Pubdate: Mon, 24 Feb 2003
Source: In These Times Magazine (US)
Section: The First Stone
Copyright: 2003 In These Times
Contact:  http://www.inthesetimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/207
Author: Joel Bleifuss, Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?163 (Question 9 (NV))

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ANTI-DRUG

White House Drug Czar John Walters is refusing to reveal how much the 
federal government spent campaigning against Question 9, the Nevada 
marijuana initiative that was rejected by voters last November. Responding 
to a request for such information from Nevada Secretary of State Dean 
Heller, Walters claimed that he was "immune" from Nevada's campaign finance 
law "as a federal officer acting within the scope of duties, including 
speaking out about the dangers of illegal drugs."

Steve Fox of the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project, which sponsored 
the initiative, was not impressed: "Claims that he was just doing his job 
by speaking out about the dangers of marijuana are absurd and insulting. He 
campaigned against Question 9 overtly and energetically, most likely 
spending tens of thousands of dollars of the taxpayers money in the 
process. All we ask is that he follows the law and play by the same rules 
we had to obey. We reported our campaign expenditures, and he should report 
his."

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