Pubdate: Thu, 24 Oct 2013
Source: Vail Daily (CO)
Copyright: 2013 Vail Daily
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wo3Ts7AI
Website: http://www.vaildaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3233
Author: Buddy Sims

STOP RETAIL MARIJUANA

Amendment 64 passed last November in Colorado to legalize marijuana. 
Every town and county government in the state now can ban or pass pot 
in their neighborhoods. Today we have over 1,000 Eagle County 
residents smoking medical marijuana and all is well except for the 
easy availability to our children. On Jan. 1, unlimited retail, 
cultivation, production, testing and social clubs can be added to our 
neighborhoods. This seems like not only overkill but downright "show 
me the money" for state and county revenue purposes.

So what is the impact on the taxpayers in Colorado with 64 and the 
various new marijuana laws and proposed taxes? Proposition AA is the 
controlling issue on the November ballot to approve 25 percent 
marijuana taxes. The Denver lawyers who wrote 64 have started a new 
political action committee called "No on Prop AA" which means if 
Proposition AA fails no one gets rich except the marijuana 
businesses. I wondered why the 64 supporters switched sides until I 
realized 64 is embedded in our State Constitution and must be funded 
out of the state general fund if Proposition AA fails. If AA fails to 
pass there will be no state revenue to pay for promised school 
construction, the additional 22 new state workers, county kickback 
revenue, and our local law enforcement. In this switch of supporter 
loyalties the marijuana businesses will have it both ways at our 
expense! How should we vote on Proposition AA?

A "no" vote and the price of retail marijuana without taxes will be 
downright cheap with no money for the greedy politicians. A "yes" 
vote means users could go back to the black market due to the 
sky-high pot prices but would result in more tax revenues. Either way 
you vote, our community will suffer with the new retail marijuana 
stores selling to the influx of new marijuana tourists from all over 
the world skiing and driving impaired.

Our county commissioners will approve the marijuana business zoning 
at an Oct. 29 meeting. By this time, the Denver lawyers will have 
encouraged the public to vote "no" on Proposition AA on Nov. 5 and 
will place taxpayers in this new world of funding pot out of our 
state general fund.

Whether you vote "no" or "yes" on Proposition AA is your call, but it 
is still not too late to stop pot in unincorporated Eagle County. Our 
last chance to tell the Board of Commissioners what locals and 
second-home owners want will be on Oct. 29 at 1:15 p.m. at the Eagle 
County Building. If we do not show up in mass or call your 
commissioners to ban retail pot, then accept our new Rocky Mountain 
high marijuana community!

Buddy Sims

Edwards
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom