Libertarian Party of Michigan Holds Convention

For Immediate Release
May 5, 1997
Contact: Tim O'Brien, State Chair
(313) 562-5778

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. The Libertarian Party of Michigan held its annual convention at the Holiday Inn in Traverse City the weekend of May 3 and 4. Michigan's largest "minor" party elected Tim O'Brien from Allen Park, a writer and long-time party activist, its new Chair. Ms. Stacy Van Oast of Richmond was chosen Vice Chair. Ben Bachrach of Dearborn was elected Secretary. David Nagy of Livonia was re-elected to the Treasurer post. In addition, Mark Heil of Harrison Township, Doug MacDonald of Whitmore Lake, Keith Edwards of St. Clair Shores, Ben Steele II of Durand, and James McAbee of Romeo were elected as At-large Directors.

The new Chair of the country's fifth largest state affiliate of the Libertarian Party agreed with Joseph Bast of the Chicago-based, libertarian think tank, Heartland Institute, who observed in his Saturday night banquet speech that libertarians had already demolished the socialist idea. "It is far easier for me -- coming into this role at a time when the forces of collectivism and central planning are in stumbling, inglorious retreat," O'Brien said. "Now, celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Kurt Russell, even news anchor, Hugh Downs, are calling themselves 'Libertarians.' It is actually becoming hip to be Libertarian," he added. "We've come a long way since the founding of this party a quarter of a century ago. And I plan to work hard over the next year to justify the faith my fellow Libertarians have placed in me."