Tuesday, January 13, 2009

El Paso Council fails to override Mayor's veto; knuckle under due to threats from state and federal representatives Link City Council did not override Mayor John Cook's veto of a resolution that had asked for a federal debate on the legalization of narcotics. Council voted 4-4 on the veto reversal. At least six of the eight city representatives needed to approve the item in order to override the veto. Still... Kudos to Beto O'Rourke for attempting to generate a discussion (and thereby generating a discussion), despite the certain intense opposition from entrenched drug war interests. Update: Thanks to LoLo in comments: Detailed article at NewspaperTree: The deciding factors, according to the city representatives, were the two letters received Monday. The five Texas House members of the El Paso delegation and Reyes had sent letters to El Paso City Council claiming that the resolution would be used against the city's efforts to secure funding. [View letters via links below the article] "If we had voted yesterday I would have voted in favor (of overriding the veto)," Acosta said. "I will take a personal position on this, Rep. O'Rourke if you so want but I cannot jeopardize any funding El Paso might receive." That's right - they were threatened that if they voted for a resolution calling for a "frank and honest discussion," El Paso might lose funding. How pathetic is that? From the letter from Texas House of Representatives delegation: We understand your stated goal is to bring attention to the problems that illegal drugs cause in our community and society. However, the position to ask the federal government to legalize narcotics does not bring the right attention to El Paso. It says "we give up and we don't care." Reyes' letter was actually less ignorant and offensive, though meaningless: While this resolution is well-intentioned, I believe its passage would be counterproductive to our efforts to enact an ambitious legislative agenda at the federal level. 6:50:20 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

You can't silence us Link A former Mountlake Terrace police sergeant whose views supporting the decriminalization of marijuana led to his dismissal in 2005 has won his job back and an $815,000 settlement from the city and Snohomish County. [thanks, Allan] 8:35:55 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Drug Czar Follies White House Announcement: The President intends to designate Patrick Ward, of Virginia, to be Acting Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Here's Patrick Ward's bio. Scott Morgan has some mild speculation, but I'm guessing that it's just a matter of Walters leaving and the fact that the ONDCP head is seldom one of the early appointments in an administration, so a deputy director will be taking over for awhile. (Remember Edward Jurith, the acting Director from January 5 to December 6, 2001? Nobody does.) My big question is... When? When will John Walters be walking out the door? (So I can conduct a proper celebration.) Because it can't be too soon. They're still doing stuff there. Yes, the ONDCP has a new ad. It doesn't appear to play in all browsers, but that's OK -- they've got the script there as well: COPY: This spot is shot as proud and dramatic, with uplifting, anthemic music underneath. We open on a kid in his little sister's room. COUCH KID: I stole from my little sister! Cut to a girl holding up a report card. D+ GIRL: I got straight D's! Cut to a guy on his bed. CELL PHONE GUY: I left me ex-girlfriend 27 messages last night! Cut to a girl with a woman who has been crying. GIRL: I made my mother cry! Cut to a kid who is being drawn on. DRAWN ON KID: I let people draw on me! Open on a guy sitting in his car in the drive way. KID: I ditched my friends and let them find their own way home. Cut back to shots of them looking at the camera and nodding with pride. SUPER: What has weed done for you? (LOGO & URL) They just don't get it. Who is going to respond to this message? Actually, the guy who's getting drawn on looks like he's having a good time. They all do. And the truth is that the majority of pot smokers are quite successful. Even the drug czar says that most of them are working. One of my former students confided in me just after he graduated Magna Cum Laude from the university that he had smoked pot every day of his college career. In addition to his outstanding grades, he was President of two very successful student organizations. What has weed done for you? 12:50:08 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []