Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM) Copyright: 2014 Albuquerque Journal Contact: http://www.abqjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10 Author: Emily Kaltenbach, State Director, Drug Policy Alliance Page: A7 EVERY VOTE MATTERS, SO GET TO POLLS Advisory Questions Can Serve a Role in Public Policy Decisions As the people working on marijuana decriminalization, we appreciate the opportunity to respond to the "emphatic no" that the Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board gave to our advisory question. We have heard opponents of marijuana policy reform time and again use every excuse in the book against us. Now the excuse is that your vote doesn't count. We're sure that left many asking: Then why show up? It's important to show up because every single vote counts. The simple fact is that advisory questions do matter, they do affect the laws our lawmakers enact, and you can help create that change. It's quite easy for our opponents to say that these are just advisory questions and a mere game of politics. But in reality we all know that advisory questions have a huge effect on our laws and our community. And we know that arrests for small amounts of marijuana disproportionately affect people of color and young people. Most of us can recall a controversial advisory question that our city voted on and that did in fact change the laws in Albuquerque - the 2011 Red Light Camera advisory question. We even recall the Albuquerque Journal's Editorial Board endorsing the advisory question and even going so far as saying, "while voters do elect officials to make the tough decisions, and public safety isn't something that necessarily belongs on a referendum, Albuquerque's red-light cameras should go to a public vote." The real question that we want to ask the Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board is what is your aversion to allowing people to vote on marijuana decriminalization? Is it that you don't think that your subscribers are smart enough to advise our lawmakers on what laws to pass, as you did in 2011? Or, is it that you think taxpayers should keep spending money for our law enforcement officers to waste valuable resources on arresting people for possession of small amounts of marijuana, instead of focusing on more serious crimes? We want you to know that your vote still matters - despite what the Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board has told you. Exercise your right to vote, be a part of this historic vote in New Mexico, and help us decriminalize marijuana. We know that our lawmakers are watching - just like they were in 2011 when you told them to get rid of our red light cameras. Your vote and your voice still matter. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom