Pubdate: Wed, 06 Aug 2014
Source: Philadelphia Daily News (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
Contact: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/about/feedback/
Website: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/339
Author: Jenny DeHuff
Page: 13

KENNEY STIRS POT ON MARIJUANA BILL

Says Nutter Is Out of Touch

WHATEVER CHANCE it had of gaining Mayor Nutter's support, City
Council's small-amount-of-marijuana bill may have been lost in a media
skirmish between the mayor and Councilman Jim Kenney.

Both politicos have upped their fervor both for and against a measure
that would give police officers the discretion to write a ticket
carrying a $25 fine for possessors of an ounce of weed or less.

"My problem is his arrogance relating to this issue. It is astounding,
and clearly he has not been living in the real world for the last 5
1/2 to six years," Kenney said.

"His misguided policy of stop-and-frisk has been shown to be a
deterrent between community-police relations. So, where his head is, I
have no idea. I find it regressive and disappointing."

For months now, Kenney has said the city wastes resources rounding up
roughly 400 people a month for petty violations that result in arrest
records for those pinched with pot.

Nutter promised he would take the summer to look over the bill, but
was unable to say yesterday whether he would veto it. Kenney maintains
majority support from his Council colleagues, and the bill would
become law in several months with or without Nutter's signature.

The mayor criticized Kenney's bill for potentially giving false
impressions to people that smoking weed in public is somehow OK.

"If you're doing it in your house, that's one thing, but if you're out
on the street deteriorating the quality of life from guys on the
corner - guys sitting on my steps - then that is a real issue and a
problem," Nutter said.

"It goes beyond just the police showing up, handing someone a ticket
and walking away."

"My thought," Kenney said, "was that [Nutter] would sign the bill on
[June] 19th and use these three months to change Police Department
policy to implement the bill.

"Instead, he will have used the three-month legislative recess to do
nothing."

Kenney stopped short of accusing the mayor himself of smoking dope in
college days.

"In 1976 or 1977, if a young, African-American male was stopped
possessing a small amount of marijuana, was arrested and given an
arrest record, could that person be mayor today?" he asked.
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