The Libertarian Party of Northeast Ohio is an affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Ohio. The Northeast LPO encompasses the counties of Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula. Our mission is to defend, advance, and restore the cause of liberty to our region and our nation through the political process of building membership, obtaining relations with the media, organizing our infrastructure, and ultimately fielding and running candidates for public offices. We are always looking for new ways to promote the Libertarian Party and our ideals to Greater Cleveland.

Our February 24th meeting was held at Glenn's Restaraunt, due to inability to secure arrangements at Denny's for the month of February. It was adressed by Summit/Portage County Chair and LPO Fundraising Chair Jim Babka, who is also a contender for LPO Chair for the April Convention. Jim Babka used to be active in the Republican Party, until he grew frustrated with their lack of forthrightness on their "principles," and their hypocrisy concerning issues such as censorship and drug persecution.

His topic of discussion was contribution to the Libertarian Party of Ohio and the National Libertarian Party. He asked us to imagine a Libertarian Party as large and competitive as the Demolicants (Demo-Repubs), and what we can do as members to make that dream a reality. We need to establish relations with our local, state, and national media outlets, which means appearing on talk radio, writing frequent letters to the editor, and informing the news media about Libertarian events. We need to frequently request contributions from everyone who is interested in liberty. And most importantly, we need to recruit members, which will bring more necessary funds, greater media attention, and more resources to win even more members, creating the kind of positive cycle we need for growth. Mr. Babka mentioned John Coon, an LP candidate in Michigan who wasn't even a member of the party, but ran a candidacy which extended the Michigan LP to 1,100 members!

We need to roll up our sleeves and get into some outreach activities to spread the message of Liberty and the Libertarian Party to the masses. A good start would be for members to engage in an "Operation Politically Homeless" booth at a large event near your area, or to participate heavily in our current drive for ballot access in the state of Ohio. Your input is also needed. Jim urges you to attend the Ohio Convention so you may learn techniques of efficiency, and to provide support and suggestions for the Ohio LP.

At the meeting, Jim handed out forms to pledge financial support to the Libertarian Party of Ohio, so we may insure a much larger Libertarian Party in the future. Most of the meeting's attendants made the pledge, including myself. Any LP member who reads this, I urge you: Make your contribution today!

On March 24th, Bruce McCarthy will speak to us about the Bible's definition of money (copper, gold, silver, etc.) and how fiat money (Federal Reserve paper notes) is the major cause of inflation and government control of our wealth. Historically, money was always meant to contain real market, as opposed to the symbolic value of "paper money."

Our regular monthly meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of every month, at Denny's in Parma, on the corner of Rockside Road (Snow Road) and Broadview Road. You can get there by going I 480 to the "Brookpark Road" exit just West of I 77. Turn Left, and continue through Tuxedo Road, and keep going until you reach Broadview Road (a plaza will be on the right, a Dairy Queen will be on the left). Turn Left, and keep going until you reach Rockside/Snow Road (National City will be on the left, Rally's will be on the right). Turn right, and right after Rally's on your right is Denny's. Dinner generally starts between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM, with the speaker to start at 7:00 PM. All of those interested in liberty are welcome.

Also our business meetings on the second Tuesday of the month are held at the same location and time, and are open to all LPO members.

On Tuesday, April 14th, we will be conducting elections for the different positions available in the Libertarian Party of Northeast Ohio. These include Chair, Regional Representative, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Web Director, Media Director, Marketing Director, Legal Consultant, and Outreach Coordinator. All LP (including LPO) members residing in the Northeast Region (Counties: Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga, Medina, Lorain) are encouraged to cast your votes for the contender of your choice, or if you are a member, you are encouraged to apply for these positions. Northeast LPO elections will not be held again until March of 1999, so don't miss this opportunity! Our April 14th business meeting takes place at Denny's in Parma, with dinner at 6:00 PM and the meeting and elections at 7:00 PM. Directions are described above.

On Thursday, March 19th, we will hold a National LP Platform meeting. At the meeting, we will recieve suggestions any members have for amending phrases or planks within the National LP Platform. The changes which we accept will be submitted to the LPO on behalf of the Libertarian Party of Northeast Ohio, and later to the National Libertarian Party for the National Convention occuring July 2nd through July 5th. Following the Platform Meeting, we will hold a Marketing meeting to discuss possible outreach activities in which we intend to participate. Anyone with possible suggestions is encouraged to attend. All LP members are also welcome for the Platform meeting.

The Platform and Marketing Meeting will take place on Thursday, March 19th at Glenn's Restaraunt in Brooklyn, at 4220 Pearl Road. You can get there by getting off at the "Brookpark Rd." exit off of I 480 West just West of I 77. Make a left onto Brookpark Road, and follow it until you reach Broadview Road (there will be a Dairy Queen, a Christian Book Store, and a shopping plaza on the corners). Make a right, and take Broadview until it reaches Pearl Road and then take a left. Glenn's Restaraunt is just one block down on your right, with parking behind the building. Dinner starts at 6:00 PM, with the meetings to begin at 7:00 PM.

On Saturday, February 14th, local Libertarians took part in the Medina Ice Sculpting festival, which occured in downtown Medina. The event was coordinated by Garry Seman - Northeast LPO Media Director. Libertarians took advantage of the festival as an opportunity to decry the loss of our liberties, and to spread the word about the Libertarian Party to the good people of Medina.

The focus of the gathering was religious freedom. Activists frequently mentioned the great martyr, Saint Valentine - a priest during the later years of the Roman Empire who practiced an alternative religion (Christianity) to the state sanctioned Roman Church, and was tortured and executed as a result. We are fast approaching this dreaded period in history, with the persecution and massacre of Branch Davidians and the general erosion of our freedoms, such as Freedom of Speech, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and Due Process of Law. The event was attended by local activists Dave Macko and Christian Warren, and also by East Central Region activists Mindy Terwilliger, Sally Corbett, and her husband Tom Corbett.

Of the activists present, Dave Macko overwhelmingly passed out the most literature, leading Garry Seman to comment, "Always make more literature than you think you're going to need for outreach events, because Dave passes it out very quickly!" Dave has proven himself in the past by collecting more signatures to put Libertarians on the ballot than any other Libertarian activist in Ohio, leading to the creation of the Macko Award for excellence in petitioning.

On Saturday, March 14th, Northeast LPO Media Director Garry Seman will be leading an "Operation Politically Homeless" booth at a gun show taking place at Medina County Community Center. All people who stand for individual liberty, especially the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms, should attend this outreach event, which will hopefully recruit numerous new LP members and introduce various gun owners to libertarian philosophy. Also, please support the Prudent Person Self Defense Bill. For more information and to inquire of participation, call (216)-743-8163.

On April 15th, we will be conducting our annual Tax Protest, which is carried out and endorsed by the National LP, State LP, and our Northeast Region. It will take place at the Orange Street Post Office near East 9th Street, from 6:00 PM through 9:00 PM. We will be handing out literature from the Libertarian Party and the Advocates for Self Government to all last-minute tax filers, and hope to recieve some local media coverage. Usually, the event is also attended by the John Birch Society and the Inter Religious Task Force on Central America. We need volunteers now! To participate, attend our business meeting on Tuesday, March 24th at Denny's in Parma, near the corner of Snow Road and Broadview Road, from 6:00 PM through 9:00 PM. Or, you may call (216)-295-0155 for more information.

We are always in need of people willing to participate for various outreach activity. Anyone interested should call (216)-743-8163 for more information.