CAMPAIGN SHIFTS GEARS

Just days after wrapping up one election campaign, Abbotsford council
candidate Tim Felger is starting another.

Felger ran federally for the Radical Marijuana party during last
week's federal election, and despite failing in his bid to become
Abbotsford's MP, he will make an attempt to become a city councillor
on Nov. 15.

Felger highlights a number of plans that he has for Abbotsford,
should he become a city councillor.

Firstly, he says he would like to buy the Simpson Elementary School
site and turn it into a centre for homeless people. The property
would be perfect as it already has showers, telephones and
electricity, he said.

Felger would also like to see public telephones and washrooms
installed in downtown Abbotsford.

On top of that, Felger says he would create a "citizens' empowerment
act," which he says would allow individuals to bypass the city
council process and present their ideas to the public at large
without government interference.

"I am hoping to make marijuana the lowest arrest priority, and I want
to get rid of the ban on harm reduction in town," Felger continued.

"As our economic situation deepens, our freedom of liberties becomes
more important."

Central to Felger's campaign, he says, will be his "green pepper plan."

That initiative, he explained, would allow somebody to grow their own
marijuana and share it between neighbours and friends.

If they wanted to sell it, they would have to obtain a quota and
could then sell it with a regular business license.

Anyone over 18 would be able to participate, he said, as would anyone
over 16 with their parent's permission.

If marijuana is not legalized by March next year, Felger is planning
more brazen action and says he will start "selling marijuana over the counter."

"I am going to legalize it before I quit, and I am going to quit
soon," he added.