit 32 off Northern Parkway (Post Avenue) south on Post Avenue; make a left onto Rockland Street; go to Center Street and make a left; go north on Center Street for two blocks to the intersection with Livingston Street.

MINUTES OF STATE COMMITTEE MEETING - JUNE 23, 2001

Libertarian Party of New York State Committee Minutes June 23, 2001

Present: Richard Cooper, Audrey Capozzi, Blay Tarnoff, John Clifton, Caryn Tarnoff, Jim Lesczynski, Bonnie Scott, Jeff Russell (by conference call), Jim Harris (Suffolk Rep.), Gary Snyder (Manhattan Substitute Rep.), Vince O'Neill (Nassau Rep.)

Treasurer's Report (John Clifton): The complete report will be posted to the e-mail list. The pre-convention balance was $20,753.19. Subsequently, we have had approximately $4,800 in income and approximately $1,724 in expenses. The latest balance is $23,855.99.

Motion to Decertify Kings County: Bonnie made a motion to decertify Kings County, seconded by Blay. Jim L. commented that Matt Siegel indicated that the chapter has not met in two years. Gary Popkin has commented that there is no point in staying active and that the chapter members should be involved in the Manhattan chapter. The motion passed with nine votes in favor and two votes opposed.

Kramer Campaign Request for $4,500: Richard pointed out that the campaign has made a $4,500 request to the LPNY. Blay inquired about the difference between hard money and soft money donations. Richard indicated that "in kind" contributions, such as money spent on mailings or petitioning, have to be reported. Blay moved to donate $4,500 to the Kramer for Mayor Campaign. Audrey seconded. John requested a friendly amendment that this motion should supercede all previous motions regarding donations to the Kramer campaign. Blay did not accept the friendly amendment. Bonnie submitted John's friendly amendment as a motion. John seconded. Bonnie's motion passed with eight votes in favor and two opposed. The amended motion to donate $4,500 to the Kramer campaign passed with nine votes in favor and one vote opposed.

Yehuda Katz Endorsement: Yehuda Katz would like to run for City Council, representing District 48, which is in Brooklyn. Jim L. commented that Yehuda seems like he would be a strong candidate. Gary moved to endorse Yehuda Katz. Caryn seconded. Blay asked what authority allows the State Committee to endorse Yehuda. Rich answered that the Convention gave the authority to the State Committee to endorse candidates in areas not covered by county or multi-county parties. The by-laws give that authority to the State Convention which delegated it to the State Committee. The motion to endorse Yehuda passed with ten votes in favor and none opposed.

Dalia Flores Endorsement: Bonnie moved to endorse Dalia Flores for City Council. She would represent a district in the Bronx. Caryn seconded. Bonnie commented that Dalia is a member of the LP and would like to cut taxes. The motion to endorse Dalia Flores passed with nine votes in favor, none opposed, and one abstention.

Subcommittee to Endorse Candidates: Rich raised the issue of whether we should create a subcommittee to endorse candidates. The Committee agreed that this issue should be handled at the next convention.

State Committee Meeting Schedule: John moved that the State Committee should hold meetings on the fourth Saturday in January, April, June, and August. Caryn seconded. John agreed to accept a friendly amendment to add the phrases "or at the Convention" after the "fourth Saturday in April" and "or at the annual barbecue" after "the fourth Saturday in August." John's amended motion regarding the State Committee meeting schedule passed with ten votes in favor and none opposed.

Southern Tier Chapter: Rich stated that the Southern Tier has submitted documentation of its having met the LPNY requirements regarding recognition as an official chapter. Jim H. moved to recognized the Southern Tier as an official chapter of the LPNY. Jim L. seconded. Blay commented that the amount of land that the chapter covers should not matter in the LPNY decision to recognize a chapter as official. Jim H.'s motion to recognize the Southern Tier passed with ten votes in favor and none opposed.

Petitioning: Jim L. indicated that city-wide candidates need 7,500 signatures. The candidates could appear together on one petition.

E-Mail Voting: Blay moved that all pending e-mail motions terminate if they have not concluded by the date of the next in-person State Committee meeting. Caryn seconded. Blay's motion passed with ten votes in favor and none opposed. Jim L. made the following motion (seconded by Audrey): Upon approval of this motion by the LPNY state committee, all prior email voting rules are repealed. The following procedures for Internet voting shall be used by the LPNY state committee: 1. All voting between official meetings of the state committee shall be done by polls on the lpny_committee Yahoogroups website. Committee members will be made aware of such polls through email notices sent to the lpny_committee email list whenever new polls are created. Votes will only be counted if they are cast through the web poll; votes cast by email will not count. 2. Motions made by Internet poll do not need to be seconded. 3. All polls will be programmed to close automatically in exactly seven days. Committee members can change their votes any time during the seven-day voting period. 4. Motions to spend money via Internet poll may be for any dollar amount. 5. An Internet poll motion shall carry if it: a) receives a total number of votes equivalent to a quorum of the State Committee, and; b) passes with a majority of those votes. These conditions hold for all non-monetary items and for all monetary items under $5,000. For all items over $5,000, the motion requires a majority of the State Committee to pass. 6. Because the lpny_committee Yahoogroups website can support no more than 25 polls at a time, the secretary of the committee must certify all Internet polls within five days of their closing, and the committee member who created the poll must delete the poll from the website within two days following the secretary's certification of the vote. 7. Electronic polls must be completed between in-person committee meetings. Any electronic polls still open on the day the committee meets in-person must be deleted by their creators and any votes cast for those polls must be disregarded. Rich requested that State Committee members, when discussing official business of the Committee, should write, "LPNY Business" on the subject line of their e-mail messages. Blay moved to table Jim L.'s motion until the next State Committee meeting. Blay's motion to table failed with four votes in favor and six opposed. Jim's motion regarding e-mail voting passed with five votes in favor, four votes opposed, and one abstention.

The meeting adjourned at 12:41.

CALENDAR

August 25, 2001 State Comm. Meeting Clifton Park & Westbury

August 25, 2001 Long Island Picnic 426 Center St., Westbury

August 26, 2001 Deadline for FNY articles

September Next Issue of FNY

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