4/27/94
The Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet) received a very nice quarter of a page write-up in the "Drug Policy Action" section of the Drug Policy Foundation's spring 1994 newsletter. The article, "Get On-Line for Drug Reform", describes the email/fax "rapid- response team", and includes subscription information for receiving the DRCNet monthly "what-you-can-do" newsletter. The first issue of this newsletter (I'm taking suggestions for a name) is in production, and I am hoping to have the first issue printed in time for the upcoming Harvard/Civil Liberties Union Drug Conference and Debate. To this end, I am seeking small gifts or loans to the organization to help with the starting costs of publishing a monthly newsletter. The first round of start up costs includes:
postage $175
printing $200
phone installation $ 90
miscellaneous $ 50
total $515.
This is only the first round of investment. If the DRCNet newsletter is successful, the second round of investment will include such items as a fax machine, laser printer, and database and desktop publishing software.
Those of you who are interested in helping with these start up costs can help in any of three ways:
1) Subscribe to the newsletter, $12 per year for 12 issues. (But for
the sake of honesty I have to tell you that as an email subscriber you
will receive the same material, albeit less pretty, for free.) International
subscriptions are $17 per year.
2) Donations -- no amount is too small! If a hundred people all give five
dollars, the entire first round of costs will be covered. Because of the
explicitly political nature of DRCNet, donations are not tax-deductible.
3) Loans -- money lent to DRCNet will be paid back out of subscription or other revenues, as early as possible, but within a year at the latest. Again, no amount is too small.
Checks should be made payable to DRCNet or Drug Reform Coordination Network, and can be sent to P.O. Box 381813, Cambridge, MA 02238-1813.
The DRCNet newsletter is meant to be a clearinghouse of activist information for the entire drug reform movement. During this week and next week, over three hundred letters will go out to activist groups and individuals around the country, asking them to provide DRCNet with information on what activists in their state can do to help the cause. (This is a significant portion of the postage cost listed above). These include all the chapters of ACLU, NORML, FAMM and FEAR, and over a hundred other organizations, and the information requested includes legislation to support or oppose, projects to get involved in, local organizers to get in touch with to volunteer, and anything else the respondents think is important.
Email DRCNet subscriptions are and will continue to be completely free of charge. Email subscribers should feel free to redistribute any and all DRCNet materials as they see fit. DRCNet is in the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization in the state of Massachusetts.
- Dave Borden
If you like what you see here and want to get these bulletins by e-mail, please fill out our quick signup form at http://www.drcnet.org/signup.html.
