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| Pot Backers Can't Stoke Hickenlooper |
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Posted by CN Staff on October 27, 2005 at 10:33:06 PT By Alan Gathright, Rocky Mountain News Source: Rocky Mountain News 
Colorado -- Pro-pot forces worked hard Wednesday to draw Denver's brewpub-owning mayor into a debate about the merits of the marijuana initiative on Tuesday's ballot. Mayor John Hickenlooper wasn't taking the bait. "Mayor Hickenlooper's attention and energy are focused on issues that actually matter to Denver, which more than anything else seems to be what is annoying these folks who already know that passage would be irrelevant as state laws on marijuana would still be enforced in Denver," said Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, the mayor's spokeswoman. That didn't stop 20 supporters of Initiative 100, which asks Denver voters whether to change city law to legalize adult possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana. They rallied outside City Hall, calling Hickenlooper a hypocrite and a "drug dealer" because his brewpubs sell beer, yet the mayor opposes the pot measure because he says marijuana is a "gateway drug" to destructive addictions. "What is the difference between Mayor Hickenlooper and a marijuana dealer? The mayor has made his fortune selling a more harmful drug: Alcohol," read a huge banner unfurled by members of the I-100 group, Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER). The central theme of the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative is that adults should have the legal right to choose marijuana, which proponents - citing national and local studies - call a safer alternative to booze, which they argue fuels deadly violence, car wrecks, collegiate binge-drinking and alcoholism. "Given that this is a city that is clamoring for more police, I think (Hickenlooper) should worry more about why we need those police and less about keeping adults from making the safer choice to use marijuana," said SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert, who has been striving for weeks to drag one of Colorado's most popular politicians into a debate. City Councilman Charlie Brown said SAFER's attack on the mayor was in keeping with what he branded a deceptive campaign to mislead voters into thinking I-100 is an anti- crime initiative to boost the city's police staffing. Brown and others have criticized the group's lawn signs declaring: "Make Denver SAFER, Voter Yes on I-100." A backlash from domestic violence groups forced SAFER to cancel a billboard showing a battered woman and her abuser with the slogan: "Reduce family and community violence in Denver. Vote Yes on I-100." Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO) Related Articles & Web Sites: Safer Choice Change The Climate No for Denver Pot Initiative SAFER Could Still Be Smarter The 'Virtues' of Pot Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 27, 2005 at 10:40:58 PT |
| Where there's toke, there's ire *** Backers of Denver's ballot measure on marijuana say Mayor Hickenlooper has made a "fortune selling a more harmful drug: alcohol." By Christopher N. Osher, Denver Post Staff Writer
October 27, 2005 Supporters of a pro-marijuana initiative Wednesday called Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper a hypocrite for opposing their efforts. During a rally outside the City and County Building, they unveiled a banner that read: "What is the difference between Mayor Hickenlooper and a marijuana dealer? The mayor has made his fortune selling a more harmful drug: alcohol." Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3155051 [ Post Comment ] |
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