Pubdate: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 Source: Boulder Weekly (CO) Copyright: 2006 Boulder Weekly Contact: http://www.boulderweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Marijuana) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Marijuana and Driving) POLK BUSTED FOR DRIVING STONED City Councilman Erwin "Richard" Polk was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs just after 9 p.m. on Monday. Officer Keith Steinman pulled Polk over after he observed Polk driving unusually slowly and straddling lanes at the intersection of 15th and Pearl streets. When Polk rolled down his window, Steinman reportedly detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from both the car and from Polk. He put Polk through roadside maneuvers and confiscated some pot, a pipe and rolling papers. But the story doesn't stop there. Polk reportedly asked the officer, "Wait, can we do something else? I'm a Boulder City Council member. I'm embarrassed." Well, Polk should be embarrassed, but not for smoking pot. Boulder is No. 1 nationwide for marijuana use, after all. (OK, so it's No. 2 behind Boston, but that's only because Boulder people are modest and don't like to brag.) No, smoking pot isn't why Polk should be embarrassed. What should embarrass him is that he allegedly got behind the wheel while stoned. Driving is dangerous enough without having your brain buzzing in the ozone. Driving under the influence of anything-alcohol, ganja, your cell phone, orgasms, iPods-is irresponsible and gets people killed. It's just not cool. But what's even more embarrassing than being caught in an alleged DUI is Polk's apparent assumption that his being a member of City Council meant that he should somehow be treated differently than the average pothead. If he truly believes this, then shame on him. Of course, there's a chance he didn't really mean it. Perhaps his words were simply ill chosen, more the mingling adrenaline and THC than an expression of his true intentions. We hope so. We'd hate to think that civic leadership in our city is following the path of that in the corporate world and Washington, D.C., where authority means jockeying for power and privilege and not public service. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake