cannabisnews.com: D.C. Marijuana Petitions Fall Short 





D.C. Marijuana Petitions Fall Short 
Posted by CN Staff on August 08, 2002 at 07:11:57 PT
By Michael Vasquez, Washington Post Staff Writer
Source: Washington Post 
The District's summer of disputed signatures spread to a new forum yesterday as a local medical marijuana advocacy group found itself butting heads with the same agency that voted last month to keep Mayor Anthony A. Williams off the Democratic primary ballot when his nominating petitions were found to be plagued with irregularities.The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, though acknowledging the possibility that its staff members made mistakes in examining the signatures, told representatives from the Marijuana Policy Project that they had failed to gather enough valid signatures to put the issue before voters. 
The group has been working to place on the ballot an initiative that would decriminalize medical use of marijuana.For the marijuana initiative to make it onto the ballot, supporters are required to submit 17,455 signatures -- representing 5 percent of the city's registered voters. That total must include 5 percent of the voters in five of the city's eight wards. Election board officials said the marijuana group had fallen about 100 signatures short of meeting the requirement in one of the five wards.But Marijuana Policy Project Executive Director Robert Kampia said the board had thrown out several hundred valid signatures for no reason. The group says it may appeal the board's decision in court.Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Michael Vasquez, Washington Post Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, August 8, 2002; Page B04 Copyright: 2002 The Washington Post Company Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Group Wants Marijuana Issue on Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13139.shtmlMedical Marijuana Ban Overturned in D.C. http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12422.shtmlRuling May Put Marijuana Measure on Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12398.shtml 
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Comment #7 posted by Industrial Strength on August 08, 2002 at 13:55:48 PT
Liberals
Liberals really do seem to be the worst at trying to protect people from themselves. At least most of the republicans seem to have some sort of sinister hidden agenda propelling their antics, not just blind idealism.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 08, 2002 at 13:41:49 PT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 7, 2002
D.C. Board of Elections Rejects Medical Marijuana PetitionsAdmits 1 Out of 7 Valid Signatures Were IgnoredWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is considering its legal options after the Washington, D.C., Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) refused to correct its erroneous omission of thousands of valid signatures for Initiative 63, the Medical Marijuana Initiative of 2002.   "The Board has acted capriciously and unfairly," said MPP Executive Director Robert Kampia. "We presented clear evidence of massive errors by the Board's staff, but the Board refused to use its discretion to uphold the will of D.C. voters."   Initiative petitions must contain valid signatures from five percent of the District's registered voters, and that total must include five percent of voters from at least five of the city's eight wards. There is no dispute that the more than 18,000 signatures accepted by the Board met the citywide requirement, but the BOEE claimed that MPP had presented enough valid signatures from only four of eight wards. In Ward 4, the board claimed MPP fell approximately 100 signatures short.   But MPP's review of the Board's work found that massive numbers of valid signatures had been falsely ruled invalid. An analysis of nearly 4,000 allegedly bad signatures found that at least 15 percent were clearly valid.   Kampia and MPP Director of Government Relations Steve Fox met with Registrar Kathy Fairley prior to the Board's deliberations and presented her with the results of the MPP's analysis. After reviewing a sample of petitions, Fairley agreed that a large number of perfectly good signatures had been erroneously disallowed -- and reported that finding to the board.   But rather than owning up to the massive errors and extrapolating the results of MPP's analysis, BOEE Chairman Benjamin F. Wilson insisted that MPP must either verify each and every falsely invalidated signature -- a project that would cost the nonprofit group approximately 400 person-hours of staff time, on top of the 100 hours already spent identifying and correcting the Board's mistakes -- or trust the same staff that made the errors in the first place to re-check their work.   "This is outrageous," Kampia said. "Whether out of malice or simple incompetence, the Board screwed up, and now they insist that our staff and members must shoulder the burden of fixing their mistakes. That's not acceptable. The Board of Elections and Ethics has fraudulently disenfranchised thousands of District voters and then refused to take responsibility for its actions. We didn't pick this fight, but we will win it."   The Marijuana Policy Project works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana -- both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. In association with Students for Sensible Drug Policy, MPP will hold its first national conference -- featuring a special appearance by comedian Bill Maher -- on November 8-10 in Anaheim, California.
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Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on August 08, 2002 at 13:36:39 PT
Buckley was a liberal pusher not a Bible pusher
Secular liberals can fill themselves with on dreams of total social control too. As far as i can tell, Buckley was a bonafide Clinton Democrat. Where I am right now, the environmentalist animal rights people have succeeded in creating a community just as boring and restrictive and filled with senseless taboos as any Bible Belt community.Today I found out that I have to walk my bike along a trail rather than ride it down the trail, despite the fact that my skinny bike tires make a lot less impact on the trail without my two big feet stomping next to them.I've been riding down that trail for three years and it never got bigger from people riding down it, it was always a skinny little trail, and I see no positive impact whatsoever from the new rule that I must dismount and walk my bike.Bible pushers did not do that. That was done to me by my own kind. It is a rule that makes no real sense but it makes the people who made it feel good because it gives them the impression they have done something. They can pat each other on the back and say, "Well we took care of that!" and go have a beer.The urge to construct social controls on human behavior beyond absolute necessity knows no ideological or religious boundaries, I'm afraid.
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Comment #4 posted by dimebag on August 08, 2002 at 12:09:12 PT
Poor Journalism
If you go to this URL: http://www.marijuana.org/RockyMountain9-22-99.html
I found that the journalist wrote (in favor) well maybe not in favor of the mayor, but almost discredited the fact that she purpously kept the innitiative off the ballot. The writer had this to say:"A new petition count has revealed that the late Secretary of State Victoria Buckley made a mistake when she kept the initiative off the ballot for lack of signatures."She made a Mistake.... Like it wasnt her fault. These people had 257 Valid Votes over the number they needed. But this woman decided to take it upon her self to "Take The High Moral Ground" and protect every one from themselfs.This is EXACTLY why we need a Better Seperation of Church and State. Its this type of Bible Pusher that tells people not to dance, or play rock n roll. The Extremest that will go over the edge just because her "MORALS" couldnt let this happen, even if it meant she had to Break the Law. I dont mind Christians being in Office, but when it comes down to it what type of christians get into office now adays. Lets See. There's John Ashcroft, Asa Hutchinson, Dubbya, Dick Cheney and all sorts of Misguided Religious Zealouts in office; Weather it be Senator or Congressmen, they Decide our rights and freedoms. Do we really want to put these people in office? When it comes down to decision making time do you think they are gonna think "Humm whats truely Better for our Society" or "Humm, What morals do I have that contardict whats should be right". We should be a society built on "Ideas" not "Beleifs". Its easier to change an Idea then it is a Beleif. If you have a good Idea for a long time and see something that would completely alter that idea you wouldnt have a problem changing your idea to that Idea. ie: Ive got a good Idea that God doesnt exist and then one day the devil appears before me turns a car into a chicken and then dissapears only after turning that chicken into an Elephant. I would then beleife that God Exists. But If I were Devout Christian all my life and One day Aliens Came to our Plannet just to tell us that we are not the creation of a "GOD" but were created by them as a 10,000 yr long experiment to see how a class 0 society develops its self over that period of time, well then I would Not beleive One word of this. I would come to beleive that It is some hoax and would not tolerate one more suggestion like it.Hopefully you get my Point. Its better to have Ideas not Beleifs. And these people have been Drilled with beleifs all their lives, so far to the point of no return.Dimebag....Thanx GCW.
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on August 08, 2002 at 10:49:15 PT
E J there IS more... AND NOW THE REST 
OF THE STORY.Some people visiting Colorado, mentioned something about the marijuana law just passed, Amendment 21 or 20 and couldn’t remember which it was. I said I have a story inspired by God that will help you remember which one it is, forever.  You know our creator basically decides when we come and go. There are too many coincidences that occur to simply call it chance. I believe in the Lords timing, which is too great to underestimate! Those coincidences are of the Lords control and may have more signs than we usually will catch. Time, perhaps, is the Lords currency. Timing is of Gods time. We are here on Gods time and NO ONE has ever been able to escape that fact.You'r familiar with the underground code for lighting up a joint, bowl, or bong etc. and getting high? It is 4:20, and so at 4:20 in the afternoon people have been firing up around the world for many years. A few years ago, a group of citizens organized to get enough signed petitions to put a medical marijuana initiative on the ballot. Colorado Secretary of State Victoria Buckley miscounted the petition signatures and ruled it inadequate whereby the organized group etc. took the matter to court and the judge ordered Buckley to recount the petitions, but again Buckley, came up short. With so many more signatures than what was needed the group knew this was wrong, and vowed to fight it further. So it then would be left on the actual ballot ‘cause the decision came after it could be removed from the ballot, yet Buckley said the ballot would not count. Election Exit polls showed it would have passed app. 60% to %40. Well, after the election, one day, all of a sudden Victoria Buckley dies of heart failure while in office, with enough uncounted signed petitions in her desk to have made the ballot measure legal. Here we have a young, person who the Lord has decided to take at this very instance, having those uncounted petitions hidden in her private desk, becoming exposed. I do not think our creator gets pleasure from seeing someone, cage someone for using cannabis. The Lord, perhaps even LESS gets pleasure from seeing someone, cage someone, for using cannabis for necessary health reasons. This is an example of our creator showing us, blatantly, that the truth will be exposed, always, as written in the Bible. We’re given the sign. Luke 12:2. John 8:32. But that is not the only sign God gives us.Now for the rest of the story.Once the truth became evident, the new Colorado Secretary of State automatically put the amendment on the next election ballot. It was on the old ballot as Amendment 19, when Buckley didn’t count it. Now, through the power of the Lords timing, it was automatically placed as the first proposition on the 2000 Ballot and now known as Amendment 20. It appears that through the Lords will it automatically went from Amendment 19 to 20, just like that. In the Colorado underground in quickly became known as VOTE 4:20! That is not just a coincidence that pro cannabis types can control, but a big kick by our Father in Heaven, showing a sign, we should all be able to get. Young people across the state, who do not trust the government and display deep contempt for government’s use of patent lies to perpetuate the war for profit, concerning the issue of cannabis, received the message from our creator, loud and clear. Does this help show our Lords interest on the issue?This may be a good time to prey to our creator, prey for Victoria Buckley and ask to know the truth…That you may use the truth to set you and your neighbor free. To know the truth about how to treat our neighbors who choose to use cannabis. To see the signs, in Gods perfect time. Gods perfect timing. Prey, that you will never be the departed in 1 Timothy 4:1-5. Prey for those the departed.Our brothers and neighbors who are sick and wish to use cannabis might as well be saying, I desire compassion and not sacrifice. My neighbor may ask that you give mercy and compassion, instead of sacrifice, like Christ in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7. Through Christ, all things including the mercy and compassion are possible.I will vote for leaders who are not afraid of making the necessary changes in our countries drug laws. Those who vote to cage are the problem in our society not cannabis. 
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on August 08, 2002 at 09:02:31 PT
Vicki Buckley in Colorado
Send the Post a letter about Vicki Buckley. She died of congestive heart failure while in office and her successor Donetta Davidson found 66 valid signed petitions locked in her desk.http://www.marijuana.org/RockyMountain9-22-99.htmlBuckley was a Democrat with heavy liberal public service creds. It was quite a shock to see that kind of criminal behavior from someone with her political pedigree.It's not unimaginable that they are literally resorting to criminal behavior in DC to disqualify the measure.Someone neeeds to call for a criminal investigation! It is quite possible there really is something happening that is crooked, it happened before.
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on August 08, 2002 at 07:17:54 PT:
A Level Playing Field?
One has to seriously question whether fair play is operative in this situation. Remember the bureaucrat in Colorado that died, trying to take valid clinical cannabis petitions to the grave with her?This anti-democratic trend smacks of the old fascist and communist regimes. 
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