Here's our chance to send a message.

Here's our cahnce to send a message. I just found this article with a live poll from the Miami Herald regarding drug laws. I hope I get this link right. Please, vote. This is a timely matter. So, Please hurry. Also, when I voted, it was 90% for reform. You can register with the Herald to leave a comment at the bottom of the article. :thumbsup:

http://http://www.miamiherald.com/ne...ry/457552.html

Here's the whole article too.

FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
Crist wants to maintain drug penalties
Gov. Charlie Crist said he doesn't support legislative plans to review whether to lessen penalties for some crimes such as non-violent drug possession.
Posted on Sat, Mar. 15, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
By MARC CAPUTO
[email protected]
Related Content
WEB VOTE
Do you agree with Gov. Crist?


Yes. The state's drug laws are working and they should continue to be enforced.

No. It's time the state decriminalized non-violent drug possession.

Yes. The state's drug laws are working and they should continue to be enforced. 2
10%
No. It's time the state decriminalized non-violent drug possession. 18
90%
Total Votes: 20

Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting.


TALLAHASSEE -- Though he has admitted to smoking marijuana, Gov. Charlie Crist said he still favors Florida's tough drug laws and doesn't support legislative plans to review whether to lessen penalties for some crimes such as non-violent drug possession.

The state's prison population is expected to swell at year's end to a record 100,000, about 20 percent of whom are non-violent drug offenders convicted of crimes such as trafficking and simple possession.

And some legislators have wondered aloud and in private how the state can afford to pay for it now that Florida's economy is sagging and crime is rising It costs more than $19,000 a year to lock up an inmate, not counting the millions it will cost to build two prisons per year through 2013 to keep up with prison-population growth.

While no legislator has filed a bill to decriminalize drug laws outright, the Senate and House are considering measures that allow some inmates early and supervised work release, that establish a commission to review mandatory-minimum prison sentences -- a legacy of the drug war -- and that lessen penalties for driving with a suspended license.

But Crist said he wants to keep the laws the way they are. ''It's important to make sure that we do what the first order of business is, and that is to ensure domestic tranquility -- make sure that our people are safe -- and that means locking up bad people,'' he said.

What about nonviolent drug offenders?

''I feel that our laws are good in Florida. They were thoughtfully put in place. And I know there is a budget crunch. But I don't want to sacrifice public safety,'' Crist said.

Plantation Democratic Rep. Perry Thurston said the Legislature is not yet ready for decriminalization, but he noted his Republican colleagues are slowly starting to realize that too many people are being locked away and they're changing their minds about being tough on certain crimes.

Tampa Sen. Victor Crist -- a Republican who's not related to the governor and chairs the senate's criminal-justice appropriations committee -- said locking up drug users costs society and the state too much money, and it doesn't work.

''That's the old way; throw a drug addict in jail. But now we know treatment works, it's better and it's cheaper,'' Sen. Crist said. ``If you're a violent criminal, you belong in a cell. If you're a drug addict, you belong in a rehab program.''

He said the Legislature is studying who's in prison and why -- something which can take time because prison records don't reflect the type of drug or specifics of a crime for which someone is convicted.

Asked if marijuana-possession should be decriminalized, Sen. Crist said: ``The man or woman abusing drugs need to be in a program to overcome their addiction. And the time has come to look at the prison system and make sure this is appropriate.''

While the state senator said he hasn't used illegal drugs, the governor acknowledged he had. Asked if he ever used marijuana, Crist said ``Yeah.''

''I've said many times, people make mistakes. And what I support about the law is the deterrent effect,'' he said. ``Having said that, I'm also recommending about $28 million for substance-abuse [treatment], to help people who might have an addiction or problem with a substance. I think that's important to do as well. I think we have to have balance.''

Gov. Crist said he only used marijuana recreationally when he was younger and long before public life and that he never used cocaine.

Did he inhale? ''I did,'' he said.



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Please, hurry. The Miami Herald Poll will not be open very long. Your vote & comments are needed now. Please, vote. Thank you all & please spread the word to everyone else to vote. :thumbsup:

A lot more people might have voted if you had posted a link that worked. :(

Sorry about the broken link. I don't know hat went wrong. I'll try again.

Crist wants to maintain drug penalties - 03/15/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

Current status on the vote-

NO- 6 votes, 9%

YES! - 58 votes, 91% :thumbsup:

Crist wants to maintain drug penalties - 03/15/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

Granny:hippy:

*EDIT- LOL! CK! Looks like we posted the corrected link at the same time! ;) I'll just have to be quicker next time! :D

Thank God for you Storm Crow. You're the best. :) You got through to the link. I screwed up. Double posted. Had broken link. Made PSteve mad as blazes. I'm only trying to render a valuable public service. As per PSteve request. I will not be posting for awhile. He says I'm spamming & I hate the thought that I made anyone mad. Please, forgive my screw ups due to my excited state. I'll only respond now if someone asks me to. So, no more posts for awhile. :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chameleonking

Thank God for you Storm Crow. You're the best. :) You got through to the link. I screwed up. Double posted. Had broken link. Made PSteve mad as blazes. I'm only trying to render a valuable public service. As per PSteve request. I will not be posting for awhile. He says I'm spamming & I hate the thought that I made anyone mad. Please, forgive my screw ups due to my excited state. I'll only respond now if someone asks me to. So, no more posts for awhile. :(

---

There is nothing wrong with this thread (except the broken link).
Post all you like. Just don't make duplicate threads. That is not allowed.:)

I'm sorry I screwed up so bad. I apologize & promise to do my best not to break the rules or anger anyone. Thank you PSteve for your kind intervention. I only responded to say thanks. Bye for now.:)

Happens to us all at one time or another. It IS important that we take the time to speak out!

So far, less than 200 people have voted in this poll. Guys, this is an opportunity! I've heard that LEOs will network and get their view (overly)represented in polls. No reason we shouldn't do the same. :D With that small of a group, every YES vote really counts!

So anyway, the vote stands, at the moment......

NO- 11 votes- 8%

YES!- 134 votes - 92% :thumbsup:(gained 1%)

Now about 50+ have viewed this post and I am hoping that all of you are part of the gain of 76 votes- if not....click the freaking link and vote! I'd LOVE to see it at 99%!- Granny:hippy: