cannabisnews.com: McCall and Golisano Want Medical Marijuana Debate McCall and Golisano Want Medical Marijuana Debate Posted by CN Staff on October 15, 2002 at 23:14:38 PT By Marc Humbert, Associated Press Source: Associated Press Albany, NY - Democratic candidate for governor H. Carl McCall and Independence Party candidate B. Thomas Golisano came out Tuesday for legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. The two challengers also called on Republican Gov. George Pataki to participate in three-way debates instead of the Sunday encounter in New York City which featured the three of them plus four other minor-party candidates. Another seven-candidate session is scheduled for this coming Sunday in Syracuse. Spokesmen for Pataki rejected the calls for medical marijuana and for three-way debates. ''Experts at the state Health Department are not convinced this is the appropriate response,'' said Pataki spokesman Robert Hinckley. Hinckley said department officials felt there were other, legal drugs that ''provide the same relief.'' Questions about marijuana arose after Golisano, the billionaire businessman from Rochester, scheduled a news conference for Wednesday in Albany to make a case for allowing it to be used by sick people. Golisano was also to unveil a new campaign TV ad calling for medical marijuana. Asked about legalizing marijuana for medical use, McCall spokesman Steven Greenberg said the state comptroller ''supports that as long as it is prescribed by a doctor or other health care professional.'' Meanwhile, Golisano campaign manager Charles Halloran and Greenberg said the two campaigns were seeking venues that would sponsor three-way debates between Pataki, McCall and Golisano. Halloran said he had raised the possibility with McCall campaign aides of the two challengers skipping the Syracuse debate, but that idea had been rejected by McCall. Halloran said Golisano felt the seven-candidate format was ''worthless and a waste of time.'' ''Carl thinks the debate Sunday was a circus and a disservice to the people of the state,'' Greenberg said. McCall also wants a one-on-one debate against Pataki. Pataki campaign spokesman Michael McKeon said the governor would not agree to three-way or two-way debates. ''We had a great debate on Sunday and are looking forward to another one this coming Sunday,'' the Pataki aide said. ''Then we take our case directly to the people.'' Pataki has insisted all minor-party candidates be included in debates, a strategy the McCall and Golisano camps claim is designed to shield the two-term governor from their attacks. Also Tuesday, McCall rebuked Pataki for what the state comptroller called ''a record of neglect, indifference and mismanagement'' in delivering health care. And, in an interview with The New York Times, McCall said the Republican governor lacked a political ideology. ''Governor Pataki has refused to acknowledge that health care is in trouble in New York, and he has offered no plan to improve health care administration or services,'' McCall said. ''Decisions about health care are being made by and for industry executives and GOP fund-raisers, not providers or patients.'' McCall said the governor has done too little to address a shortage of nurses. In response, a coordinator for the 27,000-member Nurse Alliance of New York State issued a statement saying Pataki's record in support of nurses was ''second to none.'' Meanwhile, the Republican governor added to his string of endorsements by picking up the backing on Tuesday of bodega owners. The support from the 7,000-member New York City-based Bodega Owners Association of the United States marked yet another victory for Pataki in his effort to snare Hispanic voters. Trailing in fund-raising and in the polls, McCall kept up the pressure on Pataki, once again charging that the governor was in large part responsible for the impending state budget crisis. Estimates of the state's budget gap for the fiscal year that begins April 1 have ranged from $5 billion to $10 billion or more. This year's entire state budget is worth about $89 billion. In a lengthy interview with the Times for its Tuesday editions, McCall said Pataki had not done enough to prepare the state, during boom years, for such a downturn. And, McCall accused Pataki of blowing with the political winds in search of votes to help win a third term. ''He has no real ideology,'' the state comptroller told The Times. ''He is a pragmatist and goes where he thinks people want to see him.'' Pataki, having moved to the political center during his second term, has had great success in recent months picking off the support of prominent Democrats and traditionally Democratic labor unions. Complete Title: McCall and Golisano Want Medical Marijuana and Three-Way Debates Source: Associated Press Author: Marc Humbert, Associated PressPublished: Tuesday, October 15, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles:Format Leaves Little Room For Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14451.shtmlPataki Agrees to Debate, but on a Crowded Stagehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14438.shtmlCandidate Fires Up Campaign for Pot Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14243.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by FoM on October 17, 2002 at 19:12:24 PT CongressmanSuet I won't stop posting them. A number of New York papers must be snipped so I'll pass on them but will post Associated Press and papers that are ok to use. If the article stays on Marijuana but doesn't go off into a long political rant about other issues I will post it for sure. I've seen the commercials and he is getting the words Medical Marijuana on the air and I appreciate that.Golisano Proposes Medicinal Use of Marijuana: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread14472.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by CongressmanSuet on October 17, 2002 at 18:51:37 PT NY Gov. race... Please dont stop posting articles on this race. of course we all know Cannabis is getting a political boost so to say from this exposure, and anything positive needs to be told. This is turning out to be an interesting race, and considering the area of the country affected, its quite important. Thanks, FoM. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 16, 2002 at 17:34:02 PT Also Golisano's med-pot ads can be viewed in AVI or Quicktime at:http://www.golisano.com/press/MedicalMarijuana.htmAnd I wanted to pass along a bit of an article from p2 of the 10/15/02 Chicago Sun Times about the Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State, Matt Beauchamp. Part of an email Matt sent to author Mark Brown reads:"As for your hero Perez getting his number retired, here's the truth: Perez is a klutz who fell onto a railroad track while watching suspected drug dealers. If drugs were legal, this never would have happened. Any cop who dies in that fashion has no sympathy from me. People whould be free to treat their bedies as they like - eat fatty foods... smoke cigarettes, joints, snort blow, whatever. When the government comes in and decides they know best - well, I can't get too teary-eyed when they lost one of their own trying to enforce idiotic laws."Further on in the same article, Mark Brown says: "Beauchamp not only admitted inhaling, he said he liked it. As to whether marijuana would impede his ability to perform the secretary of state's duties, Beauchamp said: 'You guys can make me smoke an entire fattie by myself, then stick me in a room with [opponents] Jesse and Kris, and I bet you $5,000 I'll still score higher on an IQ test than either of them.'"Too bad the secretary of state doesn't have any impact on the drug war... but he's still got my vote. His website is unusual for a political campaign, in that it's often quite funny - on purpose! For example, check out the 'endorsements' section. Matt Beauchamp for Illinois Secretary of State [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 16, 2002 at 17:24:11 PT Whatever! I don't care if the laws are changed because the ruling elite is compassionate towards our cause, or if it's just some self-serving hypocritical doo-doo. As long as we get the laws to change in the way we've been wanting, it's all good. Heck, we probably have a better chance of changing the laws the second way anyway.Golisano is head of Paychex, a payroll outsourcing firm. (Disclosure: I know this because I have a few shares in the company. It's been pretty good to me, even in the recent fiscal toilet-flush of an economy.) Does anyone know if Paychex pee-tests? I don't remember hearing anything about it either way. I try not to invest in companies that do, but it's not always the easiest info to discover.Speaking of the whiz quiz, has anyone else been enjoying the recent days of "Out of the Gene Pool"? It's a comic strip which is relatively new to me, but lately the father has been forced to undergo a urinalysis, to quite humorous results... the website below apparently gets the comic a week behind the newspapers, so I can't find the specific strips which deal with the issue just yet. The strip is usually apolitical, which makes this series all the more enjoyable... Out of the Gene Pool [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 16, 2002 at 11:47:25 PT A Question I keep finding articles on the New York govenor's race. I know they don't mean they believe in medical marijuana but it is a good issue to grab a hold of for them. Posting articles that aren't for an honest reason really bothers me. Unless you all think I should I'm going to keep passing on these articles. Please let me know if you really believe this is a serious issue or just the use of our plant for their own gains. Thanks. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Darwin on October 16, 2002 at 08:31:05 PT Run off elections In response to P4me's points below: Run off elections are a great idea and we should work to implement them. Republicrats are very wary of them though, as they represent a major threat to the stranglehold the two party system has on the power in this country.The reason we need it is this: Americans today seem more likely to vote against who they hate, than to vote for who they like. With runoff elections, they can vote for who they want (IE: 3rd party), and then vote against the two dem or rep in a runoff. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 16, 2002 at 08:17:07 PT Related Article Inhaling Deep, Golisano Backs Legal MarijuanaBy Josh BensonJust days after making news by calling for the repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws, billionaire Independence Party candidate Tom Golisano will begin a massive new advertising blitz to call for the legalization of medical marijuana.The 30-second spot, produced by Golisano media consultant Erick Mullen, opens with images of a doctor caring for a sick patient. "Many of us know people suffering from painful, serious illness," says Mr. Golisano’s voice. "In 1980," he continues, now talking directly to the viewer, "New York was the first state in the country to make medical marijuana legal. But it has never been implemented, so thousands of people continue to suffer. Can George Pataki or Carl McCall really change this? They have taken thousands from the giant drug companies who want to protect their monopoly. I will fix this because I am not obligated to these companies. It’s time to help those who are suffering."http://www.observer.com/pages/frontpage1.asp [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by p4me on October 16, 2002 at 08:12:48 PT The largest minority rule You know me by now. I get a horse with fresh legs and beat it until it no longer wants to run. My issue now is the idea that majority rule is no longer relevant and that the reason all of this is done is to block out the emergence of a third party. With 3 out of 4 Americans not buying the DEA pretend game of Marijuana isn't medicine, isn't the big question, how can we all be ignored. I surely think so. Of course the position stands because the two parties have entrenched themselves with all the institutions, the media, and a lock on corporate power as displayed by the Replicrats. It was this New York issue where it appears to me that theoretically a winner could only have 15% of the vote that even made me think that a majority was not needed to be elected to office. I want to employ some repetition on the subject as what I am saying may sink in with some people. It will be all but impossible to change much of anything as long as the two parties can block out third parties with this new Fascist doctrine of the largest minority rules. Here is my second email of today and I say it is directly related to any reform of any type including cannabis reform. I am undertaking the task of writing one person a day about a subject I only know to call "The Largest Minority Rule." Today I will make you my second email of the day and to be honest with you what follows is a copy of my first letter. What I have to say is not a detailed elaboration of an idea. It will either register with you as a big deal or it won't. Let me briefly explain.Just like I was not familiar with what Fascism was much less its prevalence, I was not familiar with the fact that majority rule is no longer applicable as general policy in America. We are familiar with the French having to have a run-off for President because the first election did not yield a majority from a multitude of candidates. Brazil will be having their heads-on election to select their President in the upcoming days, because their recent election did not yield a majority. I would say it is true in Colombia even though there was a majority on the first election. I think it is the rule in the Netherlands. Actually, I thought the idea that it took a majority to win an election an all but universal belief. Then I find out it is not so in America of all places.The situation that raised my awareness came from New York State where 7 candidates are running for Governor. Now with a "Largest Minority Rule" the person elected might not even have a fourth of the voter's support. That flies in the face of what I thought was just accepted policy that you had to have a majority of the votes to get elected. Now, I am not from New York and I do not know their rules.I am from North Carolina where there are three candidates running for the Senate seat being vacated by Jesse Helms. You have Bowles and Dole and a Libertarian named Hugh. Having come to the belief that the two parties are just factions of a Fascist government, I want to vote for Hugh. Now a third party candidate would be lucky to come in second the way the system is run, but if it did happen in North Carolina there is no way the front runner would have 50%Now in France an energized party managed to place second in the first election. This gave it a platform that gave it a chance to get its message out even though it would not be mainstream enough even to win the run-off election. It is my belief that this policy of letting the largest minority rule flies in the face of reason and is just another political tool to keep the power in the hands of the two parties that have now abandoned the people in favor of corporate interest. Like I said, it either will strike you as a big deal or it won't. I just wanted to hand you a seed and what you do with it now is all in your hands. I will add that there were 10 superb articles at CounterPunch last Sunday and that I read CounterPunch at least 9 out of every 10 days. Thank you for your time.1 [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 16, 2002 at 07:41:38 PT Just a Note Hi Everyone,Here is an article about New York. This is a snipped source so I'm just posting the link. I really don't want to do many articles that are political like this is. I know it is not really genuine and I mind people trying to use our issue to get elected and then they forget about our wishes. I could never be a politican.Golisano Wants to Legalize Med. MarijuanaBy Joseph Spector, Gannett News ServiceWednesday, October 16, 2002ROCHESTER -- Gubernatorial candidate B. Thomas Golisano is proposing the state legalize medical marijuana for terminally and seriously ill patients. Golisano scheduled a press conference for today in Albany to announce his plans. An ad began running Tuesday night in New York City that knocks Gov. George Pataki for not approving the law, saying he's beholden to pharmaceutical companies opposed to it. "Doctors, not politicians, should be deciding how to care for their patients," Golisano spokesman Erick Mullen said. Marijuana Reform Party candidate Thomas Leighton torched Golisano's plan. "It's an act of political opportunism," he said. Leighton said Golisano's campaign asked him last week for assistance in putting together the ads. Leighton said he didn't want to help because Golisano doesn't seem genuine about the issue or other recent proposals, such as free tuition for some college students and repealing the state's harsh drug sentencing laws. http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20021016/localregional/295774.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by st1r_dude on October 16, 2002 at 06:33:13 PT hey scott you got my vote - today and in november...good to see a choice of candidates willing to put cannabis as a high priority in their campaigns...best wishes -i'm so amazed that pataki fumbled the ball on the rockefellar drug law issue...i'm SO convinced that politicians will say whatever they want to get votes, then change their mind and do whatever the highest dollar contributor asks for...time to clean house in american politics...out with the old, in with the new...sure would be nice to get reasonable honest politicians in office...probably a pipe dream ? hehehyou ever consider visiting the southern tier area of new york ? i bet you'll get alot of potential supporters over here.st1r [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by DdC on October 16, 2002 at 01:32:29 PT LZ News... Date: 15 Oct 2002 04:54:03 -0000 From: "Scott Jeffrey" Subject: Please vote for me as winner of governor debatePlease take a quick second and vote for me on the ABC online poll asking who won the gubernatorial debates: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/election2002/index.htmlOnly 400 votes have been cast, so your help will make an enormous difference. If you'd like to see me debate Gov. Pataki and my other five opponents, please visit: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_101302_debate.html#But please be sure to vote for me first. ;)Thanks! Date: 16 Oct 2002 03:59:34 -0000 From: "Scott Jeffrey" Subject: Debate PostmortemI was quite pleased with how the governor's debate went for me. I felt I was the only candidate that delivered clear messages during the debates, and I managed to produce the best sound bite for the spillover media coverage.I delivered all my messages twice, helping to insure that they were remembered. I spoke on: empowering youth; ending corporate welfare; repealing the cigarette tax; expanding choice in the public school system; and needing 50,000 votes for victory. I was also able to mention that I'm pro-marijuana legalization, pro-gay marriage and pro-gun rights.The most "provocative" and "memorable" moment (according to the following day's papers) occurred when the Marijuana Reform candidate claimed to have the "only constituency in America that wants to pay taxes [in exchange for legalization]." I immediately joked, "Well, I'm a pot smoker that doesn't want to pay more taxes."This perfectly encapsulated the social liberal, fiscal conservative Libertarian message and made nearly all the coverage. Although not quite at the level of, "I didn't inhale," I have had a number of voters on the street quote me verbatim. No other candidate was able to define himself. I was able -- and through humor, not rhetoric.And best of all, I "came out" in front of Gov. Pataki while hundreds of thousands of my fellow New Yorkers watched. Hopefully I might serve as an inspiration to help us all lose our fear.To read the full transcript, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/13/nyregion/14DEBA_FTXT.html Or to view the debate with Real streaming: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_101302_debate.html# -- Scott Jeffrey Legalize Founder and President Libertarian for GovernorEmpower Youth / Legalize Marijuana / Choice in Educationscottyj legalize.com http://www.legalize.com http://www.votejeffrey.com [ Post Comment ] Post Comment