Todd Rokita Headlines Common Cause Seminar on Redistricting

Redistricting 2011: A New Day for Democracy or Politics as Usual?

I am honored to serve on the organizing committee for the Redistricting 2011: A New Day for Democracy or Politics as Usual? seminar on redistricting by Common Cause. The organizing committee is a group of people of different political interests (supporters of all three Indiana ballot access parties are represented) who have something in common - redistricting in Indiana needs to be less partisan and more representative of the needs of the people.

Current Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita is the headline speaker.

The seminar is set for December 18th in the Senate Chambers of the Indiana State House. It starts at 11:30 am and includes lunch. Details on cost are contained in the below brochure. You can register on-line at www.commoncause.org/indiana.

I hope to see a lot of Libertarians in attendance. We need to be supportive of the good ideas and efforts of other organizations when we have mutual agreement on important issues. This is how one implements Libertarian ideas.

Text of Yesterday's Press Conference of the Libertarian Party of Marion County on Possible Use of Taxpayer Money for Political Activity

Following a money trail that includes the Marion County Health Dept, Clarian Health Partners, the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, and Smoke Free Indy

Text from the Libertarian Party of Marion County’s press conference, held today (11/16/09).

Timothy Maguire: As we all know, Smoke Free Indy is “a coalition…dedicated to reducing secondhand smoke, tobacco usage and tobacco initiation through education, prevention and advocacy.” As far as we can tell, their chief spokeswoman, Lindsay Grace, is actually employed by Indiana Academy of Family Physicians. We also know that Smoke Free Indy’s activities as of late have included political activity, including putting out negative public comments about both Republican Mayor Ballard and the Libertarian Party. And as I have not heard any negative comments from them about the Democrat Party, I could only assume they were involved in partisan political activities. We have also heard that Lindsay Grace, who again, is employed by the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, has been heavily lobbying members of the City-County Council to pass the specific public proposal 371.

Remarkably, even with what they proclaim themselves to be, Smoke Free Indy is not your standard advocacy group. As far as we can tell, they are not a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, a registered lobbying group, or even a 527. It simply a unincorporated group of around 30 organizations, including Clarian Health, the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, the Marion County Health Department, and others.

Because of Abdul’s reporting, we have now also learned that Smoke Free Indy has received up to $86,000 of taxpayer money to fund its activities. This $86,000 in taxpayer money comes from Indiana tobacco settlement dollars. Based on the information Abdul has published, we find that Indiana dolls out tobacco settlement dollars, and one of those agencies that distributes money is Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation. Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation gives money to the Marion County Health Department. The Marion County Health Department gives money to the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians and Clarian Health Partners. Clarian has a contract to promote anti-tobacco activities, but as far as we can tell, the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians is the home office for the unincorporated Smoke Free Indy on Monument Circle and employs Smoke Free Indy’s staff, including Lindsey Grace.

The reason I stand here today is that, based on this information, we are concerned about the possibility that there may have been improprieties committed by Smoke Free Indy as well as Lindsay Grace and the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians. In a few moments I will be asking our County Prosecutor, Carl Brizzi, to investigate this matter to see if there HAVE been improprieties, and if so, to prosecute the responsible parties fully under the law.

Later today I will also be filing a complaint with the Indiana State Board of Accounts, and will be asking them to look into potential state violations and we are exploring filing a federal complaint to see if there have been any Hatch Act violations by Smoke Free Indy’s organizational partners.

If Smoke Free Indy and their associated coalition members have not committed any improprieties, and we hope they have not, then the facts will bear that out. But if either Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, the State Board of Accounts or federal authorities find anything peculiar during their investigation, I will then ask Council President Bob Cockram to investigate what role any Councilors may have played in Smoke Free Indy’s attempt to push forward political legislation and sanction them accordingly.

Libertarian Party of Marion County Has Press Conference at Marion County Prosecutor's Office

Read more about it in the Indianapolis Star article titled "Marion County Libertarian Party takes aim at Smoke Free Indy".

Libertarian City-Council Member Ed Coleman Offers to Match First $200 in LMPC Charity Drive for Second Helpings

Indianapolis City-Council member at-Large and fellow Libertarian Ed Coleman has offered to match the first $200 in value collected during the Libertarian Party of Marion County's annual charity drives.

The Libertarian Party of Marion County is now collecting nonperishable food for its annual November food drive and new or gently used clothing for its annual December clothing drive. Additionally, the Libertarian Party of Marion County will also accept monetary donations this year to give to its beneficiary.

This year’s beneficiary is Second Helpings. Second Helpings not only distributes food and clothing, it also provides job training opportunities. Its website is http://www.secondhelpings.org/.

If you are interested in making a contribution, please bring nonperishable food to the LPMC November business meeting and clothing to the December Holiday Party. For monetary donations, you can donate through the LPMC PayPal account at http://www.indylp.org/donate. Specify "Food and Clothing Drive” when using PayPal to ensure that your donation is allocated to Second Helpings.

Marion County Libertarian Party Monthly Meeting to Focus on Fundraising

The guest speaker for the November 10th Libertarian Party of Marion County Business Meeting is fellow Libertarian Jeff Stanger. Jeff is the Development Director for the Indiana Division of the Salvation Army. His speech topic is "Fundraising 101 for Libertarians".

Jeff Stanger is a veteran fundraiser and teaches workshops on grant writing and online fundraising. He is the co-host of Red Shield Radio and an author. He has worked with clients as large as the Salvation Army and as small as local churches. He specializes in helping small nonprofits find low cost solutions to their fundraising challenges.

The Libertarian Party of Marion County holds its monthly business meetings at the historic Athenaeum Building in Downtown Indianapolis located at 401 E. Michigan Street. They start at 7 pm and generally conclude by 9 pm.