November 2010 could very well prove to be the best opportunity the Libertarian Party will ever encounter. To make the most of it, we need to be prepared: to deliver our message, to take advantage of the situation, to make the most of the opportunities that the major political parties are providing us. While November 2010 is still 18 months away, preparations at the state level are already underway:

• We are on track to achieve our goal of not less than four Libertarian candidates on every ballot in the state of Colorado; sure to be a great help those running winnable races at the county and local level.
• A Congressional Campaign committee is being formed to assist in fund raising and achieving our goal of 10,000 yard signs and 20,000 bumper stickers in place by September of 2010. A fund raising kick-off is planned for the 2009 convention.
• A Candidate Training program is being formulated to provide solid, practical experience to our candidates; both in tactics and libertarian principles.

An election cycle provides us with the most abundant opportunities for the media exposure necessary to get the Libertarian message of limited government and individual freedom out to Colorado voters. Voter Guides, candidate forums, community events, and the actual election ballot all become available to us at little or no cost during the election season. If we are visibly well prepared and trained, and demonstrate that we can indeed deliver the message effectively, raising funds will be easier and more successful. By being prepared and starting early, the former impossibility of a significant showing in the polls becomes a realistic possibility. We can achieve a major success, but only if our preparation is commensurate with the apparent opportunity the major parties are setting up for us.

Please consider joining the effort. We need candidates who will start preparing now. We need campaign workers, especially treasurers, who will start planning now. We need local organizers who will start organizing now. You do not need to be a candidate to a part of the effort; but treasurers, media relations, and event planners all need to start getting together now. Come August 2010, we need to be on the ground and running hard so we can reach our goals without losing our jobs and/or alienating our families. Please note that now is the operative word here. Starting now means proper preparation can be accomplished with just a couple of hours a week. Delaying this effort means we will never complete the preparation process and the opportunity being presented to us will be squandered. So please make a commitment NOW to be:

• A candidate
• A campaign treasurer
• A media relations person
• A web site designer
• An event organizer
• An issue researcher
• A candidate trainer
• A video/audio producer
• Speech writer

It is the level of commitment we make NOW that will determine our success in November 2010. Please make that commitment now, and inform me of your readiness to participate. As I’m just one person with a career and a family trying to get this effort off the ground, my response may not be as prompt as you and I would like. However, as I receive your commitments, we’ll get this effort organized, start building momentum, and achieve all of our goals and then some.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

• That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
• All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred.
• A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it, Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." W. N. Murray -- The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, 1951


Formation of the Libertarian Colorado Congressional Committee as an unaffiliated non-connected political committee, with the intent of qualifying as a multi-candidate committee, is well underway. Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws have been written and are being reviewed prior to filing. Should be ready to solicit donations within two weeks.

As such, the committee will be able to:

1. Accept donations of up to $5,000 per individual ($10,000 per couple) per election cycle.
2. Donate up to $5,000 per election cycle per candidate.
3. Produce and distribute unlimited amounts of "Independent Communications" supporting the party and any or all of its congressional candidates.

To maintain its status as an "unaffiliated political committee", it is best that:

1. No member of the LPCO board be a member of the Board of the committee,
2. Candidates (potential or otherwise)
3. The activities of the committee will not be officially reported to the board, although the committee meetings (and meetings of the Board of Directors) will be open to the public.
4. The activates of the committee should not be reported in the LPCO newsletter.

1. Compile an usable (i.e. database???) of persons interested in candidacy.
2. Prepare a candidate training session to be held in conjunction with the convention. A bit late for the conventional call.
3. Arrange for the logistics of the training session.
4. Provide the candidate's handbook to all potential candidates and announce the training session details.

A State Chair Candidate Forum has been scheduled on April 28th, 2009. It's the first contested race for State Chair in recent history. RSVP by clicking here.

If you're planning to run for office and/or serve on the State Board of Directors, you are encouraged to attend the LPCO State Convention on May 16th, 2009.

As of April 1, there are 8494 active and 2841 inactive for a total of 11,335 registered Libertarians, a 0.16% net increase from March 2. While the net growth curve is practically flat, the rate of increase in active Libertarians (ie new registrations) has been averaging about 1.5% per month, which translates to a projected growth of 19.42% for the year. While this is pretty good for an "off" year, it is only half of the desired minimum annual growth rate, so we need to find innovative ways to encourage more growth in "off" years.

We are in urgent need of funds so that we can take advantage of the lowest rates for Voter Registration Drive Booths!

Registration for Denver PrideFest is still waiting on Beau Cain, treasurer of Outright Libertarians, to send a copy of their IRS non-profit status letter and tax ID. Outright's chair Rob Power says that Mr. Cain, who is also the sole paid staff member of the LPCA, is most likely occupied with last-minute preparations for their upcoming state convention.

I have sent some emails to Sumner Komro, the Non-Profit Director of Van's Warped Tour, and Austin Peterson, the LNC's volunteer coordinator, to start work on having an LP presence at every Warped Tour venue this year.

I will be organizing and taking inventory of the outreach materials and preparing for Cinco de Mayo celebration in downtown Denver. Please note, we paid $350.00 to participate, which means that it is imperative that YOU help make the expenditure worthwhile; either with your generous monetary contribution, or with your time over the two day event.

To support the effort with your money, use PayPal and click here.
To support the effort with your time, use Meetup and choose a shift below.

Saturday May 9th, 2009 Cinco de Mayo Libertarian Voter Registration Drive Shifts:

1. 9:00am - 1:00pm
2. 1:00pm - 5:00pm
3. 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Sunday May 10th, 2009 Cinco de Mayo Libertarian Voter Registration Drive Shifts:

1. 9:00am - 1:00pm
2. 1:00pm - 5:00pm
3. 5:00pm - 9:00pm

YOUR Assistance would be most gratefully welcomed.
Cinco de Mayo Voter Registration Drive Sign Up Or Click A Shift Above!

I intend to make a second attempt at an Affiliate Representative Committee (ARC) meeting soon, but a date and time have not yet been chosen. Arapahoe had a table at the R&K Gun Show April 18th & April 19th. Boulder's activities are documented in the minutes of the first attempt at an ARC meeting. No reports from other affiliates and no recent communication from anyone in El Paso.

I took the liberty of inviting Freda Poundstone and Jeff Gross of the Colorado Tax Reform Initiative and Joe Peterson, Alex Cobell, and Tara Craig of the Same-Sex Marriage Initiative to speak at the state convention. At this point it seems like Ms. Poundstone has accepted (no word from Mr. Gross), but Mr. Peterson will be attending a wedding and has not indicated whether either of his compatriots are available.

In response to the March 17 contact from Matthew Collins, I have been in communication with LPKS regarding an "activist exchange program" and put them in touch with Kary Chappell, who has been out there working on her property near Wichita.

Monthly donations are the best way to help make a political difference. Although contributions are not tax-deductible, we have fixed expenses. Campaigns and events cost money. Choose an amount per month below, and PayPal will automatically send us your donation each month. Don't have a PayPal account? Click any button below and use your credit card or bank account instead. We've made it so easy, there really is no excuse for not contributing right now.

In a March 16, 2009 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court eviscerated much of TABOR. The court, in Mesa County Board of County Commissioners v. State of Colorado , held that changing the existing system that otherwise would have allowed mill levy rates to decline was not a "tax policy change" that required voter approval before implementation. It was a 6-1 decision.

As Vincent Carroll of the Denver Post said, "The audacity of the court's claim is breathtaking."

Indeed it is.

This decision is just the most recent made by the big-government partisan hacks on the Colorado Supreme Court bench.

Fortunately, Supreme Court Justices are accountable to the people. In 2010, four of the six justices that voted to ignore the state constitution are up for retention election.

Clear the Bench Colorado is a grassroots organization founded by Matt Arnold. It has already gotten some media attention. Arnold asked me to assist him in drafting some of the language on the website ClearTheBenchColorado.org, and I received Board Approval for the State Party's endorsement of the campaign to remove the four Supreme Court Justices in the 2010 retention election.

The Board of Directors of the Libertarian Party of Colorado supports the effort to deny retention of all four Colorado Supreme Court Justices up for retention in the 2010 retention election.

If we are going to be in the game, we have to know the players.

As part of my participation in the 2009 Leadership Program of the Rockies, I spent all day, Thursday, April 2 at the State Capitol shadowing professional lobbyist, Lacee Artist of "Artist and Associates". (Her father is a former state legislator and her mother a former Lt. Governor). I met and chatted with several legislators, including; Joe Miklosi (D), Joe Rice (D), Lois Tochtrop and more. I also got know some other professional lobbyists.

If we are going to be in the game, we have to know the players. Part II.

I have been invited to participate in the monthly meeting of the Center Right Coalition. I was in attendance at their April 13th, 2009 meeting, which included: Josh Penry, Scott Gessler, Frank Atwood, Brad Jones of "Face the State" and others.

There are many social conservatives in this group, including John Andrews, and it is important to have as many libertarian voices on this panel as possible. Please forward this information to friends and family who are concerned about defending our freedoms!

The Google Docs county lists (7368 registered Libertarians who included their phone numbers when registering) have been distributed to 8 people. We still need about 8 more callers to help out at about 2 hours a week. Callers use a short script with only 4 questions to call a group of names and then log those calls into the database. Once logged in I check each week and send the appropriate forms if they request them. If others want to volunteer for making 100 - 500 calls by September 1 (500 is only 100 calls per month or 25 calls per week – about 2 hours per week) please contact Clint Jones at Clint Jones at membershipdirector@lpcolorado.org to get instructions for Google Docs and the short script for the calls.

Using the Denver County list, I am on #219, which means about 300 calls since I have called some people a second and third time. I have reached 125 people. Of those 125, 41 were newly added to the newsletter by Mykl, and 47 requested an Activist Form and/or a Contribution Form. Those were emailed out. The others, I left a short message thanking them for registering as a Libertarian and letting them know that I would call them again in the next 2 weeks.

A very positive process is used by Mykl. I notify him of the new emails for the Colorado Libertarian monthly newsletters usually the same night I contacted them. Mykl adds them to the list and emails the most recent newsletter. That reinforces the email I send them with the Contribution and Activist Forms. These quick actions show the Libertarian voters a good organization, positive consequences for giving me their email address, and thus create a higher likelihood of their further participation in LPCO.

Interns – The CU Political Science Dept just posted the new list of Summer Internship openings which included the LPCO position. Ads are still running in the monthly Colorado Liberty for a Volunteer Coordinator and Volunteer callers.

Studio 12 "Colorado State Budget (April 22, 2009 Edition)"

We hope to see you at the state convention on May 16, 2009 at Platte River Academy.

Platte River Academy
4085 Lark Sparrow Street
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

In your comments, please indicate if you want lunch.

You can also RSVP by emailing Marc Goddard libertyactivist@hotmail.com directly.

Lunch is $12 if you RSVP by May 4th.


When you get to the convention, please consider a donating to the State Party as well.

I compiled and filed the minutes and reports for the previous Board meeting.

Jim Frye is sorting through the e-mail addresses received via the website. He will remove the vendors, and duplicates, and we will add the remaining addresses to our e-mail list.

I attended the Libertarian Party of Jefferson County Monthly Affiliate Meeting on April 7th, 2009.

Currently, the LPCO has a Negative Balance Sheet.
We're not the Federal Government, so we cannot continue to lose $150.00 - $700.00 each month.

Wanted; 1776 Club members to keep our recurring monthly expenses paid.