Friends of Liberty,

This is the first of what I hope will become a weekly tradition; my intention is to try to send out regular updates to you folks to let you know about things of interest going on in all levels of government, especially our local government. While my goal as the Chair of the HCLP is to eventually have Libertarians elected to office locally, I believe that it is paramount that we let government in our area know that we are here, paying attention, and that we care what is happening.

I encourage you all to let me know if something of concern to the group is happening, whether locally or nationally. Unfortunately, due to the ever-increasing size and scope of government at every level, it is difficult for any one citizen to stay on top of what is going on. However, if we all pitch in, we can do our best to keep our government accountable to us.

1. City Council Meetings

As I mentioned at the last HCLP meeting, I’ve been trying to attend the weekly meetings of the Chattanooga City Council as I’m able. I’ve been to two thus far, and hope to attend my third next week.  I was fairly disappointed to discover that persons not directly involved with the business being considered aren’t allowed to address the council until AFTER the business session is over (and even then, technically only on “non-busines matters”), but I still intend to attend when I can to make it clear that I am paying attention to what is going on.

To that end, if I manage to continue to send out these weekly updates (I’m crossing my fingers here), I’m going to include a link to the agenda for the next council meeting, and highlight any items that might be of interest to Libertarians.

The agenda for next week’s meeting has been posted: http://tr.im/iedy.

2. HCLP Web Site & Twitter Account

Last month, I re-launched the HCLP web site (http://www.hclp.org). The site uses the WordPress blogging engine, and I intend to post regular updates (including these) from both the HCLP, other regional LP organizations, and the Libertarian Party of Tennessee. The HCLP web site is graciously hosted free of charge by Signal Data (http://sdx.net), a Chattanooga web hosting company. Frank Cowan, the owner of Signal Data, has been a friend and supporter of the HCLP for many years now.

I’ve also created a Twitter account for the HCLP (http://twitter.com/hclptn). As I come across links of interest to us, I’ll post them on that account. I also intend to begin post Twitter updates during the Chattanooga City Council meetings that I am able to attend (previously I’ve been posting them on my personal Twitter account at http://twitter.com/foureightfour). For those of you who are not Twitter users, I encourage you to consider signing up if you’re into the social media thing. I’ve been able to network with both Libertarians and others libertarian-minded people from all over the United States, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom using Twitter.

3. TnLP Facebook Group

For those of you who use Facebook, the Libertarian Party of Tennessee now has a Facebook group! http://tr.im/ieiH

4. TnLP 2009 Convention

The Libertarian Party of Tennessee’s 2009 Convention will be held in Knoxville on April 24 & 25. Information about speakers is available here: http://www.lptn.org/blog/?p=1045. A registration form is available online here: http://tr.im/iej9. I will be attending if I am able, though it’s up in the air right now due to my business commitments.

5. April 15 Tax Protest

This year the HCLP will be participating in the Chattanooga Tax Day Tea Party. The event will be held from 4pm – 7pm on April 15, and the location is tentatively at the Ross’s Landing park on the riverfront. More information is available at http://chattanoogateaparty.com. If you plan to attend, the organizers have asked that you RSVP on that site (http://chattanoogateaparty.com/?page_id=27).

Our goal is to not only participate in the protest, but engage in outreach to identify and connect with people who are learning about the Libertarian message. To that end, I’ll have some flyers on hand that explain the Libertarian Party’s platform, as well as provide information about the HCLP.

6. No April HCLP Meeting

The HCLP will not be meeting in April. Our next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Saturday, May 23 at 7:00 p.m. The location and topic will be announced at a later date.

Conclusion

That’s it for now. Thanks for being involved with the HCLP! I encourage you all to come to our regular meetings as you are able. Have a great weekend!

Best,
Jeremy