Pubdate: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 Source: Maui News, The (HI) Copyright: 2009 The Maui News Contact: http://www.mauinews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2259 Author: Mark Santos ALL SIDES NEED TO FLESH OUT CONCERNS OVER ISSUE The topics of today's conversation at work, with neighbors, family and friends are layoffs, budgets, government waste, access to medical marijuana and what's up with wasting all this time and money trying to rid Maui of Maui Wowee. It is time to resolve these issues with aloha! Aloha to the real patients who need marijuana, to the farmers who could grow organic food crops along with the medical crop, to the laid-off state workers who will keep their jobs from the tax revenue. And, even a little aloha to the police by prioritizing the laws which we ask them to enforce. Does California have more aloha for its residents than Maui does? California has been addressing these issues all along. Hawaii was the first state to have medical marijuana laws and has made no changes since June 2000. We can learn from other states' successes and mistakes, or be left behind. It is time that all sides come together and talk about their personal positions so that we might know what we agree on and what we need to debate. It is time to ask our elected officials to work for us! If we all express our views together we may find that we are not that far apart. The time will come when you will be asked your personal views. We need to find where the mayor, the County Council members and our new police chief stand. Either the people or the elected officials or both must address these issues and act. Remember, we have the right to vote! Mark Santos Haiku - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom