Pubdate: Thu, 03 Nov 2005
Source: Ferndale/Berkley Mirror (MI)
Contact: 
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=CUSTOMERSERVICE0301
Copyright: 2005 Ferndale/Berkley Mirror
Website: http://www.hometownlife.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3994
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)

MIRROR ENDORSES 'YES' VOTES IN FERNDALE ELECTION

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

We think that if someone with a life-threatening illness gets some 
relief from marijuana and his or her doctor agrees that it's an 
appropriate treatment, then that person should be allowed to use marijuana.

Based on that principle, the Mirror endorses a "yes" vote for 
proposal D to change Ferndale's city ordinance to allow a person to 
have and use medical marijuana "under the direction, prescription, 
supervision or guidance of a physician or other medical practitioner 
licensed under state law" as stated in the ballot question.

However, a "yes" vote doesn't mean that a person can legally use this 
drug for medical purposes under Michigan law. Voting whether to 
change the ordinance then is simply a matter of your personal 
beliefs. A "yes" vote or a "no" vote does not affect the daily lives 
of people who proponents of this proposal feel need this drug most. 
If adopted by voters, the ordinance will have no real impact. Still, 
it's an opportunity to weigh in on this issue, and it deserves a 
vote. For us, the right vote is "yes."

COUNCIL RAISE

The mayor and city council asked for a raise on this year's ballot 
and the Mirror thinks they deserve it.

These elected officials make the same amount of money their 
forefathers made when the city charter was adopted in 1927. The mayor 
makes $750 a year and council members make $500 a year or $10 a 
meeting. When that rate of pay was established, it was considered to 
be a lot -- today, it's very little. These elected officials aren't 
asking for a living wage, they just want enough cash to cover the 
expenses of their jobs, like gas, parking, cell phone bills, etc.

If voters say "yes" to proposals A and B, the mayor's yearly wage 
would increase to $8,142.24 per year and the council member's yearly 
wage would increase to $5,428.16. The pay rates would be increased in 
each odd number year to reflect the rate of inflation.

This still isn't asking for a lot, since council members in Detroit 
make approximately $82,930 a year. In Warren, they make $27,500 a 
year. And in Troy, they make $6,300 a year.

POLICE AND FIRE BOARD

Streamlining government is a good thing, so the Mirror endorses a 
"yes" vote for Proposal C to eliminate the Police and Fire Board.

The function of the Police and Fire Board, when it was incepted at 
the city's birth in 1927, was to oversee the hiring of police and 
fire department employees and to be resident watch dogs over the 
policies those departments establish.

Today, the city has the civil service board, which oversees the 
hiring of both the departments. Also, the police chief and fire chief 
are under the direction of the city council, so any policy changes 
that are made would have to be approved by that body.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake