COWAN STRIKES AGAIN

THE PROGRESSIVE VOICE OF REFORM

COWAN STRIKES AGAIN!!!

Much time has passed since Dick Cowan and the "NORML Civil War". The situation at NORML still has not improved since the settlement agreement was completed. As far as anyone knows, no serious fundraising was ever attempted by the Defendants for a membership wide election of NORML's Board of Directors. The issue of NORML unexpectedly having it's tax status changed before the election has not been resolved, and the Defendants seem unwilling to have the NORML Foundation affected by an election, if and when there ever is an election. In addition it appears, the NORML Board has decided not to investigate why NORML had not received any money from the Trans High Corporation trust fund Tom Fourcade set up, for a select group of Activists and NORML. These funds were to be distributed to NORML, and the other Activists named in the Trust, when the Trust mutured on January 1, 2000. It should be noted, this endowment was estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Also remaining unexplained is what happened to $140,000 not accounted for in the audit review of NORML finances during the Cowan era.

Now, in an article written by Dick Cowan for MarijuanaNews.com published August 13, 2002 he is apparently taking on the Marijuana Policy Project, under the direction of Robert Kampia, to task for their Voter Initiative which would, if passed, legalize and regulate the use of Cannabis in the State of Nevada. Because of MPP's attempt at compromise instead of demanding absolute legalization without any government oversight, they and the initiative are now "THE ENEMY".

To those who have followed his antics since 1994 when Dick Cowan , Allen St. Pierre and Dan Viets succeeded in purging the "common folk activists" from NORML's Board of Directors, it should come as no surprise. If one examines Dick Cowan's statements in his deposition, prior to the settlement conference, he blames Rob Kampia and Donagel Pierce for all of the financial problems NORML had. How this is even remotely possible is beyond belief, as only Dick Cowan and Allen St. Pierre had signature authority for NORML's check book.

In 1964, the Supreme Court of the United States declared in the following case - New York Times v Sullivan 376 U.S. 254 that "Public" Persons have no Liability Rights. Since Dick Cowan is a published writer, like myself (as publisher of Alternative Universe), we fall under the scope of Sullivan. As such we can legally throw bricks at each other.

ONWARD TO THE FUN !