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| Yes | 63% | 65 votes | Total: 104 votes | |
| No | 37% | 39 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesThis type of decriminalization has been effectively implemented in Carbondale, IL. It has generated much needed revenue for the city, saved the county form the burden of jailing non-violent, low-level offenders; reduced case loads for the courts, and saved countless possessors from criminal records for minor offenses. It can work for Springfield too.
The change in policy was brought about by a very progressive city council and a moderate Republican mayor. The issue was raised in response to the city's use of police resources being used to arrest offenders, yet receiving no monetary benefit from the prosecution of said offenders. Once arrested, the suspects were jailed by the county, which collected fines paid by those convicted. In addition, the victims were disproportionally students (it is, after all, a college town) and this was having a detrimental effect on their college careers and the city (which depends on the students staying. It seemed like a win-win for the city and it's citizens.
Concerns were raised by some student leaders and council members, that the city may begin actively seeking offenders as a means of raising cash from the tickets. Over time, however, no evidence pointed to this activity. Now a few years removed from the change in policy, and it appears that the change was a wise move.
The system is one of progressive punishment. That is, the offender's fine increases with each ticket. While the amount is relatively high to begin with, it would appear to me that the system is working well for those that are "busted, and may have the effect of helping to reduce public use through financial hardship to the possessor.
The policy does not cover distribution or cultivation. Nor does the policy deal with the issue of other drugs.
On a personal note, it seems that this type of policy would be better implemented at the state or national level, though I see the benefit to letting each community decide what is best for itself. There is a serious problem in this state as well as others of population overload in the prisons. Many of these people are there for possession, though likely larger amounts than this policy might cover. However, this type of policy can afford protection to personal users that otherwise would become victims of the system. If I had my way, there would be no fines and personal possession woud not be treated as any type of crime. Let each possess and cultivate for themselves and say goodbye to much of the organized distribution system. There will always be marijuana use, and the evidence just doen't support the notion that it is a serious social problem. The vast majority of users are law-abiding, productive, and upstanding members of their community. To lump them in with murderers and molesters just doesn't make sense form a public policy standpoint. while there may be arguments against as positions of morality, thankfully legislating morality is difficult and often unconstitutional. In this case, a few bad apples should not spoil the bunch and we should see o it through the law that is is not the case.
Learn more about this author, Bill Me.
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No
We need a place for would be teens smoking pot in public to recreate in a healthy enviornment and we need library branches that draw teens in with easy computer access. We live in a city that allows new building of strip malls and then allows the owners of the abandoned properties to avoid taxes, create health and safety issues and destroy communities because they build with no eye to the future and often thier building is just intended to be a short term investment and a long term tax loss a shell came and who lays fallow in the end our teens end up laying fallow.
Springfield, Illinois once had a lovely neighborhood on South Grand complete with movie theater, library branch, restaurants and other small business now that is gone and we have a bar holding up one corner. Yes some of the other buildings hold businesses but not ones that support the average needs of recreation and living that the community requires to be drug free and happy! We tried to see a boom in that area but once that library branch left no matter what was tried for teens failed! Throwing folks in jail, and creating fines is a negative way to improve our communities resources.
We should establish "Village Greens" a modern way to create shopping, recreation and community enhancement. The idea is to encourage four inner city green areas north, south, west and east. We would have a simple park with hand ball, tennis courts, an outdoor pool and locker room a concession stand coffee/cafe area and a small strip shopping center with a city branch library a small bakery a ethnic food restaurant and a small general store that is not a chain...Micro manage and develop these stores with thirty year contracts to encourage business longevity and dedication to the community. Plenty of park benches, plantings, shade, bike paths to from and around and sheltered bus stops and public rest rooms and water fountains should be a no brainer part of the deal!
We need to fine land lord who are out of compliance with code and we need to create green rules for them to follow! By fining absentee landlords, fining landlords who do not use and improve their buildings and fine anyone who has a building that was built to be a business and lays fallow...as a storage area etc...buildings that are built to hold a movie, or a supermarket should be zoned for that and used for that if not they should be fined. Owners who rent should be fined and jailed if they are out of compliance on improvements as should owners who have empty buildings...this will support local libraries! Give kids and the adults who lack affordable recreation outlets. There is not one 24 hour public gym in this city ( we have a 24 hour jail)yet we expect our citizens to be healthy, wealthy and wise (we still have no community garden and no funds to build one...our citizens are prime for a stoning of the gray matter) ! Stop thinking jail, fines and start looking for the real evils! Our weeds are land lords who bolt!
Learn more about this author, Joann Conrad.
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