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+--- Thread: Question for Council Candidates (/showthread.php?tid=7151)
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Question for Council Candidates - jade - 04-06-2010
Aloha James and Loren,
Where do you stand on legalizing marijuana?
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Steve Bohlert - 04-06-2010
I agree that this is an important issue. The people spoke at our last election passing the lowest priority law, and the police just ignore it. I thought the police were there to serve and protect the people according to the will of the people as their public servants. They are county police and should put a priority on county laws, not state and federal laws. They work for us, but there is no accountability. The police commission is useless, and the prosecutors are in violation of the law also.
Universalist Radha-Krishnaism: A Spirituality of Liberty, Truth, and Love
http://www.radha-krishnaism.org
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Bob Orts - 04-06-2010
quote:Can you cite a verifiable example of the police ignoring the law since it's passage?
Originally posted by Steve Bohlert
I agree that this is an important issue. The people spoke at our last election passing the lowest priority law, and the police just ignore it.
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Rob Tucker - 04-06-2010
To the best of my knowledge the Police Commission consists of nine members, one from each district, and that Puna has no member on the board at this time. The seat is vacant. No one in the community apparently has stepped forward to volunteer for the commission.
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Steve Bohlert - 04-06-2010
A couple of ex-cops told me that. They read the law, but it has no effect on their enforcement procedures.
Universalist Radha-Krishnaism: A Spirituality of Liberty, Truth, and Love
http://www.radha-krishnaism.org
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Steve Bohlert - 04-06-2010
The recent report by the police published in the TH awhile ago mentioned hundreds of low level busts.
Universalist Radha-Krishnaism: A Spirituality of Liberty, Truth, and Love
http://www.radha-krishnaism.org
RE: Question for Council Candidates - james weatherford - 04-06-2010
quote:
Originally posted by jade
Aloha James and Loren,
Where do you stand on legalizing marijuana?
"legalizing" in contrast to "decriminalizing", right?
My view on this is in part shaped by my having grown up on a tobacco farm in a time when tobacco was "legalized" but could only be produced in limited quantities ('quota') with crop area measured every year by the U.S. government, and the product was marketed under a highly regulated U.S. government program. And this happened to be in a part of the country where whiskey making, in times of prohibition and not, illegal and not, is a tradition.
As a citizen, I reckon it is way past time to stop prohibition. It wastes money and lives and achieves no useful purpose. There are lots of ideas afloat about taxes and dispensaries and growing.
What will work best? That needs discovery and the sooner the better.
In the meantime, it is long over due to recognize that current law and policy is a disaster and the dialogue and action must begin to move away from this disaster.
As a candidate for Hawaii County Council, I recognize that the County government has no jurisdictional authority over "legalizing" cannabis. That does not mean that the Hawaii County Council has no role in moving our local community away from the current disastrous law and policy situation.
A critical role for the Hawaii County Council is provided for in implementation of Hawaii County's ‘Lowest Law Enforcement Priority of Cannabis Ordinance’.
As a Council member, my position will be to proceed with implementation of this ordinance as approved by the voters.
As required by the ordinance...
In the budget process I will ensure there is no funding appropriation inconsistent with the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority policy; and,
Also, as required by the ordinance...
I will introduce community oversight legislation to:
i.provide procedures for the Council, Police Chief, and Police Commission to receive grievances regarding violation of the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority policy; and
ii.establish reporting on implementation of the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority policy.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
RE: Question for Council Candidates - mdd7000 - 04-06-2010
Lowest priority and adult personal use do not include people growing large numbers of plants, possessing guns, (usually unregistered) and scales and the materials to package and resell the product.
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Loren Baker - 04-06-2010
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aloha James and Loren,
Where do you stand on legalizing marijuana?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
I stand where I have always stood. James and I see eye to eye on this subject, as many of you may have read before. I will let someone else argue the moral, ethical, or medical aspects.
The US spends over $50 BILLION on fighting a useless, unwinable war. Imagine what our state could do with our share of that money? And that is before we realize the taxes on a packaged product.
I fully believe we will see this on the ballot in the near future, IF California passes their law in November.
As a council person, I will champion the cause of the voters and fully support the Lowest Law Priority ordinance. I am not adverse to introducing further legislation geared towards the eventual decriminalization of personal use for adults. Unlike the legislation introduced by Mr. Greenwell a few weeks back, I would like to write legislation which does not eliminate all credibility from those proposing it.
This is the point where I must state again that neither my wife nor I grow it, buy it, smoke it, or use it. But we have no objections if you do.
Remember, it is still against the law at this time. People keep saying the police are taking away homes and property for this crime. Actually, it is the judicial system. So we need to work with our state legislators to return sovereign power to the people and eliminate siezure of property as a possible punishment for this crime.
Loren Baker
baker4puna.com
RE: Question for Council Candidates - Bob Orts - 04-07-2010
quote:It also does not mean NO enforcement. I think the problem is many people have not read the law and do not understand it. They want it to say something it does not based on the PR campaign to get the initiative on the ballot and the PR campaign since its passage. The ironic thing about the initiative is the flaws in the wording were known prior to being placed on the ballot, but everyone was afraid to rewrite it because it probably would have been defeated.
Originally posted by mdd7000
Lowest priority and adult personal use do not include people growing large numbers of plants, possessing guns, (usually unregistered) and scales and the materials to package and resell the product.
I still challenge anyone to show me these so called examples of mass violations from the standpoint of law enforcement. Everyone is saying the law is being violated, but to date, nobody has shown examples. There may be an isolated one or two, but not the wholesale ignoring of the law so many is claiming. It's even more embarrassing to see the desperation some will go to so as to garner support for their needs based on nothing.
Hate to say it but claims of massive government ignoring of the law is no different than claiming the state is forcing vaccinations and quarantines.