Pubdate: Wed, 27 Oct 2010
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Page: AA1, continued on page AA4
Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: John Hoeffel
Cited: Proposition 19 http://yeson19.com/
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/find?272 (Proposition 19)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/soros.htm (Soros, George)

SOROS' GIFT TRIPLES FUNDS FOR PROP. 19

California's marijuana legalization campaign, which has struggled to 
raise money despite the intense nationwide focus on the issue, was 
jolted Tuesday when a multibillionaire investor with a long interest 
in loosening drug laws endorsed Proposition 19 and donated $1 million.

The contribution triples the amount of money that legalization 
advocates have to spend in the final week before the Nov. 2 election 
and dwarfs the $317,500 that the California Chamber of Commerce has 
spent on radio ads in Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego against 
the initiative.

"Better late than never," said Dale Sky Jones, a spokeswoman for the 
Yes on 19 committee, saying the campaign still has time to reach 
undecided voters. "It will be a nail-biter to the end."

George Soros, the chairman of a hedge fund and a philanthropist, made 
the donation as polls showed support slipping and as the Yes on 19 
campaign began to run its first ad on cable television, targeting 
voters in the Los Angeles area. On Wednesday, the campaign plans to 
roll out the ad featuring a former San Jose police chief in Chico, 
Fresno and Bakersfield.

Soros donated to a campaign committee run by the Drug Policy 
Alliance, a national advocacy group that he also supports 
financially. Stephen Gutwillig, the organization's California 
director, said the money will help turn out supporters and air the 
television ad, but declined to be more specific. The alliance and Yes 
on 19 committee have about $1.5 million to spend.

The opposition committee has raised far less, relying heavily on law 
enforcement organizations. The campaign had $47,000 in mid-October 
and has since raised $93,000 in large donations. The campaign is 
running radio ads in Redding and Chico aimed at voters who have not 
seen extensive television coverage.

"We've been outspent on this campaign from Day 1, and the more they 
spend, it seems like the lower they go in the polls," said Roger 
Salazar, a No on 19 spokesman. The initiative, which had long been 
ahead in polls, has fallen behind in the latest surveys, though some 
put it at a statistical tie.

Both campaigns are highlighting support from law enforcement. The 
initiative has been endorsed by 28 law enforcement veterans in 
California, but the opposition touts the support of many California 
police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys and every state law 
enforcement organization that has taken a position.

The proponents held a teleconference Tuesday with four former police 
officers who said enforcing marijuana laws wastes time that officers 
could devote to serious crimes, and creates a black market that fuels 
drug gangs. The opposition campaign, which had no events Tuesday, has 
scheduled a news conference Wednesday with the San Diego County 
sheriff and district attorney.

The Drug Policy Alliance, which hopes to persuade black and Latino 
voters to back the initiative as a civil rights issue, will showcase 
a study Wednesday that found Latinos were arrested on misdemeanor 
marijuana possession charges more often than whites in 33 California 
cities between 2006 and 2008.

The alliance has also issued reports showing higher arrest rates for 
African Americans. The latest report found the disparity was highest 
in Pasadena, with Latinos arrested 2.9 times more than whites, 
followed by Santa Monica and Alhambra at 2.7 times. In Los Angeles, 
the rate is twice as high for Latinos. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake