SANCTIONING OWEN UNETHICAL

If a group of Washington residents starts a petition to abolish
mandatory vaccination programs because they believe the state has no
right to insist that every child be vaccinated, it would be unethical
for the director or other members of the state health department not
to work diligently to inform the public and legislators of the reasons
why this would be dangerous for citizens. It is the responsibility of
those in that position to advise the public on health and safety issues.

Likewise, rather than chastising Lt. Gov. Brad Owen for speaking out
about why medicalization of marijuana, an illicit psychoactive and
addictive drug, would be a dangerous move for the health and welfare
of this state, the state should have congratulated him for personally
taking on this task. Long before Owen was elected, he vigorously
supported the anti-drug policy of the federal government.

Since the state Council on Substance Abuse also supports a no-use
message, and this was not a campaign that would directly benefit Owen,
the action taken against him by the Executive Ethic Board seems
extremely irrational and unfounded.

To compound the travesty of the charges against Owen, the campaign to
medicalize marijuana, though it used the state's initiative process,
was funded and orchestrated primarily by out-of-state entities. This
is where the ethics violations should have been levied.

If state laws are not properly modified, we will find that
initiatives, no matter how dangerous or deceptive, will go
unchallenged even by agencies or individuals whom we have charged with
representing or protecting us. The Executive Ethics Board has done
Owen a grave injustice for doing nothing more than performing
dutifully and diligently on behalf of the people of Washington.

Sandra S. Bennett
Portland