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| Newsmaker Of The Year: Christopher Krohn |
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Posted by CN Staff on December 29, 2002 at 07:39:49 PT By Dan White, Sentinel Staff Writer Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 
As mayor of Santa Cruz, Christopher Krohn faced the national media to speak out for medical marijuana and rally against a U.S. war on Iraq.Every time he faced the TV cameras — and millions of viewers — his City Hall answering machine lit up. People cheered and sneered. One national pundit, replying to Krohn’s comments, snapped back: "Don’t smoke pot. Smoke Saddam." It was a brief bit of national fame for Krohn, a soft-spoken mayor who seemed genuinely befuddled by all the fuss. But he also made a stir locally. In his one-year term, Krohn, 45, went against most council members by opposing new downtown behavior rules drafted in response to hundreds of complaints about harassment and aggressive panhandling on Pacific Avenue. For his stands — and the resulting publicity — Krohn is the Sentinel’s choice for 2002 Santa Cruz Newsmaker. Krohn said the downtown rules were rushed and failed to target the worst problems, while potentially hurting people who were causing no harm. It was the kind of stance that won him praise from backers, and drew hoots from others who said he and then Councilman Keith Sugar were compromising the council’s message of strength and unanimity. He fought a losing battle to get a peace park built at the Town Clock traffic divider to memorialize victims of violence. Opponents called that project an example of "Krohny-ism" because it was to be named after a late activist who was Krohn’s most influential political backer in the 1998 election. In his year as mayor, Krohn learned that one man’s hero is another man’s buffoon. A frequent audience heckler labeled Krohn "The King of Pot" and the city was lampooned as pothead central on the Jay Leno show. But supporters hailed the council for standing up for Mike and Valerie Corral, co-founders of the Wo/Men’s Alliance For Medical Marijuana, in the wake of a federal raid on their Davenport-area pot farm. After Krohn left the board, the new council majority deputized the Corrals — an idea that Krohn had encouraged while he was still mayor. "I think I was able, in this past year, to focus on some real issues that maybe I didn’t expect to focus on," Krohn said. "I didn’t expect necessarily to deal with those. But people wanted me and the council to speak out on those issues. And, at the same time, downtown issues were on the front burner." He takes issue with the notion that his stands contributed to a flaky image of the city. "Most people do have a good feeling of Santa Cruz," he said. "They don’t roll their eyes about it." Krohn gives no clues when asked about future employment or political aspirations. "I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire, and I’m waiting for them to sort of gel," he said. Complete Title: Newsmaker Of The Year: Christopher Krohn S.C. Mayor Made National Splash About Iraq and Pot Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA) Related Articles & Web Sites: News Article -- WAMM Raid Pictures From WAMM Protest Why I'm Fighting Federal Drug Laws From City Hall Medicinal Pot Issue is About The Sick, Dying Santa Cruz Defies U.S. On Marijuana Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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