Pubdate: Mon, 13 Jun 2005
Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)
Mon, 13 Jun 2005Source: Providence Journal (RI)
Copyright: 2005 The Providence Journal Company
Contact:  http://www.projo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352
Author: Liz Anderson, Journal State House Bureau
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project ( www.mpp.org )
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

BACKERS OF POT FOR MEDICAL USE SAY CARCIERI'S OFFICE CUT THEM OFF

A spokesman for the governor says the hang-ups should not have
occurred and are being investigated.

At least two supporters of easing state laws to allow the use of
marijuana for medical purposes say they got the cold shoulder when
they tried to express their views to staff at the governor's office
last week.

The callers, both women, had been contacted by the Marijuana Policy
Project, a Washington-based advocacy group pushing the Rhode Island
legislation, which Governor Carcieri has said he would veto.

After the pro-marijuana group determined it had reached a supporter,
it volunteered to connect that supporter by telephone to the
governor's office in order to ask him to reconsider his position.

Betty Goff-McCaffrey, of Warwick, was one who said yes last Thursday.
Goff-McCaffrey said she was motivated, in part, by the recent death of
a family friend from lung cancer.

Goff-McCaffrey said once connected, she started to explain why she was
calling. But she said Carcieri's staff member first asked whether
anyone else was on the line, then cut off the call, declaring: "I've
had 50 calls like this today and that's enough."

McCaffrey called the governor's office back directly, from her own
local number, and this time was allowed to explain her position. But
when she tried to complain about being cut off before, she said, she
was cut off again.

McCaffrey then wrote a letter of complaint to Carcieri that she later
read to a reporter. It declared, among other things, that "as a
citizen and taxpayer in this commonwealth, I strongly suggest your
staff get some public relations training and some good manners."

Rhonda O'Donnell, a Warwick woman with multiple sclerosis, said she
also was cut off several times when her call was transferred.

At first, she said, it sounded like someone simply picked up and then
disconnected the call, without speaking. After several attempts, she
said, a man answered, and she explained she was a supporter of the
bills.

"[The man] said, 'Yeah, all right,'" then complained that "half the
people calling don't even know what they're responding to," she said.
He also engaged her in a short debate on the issue, telling her that
possessing marijuana would remain illegal under federal law and users
could lose their homes if caught.

"I think they're discounting a lot of these calls," she told a
reporter.

Karen O'Keefe, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy
Project, estimated that more than 100 people were patched through to
the governor's office during rounds of calling last Tuesday to Thursday.

Governor Carcieri's spokesman, Jeff Neal, said the governor's
constituent affairs staff estimated they had received about 200 calls
on the issue over the week, with the "vast majority" of them
transferred in from a third-party number.

As for the hang-ups, he said, "We're investigating the incident."

"Regardless, it should not have happened," Neal said. "Governor
Carcieri is committed to being responsive to the concerns of Rhode
Island citizens and the governor's constituent affairs office is
trained to provide excellent service to every caller.

We will be reviewing our telephone and customer-service procedures to
ensure that nothing like this happens again."

Neal said the governor's staff would endeavor to identify the
aggrieved callers and then "reach out directly to apologize and make
sure their concerns are conveyed directly to the governor." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake