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Monday, October 22, 2007
NAACP Voter Education Guide: Marijuana
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Photo courtesy of here.
Where do the candidates stand in regard to the City’s anti-marijuana ordinance, which has been enforced in a racially biased manner, giving permanent criminal records to people for having small amounts of marijuana? Remember, possession of small amounts of marijuana was already illegal in Ohio. The current ordinance makes it worse.
Do you support the anti-marijuana ordinance? Please explain.
Justin Jeffre
Cincinnati’s Draconian anti-marijuana ordinance, brought to us by David Pepper and Cecil Thomas, has been enforced in a racially biased manner - entering thousands into the broken criminal injustice system. Politicians who support this will say crime is down in OTR, if that is the subject of the moment. Maybe confiscating a small number of guns prevents crime. At the same time, maybe entering people into the system makes more criminals. This law must be repealed.
Michael Earl Patton
No. I favor legalization of marijuana, treating it as we do alcohol (no driving while under the influence). The city’s current ordinance is selectively enforced and therefore disrupts people and the police from working together, which is necessary to combat crime.
Brian Garry
No, to imprison people for a non-violent crime that has virtually no communal impact seems wholly unfair and unwise (especially given our current jail over-crowding situation). I would move to repeal the ordinance.
Pat Fischer
Yes, for a defined period of time, at which point we need to reevaluate the results and conduct an honest cost-benefit review in order to consider whether or not to maintain the ordinance.
David Crowley
In March I cast one of two votes against an ordinance that criminalized the possession of 200 grams of marijuana. Though many claimed I was being soft on crime and viewed my position as unpopular—I stand by my vote. In fact the recent debate over the jail tax affirms in my mind that I made the right decision—we should focus our efforts on the most violent
Greg Harris
No. I support decriminalizing marijuana.
Gerald Berding
I am supportive of the recently modified marijuana law. Thanks to the new law, more than 100 illegal guns are off the streets. All official reports we have been provided show that offenders are not being jailed simply for minor possession.
Roxanne Qualls
I do not support the recently passed marijuana ordinance. According to a number of Hamilton County Judges, it has resulted in a colossal waste of taxpayer money tying up police and court personnel and jail space.
Mitch Painter
I do not support the anti-marijuana ordinance because it is a waste of jail space and tax payers money. We need to spend our time and effort on fighting real crime such as murders, and rapes.
Chris Bortz
Yes, it is illegal to smoke and/or possess marijuana.
Andre Harper
I do not support the anti-marijuana ordinance because I am not convinced that it is an asset to fighting crime. People should be punished for breaking the laws but I don’t think that it is productive to fill jails with petty offenses in the midst of a so-called “jail shortage.” We have to work to create more diversion programs which could result in stiff penalties for non-compliance.
Minette Cooper
No. Being arrested for this non-violent offense has the potential to completely ruin a young person’s life. Scholarships, housing, decent jobs, vanish over night – not to mention the fact that it jams up our already overcrowded jail. This ordinance is actually detrimental to the city.
Laketa Cole
Yes, we cannot say we want to get a handle on drugs and crime and then not give the police the tools they have requested to help. I believe this does not just target the sellers, but the users who come into our city.
Steven Pavelish
No. I am not a pot smoker nor have I ever been one, but locking up pot smokers does not make me feel safer.
John Eby
The Marijuana Ordinance, like all ordinances must have mechanisms in place to measure their effectiveness. If the ordinance is not achieving the expected results then city council has a duty to revisit the ordinance. Council then has the option of either modifying or eliminate the ordinance.
Cecil Thomas
Yes, as the author of the ordinance I support the intent of this ordinance. Over 100 firearms have been removed from the streets as a result of this ordinance. Importantly, other highly addictive drugs, which often accompany marijuana use, such as crack, ecstasy and heroin have been recovered. Despite my critics, I am convinced that part of the 25% reduction in Cincinnati’s homicide rate can be indirectly correlated or attributed to the removal of guns from the street, which is what this ordinance was aimed at accomplishing. Furthermore, no one is currently jailed as a direct violation of this ordinance.
Leslie Ghiz
I believe that it has provided our public safety personnel an additional an additional tool to prevent the spread of drugs and fire arms on our streets.
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22 Oct 2007 at 09:49 am | #
“Yes, it is illegal to smoke and/or possess marijuana.” -Chris Bortz
LOL. There is some circular thinking for you. He supports laws criminalizing the use & possession of, because it’s illegal.
There are decent arguments to be made on both sides of the fence. This is NOT one of them.
22 Oct 2007 at 12:10 pm | #
After an extensive study by the Deane Institute of Justice and Fair Government I, Peter A. Deane, President of the Deane Institute guess would like to give our endorsements… with these people Cincinnati will get things done. Copy out these names and you will have a winning team in Cincinnati.
1) Roxanne Qualls
2) David Crowley
3) John Cranley
4) Minette Cooper
5) Justin Jeffre
6) Andre Harper
7) Melanie Bates
8) Brian Garry
9) Cecil Thomas
22 Oct 2007 at 05:55 pm | #
We at the Deane Institute of Justice and Fair Government would like to announce that after further review and new developmentsa a few changes to our list.
We will keep this list open and if any new developments arise in which changes should be made we will make them open to the public on the Cincinnati Beacon website.
Changes
1) Roxanne Qualls
2) David Crowley
3) John Cranley
4) Minette Cooper
5) Melanie Bates
6) Justin Jeffre
7) Brian Garry
8) Cecil Thomas
9) Laketa Cole
23 Oct 2007 at 12:02 am | #
Pot?
Read this:
Pssst! Twist One Up with The American Philosopher?
http://www.geocities.com/donaldwrobertson/humannature.html
Don Robertson, The American Philosopher
23 Oct 2007 at 01:11 am | #
After reading those on council’s responses I have my own endorsement, remember it two weeks from now.
Don’t be redundant
By voting for an incumbent
24 Oct 2007 at 12:52 pm | #
Drugs are not causing violence. Drugs just sit there. They are, after all, just inanimate substances. No. All the violence is caused, rather, by the War on Drugs.
The War on Drugs is a cynical sop from politicians to voters afflicted by hysteria about and irrational phobias of certain inanimate substances.
The War on Drugs should be ended immediately.
Legalizing marijuana will not be a camel’s nose under the tent to cause hysterical folks to calm down. It is only a delaying tactic.
The only way to end the violence is to completely end the War on Drugs. No exceptions. Period.
24 Oct 2007 at 09:32 pm | #
The War on Drugs should be ended immediately.
Legalizing marijuana will not be a camel’s nose under the tent to cause hysterical folks to calm down. It is only a delaying tactic.
The only way to end the violence is to completely end the War on Drugs. No exceptions. Period.
I agree Gallaher.
01 Nov 2007 at 11:31 pm | #
David Crowley
Greg Harris
Roxanne Qualls
Andre Harper
Minette Cooper
Steven Pavelish
Mitch Painter
Brian Garry
Michael Earl Patton
Justin Jeffre