cannabisnews.com: Santa Fe Resolution Would Blast Johnson 





Santa Fe Resolution Would Blast Johnson 
Posted by FoM on October 08, 1999 at 07:42:48 PT
By Miguel Navrot, Journal Staff Writer
Source: ABQ Journal
SANTA FEAdd City Councilor Peso Chavez to the list of public officials who disagree with Gov. Gary Johnson's recent drug comments. 
The longtime city lawmaker is denouncing Johnson's recent statements, especially his likening marijuana to alcohol and tobacco use in terms of social cost. "To discuss these issues is acceptable. To conclude what the governor has is irresponsible," said Chavez, who also is sponsoring a resolution denouncing recent Johnson comments in Washington, D.C. Chavez joins Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley, White House drug policy director Barry McCaffrey, state Senate Minority Leader L. Skip Vernon and other lawmakers who have taken issue with Johnson. Chavez isn't the only area official upset. During an Española Public Schools board meeting Wednesday, school board President Joe Guillen said he had encountered children who told him it was all right for them to use drugs because of the governor's support of legalization. "It doesn't do us good to have people like the governor saying marijuana should be legal," Guillen said. At the request of school board member José Benito Chavez, Guillen said he will draft a resolution opposing the governor's drug views for a vote at the school board's next regular meeting on Oct. 19. "If (Johnson) used drugs, too bad," said José Chavez, who is not related to Peso Chavez. "We don't want our kids using them." Johnson, who took his drug-war challenge to Washington earlier this week for a series of public speeches, has said he smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine in the 1970s. He recently called marijuana use "a bad choice," but also said children are lied to through anti-drug government propaganda. The governor also recently said trying marijuana for the first time is "kind of cool." That's one statement Peso Chavez has a problem with. "This hurts New Mexico," he said. In a draft of the resolution he is sponsoring, Chavez charges Johnson has changed his drug policy stance from favoring debate to "outright resolute support for legalization of marijuana, heroin and other illicit drugs." The proposed resolution also states Johnson has "never seen the real face of drug use, the bright young lives extinguished by heroin overdose, the thousands of children who suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of drug-addicted parents, the countless innocent victims of drugged drivers and the victims of increase crime." The resolution, if approved, calls for a copy of the denouncement to be sent to each municipality and county in the state, urging them to consider adopting a similar resolution "so that the people of this great nation will know that New Mexicans do not share the view of its governor on this critical issue." Chavez, a registered Democrat, also said the resolution is not directed at the Republican Party and shouldn't be viewed as partisan politics. Chavez also said his effort shouldn't be construed as an attack on fellow Councilor Cris Moore. Moore has recently said he agrees with Johnson's call for a debate on the drug issue. However, he said he hadn't seen Chavez's proposal yet and couldn't comment on the wording, but said he agreed that "under no circumstance" should heroin be legalized. "If someone is addicted to drugs, that should be viewed as a health problem, not a crime," Moore said. Moore also has said smoking marijuana is "stupid, boring and harmful." Chavez and Moore have clashed in recent months on a few topics, but most notably on an ethics inquiry. Moore had asked city officials whether a Public Service Company of New Mexico contract Chavez's security firm had bid on and acquired violated the city's ethics code. A hearing officer eventually announced Chavez did nothing wrong. "That's in the past," Chavez said Thursday. "I'm not worried about the past. I'm worried about today and the future." Chavez said he hadn't yet spoken with any other councilor or Mayor Larry Delgado about the proposal. Friday, October 8, 1999 Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999 Albuquerque JournalDrug Debate Participants Can't Come to Terms - 10/08/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3197.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by Alexandre Oeming on October 08, 1999 at 09:53:28 PT:
McCzar cannot hide
McCzar is so unused to dissention from those in power that he really doesn't know what to do beyond trying to shout them down. I say, go for it. The more he shouts, the more people will hear and the more they'll begin to form their own questions with regard to the moronic and extremely harmful policy called the WOsD. All we want him to do is keep on talking ... he's his own worst enemy. Just wait til he gets asked why he won't *debate*. You can run, sucker, but you can't hide. Bwahahahahahaha!!!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 08, 1999 at 09:12:11 PT
Excellent!
Excellent idea Thomas. The reason for the press is because of the high profile people like McCaffrey and Johnson. I just had a flash of anti-war protests from Viet Nam and wouldn't that be something if history repeats itself and this time for a war within our own countries boundaries! 
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Comment #1 posted by Thomas on October 08, 1999 at 08:21:28 PT
To The Protesters
It just occured to me after reading about the hecklers that gave McCaffrey a hard time in New Mexico that there may be excellent opportunities for getting better exposure for this issue. As most readers are probably aware, the MassCan demonstration in Boston drew a huge crowd but received relatively little coverage in the national media. However, a few people demonstrating at McCaffrey's speech did get some press. If demonstrators consistently dogged McCaffrey at his public appearances, his "the-American-people-are-on-my-side" speeches would not be credible. Furthermore, he has a loyal following of press so the demonstrators wouldn't have to try and attract the press becuase they would already be there. I believe this high profile demonstrating would portray to the mainstream populace the truth. This truth being that there is a great deal of disent and there is by no means a concensus in America that cannabis use should be criminal. The guy next door needs to understand our viewpoint too!
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