[Vision2020] Pot Prizes May Have Lured More Eagle Rock (Calif.) Residents To Vote

[Joe Campbell]

The problem with the plan is that likely folks used the "prizes" before
they voted -- and then they forgot who to vote for.

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 7:27 AM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

> Courtesy of CBSLA (Los Angeles) at:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/8wajqd9
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Pot Prizes May Have Lured More Eagle Rock Residents To Vote
>
> *EAGLE ROCK (CBSLA.com)* — Fliers offering $40 worth of free
> medical-grade marijuana were reportedly passed out in Eagle Rock to try and
> draw residents to vote in the local election.
>
> Was the free pot an incentive to get a larger turnout? Politics ranked
> “high” on resident’s list of priorities. Nearly 10 times as many voters –
> 792 residents – turned out to the polls during the recent Neighborhood
> Council elections than last year.
>
> “It’s a little weird that people can’t come out and vote on their own. I
> see that as a problem, as a social symptom,” Eagle Rock resident Joerael
> Elliott said.
>
> Many residents told CBS2′s Juan Fernandez they didn’t think enticing
> voters with perks was right.
>
> “You can’t pay your way like that, that’s not cool,” resident Danielle
> Sargent said.
>
> No one is claiming responsibility for the flier.
>
> The fliers asked citizens to support the Progress and Collaboration Slate,
> which ran against the neighborhood council’s opposition to pot dispensaries.
>
> The council had tried to ban pot dispensaries but residents collected
> enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot, the Patch reported.
>
> L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents the district, has
> submitted the flier to the L.A. City Attorney’s Office to see if any legal
> action can be taken. He believes the record voter turnout had nothing to
> do with the pot giveaway and was instead motivated by residents trying to
> take control of their community.
>
> While some argue the pot offer drove voter turnout, it didn’t lead to
> victory. A candidate from the Eagle Rock Neighbors Slate was elected
> president. Only two of the eight Progress candidates won – for the
> positions of civic director and sub-district 1 director.
>
> The battle continues, however. Progress candidate Mark Smith has since
> filed a formal complaint challenging the election results.
>
> “Our opponents were just obsessed with the marijuana thing, because all of
> us, on the slate I was on, are for safe access, but we’re not for 30
> dispensaries in the neighborhood,” Smith said.
>
> Smith said his opponents played dirty, using scare tactics to sway the
> vote.
>
> “They called the slate that I was on and said we were a criminal
> syndicate, organized crime…my favorite one was when they said we were going
> to bring bordellos and cocaine to Eagle Rock,” Smith said.
>
> ---------------
>
> The flyer . . .
>
> [image: Free+Pot+for+Vote.jpg]
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> I don't know how much marijuana, or its quality, forty dollars could
> purchase now.  But, back in 1976/77, in the Presidio of San Francisco area,
> forty bucks could get you an ounce of Columbian.
>
> LEGALIZE IT!
>
> REGULATE IT!
>
> TAX IT!
>
> Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .
>
> "Moscow Cares"
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students.  The college
> students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."
>
> - Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
>
>
>
>
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