Pubdate: Tue, 26 Oct 2010
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Los Angeles Times
Page: AA3
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: John Hoeffel
Referenced: The Yes on 19 ad featuring Joseph D. McNamara http://yeson19.com/ad
Referenced: The Wall Street Journal OPED 'Why I Support Legal 
Marijuana' http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n870/a01.html
Cited: Proposition 19 http://yeson19.com/
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/find?272 (Proposition 19)

PROP. 19 BATTLE SHIFTS TO TV, RADIO

Both Sides of the Marijuana Campaign Get New Infusions of Cash for 
the Final Week Before the Election.

The battle over Proposition 19 has shifted to television sets and 
radios for the final week of the campaign, as both sides benefit from 
recent support from major financial backers.

On Monday, George Soros, a multibillionaire investor who spent $3 
million on earlier initiatives to change California's drug laws, 
endorsed the measure. "He plans to make a significant contribution," 
said Michael Vachon, an advisor to the philanthropist and hedge-fund chairman.

The campaign to legalize marijuana in California plans to launch 
cable television commercials Tuesday in the Los Angeles area. The ads 
feature Joseph D. McNamara, a retired San Jose police chief, saying 
his 35 years in law enforcement convinced him that the war on 
marijuana has failed.

The California Chamber of Commerce started to run radio ads last week 
in Los Angeles and San Diego saying the measure "would hurt 
California's economy, raise business costs and make it harder to 
create jobs." And the No on 19 campaign began running radio ads 
Saturday in Northern California.

Proposition 19 would allow adults 21 and older to grow and possess 
marijuana, and it would allow cities and counties to approve 
cultivation, sales and taxation.

In an essay posted online by the Wall Street Journal, Soros argues 
that marijuana should be regulated and taxed. "Proposition 19 already 
is a winner no matter what happens on election day," he writes. "The 
mere fact of its being on the ballot has elevated and legitimized 
public discourse about marijuana and marijuana policy in ways I could 
not have imagined a year ago."

Dan Newman, a spokesman, said the Yes on 19 campaign has paid 
$170,000 to run the McNamara ad through election day but hopes to 
raise more money. "We've got lots of contributions pouring in to keep 
it on the air and put it on other markets," he said.

In the 30-second spot, McNamara says, "Proposition 19 will tax and 
control marijuana just like alcohol. It will generate billions of 
dollars for local communities, allow police to focus on violent 
crimes and put drug cartels out of business."

The chamber maintains that the initiative would prevent employers 
from taking action against workers who show up high and has spent 
$250,000 on radio ads in Southern California. In the ad, a female 
narrator says, "Imagine coming out of surgery, and the nurse caring 
for you was high."

The No on 19 campaign has spent $10,000 to run a similar ad in 
Redding and Chico. "Prop. 19 would allow big-rig drivers and even 
school bus drivers to smoke marijuana right up until the moment they 
climb behind the wheel," says Assemblyman Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber).

Roger Salazar, a spokesman, said the No on 19 campaign has received 
extensive media coverage in most of the state, but not up north. 
"This helps us get our message across up there," he said. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake