Nice find, Aleta! I didn't think anything was on the Net regarding my '85-'90 political career. In fact, that same article you referenced was also on page two of USA Today, it was a national AP release. As a side note, it became the vehicle by which I met Willie Nelson, who volunteered to help those candidates mentioned in that article.
Briefly, back to Zulu, just like Jon Tara said earlier, "The bright side, I suppose, is that the potential growth from here is infinite." In fact, what you cited is an example of just how new the Internet is. And, of course, advertising is very old. Indeed the new meets the old; and so Zulu. Please refer to SI Post #15,463. [Sure wish I had a buck for every SI post, don't you?] (LOL)
Meanwhile, back to politics. New Hampshire legislators earn $100 per year, plus mileage from where they live to the State House--for me, that amounted to $29 per diem. Nice, huh? This also explains why New Hampshire politics reek of a herd mentality, very Republican-oriented. And they follow the leader.
[NOTE: Since this is a political Sunday, check ESVS/Yahoo Posts #8903 and #8908 for my comments on who votes and why I think we have a canned democracy relative to citizen participation.]
Now, Aleta, comes the history of my brief--extremely brief--Republican party affiliation. For background, I hold the Distinguished Service Award from the Democrats; the Friend of Freedom Award from the Libertarians; and, as you noted, I ran for Congress as a Republican. Method to this madness? You bet!
So why did I run as a Republican for New Hampshire's 1st District? Well, the first hint is the Democrats in the then previous presidential election of 1988 (1st in nation primary), fielded seven candidates. In tremendous fanfare and propaganda (advertising and all) these candidates were tagged by Republicans as: The Seven Dwarves.
Well, I was a populist, for-the-little-folk-type politician, somewhat similar, though different, to new fame Governor-elect, Jesse Ventura. But, personally, I concluded I couldn't economically continue serving in NH's House due to the non-existent salary. I had to survive! Though I easily could have won a third term--I originally defeated a five-term incumbent and was unopposed my second bid--I couldn't economically afford to continue.
You see, I wasn't into politics for the money, power or fame. I got involved when I came to the defense of families who were being tossed from their homes by a NY condo developer who was ripe with S&L banking money, which, I might add, was a Republican-inspired crisis, though Democrats, too, took advantage of it.
In short, it was a greed--how'd President Bush put it?--thing. Yup, a thing: Long-time residents of communities no longer able afford to live where they, and their families before them, grew up. But the banks, for a time, did quite well, on this pyramid scheme of a different kind, didn't they? Gentrification, it was called. It still goes on. But I had a different solution to this problem, one other than letting money interests prevail, as usually happens.
In any event, while a legislator I championed housing, public health, public safety and environmental issues, and I was very much a minority against all of New Hampshire's Republicans. We Democrats were outnumbered, legislatively, three to one. And I'm talking some real right-wing stuff here! In New Hampshire, a moderate is a liberal. So you can imagine how someone with new ideas was viewed!
Now time has passed and it's near 1990, and I'm completely broke financially. My five years, previous to election, were spent teaching myself to become a folk musician--and, of course, there's no money in that either. But I steadfastly refused to take any kind of a cushion job that a lobbyist or party-mover might offer so I could continue as a rising star in New Hampshire's thinly-ranked Democratic Party.
In fact, I was so stringent, when the interstate banking lobbyist insisted I allow him to take me to the finest restaurant in town, to talk about his proposed legislation, I insisted he buy me only a hot dog and a cup of coffee in a breakfast dive. So there we stood all decorated in our pin-striped suits, talking all this big bank stuff with all these hungry looking folk gazing at us from behind the lunch counter, wondering: What in tarnation are they doing in here? But it was what I said where heads in that room nodded in agreement. You see, the banker had nothing to offer except the price of a hot dog and a cup of coffee! Good coffee--the kind that makes you work real hard!
So, no, I wasn't gonna take the easy route just to stay in the legislature. Nope. Not me!
I'd gone nearly a decade with next to little or no income. Sure, I drove a cab while I teaching myself how to play the guitar, practicing my chords in the cab between fares; and I did a little sports reporting, wrote resumes for friends and even delivered the Yellow Pages once. But not for a lotta money. And the five years before that I managed rock n' roll bands. So it's actually 15 years of creative poverty!
And I knew it was time for me to move on and do something else in my life, something maybe that could provide me with a real yearly salary. Thus, I decided not to run for a third term. Sure, I had legislative victories: I helped in the compromise to keep at least half the folks, mentioned above, in their homes--beyond the objections of the condo developer; I had public health and environmental bills passed; I co-sponsored New Hampshire's Martin Luther King Holiday Bill, etc. Much more. In fact, for four years, I was into everything, completely and thoroughly dedicated! But it was too much for me even.
I had to get out. I had no money for daily survival and plus I was beating my head against the wall against ALL OF THEM Republicans who only wanted to cut everything, as if life held the meaning of a piece of New Hampshire granite! So "how do I get out" became my primary focus. I wasn't going to run for re-election, so, "what should I do?"
The answer suddenly dawned on me when I learned seven Republicans had announced for the vacated congressional seat in the 1st District. On the Democratic side was someone I knew and respected. He'd run previously and did well and deserved a second shot at winning. So I didn't want to interfere with his prospects by running against him in the Democratic primary. And what was on the Republican side? You guessed it: Seven Republican dwarves.
Into the "belly of the beast" I went, in great debate. As my primary focus, I tackled one of the toughest issues society has historically had great trouble grappling with: Drug legalization. You see, during my last year as a state rep I introduced legislation to study this concept. Obviously, the bill didn't pass. But, surprisingly, it had a tremendous public hearing. A tremendous hearing! Nearly a hundred in attendance.
People from all across the country came to testify: Mothers of victims, teachers, doctors, lawyers, priests, outreach workers, businessmen and, yes, some hippies--a real cross-representation of our society. It was, I believe, the very first substantive public legislative hearing ever held on the subject.
So I decided to switch parties and run for Congress as a Republican--knowing I wouldn't win! But it was my way out. Indeed, I introduced an opinion mainstream America would never otherwise even consider: The idea that our drug problem could be treated medically instead of criminally; that we should be building schools instead of prisons? At the time, California's prison budget surpassed its educational budget. Something wrong there!
Today, I remain convinced a form of a public health approach to our drug program could cure a half-a-dozen or more of societal problems. I think it makes sense to take the money away from the criminals who benefit from pushing drugs on young people and, instead, instill massive public health programs for the folks with addiction problems.
Marijuana? Well, history and present studies show it as a home-use remedy for many, many ailments and afflictions. Originally, the American Medical Association testified against it becoming illegal--a position it can't politically or economically take today. Problem is pharmaceutical companies can't make any money off something you can easily grow yourself; never mind the poor farmers who'd have a secondary crop--let's move on to the corporate farms! And how about the fact every comparative study ever done shows marijuana more benign than alcohol. Go figure!
But, Aleta, even though the article you cite was referencing pro-pot candidates, my personal views were and are considerably more mature than that. Fact is, pot should have been decriminalized years ago. Were there not economic considerations, it never would have been made illegal in the first place.
But all drugs? I contend if you can't keep 'em out of prisons, how can you expect to keep 'em out of a free society?
And anyone who wants to get them today, easily can. So who are we feeding by keeping drugs illegal? If you guessed busy, look-good politicians who postulate "I'm tough on crime; I'm tough on drugs--more jails" in concert with the criminals who make all the money from illicit drugs--well, sadly, you guessed right. One gets re-elected, and the other gets rich--er, well, they both get rich.
Anyone who wishes to communicate with me on these views, please feel welcome to contact me. I've organized and directed two conferences, on behalf of the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, held at the Harvard Law School, on this very subject. Even the nation's then-national drug czar, Harold Brown, attended. I'd be more than happy to share what I know on this subject.
In closing, Aleta you have children. How do young kids become drug dealers? They become drug dealers because young adults, a bit older than them, convince the young kids to sell drugs 'cause, as juveniles, if caught, they don't go to jail. This is the true definition of "pushing drugs." Were addiction problems, alternatively, dealt with medically, those young kids would never be "talked into" selling 'em, either for money or any other reason on earth. And neither would they would resort to guns brought into schools as part of efforts to protect their turf.
But what's all of the above got to do with Zulu? Oh well, I hope we all have a good week with our gem of a stock. To all, thanks for considering my opinion. By the way, I went from being a New Hampshire state representative to becoming a Harvard Square Street Musician--a step up! |
