American Independent Party Convention a Smashing Success.

SAN DIEGO -- Nancy Spirkoff of Descanso, San Diego County, was elected Chairman of California's American Independent Party at the organizational meeting of the party's State Central Committee, Sunday, August 1, 2004. The A.I.P. is the third largest political party in California and the nation, with almost 300,000 registered members. The A.I.P. has been continuously ballot qualified in California since 1968.

Spirkoff literally grew up in the American Independent Party. Her father, William K. Shearer, was the party's first chairman, and her mother, who served as A.I.P. state chairman from 1984-86, was the party's vice-presidential nominee in 1980. The first time Mrs. Spirkoff was old enough to cast a ballot she voted for her mother.

Joseph Banister of San Jose was elected A.I.P. Vice-Chairman. A former Internal Revenue Service officer, Banister left the agency to battle against the income tax which he believes is unconstitutional.

Other officers elected to serve with Spirkoff and Banister include: Ann Thomas of La Mesa, Secretary; Charles M. Deemer of Torrance, Treasurer; Rayna Mike King of San Bernardino, Chaplain; Cody Quirk of Corona, Sergeant-at-Arms; Jeff Grage of Simi Valley, Organizational Liasion: and William K. Shearer of Lemon Grove, Parliamentarian.

The party adopted its 2004-06 platform which places strong emphasis on getting rid of the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service which the A.I.P. would replace with a tariff based revenue system.

In other planks the A.I.P. reaffirmed its pro-life stand, opposition to outsourcing American jobs and amnesty for illegal aliens. The party opposes involvement in the war in Iraq, and reinstatement of the draft, and urges an end to debt financing of the Federal and State governments.

Proposition 62 on the November ballot met with strong opposition at the A.I.P. meeting. "Prop. 62 would effectively bar ballot position to all minority parties, such as the A.I.P.," Spirkoff said. "It is designed to deny general election choices to the voters and should be overwhelming rejected."

Tomorrow, the American Independent Party will file with the Secretary of State a full slate of electors pledged to its Presidential Nominee, Michael Anthony Peroutka. Peroutka an attorney from Pasadena Maryland, will be on the California ballot with Pastor Chuck Baldwin of Florida as his running mate.