Pubdate: Fri, 23 May 2008
Source: Idaho Mountain Express (ID)
Copyright: 2008 Express Publishing, Inc
Contact:  http://www.mtexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2296

NO PLACE FOR 'POT' BATTLE

Logic and legal precedent suggest that some court,  somewhere, some
time will rule that promoters of a  pro-marijuana initiative in Hailey
have no right to  skirt state and federal laws with a local vote.

How long that will take depends on how long pot  proponents want to
persist in this comedy, how deep  their pockets are and how long
Hailey voters allow them  to spend the public's tax dollars on
repeated elections  or legal defenses.

Hailey voters can begin to put an end to this farce on  May 27 by
voting "no" on four ballot measures that  purport to create a
marijuana haven in Hailey.

Voters will be asked if the city should legalize the  medical use of
marijuana and the industrial use of  hemp, make enforcement of
marijuana laws the lowest  priority for the Hailey Police Department,
and tax and  regulate sales and use of marijuana within the city.

Hailey has been spending scarce taxpayer funds on the  court tussle to
restore the city's right to enforce  laws and to avoid costly repeated
elections.

The issue of pot legalization is a statewide matter.  Marijuana
advocates can no more claim that Hailey can  be exempted from Idaho
and U.S. laws than anti-tax  promoters can claim Hailey residents are
exempt from  paying state income tax.

Obviously, backers of the marijuana initiative fear the  consequences
of a statewide vote in conservative Idaho.  Defeat would be certain.

Hailey isn't the place for this battle. Its pinched  budget should not
be forced to withstand it. Voters  should help stop the spread of red
ink by putting this  issue to rest.
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MAP posted-by: Derek