To the editor:

                                    Candidate Survey [how extreme are your positions?]

            The War on Drugs is a very harmful policy with no benefits whatsoever. For that reason there are currently no people in the entire country willing to defend it in a public debate forum where their arguments will get the required scrutiny that policy deserves. The implied argument is that the 800 Pound Gorilla takes an extreme position. Since the reason for lack of debate lies with detractors, this is an absurd statement. How willing are you the candidate to support reasonable reform measures?

1] Why do you believe that it’s perfectly OK to harm innocent people [including taxpayers and crime victims – among many others] for no good reason? [please note that “difference of opinion” is not an acceptable response – that IS the real difference of opinion… unless you’re willing to defend the drug war in public debate]

 

 

 

1a]  Are you willing to defend your stance in a debate forum?   YES   NO

2] Would you support suspending criminal penalties for possession and use [penalties for sale covered elsewhere] ONLY on those drugs for which no scientific evidence has ever been submitted proving that these drugs are more harmful than legal alternatives – including alcohol and tobacco – until such evidence is provided?  YES   NO

2a] Would you sponsor such a measure?   YES   NO

3] Would you support suspending criminal penalties for possession and use until such time as a constitutional amendment is adopted banning substances – with or without any requirement to do testing?   YES   NO

4] Would you support diversion of “nonviolent drug offenders” [over ¾ diverted have no drug abuse problem] into mandatory drug treatment – instead of incarceration?  

YES   NO

4b] Should taxpayers pay the expense [of jail/treatment]?   YES   NO

5] Should other criminals be given a limited option for drug treatment – instead of criminal penalties – for crimes related to addiction [selling/theft/burglary for example]?   YES    NO

5b] Should taxpayers pay the expense[jail/treatment]?   YES   NO

6] Do you support a dedicated revenue fund for paying for drug prohibition [which could include a specified portion of general fund revenue] in order to pay for prohibition in an honest manner – rather than continue stealing from other more popular programs[like schools, libraries, roads, basic law enforcement, and fire departments] which are funded from general revenue.   YES   NO

6b] Would you support an increase in funding to adequately fund the prisons and police manpower necessary to improve chances of success in winning the drug war? YES   NO

7] Would you support reclassification of marijuana to allow prescription by doctors for medical reasons?            YES   NO

7a] Would you support reclassification for any other drug for which no scientific evidence has ever been submitted proving it more harmful than legally available drugs?

Feedback?

Candidate responses to survey [most by default]

YES   NO

            Return to:         800 pound gorilla                  rimchamp77@juno.com

                                    PO Box 411                               541-929-5392

                                    Philomath, Oregon                    

            Default responses WILL be listed as the “business as usual” – unless I hear differently. The survey responses will be listed at http://www.geocities.com/CandidateSurvey.html

 

 

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