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Councilor wants to raise the price of pot
By adamg on Tue, 08/20/2013 - 10:55pm
Bill Linehan, whose district is at the heart of the city's heroin epidemic, is seeking an ordinance that would raise the cost of a marijuana citation from $100 to $300, at least for people caught smoking in public parks, Boston Magazine reports.
The council considers Linehan's proposal at its regular meeting tomorrow at City Hall. His proposed order reads, in part:
The public consumption of marihuana is a public safety issue in the City of Boston, in particular the Boston Common and other city parks. Because the possession of one ounce or less of marihuana {sic] is enforced by the noncriminal disposition procedures, the citations are often ignored and the Boston Police Department does not have an existing mechanism to handle defaults.
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Comments
He can't even explain his
He can't even explain his position, the fool. Public safety issue, eh?
Mr. Linehan
simply has dollar signs in his eyes. He sees revenue, to presumably help pay bloated political hack salaries. He wants the city to get a piece of the action. Why should the dealers make all the money? The state does the same thing with gambling, smoking [cigarette taxes bring in nice revenue], and don't even talk about how convoluted and archaic our liquor laws are. IT'S ALL ABOUT SQUEEZING $ OUT OF PEOPLE.
Squeezing money out of
Squeezing money out of people? That's ridiculous. THEY'RE BREAKING THE LAW! If you don't like your money being "squeezed" out of you, then DON'T BREAK THE LAW! We're not talking about a raise in taxes here, we're talking about illegal activities.
I'm all for the fine increase. Hell, make it $500.
It won't matter anyway... I can't believe how blatantly ignorant some potheads are who just sit down in a public park and spark up a joint or a bowl. It's like a big "fuck you" to law enforcement because they know they're not going to get caught. I've never seen anyone even come close to being busted for smoking in public.
There's even a goddamn Hempfest in the Common every year. If the city was really motivated by a money grab, they'd post dozens of extra officers for that event and have them walk around busting people left and right.
Personally, I'm severely allergic to both marijuana and cigarette smoke, so I'd love to see any kind of smoking flat out banned in all public places.
Your special affliction
Your special affliction shouldn't mean the deprivation of other people's liberty.
Um, breating is necessary
Smoking (cigs or wacky) isn't. When a frivilous activity (smoking) interfers with a necessary one (breathing), it is not unreasonable to restrict the frivilous activity.
And it's not "nanny" government. It's called common sense.
LOL. Nice try. You mean the
LOL. Nice try, anon #1. You mean the liberty to ILLEGALLY light up a joint on public property? According to your concept, I have the right to walk up to you and punch you in the face. Sounds like you should look up the definition for liberty.
And I never used my "affliction" as the reason for my claim, I was only stating the fact that I wish ALL smoking would be prohibited in public, including outdoor spaces.
You may exercise your liberty to kill yourself, but don't put my health or my family's health at risk at the same time.
You also have the liberty to walk into a bar and get smashed. But don't climb into a car and jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of the rest of us.
But because the possession of
Put some teeth into the law my ass. This is quite simply a money grab.
Blane the voters for this
who were idotic enough to decriminalize the posession of a substance that is still illegal to grow, sell, and distribute.
And blame an outdated and archane process called the "initiative petition", which enables the idotic voters to even consider a question like this.
Blame the legal system for
Blame the legal system for maintaining illegality of a substance that the plurality of voters want decriminalized.
Are you really suggesting that the citizens shouldn't be able to make their own laws?
Public safety issue?
Public safety issue? Cigarettes aren't though? What BS. It is time this country took its head out of its ass on this issue.
They get all crazy when it comes to weed but are ok with cigarrettes, bars and liquor stores. Such hypocrisy.
Am I going to light up near people out in public? No. But I should be able to light up in a quiet spot in a park somewhere without fear.
I have worked my whole life, pay taxes, own a home & give to charity and yes, I smoke pot.
How horrible!
Marijuana is a gateway drug to Doritos.
how about..
Funny how he lives in the worst district with a heroin problem.
How about he focus on the heroin junkies in his district instead?
Look, I get that pot smoke can get annoying. But I'll take walking by a cloud of pot smoke for a few seconds, than dealing with a strung-benzi'd out heroin addict any day.
I'm so tired of heroin junkies.
I've stopped giving homeless people money entirely. Too many times I have been walking home, and seen them shooting up on my street.
I'd like to see these politicians go out an enforce their own policies.
Arlington and other towns beat Boston to it
Arlington has had a town bylaw making small pot possession a $300 fine. Effectively, there is no fine at all by state statues as there is no penalty for not paying a citation, much like not paying a traffic ticket for infractions on a bicycle. The least expensive way for the state to enforce fines is with the RMV. This is now how fines for evading MBTA fares are enforced - if you don't pay the fines, your punishment is to ride the T because your Mass license is suspended, if you even have one.
Using the court system to enforce laws is expensive, and makes too much work for those state workers.
So get rid of the laws
Legalize it. Pot is nowhere near as dangerous as many legal drugs - the only real danger comes from it being illegal.
Historical experience points to the danger in banning substances when their use is something the public generally accepts.
Tax it and regulate it like the more dangerous alcohol. Problem solved.
That's leadership! Only Bill
That's leadership! Only Bill Linehan as the guts to tell the Mass residents who have voted multiple times to ratchet down the prohibition of an almost completely innocuous thing how wrong we are.