cannabisnews.com: Democracy in Peril





Democracy in Peril
Posted by CN Staff on March 19, 2004 at 09:38:39 PT
By Steve Sebelius 
Source: Las Vegas Mercury 
Your tax dollars at work: He's back, and with all-new material. The nation's drug czar, John Walters, returned to Nevada last week, talking down a renewed push to legalize up to one ounce of marijuana. Even the draconian penalties for driving under the influence (of anything) and selling marijuana to a minor aren't enough to get this drug warrior's endorsement.
Instead, Nevadans were treated to the usual parade of lies: 60 percent of the 7 million Americans who "need" drug treatment are dependent on marijuana? How can this be, when it's never been proven that marijuana is physically addictive? And aren't a good portion of those who "seek" drug treatment forced to choose between a program and prison? And we got an extra dose of fascism thrown in for free: Legalization, Walters said, is "not an area for legitimate debate." Did someone tell him he was a Russian czar instead of a federal bureaucrat? This isn't the first time Walters has waged a campaign--with tax dollars--against the citizens of a sovereign state. Back in 2002--after promising in a meeting with Review-Journal editors that he wouldn't be campaigning--Walters came to town repeatedly to denounce Question 9, which would have legalized up to three ounces of marijuana. That measure failed 61 percent to 39 percent. The fact is, the objections to legalization--and the lies that are inevitably told about the drug--are easy to defeat. So why not welcome Walters to the table? Because he's using federal tax dollars to campaign, that's why. And while the rest of the Bush administration stands against publicly financed elections, Walters seems to have no problem going from state to state and using the hard-earned money of legalization supporters to work against their wishes. If Walters wants to dip into his own pocket to hop a train to Baltimore and catch a Southwest Airlines flight to Las Vegas, rent a car and a hotel ballroom, call a news conference and screen Reefer Madness, that's fine. But if he wants to use the government's money--read, your money--to do the same thing, that's not okay. But don't look for it to stop. After the 2002 campaign, the pro-Question 9 campaign asked Secretary of State Dean Heller to demand an accounting of all the electoral advocacy Walters had been doing at government expense. To his credit, Heller sent a letter to Walters, asking him to account for his spending. Walters responded by telling Heller to mind his own business, and a subsequent attorney general's opinion said Walters doesn't have to comply with state law. And just last week, the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, told Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, that it wouldn't look into the factual accuracy of the drug czar's campaigning, since he's charged with fighting legalization. Apparently, by any means necessary. All of which means Walters is free to use your tax money to lie to you about a political issue in your state. Just remember that the next time Walters starts talking about the evils of marijuana.Source: Las Vegas Mercury (NV)Author: Steve Sebelius Published: Thursday, March 18, 2004Copyright: 2004 Las Vegas MercuryWebsite: http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/Contact: gschumacher lasvegasmercury.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:MPPhttp://www.mpp.org/Regulate Marijuanahttp://www.regulatemarijuana.org/Federal Drug Czar Rips Pot Petitionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18486.shtmlDrug Czar Critical of Marijuana Initiative http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18485.shtmlHigh Times - Las Vegas Review-Journalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18387.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by mayan on March 19, 2004 at 18:25:23 PT
Keep Talking, Johnny Pee
The more Walter's talks the more he exposes his own lies. I hope he keeps talking as Americans are getting very tired of listening to him and the entire Bush administration. Here's more on our pal, Rush...Limbaugh challenges seizure of medical records:
http://us.cnn.com/2004/LAW/03/18/limbaugh.records/index.htmlThe way out...9/11 Watchdog Group Demands End to Stonewalling and Cover-up:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/22/6e/200403190030.8228139e.htmlQuestions Ms. Rice is Avoiding by Refusing to Testify:  
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=135&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0WORLDWIDE 9/11 PHONE, FAX & EMAIL CAMPAIGN:
http://www.septembereleventh.org/alerts.php9/11 International Inquiry - San Francisco, March 26-28th: 
http://www.deceptiondollar.com/Inquiry911.htm
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on March 19, 2004 at 13:20:50 PT:
He most certainly DID, Byrd
But as soon as he made his lukewarm offer, Bruce Mirkin of MPP accepted it. We heard nothing from his camp, save for him sending "Dr." Barthwell out (hiding behind a woman's skirt's, Johnny-me-lad?) as a poor substitute to face Mr. Mirkin on PBS. Now Johnny Pee thinks he can sit on a high moral horse and proclaim as if he's the bloody Pope that this isn't a subject for debate, end of discussion?Not quite, public servant. My Congresscritters and Sin-a-tors are going to hear about this COWARDLY refusal to debate us. After all, first he offers, then he runs with tail between legs. On our dime and our time. Hardly the acts of someone with any degree of conviction. Anything as costly and destructive as the DrugWar deserves more than a sound bite...especially in these tough economic times, with millions out of work who could use the money being wasted.No matter how far you run, Johnny-me-lad, there's an army of us reformers out there, ready with hammers and nails. One of us will fasten your feet to floor eventually. You might as well turn and face us, because we're not giving up. You and your kind have forced us into extremities; you have a paycheck to be worried about, whereas we have our LIVES to protect from crazed, adrenaline-tripping DrugWarriors. Too many of us have died from your casually administered, smiley-faced fascism. Seven decades of injustice cries out for redress. We will not stop until we have it...
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Comment #6 posted by byrd on March 19, 2004 at 12:31:49 PT
Didn't Walters
look forward to debating cannabis just a few months ago? I wonder who/what changed his mind?
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on March 19, 2004 at 11:29:06 PT
all is fair in love and war
hate to use a worn out cliche. It's true though. Old man Walters can do his campaigning against cannabis by any means necessary. It's his job. He can lie, use government funds (you might think it's your money, but it's not) and at a total expense to you. He can do it. He's got the power and position to do so. Fact.He may want to re-evaluate his priorties. Everyone is entitled to his opinion. You pay for it, might as well get your 500 billion dollars worth.Send your congressman a joint. Politicians need some relief these days. These are tough days in the post-modern era. Bombs are booming everywhere, not just in Iraq.
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on March 19, 2004 at 11:06:11 PT:
Paid Liar Uses Your Tax Money
"Extremism in the opposition of legalization is no vice. Moderation in the opposition of legalization is no virtue." --some Czar guy Why? Rewind "Reefer Madness" and play it again, one more time. Oh, and don't forget to read "The Black Candle" by racist judge Emily Murphy aka Janey Canuck.
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Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on March 19, 2004 at 10:18:34 PT:
Thank you, Virgil
Yes, isn't it amazing how so many of the themes that are written about here get converted into articles days, weeks or months, later? It's a fact that the entire issue of illegal flaunting of the Hatch Act by the past and present Administrations was first broached on THIS website, and was then carried along as things 'Netwise are, into the greater Web.Now, if only the authors of those articles might deign to give credit where credit is due...
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Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on March 19, 2004 at 10:10:11 PT:
Another glaring hypocrisy, just in time
The economy is on the rocks. No new good-paying jobs have been created. The balance of trade deficit and the National Debt are at all time highs. Millions are out of jobs. Yet Uncle has money to send a man around to States where MMJ is being considered, expressly to LIE to the electorate there and slander and libel those who seek to right a terrible wrong.How many millions of dollars were spent in this dog-and-pony show? How many unemployment checks would it equal for those in desperate need? How many prescrip meds would it have bought oldsters? How many books for schools? The questions would go on *ad infinitum*, yet Uncle still acts like this is the go-go 1990's with money to burn.Not only is Walters, like Barry before him, violating the Hatch Act and endangering impartial governing, but he is wasting money that could be used for far nobler purposes. It's symptomatic of the croneyism infesting this Administration that its' minions see nothing wrong at all with this. It really, truly *is* 'business as usual' for them.
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on March 19, 2004 at 09:55:47 PT
Sounds like a Cnews reader to me
His tone is right on as they used to say. Write on, Steve. Write on.
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