Pubdate: Sat, 16 Oct 2010
Source: Whittier Daily News (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/writealetter
Website: http://www.whittierdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/497
Cited: Proposition 19 http://yeson19.com/
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/find?272 (Proposition 19)

It's Politics:

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION ISSUE HITS WHITTIER CITY COUNCIL

The marijuana legalization issue hit the Whittier City Council this week.

And there was a 3-2 vote in essence to come out against Prop. 19. 
However, four votes were needed to put it on the agenda so it fell one short.

Councilman Joe Vinatieri asked to put it on the agenda so the council 
could take a position on it.

"Proposition 19 would legalize marijuana although it's illegal under 
federal law," Vinatieri said. "There's a very good chance the feds 
will come and sue to enjoin it. There's also a good chance that 
(federal) money given to cities, such as Whittier, would be in jeopardy."

However, Councilmen Bob Henderson and Owen Newcomer opposed putting 
it on the agenda - it came up near the end of a 4 1/2 hour meeting - 
and for the city to even take a position.

"I don't think it can be an urgency matter," Henderson said. "We 
could easily have had it prepared for this agenda."

Newcomer said unless the issue is of great local importance, he 
doesn't think the council should take positions on state or national issues.

"The council (two years ago) was asked to take a position on the war 
against Iraq," he said. "We wisely didn't."

Mayor Greg Nordbak and Councilwoman Cathy Warner supported Vinatieri 
in seeking to put it on the agenda.

Still, Henderson said that although he believes that marijuana should 
be legalized, he opposes Proposition 19 because it has no controls or 
standards in the way that Advertisement alcoholic beverages do now.

This was the last meeting to take a position because the council 
won't meet until after the Nov. 2 election.

But as a result of the vote, Newcomer then asked the council to take 
positions on four of the ballot propositions.

He got no support other than some admiration for how he could speak 
so eloquently on each.

"I like Owen's comment," Henderson said. "Let's leave it alone. 
Thanks for the plug on all of those. I thought you did a beautiful job." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake