THE MOST ANTI-DRUG COUNCIL MEMBERS

Those Who Said Nothing Did The Most

In politics, the best action is often no action at all. That's because
politicians cannot solve most problems. Our culture's belief that
politicians are "leaders," able to solve most problems, only harms
us.

Politicians typically forget their own limitations when presented a
dilemma, or else they lack the humility and strength of conviction to
just do nothing. Monday was a notable exception, when a majority on
the Colorado Springs City Council chose to do nothing at all,
regarding a failed petition drive for a ballot measure designed to
forbid medical marijuana stores in Colorado Springs.

A new state law, known as Colorado House Bill 1284, ostensibly allows
local citizens and their governments to forbid medical marijuana
retailers. The statute is almost certainly illegal, as the Colorado
Constitution protects the "acquisition, possession, production, use,
or transportation of marijuana or paraphernalia" for medical use.
Acquisition, possession, use and transportation would all be severely
impeded by local regulations that shut down medical marijuana
retailers. We can't shut down churches and have freedom to worship,
and we can't shut down marijuana stores and maintain a legitimate
right to acquire the drug.

Why anyone desires to close the stores remains unclear. They've caused
no surge in crime and mayhem and they generate an abundance of new
revenue for City Hall. Our country's experiment with alcohol
prohibition tells us all we need to know about the unintended
consequences of forbidding trade.

Nevertheless, Councilman Darryl Glenn brought forward a recommendation
Monday to refer a marijuana store moratorium to the November ballot.
Council members Jan Martin, Randy Purvis and Vice Mayor Larry Small
voiced support. The five remaining council members sat in silence.
They wisely chose to just do nothing.

By doing nothing, the majority took the most anti-drug stand possible.
They left the trade alone. That means medical marijuana stores will
continue killing off the old criminal-run black-market trade, which
desperately seeks the elimination of competitors who pay taxes,
operate within the confines of law and subject themselves to
reasonable regulations. Unlike criminal underground dealers,
store-front sellers pay wages to employees. They withhold and pay
taxes on those wages to federal and state governments. They collect,
report and pay taxes on all sales made in their stores. If closed,
most of their business would go directly to underground thugs. Without
marijuana stores, even little old ladies with glaucoma end up trading
with criminals.

Be assured that Glenn, Martin, Purvis and Small abhor drug abuse. They
may believe that shutting down above-board, taxpaying marijuana
retailers will somehow reduce drug abuse. They may simply want voters
to decide. Their support for a moratorium isn't sinister, it's just
misguided. They cannot explain how an election, which voters didn't
support during the petition drive, would help our city.

Council members Sean Paige, Scott Hente, Tom Gallagher, Bernie Herpin
and Mayor Lionel Rivera are all responsible adults who also want to
see less drug abuse. Though they may appear more pro-drug than their
peers, they chose the option that's most hostile to illegal drug
activity. That option was exercised with no action at all.